John Tavares now shares something in common with former NHL skaters Bobby Holik, Scott Gomez, Scott Niedermayer, Brian Rafalski and Zach Parise.
The former Islanders captain opted for unrestricted free agency instead of re-signing with general manager Lou Lamoriello, joining a slew of former players with his decision. This time, though, Lamoriello isn’t the one to blame.
The Islanders and their fans must have seen this coming a long time ago. New York never had a realistic chance at re-signing Tavares this offseason. As much as it “pains” the Islanders’ faithful, the Orange and Blue had to be mentally prepared for this moment for quite some time.