The thing of it is, John Tavares was about to stay. When Lou Lamoriello was hired to run the operation and soon after hired Barry Trotz to take over behind the bench, No. 91 was prepared to forfeit a shot at free agency that was just over a week away, an individual close to Tavares told The Post.
Blind loyalty? Maybe. But Tavares had eyes for the new regime. After years of quirky ownership/front-office behavior and tyros behind the bench, Lamoriello and Trotz came with the kind of quirks reflecting off the diamonds in their four combined Stanley Cup rings.