Tavares brings hope to a struggling franchise; First overall pick ready to bring some banners to Long Island

By Greg Maker

The Golden Boy has arrived on Long Island. The highly-touted John Tavares now carries the hopes of a fan base that has not seen their team advance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 1993 and has won only six playoff games in that timeframe. Tavares brings an impressive resume; one that includes breaking Peter Lee’s 33-year old record for goals scored (215) in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).

“You’re gonna love it here John!” shouted a fan in the audience as Tavares sat between Islanders General Manager Garth Snow and Coach Scott Gordon. With all the hype coming into the NHL, Tavares knows he is joining one of the league’s least successful franchises over the last 20 seasons but feels that the building blocks for success are in place for the organization.
“We are in a rebuilding phase,” Tavares said. “I see the pieces that Garth [Snow] was putting in place with players, young prospects and draft picks. You’ve seen teams like Pittsburgh and Chicago that have rebuilded pretty quickly. There will be some growing pains and some tough seasons but with Scott [Gordon] here developing us we are going to enjoy our time here to create a winner again.”
Gordon is happy to have a player that has proven he can score goals at the junior level and hopes that the young man from Oakville, Ont. is ready to produce at a high level in the professional ranks. With the Islanders finishing 29th in the league in goal scoring last season (Colorado was last), Tavares should fill the void to be the go-to-guy for the Isles.
“I watched John’s games and there is no question that from the top of the circles down he has the ability to score goals. I am also impressed by his play away from the puck in the defensive zone and on face-offs. He is not just a goal scorer but more of a complete player than I had previously heard about.”
Broadcaster Howie Rose called Tavares’ unveiling as a member of the Islanders a “celebration of the rebirth of the franchise.” Snow added that it is an exciting time to be a New York Islander and a fan of the team.
“We appreciate all the passion you have brought,” Snow said to the fans. “Long Island is a very special place for me. To me, this was the best place I ever played in and want to stay here for the rest of my life.”
The cynical fan of the team may point out that the Isles have not raised a banner (other than retired numbers) to the rafters since the team won the Patrick Division in 1988. The cynical fan may also point to past number one draft picks such as Greg Joly (Washington, 1974), Gord Kluzak (Boston, 1982), Brian Lawton (Minnesota, 1983), Alexandre Daigle (Ottawa, 1993) and Patrick Stefan (Atlanta, 1999) who turned out to be busts.
Joly was traded to Detroit after only two seasons with the Capitals where he fizzled out in the Red Wings’ minor league system 12 years after being selected first overall. Kluzak skated in less than 300 regular season NHL games while Lawton never put up the numbers in the NHL he was expected to when he was drafted out of high school. Daigle suited up for five NHL teams while producing only 327 points in 616 NHL regular season games. Stefan lasted only seven seasons in the NHL where he scored only 64 goals in 455 games.
The optimistic fan points to the success of more recent number one picks such as Rick Nash (Columbus, 2002), Alexander Ovechkin (Washington, 2004), Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh, 2005) and Patrick Kane (Chicago, 2007); all of whom have led their respective teams in scoring during their brief careers.
Islander fans are expecting big things from Tavares. In a way the future of the franchise rests on his shoulders. With the Lighthouse Project having a hard time being passed and a potential move to Kansas City on the horizon, Tavares just may be the answer the Isles need to return to elite status in the NHL.