No news is good news for the teams still on John Tavares’ watch list. If he chooses to leave New York, we probably won’t find out who he intends to sign with today, but today is the last day he can re-sign with the Islanders to a maximum allowed eight-year deal, so if nothing comes out today, he might be packing his bags.
The Tavares camp has kept quiet following their meetings with the Sharks, Stars, Bruins, Lightning and Leafs. There have been conflicting reports of who he’s likely narrowed down to, but last night ended with the consensus that all six teams are still on the table.
The Sharks have been all-in on bringing Tavares to the Bay. They were the only team to bring team ownership to their meeting with Tavares, a meeting which ran longer than any of their counterparts. Logan Couture and other players have been texting him, while Grandma Pavelski took to Twitter to convince him. Yesterday, the Players Tribune ran a piece on Evander Kane’s transition to San Jose, the timing of which is not coincidental.
Furthermore, the report that Tavares doesn’t feel an allegiance to the Islanders because of the front office changes leaves a lot of room to feel hopeful and anxious today.
Tavares is playing it close to the vest now, but we may find out he’s narrowed down his choices. Don’t set expectations too high on any news, but feel free to drop any updates and rumors in the comment section, so we’ve got somewhere to channel all of this nervous energy over the next two days.
In the wise words of Mary Ann Pavelski:
I think that @91Tavares should join the Sharks!
— Mary Ann Pavelski (@Grandmapavs8) June 26, 2018
As many of you know, Fear the Fin is an independent site run by Sharks fans for Sharks fans. Help keep Fear the Fin independent by contributing to our