Why John Tavares’ silence may not be good news for Islanders

What has always been true is only getting more so — the longer it goes without John Tavares signing a new contract with the Islanders, the more likely it is he is going to leave for the free-agent market come Sunday.

At this point, each of the teams with mutual interest have passed through the offices of his agent in Los Angeles. From all accounts, the in-person presentations from the Sharks, Maple Leafs, Bruins, Stars, and Lightning were all pretty enticing. Then, of course, the new brass of the Islanders got to make its own pitch, with team president Lou Lamoriello and newly hired coach Barry Trotz out in California to do the swaying.

It doesn’t seem like the Islanders were able to get a last word in on Thursday before Tavares left for his home in Toronto, but at this point, how much more can they really say?

At least as of late Thursday, there was no apparent decision from the Islanders captain, but there was pressure mounting. If he hasn’t signed a new deal by 12:01 a.m. Sunday, then the Islanders will lose their exclusive ability to give him an eight-year deal, and they join the rest of the league with the ability to offer only seven.

So that is the point of no return, because if Tavares was going to re-sign with the Islanders, it wouldn’t make any sense to forfeit a year of term — and what likely would be between $11 million-$12 million of guaranteed money, his probable annual cap hit. Sometimes these deals can get complicated and take a while to iron out, with no-trade clauses and signing bonuses. Recent long-term deals are even more so, with many players worried about what sure looks like another work stoppage coming in the 2020-21 season.

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But it has never seemed like the contract terms were a major issue for Tavares, who will be 28 years old by the time the season starts and who is getting married in August. He has continually said he is weighing every part of the decision, and that ranges from on-ice competitiveness now and into the near future, franchise culture, quality of club facilities and geographical lifestyle.

The Islanders have upgraded all of that quite a bit in the past few months, first with securing the rights to build a new arena at Belmont Park, set to open during the 2021-22 season. They then hired the legendary Lamoriello, who relieved general manager Garth Snow and coach Doug Weight and brought in Trotz, a few weeks removed from winning the Stanley Cup behind the Capitals’ bench.

The commitment to spending money has already been in stark contrast to the past nine years, since Tavares was taken with the No. 1-overall pick in the 2009 draft. Lamoriello has made it clear his plan is to be competitive immediately, and he will be working the free-agent market and any trade avenues to pick up a legitimate starting goalie and at least one top-four defenseman. The club already had what most perceive as a terrific draft, getting Oliver Wahlstrom, Noah Dobson and Bode Wilde, all highly touted players to add to what had been a depleted prospect pool.

These are all things Tavares knows, and all things he is considering when trying to make the biggest decision of his professional life. But the longer it takes him to make that decision, the more likely it is a prolonged goodbye to the Islanders.