Isles’ latest move hints at Tavares’ future with the team

The John Tavares saga has been ongoing for several months now, as is to be expected when a star centerman of his caliber is entering the final year of his contract.

The same thing occurred two summers ago when Steven Stamkos’ contract was reaching its end – media and fans alike speculated endlessly about where the Canadian star would end up, and after months of discussing it, he stayed put.

Well the same may happen with Tavares.

As reported by John Shannon of Sportsnet, the New York Islanders’ ownership team is taking the next steps to build a new home for the team. The Barclays Center is simply not an option moving forward, and with the competitive quality of this team in doubt, it’s imperative for the Islanders to breathe some new life into the organization. Building a new arena will offer just that.

General manager Garth Snow has made moves this summer to bolster the team, notably acquiring Jordan Eberle from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Ryan Strome. They were long rumored to be in contention for the acquisition of Matt Duchene, but who knows what will happen with that one.

These roster moves, along with moving forward with the new arena proposal, are sure fire ways to convince a star player to stay put.