Rumor: NHL captain will be traded if his team doesn't have a strong start.

A former National Hockey League veteran has just made a very bold prediction, one that would see an NHL captain traded perhaps even before the end of the 2017 calendar year.

Former New York Islanders' first round pick Mike Bossy was a guest on 91.9 Sports Wednesday when he was asked about the future of current Islanders captain John Tavares. Never one to mince words, Bossy was quite blunt in his response stating flatly that if the Islanders get off to a poor start, it would mean the end of Tavares as an Islander.

"If the Islanders are not in contention by Christmas, Tavares will be gone for sure," said Bossy.

Bossy played his entire 752 game NHL career as a member of the Islanders so it's likely a good bet that he still has some contacts within the organization, but even with that in mind this is still a very bold prediction. 

A trade involving an elite player like Tavares would be a major shake up in the NHL.

[pub]