Pokecheque wrote:
Some in the press seem convinced that firing Weight essentially ended the relationship between Tavares and the Isles. I'd be pretty surprised if that were the case, but if true, maybe that's not a guy you should be building around anyway.
I've read that. I don't think JT would leave a team because the coach/friend was removed. He's not even fired. He's still with the team. But to me, JT wants to win. And I think he knows from last year that Weight wasn't getting it done. The D sucked donkey, and he did nothing to change it. I think JT is smart enough to know that's not how one coaches an NHL team. And Snow did nothing to address it. He gave De Haan a shitty raise last time around, saying he wasn't that important to the team, and then when he got hurt Snow cried the De Haan is injured blues, saying that's why they were so bad. Can't have that both ways, and if he was that good and was going to be out the whole year, then address the fact that you have the worst goals against in the league! Do something. Neither Snow nor Weight did anything.
If they bring in me as the next coach, I could see JT being like "fuck this team!" and leaving. If they bring in someone with NHL experience or a highly respected minor league/college coach, I don't think it weighs much into his decision. Coaches come & go. I don't think JT thought Weight was going to be his coach for the rest of his Islander days (unless he knew they're already done). He's had Gordon, Capuano and Weight with the Isles. It's not like he demanded a trade after the first 2 were let go.
I think people are just looking for any angle to write about to get eyeballs on their writing. I also think writers in other cities are doing whatever they can to help get him to their team so they can write about him all the time.
My gut is still that he re-signs with the Isles. But I think he'll test the waters and give them the chance to match offers. I hope. As soon as he didn't extend last year I thought he'd pull a Stamkos and re-sign last minute, to help the PA out and drive costs up. Although I'll never really understand that theory in a salary cap era. It pretty much screws middle tier guys out of jobs. Once the big guns get their huge contracts, teams don't have enough cap space to keep guys who would be really good third liners around, and they have to bring up kids instead. Sure, it helps young guys get into the league, but it seems like there are able bodied veterans who go unsigned every year because nobody has the cap space for them.