New York Islanders
· 2026-06-23
The New York Islanders are reminded of a difficult decision they once faced after the Ottawa Senators traded Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers.
The Ottawa Senators traded their captain Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers in exchange for the 9th overall pick, the 25th overall pick, a 2029 first-round pick, and a 2027 second-round pick.
The move was made due to Tkachuk's uncertainty about committing to Ottawa, with two years left on his contract and looming free agency in 2028.
The New York Islanders had a similar situation with John Tavares in 2016, where they tried to build on their playoff success but ultimately lost him to free agency.
Tavares had a no-move clause, which was modified to a no-trade clause that kicked in on July 1, 2016, but the Islanders took their chances, hoping a strong 2017-18 season would convince him to stay.
The team regressed further, and at the 2018 trade deadline, they stood pat, while other teams made significant moves, such as the trades of Tomas Tatar, Evander Kane, and Ryan Hartman.
The Islanders' decision to keep Tavares ultimately resulted in him walking away for nothing, a total loss for the team.
The New York Islanders had two first-round picks for the 2018 draft entering the season, thanks to the Travis Hamonic trade with the Calgary Flames at the 2017 Draft.
But the team's inability to make significant moves and convince Tavares to stay led to a disappointing season.
And the Islanders' struggles continued, with the team missing the playoffs and Tavares signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
So the New York Islanders are left to wonder what could have been if they had made different decisions, like the Ottawa Senators did with Brady Tkachuk.
The Islanders' experience with John Tavares serves as a reminder of the importance of making tough decisions in the NHL.