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New York Islanders Captain John Tavares Top 15 Player

Apr 14, 2016; Sunrise, FL, USA; New York Islanders center John Tavares (91) is congratulated by teammates after his goal against the Florida Panthers in the second period on the first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 14, 2016; Sunrise, FL, USA; New York Islanders center John Tavares (91) is congratulated by teammates after his goal against the Florida Panthers in the second period on the first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New York Islanders know that their star player and centerman is one of the best players in the NHL. But NHL ’17 has quantified that by placing John Tavares at 13th overall? Fair or foul?

EA Sports perennial NHL game is slated to be released in a few weeks, with NHL ’17 scheduled for release on September 13th, 2016. And the New York Islanders have the 13th best player in the game with John Tavares.

We already knew he was an elite talent in the league, and having him 13th overall just solidifies that view more. Tavares is rated higher than players like Tyler Seguin, Victor Hedman, and Erik Karlsson. All at 92 overall, to Tavares’ 93.

https://www.easports.com/nhl/news/2016/nhl-17-player-ratings-top-50-overall

His overall attributes seem fairly accurate. Tavares’ positional awareness and puck skills are second to none. Just look at this Tavares top 10 that TSN put together.

Not to sound all click-bait like, but number two is just out-of-this-world in-game puck juggling.

John Tavares isn’t The Quickest

But what you’ll see from all of those goals is that none of them involve Tavares blowing by the opposition. He isn’t the most explosive skater out there, and that’s reflected by his NHL ’17 score with an acceleration and speed of 85.

Speed isn’t part of JT’s game, his read of the game and his unbelievable hand-eye coordination are what set him apart from the rest of the pack. Finding the open pockets, or creating them with a few flicks of his wrist.

At 25 Tavares isn’t going to be getting any faster, sure he can work on it in the off-season in the hopes that it gets better. But the likelier scenario is that he’s hit his peak and he’ll maintain it for a few more years before he leaves his prime years at about 29 years-old.

Speed comes and goes , but hockey IQ and hand-eye-coordination stay for the entirety of a player’s playing career. If Tavares focuses on anything this off-season it’s going to be getting his body recovered and in shape for the next NHL season. Not his speed.

Next: Isles Division Preview: Carolina

And let’s be honest, we don’t really need him to be Usain Bolt on skates. We just need him to stay at his 93 overall self. The player who can go coast-to-coast and find the back of the net as though it was an afterthought.

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