New York Islanders Roundtable: Tavares’ Worth in Trade Market

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Dec 1, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; New York Islanders center John Tavares (91) and Washington Capitals center Lars Eller (20) battle for the puck in the second period at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

Jennifer Lapka

Like Farrell, it’s hard to even enter this hypothetical. Not only is Tavares one of the best in the world, it’s impossible to quantify his worth to the New York Islanders as a franchise.

Not to mention he’s only 26 years old. This isn’t a thirty-something player we’re talking about here. In a universe where this has to happen, it’d have to be a package and even then there are few packages that could make this worth it for the on-ice product and for a franchise on a whole.

Names would probably include AaronEkblad, Nikita Kucherov/Jonathan Drouin, Mitch Marner. First-round picks would have to be involved as well, but even with a pick, it would have to be a team looking at a lottery pick.

A 20 to 30 first-round pick just isn’t going to cut it here. And I have to add that it can’t be Garth Snow using that draft pick considering his track record and the Islanders production of NHL players out of these first round picks.

And this doesn’t even make it viable. Any way you slice it, it’s lose/lose.