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Former Islanders GM Reveals the Truth About John Tavares

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Tom Banks
August 20, 2023  (2:27 PM)
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Free agency can be a tough position for players, as they often want to test the waters and see if the grass is greener elsewhere, and sometimes, this draws plenty of hate from their former team.

Maple Leafs captain

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This has been an ongoing issue for Maple Leafs captain John Tavares after he chose Toronto in free agency over the New York Islanders five years ago, as he continues to get hate to this day.

Given that fan bases feel betrayed after supporting these players through thick and thin, it's somewhat understandable, but a former Islanders GM has now opened up on his feelings about the situation, and why the hate isn't warranted.

Unnecessary hate

Garth Snow has now revealed that the hate is overblown, stating that the team had every chance to trade him at the 2018 deadline, knowing he likely wasn't coming back, but refused to do so.

That decision by Scott Malkin was that we weren't gonna trade him under any circumstances. He was totally committed to re-signing him. I think the quote I had said is, 'Are you willing to drive the car off the cliff if you go through the season and get to free agency?' He was comfortable with that. That's the bottom line.

It's likely that the hate will continue for Tavares in New York for the foreseeable future, but Snow doesn't see this as his fault, as it was more about the front office and their failings.

I feel so bad that [Tavares] gets trashed for something that wasn't his fault, Snow said. The Islanders could have traded him if they wanted to, but that decision was made. So it's not his fault the Islanders didn't trade him.

What's done is done at this point, and while the hate will continue, both parties on the ice have moved on, and are now looking at their own goals going forward.

As Read on Blade of Steel - Former Islanders general manager defends John Tavares's decision to leave Long Island

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