The future of the Islanders could be seen twice over yesterday, first in the announcement of a press conference today “regarding the future of John Tavares,” and secondly on the ice of the Coliseum, where rookie camp was taking place.
The news for Tavares was that he reportedly agreed to a six-year, $33 million contract, though The Post confirmed the papers haven’t been filed with the NHL as of last night.
The Isles’ center, who was the No. 1 overall pick in 2009, repeatedly has said he wants to remain on Long Island, and would have been a restricted free agent after this season. He will turn 21 on Tuesday, the fourth official day of training camp.
“Life goes fast, contracts go fast,” head coach Jack Capuano told The Post yesterday. “Guys come out of their entry-level deal before you know it.”
Capuano said he wasn’t privy to all of the details of the new deal but was adamant about how pleased he is with the way Tavares has matured.
“John’s a very important piece for his leadership and his willingness to win,” Capuano said. “I expect him to have another good year, but at the same time, I’m expecting that same thing out of a lot of players.”
Talk of Tavares being named one of the Islanders’ captains has been a point of interest this offseason, but Capuano thinks it won’t make a difference concerning Tavares’ impact on an already young team.
“Johnny’s a reserved guy,” the coach said, “but when he talks, people listen.”
On the ice at the Coliseum, the Islanders’ two most recent first-round picks — Nino Niederreiter and Ryan Strome, both No. 5 overall picks in 2010 and 2011 — skated around clad in the same yellow practice jerseys, both hoping to become — well, the next John Tavares.