John Tavares said all the right things yesterday.
When asked if he could do for the Islanders what Sidney Crosby did for the Penguins, the Islanders’ recent first-overall pick said: “I want to be part of the team. It’s not just about me.”
He’s got a point, but the fact is, the Islanders got more than 10,000 fans to show up at the Nassau Coliseum to watch him get drafted — on TV — and had several hundred more come yesterday to his introductory press conference.
Tavares, who turns 19 in September, will skate for the first time with his new team tomorrow during minicamp and will be the focal point from the first game of the season on.
“We’ve got guys around him who will help him,” general manager Garth Snow said. “Whether it’s on the ice or off the ice.”
Much of it, however, will be up to Tavares — who has dealt with large expectations before, when he entered the Ontario Hockey League, a top junior league, a year early after getting an exemption.
“We have to not make it feel like all the pressure is on him,” coach Scott Gordon said. “I think John is the exception to the rule. He’s done things a lot differently than any other player, being 14 and going against guys who are 20.”
This, however, is a different challenge that is sure to provide obstacles Tavares hasn’t faced yet.
“There are things I have to learn,” said the center, who set goal-scoring records in the OHL. “But I started dealing with that when I was 14 in the OHL. I’m most comfortable when I’m out on the ice and I don’t want to set limits for myself.”
Tavares said he is looking forward to the challenge of helping to rebuild the Islanders.
“I want us to develop an identity for ourselves,” Tavares said. “I want to be part of a young group that builds something.”
If that’s going to happen, he likely will need help from last year’s first-round pick Josh Bailey, who played against Tavares in juniors.
“It was obvious he was special right away. That’s why he got the exemption,” Bailey said. “He had to go through so much just to get to the OHL, so his maturity level is there, for sure. He’s been under the spotlight since he was 13, so this is not new for him.”
Much of what he’s about to see, however, will be new and the Islanders have to hope he’s ready.