“You play this game to win as a team, and it’s all about the team,” Tavares said after the game. “And you know, you’d like it to have had more of an impact in the game. But in the days and moments to come, I’ll definitely appreciate it more.”
Tavares became the 49th player in NHL history to score 500 goals, inviting an opportunity to reflect on his remarkable career. Aside from winning the Stanley Cup, he has exceeded the stratospheric expectations placed on him since bursting into the national spotlight as a 14-year-old prodigy. He wasn’t quite the first superstar of the modern internet age, which is Sidney Crosby’s designation, but Tavares was the first player to be granted exceptional status under the Canadian Hockey League’s revised process, going first overall in the OHL Draft to the Oshawa Generals and being selected first overall by the New York Islanders in the 2009 NHL Draft. He hasn’t looked back since.
I’ve written about the early part of Tavares’ career more than a few times across various media, and again, there’s some context worth adding here. Tavares played 18 months in minor hockey and by the time he was a U14 player, he was considered by some distance the best player in Ontario, ahead of Logan Couture, Drew Doughty and Toronto Marlboro’s teammate Sam Gagner. As a teenager, his scoring drive was discussed in online forums (Shoutout to those of you at HFBoards and Network54!) of almost mythical quality, and he is the second best U15 player I have ever seen, with Connor McDavid on another level.
There has been a trend to pre-emptively fire Tavares, a faction that often extends beyond the Toronto market. We would like to assume that Tavares’ play does not always have a deep-rooted quality, that outside observers tend to write him off. There has been an idea that Tavares has lost a step as a skater, which is not supported by NHL Edge data, and as a beat reporter I can assure you that few players on the Leafs are better at transporting the puck into the offensive zone. no one asks him to win a straight line race. Tavares has been the most consistent Leafs player through 11 games. Yes, there isn’t much competition for this title, but it’s all the more reason to appreciate his stellar career so far as another 38-goal campaign is certainly within reach.
500 career goals for John Tavares. Incredible performance. It will be lost in tonight’s outcome, but it’s remarkable what Tavares has done since bursting into the national spotlight as a 14-year-old prodigy. He has been the Leafs’ most consistent player through 11 games.
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