Tavares or Bust?

Shortly after the NHL entry draft lottery was held 10 days ago. Brian Burke went on record as saying that the Leafs #1 mission was to acquire Tavares. On Wednesday following the Bruins sweep of the Canadiens Bob Gainey spoke of the team falling apart mid season about the time that reports emerged of attempts to acquire Vinny Lecavalier. I am not going to suggest that either Vinny Lecavalier or John Tavares are singlehandedly capable of carrying a team to a Stanley Cup Championship, we only have to look at players like Joe Thornton, Alexander Ovechkin to see that a team needs more than just an offensive superstar, but I am of the opinion the two most fanatical fan bases in the NHL require legitimate superstars to be leaders and faces of their franchises and their respective GMs should if need be trade away current popular and or talented players and give up future draft picks in order to acquire a Superstar for their teams.

The term superstar is thrown around pretty freely and I am of the opinion when you are talking about forwards you fall into the Superstar category if you average more than a point per game or can average more than half a goal per game over the course of your career. I think Tavares will by his 3rd season in the NHL be in this category. I have over the past 10 days tried to imagine what it would take for the the Islanders to deal the #1 pick. The answer is likely no chance but
any good General Manager has to have in their own mind a market value for a player and should listen to all offers. Even Brian Burke who has called Luke Schenn 'untouchable' has to have some combination of active players draft picks in his head that he'd actually deal Schenn. I've been bandying about a sort of thought experiment as to what I think it might take the Leafs to get the #1 pick from the Islanders. If Burke is actively trying to put together a package to trade with the Islanders, I think the Islanders would be silly not to at least listen to offers. I think if the Islanders are at all receptive to a deal what they'd likely ask of Burke is: the Leafs 1st overall pick this year and 1st overall pick next year, Luke Schenn and a conditional pick based on what spot next years pick is. I think Burke would probably counter offer with 1st and 2nd round picks this year and Tomas Kaberle probably with a finalized deal of the Leafs 1st round picks the next 2 years, Kaberle and a lesser Leafs NCAA prospect. Again I have no idea whether the Islanders are even entertaining any offers. If they could get 3 younger cheaper players to play in their organization long term it might be the best thing for them and for the Leafs long term this type of trade could be disatrous. Tavares could turn out to be the next Alexander Daigle or Eric Lindros. If not for a series of injuries and a few unfortunate decisions that alienated teammates and management in Philadelphia, Lindros could have gone on to have a hall of fame career but overall he was a disappointment to the Flyers. The best example of a trade making one organization and setting back another that I can think of is the Herschel Walker trade when the Vikings sent multiple first round picks to the Cowboys for Walker back in 1989 thinking it was the 1 player they needed to put them over the edge. Unfortunately for the Vikings it did not, for the Cowboys they were able to use the picks they got from the Vikings along with their own to draft the 'triplets', Troy Aikman, Emmit Smith and Michael Irvin.

As far as the Canadiens go and their quest for Lecavalier, I think it's definitely done for at least a couple years, but much like the Leafs and Lindros the idea isn't going to go away and I think someday he will be a Hab. Montreal needs a real Superstar someone who can handle the pressure and ideally for Montreal fans someone who is French Canadian.

Personally, as a Leafs fan I would like to see a deal for Tavares. I don't think we really have all that much and honestly Schenn could be a great talent for many years but I would be OK with dealing him if it brought Tavares to Toronto. I'm under no illusions that Tavares would lead to a Stanley Cup but it'd be nice to have one of the leagues young elite players, something we really have never had. Even in his prime Sundin was never a top 5 scorer. Burke has said he won't deal him but I get the feeling that maybe what it takes to get the deal done.