Destiny Revealed: Starring John Tavares
If John Tavares goes to the Toronto Maple Leafs, will the world collapse? You may have wondered this yourself. You’re not alone. We here at The Good Point laboratories like to consider ourselves experts on each; scientists of both the known and undiscovered.
Whether you consider this Slurpee-induced November diatribe to be of any particular worth, or this slightly more conventional interview with the prospect himself, we’ve been there and we’ve covered that. What’s left is the stunning realization that the greatest prospect in recent memory has a hankerin’ for a franchise that oughta have no recent memory.
When the oft-maligned Brian Burke opted to lace ’em up (his dress shoes, obviously) with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the most polarizing franchise in professional sport had officially – much to the chagrin of the rest of the world – married its obnoxious soul mate.
Six months later, they remain functionally intact and on a mission. It isn’t pretty, but the granddaddy of grump knows exactly what his team needs, and will unabashedly set out to get it regardless of whoever falls by the wayside.
“We’ll immediately attempt to move up,” Burke told the press in April as Islanders fans collectively cringed. “We’re going to talk to everyone between us and the first pick and see what the landscape is.”
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Never mind the fact that the Toronto Maple Leafs falsely presume to have assets worth offering the teams before them, the whole issue of Goliath shaking poor little David down to steal his lunch money has raised the question of whether or not this franchise truly is the bane of the universe.
In the weeks since the team officially fell within trading territory of the first overall pick, my heart has raced uncomfortably with visions of Tavares donning the white and blue, and though critics will break down hypothetical scenarios gauging the feasibility of such a deal until draft day comes in June, the fact of the matter is simple: if the Leafs decide that they fully and unequivocally want the services of John Tavares, they’re likely to get them. But wait a second though, that may not be such a bad thing after all.
“Obviously growing up in Oakville, half an hour from downtown Toronto, I was always a big Leafs fan,” Tavares tells The Good Point in September. “Especially when [Doug] Gilmour and [Wendel] Clark were there and they were really good. It’s tough to see what they’re going through now but they’re always my favourite team.”
Like a seemingly unfit parent demanding custody of a child, it’s only awkward or concerning until the kid requests to join them. Begrudgingly I’ve accepted the fact that the best thing for both Tavares and the Maple Leafs may be to ride off into the sunset of a promising future together, alongside general manager Brian Burke of course, like one big happy family.
But you better cross your fingers the planet doesn’t explode, just in case.
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