The NHL's most promising young newcomer had very little impact in his preseason debut.
EDMONTON -– John Tavares turns 19 on Sunday. He may celebrate by teaching his roommate how to sync an iPod, or perhaps teach him how to text.
"As much as I’m going to help him, he’s going to help me," New York Islanders veteran -- and official John Tavares mentor -- Doug Weight said Wednesday. "If I’m not wearing something cool, I told him, he’s got to tell me."
So it is a two-way street between the gregarious American and the reserved Canadian rookie who was placed under Weight’s guiding wing by Islanders management. Let’s hope some of Weight’s good humour rubs off on the young Islanders star, who seems set on saying and doing the right thing at all costs -- much to the chagrin of a sports writer in search of a decent quote.
He had one special moment in Wednesday’s 3-2 loss at Edmonton, Tavares admitted afterwards. "But I’m going to keep that to myself."
Great.
He’s a good kid and a hell of a hockey player, but for now the No. 1 overall pick from last summer’s draft is about as spicy as a glass of milk.
"I’m a little nervous and excited," he said before his first National Hockey League preseason game. "I’m just trying to absorb everything. It’s been great just experiencing this with all the veterans, and just seeing what it takes to be a professional hockey player and why these guys are here. That’s what impacted me the most right now."
Impact, sadly, was something Tavares’s first NHL sojourn was devoid of.
Wearing number 91, Tavares hustled, played responsibly and was on the ice for the Islanders first-period goal Wednesday. But he finished the night a minus-1 and had just one shot on net, despite a stats sheet that showed he played 22:50 -- a questionable accounting.
The puck didn’t follow Tavares around the rink in his first pro preseason game the way it used to in junior. And when he got it, of course, his time with the biscuit was vastly limited compared to before.
"Some guys are definitely a lot stronger than me. That’s just how it’s going to be," he said. "I’ve got to try and be in the right position at certain times, to take advantage of my skills."
In fact, Tavares’s World Junior teammate Jordan Eberle had far more scoring chances in the game for Edmonton, though he failed to convert in his first NHL preseason game.
"Obviously, this is the biggest stage, playing in the National Hockey League," Tavares said. "It’s the highest level. It’s a different environment and this is a step in the learning curve for me. I’m handing it the best I can, and the veterans, the staff and everyone else around me has been very good at helping me handle it."
Weight, who was 19 years old when Tavares was born, has been assigned as his roommate and chief confidante. That would be just another good break for Tavares, as Weight is not only a veteran of 17 NHL campaigns and 1,184 games. But he's also one of the game’s brightest bulbs and nicest guys.
Weight’s biggest problem may be his pop culture references, which will no doubt fly over the head of a kid who is nine months younger than Taylor Swift.
"At his age, the hands he has, the patience with the puck, there are obvious reasons he was the first overall pick," Weight said. "Everyone asks about the pressure. He’s had this pressure for four or five years already. The hard part is behind him, getting the draft behind him and the butterflies out tonight.
"He expects to be great; he wants to be great. He expects to win Stanley Cups,” said Weight, who did not play in the third period with a suspected pulled groin. "I’m not here to put any goals on him. I’m not going to (be like) Sparky Anderson, and call him Mickey Mantle before the season starts."
There’s one. Do you think Tavares recalls Detroit manager Sparky Anderson pronouncing that Kirk Gibson would be the next Mickey Mantle?
Learning about that tale, and where to get a good meal in Pittsburgh at 11 o’clock at night, are just two of the many things on the to-do list of the NHL’s most promising young newcomer.
"I think it’s exciting," Tavares said. "Being the No. 1 overall pick is going to bring me a lot of attention and a lot of hype. In New York the fans are dying to try and get that winning tradition back. Hopefully me and the other guys can try and turn it around and head in the right direction. We have a nice, young group of guys, so it should be an exciting year for us. I’m looking forward to it."
