OTTAWA--Maybe the Canadian team threw us a clue this morning. Not by something that was said but by someone who wasn't there.
After the morning skate Hockey Canada made only three players available to the media horde: Thomas Hickey, Angelo Esposito and the irrepressible microphone magnet, P.K. Subban. Not available: John Tavares.
As noted on this blog on Friday, JT is bound to be on the move after this tournament. It's a trial blazed most recently by Steve Downie and Steve Mason, feature players on Canadian squad who celebrated Canadian WJC victories and received the news of their trades at just about the same time.
Sportsnet.ca's Patrick King is reporting that the Oshawa Generals have traded Tavares to London for Phil Varone, Christian Thomas and Scott Valentine, undisclosed draft picks and an undisclosed sum of cash. I asked a scout for a quick analysis of it and he said the return for Oshawa sounded "decent" but much rides on the picks in play.
CHL and OHL boss Dave Branch issued a blanket denial of the trade last night and said that there's a paper trail--okay, a virtual trail of emails--to back it up. Whatever you say.
Pat Brisson, Tavares's representative of record, has also denied that any deal was in place.
I'm convinced that Patrick's sources on this are solid. Look, it's a metaphysical certainty that the Generals, no championship threat, not even a Conference championship contender, had to come away with something for Tavares. They need to trade him and I'm sure he wants to have a chance to play for a team that might win a league title and make the Memorial Cup. Even those few folks who still like Victor Hedman more than Tavares as a prospect for the 2009 draft have to concede that JT has displayed incredible desire and competitiveness here--he's shown himself to be more of a leader than anyone ever expected.
I can understand why the league, the teams and everyone else wants to keep a Tavares trade on the down low. It's not a matter not of substance. It's a matter of appearances. An 18-year-old kid as the object of some sort of auction might seem unseemly. On the flip side, if Tavares were asked about a trade at this juncture, he might be presumed to be distracted or even pre-occupied by it. If he appeared to covet the trade out of Oshawa, he might seems somewhat less than loyal. Everyone wants this to look like a game and few want it out there that it is in fact a business.
I speculated that London was the most likely destination for JT. Only teams with championship ambitions could justify emptying their shelves for what will turn out to be a short-term rental. Only four teams fit the bill: Windsor, London, Brampton and Belleville. In fact, they're likely to be the only buyers in the market for late-season additions. And of those four, London is the best fit for Tavares.
It might not look like a heckuva lot in return for a player who has had a spectacular tournament going into tonight's final but that's strictly a function of supply and demand. Those other teams are looking for upgrades at other positions. All of the buyers will be looking for blueline help (Kitchener's Ben Shutron or maybe Niagara's Drew Schiestel). The rumour that Windsor will be in play for Guelph goaltender Thomas McCollum lost a lot of its lustre at the WJC when he bombed with the U.S.
It's good for junior hockey if the best players, the very best players, that elite one percent who can impact the game, get a chance to play for a championship-quality team. Kitchener with Tavares vs Windsor with its wide and deep array of young stars could be some of the most memorable junior hockey that you'll ever have a chance to see.
