Now that Tavares has finally left Oshawa, it's time to look at the results of the deal.
With the much anticipated John Tavares sweepstakes coming to an end Thursday, it's the perfect time to review the assets changing hands in the biggest trade of the season.
Regardless of what the players acquired do for the Generals, London has to be considered the winner. In Tavares, the Knights acquired the most experienced 18-year-old in junior hockey, now playing in his unprecedented fourth season in the Ontario Hockey League, due to an exception-player rule and late birth date.
It's no secret the rest of the league has spent the first four months of the season measuring themselves up to the Windsor Spitfires. Can the London Knights do that now with the two-time world junior gold medalist? The answer is, yes.
By no means am I implying the London Knights are now the superior team in the Western Conference, but to this point the match-up between the two teams was one-sided. In all three games between the two teams to date, the Spitfires have won each game by a combined score of 16-7. Excluding the last game, a 5-1 win in Windsor on Dec. 13, London hadn't yet acquired their starting netminder, Trevor Cann.
Cann is a solid goaltender but he wasn't going to beat Windsor on his own. With Tavares on his side, he won't need to. The Spitfires and Knights will meet three more times this season, two of which will be at the John Labatt Centre in London.
If the London Knights were serious about contending this season, as they are every season, there's no question this was a trade they needed to make. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the trade is the fact very few key players were moved from London.
Rookie forward Christian Thomas looked like a rookie this season, playing a limited role. Like Thomas, Scott Valentine also played sparingly, making his immediate loss unnoticeable.
Then there's former backup goaltender Michael Zador. One can't help but look at the team's player development with Zador to see why his inclusion in the trade doesn't come as a surprise.
A first-round pick by the Knights in the 2007 priority selection, Zador was the first goaltender drafted by an OHL team. And yet, his starts were so few and far between he was hardly given any room to grow into the goaltender the team may have thought they had drafted.
On the surface, the Knights made away like bandits. Each player they traded meant very little to their chances of winning this season while Tavares now gives them an opportunity to contend with the Spitfires.
The wildcard to the trade is defenceman Michael Del Zotto. The New York Rangers' first-round pick, 20th overall in last summer's draft, Del Zotto brings an element that will be crucial to the Knights' post-season fortunes.
Del Zotto roves the ice resembling more a fourth forward than he does a defenceman at times, which means he's adept at making some high-risk, high-reward plays. That shouldn't be viewed strictly as a negative, however, as Del Zotto will keep opposing teams' forwards honest, knowing he pinches on any given rush.
The addition of Tavares and Del Zotto now makes the Knights one of the top championship contenders. In a season where most already expected the Western Conference finals to come down between the Knights and Spitfires, the underdogs just got the biggest shot in the arm imaginable.
It's worth noting, however, the Spitfires have been able to keep Tavares in check in two meetings this season. Tavares was held to a goal and one assist in two games as a member of the Generals against Windsor. But now that he's on a team with Nazem Kadri, Philip McRae, Justin Taylor and Phil Varone, Tavares has a supporting cast which will open up opportunities for different players.
From an Oshawa Generals standpoint, the true key to this deal is now put in the scouting department's hands. With four second-round picks and two third round picks, in addition to the stock they already have, Oshawa has a chance to become a true powerhouse in future years.
While many point to the draft as being a crapshoot, it's no surprise the consistently strong teams often find ways to win when picking late. There is certainly a strong foundation put in place for the Generals, if they can take advantage of the picks acquired.
One thing is for certain: The world junior's Most Valuable Player is staring at the roof, wondering how high he will go, in what will undoubtedly be one heck of a rollercoaster ride to finish his junior hockey career.