Tavares doesn’t regret ditching the Islanders

Nine goddamn years Tavares spent in New York and he wasn’t even able to feel what it feels like to have a truly good team. Nine goddamn years.

That is too long to not know what it’s like to reach the Eastern Conference Finals when you’re John Tavares. Only a total of 24 playoff games played, no wonder he left for a better situation.

Now he’s going to potentially get close to doubling that number in just one year with the right team.

Tavares himself knows the potential of this club and where they are going.

“I have absolutely no regrets,” Tavares told reporters after Sunday night’s loss to the Rangers. “I’m in a great spot. It’s been a tremendous opportunity and we’re just beginning.”

He should really just get the “No Ragrets” tattoo and get done with it. The epitome of the meme, Tavares does not feel any positive nostalgia towards the Islanders. No flashback montages in this sitcom, he loves it in Toronto and I bet he wishes that he was always here and never even had to go to that gross-looking island.

With the Brooklyn Nets sharing the Barclays Centre with the Islanders, they should be used to seeing players get dunked on – but Tavares absolutely lays out the Islanders organization with this massive slam.

“The identity of the Isles has always been kind of connected to the Coliseum and being on Long Island,” said Tavares, “Brooklyn is what it is & while I was there you tried to make the best of the situation.”

In a very dad-like way, “you need some ice for that burn?”. Tavares knows that Nassau Coliseum is so much better than what the situation is right now. That whole organization fucked up hard when they decided to move to Brooklyn and be stuck with some literally unwatchable hockey games.

Clearly, Tavares has some leftover feelings for his last organization, but that doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t make the same decision 100 out of 100 chances.

“It’ll be nice to see a lot of familiar faces and be back in a place that still does mean a lot to me…whatever the reception is, I’ll just focus on playing”, said Tavares.

This is like when you go back to your hometown after a few years and you’re feeling somewhat connected to it just because it’s your hometown. It’s definitely a shithole, but you have some memories connected to it. Like that time you had your first cigarette behind that convenience store or saw someone get into a fight outside a bar downtown.

As if Islanders fans are going to boo him. You had your first good player in decades and you couldn’t do anything with him in nine years – NINE years. Boo your management since that is definitely the reason he left.

He’s here and will be here for at least six more years after this one. Playing much more meaningful games no matter what the success level of this Leafs team will be.

The Islanders are so trash, lol.