Islanders will talk extension with Tavares next summer

The New York Islanders don't want John Tavares to be the next Steven Stamkos. Well, sort of.

General manager Garth Snow would love to see Tavares continue to produce like Stamkos. Tavares has averaged 0.92 points per game so far in his 510-game career, while Stamkos comes in at 0.99 points in 569 games. And Snow would certainly love to see his No. 91 take the Islanders to the Stanley Cup Final.

But now that Stamkos is signed long term with the Tampa Bay Lightning, his expiring contract a distraction for more than a calendar year, Tavares is the next big fish in the free-agent pool.

Tavares, another kid from the Greater Toronto Area, will be a free agent after the 2017-18 season, when he'll be 27 years old. The similarities are downright eerie.

Snow, appearing on SiriusXMNHL radio Thursday, said the Islanders will reach out to Tavares next summer and talk extension, according to NHL.com's Brian Compton. At that time, Tavares will have one year left on his deal at only $5.5 million against the cap.

Turning 26 in September, Tavares led the Islanders to their first playoff series win since 1993 this year, as New York knocked off the Florida Panthers in six games. The Islanders fell to a Stamkos-less Lightning team in the second round in five games.

Tavares finished with 70 points in 2015-16, his 0.90 points per game his lowest since his second year in the NHL. But he was the Islanders in the playoffs. He had 11 points in 11 spring games, and scored the game-tying and series-winning goals in Game 6 against the Panthers.

He's the face of the franchise, and Snow and the Islanders are surely hoping to keep it that way. But make no mistake, he's due for a massive raise over a long-term deal, one that could keep him an Islander for life.