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Tavares can’t wait to end ‘probably the longest stretch I’ve ever gone without playing’

Colorado Avalanche v New York Islanders

John Tavares

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John Tavares has had a lot of time to prepare for the 2014-15 campaign. Far more than he ever wanted.

Tavares had 24 goals and 66 points in 59 games with the Isladners when he suffered a partially torn MCL during the Winter Olympics. He was forced to miss the last 22 games of the season as a result.

“While the summer’s been good for other reasons, it’s been too long and I want to change that this coming season,” Tavares said, per the team’s website. “It’s probably the longest stretch I’ve ever gone without playing. I’m looking forward to training camp and I want to finish off the summer strong and come into the year motivated with a lot to prove.”

The Islanders as a whole have endured a long summer after they finished 2013-14 with the third worst record in the Eastern Conference. Aiming to avoid a repeat of that disappointing result, they have signed goaltenders Jaroslav Halak and Chad Johnson as well as forwards Cory Conacher, Mikhail Grabovski, and Nikolai Kulemin.

Tavares is encouraged by the moves the Islanders have made and thinks that there will be plenty of competition during training camp. However, he still has to wait another two months before he’ll get to play in his next regular season game.

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