John Tavares will no doubt miss his friend and linemate Matt Moulson, but the Islanders’ young captain was sounding pretty excited today at the prospect of playing with his team’s big trade acquisition, Thomas Vanek.
“A tremendous player with the puck,” Tavares said, per NHL.com. “Great patience and deception around the net. I think everyone saw how he started off, how hot he was last season and how much he can dominate a game. We’re excited to have him. He’s been in the league and proven himself. He has a great skill set.”
Vanek, 29, has 254 career regular-season goals. With the Islanders, he’ll start on a line with Tavares and winger Kyle Okposo, giving him the chance to score quite a few more.
“An opportunity like that doesn’t come around much,” said Vanek, “so I’m going try to make the most of it.”
The Islanders will be hoping Vanek, a pending unrestricted free agent, makes so much of the opportunity that he can be convinced to sign a contract extension and keep doing it for years to come.
The Isles host the Rangers Tuesday.
Image via @NYIslanders
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