Islanders Building Around Tavares For Upcoming Season
The New York Islanders are building the foundation to be a great team again in the NHL.
Last week it was announced that Charles Wang the team owner of the Islanders was selling his majority ownership, which means plenty of change will be forthcoming.
A group of investors purchased a small share of the team, and that stake is ready to become a majority ownership in only two years pending the approval of the board of governors of the NHL.
However, first up will be the team ending its stay at the Nassau Veterans Coliseum. Starting in the 2015-16 season, the Islanders will move to the Brooklyn’s Barclays Center to play their home games.
Former Islanders star John Tonelli said he was excited the fans for the club would finally enjoy a present day facility with all the modern amenities that come along with it.
Tonelli spoke of all the great memories he has for the Coliseum as he helped the Islanders win 4 Stanley Cup titles during his eight seasons with the club. However, he knows that things need to change and be upgraded.
Tonelli works in title insurance in New York City. He said that each time one of his clients has mentioned interest in an ownership stake in the Islanders the team was never up for sale.
With the new ownership in place and a new arena to play in after this season, Tonelli is eagerly looking forward to a new era dawning for the Isles.
Tonelli thinks the Islanders adding Jaroslav Halak in net and Chad Johnson a backup is a huge move by the club in its attempt to return to the postseason following a last place finish last season in the Eastern Conference.
Tonelli said getting two strong goalies would help since it is a long season and tough for just one goalie to carry the full load all season.
Tonelli played on the Islanders in front of Billy Smith in goal and says that goaltending is the key, it starts there and ends there.
Add strong goaltending to John Tavares the club’s young center gives them a great element to build a champion around.
Tavares just wants to win and wants to see his team become a winner and return to the glory days when the Islanders dominated the NHL winning four straight Stanley Cups from 1980 to 1983.
The team has young players that are talented surrounding Tavares  and picked up to new players with the signings of Nikolai Kulemin and Mikhail Grabovski two free agents in July.
The base is being built for the Islanders around Tavares and with two strong goalies signed and a pair of talented free agents joining the club. The Islanders likely will come out of the Eastern Conference cellar and could even contend for a postseason stop at the end of the upcoming season.
