But for all his skill around the net, Tavares is still something of an enigma. Ask any hockey insider to draw a comparison to an established star and they will come up with wildly different answers. To some, he is Phil Esposito, the goal-scoring king. Others, like his agent, liken him to Luc Robitaille, who had a knack for being in the right spot. After some thought, Al Murray, Hockey Canada’s head scout, lands on perhaps the closest match, Dale Hawerchuk—not the greatest skater, but a legendary finisher.
What this skill set will do for Tavares when he steps into the fast-paced NHL is the ultimate question. “From the hash marks in, he’s got a chance to be a really special player,” says Nick Kypreos, a former NHLer and now a hockey analyst on Sportsnet. But Murray, like many, wonders if Tavares has what it takes to be that “once in a generation” player. Indeed, there were moments in the world juniors when he seemed to fade into the background, even when double-shifted as he was at times in the Russia game. He’s also taken flak for a slide in productivity in his last OHL season—some say he’s bored after four years in the league.
Tavares, however, has worked hard to improve his skating, says Brisson. And often forgotten in the analysis is his playmaking and passing ability. “He sees the ice well and puts the puck on your tape,” says his Team Canada linemate, Angelo Esposito. In today’s NHL, where so much of the action takes place while cycling the puck in the corners, Tavares could be in his element. “He’s got the knack of finding that little hole and exploiting that hole to get the puck to the net,” says Michael Oke, who coached Tavares in his first year in Oshawa, and who is now chief scout with the International Scouting Services.
The gold medal game against Sweden wasn’t Tavares’s best. He had an assist but no goals, and some rare misses in front of the net. But in the much anticipated faceoff with Swedish star Victor Hedman—his rival for top spot in the NHL draft—Tavares was by far the superior player. “This opportunity comes once in a lifetime,” he said before the game, in one of his frenzied media scrums. “You go out there and give it your all and leave nothing out there.” Hedman came out flat, and was clearly frustrated by the aggressive play of Team Canada. And while he stumbled, Tavares prevailed—just as he has in every step of his young career, says Oke. “Every time he’s challenged, he seems to rise up and meet that challenge.” At the end of the game, Tavares was named the tournament MVP. As his teammate Subban might say: was there ever any doubt?
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