John Tavares ranked fourth on the Bandits at the end of the 2014 NLL season with 51 points from 24 goals and 27 assists. However, every NLL fan knows he is much more than a stats player.
John Tavares brings a certain flow to any team he plays for. He is a powerhouse on the floor, always chasing after loose balls, taking any shots possible, and finding open teammates to score.
It is easy to compare John Tavares to Brett Favre of the NFL. Both players play very late into their careers with a certain knowledge and game experience that others haven’t comprehended yet or are too young in their careers to grasp. These two athletes always find openings and opportunities that may not lead to scoring, but did give their teams momentum and chances.
John Tavares is special for Buffalo. He’s played there the majority of his career and this past season had the special arrangement of playing for a coach that was a past teammate. This only amplified his abilities as the two of them (coach and player) had a special connection and mutual understanding.
Cordingley plans to continue his time as head coach of the Bandits and Tavares has both professional and personal responsibilities to consider. He is one of the oldest players in the league and though experience and passion come with that, he does have to consider his health and family at this point.
Any athlete in any sport would be in a similar position. Let’s be honest, no one wants to miss their kids’ childhoods, their sports competitions and music concerts. The majority of professional lacrosse players also have second full time jobs, as teachers, technicians and careerists. Tavares happens to be a teacher, a very good one at that. If his life direction means dropping professional lacrosse for teaching and family, who can blame him?
On the other hand, he has a true burning passion for professional lacrosse as well. Elaborating on the previously mentioned, he is one of the best on the Bandits due to tenure and experience. He can teach the younger players things that other teams don’t have, and (quite frankly) I wouldn’t even understand.
Thinking as a team would be one. The Bandits this past year played a more defensive style that allowed them to work more as a unit. That didn’t stop them for high scoring games and going deep into the postseason, which means it’s working.
Buffalo has not made any moves on Tavares yet. So, would another team pick him up? I think the real question here is, whether or not another NLL team makes an offer, would he take it?
Currently, playing for Buffalo requires a minimal amount of weekend travel for Tavares, other than away games. If a team such as Minnesota or Denver picked him up, he would have long flights both ways every weekend and therefore most likely would not accept those teams offers. That’s more hefty a commitment than he currently has with Buffalo.
If Buffalo offers another contract to him, then he’s in the same position he is now and just has the personal life to think about. Would he play for the same/less amount of money? Probably not at his age, again with all the family life focuses. The Bandits would most likely need to offer a short term, higher salary contract which, as an organization, they may not want to commit to with other going players entering and currently playing in the league.
At this point, I feel it’s too soon to tell. Not on the NLL or Bandits part, but on Tavares’ end. He has a lot to think about, since before the 2014 season he verbally committed to only one more year in order to take things one season at a time.
