In the Crease

This week is a great (and rare) chance for Islanders fans to hope. The World Junior Championships, being televised on the NHL Network, aren't a cure-all for Rick DiPietro's latest injury or the full antidote for a season over the brink, but they do offer promise for a real cornerstone of a building plan.

Maybe the Islanders will be able to draft Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman, who is 6-feet-6 but is more of a dominant skill player than a dominant physical presence.

More of the attention in this hemisphere is on 18-year-old center John Tavares. He has had an interesting journey so far and it figures to get more interesting in the next six months.

He is the grandson of immigrants--his maternal grandparents came from Poland, his father's side came from Portugal. His uncle, also named John Tavares, plays for the Buffalo Bandits of the National Lacrosse League and is the league's all-time leading scorer. Young John said the spinning required in his own lacrosse background helps him get away from checks on the ice.

Tavares' hockey career got a boost from growing up in Oakville, Ontario as a close friend of Sam Gagner--a high NHL draft pick and son of former NHL player Dave Gagner. The Gagners had the backyard rink that the Tavareses never could afford.

Criticisms of the kid include the fact he isn't physical enough, that he regressed last season and that he maybe lost interest last year. In any case, he looks determined and sharp this season.

Oddly, though, the Oshawa Generals might deal this superstar before the Ontario Hockey League's Jan. 10 trading deadline. It's the equivalent of the Indians having traded CC Sabathia last summer, knowing they were going to lose him to free agency anyway. The Generals know that Tavares likely will go right to the NHL next year, and even if he doesn't, he will be allowed to go to the AHL. Hockey rules usually prohibit 18-year-olds from being sent to the minor pro league but Tavares will be eligible for a waiver from that because he already has played four years of major junior hockey.

In any event, it's worth watching him this week, and possibly at the draft in June.