John Tavares

Islanders' Tavares draws rave reviews from Kings' Quick

Published Aug. 6, 2015 11:38 a.m. ET

foxsports

New York Islanders captain John Tavares is rapidly gaining the respect of his peers in the league.

Perhaps that should come as no surprise after Tavares finished as a finalist for the Hart Trophy in 2014-15, marking his second such honor in his relatively brief stay in the NHL.

Well, count Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick as one of Tavares' biggest supporters. The two-time Stanley Cup-winning netminder included the Islanders' star in a list of the best snipers in the league.

"Just like with (Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney) Crosby, Tavares doesn't kill you with one thing, he kills you with how insanely balanced his game is in all aspects," Quick wrote in the second of his two-part series for The Players Tribune. "Tavares can deke you, or roof a shot, or make a great pass, or if nothing is there, he’ll do the smartest thing and chip it in deep to live another day. ... He's one of the most tenacious guys I’ve ever played against."

Selected with the top overall pick of the 2009 draft, Tavares set career highs in goals (38) and points (86) to finish second in the Art Ross Trophy race and lead New York to its best regular-season record since 1983-84. The 24-year-old has recorded 174 goals and 227 assists in 432 career games with the Islanders.

(h/t The Players Tribune)

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