John Tavares honored by Hart Trophy nomination as 'sting' of playoff exit lingers

UNIONDALE, N.Y. — Ryan Strome lives with John Tavares, but he was unaware that the New York Islanders captain was nominated for the Hart Trophy until he overheard a phone conversation.

“Nice guy,” Strome joked Thursday.

“He’d have my vote every day,” he added. “I see how hard he works, how special he is and how much he means to this team. He does everything and a lot of stuff you might not see. He truly means a lot for us. I’m hoping he wins it. Hoping I get to celebrate with him this summer.”

The Islanders completed their season-end exit interviews on Thursday, three days after their elimination in Game 7 to the Washington Capitals. It may have been 72 hours later, but the disappointment in how their season ended was still evident, especially knowing they won't be back at Nassau Coliseum next season.

“It stings. It’s been a real hard last three days,” Tavares aid. “I think you carry this one forever, really … The people here deserved more.

“As fun as the year was, and as special as it was, we know we didn’t get to where we wanted to be.”

This is Tavares’ second Hart nomination. He finished third in 2013 after a 28-goal, 47-point lockout-shortened 2013 campaign which saw the Islanders return to the playoffs for the first time since 2007. This season, he ended up fourth in goals scored with 38 and second in points with 86. Had it not been for a late-game Jamie Benn assist on the season’s final day, Tavares would be leaving Las Vegas with at least the Art Ross Trophy.

But if the feeling in the air is correct, Tavares will come up short again for the Hart as Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price is a heavy favorite to win.

“It’s really hard to think about right now just because it’s so fresh off the playoffs and with the way they finished,” Tavares said. “It’s a great honor any time you’re up for the Hart Trophy in this league. It’s pretty special company just to be a nominee. [It] speaks volumes to our team and my teammates, the coaching staff, the belief they have in me, the amount of support I get from them, how well they played and how well our team played.

“Both years I’ve been nominated, both years we went to the playoffs and that’s because everyone was contributing. We had a tough team to play against and certainly guys I played with as linemates, making plays, getting me the puck and making things easier for me.”

The Hart Trophy rewards value to a team, and there’s no player more valuable to the Islanders than Tavares. Of his 48 assists, 30 were primary, and 22 of his 86 points came alongside Josh Bailey, who posted 15 goals and a career high 41 points this season.

“It’s well deserving, for sure,” said Bailey. “He’s a world-class player. I think the way he works, people don’t see that all the time.

“The work that he puts in off ice, on ice from the way he eats to the way he trains to the way he plays, he’s a special player and person and very deserving of that nomination. I hope he comes home with it this year.”

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Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Sean_Leahy

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