I wonder if he would go from bad to worse for money. Kind of defeats the purpose of sport.

So Garth Snow signs John Tavares for $14 million per for 8 years and then deals him to Montreal for a 2019 1st round pick, Unless that 2019 1st round pick is the #1 overall pick Jack Hughes. What enticement does Snow have to make that deal.

In a sign and trade he would only sign with the Islanders with the guarantee he'd be traded to a team of his liking. Therefore, the enticement for Snow is to get something back for losing Tavares to free agency anyways.

FWIW Don't see Tavares leaving the Islanders for Montreal, Right now the Islanders are just as good as the Habs. Montreal is a hot mess right now. And in sign and trade deals it goes more like this Montreal gets Tavares for 8 years $112 million which it $14 million per for 8 years and the Islanders get say Juulsen+McCarron+Scherbak+2019 1st round pick just using that as an example but that's how sign and trades are done not just for a 2019 1st round pick that could be the #31 overall pick next year should the Habs win the cup.

According to Pierre Lebrun the price would be a 1st round pick or an established player. https://theathletic.com/276204/2018/03/16/lebrun-what-would-it-take-to-structure-a-john-tavares-sign-and-trade-deal/

@Larkinisking

I guess you forgot that JT is a UFA this year therefore Snow wouldn't just be able to hold onto his rights for ever. Come July 1st, if not signed, JT is a free man. Snow's only leverage if he knows JT will not resign is to make a trade with a team for JT and that 8th year contract to be signed. Nothing else. Which btw, Snow is gaining a 1st rounder 2019 for literally setting up a meeting between MB and JT. That is a pretty decent return for losing a player he should of traded at the TDL if he knows JT probably won't resign there.

Habs won't need to give up four former 1st rounders to get JT if he wanted to come to the Habs......... Come on now.

Bottom line is John Tavares isn't leaving the NYI for Montreal, Montreal is a hot mess right now. John Tavares will want to go to a cup contender and even with Tavares Montreal isn't one. So it really doesn't much matter what the outcome is. Don't see Tavares in Montreal he will go home to Toronto before Montreal. Leafs are a lot closer to the cup right now then Montreal Price has health issues same with Weber the Habs two best players can't stay healthy long enough. Good luck if any one believes that Tavares will go to Montreal just don't see it happening.

Montreal isn't a big of a mess as people think. Take away the 2 best players off any team for almost a full season and see how well things go. Imagine the Pens without Crosby and Malkin. Come to Montreal and check out the practice facility and the Bell centre itself. Tavares would be a God in Montreal if he's into that kind of stuff. Montreal fans are the best when things are good, when the Habs are on the road you will see thousands of Canadian Jerseys in any arena in the league. Come playoff time you have all of Canada behind you, literally. I think that's a little more exciting that staying on a team that doesn't even have a permanent home and might get one in 3 years...

And yes, Toronto is great too, but I don't see the fit honestly so why not go for the next best thing.

The real bottom line is that you have no idea what Tavares wants and you are merely assuming. Only thing i know is Tavares can't both get paid big bucks and go to a contender at the same time. He'll have to choose one and one thing I do know, the NHLPA will remind him that signing for a lot less than his true value is bad for the players association. 35+ old guys looking for a cup before retiring get the pass but guys in their prime don't. Tavares taking a pay cut makes other players get less money as a result.

If Toronto, Nashville, etc etc want JT they'll have to pay him 11M+ just like most other teams.

Well in Marc Bergevins and Molsons words "We have a plan". I assume the plan is to throw 14 mil a year at Tavares and see what happens. I don't know what the guy wants but I do know the city of Montreal, and believe me it's not that bad.

That is not even remotely what LeBrun says. Lebrun says a sign and trade has never happened in the history of the salary cap era (literally) and then deliberates what a potential ask would be. He doesn’t say anything of the sort