Sunaya Sapurji Sports Reporter A Toronto Maple Leafs fan already enamoured with the prospect of landing Oshawa Generals star John Tavares in the 2009 NHL draft will want to read this: "I don't think (the Leafs) are as bad as everyone says they are," Tavares said as a life-long fan of the Blue and White. "They've got great goaltending and they've got a good defence. I think their defence is very underrated ... they're a good hockey club." Tavares knows a thing or two about deconstructing a blue line. He has been doing an excellent job of that this season as the Ontario Hockey League's top scorer with 12 goals and seven assists in 11 games. Surprisingly, that start isn't as hot as last season's when he scored 14 goals and had 13 assists in his first 11 games en route to a 118-point finish. But Tavares, frankly, doesn't care. Gone are the days the 18-year-old would become "too frustrated" when his play didn't meet his own high standards. As a sports fan, he still reads the newspaper every day and says he's been able to learn from his critics: those who say his stock is falling. And, after four seasons of being the NHL's projected top draft pick – having every stat, shift and statement dissected – Tavares has matured to the point of just having fun. "With this year being a big year for myself, I just decided to enjoy it because it only comes once," Tavares said of finally being NHL draft eligible. "I'm going to take advantage of my opportunities and have fun because that's what (playing hockey's) all about." Generals head coach Chris DePiero said he has noticed a stress-free Tavares this season, despite the anxiety many players suffer in their draft year. "It's almost the opposite of him feeling pressure," DePiero said. "I think he's taken the tack that he's going to eliminate any kind of thought that there is pressure and I think that's where his maturity both as a player and as a person has come in and it's translating well on the ice. "It's the approach where if he's the best player every day then the big picture will take care of itself." That philosophy seems to be working. The Oakville native is only 46 goals shy of breaking Peter Lee's OHL career scoring record of 215. Last week, Tavares moved into second place as the Generals' franchise leading scorer with 348 career points and he's closing in on the record set by former General Marc Savard (413 points). Long-time Oshawa trainer Bryan Boyes still has a few of Savard's sticks, including the one used to set the scoring milestone, but Tavares said he has never entertained the thought of testing it out for himself. "No, definitely not," Tavares said with a laugh. "But I've looked at it a few times. I remember when I first came into the league, I thought (of setting records), `You never know one day' and if that happens it's great ... if it happens for me, I'd be thrilled and honoured. The Star
He better come to Toronto. But does that mean we need to throw games? Cause unless we pull some amazing trade off, we won't get him.
