John Tavares has no plans to leave Islanders

New York Islanders captain John Tavares, who can become an unrestricted free agent two seasons from now, said Tuesday he has no intention to leave his only NHL team.

“I think I’ve always showed my commitment, my appreciation and my desire to play on Long Island,” Tavares told Sportsnet 590. “I would love for that to continue for the long haul. I think you look at some of the greatest players in the game have been able to spend their entire career somewhere. I hope I’m in that same position.”

That would rule out a return home to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs, which has been a popular rumored destination for the Mississauga, Ontario native.

“I would not count on that,” he told the Toronto radio station.

“Obviously being from Toronto, people are going to make those connections, and it is what it is. There’s nothing that I can control. I just want to go out there and be the best player, best person that I can be for the Islanders day in and day out. I’m just going to focus on tomorrow and the upcoming season.”

Tavares, 26 on Sept. 20, has two years remaining on a contract with an average annual value of $5.5 million. The Islanders can begin negotiating a contract extension next July 1, and general manager Garth Snow recently said he would like to reach an agreement with Tavares next summer.

Tavares, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2009 NHL Draft, led New York with 70 points last …

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