“He’s going to get whatever dollar figure he wants on his next contract. It’d be easy once he gets that — (to think) it doesn’t matter anymore. But that’s not his personality. It’s bigger to him. He wants to win. He wants to win Cups. He wants to be known as one of the greatest players. That’s what drives him on a daily basis. That’s what drives all great players.



“It’s a pretty special trait to have. Combine their work ethic with their talent, and it’s unmatched. It’s a cliche thing, but they always say hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. But those guys seem to put the two together and year in and year out be at the top of their game with teams prepping for them. It’s a pretty special thing. To play with all these guys, it’s pretty amazing to see them all grow.”



Matt Martin was talking about John Tavares, his teammate for six years with the New...