The minute John Tavares left the New York Islanders to return home and play for the Toronto Maple Leafs, people in all sorts of hockey circles began writing off the Islanders.

After all, this was a team that had missed the playoffs for two straight seasons and then lost its most important offensive weapon.

But despite all the criticism, veteran players Johnny Boychuk and Josh Bailey aren’t listening. Instead, they believe their team will be just fine.

You can read the rest of the article on Sportsnet.ca.