Zero point in trading for Tavares rights if you don’t sign him for 8 years

You can sign Tavares to 7 years without owning his rights....

Only the Islander can sign him for 8 years, even if you trade for his rights. All that does is give the team a longer window.

I believe if you trade for him and then sign him before July 1, you can sign him for 8 years. Because even if you've just acquired him at, say, the draft, he's technically still under contract until July 1. Once July 1 hits, though, he's a free agent and can only be signed for 7 years.

No, it’s whatever team holds his rights at the latest trade deadline. So when the Islanders didn’t trade him it took everyone’s chance to sign him to 8 years