TAMPA, Fla. — Maybe Jack Capuano knows something no one else does. Or maybe the Islanders coach was just being naively optimistic, just like most of the fans of his team.
Because after what was almost assuredly Travis Hamonic’s final game as an Islander, Capuano was somehow not planning on the departure of the stout defenseman.
“I don’t necessarily think that right now we’re thinking Travis is not going to be with us next year,” Capuano said after his team’s season ended with a 4-0 loss to the Lightning in Game 5 of their second-round playoff series on Sunday afternoon at Amalie Arena.