On the Islanders Beat

i think these moves were driven by a single purpose, an edict if you will.
to not spend much money. bailey will cost much less than all the names we heard. in their favor is that the draft is 'hit and miss' and they could luck out, and maybe some kids could turn out great. in a year or two. if there's still a team.
that's really the key to the strategy.

Again, I suggest everyone go to Chris Botta's blog for some perspective on this one - nyipointblank(dot)blogspot(dot)com.

Garth didn't have a bad strategy - Garth didn't manage expectations well. Think about it....the thought of trading down like they did was not mentioned in any official communications about the draft. Josh Bailey wasn't even on the list of players EJ Hradek reviewed as potential selections for the Islanders. All the hype surrounded Filatov or, if he was off the board or the Isles weren't sold on him, trading down (maybe to 7?) and taking Colin Wilson. I know that was the source of my disappointment....the crowd was chanting "FIL-A-TOV! FIL-A-TOV!" as the Islanders came on the clock, and then....the trade was announced.

After that, 505 and I (yes he was there) were basically telling everyone that I called their strategy and Wilson was in the bag....As they came up at 7, I was almost giddy with anticipation that my crazy fantasy of 6 months ago would actually be true and Colin Wilson would be an Islander.....suddenly, another trade, and NASHVILLE promptly takes my boy Wilson! That came as a cold, hard slap to the face since it wasn't expected...ALL reports had us connected to Wilson.

Now the 9th pick comes up, and I expected to hear Hodgson or Beach, and we get....Josh Bailey? It was all about the shock and the mismanaged expectations rather than the actual pick of Josh Bailey.

Garth could have handled this better by leveling with us...He should have told us what we already knew - the prospect cupboard was bare, and they needed to re-stock. If they didn't hold on to the #5 pick (I guess they were sweet on Pieterangelo and traded down once St. Louis grabbed him....that was at least my read in retrospect), they would drop down and stockpile picks to renew the farm system. I would've been optimistic about this draft much sooner, and I wouldn't have gone on a cursing tirade when Wilson fell off the board, if I'd known and expected this....There's your problem: the fans, who overwhelmingly voted to pick Filatov on the Islanders web site, went there salivating and anticipating his selection, and suddenly we had this kid about whom nobody knew anything.

Next time, guys, plant the seed in the Logans, Strangs, and BD Gallofs of the world.

Also, to clarify, I'm on board with the Bailey selection now, but this gave me an eerie flashback to the 97 draft when I was expecting to hear Sergei Samsonov and Milbury drafted Eric Brewer instead. Bailey, I think, can be a good guy with a great passing game, and you have to respect a guy who threw his team on his back after the captain died. Maybe we have a player there, and maybe we have other players like Petrov, Niemi, Toews, and Trivino (all my Wilson lust is now being transferred to Trivino lust, since he's committed to BU for the fall!).

Gentlemen, You are missing one of the telltale objects here. Do not forget that Wang owns the Soundtigers and the Bridgeport Arena. With all the picks that Snow stockpiled, a bunch of these players will end up playing in Bridgeport. And that will create excitement in Bridgeport as the future Islanders develop.

These picks are not afterthoughts, as so many of the Soundtigers are. Many of them have a legitimate chance to play in the NHL and people will buy tickets to see them. I have been to B'Port several times and it is a beautiful arena. Easy to get to with plenty of parking. Great sight lines and a really nice place to watch a game.

Snow has not only rebuilt the farm system, but he will be putting people in the seats and some money back into Wang's pocket.

So, in effect, he has rejuvenated two franchises with one draft.
It is, after all is said and done, a business........Sir William

NICK, Sorry, but I just can't agree with you about Snow. Play your cards close to the vest and wait for the draw. No GM of any team, in any sport, should ever telegraph his intentions. You would be giving up the only edge you had for free. And that is crazy.

As for the fans voting......that's nice, but it's no way to run a franchise. I am pretty sure I see what Garth's vision is here and I really like what I see. I may even be tempted into getting a ten game package if he does what I think he will do in the UFA period.

If he goes out and grabs a couple of young FA's then he is right on track to building a winning team here.

Always the optimist.... Sir William

Nick,

When's the next poker game at your house?

Cuz, I wanna play with someone who believes in tipping your strategy ahead of time..

Sorry, buddy, but I am in Sir William's corner on this one.
Snow was absolutely right to play this whole draft "close to the vest". And in fact he sent out smoke screens.
Do you remember seeing any "draft previews" on the Isles website that highlighted Bailey?
I don't.
If Toronto and Nashville had any inkling that Snow was after Bailey, then he was not gonna get any offers to trade down.

ROLFMAO.....

Nick with some face time on Katie Strang's Video Journal from Draft night on the right of this blog.

Well Done Nick!!!!

I think you've got a future as the official face of the Nimby's!!!!

(and considering how many brewski's you powered down at the pre-party, I am even more impressed!!).

I don't have any issues with Bailey, seem like a good kid and I wish him a sucsessful career with the Isles, just was caught off guard. Only time will tell how Garth did. Looking forward to winning the Calder Cup for the next few years!

themass: not sure when they are going to demo the spectrum doesn't seem like this year with the current economic conditions

19 Isle:

(from previous thread regarding where I went)

Well...lets just say I was taking a nice 3 day breath to calm down. Otherwise there may have been a goalie pad-jamming incident. This team always kills my nerves! I was following the draft on the computer so if you check the live chat blog from the first round I popped in there with quite a few comments featuring "effing Snow". I also made the comment about Nick blowing his top after the Isles traded down again and didn't take Wilson (I really really thought they were going to grab him).

I want for once for the Islanders to take the consensus pick. I am tired of seeing the press say things like "The Islanders always zig when everyone else zags." This strategy has failed for too long so its not as if we are peceived as the organization that saw things that no one else did (in otherwords, Detriot). Sure, whichever player chosen could be a flop or a superstar it IS always a crapshoot. However the excitement over drafting and watching someone like that is not a crapshoot, and isn't that the main reason we follow sports? KO, Bergy, and DP are three of the few reasons I will be shelling out the money next year. I love watching DP play and I am interested in seeing if/how the other two take it to the next level.

All that being said, Sir William and everyone else acting as the voice of reason, thanks for smacking a stir crazy soldier across the face. I am back to my senses and I do see the logic in Snow grabbing a huge amount of picks. Some may develop as those rare gems in the lower levels and others will be used as bargaining chips in trades.

I think part of the reason it stung badley when Snow traded down over taking Filatov is that it was a clear signal that this team is on the long road to rebuilding and it is hard to accept that we really are still so far away. But no matter how down I get I still love this team, so go Islanders.

Also 19 Isles... why do you bother to put "this will be a short one" before your posts? Your short ones are longer then my long ones!! :)

Obviously no GM should ever show his cards, but it is very easy to say "Oh we planned on taking Bailey all along!" Every GM in the world says that after a draft. Did you think they would say anything different?

Bottom Line is it will take years for the truth to come out. It will also take years before we know if it was a good draft or a bad one for the Bobbles.

The thing that scares me is that most EVERY person on Tsn.ca and on the canadien hockey news channels is laughing yet again at the Isles not taking one onf the big 5!!!!

I am fine with what the Isles did and saw it coming long before it happened. I still think thye are not going to spend a lot but time will tell. Hopefully I am wrong.

If they don't the bridgeport games will be better to watch than the Isles games!!

***Everyone up here cannot believe the Isles did not take the kid Wilson...Than again he is the pride and joy of BU! ***

Nick .... Caught ya on Katie's video blog last night .... excellent ... I think that Katie did a good job ... it really caught the atmosphere of NVMC pretty well.

I think Nick's post is dead on with his well worded postmortem of the 1st round at the draft party... exactly what he expressed is what I felt. I thought we were going head strong for Wilson after trading down to the 7 spot ... I was happy as a pig in you know what after that trade ... because as much as I was hanging on the hype of Filatov ... I felt Wilson was better for our organization.

I agree that Snow pulling that second trade down was unexpected .... and the whole Bailey thing was a wicked cutting fastball that I never saw coming .. and I was just standing there with my bat on my shoulder .... and I was infuriated ... so what did I do? I took it out on the pitcher ..... LOL!!

The first draft party I ever attended was when we traded away our first round pick, Chara and I forgot the other guys name ... lol ... for Yashin ... it really made that draft anti-climatic.

I guess you can say we really needed to swallow a bitter pill inorder to right the ship and get this organization's prospect pool back up to snuff. Kinda like how you shove your dog's medicine wrapped up in a slice of roast beef. Don't forget ... each of those players actually end up making each other stronger too ... builds more competition ... and raises the bar..... remember .... a rising tide floats all boats.

I also have to agree with 505 and Sir W on the tipping the hand aspect ... as much as I wish I had an idea of what the strategy was ..... I know that he can't share his strategy with us without sharing that with the other GM's too ... I guess now his next strategy will have to be mending a few fences for the fans who really don't understand what he did. He really did fly under the radar and make a devestating bombing run. Good job Garth.

That said I think getting a few players also under the radar in FA when everyone else is gunning for Hossa and Campbell the Isles can shore themselves up for 08/09 ... of course Snow can't come out and just say that.

Healy ... good to see ya back .... I got home right around the time LA picked Doughty .... Kevin calls him Dough boy b/c of how he looked at the combine ... I didn't see him ... so use your imagination.

I saw the live running blog and your ... so eloquent contributions to it ... I was going to check in on it ... but even before the Isles traded #5 away ... I was very anxious, tired, hungry and moody from my trip.... so I refrained ....

Oh .... and regarding what you said in your last post ... "Also 19 Isles... why do you bother to put "this will be a short one" before your posts? Your short ones are longer then my long ones!! :)"

I know ... LOL!!!

But I didn't want to tip my hand.

19Isles....

"I know that he can't share his strategy with us without sharing that with the other GM's too ..."

Fact of the matter is....

Does anyone truly believe that Toronto and Nashville would have offered Snow 2nd round picks if they knew that Snow had his eyes set on Bailey and was gonna pass on Schenn and Wilson anyway?
I DON'T THINK SO.
It was a poker game folks and Snow was playing a pat hand and would have been foolish to go "all in" early. He got the other guys to bump the pot with more 2nd and 3rd round choices.

So now the lament by many (see Botta's blog) is that Snow did not properly "manage expectations" and is suffering the fallout.
I hope and expect that Snow is laughing right now at that analysis.

Cuz like any good poker player, rather than poorly "managing expectations", I think he effectively "managed disinformation".
in advance of the draft.

Which is what a good GM should do.
Otherwise he is simply another lousy poker player. (See Milbury).

Just my opinion, from 2 time zones away.

I hear what your saying 505, yet if some shmuck in beantown knew what the Isles were going to do, you don't think that some of the NHL GM's did also??? To use your poker analogy, I would of had all his money before the turn card!

We will have to wait and see....If the two guys we passed on turn out to be gems, and we do not get any strong players, the fall out will be costly!

I guess if this was a GM with a GOOD track record, we would be standing and applauding.....BUT, what has Snow EVER done to convince us he knows what he is doing?????????

This could be the start of a strong career for Garth, or it could be the end.....

***Again I ask....Does anyone think Nollan had anything to do with Bailey...I believe he played with his son correct??? ***

Steady,

".. yet if some shmuck in beantown knew what the Isles were going to do, you don't think that some of the NHL GM's did also"

There is a huge difference between "knowing" and "oracleness".
Give yourself some credit your highness.
You CALLED it.
You didn't KNOW it.
And I suspect that Snow following through on what you PREDICTED, kinda took some of the luster off of Snow's "bobbleness?

"I guess if this was a GM with a GOOD track record, we would be standing and applauding....."

Fact is, this is a GM with virtually NO track record. Especially when it comes to Draft Day. Let's remember, he had about 2 weeks to prepare for last years draft. He's had a full year to get ready for this one.

"This could be the start of a strong career for Garth, or it could be the end....."

Ah, like I said above Steady.....am I seeing a crack in Garth's bobblehead?
I sense that you are quietly ecstatic about what Snow did this weekend (cuz, afterall...you CALLED it), but nevertheless hedging your ecstasy with a warning about the end.
Sure, of course....this was a crapshoot by Snow...any draft selection is. But Snow improved his odds by using this draft to grab what ISS called 5 of the top 30 picks in the draft.

And yes....I agree with your analysis of the Bailey selection and the Nolan connection.
It's simply too obvious.

Perhaps Snow and Nolan are on the same page?

That's a good thing.

.

Sir william, Islander505, I think you guys are talking some serious sense here! I am really happy that people are giving this a lot of objective analysis and not running around like chickens with their heads cut off.

Seriously- I wanted the Isles to Filatov (or Schenn for that matter) as much as anyone did, I was wearing a Filatov shirt and had a welcome banner with his name on it that I was unrolling right as the Totonto trade was announced.

But I think something special is going on here, I really do. I am putting aside how badly I wanted to see that kid in an Isles jersey and I am trying to look at the big picture here. I dont think it is too much to say that this weekend could have been a truly monumental moment in Islanders history!

"Perhaps Snow and Nolan are on the same page?"

Perhaps the speculation and rumors about the Snow/Nolan rift leading up to draft day was part of a Machiavellian plot to portray Snow as a bumbling fool who would make a mess of draft day and he would be an easy target for the "all-knowing" and "more experienced" GM's (Fletcher) on draft day?

Thanks for the extra picks Fletch and whoever the guy in Nashville is.
Nolan wanted Bailey the whole time.

Remember what guys like 19Isles and I said since the end of the season.
This draft pool was reportedly so deep this year that Snow couldn't screw up the 1st pick. And that the proof of Snow's ability as a GM would be in what he got in the 2nd and 3rd rounds (with the extra picks that he already had going into draft day).

Well, in "my book", Snow did pretty damn well in the 2nd and 3rd rounds.
HE GOT EVEN MORE PICKS.

And kept his Coach happy with the 1st pick.

Just my opinion.

Metalchick.

I defer to Sir William for bringing sanity to the events that occurred on Friday night.
I, too, was initally flabbergasted and mildly(?) miffed by the double trade down, as I had Wilson pencilled in on my dance card.

However, the cleansing process of the liver (hang in there buddy!), coupled with a long reflective flight home Saturday, and then reading Sir William's gifted observations, brought me to my senses.

I think I mis-stated my opinion on Snow, because I think there's a profound difference between managing expectations and telegraphing intentions. I remember Charles Wang's face LIGHTING UP when they showed Filatov on the board at that open house as a potential draft pick. My point is that the Islanders PREVIEWED POTENTIAL SELECTIONS and never mentioned the kid we took...with 10 or 15 profiles, who knows which one the team actually wants? He never said he might look to re-stock the farm system, just stuck to the "best player available" mantra. I didn't buy the hype, because it looks like a stiff wind would blow him away, but most thought that meant Filatov. The fan base was completely wound up at the thought of getting him, and only anger afterward.

I hate to do this, but I almost compare it to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. She inflamed her supporters to the point of a frenzy because she never talked about potentially losing and conceding.....So once it happened people were shocked, angry, and looking to place blame.

Am I making sense here? I honestly think managing expectations and not misleading the fans into thinking we were going for a huge home run would have been better than, as 19 Isles so elegantly put it, that vicious cut fastball nobody saw coming.

BTW......

In case anyone is wondering WHY the Live blog chat was postponed today.........

Our good friends at the Vinal Flore, Rieber and Baumbach, NOW have a live chat scheduled for the same slot today to discuss their Top 25 NY Area Athletes.

Y-A-W-N

I surmise that they just couldn't stand all the attention the Isles are getting.
I, for one, will be scouring the Maxim website to see if they have a live blog to discuss THEIR Top 100.

If I WAS to step over onto the Vinal Flore for their live blog, my 1st question would be.......Can either of you guys even name the Ranger's 1st round draft choice?

Well isn't that special?

And yea, I still don't know about the whole managing expectations part, since saying "If we don't use the pick, we'll trade down and stockpile prospects" basically outlines every possible thing they could do....Keep the pick, trade the pick. However, if it's planted in the fans' heads that they might trade down, it's likely that the outrage wouldn't have been as great when it happened.

As for Rieber and Baumbach, I'd like to hear them debate the Maxim Hot 100 with 505. That's must-see blogging right there.

Howdy all.

To hit back to an earlier debate:

Garth wouldn't be telegraphing a thing if someone was Media Relating and pushing certain departments to temper fan excitement by merely doing a piece on the quality of a DEEP draft. Mainly because someone needed to handle the fan perception of thinking it was Filatov or bust. They also could have dropped some tidbits to the press that were about other players. Plus created their own stories and content. ESPECIALLY AT THE DRAFT PARTY ITSELF, where there is a captive audience. After all, even Buccigross was talking about Filatov before the draft itself to the crowd, fanning the expectations.

The Isles fallowed a lot of the backlash by never really doing anything but tout that they had the #5 pick. And that is the difference of what used to be an organized department and what it is now...convoluted hierarchy and confusion. (at least for now)

All this doesn't change GM perceptions. Because Cliff Fletcher is more apt to read the ten commandments than something online or in the Isles rumormill.

HOWEVER, the biggest leaky faucet here was Toronto, anyways. That system floats everything to the press. The #5 pick for sale sailed right out of the Maple Leafs.

Cheers,
BD

So, when do we get to see pictures from the NIMBY party?

Having come down off the ledge after the Friday draft and to my senses in what actually transpired, I am really looking forward to this next week. It was this time 1 year ago that I found this site, and have been on it every day since, for better or worse. Not sure if I am smarter or dumber 1 year later, but here's to hoping Garth makes wise choices, and at least 1 move that will make everyone happy!

All the spin in the world won't change my opinion that this was a bad decision in the first round. The Islanders had plenty of picks already in this draft to replenish the farm. It's not like they would have gotten none of the guys they did without trading the fifth pick. From all that's been said (and I'm certainly no expert, and the words of praise could all be wrong), Filatov was about as close to a sure thing as you can get in a draft. You take those players when you can.

If the Islanders had no second or third round picks because they traded them away last year or earlier this year, then I can possibly see trading down from 5 and taking second and third round picks. If they would have started with the 9 pick, maybe even the 7, and they traded down for a couple of extra later round picks, it would make all the sense in the world. But passing up a top five pick, in this draft especially, with the amount of picks they already had in the later rounds is tough to justify. Could Filatov (or Schenn, or Wilson, or whoever they may have taken in a world of what could have been) flop? Sure, but so could Stamkos, and by that rationale you should never take a top five prospect and should always trade down for later round picks, which is utter nonsense.

All this is beside the point that if they were that dead set on adding a couple of third round picks and possibly a second rounder (maybe...depending on value), they could have traded Satan, Tank, Comrie, Guerin, etc. (any of their vets, really) last year instead of standing around like deer in headlights at the deadline. But Garth refused because he insisted on a first rounder, which was never going to happen for what we had to offer.

I'm glad we have a lot of optimists here, and when all is said and done, the Isles did have a pretty good draft and got some absolute steals in round 3. But really, they still could have gotten one or two of their steals in addition to having a top prospect like Filatov - and having the opportunity to draft a potential franchise player does not come around very often.

Now that the draft has past. We can look forward to free agency and I suppose from the looks of things, this team will not be in on any of the big name guys but more at the fringe players out there. One guy that I like, but might be too pricey is Brad Stuart, although he has some sort of family situation and most likely will be looking to play on the west coast. The other guy that I've always liked is Brian Rolston. Ever since I saw him on a penalty shot wind up and blow a slap shot past the goalie he has been a favorite. Might provide some leadership for a team that projects to be pretty young.

How about extending an offer sheet to someone like Jay Bouwmeester, a big puck moving defenseman?

In a nutshell... it's not what happened but how it happened. Shock and awe does not work well with fan base gatherings of that size. Seriously, I'm worried about the UFA period. I don't think my nerves can take any more surprises.

UFA: is going to be very quiet with some depth players that might be like Vasicek-like sleepers. (in my humble opin)

Hopefully without the too much sleeping part. Players like Hossa or Campbell or any top ilk fetching top dollars will not be even sniffing towards LI. But some who want playing time or redemption might

>>I dont think it is too much to say that this weekend could have been a truly monumental moment in Islanders history?

I thought he same thing a few years back. Remember these names rolling off one at a time:

Connolly
Pyatt
Mazai
Kudroc

4 picks in the first round.

BD,

I would be surprised if Snow did not make a very strong effort to secure someone approaching a 1st line center.......Langkow?
(Sundin is another option, but I am not inclined to throw big money at guys who already have a spot reserved in the HOF... give me a guy who is still trying to get there).

Unless Bailey dazzles in camp (and even if he does), we are VERY WEAK at center.

I am more inclined to shore up that position, even before chasing down a puck moving or PP QB D-man.

Langkow is already signed by Calgary - the best option is Brendan Morrison for Center

Brian G....

Everything I read about Langkow is "nothing official"/ "a deal is on the back burner".

It ain't over til it's over....come July 1, make him an offer he can't refuse.

(Of course, if that happens, Snow will have a very PO'd Brent Sutter to deal with to add to his MN fan club).

Eh, frig 'em if they can't take a joke.

I still think that it will be Vrbada and Liles that Snow has in his sights. He has more than enough cap room to overpay for both of them, which is the only way to get them here.

Both are young (27) and could be inked to 5 year deals. This would allow them to be part of all the young players who will begin to show up on the Island three years from now.

It makes so much sense to me, that I will really be dumbfounded if Snow doest go all out for both of them.........Sir William

SW...it makes so much sense that not only will we NOT land them...Snow won't even make them offers....watch!

Barry Melrose has officially become the Lightning coach..

As such, I am putting them as an early odds-on favorite in the Tavares Sweepstakes.

Stamkos? Lecavalier? St. Louis?

Pshaw...
They got Melrose

Morrison is a good number 2 center but I think he had season ending knee surgery...hope he is ok to go for the 08-09 season. It would be a good pick up if Bailey is not reay to go this year.

Barry Melrose...LOL LOL LOL LOL

Thank God everyday we have Ted Nolan!

I think there is going to be an unintentional side-effect from this year's draft as well.

With the division being extremely tough, and the Isles being the weakest link there by far, it is going to be a very long year for Isles fans.

The positive will be that this will definitely be another draft lottery year, with the Isles a virtual lock for being in the bottom three. That is not a bad thing though. They will be in an excellent position to get John Tavares, who is the most highly touted prospect since Crosby. If that happens, the next few years will not be so bad after this one.

Ah yes.....

Mark the calendar Steady.....

We already have our first commenter giving up on next year before the keys have been unlocked on the pre-season skating rinks.

ARGHHHHH....

Excuse me while I retreat to the throne library and refresh myself on the definition of a fan.

I am still a fan.

I will watch every game and root for the team's success. But part of building for the future is placing realistic expectations on the present. We have all seen too often the way that mortgaging the future for an attempt at present success can backfire.

This is a case where we have a team that is not built for success in the present, but that is not such a terrible thing either.

Does anyone have any idea when the Isles Prospect Camp begins? The Rangers got right down to it and started it today... not that it makes a big difference ... I'd just like to see what kind of combinations work at the prospect level. I'm sure rookies like KO, Comeau and maybe even Tamby will be there too.
--------------------------
I don't mind when fans make their "predicitions"... even if it is a low pushing off point... I agree that it's too early to make any kind of specific prediction ... bottom 3? I don't think so .. bottom 10 in the league ... ehhh ... maybe? But with DP as our goalie it is really too early to predict the team's demise.

The only thing is .... DP is going to have a pronounced reduction in playing time ... whether or not this makes him a more effective goalie remains to be seen.

It's also kind of way to early to make a prediction before the FA period begins ... hey ... Snow surprised us both shockingly disappointing ... and shockingly positive in a 24 hour period this weekend ... so who knows what other positive surprises are instore for us this Summer.
-----------------------------
I have to say I agree with 505's post regarding Tampa's run for top spot in the Tavares sweepstakes .... the only thing is ... Tampa's looking to lock up Sir Vinny for the rest of his career .... Sir Vinny and Sir Stevie take up the top 2 center positions ... there will be no way that would work with a Sir Johnny in the mix .... it would certainly be a killer center corps ... but the way players become productive is by ice time ... and there would certainly be an unbalanced distribution of ice time among 3 star centers on the same team.... but that remains to be seen.

This may be random... but I was checking out russian players videos on youtube and specifically petrov and cheraponov (sp. rangers draftee). Just thinking what these two playing in New York could do to spark some life into the rivalry. If both clubs are doing well with a russian superstar on each one it would be amazing. Apparenlty they're both under contract in Russia, and it would take a miracle for them both to come over here. Which brings me to my second point:

This new league starting in russia is supposed to be funded with oil money (aka big money). Should the NHL be worried that they will be offering talent much dinero while it is stuck in the post lock-out salary cap age. Many decent draft picks could leave north america for more money (or just stay there if that is where they originate from). Just like we have stolen some of their talent for the last 20 years, wouldn't they be able to do the same to us. The only thing that I can see inhibiting that is that soccer is the main sport there and hockey is secondary. But I guess only time will tell. Does anyone know if my perception of this new league is overated?

Gonna agree with 19 isles and Sir William for each post they made.

In no way do the Islanders finish in the bottom 3 with DP as a starter. I've said this before many times, the last time we had a goalie, with winning record, was Snow in 2002. MacDonald needs to be in shape. If he's not in shape by now, bring someone in to challenge for the backup role. We need a backup ready to play by game one, not game thirty. Period.

Sir William and I share the same players we want for free agency in Vrbata and Liles. Overpay them to play here. They're young, and can play here for a good number of years so our prospects don't need to be rushed up here. we get players just mentioned, the Islanders would have a shot at the playoffs.

Correction: The last time we had a backup goalie, with a winning record, was Snow in 2002.

Speaking of backup goalies.......

Ray Emery cleared waivers (surprise) and is a UFA come July 1.

Comments?
(This should be good).

ummmmmm............No comment

I really don't know about Emery. He'd be like the Yashin version of a goaltender.

Emery is a cancer and should be avoided as such. With so many young kids on the team, Emery is the last type of individual that Nolan needs in his locker room.

For this team to go anywhere, they are going to need to be hitting on all cylinders every night. The last thing they need is a brooding
back up sitting on the bench.

I said it before and I stand by it. The Isles will regret the day they let Dubie go. He was popular in the dressing room and he knew exactly what his role on the team was and accepted it.

I am not sold on J Mac at all. By mid season we will be looking for his replacement...........Sir William

the mass .. You bring up some good questions ... for the NHL to totally dismiss the new Russian Continental Hockey League ... AKA RCHL ... is being totally ignorant.

There will no doubt be some effect... how big will remain to be seen. I think the lore of playing in the NHL for some Russian and European players will remain a draw ... but you can't dismiss the lore ... especially for Russian players to want to play in their home land for equal or more money.

There is only one Stanley Cup ... and that will always remain the premeire prize .... it cannot be duplicated with a multi-million dollar contract in the RCHL's Oil Can Cup. So a true blue nostalgic hockey player will never be able to fill his pride with a championship in Russia.

I also would like to add ... that possibly that any NHL player ... North American or European might possibly take the bait if they've already had a taste from Lorde Stanley's Chalice....They may want to conquer two continents and wet their beaks with Russian oil money.

I'm cautiously optimistic that the RCHL will have only small impact on an already diluted NHL roster pool.

I wouldn't compare the WHA with this new league ... it's not like they are competing for the same market dollar / ruble. However you may see the Bobby Hulls and Gordie Howes of the current NHL defecting the the new league.

I saw the Emery news yesterday ... gave it a quick thought .... then totally dismissed it.

Emery is the last thing the Isles need.

We fly with Joe Mac ... hope for the best ... b/c we can't use another roster spot to have a b/u goalie for a b/u goalie .... if there is any question about J Mac we should shop J Mac right now and cut the problem before it begins.

In other news, who else saw that hatchet job some "freelance" writer did on the team today? Thanks, Newsday!

As far as the Russian League goes... it will have absolutely no affect on North American players.

I also really think that the effect on almost every other country besides Russia will be minimal for a few reasons. The NHL is widely accepted as the best league worldwide. Players want to play in the top league. The money is the NHL is just as good as the money in the new Russian League. It just takes a few more years in the NHL to get that money. Players could very easily say... I'll play in the NHL for a few years, and if it doesn't work out, I'll go to Russia.

I think that the net result will be a league of cocky Russian youngsters and way past their prime disappointments in Russia.

One more thing the Russian League doesn't have... the Stanley Cup. Don't underestimate how important it is for a hockey player to get their name on the Stanley Cup. It gets treated like royalty overseas. It's a very valuable assett to the NHL.

what a suprise...The RAGS are going after Hossa, Campbell and Sundin....What a JOKE!!! Ill take Vrabata, Liles, Nystrom, Langkow for half the prices... Snow has to have something up his sleeve for this Free Agency come July 1st...He has a plan, and though it took me about 3 or 4 days to realize that after draft day, I Think He is going to suprise us again...No major Signings by the Big Three(Hossa, Campbell, Sundin) but will pick up some solid young players to keep the youth movement going, while we develop our latest prospects...Remember, we let alot of guys walk away..Satan, Vasicek, Tank, Dubie, Berard...I have a good feeling come July 1st..Like a few have said, while every other team is worried about signing the BIG THREE...Snow will working on the younger guys to bring over, spend a little extra cash on them and sign them for 3-5 yrs....

In regards to finishing in the bottom 3...That will all be determined on what happens July 1st..If we do nothing to improve, which i highly doubt will happen, then there is a good chance finishing at the bottom 3, even if DP is healthy all season..DP cant win that many games by himself...And I am DONE, looking at the draft to seriously...It really is just all hype from scouts around the league, and they only concentrate on the top 10 guys, mainly the top 5...

HEY, if anyone on here will be at the live chat, I am going to miss it today, can someone throw this question out at LOGAN...Im sure im not the only one thinking about it, but ask him Who looks to be on SNOWS list of FA signings?? Thanks guys, have a great day!!

I don't think we will see any FA signings this offseason. We already have enough players to fill out our roster with a mix of vets and kids. Unless Snow decides to do a trade or two, I wouldn't expect anything to happen but resigning some RFA's at the most.

Enough with worrying about the back up goalie position...If that is all we had to worry about we would all be on cloud nine !

Dubie was a fun lil goalie that had a couple of big games...If you watched him closely, he was constantly out o position. He came to camp so out of shape he looked like the fat girl on Facts of Life......Shame on him for doing that!

McDonald has heart and will compete...Again though that is the least of our worries.

Scoring, team toughness, pest, enforcer, QB for the pp, are all major holes on this team.....I watn a player to come along that makes you want to watch them play every night...Does not need to be an all star, more of a SPARK PLUG !! A Webb type that get your blood flowing and gets the whole team fired up! A guy with Heart bigger than his skill !!! We are so far away from a cup, that a guy like that can keep the team going!

I am watching Bobbleheads......Put up or shut up time come July 1st !!!

"He came to camp so out of shape he looked like the fat girl on Facts of Life......Shame on him for doing that!"

He was injured...

"If you watched him closely, he was constantly out o position."

...and no he wasn't. A goalie that small would have been lit up for eight goals a game if his positioning was constantly off...no matter how fast he was.

Actually he did give up more than 6 goals a game on more than one occassion I believe....DP is injured also and has 2 % body fat...Just b/c you are injured does not mean you go to Baskin Robbins and Burger King for lunch everyday.

p.s Why do you think he was benched ???

p.s.s How about using your real sign on ??

My point is the little troll will nto be missed! Bigger fish to fry on this team than talking about a bleeping back up goalie!

"Just b/c you are injured does not mean you go to Baskin Robbins and Burger King for lunch everyday."

Actually Steady
You are SO WRONG here.
His parents live in Vancouver.
Isles training camp was in Nova Scotia or thereabouts (other side of the continent)

My guess is he went on a Trans Canadian Tim Horton eatathon.

Wade Dubielewicz NYI 20gp 9W 9L 1OTL GAA: 2.70 Sv%: 919

...hardly 8 goals a game, and hardly numbers for a goalie routinely out of position.