Islanders general manager Garth Snow still is working the phones with the likely goal of shopping some of the second-round picks he has stockpiled to move into the latter half of the first round to pick another player.
But here is the explanation he offered in a statement for why he traded dwon twice to take Josh Bailey:
“Josh was the player we targeted from the beginning. He’s a center who makes other people around him better, the type of center we need in our system. He has great offensive instincts, and he can make things happen with his superior vision, character and leadership.”
Snow added that the decision to trade down and stockpile pick was predicated on the fact they were sure they could get Bailey at that point in the draft.
Comments (112)
How much better could he possibly make the likes of Andy Hilbert?
Screw off Garth.
No Filatov or Schenn? Unexcusable.
Over rated draft guys - if you play the numbers one of those second round picks is going to pay off. Probably two. There's also cap money available to go after a UFA.
Look around the league, not to many teams are making an effort t0 sign their UFA's.
Could be Garth and Wang know a bit about 'current' value and the existing NHL market.
Things are never as good as they seem, and they're never as bad as they seem either.
Wasn't Robert Nillson a playmaking center??? We need players with TALENT. Not players who make other players better. We SUCK!!!! I don't know how much more of this putrid team I can take!!!!
test
because the islanders are a f*ckin joke, worst GM and wackiest owner. this is what you get.
snow must go, my wife is laughing at me for being an islander fan isles08025
I don't like the Bailey pick. Trading down once from 5 to 7 was ok, IF Snow and scouts really didn't want Filatov or Schenn could of still have Boedkar or Wilson; but trading down twice to pick up Bailey? Not a move I have much confidience in, but its not nearly as bad as past MM draft day fiasco's.
Have to hope they draft wisely in the 2nd and 3rd rounds.
We were shooting crows, rabbits and squirrels after the selection that were eating my crops. I had to do it after this selection. At least my tomatoes are safe now. Watch out crows tomorrow at 5:45 AM!
For all you chicken-little's crying your eyes out, Bailey actually has good stats this past season. He should be a solid pick-up for the isles.
GP G A Pts PIM +/-
67 29 67 96 32 30
Good point...Messier is an expert on crying after all.
I am actually. Especially after seeing how my team chose a soft scrub who has BUST tattooed on his head aka Michael Del Zotto.
yeah a good pickup for the future IF he makes any noise in the minors because this was not one of the NHL ready that were available - this SUCKS. leave it to snow to figure out how to miss in a no-miss draft, the deepest in years - i didnt think trading down meant giving away the farm.... the other top six draft pick teams were all talking about nothing short of a player and a handful of picks would get them to move if they even considered it - and we give away the top five and then the top seven pick for second basically nothing - this is not the red wing organization who spots diamonds in the rough and pick them at 137th... this is a goalie and his cohorts that is more fitting for a UPN based sitcom.
we screwed it up again. every analysis ive read so far says the same thing.... that bailey is a solid player and a good pick up but this will be another case where years from now we all look back and think "we could have had (insert players name or names here)"
greaaaat.
I havent heard much on BAILEY, but i must say i am completly DISGUSTED WITH THIS TEAM....I dont understand how they trade down twice, PASS UP FILATOV....PASS UP SCHENN...PASS UP WILSON!!!!!! BAILEY????? as much as i didnt want SCHENN in the first place we passed up 3 top tier PROSPECTS for someone who was a "SAFE" PICK!!! I honestly hope this works out for us, but i still cant figure out the reasoning behind passing up on WILSON...As much as i wanted FILATOV, i was able to Justify the islanders moving down to 7, knowing they can still pick up wilson...They grabbed some pics from Toronto and could of Picked up the best player at the COMBINE!! Not that, that actually means anything, but BAILEY????? All day i prayed that FILATOV was still available at number 5....I turn the TV on just as the islanders were about to pick, and see he is still available and i couldnt of been more excited, and we end up with BAILEY!!!
I honestly thought there was no way we could screw up this draft, and once again these BOBBLEHEADS proved all ISLANDER fans wrong.....Those extra 2nd and 3rd rounders better turn into zetterbergs, franzens, holmstroms, datyzuks.....
Now we wait for July 1st, to once again watch all the players we want go to other teams, and watch SNOW pick up...players with grit, heart and character!!!
I am so disgusted, so angry, disappointed, i honestly dont know how to feel...If someone can please give me a good explaination on to why we passed up on Filatov and Wilson, i would greatly appreciate it...And enough about Filatov being a russian and all this BS about transfering over to the NHL, and thats why we didnt pick a player who would bring fans back to the PORTER POTTY We call HOME!!
Im not even gonna end this post with a lets go islanders, because i have no faith in this organization right now...maybe when i wake up and watch tomms rounds i will have a little more faith, but as of now, im a very disappointed islanders fan...I hope snow proves us all wrong, and i will make my final decision on him by midseason.....
SNOW YOUR AN IDIOT!!!!!! GOODNIGHT
Good night .... got some varmit to exterminate in the morning.
My stay at home defensemen and sniper sons were both disappointed also, I guess I shouldn't have gotten them worked up about actually drafting a star in the first round, maybe we can come in last place next year and not make the same mistake
Well....I reasoned with myself that if the Isles managed to screw this up, then I was done with them...and now, I can say, with a heavy-heart, I can no longer spend my time on this team. They are utterly bereft of any smarts in this game and it is why the rest of the GM's were probably snickering as the lowly Islanders once again live up to their laughable history. You may stockpile all of the picks you want Snow, but the fact remains, you'll still screw that up and pick guys that turn out to be nobodies. It's because you are clueless and your owner is clueless...and I have been clueless in rooting for this team for so long. I am such a moron for believing that the Islanders could not possibly screw this up...I should have played the odds, because the odds stated that yes, the Islanders could actually screw this up...and they did. Utterly embarassing.
It doesn't get anymore depressing than this. Passing up potential franchise players like Schenn and Filatov for a couple of extra second round picks. In 2003 the Isles had three 2nd round picks. Dimitri Chernykh, Evgeny Tunik and Jeremy Colliton. What an impact they've made! We just don't have competent people running this team. I'm depressed and going to sleep. It just get's worse and worse. Again the only thing we can hope for is a last or second to last place finish next year to get Tavares or Hedman. But Snow will probably trade down. Mind boggling. I don't know how much longer I can keep supporting this team.
On my drive home from the Draft Party at the coliseum I thought long and hard about what I had just witnessed and to be honest with you I'm completely and utterly disapointed in this team again on draft day. The finally have a top five pick in a draft that all hockey people say is very good and they trade down twice. I don't understand it and I don't pretend to know anything other than what I've read about Josh Bailey, but no one had him rated in the top 10 and to pass on Shenn, Wilson and Filatov is very frustrating. The one thing this team needs is skill and Filatov seemed to have it. He was also a popular target among the fans. The whole draft party was upset when the trade out of the 5 spot was announced. For once, can't the Isles just stay put and do the logical thing, what most every other team in the league would do and take the best player available. I understand the need to build through the draft, but I just don't agree with giving up a top 5 pick for a conditional 2 and 3..I'm sorry I just don't.
I'm not sure how to feel either tonysac other than to say that I was utterly disspointed driving home from the draft party which I thought was going to be a fun experience and something to look forward to in the future. I just don't see how this team competes next year. I don't see it. I'm frustrated.
I have to ask because I see this in a lot of posts..
What does "could of" mean?
don't worrry, snow is going to trade out of the second round and get us 10 7th round selections! WHOOOHOOOOOO DEPTH!
Fortunately they'll all be guys with great character. Are we running a police station or a hockey team
I am pretty confused, but maybe the NY Daily News Article has something, as does Black and Gold
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/hockey/islanders/2008/06/20/2008-06-20_islanders_wheel_and_deal_in_nhl_draft.html
Remains to be seen I guess, but it seemed like we could of had a no-brainer at 5 or 7 and now we are playing the guessing games and going with odds instead of "sure things."
I have said it for a few years now......BLEEPING BOBBLEHEADS!!!!!!
First of all let me say I hope you all had fun at the party....Sorry I could not join you, but the family is growing and I am needed up here in beantown!
I do not want to pretend I know anything about the kid we picked.....He may be a solid kid h emay not...I did say the ISLES should take a page out of th ePats play book and stock pile picks....
Then again the Pats did that AFTER they had the core players in place....They also did it in years that the top five were not CAN'T MISS....They also traded top 5 picks for TWO #1's !!!! No many second rounders.
Guys.....What do we say ??? What do we do ??? THE BOBBLEHEADS ARE MORONS !!! It starts at the top...Wang is clueless. Snow is a puppet! and poor Nolan has to deal with these complete jerks daily!!!!!
ESPN analysis:
"Gare Joyce says: The Islanders always zig when everyone else is zagging. Bailey is more in the 12-20 range than top 10. Heads were scratched after Isles traded down twice to get him."
Gare Joyce on ESPN.com pegged the Isles perfectly. The Isles Zig while other teams are zagging. Once again, this team has made a complete mockery of themselves and Milbury isn't even with them anymore. The good news is that the way things are going so far, the Isles will most likely have the 1st pick in next year's draft. Way to go Garth! You're doing all you can to make the Isles a lousy team again so that you can turn around and blame Nolan for the lousy record next season and justify his firing. Pathetic.
Sorry I have more....For all those that blamed Noaln....Come on now...Tap out.....Snow is so far out of his league it is scary...I am going to be on him and Wanger and the rest of the bobbleheads TEN TIMES more than I am on OMAR.....
FIRE SNOW...SELL THE TEAM...
Let's all go BOBBLEHEAD BOWLING !!!
I have been one of Snow's biggest supporters.
However, I went on a profanity-laced tirade for the ages when Wilson dropped off the boards to Nashville.
Can we just, FOR ONCE, pick the right player? Jesus Christ Almighty....
That being said, to paraphrase John Wayne: I didn't want him, but he's on my team now, and I hope he does a good job.
And Garth, you're on notice.
Steady, congratulations again on the family. 505 and I were sure you left the Coliseum and were en route to Ottawa to hunt the Bobbles after that horrible performance today.
As Al Pacino said in A Scent of a Woman....I'm just getting warmed up!
FIRE SNOW TODAY....Wang...Go to computer camp and saty there!
Here is what Canada thinks:
Analysis
Luke Schenn
D, Kelowna (WHL)
TSN Rank: 6 McGuire: Toronto wins huge here. This is the start of the re-build and there's no better place to start than on the shoulders of Luke Schenn. He is the Human Eraser on defence. A one man search and destroy defender. This is a franchise player.
MY GOD ..... The BOBBLEHEADS messed up the draft that was a can't miss.....
SICK TO MY STOMACH !!!
p.s Thanks Nick !!
I seriously thought about never blogging again about this team. It's such a waste being a fan of these guys ... I might start a petition to block the Lighthouse Project (sorry Nick) just so the team can be sold and moved (I'm tired of tossing away $1000 a year on season tickets) ... it's official, I WILL NOT BE GETTING TICKETS NEXT YEAR!!! You hear me Wang? You hear me Snow? You guys are THE WORST!!! I mean, the absolute F-IN WORST.
Do we have any decent talent evaluators? Why are we drafting another grinding, 2-way, 15-20 goal scorer on the NHL level. Isn't the team littered with those guys? Why not gamble on Filatov (who the guys on Versus were comparing favorable to Ovechkin ... albeit not on THAT level) and ROLL THE F-IN DICE???? We need a difference maker.
If Snow doesn't package some of these picks for ... oh, who am I kidding. Snow's a joke (the whole league minus Wang knows this) and the Islanders could be targeted for contraction in a few years. I'm sick of this whole regime ... it's so sad to have nothing to look forward to next year.
Nick. I admire your effort and dedication but this team do not deserve any of those. I want my signature to be removed from petition but you guys can keep $10.
This team is a joke. My 12 years of support went down to drain in 10 minutes. We don't need a new building cause it would be empty....
more tirade .... if we had anyone in this organization that had a friggin clue then the gathering of 2nd round picks could be viewed as pretty strategic ... the problem is WE DON'T!!! There is no way the Isles score w/ these 2nd rounders ... NO DAMN WAY!
Snow will screw this up ... HE MUST BE FIRED ... Wang needs to go back to China .... The NBA is trying to force Cablevison to sell the Knicks ... hey Stern, call Bettman and tell him to force the Isles into a sale or fold the damn team. Seriously, think about this ... WE ACTUALLY SCREWED UP A DRAFT THAT WAS NEARLY UNSCREWABLE ... are you kidding me??????????????
You knew this long one was coming once I got my hands back on a computer....
WOW!!!! What a welcome home reception .....
First I get picked up 40 minutes late at the airport ... thanks again Kev ...
Second ... Kev gets pulled over by Port Authority cops ... smart having a propane tank in the back seat ...
By the time we're headed toward the Lincon Tunnel it's already 6:15 .... and we have 45 mins to get to NVMC ......
6:15 on a gorgeous Friday evening headed into the City .... fat chance ... tunnel delayed 30 mins .... we get off at I-280 exit and figure .... helll .... lets party with the Devils fans at the Rock .. we're already in G-damn Newark.
Well ... we buzzed the arena ... and quite frankley ... seeing all those Devil fans just didn't feel right .... so with 30 mins to spare ... figured we'd get back to central NJ in about 50 mins and miss perhaps the first couple of picks ... which we did.
I was in NOOOOOO Friggun mood for a Snow screw up at this point .... I'd had been traveling all day ... and had a delayed 50 minute departure in a hot plane in Dallas with only those tiny air vents to give relief.
So far ... we're into the 3rd pick .. and seeing Boggy go was disheartening ... b/c I was hoping somehow he'd be there at #5 ... not a realistic wish ... but I was hoping the hockey Gods would cut us Islander fans some slack.
The St. Louis picks Pietrangelo .... I also hoped somehow we'd get lucky with that ....
So I figure ... hey ..... Kev ... look we got Filatov locked up ... he slid to #5 .... not so much risk since he's not under contract and he wants to play in North America bad .... I popped open a nice cold beer ... getting ready to toast a new Islander .... and BAM ..... that nasaly troll Gary Bettman annouced that the Isles traded down to Toronto's #7 pick ..... and here I'm thinking .... huh .... OK ... well that was kind of an option ..... but I'm thinking to myself at that point ....
SNOW SAID!!!! At one of the Fan Forums .... "We are going to take the best player available" .... now correct me if I'm wrong here ..... wasn't Filatov the best player available???? It wasn't best player at #7 plus 2 draft picks in 2nd and 3rd rounds. Right?
Now at this point ... I'm thinking ... the Isles really didn't want Schenn .. the writing is on the wall that TO was high on him ... and the Isles were looking for someone with more offensive upside .... so thinking like that .... I'm saying to Kev .... well wait aminute .... this isn't that bad of a thing .... because we still can get Wilson or Filatov ... TO's gonna take Schenn ... Kev was like .... uhhhh ... yeah .... ya think so uh ... I don't trust Snow ....
I'm like ... come on Kev ... give Snow a chance ... he's finally showing some drafting accumin ... Go Snow Go!!!
Well .... TO grabs Schenn .... and my phone rings ... It's my brother .... he said to me .... wow ... just like you predicted on Tuesday ..... now the Isles got Wilson or Filatov .... rock on!!!
My Bro says ... call ya back after they draft.....
Columbus was drooling all over Filatov like some pediphile looking over some pre-teen skinny naive kid .... and they grabbed him up.... and I'm thinking ... poor Filatov ... that is one worse destination than Long Island .... he'll be playing in the NEW Russian Continental League in 4 years ... BTW ... that's really going to make drafting very tricky over the next several years ... not just for Euro players .... but you might see North American players going there too. I don't think they're going for a salary cap there..... who knows?? Back to the draft.
Well ... there he is .... the concensus Islander fan Fave after Filatov ... who was really my 2nd choice after Wilson ... I just felt Wilson was the safer long term bet ... and would pay instant dividends...... I'm getting ready to hear .... and the Islanders select ..... Colin Wilson with the 7th pick .... and again ... ready to toast the newest NY Islander with Kevin ..... Oh ... Uh ... what? Another trade??? What dumb a$$ team is interupting my toast???
The Isles trade? Huh? Are they already cashing in one of their 2nd or 3rd round picks to trade up to a late 1st rounder? Wow ... that would be sweet ... 2 picks in the 1st round .... I'm thinking at this point .... Wilson and John Carlson ... a local Jersey boy that was born in Mass ... nice Mass connection there .... Snow, Guerin and DP have to have a hand in this ......... Yeah ... that's gotta be Snow's strategy.....
Then HUH?!?!?! Trading down againnnn? WTF?!?! I think I'm going to need another beer by the time they draft .... What in God's name is Snow thinking???? Then I see Wang ... sitting next to Snow ... talking to him .... WTH?!?!? Why is Wang even there??? He should be working on some software project or something that is going to help save the world or something.
#9??? Oh boy ... now here I am ... without my drafting guide.... and I'm wondering off the top of my head... OK ... there is Wilson ... Hodgson ... Boedker .... Beach .. and that quiet not often mentioned kid .... Bailey .... I'm thinking ... well ... we still got good names on the board .... and those guys have been sliding up and down amongst one another in the rankings all season long ... and a good chance none of em .. except maybe .. just maybe Wilson will even see the NHL next season ... so who knows ... Garth might be making a good move here .... they'll probably exchange places in their ratings for their draft class next season anyway ... so I'll just sit back and squeeze this beer bottle until the Isles pick ... that is if they pick.
However I'm already thinking .... disappointment .... I just had a really bad feeling .... and thought back to all the joking posts on here since April when we said .... well ... Snow can't screw up this draft ...... and then would add .... Can he?
Now I'm wondering .... this has to be a nightmare..... Kev says ... I'll hit ya over the head with this beer bottle and you tell me if you're dreaming.... I said .... check that .... I know it's not a bad dream ... it's typical Snow stupidity .... I was yelling at the TV ... get Wanger out of there .... he's got to much to say .... and he should be sitting back as a spectator ..... he knows nothing about hockey ..... NOTHING!!!!!
So .... Nashville moves up ..... and they grab Wilson. Great .... now all my own top picks are gone ..... and I'm digging into my memory bank once again for those second tier first rounders ... OK ... Boedker .... safe pick ... I can't complain ... Hodgson ... heck ... he was my selection after Stamkos for the second best center back in Feb ... so heck ... we are still in business ....
At this point I feel like the guy riding on 4 flat tires saying to myself .... only a few more miles ... I think I can make it.... only to have the car riding on rims.
OK ... #8 Phoenix takes Boedker ... and I'm thinking .... wow .... OK ... there goes another gem .... then I'm hoping to hear Hodgson .... here it comes .... #9 Cody Hodgson .... plus we got 3 more picks out of it .... and Cody could become better than both Wilson or Filatov .... and I'll live with that... so as disappointed as I was feeling ... I was like ... it's not really that bad .... and Schenn never was 100% on the Isles radar since they were thinking offense.
OK ..... and the Isles pick Josh Bailey!!! HUHHHH!!!!!! WTH??!!! All I could think about .... was all the fans at NVMC in a sudden quiet hush .... as if they just witnessed Modano scoring a tie breaking goal against the Isles with seconds left ... and I became soooo thankful that I didn't continue my trek to NVMC .... because you'd of seen two ballistic Islander fans incite a riot.
Now ... I knew a little bit about Bailey .... sure ... he's the "safe pick" We've heard that one before .... Wilson was much safer as far as I'm concerned.... Filatov ... Boedker ... and Hodgson sure .. they had their issues .... but Bailey .... he's mostly known for his great vision, passing and play making ability ... he really is no slouch .. but he's a late riser in the draft .... and was really a 10 -15 pick ... to put that in perspective .... he was ranked 12th ... and the Rag's pick was ranked 15th? So what good did all that losing do for us???? Get us a few extra picks in the 2nd and 3rd rounds???? Why?
We had 2 in each..... We had home run projected blue chips in our grasp ..... I know it would be unfair to just Bailey before he's even had a chance .... but he's not known for his toughness ... infact .... he's really not a Nolan type player ... so what does this mean? For Nolan or Bailey?
We are going to look at the ones that got away in this draft just as we did Parise and Jagr 10 years before Parise ....Oh the stupidity.
Bailey could be one of the better players in this draft class when all is said and done ... but his biggest critique is his lack of grit and toughness ..... I can see him getting muscled off the puck ... he needs open ice to work his magic .... he's not going to get that with the current roster on the Isles.
Well .... I'm going to leave it at that ....
Snow: "We are going to pick the best player available"
LIES!!!!!!!!
If Snow is wrong he must be fired. Should know by February. I agree with the others this is tough to take.
last comment before I cry myself to sleep .... for all those people on this blog that complained about some of us wanting the Isles to lose games at the end of last year for a better draft position, you should be ashamed of yourselves. This is the EXACT scenario I was afraid of ... Snow going all hella stupid on us. At least if we tanked some games then even a monkey (which I'm thinking might possibly be a better GM choice for us) could have gone to the podium w/ Stamkos, Doughty or Bedrosian on the card.
Gentlemen, I certainly understand your frustration. I appears that once again Wang is out to prove that he is smarter than everyone else in the NHL. Snow looked like a lapdog sitiing next to him.
To be certain the Islanders went for quantity over quality. But in reality the entire draft is nothing more than a crapshoot. Schen may turn into a great player or he may not. As for Filatov, he looked like a stiff wind would knock him over. Obviously, the Isles felt that he is too slight to make it in the NHL. Who knows? Time will tell.
I did scratch my head when they didn't take Wilson and I know nothing at all about Bailey. Looks to me like he is in the Colliton- O'Marra mode. Again, who knows?
If the additional picks turn into solid players then it will have been worth it. If Filtov, Schen and Wilson turn into superstars then once again the Isles will have egg on their faces.
That being said, you have to give it some time before the verdict comes in. But I am not sorry that I did not renew my season tickets.........Sir William
BOOO!
Funny how someone on the live blog mentioned that I must've been fit to be tied after we lost Wilson...
I may or may not have thrown my program and screamed MOTHER F*CKER at the top of my lungs in front of a large group of small children.
Meeting 505 was worth it, but I think I'll need a few days to get over this one.
I can understand the frustration over not picking Filatov (I wanted him, too), but if they pick wisely in the 2nd round, this could turn out to be a great draft. Bailey actually got high marks across the board and has serious PP potential.
There are two realities here we're ignoring. #1, we're more than one great player away from having a consistent winner. #2, this is one of the deepest drafts in recent memory. If you were going to pick one year to move down in the 1st and stockpile picks, this would be it.
I know we've been conditioned to disappointment by years of bad drafts, but nonetheless Snow deserves a chance to carve his own legacy. Let's see what he does tomorrow.
This was the draft that was impossible to screw up at number five...unless you are those wacky Islanders that is. Nice job Garth. I am sure you are right and the entire rest of the hockey universe is wrong.
Sir W ..... you are the voice of reason amongst a fanbase full of angst .... you hit the nail on the head ... but Snow LIED ... he was going to take the best player available ... instead he started stock piling high odds level picks .... as if he had the skills of Ken Holland picking out gems amongst the masses of mid round picks.
I'll ALWAYS be an Islander fan .... but there is no way I'm going to subject myself and my budget .... and my gas tank to put some cabbage in Wang's pocket ...
You're right Sir W .... Snow certainly did look like Wang's lapdog ... and I know it's Wang's money ... but he should keep his nose out of Hockey Operations .... he's not a hockey person. He never will be. Micromanagement is the poisonous venom that erodes at any organization.
Neil Smith had to be laughing has bum off at that display tonight .... Oh ... BTW ... if you are a player in the NHL entering UFA .... would you select Long Island as a destination??? I think not.
48% shot at Tavares--that has to be it.
Bailey played with Nolan's son.
Eric Cairns at the table!!!!
Wang's grandson at the table!!!!
It looked like Sillinger's kids at the table!
Snow at the table!.
And I re-upped for two more years? If I ever lose visitation rights to my kids, it will be because I'm an Islanders fan.
48% shot at Tavares--that has to be it.
Bailey played with Nolan's son.
Eric Cairns at the table!!!!
Wang's grandson at the table!!!!
It looked like Sillinger's kids at the table!
Snow at the table!.
And I reupped for two more years? As always, I'll hope for the best, but if I ever lose visitation rights to my kids, it will be because I'm an Islanders fan.
For anyone that hasn't done so already, read the NY Daily News article quoted in a post above. It actually put's Snow's strategy into perspective and makes some sense out of the apparent madness.
19 Isles. You are welcome brotha. LOL!
Come on you admitted to me yourself. You said after all the BS at the draft you are glad that I picked you up late and that I got stopped for a propane tank in the back seat. I know. Dumb move at an airport. LOL!!
When you look at it. It prevented us from driving out to Long Island to be disappointed. Now go to bed like me and cry yourself to sleep.
Besides. You said there is some good stock in the 2nd round this year. So Snow is probably going to exercise the conditional 2nd rounder from TO. Right? LOL!!!! I'm giving him to much credit now aren't I?
BTW. Great play by play of our draft experience. Accurate, and it had me laughing but at the same time gave me some horrible flashbacks.
19 ISLES As for Snow lying, wouldn't a GM be a fool to telegraph his inentions to the rest of the league? I beleive that I have said before that this was the same Garth Snow who told the world that Yashin was part of the team a week before he bought him out. I am sure you remember that.
It's too early to judge. Let's see what happens tomorrow. I can name dozens of "sure thing" prospects who are working in car washes across Canada and the US. Any one of the picks today
could get hit by a bus or blow out a knee and never play a single NHL game.
Does anyone remember Dave Chyzowski, Duncan MacPherson, Kevin Cheveldayoff, Scott Scissions, Alex McKendry, Brett Lindros or Ryan O'Marra? All highly touted number one picks who
never did anything in the NHL.
Take a breath and see what unfolds......Sir William
Yes, a breath.
Like everyone else, I've been really disappointed with past draft moves, but I'm not going to crucify Snow for sins of the past.
I'm going to, sigh, give them the benefit of the doubt again.
Everyone can agree it's a crap shoot, let's not forget past Number 5 picks: Raffi Torres and Tim Connolly.
Now, those weren't deep drafts, and no offense to either player, but Torres and Connolly were not game breakers. Although you could argue NOW that if Tim was healthy he could be.
It's so hard to say and you can read all you want about these picks, and pretend you know them, but honestly, only time will tell.
Let's just hope Bailey doesn't like motorcycles...too soon?
Sir W, I'm with you on that one....This is likely the understatement of the year, but I got very attached to Colin Wilson after watching him grow as a player all year. It caused me actual physical pain when they officially lost out on him, and it was much more of a visceral reaction than an intellectual hockey reaction.
Katie put me on camera for a few minutes after the pick, and I basically said I wanted Wilson because he's a strong 2-way center with great vision. If Bailey is the same kind of player, then great. He wouldn't have been my first choice, but I hope he has a good career with us....
(The equivalent of John Wayne's classic quote on JFK: "I didn't vote for him, but he's my president, and I hope he does a good job.")
I was soooo pissed until i came here and saw Sir W as the voice of reason... Thanks SW! It is a crap shoot but 3 players we passed up are lower risk than 2nd round players. I never heard of any of the names passed top ten so only time will tell for me... I will continue to come to LI from Pa once a month for games no matter what. Its an addiction...can't stay away! Let's go Isles!!!!!
This organization is still owned by a hockey-illiterate with another moron GM. Loved Garth as a player but he has done zero to impress me since getting the unbelievable tag of GM.
Garth leans very heavily on the scouting staff, as all have pointed out. Either he thought Wilson would be there at 9 and got burned, or they really liked this kid. Guess we'll find out....
The Islanders and especially their fans... will never forget or forgive the day....
SNOW DID NOT PICK FILATOV!
enough said.
NHL.com only lists the Islanders as having 1 second round pick... what happened to all of the acquired 2nd rounders....???
DOC
this just in from islanderland - they have traded their 3 second round picks for 5 third round picks 3 fifth round picks and 19 signatures on the lighthouse petition. However if they choose 3 of those third round picks can be next year and if they choose that scenario they get an extra 6th round pick - i will not be renewing my season tickets- i was at the draft party - all the fans wanted filatov and when he was in our laps through the excitement you could see in everyones faces the thoughts were on their minds - how will we screw this up - i got back to work after the draft and my boss who is a big islander guy asked me why i was surprised? i said surprised i expected it i am just pissed - how many times can one hockey team burn its own fans IN THE OFFSEASON????
Me? The voice of reason???? Thanks for the compliment. I am sure that there are plenty here who would disagree. Seriously, it is way too early to tell. From all that I read, Schenn is a Brendan Witt type player. OK, Witt is my favorite Islander. But he is not a gamebreaker and this is a very deep draft for defensemen. There miust be someone in the second round who is close to a shut down Dman.
Filatov? I have read so many different reports listing this guy from 5' 9" 165 to 6"00" 190. Seeing him next to the the other people on the stage he looks like he is 6' 00" with skates on and a strapping 150 lbs. No one can know for sure but I just can't see him bulling his way past NHL D-Men like Alex O. I can see Chara launching him into space like a Sputnik.
Wilson, I am puzzled about. I thought that they would take him with Toronto's pick. But if they were really sold on Bailey I can see why they did what they did.
Bailey was the second leading scorer in his league. Just behind Stamkos. Let's face it. Someone needs to feed KO. He just may be the player to do it.
In reality, the top players in this draft were numbers 1 to 4. The fifth pick was not in the same league as the first four and I think that the Islanders realized that.
If they can grab two top six forwards and a rock steady D man in the next two rounds, it will have been well worth passing on Schen
and Filatov. I don't beleive either one will become an NHL star in the class of the top four picks.
I do think that Snow did the best he could. He just looked so bad doing it...........Sir William
said it during the season and I'll repeat it now...now more than ever in the new NHL, skill is needed to win. Not grinders, not tough players, skill trumps everything else. Skill meaning stickhandling, goal-scoring ability, passing, etc. Leadership and toughness are nice, but skill is the top priority and the Isles don't have it. I don't think 2nd and 3rd picks will get them the skill they need either. I would've taken Filatov or Schenn because they also have a lack of imposing defensemen. A youth movement is fine if that includes highly-skilled players, but ours includes a host of Blake Comeau types...decent players who work hard and score 20 goals.
And good riddance to RJ Umberger who scored about 9 of his 13 goals against the Islanders. Stay in the Western Conference.....Sir William
After seeing all of the people walk out of the draft party pissed off and disappointed, the Islanders lost money by doing this.
I though Wang was a smart businessman - besides having talent, they should have drafted Filitov to put some fans in the seats. Instead the do things ass backwards again - Wang always has to be different.....this guy sits at the draft table getting involved in hockey decsions when he doesn't know anything about Hockey Operations - remember when this guy wanted to get a Sumo Wrestler to be a goaltender....Wang do me a favor and stay out of sight like 95% of the other owners in the NHL....this team needs to get a clue! They better be having many $10 ticket nights b/c they won't see any of my money. Thanks again Snow (puppet/back-up goalie) & Wang (no clue about the sport of hockey)
After seeing all of the people walk out of the draft party pissed off and disappointed, the Islanders lost money by doing this.
I though Wang was a smart businessman - besides having talent, they should have drafted Filitov to put some fans in the seats. Instead they do things a** backwards again - Wang always has to be different.....this guy sits at the draft table getting involved in hockey decsions when he doesn't know anything about Hockey Operations - remember when this guy wanted to get a Sumo Wrestler to be a goaltender....Wang do me a favor and stay out of sight like 95% of the other owners in the NHL....this team needs to get a clue! They better be having many $10 ticket nights b/c they won't see any of my money. Thanks again Snow (puppet/back-up goalie) & Wang (no clue about the sport of hockey)
Instead of getting cornerstone star players - this team loves to keep getting burned by everyone in the League....with the Islanders picks in the 2nd round they will probably take 3 goalies
this organization is a complete joke - Wang & his son in law Dey need to let the scouts and hockey people make the HOCKEY DECSIONS - Wang should put this team up for sale b/c he only cares about making millions off the lighthouse project real estate deal than the hockey club he owns - this team needs some real talent evaluators not a backup goalie and people with no experience.....thanks again you Mickey Mouse Organization - We all no Wang won't spend any money on Free Agents after letting all of the UFA's go (saving him 10 Million)
Sober now don't have much to say
Still... why does NHL.com still list the Islanders as only having 1 second round pick...
What happened to all the picks...???
DOC
Hmmm...where to start ....
I had a friend call me from the draft party and he was telling me how people were leaving ...I had to chuckle. I laughed because I always find people's reactions to the NHL draft - both positive and negative - humorous. The reason being is because if we really want to be honest with ourselves - what do we really know about any of these players other than what is told to us? I mean with the exception of Nick being able to see Wilson play is there anyone who's really seen these guys play enough games to be totally informed? This isn't like in football or basketball where we see the draftees play in college. We're literally going on what we read on TSN.
The reason we're all shocked by picking up a kid we "haven't heard about" is because we were only reading about the guys in the top 5 or 6. Just because we "haven't heard about" Baily doesn't mean he isn't highly thought of. He's ranked #10 by the ISS ...and while I've never seen him play he certainly doesn't sound like a "grinder" like he was labled in a earlier post. Seems to be good on the PP and will be able to get Okposo and someone else - remains to be seen - the puck.
The reality is this, I understand the frustrations that being an Islander fan at draft time can bring - which is why I was chuckling to myself when i saw Snow on the phone a second time ...but we have to remember that our lack of faith is with MM and his scouts NOT Snow and his - actually I have faith in Snow's scouts ...Jason Gregoire who they picked up in the 3rd or 4th round had a huge year in the USHL and is going to North Dakota next year which is a college power house plus, they picked up Blake Kessel in the later rounds and he also had a great year in the USHL and will playing at UNH I think ....
But as was said before lets see what happens in Round 2, but more importantly lets see what happens over time ...I don't want to be a hypocrite here - I too would love the Isles to just once go with the main stream, but there are no garauntees with players drafted ....my hope remains the same ....Sign Baily let him play minutes ...finish last and get Tavares or that D-man from Sweden ....
When you try to be smarter than the rest you lose. Every single year the islanders are trying to make "some noise". Why can't they just do what 99 percent of the other teams do and pick the best player available. The top 5 this year are not sure things but they are going to play in the NHL. My gut is telling me they took a chance and got burned. To tell us bailey is who they wanted from the beginning is totally INSANE. We had no scoring last year and have no scoring at the bridge. What does that tell you. All wang and his employees need to do is what a normal hockey person would do and not try to out smart everyone else.......
" ISLES As for Snow lying, wouldn't a GM be a fool to telegraph his inentions to the rest of the league?"
I have to jump in on this comment. While I agree that no coach is going to tip his hand prior to the draft, it's never wise for a team that's been as battered and abused as the Isles to thumb their nose at what remains of their fan-base.
This was considered one of the best drafts in over a decade. The top 6 picks were considered cornerstone players. The Isles are a team looking for a star to build around. The fanbase was energized for this draft and Snow gave them every reason to believe that we'd finally land our star. Instead we traded out and drafted a kid that's considered slow and soft. That's not a good combination for the NHL. Has this teams scouting given you any reason to assume that they'll pluck gems in the second round?