Who would benefit if the Islanders traded the right to negotiate with free agent Ryan Smyth to Toronto in return for defenseman Bryan McCabe and the remaining four years of his contract valued at $28.75 million? Do you think that might help the Maple Leafs just a little bit, you know, by clearing out McCabe’s money to pay Smyth?
No wonder rumors of McCabe returning to the Isles and the notion of Islanders general manager Garth Snow shopping Smyth’s rights take on a life of their own, as they did again Friday in a TSN report. Is it possible the Leafs themselves are pushing that story as an expression of their interest (premature though it may be before July 1) in Smyth?
Yes, Toronto asked Snow for the opportunity to negotiate with Smyth. Snow said no. That’s not “shopping,” unless that’s how you define Snow protecting the Islanders’ negotiating interests. Smyth’s agent, Don Meehan, a real pro, would have notified Snow by now if Smyth had no interest in the Islanders. That hasn’t happened. Smyth and Meehan are listening to the Islanders if only because they know their most lucrative offer might come from owner Charles Wang when the NHL free agent market opens on July 1.
After investing former first-round picks Robert Nilsson and Ryan O’Marra plus this year’s first-round choice (which could have been Alexei Cherepanov) to rent Smyth, the Islanders aren’t about to back off now. They will go all-out to sign Smyth, who represents everything coach Ted Nolan values. Wang reinforced the Islanders’ desire for new leadership when he bought out the contract of former captain Alexei Yashin for $17.63 million.
The Isles will be in the Ryan Smyth sweepstakes until they hear him say they’re not in it. They might even surprise all the media outlets and hockey blogs that have been flogging the notion they have no chance to sign Smyth.
Jason Blake is a different story. If someone wants to offer Snow a decent pick in the remaining rounds of the draft to negotiate with Blake, it’s possible he would make that deal. Blake and the Islanders have dramatically different views of the value of a 40-goal scorer who turns 34 years old on September 2.
Blake turned down the Isles’ latest offer of a three-year deal for $10 million. In the current environment, he might easily get $4 million a year or more from another team. Scott Hartnell is considerably younger than Blake, but the six-year deal worth $25.2 million that he received from Philadelphia certainly didn’t encourage Blake to lower his asking price.
“When players get pretty good money, people will look and say that being a 40-goal scorer in today’s NHL is pretty significant,” said Neil Sheehy, Blake’s agent.
Sheehy said Blake hasn’t put his Long Island house on the market yet because he doesn’t want to close any doors. But the financial gulf between him and the Islanders suggests the “For Sale” sign will go up soon enough.
Defenseman Tom Poti, the Islanders’ next most prominent UFA, also might have been influenced the six-year deal worth $37.8 million that the Flyers lavished on defenseman Kimmo Timonen. Like Smyth, it’s in Poti’s interest to see what offers arrive on July 1. Snow wants Poti back, but at the right price.
Two Islanders free agents who won’t return are defenseman Sean Hill, who was suspended for using performance-enhancing substances before Game 5 of the Islanders’ first-round playoff elimination at Buffalo, and Richard Zednik, who was acquired for a second-round pick two days before the trade deadline but had to leave the team for the last two weeks of the regular season because of family problems before returning for the playoffs. Forward Chris Simon, who still must serve five more games to complete his suspension for hitting Ryan Hollweg in the face with his stick, is a good bet to return.
Snow refuses to discuss free agent prospects before the July 1 opening of the market, but the Islanders’ needs are obvious. It’s likely they will put in a bid for Buffalo’s Chris Drury along with a multitude of other teams. They also need a defenseman but want someone with speed, which would eliminate any deal for Phoenix’s Nick Boynton, who has been linked with the Isles in some speculation.
The Islanders have lots of other holes to fill, but after what happened in the first round of the NHL draft, it would seem more important than ever for Snow to get Smyth’s name on a contract. Once the highly skilled Cherepanov, who was named best forward at the world junior championships in Russia, started falling, it was obvious he wasn’t going to stop until he reached the Rangers at No. 17.
With their resources, they don’t have to worry about the cost of bringing Cherepanov over from Omsk despite the lack of a transfer agreement with the Russian federation. If the Islanders hadn’t included their first-round pick in the Smyth trade, they would have been in position to grab Cherepanov at No. 15.
Whether they would have or not, I don’t know. There was no point in discussing first-round prospects with Snow since the Islanders don’t have a pick until No. 62 at the start of the third round. Maybe they would have passed, too, citing Cherepanov’s inconsistency, especially coming on the heels of their decision to buy out Yashin, another highly skilled Russian whose determination ebbed and flowed. Or maybe they would have grabbed the goal scorer to prevent the Rangers from getting him. We’ll never know.
BLOGGER’S NOTE: I understand the impatience of many readers with the extended time between blogs in the offseason. But as I said in the season-ending entry on April 27, my work time necessarily must be limited because of the need to use up literally months of comp time accumulated over several years. The more time I take off between seasons, the less chance I will be forced to take time off during the season when a backup would cover the beat. For now, coverage must be limited to major events, such as the draft, and important free-agent signings. The funny thing is you wouldn’t believe how much time I spend at the computer or on the phone on “comp time.” Just in case.
Comments (118)
Greg -- You do a great job and always get the scoop on Isles developments. I was not surprised to read in your latest post that you are always on the phone even during time off "just in case." It's obvious. That's the reason I always always always check Newsday first when looking for Isles news. So again, thank you for the great coverage. It is appreciated by your readers.
I know that not many will agree with me, but signing Ryan Smyth is not the answer to the Islander problems. Smyth would be a great addition to a team that is close to competing for the Cup for the next two years or so. The Islanders are not that team. In fact, the Islanders are not even a team. They have 7 players signed for next year.
Overpaying for Smyth will be nothing more than a repeat of the Yashin fiasco.
Yes, he plays harder and yes, he has leadership ability, but the bottom line is that he is not even among the top twenty forwards in the NHL. Think not? Sit down and go through the rosters of all 30 teams and see how many players you would take before him, if you had your pick. He is closer to the end, rather than the beginning and the Islanders don't need that. Be honest, how many Islanders fans even knew who he was before the big trade? And by the way, leadership is what you hire a head coach for, is it not?
I feel the same way about Blake. He had a freak season and is looking to hold up the team because of it. Blake is a selfish player who is always concerned about his numbers and his stats rather than how the team is doing. Let him walk if his demands are unreasonable. His empty net goals and his puck hogging will not be missed.
Okay, so then what's my plan, now that the three top scorers have left the team?
Garth Snow should take the money he didn't spend on bloated contracts and sign solid (if unspectacular) free agents who can be molded into a team by Nolan. With the 14 or so million dollars he saved, he should be able to sign six or seven very good players. Combine them with the likes of Tambellini, Franz Nielssen, Nokeleinien, Bergenheim and Comeau and begin to build a team that can stay together and grow for years to come.
Get rid of the spare parts journeymen like Park, Hilbert, Randy R (is it true he signed with a Russian team?) and Simon.
Let's be honest here. This team with or without Smyth and Blake is going nowhere. With just the 7 holdovers, it is the perfect time to start from scratch and build a TEAM. This is how the winning teams do it. Yes, you can add a big free agent or two but the nucleus of your team must come from within. Give those kids a chance and let's see what they can do......Bill
I think thats a nice idea but its also important to realize this team has been "rebuilding" for around two decades. The product on the ice has basically been garbage and I think the fans have seen enough of it to last a lifetime. I don't think the fans are willing to go through the entire process all over again from the very beginning. There's also no way to predict the performance of a group of players that as individuals are unknown quantities. With regards to Blake, he's never really bothered me, he seems to be playing the best hockey of his career and his speed is something this team sorely needs. Teams that excel in this "new" league are fast. The islanders lack any kind of speed that would command the respect of their opponents. I think that should be a consideration in the question of whether or not he is brought back at a fair price.
Ryan Smyth is a very good player. You're right, I didnt know much about him until the deal, but he sure got my attention with his style and work ethic. He's a lot of fun to watch, but most importantly, I think that he elevates the game of the players around him. That makes him worth more than just the numbers he puts up himself. I don't think they should grossly overpay for him, but I get the feeling that while he wants to get paid, I don't think he wants to get paid so much that the team is less competitive than it could be because of his tab. Maybe I'm wrong but hes going to want and get centerpiece money. Teams can't afford to have many players on a roster making that kind of cash. So I don't know if he's going to end up somewhere on a team with already heavy salary numbers, as lots of the favorites are.
The idea of going with the kids is a nice one but to be honest Bill I've seen enough kids come and go over the last decade that I'm sick to death of it, and I'm sure lots of other fans are too. Throwing a team of kids on the ice is not appealing to me, not the kind of team I want to watch. I want to see competitive, well-played hockey, and not just hope that the young players in the system will all mature and become good players and a competitive team.
I don't think Smyth signing here would make the Isles favorites for anything, but this team needs leadership badly and he's one of the best in the league for it. If there have to be "kids" involved, there should be a complementary number of them, not the majority of the roster, and someone like Smyth would be invaluable in their development, while at the same time providing leadership skills and helping the team remain exciting and competitive.
If one of our "kids" was sidney crosby, I might agree with your idea, but not one of them is, so let's keep the minor league hockey in Bridgeport.
Signing Smyth would not be a reapeat of the Yashin fiasco. Smyth is a complete player who brings an insane amount to the table. The leadership alone makes him worth it. When was the last time the Islanders had someone with his type of leadership?
Of course if he signs the Isles don't become a cup contender, but they come that much closer and other big names might just decide to take a look at the Isles.
I have my fingers crossed that Ryan Smyth signs with the Isles.
As for Jason Blake, I'd wish he'd stay but it looks like he's going to be gone. I wish him the best he was great for the Islanders and will be missed.
Great job as usual Greg!
Kristie
Greg, you are the BEST writer the Isles have had in a lifetime.
THANK YOU! You've covered all the bases (as usual) with this latest blog entry.
I agree with Snow NOT trading Smyth's rights for a measling draft pick. As Botta has posted on the Isles website, it smacks of desperation. A proud, winnnng franchise doesn't "try to salvage" a draft pick in a weak draft for a cornerstone player like Smyth. I mean, are we so downtrodden, that Wang's money is no good? Trading Ryan Smyth for a draft pick, than starting another "rebuild"...after just dumping Yashin, would be like changing directions at the first hint of difficulty. That's NOT the way to attract MORE winners (which is what we need) to join your cause.
I'm all for re-signing Poti, but I hope Snow doesn't rely on Witt alone to "protect" Ricky. IMHO, we need another briuser on the blue line, especially one who can play top pairing minutes with Poti, should he return.
Greg, on behalf of EVERY single Isles fan I know, I want to once again thank you for taking some time to keep us filled in...ESPECIALLY during your time off. You're like the Ryan Smyth of Hockey writers. =)
-Dom
Greg -- You do a great job and always get the scoop on Isles developments. I was not surprised to read in your latest post that you are always on the phone even during time off "just in case." It's obvious. That's the reason I always always always check Newsday first when looking for Isles news. So again, thank you for the great coverage. It is appreciated by your readers.
Posted by: KH | June 23, 2007 1:21 AM
HARUMPH!
Let's be honest here. This team with or without Smyth and Blake is going nowhere. With just the 7 holdovers, it is the perfect time to start from scratch and build a TEAM. This is how the winning teams do it. Yes, you can add a big free agent or two but the nucleus of your team must come from within. Give those kids a chance and let's see what they can do......Bill
Posted by: Bill | June 23, 2007 1:44 AM
this guy also is absolutely correct. after watching ottawa dismantle buffalo, then get blasted themselves by anaheim - i realized how far away the islanders are talentwise. smyth would be great, but given the overall state of things, i think it best to build from the goal out and create a defensive machine-like system first. it's obvious now that the goalie only plays his best when comfortable with the D in front him. i'd like to see them amass 3 or 4 strong, mobile defenseman who can move the puck and are younger than hill and witt, to compliment the 2 kids. isn't is possible to acquire guys like that SOMEHOW? they don't have to be denis potvin or raymond bourque,just good solid defenseman with SOME skill. then they can look to add goal scorers, which by then will be a less tall order BECAUSE of the swift and efficient D.
Hockeybuzz is a joke....Calgary has NO CAP ROOM....they need to re-sign their goaltender and their Captain...and the just acquired Adrian Aucoin who makes $4 million per. They dont have the money for Ryan Smyth...
Greetings from Slovakia. From what I recently heard, I am satisfied. We have a good shoot on resigning Smyth and Blake will go. I doubt Jason will repeat his last season {which was great, by the way} and his money can be easily invested in to some other players {except McCabe}.
Dont worry about not signing Cherepanov. After what I saw from Yashin and Kvasha in the last few years, I wont sign more russian players. Kozlov is another story. Decent player who posted some nice numbers last year, but he was not outstanding. Depth player who can earn some assists during power plays but who cant lead NHL team.
Flyers deal was the worst thing that happened this summer. Their contract to Timmonen makes me worry about resigning Poti... But Hannan is free, Preissing prefers move from Ottawa. And if we wont sign good NHLers, we can still look to german league :}}} (just kidding, sorry...)
Hockeybuzz is a complete joke, the rumors are utter B.S. They are dying for the Islanders to lose Smyth so he can head back up to Canada. Snow and Nolan have a plan and after seeing what they did last season with our team I have full confidence we will be much better next season.
I agree with some of the other posts here... The Canadian hockey media is very tabloidy and should not be given much credence. There's no equivalent in the US sports media, except maybe some of the winter hot stove gossip about baseball... but most people know not to take that too seriously. I've basically gotten to the point where I am ignoring what I read from Canada about Ryan Smyth.
smyth is going to sign with the rangers....icelander fans stop kidding yourselves to think any decent player would want to play for that crap organization of yours
Why cant my job force me to take time off Greg? It seems tha Candein media uses its clout to create scenarios beneficial to their domain. I wonder, Greg, would Garth use Newsday for his own good? What are the consequences of being "used" as a media outlet? does it erode credibility (in this example garth's)? Or, is that part of the game and the journalist /reporter must learn to read between the lines? Does a reporter have the same beuracracy on his/her beat that us corporate dogs do? We, fans that is, think a hockey reporter has the perfect life....do you :-) ??
GR -- Good questions. One thing I would add that seems to be different in Canada is that some of the media seem to have their own agenda to bring talent to Canadian teams. Whereas I have never perceived Newsday to have its own agenda of that type, though the sports franchises may try to manipulate reporting there and in other outlets.
bill:
your comments are right on, why do we need to break the bank for a guy whos greatest assets is leadership? why not just sign someone like peca to lead for half the price? when you have ted nolan as coach, then i think leaders will emerge from within. i'm getting sick and tired of hearing about a guy who has never won anything (smith) and that we have to turn the francise upside down to obtain him.i say keep blake and get gomez. we need speed!! also, all i've been hearing about for the last few months is that the draft was so weak and there were no standouts to speak of. now all of the sudden the rangers aquire the next ovechkin right out of nowhere? whats up with that?? anyway, i'm very optimistic going forward because i believe that, although we have many holes to fill, we have one of the best coaches in hockey and everything will fall into place. i'm also very happy to know that lundquist has been exposed in this years playoffs and is not the great goaltender that i had feared the rangers had.we do have a better goalie than the rags as well as coach!!
>
Last year's club had 92 points and lost twice in regulation over twenty games and lost three one-goal games (two on reviews) against the team that won the President's Trophy.
The idea they are going nowhere with or without Smyth and Blake is comical.
The have Witt, Sillinger, Hunter, Martinek and Satan and a solid base of young players on the backline (Campoli, Gervais) and players who will compete up front in Bergenheim, Nokelainen, Tambellini and Nielsen.
And they have this other thing called a franchise goaltender who was fantastic last season in Rick DiPietro...
Islanders were a good team last year and should be even better next year when they fill the holes with speed and skill...
Mr Logan, nice job but how about 99.9 percent Islanders 0.01 Rags, that's how the city papers do things. No one cares that the Rags took their next Pavel Brendl (Bossy) or Lundmark (Trottier) or Jessiman (Lindros)
leave the phoney Msg spin to phoney dolan and his half-filled corporate building...
Isles stole the fourth rated defender in the entire draft according to RLR and got Kessel's brother later.
Newday is Islander Country..
>
Last year's club had 92 points and lost twice in regulation over twenty games and lost three one-goal games (two on reviews) against the team that won the President's Trophy.
The idea they are going nowhere with or without Smyth and Blake is comical.
The have Witt, Sillinger, Hunter, Martinek and Satan and a solid base of young players on the backline (Campoli, Gervais) and players who will compete up front in Bergenheim, Nokelainen, Tambellini and Nielsen.
And they have this other thing called a franchise goaltender who was fantastic last season in Rick DiPietro...
Islanders were a good team last year and should be even better next year when they fill the holes with speed and skill...
Mr Logan, nice job but how about 99.9 percent Islanders 0.01 Rags, that's how the city papers do things. No one cares that the Rags took their next Pavel Brendl (Bossy) or Lundmark (Trottier) or Jessiman (Lindros)
leave the phoney Msg spin to phoney dolan and his half-filled corporate building...
Isles stole the fourth rated defender in the entire draft according to RLR and got Kessel's brother later.
Newsday is Islander Country..
"Last year's club had 92 points and lost twice in regulation over twenty games and lost three one-goal games (two on reviews) against the team that won the President's Trophy."
You forgot to add that they made they playoffs by ONE point and were swept out in the first round by a far better team. Do any of you really believe that this team, (even with Smyth and Blake) is a match for Buffalo or Ottawa? The rest of the Confrence has improved, while we sit pat. Pittsburgh wil be better next year, the Flyers have already improved themselves and you still have the Devils and Rangers to contend with.
Enough Already.....when have the Islanders ever given the kids a chance? Are you referring to the three or four minutes a game that Tambellini or Franz Neilssen played this season? If you want to go back over time, it was these same Islanders who ruined Tim Connoly, traded Wade Redden in training camp, gave up on Bertuzzi and Jokkinen, sent Luongo packing after a short trial period and dumped the Captain, Bryan McCabe.
Not one of these players was allowed to develop and mature under the previous regime.
You also seemed to have missed my point about using the 14 million to sign several players in the 2 to 3 million dollar range. Start with defense and build outward. We have a nice crop of young forwards, so what are we waiting for? Every year, I look around the league and see recently drafted players suiting up for the parent club. When have we ever done that? Tambellini and crew are ready to make the next jump.
I would rather watch the team struggle next year and miss the playoffs if the young Islanders were allowed to play and grow into a team.
Take a good look at the Sabres, Ducks and Sens. All have built from within.
So have the Penguins, who are poised to become the next dynasty. The Cup winning Islander teams all were loaded with the teams draft choices. Yes, they added Goring and a few others, but the mainstays were all homegrown.
How many of the current Islanders were draft picks? DP and Martinek.
Campoli and Gervais, if they stick with the big team next year. Other than that, I can't think of any.
Snow has a chance here to really rebuild this team into something more than a patchwork quilt.
I, for one, am sick of seeing this franchise eek into the playoffs only to get bounced after the first round. Snow needs to make a commitment to the future, and resist the quick fix that never gets the team anywhere.
Other opinions are always welcome...........Bill
Bill,
I totally sympathize with your opinion but let me tell you what Ryan Smyth brings besides leadership....and the fact he's scored 30+ goals 5 times
I was watching the draft on NHL.com today and they were interviewing Islanders 3rd round pick Mark Katic....the interviewer asked if he watched Islanders games and what he thought of the team...the first thing that came out of his mouth was Ryan Smyth.
As Pedro Martinez did for the Mets, Smyth has brought instant credibility to this franchise. You can not under estimate what that will do for the future. The Mets gave Pedro a 4 year deal when no body wanted to give him a 2 year deal. Ask anyone if Pedro has earned his money...not only were the Mets able to import players like Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado and Moises Alou...but they were also able to bring in young Dominican players who want to follow in his footsteps.
Ryan Smyth brings much more than just "leadership"....
The Islanders lost in five games (three by one goal and poor reviews) and were not swept out of anything, a lot of those core players are still here. In the final game we dominated Buffalo in the third peirod on their own ice and scored three goals.
You act as if we must go thru years or rebuilding and have no prayer, you talk about the Rags? We finished two points behind them and lost on game in regulation out of eight on a joke review which was the only reason we did not finish sixth to say nothing of DiPietro's injury..
Bill, we can spend some money and work in the kids who are ready, with players like Sillinger and Witt around we don't need this wait a few years and settle for losing. A few middle level signings like Tkaczuk, Kozlov up front to help the prospects for a year and this team can be even closer to a title next season..
This idea we have to have a losing season makes no sense.
Bill...
You forgot to add the Islanders had to play down the stretch without DiPietro and likely would have finished sixth and bombed Atlanta if he were healthy. If they had him for the Florida game we score six goals were the sixth seed.
Do I believe that this team is a match for Buffalo or Ottawa with or without Smyth-Blake?
What your forgetting is this team was well on it's way to a sixth seed without Smyth anyway before they added him and that Blake did not have a good second half. We beat Buffalo in season and played them close in every game DiPietro was healthy.
So let me get this straight, we ruined Tim Connolly by playing him on the top lines and were runing Tambellini, Nielsen by only playing them limited minutes on the fourth line?
Seems like your going to blame the Islanders no matter how they are used.
We don't have to go back over time anymore, there is a new gm, a new coach, if you want to go back to the late 90's now you might as well go back to Torrey with Scissons and Chyzowski..
Start with defense with your 14m? We have Campoli, Gervais, Witt,Martinek, Meyer and Bergeron under contract or RFA already and most of them are young players.
Every year you look around the league and see recently drafted players suiting up for the parent club? How about Hunter, Campoli, Martinek, Gervais, DiPietro.
And sure Tambellini and Bergenheim and likely someone else will get a chance.
But for now they need front line talent and those players are not ready to do that.
The Sabres built from within? Funny but Drury did not come thru their system and neither did Daniel Briere.....Ducks added Pronger and Niedermayer and Heatley and most of their second liners came from other clubs.
The Penguins kept going to lottery's and winning, without the lucky pick for Crosby any team could have gotten they are still losing. Homegrown with Recchi, Roberts and a no-name defense starting with Gonchar?
You want other perspectives you came to the right place.
Bill, cut the whinny BS and grow a pair.
"You act as if we must go thru years or rebuilding and have no prayer, you talk about the Rags? We finished two points behind them and lost on game in regulation out of eight on a joke review which was the only reason we did not finish sixth to say nothing of DiPietro's injury.."
Talk about the Rangers????
Where? I said the Islanders still "have the Devils and Rangers to contend with." That is the only mention I made of them. Why are Islander fans so obsessed with the Rangers? I mentioned the Devils, Flyers, Ducks, Sens, Sabres and Penguins in my post. Yet all you saw was RANGERS. Interesting....
I also never said "years of rebuilding." I said I would sacrifice a first round exit from the playoffs in order to build a strong, cohesive team. I have had enough of losing, but I have also have had enough of "just making it."
As for the Pedro Martinez
comparison, I can see your point. However, the Mets are in a different position than the Islanders.
The Mets play in NYC and offer the exposure of NYC. The Islanders, on the other hand, are not held in the same esteem. Hundreds of athletes, from all different sports, have expressed their desire to perform in NYC.
Next time you here one guy express his heartfelt desire to play in Uniondale, let me know.
I keep hearing that this team could have finished sixth, except for some bad calls. Injuries and bad calls are part of the game, Every team has injuries and has calls go against them. As for the "team". There is no team. There are 7 (count 'em) 7, holdovers from last year, so don't compare last years team to the squad that will take the ice in October.
Hill-gone
Yashin-gone
RR-gone
Zednik-gone (if you believe the post)
Dunham-gone
Blake-??
Smyth-??
Poti-???
Simon- suspended
Asham-??
My guess is that Hunter and Asham will resign, but at least one third to one half of last years team will not be back. So any comparisons to last years bunch is not viable.
Snow needs to scour the league for good, solid mid level, free agent players and add the kids into the mixture, in order to build a winner.
Last year is finished......time to move on.
IC
Hunter was not drafted by the Islanders. He was traded for.
Heatley does not play for Anaheim. Last time I looked he was in Ottawa.
Tim Connoly was rushed up at 18, when he was not ready to play in the NHL. He was also on a horrible team that was desperate for a gate attraction.
Tambellini and company are all in their twenties and have had a few seasons of AHL under their belts.
"Start with defense with your 14m? We have Campoli, Gervais, Witt,Martinek, Meyer and Bergeron under contract or RFA already and most of them are young players."
Minus, Witt and you don't have a single top four defensemen among them. Martinek has made strides but has never played a full season. He is always injured.
Campoli and Gervais may grow into solid players. I hope so, but the only way to find out is to play them. I would like to see Snow target a few more players like Witt. He is the perfect example of the type of player I am talking about adding.
Just a few thoughts... no milbury- no steve stirling- no brad shaw...
You have to have noticed the difference last year, even with a similar result. I believe the Smyth deal was a bust... now. But at the same time I was hype when they did it. For once our team had balls and went for it.
And yes, every team had injuries, but not to their top keeper... with an inadequate backup next in line. We didn't exactly have Backstrom waiting to take over.
Lets just relax and see what develops... at this point we're 3 bodies short of a 2nd line. I just hope Snow has it in him to bring in the right pieces to make the team competitive.. Peace... I'm out
According to NHL.com:
Buffalo has 9 forwards, 4 defencemen and 1 goalkeeper that they drafted on their 24 man roster
Ottawa has 12 players drafted by them (and 2 undrafterd players) on their 24 man roster.
Can't find info on the Ducks.
Isles have O forwards, 3 D and 1 goalie.....Enough said........Bil
Who knows what Snow/Nolan is planning. Today is June 23, July 1 is still a week away. Relax folks.
Hockeysfuture.com ranks Islanders at 15 when it comes to prospects, not all that bad since two of the top prospects were traded. It also seems like the management made the most of the draft, and thus the team has talent to build on in the future.
I hear some people are mentioning Penguins as a good example for the Islanders to follow. In which round of the Stanley Cup did they exit? My bet is that the Pens are gonna have a tough time retaining all those young superstars when they all blossom. Sid, Malkin, Staal, Fleury and perhaps Esposito in a couple of years. That'll be around 25 mill a year for those 5 players only. With the salary cap clubs need to learn how to "clean" their roster each off-season. Some of the popular players must go, i.e. Jason Blake this summer, if they tend to have unrealistic demands for wages.
A successful team in the new NHL needs management who is ready for quick turn-arounds, has an eye for talent in the lower rounds in the draft and last but not least, a coach who can get the most out of his current crop of players.
Please don't look to Pitt. As mentioned in other posts, they've been lucky. Look to Anaheim. Burke and Carlyle has built their team around young players they believe in (not necessarily young stars), and complemented their rosted with deals to secure veteran leadership in players like Pronger and Niedermayer. I escpecially admire them for spotting the talent in Beauchemin when trading Fedorov to the Blue Jackets.
Anyway. I believe in our management. Snow has got the talent, Nolan is a great coach and after following the draft I believe the rest of the staff is qualified as well. They'll make some quality moves during the summer, and the Islanders will reach the second round next spring...
Bill...
I talked about Ottawa, Pittsburgh, Buffalo and the Rags and about Anaheim so how am I only discussing the Rags?
What do the Mets and the largest baseball market in the US have to do with the invisible NY hockey market?
Not only could we have finished sixth, we should have finished sixth and we got a lot of bad calls out of Campbell-land...
As for the team a lot of the best part's of last year's group are still here,
I don't know how you only count seven when there are five defenders plus Sillinger, Hunter, Satan, Park, Bates and Hilbert/Hunter restricted.
That's twelve by my count, not seven and does not include Tambellini, Nielsen, Bergenheim or DiPietro/Dubie which brings the number to seventeen..
Last year was the start of something, now they phase out the Robitaille's and Kozlov's and bring in some real first line talent...
Hunter was not drafted by the Islanders, he was traded for Chris Nielsen and it worked out very well, he was developed for year by the Islanders.
As for Heatley he was not part of Ottawa's prospects, he came in a trade, the point you were making is how those teams build from within.
I don't know what you want me to say about Connolly, you complained Isles only give prospects like Tambellini, Nielsen three minutes on the fourth line and then go back to how Connolly was playing too much on the top lines.
No matter what the org does your blaming them here.
Being that you perfer playing the prospects and forgetting just qualifying why would you have any problem with another prospect being played like Connolly?
On one hand your writing we don't have a single top four defender after Witt and on the other your saying the only way to find out about Campoli and Gervais is to play them and that's what they are doing.
Campoli looked great against Buffalo and was jumping in all the time and creating. Gervais made that move in game five and broke in alone and looked fantastic. Bergeron scored and absolutely looked like a top four player and Meyer hardly looked out of place with minutes. All Nolan did was rave about how well Martinek plays, his injuries were from plays anyone could get hurt on, and he's got a ton of guts to go thru that first broken foot and come back in less than a week.
I'm sorry but you don't make a lot of sense with your plans, you want more players like Witt but then write it would be better to miss the playoffs.
Witt, Sillinger and those kind of players are here to win now. If we sign Smyth or Blake it will be to win now....
Bill,
WAKE UP!! its 2007 not 1997! What team made the playoffs with a team full of young kids and prospects? You know the answer. 0!nada! I like the notion of young kid prospect making the team and showing promise but not filling half the roster with them. IC made the point that we were going to finish probably 6th until ricky went down and we still made the playoffs and played hard. When you make the playoffs one year you dont go backwards the next. You build upon successes. Last season the isles formed a foundation with Witt, Sillinger, Poti, Simon, smythe etc. Hopefully we can sign Smythe and Poti and start to keep a core of players to lead the team. Thats what builds championship caliber teams that contend EVERY YEAR! This is a time tested philosophy. Just look no further than our own History. In the early days Torrey built a core of players who were leaders, Nystrom, Gillies, Hart, Westfall, Marshall, Billy Smith and then added superstar players Potvin, Trottier, Bossy etc. Also look at the yankees in the early 90's when they were bad they rebuilt with leadership caliber players like Oneill, boggs, key, Mike stanley, Girardi etc and then added the more skilled all star players, jeter, williams, Tino, Posada, Rivera. It is no coincidence that there were many 1 year deals on this team. Nolan and Snow wanted to see who can fit into what they are trying to build here as Islanders. We need to become a tough hardworking, high character team first and then we can add the star players and prospects after that.
I guess that people only see what they want to see.
IC...you are totally right. Our defense is among the best in the league. The fact that Poti (who played 27 mins a night) is unsigned and that a 36 year old Hill (who played over 20 mins a night) is gone will have no effect on the team. We absolutely don't need to sign a couple of top four D-men.
Definately overpay for Smyth and Blake. This way we won't have to worry in two years what to do with our salary cap. It will be tied up in overaged, underproducing players.
Keep burying our prospects
in the AHL until they mature enough to trade them. We can always continue with journeymen players like Park, Simon, and Hilbert. The league is full of Islander draft picks. Let's continue that tradition.
By the way, what's the backup plan when Smyth and Blake sign elsewhere?
Maybe Eric Bouginiki can be resigned.
Great post Greg, thanks for the info. Much better than Eklunds site...he must still be pissed with the isles for eliminating his beloved flyers.
Our defense is among the worst in the league as it is right now. Witt, Martinekt are fine, but Campoli and Gervais are HUGE question marks, and you probably can't pencil them in as legit NHL players just yet. So right now we have 2 defenseman. Good luck Garth, make something happen
Bill,
I'm sorry but your not making much sense. You want the younger players to play but we must replace Poti and Hill because they played so many minutes?
That seems like a contradiction. Also there is a reasonably good chance they will resign Poti but if they sign no one *(unlikely) Bergeron and Meyer are a year older.
I never wrote our defense was one of the best in the league either but defense is not about names but chemistry.
I also did not write sign Blake or Smyth at any price but you have us having to give up a season because you don't want to ust get in the playoffs.
It will be tough to replace Blake's scoring but he has a lot of flaws in his game and we all know he's not a first line talent based on his entire career. Has a huge impact on every game.
Smyth? Good player but not a franchise talent with world class skills, we were in sixth before we got him in February.
Yashin? His numbers will be tough and expensive to replace, his game by game overall impact will not be.
Kozlov's numbers will be tough but his game by game impact will not be.
Robitaille? Addition by Subtraction.
Zednik? Was he ever even here for how little he did.
Hill? Tough to replace someone for his minutes at only 750k but these kids need more minutes. If they miss him that badly after 20 games I'm sure he will be available.
Sounds like Chris Simon will be back. I'm happy about that. He wasn't a points producer by any means, but he played a generally disciplined game and was good for some strength. For his money (and think he might give the Isles a discount next year?) he played a great Ted Nolan game.
I firmly believe that Brad Shaw got a bad rap. He took over a team that probably had the youngest average age of any Isles team in years and did decently, even appearing as a long-shot for the playoffs in early April. He had nothing to work with, and after Colley broke his neck the entire team broke down. Milbury, Stirling and Yashin can solidly take the blame for the '05-'06 season's poor performance.
IC
Sorry if you misunderstood. I want the younger FORWARDS to play. We do not have any prospects on defense except Kohn. That is why we need to sign two top four D-men.
Poti is a must to resign, however his price probably went way up thanks to the Flyers.
At this point MAB is a power play specialist, Meyer is a question mark and Campoli and Gervais are both unproven. Hopefully, they will work out, but right now we are loaded with sixth and seventh defensemen.
I admit I'm a hopeless optimist, but I'd like to see more of Drew Fata next year. We'll see what happens.
What are the thoughts on the draft picks? It seems to have been about what you could expect from a collection of such low picks, though I think there's reason for optimism, particularly with Katic.
Everyone,
Listen to Bill w/ regard to the defense...
Gervais/Campoli are 6th defenseman type players. Meyers is a depth player and has value in case there are injuries. MAB is a PP specialist who pretty much fills this 6th defenseman spot already.
Ryan you are alone, no one wants to see more of Drew Fata (at this point).
We need to stop fooling ourselves into believing we have these outstanding young talented players just waiting to bust out in the NHL. Everyone got so excited about bringing back Bergenheim. "Bergenheim is back!!!! Bergenheim is back!!!!" WOOO-HOOO we brought an unporven NHL player back who works hard but has yet to prove he can be a consistent performer at the NHL level. Sure he has potential, but let's not get ahead of ourselves here.
Nokelainen, Nielson, Tambellini, Comeau etc are not shoe-in players either. Tambellini had his moments last year and Nielson has a nice shoot-out goal, but there are many holes to fill on this team and these are not high-end prospects who could probably fill that void.
It will be interesting to see what Snow does come July 1st. Definitely do not resign the selfish Blake, who yes indeed only cares about his numbers. He is a puckhog who always turns over the puck. Just look at the way he celebrates after he scores an empty net goal. Dollar signs in his eyes.
Smyth should be resigned for propper value (no more than $5-$6 mil/yr), and that might still be an exagerration of his worth. Offer him a good contract, and he will take it if he wants to play here. Offering him some outrageous 8 year deal will only blog down the franchise with an over-the-hill banged up bruiser who can't skate in about 4-5 years.
The 07-08 Isles are pretty much gonna have to be the Garth Snow fantasy team, being that we have so few players signed.
I think Bill and IC both make legitimate points--but they are at opposite ends of the spectrum of where the franchise should be headed. Or as I noted last season--what obligation does ownership have to the fans and making moneyt for themselves--is it putting a decent product on the ice for now, or putting in place the building blocks for great product two-three years from now? It'sa not an easy call.
The most successful franchises are the ones who can do both. We are not remotely in that elite category with the current management having a lot to prove.
So, it's not just right or wrong (although that's what makes the blog interesting); it's the difference between being as competitive as a the team can be right now versus the belief that we can build something legitimate for the future.
From where I sit, I understand how people are impatient and don't want to go through "fruitless" rebuilding, but if the goal is to win a Stanley Cup, I don't think we have a prayer right now and I'd sacrifice some wins today for building a better future tomorrow. And I have season tickets.
On the flip side, if you believe in future growth, the bigger question becomes how much do you trust Garth Snow to accomplsih this and see it through. Based on the Smyth deal, I'm less confident today than I was in January.
Bill,
I'm sorry but your plan just does not make any sense. You want the young FORWARDS to play but the young DEFENSEMAN you have labled as sixth and seventh defenders and do not want to give them the same opportunity. That's like labeling Tambellini and Nielsen fourth line players and writing get front line players.
Isles also built up the defensive prospect depth this weekend drafting the fourth rated defender in the third round and two other defenders.
I'm not sure what Dustin Kohn has to do with signing a UFA for the NHL roster for 2007-08, especially when they have several young defenders on the roster already and no real urgency to do anything but sign Poti or sign a replacement.
MAB is not just a pp specialists, he plays a regular shift and did not have any stretches like he did with Edmonton. Meyer had 35 points with Philadelphia and was a regular defender here and in Philadelphia.
Campoli is hardly unproven at this point, he's a solid young defender who knows when to throw a hit and knows when to step in and make an offensive play. Gervais has even better potential and plays a very smart and steady game.
To label any of these defenders as sixth or seventh defenders makes no sense at all because they were not played that way and most of the time they did a solid job...
Merrick,
The only money Wang makes is what he get's back writing off the losses on his taxes and he still keeps spending. And yes, he was at the draft table Friday in Columbus.
This management has proven itself, Wang bought out Yashin, he's trying to sign Smyth-Blake and if it's not them it will be other front line talent.
And they are keeping the product a good one while building in the prospect department, the fact they had 92 points last season is proof of that with some makeshift signings.
How come we have no shot at a Stanley Cup for next season right now? Last year's team loaded with flaws and injuries gave the team that won the President's Trophy three one goal games (two lost on reviews) in the playoffs.
York, Yashin, Robitaille, Kozlov, Blake and Smyth may not be back but all of them are replaceable, we were headed for sixth before Smyth was brought in, the idea this team was all Ryan Smyth is comical.
And nowhere is the franchise player mentioned at all. Rick DiPietro who was one of the best in the NHL last season.
Isles are not just letting Snow go it alone as gm, he has a lot of good help and experience behind his decisions and he seems to work very well with Nolan.
I don't know how any Islander fan can put down management for the Smyth deal considering O'Marra has been hurt or not very good and Nolan essentially demoted Nilsson the first day of camp and the pick was a mid-level pick in a very poor draft.
For now all we can so is see how things play out, a ton of front line talent available.I would love to see some speed and skill brought in to supplant the two top lines w/Satan.
Does Greg Logan know if their has been a formal contract offer to Ryan Smyth yet? Please let us know the terms?
Has there been a deadline to accept an offer? July 1st is less than a week away
Will they trade Smyth's rights to either Calgary or Toronto if he cannot be resigned? (the Calgary rumor is Eric Nystrom for Smyth's rights...I guess if they can't sign him they have to take the offer)
Will the Islanders up their offer of 3 yrs for 10 mil to Jason Blake?
There is no shot at signing any big name free agents if they cannot resign Smyth!!
Drury, Gomez, Briere, Forsberg are not signing with Islanders - let's face it, the only way they will be getting a 1st line player is by trading...and they really don't have anything to give up except future draft picks.
Possible trade Targets:
Patrick Marleau - SJ
Steve Sullivan - Nash
Jason Arnott - Nash
JP Dumont - Nash
Zidlicky - Nash
Afinogenov - Buf
Hecht Buf
We are going to improve this year... gervais and campolli are one year older and nolan has cut out players he doesn't want on the team. They will bring in hustle and grit... and we will outplay our opponents...
This is what I keep telling myself and I'm already pumped for next year
June... Gloom and doom prevail!
I'd like to remind everybody that Nolan took a bunch of NOBODY'S to the playoffs last year with grit and determination. So, he's our #1 returnee.
Secondly, the rag tag group of FAs last year, of which MIKE SILLINGER AND BRENDAN WITT were the "PEARLS"... are not on the top of anybody's FANTASY CHOICES. But those two were key components to the team's success.
Let's not forget Simon and others.
This year's version has the potential to go INTO the season in better shape talent wise than last year's version.
I think Smyth will actually REPLACE Blake as a top line forward. I'd like to see Gomez replace Yashin as the "top center". Hunter has improved over his sophmore season and we can hope for 30+ goals from him.
Bergenhiem, Tambellini and Nokie should all have ample ice time this year with the exit of [most likely] Bates, Robbitaile and Hilbert.
Simon will most likely be signed, along with Asham and possibly some border-line NHLers (this team really lacks depth).
I expect the FA money to go to Smyth, Gomez and the best possible "D" that is available after Smyth signs.
That doesn't put us in the ELITE category this year, but with the growth of Hunter and Bergenhiem, and the addition of Okposo within the next three years the team should have a bright future... as long as they retain #1... NOLAN!
It'll be fun to see what the roster looks like in August.
oh yeah... thanks greg for keeping in touch.
IC, I love the optimism, but in the playoffs, we lost 4-1 to a team that was seconds from trailing the Rags 3-2 and who then got blown out in the Conference finals by a team that got blown out itself by Anaheim.
As for the Smyth deal--well, we have about 8,000 posts from March that sum up everyone's thinking, so I won't go back.
But I will go back to say that the Islanders reached 92 points last year with great goaltending a team that fought hard almost every night. Basically, they outworked a lot of teams to make up for a lack of across-the-board skill. That's a credit to Ted Nolan.
But think about it, next year, we play 32 games against the Rags, Pens, Devs, and Flyers. All four of those teams may be improved over this year--and even if the Devils slip, that's not a bad squad. As for the rest of the Conference, Ottawa will be improved and Buffalo should remain strong even with the loss of Drury. Who are the pushovers? Washington? Florida? Do we have the talent to overcome a loss of DiPi for more than a short stretch? Will we ever beat Ottawa? Tampa Bay? Heck, I'd just take being competitive against Ottawa compared to what I've watched in recent years.
I'm not trying to sound overly negative, but simply don't believe that last year's team is a strong enough foundation for the future. There are pieces that may make the foundaiton, but I think it was a good team for last year--and that's it.
anyone who says that blake is selfish and that we should get rid of hom is nuts! he has hustled every shift since he came here and if every forward had his talent we'd win the cup.also, lets bring back goddard..seiously!
Godard and Simon 4th line---we may actually intimidate people!!! Bring back old school NHL...enough of the Ice Capades
Godard and Simon 4th line---we may actually intimidate people!!! Bring back old school NHL...enough of the Ice Capades
Sign Blake - 3 years for 11 mil
No way! I want more than that, you crazy?
I wouldn't categorize Blake as "selfish". But he just doesn't appear to be a "team player". Yes, he hasn't taken a shift off since he's been with the team... but I've never gotten the impression that his teammates like him very much.
That isn't always a negative, but I think it is on a team coached by Ted Nolan. I think ted would rather have Simon on the team than Blake.
He's definitely not worth more than 10M for 3 years. I'm glad the team is finally showing some fiscal restraint.
Smyth should get them just as many goals, give the "C" back it's respectability and make the TEAM better by his presence.
Merrick,
I agree. But I see a good, though very THIN foundation. The drafts have been HORRIBLE over the last 6 years. I think Snow really needs to evaluate the scouting staff. The players that should have been the marquee players NOW were gone BEFORE their primes. The scouts have not done better than their mediocre draft positions since the team has improved from bottom feeders. I think what hurts is that they got absolutely NOTHING (in terms of depth) for their 2001, 2003 and 2005 first round picks and have yet to see any nhl production from the 2002, 2004 and 2006 ones. That's a 7 year drought when you include NO #1 pick this year. THAT HAS GOT TO CHANGE OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
Okposo -TBD
O'Marra-GONE
Nokelainen-TBD (INJURED)
Nilsson-GONE
Bergenhiem-TBD
Stillman-NO NHL
DiPietro-NHL STARTER (NYI)
Connolly-NHL STARTER (BUF)
Rupp-NHL STARTER (NJD)
Luongo-NHL ALL STAR (VAN)
Dumont-NHL Starter (NAS)
Redden-NHL ALL STAR (OTT)
IC,
Please tell all of us your kidding with your comments: "Meyer had 35 points with Philadelphia and was a regular defender here and in Philadelphi