Comments on: EQUAL TIME: ROBIN FIGREN ON VICTOR HEDMAN“He’d love the style the Islanders play”

By: Bill

Bill — Sun, 10 May 2009 05:39:14 +0000

We have an oft-injured, inconsistent, and untradeable goalie, an oft-injured defensive corps, and the highest GA in the NHL. We need to build a solid D, starting with Victor Hedman. We should also sign Mattias Ohlund and Johnny Oduya in free agency.

Hedman and Ohlund will add to the offense as well as making the D stronger. We can either trade up in the draft for another forward or sign one in free agency.

By: eric

eric — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 01:59:15 +0000

or pick tavares and pick up rob scuderi.

By: eric

eric — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 01:43:39 +0000

just a thought, pick hedman andpick up mike cammalleri this summer.

By: terry

terry — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:51:16 +0000

I voted for tavares since the great free agent purge two years ago, but I can’t help but tihnk hedman might be the right pick. The league is all about skating now, and by all accounts he is a huge offensive minded shut down d-man who can skate like the wind. I don’t know if I’m buying into the second guessing of Tavares, or I’m still afraid of all the first round bust defensemen we drafted under Milbury, who only used a tape measure to pick players. Have to convince ourselves we’ll get the right player, no matter what. Having Streit locked up, I’ll say we need Tavares more.

By: Will OC

Will OC — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:43:44 +0000

107 - I never suggested bergenheim, bailey or nielsen were in tavares territory but Okposo could be…40 point rookie season while missing more than 15 games…Okposo, had he played a full season, would have been around 20+ goals and around 50 points in his rookie season. I’m not sure why people would be pessimistic of Okposo being a 40-50 goal scorer and a perennial all-star.

The most commoncomparison made of Okposo to another player is Iginla. It took Iginla 5-6 years to be an allstar caliber player, and had Okposo played a full season he would have put up almost identical numbers to Iginla’s rookie season.

Oh, and lets not forget Okposo did this on the far and away worst team in the NHL.

By: Dadi

Dadi — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:17:46 +0000

Mr.Chris…thank You!

By: Ugly Roe From Massapequa

Ugly Roe From Massapequa — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:12:39 +0000

I’ll take Hedman. Size does matter.

By: Isles-9-19-22

Isles-9-19-22 — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:55:14 +0000

I think your crazy if don’t go for the guy who puts the bicuit in the basket.

That said… This draft depends (like all drafts) on scouting and taking advatage of desperation. Take JT with the number one then let then let Garth weigh the plusses and minuses of 3 more picks or trading up.

For all of Burkes talk he needs bodies, so does Colorado. Tell me that they would not listen to trading down. If we can’t increase the return on investment then we keep 4 picks in the top 37 and Jankowski’s boys do their magic.

By: randy boyd

randy boyd — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:41:35 +0000

Ok, first of all, i don’t pretend to know which is the “right” pick, Tavares or Hedman. The only “wrong” pick, in my mind, is trading down and getting neither.

To those who knock tavares because most of his ridiculous amount of goals are supposedly on the pp and from in close, give me a break. Is it unusual for an elite offensive player to excel with the man advantage? isn’t that kind of what you expect? If he scores from close in, that means he goes to the net and has an ability to be where the puck is. those are two fantastic attributes for a forward, one which can be taught and the other which can’t. There is a guy named parise who skates in jersey who has both of those attributes and 45 goals this year. i understand the braintrust passed on him because of concern about his “skating”. We’re not going to make that mistake again, are we?

finally, with all due repect to each of them, to suggest Okposo (who i absolutely love as a player), bergenheim, bailey and/or Frans neilson have anything close to the expected potential of tavares is drinking a little too much of the KoolAid.

Please, Lord, let them get this one right.

By: UIF

UIF — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:03:11 +0000

I’ll be sort of ticked if we don’t take Tavares, personally. Fine, that’s probably irrational, and I’m sure Hedmen is great, but I’m sick of seeing “hard workers” and never seeing goals. I forgot what it looked like to see actual pure goal scorers scoring goals until I got Center Ice last year and watched other teams’ players doing it. It’s exciting when a player gets the puck and you’re actually expecting to see him do something besides float it to the net, shoot wide, or dump it in the corner. Yashin? Yeah, sometimes, I guess, but really, I haven’t seen it here consistently since Palffy…and I hardly even remember that anymore. KO’s a nice start, but please, give us Tavares.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 20:46:04 +0000

Tampa Bay is set up front and needs D. Isles should let it be known that they might pick Hedman first, setting up a swap of #1 and #2 with Tampa, with Tampa throwing in one of their top three forwards. It would benefit both teams.

By: 19 ISLE in NJ 22

19 ISLE in NJ 22 — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 20:38:54 +0000

What IF??? Snow does decide to trade down? What if he and the scouting staff feels Matt Duchene is the best fit for the team & with more upside? … and in the process of trading down gets a good young defenseman or forward prospect?

I don’t think we should tear the NVMC apart … I couldn’t be surprised if he did that … Especially if Matt is projected to be a top career forward … and Tavares’ ranking has partly been b/c of expectations … I’d like to see a profile about Duchene … I challenge the other players to change my opinion of JT.