ISLANDERS TO SELECT 26th OVERALL
Campoli trade looks even better as Sharks bow out
1:05 am - Thanks to the Anaheim Ducks’ defeat of the Presidents’ Trophy-winning San Jose Sharks, the Islanders now own the 26th overall selection in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
The pick was acquired by Garth Snow in a trade with Ottawa for Chris Campoli. Future UFAs Mike Comrie and Dean McAmmond were also swapped.
The draft seeding works like this, as per an email we received from the NHL over the weekend for clarification on the subject:
30th overall draft pick - Stanley Cup winner
29th - Stanley Cup finalist
28th - Conference final runner-up
27th - Conference final runner-up
26th - Regular season division-winning clubs eliminated at any point in the first two rounds of the playoffs, in inverse order of points
It’s hard enough trying to scoop the hockey world on what the Islanders will do with the first overall pick, let alone the 26th. Of course, Snow and scouting chief Ryan Jankowski are going to take the best player available – insert hacking cough here – but no matter what the Islanders do with the No. 1, it’s easy to make the case the Islanders will not use the 26th on the following:
A small, puck-moving defenseman. In second-year pro Jack Hillen, strong prospects Aaron Ness and Mark Katic and 5-8 junior dman Jared Spurgeon, the Islanders would appear to have that market cornered.
A goaltender. Not that the Islanders don’t need one. Oh no, they do. But there are too many holes at forward and defense if the team wants to contend. A goalie with one of the three second-rounders? Possibly. (Much more on this subject coming soon).
A puck-distributing center. Young NHLers Josh Bailey and Frans Nielsen, veteran Doug Weight and Boston University sophomore Corey Trivino have this area covered for now.
Whether the Islanders pick at No. 26 or successfully trade up because a kid in the top 10 of their draft board is still there between picks 15 and 20, it’s not difficult to envision the team going for…
- High-end offensive ability (the rapidly-sliding Jeremy Morin of USA Hockey, playing for Kitchener next season)
- Size and power on the wing (Zack Kassian of Peterborough)
- Size and mobility on defense (the rapidly-rising John Moore, headed for Colorado College and likely gone before the 15th pick)
Snow made a good trade. Now it’s on his scouting staff to make it a great trade.
Comments.
63 Responses to ISLANDERS TO SELECT 26th OVERALL
Campoli trade looks even better as Sharks bow out
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DavidNYC says:
We’ve has a nice streak of good karma. We landed the #1 pick, Guerin trade ends up a 3rd rounder, and now SJ chokes and our second 1st rounder slides up to 26. Keep the good karma coming!
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Jim M says:
Lets make a run for Zack Kassian!! CB do you think he would fill out to be a Trent Hunter type player that can throw the body around and score goals (although Hunter has really yet to fulfill this potential) Could he be a top 6 foward?
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Brian says:
I agree with you CB, the Sharks bowing out early makes the trade look better. Do you think there is any chance they could package the 26th along with more then one second/ third rounder to move up high in the first round, possibly somewhere between 15 and 8?
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Mark in Ottawa says:
Great News ! Thank God !
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Chickendirt says:
I go with the size and mobility on D. Not so crazy about trading the lower picks to move up. Either way I don’t think the Isles have the horses they would need to part with in order to move up into the range we are talking about here.
Best case scenario here looks to be the trade you don’t make. Use those picks to balance the system and go home.
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As I penned on my own blog, the Isles have a real chance to alter the franchise in a big way come June. Just to visualize it all as it currently stands:
(Round 1) 1st Overall
(Round 1) 26th Overall (Formerly belonged to San Jose)
(Round 2) 31st Overall
(Round 2) 37th Overall (Formerly belonged to Toronto)
(Round 2) ~60th Overall (Final slot to be determined by Boston’s playoff finish)
(Round 3) 62nd Overall
(Round 3) ~88th Overall (Final slot to be determined by Pittsburgh’s playoff finish)
(Round 4) 92nd Overall
(Round 5) 121st Overall
(Round 6) 151st Overall
(Round 7) 181st Overall -
HilbertSnipe says:
great news! we do have great karma right now. come on guys, we honestly have the greatest opportunities infront of us that we can possibly have, given our position. Janikowski and Garth have been doing there homework, because this draft is extremely important to move this rebuild forward. I would like to see some size on D, especially if we take JT with #1
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mtrico says:
Could things actually be turning our way?
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JZimm says:
These picks are great. I still stick with drafting the goal scorer first. It’s the hardest position to fill. There’s a lot of hype about Matt Duchene right now, and maybe it’s earned, but pure goal scorers come around far too infrequently to be passed on. Maybe Tavares could even be a career winger. That can be worried about later.
It is important to build this team. Whether it’s Tavares, or Hedman, or Duchene; it won’t be enough to turn this team around as early as next season. The Islanders are strong candidates for a top 5 pick next year, as well. It is important that this team continues to grow. The prospect cupboard is filling up. There are several elements to building a winning team. Having a goal scorere is one of them. This appears to be a strong draft, and I’m hoping that there’s a Ryan Getzlaf-type player in it. That guy is awesome. I know that there is a lot of talk about passing on Parise, but Getzlaf was also passed on by many. Strong character, tremendously skilled. I patiently await THN’s draft preview, but based on the little I know beyond the top 10 picks, Ferarro’s kid is supposed to have a phenominal set of wheels. We don’t have much speed on this team, either. Maybe Landon Ferarro can fill that void. There’s a lot to be excited about. This team will (or should be) really good again very soon. It’s going to be a great ride.
Would love to see the OTB line next year (Okposo – Bailey – Tavares). I know Tavarees will be drafted as a center, but it’s not unreasonable to believe that he’ll make his living as a winger. I only watch the games. I don’t coach. Surely there’s a reason for that.
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BillyIsle says:
Next up with the feel good vibe=caps in 7. Seems to me Garth had great free agent signings and a B (possibly B+ now) trade deadline. in hindsight is anyone unhappy with this deal now?
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Andy Badger says:
CB, have you heard anything about Kirill Petrov lately? I read an older interview on russianprospects.com in which he stated a desire to come over this summer. I know he hasn’t had a very good season (a lot of which has to do with injuries), but that may work to our advantage as his team (Ak Bars) has a reputation of being impatient with their prospects. If lack of minutes in the KHL forces him to come over he will most certainly join a team with time to let him develop. Maybe this will influence his decision.
Also, how far up do you think it’s possible to move up for the Isles. Is there any history on this? -
CB, can you shed any light on the business of scouting? For instance, I assume the Islanders have a budget every year for this. I would also assume that the team understands that this is a very deep draft and that we are situated to really make a lasting impact on the future of this franchise. That being said, did the Islanders invest more this year and increase their scouting budget? Is there such as thing as “freelance” scouts that help a team cover more games and more players? I know Jankowski is in charge but what has he and Garth done to ensure our efforts are most efficient and our resulting knowledge going into the draft is wiser and more prepared than ever before? I’d love to learn more about this process, the makeup of our scouting team, and what if any changes were made to the teams scouting approach this year to ensure we seize this very unique opportunity where we dominate the first 100 picks in this draft.
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Ugly Roe From Massapequa says:
Wow, four out of the top thirty seven amateur players in the world will be drafted by the Islanders in this draft. Think about that. Thirty teams in the league, and before a vast majority of them make their second pick, we’re making our fourth. Good job by the GM of this team. I just hope that none of the players that we pick are as ugly as I am.
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Mike says:
CB — how’d you get Scott Lachance to pose for that cough picture?
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Hockey1919 says:
The guy in the photo is obviously a San Jose Shark, can’t you see he’s choking.
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The Commodore says:
Ok, Ok, I apologize, you were right. Let’s hope Campoli doesn’t turn out to be Dickie Tarnstrom, but more of a Scott Lachance.
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We will find out how good a trade, how great a trade it is over time- not now. Hilarious hacking cough btw! Enjoy.
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Joey303 says:
I agree with some posters here about karma. Wow!! When was the last time things fell our way? Not 1, not 2, but 3 best case scenarios within 2 weeks. I cant take it
Dont know what to do with myself. To say the least, the week of Jun 26- Jul 3 can certainly, and will certainly shape the future of our beloved Islanders. Lets hope the karma continues…..We do need size thats for sure. Unless a top prospect goaltender drops in our laps in the late 2nd/3rd, I would wait until waivers at the beginning of the season, ala Osgood. -
Alex O says:
Now if only the Penguins can loose now the 3rd rounder becomes middle of the pack as opposed to end of the round……
Lets go whoever they play as long as its not the Rangers.
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K021 says:
I hope the good karma keeps up, now all we need is a maverick lawyer to take down the organized crime running the ToH.
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RAmen says:
Pretty good streak we have gonig here.
CB, I know that the top three are considered elite, but is this considered a deep draft class?
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Staten Islander says:
Great news. Now hopefully the scouting department does their job. They should try to secure a big, nasty defenceman. I love it when a plan comes together.
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bergie20 says:
kassian would be interesting since he decked tavares in the ohl all star game. i pass on him. he broke the “no hitting in an all star game” rule. i’d rather not trade up. the late first and secound round should be a lot better and deeper than usual. great job by joe thornton eh? now we know why boston traded him.
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geduffer says:
Andy Badger (#12) – Kirill Petrov is under contract for the next season (at least). Once he comes over, he’ll be a project. Figure him for at least two years in the minors before he’ll have a chance to make his case for being on the NHL roster.
Bergie20-(#25) You don’t know what you’re talking about regarding Thornton. He brought his game and even fought Getzlaf to start last night’s game. The changes that happen over the summer in San Jose will not include Joe, nor should they. Considering that he was basically wearing Ryan Getzlaf all series, he did fine. Credit Jonas Hiller, without whom the Ducks don’t sniff a second win in the series. As for me, I’d take 10 Joe Thorntons if I could.
AlexO-(#21) Don’t be surprised if that pick is #90.
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cgs878 says:
The Islanders need a goalie?!? You mean for 10 years from now when DP is ready for retirement, right?
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Austin H says:
Way to go Ducks and Pens…and go Canes!
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Hello Frisco says:
I thought the guy in the pic is doing an impression of what Ranger fans do to each other in the mens room at home games. Blue seat glory hole city.
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318-J-1 says:
this should be another very interesting draft for us. i wouldnt be surprised if Snow moves the late 1st and a pair of 2nd’s for an earlier 1st. and after trading down last year for more picks it may be a great idea to trade up this year. then our picks from 08 and 09 may mature around the same time and in that case we would be in a very good situation.
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John Tavares says:
I was gonna say that. All of the sudden things are starting to go the Isles way. We win the lottery, and get the best 2 possible picks based on playoff performance. San Jose loses. Pittsburgh wins. The Pens will likely play Boston in the 2nd round which will move either our 2nd or 3rd rounder up.
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isles are ridiculously thin at goaltender. imo, the isles have to spend a 2nd or a 3rd on a goalie. there should be a bunch of good goalies available for us then. another interesting idea is talking to boston about tuukka rask who is stuck behind tim thomas. he could start for us for a long time.
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Hale says:
tuukka rask is a prospect as highly as touted as okposo..lets get off that subject…it would cost bailey at the least
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Doug says:
How about trading for some NHL players with some of the picks and start speeding up the rebuilding process and thinking about getting into the playoffs?
Of course after we draft Taveras…
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The Sharks are the 90′s Braves of the NHL. I would not be surprised to see them break that team up over the next 2 years in an attempt to inject fresh blood and get them over the hump. They clearly need their Goring.
I still believe that this draft should be about quality, not quantity. I fully expect them to move up (after taking Tavares) and take either a strong wing or a strong D prospect to round out the first round.
Goaltending depth is also important – for selfish reasons I hope the Isles draft Kieran Millan, but I mostly hope we can get another viable goaltending prospect (in addition to Weslosky, Ridderwall, and Poulin).
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As for trading for NHL players – I think we’re a year away from that. Taking shortcuts on the rebuild got us Yashin.
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Candyman says:
The Isles need to make a trade/draft a 1A goalie. Look at some of the success stories that come out of teams that play two goalies, then stick with one in the playoffs.
Jonas Hiller and JS Giguere split time, and now Hiller is fresh for the playoffs. Same with Osgood last season and this season, and Cam Ward a few seasons back, and Mike Vernon played fewer games than Osgood when the Wings won in 97. It was before my time, but I’m pretty sure Billy Smith also split time then took over in the playoffs.
I think this trend had a good track record, and I think it’s one the Isles need to employ. What would it take to get Giguere from the Ducks?
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Angelos says:
I would go for a top end big, mobile defenseman with this pick. We don’t have any promising prospects in that position.
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Nick Classic – Personally I don’t like making broad statements on whether we should or should not trade for pros,etc. The objective should always be to improve the team for the long term, and to try and win the cup. Does it make sense for the Isles to load up on UFAs and sign 35 year old veterans? No, but if Phoenix needs to dump salary (totally making this up as an example) and we can get Shane Doan for a song, we should of course consider it.
I agree with your point though (I think) in that we should be trying to find gems and value, not over paying ala the Yashin or Trevor Linden deals.
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#38 – yea that was my point. I think we should be keeping all our high draft picks and not make deals unless it’s excellent value for us and helps the team. At this point, you wonder if the team is ready for a new star brought in from another team, and if this team with Tavares and Doan added is just good enough to draft 8th overall. I have no qualms about making trades to improve the team, but I’d prefer to give our kids another full year to see what we have and then start proactively addressing needs.
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Robert says:
This trade with Ottawa was great! But I still can’t comprehend how a stiff like Comrie and Campoli landed us a first round pick, and Bill Guerin, who has been lighting it up for Pittsburgh in the playoffs only got us a third round pick…. Pittsburgh’s slot is going to be at the end of each round, and surely Guerin should have been worth a low end SECOND rounder… But that’s over and done with….
I like Jeremy Morin CB, but there might not be a need to trade up and get him, as 4 out of 5 mock drafts I’ve looked at (3 of them from NHL.com)didn’t have Morin in the first round…. If we have the ammo to get up to 15 like everyone is predicting, let’s put a little more ammo in the gun and trade up to 10 and get Schroeder if he’s there… That guy has as much skill as anyone except Tavares and Hedman, but is downgraded because of size… Size hasn’t hurt Patrick Cane, Gionta or St. Louis.. If your super skilled like Schroeder, you will succeed!! -
rb says:
with all of the extra picks, which got even better because of the Pens and Ducks wins (very good trades by Garth), it’s hard to justify moving out of the no. 1 spot where you can draft a pure sniper or pass him over for a “more complete” center or a defensive defenseman
even if JT doesn’t meet expectations, all of these extra picks should help fill the other holes anyway
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DM says:
could not agree more, #42 – i think you just take tavares, then focus on best player available with the other selections unless a guy you love is available in a trade up mid-first round….perfect world, wind up with JT, another scoring forward, a few bigger, not plodding dmen and a goalie
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Mark P says:
Needs: If Tavares is strickly a goal scorer-then maybe a playmaking wing for the first line would be good-maybe Shroeder fits-I would think our scouts have a good handle on him one way or the other after watching him with Ness @ Minnisota and Kessel at the WJC…A Power Forward for the top 6 and a Physical 6-3 defensmen are the other prime needs.
CB’s analysis is right on….we have cornered the market on small skilled defensemen-lest we not forget we have Streit for the long haul as well. If we do pick JT the Offensive Center spots are all locked up. I just hope we don’t pick potential 3rd and 4th liners with our top 5 picks.
I look foward to hearing about the Goaltending….though I hope DP is healthy enough to help us long term…..the way he was expected to be utilized over the long haul needs to change…at his cap#, we should have room for a “real” second goalie down the line. -
Coach B says:
Just like trading up 4 spots without giving up anything. Good off season so far.
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Giaco says:
If people want to call us a joke of a franchise, they should look at the West Coast and the San Jose Sharks. That team is an embarassment. Year after year the finish with one of the best records and have nothing to show for it, not even a finals appearence. Sadly, the team will have to be blown up and start from scratch bc obviously its not working over there.
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If the Games 7 don’t go our way we might be forced to root for the Rangers & Devils in the 2nd rd..They will be playing Boston(2nd rd pick) & Pittsburgh(3rd rd pick)..Seems like everybody has forgotton about the Boston pick which is obviously much more important..We can move up from 61st to about 56th..
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Lee says:
Zach Kassian broke the “no hitting in an All Star Game” rule? Pick him. We need players that have an edge. If this guy will lay someone out in an ASG, imagine what he’d do if the “not dirty” Mike Mottau makes another run at one of our players.
We need size and toughness, and we need it badly. I’ve said it before, last year I went to an Islanders v Ducks game, and the size differential was ridiculous. I think Andy Hilbert may have bitten Ryan Getzlaf on his knee. If we draft or sign a single player that is under the height of 6 foot, I will be very disappointed.
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Vlad from Brooklyn says:
Completly agree with Angelos #38. We must beef up the Ds. Martinek and Witt are great guys and teammates, but it’s time for replacement. I would consider the size and toughness first. For example: Gill from Pens – not too much skills but his size and effort makes him very effective. Hope Isles can do even better than that.
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Isles4cups says:
The draft in June should be fun to watch and so should the training camp in Saskatoon!
Kevin – You’re going to cheer for the Rangers if they happen to get to the 2nd round, so the Isles can move up from 61st to 56th in the draft…Geez!
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Chris might be able to confirm this but I think they only re seed first round picks.
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BR says:
Anyone know anything about Mattias Lindstrom? He’s a LW and is listed at 6’4″ 203. Turned 18 this year and played his first season in SEL. Might be someone to keep an eye on in a later round.
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To reply to “Isles4cups”… I will not actually be ‘cheering’/'rooting’ for the Rangers…That I couldn’t do..But I guess I wont be rooting against them like I usually do. I certainly don’t blame anyone for not thinking like me…And if it was a matter of the Rangers going to the Stanley Cup that would be different..The Rangers and Devils are at a point where anything less than a Stanley Cup appearance is a failure…I absolutely love the NHL Draft(many yrs of failure/low expectations can do that)& I spend way too many hours trying to figure out what players the Isles can get at the postion there at. So 5 spots mean a lot to me..
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Fair enough Kevin…here’s hoping the Caps win tonight though!
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Rob says:
I’m gonna start this off by saying lets go caps
If snow was able to trade up to around 6-8 and draft cowen
Tavares and cowen
That would be crazy
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art says:
Not a goalie! Weneedto trade for ,or sign a UFA that can play behind DP or be #1 if DP cant’t play. Danis and Joey are at best backups. At best DP can’t play 50 games next year If we are going to be watching the Isles play on LI in future years we need to make the playoffs this year.
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Mike says:
Take Tavares 1st, then move up later in the round if you have to and take Stefan Elliot of Saskatoon. Plays on the same team as Niemi, so I’m sure the Isles scouting staff has seen a lot of him. With the 1st pick in the second round take Morin. Another option instead of Elliot is Tim Erixon, but wasn’t it his dad (Jan)that crosschecked Bossy from behind which lead to the injury that Bossy eventually had to retire from?
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frank nyc says:
Thank god this pick came through for us.
Every little bit helps 26th pick is better than the 30th.
Throw in toronto’s 2nd into a deal and we could be getting another blue chip prospect. Tavares at #1 and a large d man later in the round. -
puckhead68 says:
Loving this. I tied to stay awake to watch that game, too late. Those 4 spots could make a difference either by trade (to move up)or drafting a better player. I to think this team needs more size up front and on D. Things are looking good in Islaners country. Now get the lighthouse done so they can stay on the island.
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19 ISLE in NJ 22 says:
Well … that sews up all our draft pick assignments.
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Also, it doesn’t matter what the Pens do now. The 3rd round is not affected by playoff performance. -
To answer someone’s question from an overnight post. YES … There are independent scouting agencies that rate and classify players for scouts. One such company uses my company for ingest and transfer of video storage. They are primarily hockey, and they also now do baseball. They basically have scouts film games and focus on certain players of ALL levels. The video is converted down to clips & are stored in an encrypted file server that links the clips with metadata that also contains statistical information … I’ve wanted to get a job with that company for 2 years now … but their NJ/NY positions are filled
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Candyman-(#37): First of all JS Giguere went into the season as the starter. He was an All Star in the first half, but his father passed away in December and he was given all the time he needed to mourn. Being human, this all took his edge away, so Hiller stepped in and ran with it. As for what it would take to acquire Jiggy–Jiggy is under a long term deal with a no trade clause, so the answer to your question is: You’re not acquiring him under any circumstances. His son needs extensive medical treatment and he’s in California, so he won’t waive his no trade to come here.
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Chris Botta made a good point about how the Isles shouldn’t draft an undersized D-Man w/ our other 1st rd pick..Though that makes sense, what should we do if 5’10 Ryan Ellis is still available when we pick? He broke the OHL Dman scoring record for Draft Eligible Dman..He won OHL DMan of the Year. He dominated the World Jr Championshps..He dominated in the OHL Playoffs. Named Best D-Man at the World Under 18′s…Was a plus 50 for the season..He was leading the OHL Scoring race over Tavares, DiBendetto & Taylor Hall for the first 1/2 of the season. Although he is projected to go between 8 -15 he could very well be available late in the 1st rd…Most GM’s will not want to Draft an UnderSized Dman who doesn’t have great wheels in the 1st rd..Every year there is a undersized, Super-Skilled player who Drops way down in the draft to everyone’s surprise. This year it will probably be Ellis..
If the isles were to trade the 26th pick and another pick to move up to earlier in the first round which Isles pick do you think would most likely to be packaged and which pick do you think the Isles are most likely to attain?