LOGAN: Duchene…McKENZIE: Hedman…PB: Tavares
Catching up after a muddy day at Woods-stock
Good evening, Islanders Country. Just got back from Bethpage Black, Long Island’s muddy celebration of tees and club known as Woods-stock. A few thoughts for the evening after zipping through more than 300 comments.
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I was so excited to get home tonight and see that my good friend and mentor Greg Logan has predicted that the Islanders are going to draft Matt Duchene first overall. That takes a lot of pucks. Good for Gregger.
In summation: the Islanders’ only fulltime mainstream beat writer predicts Duchene, Bob McKenzie - the connected King of Canada - has Victor Hedman and Point Blank selects John Tavares as the Islanders’ pick.
If you’re Garth Snow, you’re probably lighting up a cigar, putting your feet up on the desk and saying, “Fooled ‘em.” There’s some goodness in that.
On the other hand, other than keeping the mystery alive - woo-hoo! I’d prefer suspenseful playoff games - not much to celebrate. If you’re the Islanders, you’re not getting anything to trade back to 2 or 3. Why would a team give up anything? Tampa Bay - contrary to reports - would like Hedman, but they’re not drooling over him. Colorado is more than happy to have Tavares or Hedman fall to them. Both the Bolts and the Avs are not losing sleep over who the Islanders are picking. Both the Bolts and the Avs could not care less that the Islanders have courted and seem to crush on all three kids.
Whomever the Islanders want, they are selecting him first overall.
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At least once a week I write a post that has readers shaking their heads. About once a month, I come back to several Comments that make me wonder how you guys make that leap. Today’s version, brought to you from King Bob of TSN, has Point Blank readers looking waaaaaaay too much into this quote from Texas Hold’em Snow:
Well, when we won the draft lottery (on April 14) I was asked if I knew who we were going to take. I said at the time that I had a pretty good idea but that I wasn’t firmly committed to it until we went through the process of doing our due diligence on all the top guys. Let’s just say the process re-affirmed what I thought back then. We want the same guy now that we wanted back then.
I have no idea why, but many of you read this as evidence the Islanders have always planned on drafting Tavares and there’s no way they’re taking Duchene. Why isn’t it possible Duchene has been the object of their affection all along? It’s actually quite possible.
All Garth did with this quote was set the foundation for his remarks a week from tonight. After he drafts Duchene, Hedman or Tavares, he’ll be able to say this is the kid he’s wanted since lottery night.
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My vote has not changed from yesterday or from the last month. I still have the Islanders taking John Tavares.
Comments.
107 Responses to “LOGAN: Duchene…McKENZIE: Hedman…PB: Tavares
Catching up after a muddy day at Woods-stock”
Please Wait
Maybe that’s why they didn’t say who they were going to draft the night they won the lottery …I mean Duchene wasn’t even there ….why say it’s him when he’s not even on camera …
I think it should be JT …
If the name Matt Duchene is called as the team’s number #1 pick, attendance will be at an all time low at the Coliseum, come October.
Don’t care who it is, as long as they feel that it is worthy of the 1st overall pick.
Chris you make a good point regarding Snow’s comment. I was one who thought he must have wanted Tavares. However, thinking back to last years draft, the Isles had the #5 pick and they had their eye on Bailey the whole time who was ranked to go 15th. Hopefully what Snow wanted to confirm during these meetings is that Tavares would embrace the Island and wanted to be part of the organization. Here’s also to Matty Duchene’s lack of “confidence” showing up in his interviews with the Isles as well. Tavares 2009!
Don’t care who it is…as long as it’s not Duchene.
I’m on board with you CB, Tavares it is.
A winning team needs a good mix of all types of players, not 4 two-way centers, 4 big right-wingers, 6 puck-moving defensemen, etc… A mix of everything is needed.
We already have a good, promising two-way center in Nielsen and a hopeful playmaker in Bailey. Now we need the scoring center, and that guy is John Tavares.
I think that snow thinks he can get colorado or tampa to give something significant to move up. Thats probably the reason behind all the secrecy, if they just come out and announce their pick, they have no leverage. Of course we all know that they dont have any leverage anyway, so we’ll pick duchene first overall.
CB… if it’s true and they do take someone other than Tavares.. what do u think the reaction of the fans at the Barn on Draft Night will be?
# 8, if you’ve never been in a riot before… well if ur there u’ll get to experience it first hand.
i am all for tavaras but i just have that feeling they are picking hedman. hopefully im wrong and they pick tavaras cause i hate seeing them screwing around with everything and just putting a medicore team on the ice.
maybe it’s better then that i don’t bring my kid brother to this thing then lol
good points. I’m keeping the fingers crossed for JT. For me there is no other choice. Anyone else and we short changed ourselves.
I will say this… If the Islanders hyped this draft party to take Duchene, they must love the idea of about of 14,000 fans getting all PO’d at once and tearing the NVMC down to the ground.
I wish the draft was tonight, I don’t think I can take another week of this ’speculation,’ and I’d be fine with any of them.
I agree. It has to be Tavares, as it should be.
There’s just too many factors in play here that go beyond what any of these three will do for the team on the ice.
I mean, seriously, how many lay hockey fans — as in the people the Islanders need to buy tickets — know anything about Hedman or Duchene? Most people may have heard their names, but that doesn’t mean they know the first thing and, hence, won’t be compelled to buy tickets.
Tavares, however, is about as close to a hockey household name as you can get these days.
All things being equal, any of these three is a winning pick, but the Islanders need this pick to be a home run on every level.
Tavares is the only one who fits the bill right now.
If I really felt the islanders were taking JT 100%, I would take my 6 yr old son to the draft party. BUT on the off chance they don’t… I don’t want him within 10 miles of that place.
if duchen was #1 in snows eyes for some strange reason on the lottery day dont u think snow would bring the owner of the team to see duchene since he was passing over the consensus #1 and a possible franchise player in tavares. but no instead snang aka snow/wang went to see tavares and then i believe only jankowski went to see duchene. thats why i still think tavares was #1 then and is still #1 now. i hope im not wrong as it would be a major mistake. great stat quoted earlier today tavares had more goals in 24 games with london then duchene had in 60 plus games this year. as far as cullen/ mckenzie that the plus minus is lower tavares was on a better team 2 years ago so im not buying that. lastly mckullen say tavares #s have went down every year but they fail to say that even though the #s went down he still lead the league by 10 points. tavares was second 3 years ago second two years ago and now he is first in scoring in the ohl. so i believe the scoring was down in the ohl as a whole from 2007 -2009. plus he was on a much worse team most of this year if he was on london all year probably would have had 130 points. any thoughts.
Hope it is Hedman. A 6′6″ mobile, smart, talented #1[potential] defenseman is much harder to come by than a great sniper, or an exceptional 2 way forward. Draft Hedman if you want to win in the future!
CB… love the blog. My favorite site on the planet bar none. My first choice is Tavares but ultimately I want the best player. My ideal scenario is getting 2 of the 3… and I know it is very, very, very unlikely… but as a fan I can hope.. so just for fun I am posting a 4 way trade possibility… likely needs more thought…
Toronto receives #1 pick
NYI acquire #2 and #3 picks
TB receives #7 pick and Luke Schenn
Col receives Tor 2010 #1, NYI 2010 #1 and NYI 2009 #26
Far-fetched to say the least. Go Isles!! Garth, we are all counting on you to bring us into true and consistent contention for Lord Stanley.
So much drama! Take Tavares and lets move past this!
CB - I know you always say the player they draft has no bearing on who they sign (re. Weight), but do you think that the Islanders letting Walter, Colliton and possibly Iggulden go, point to a possible direction they may be leaning at the draft? Or are they just making room for other prospects (DiBo, Martin etc)?
While I’m all for taking Tavares, it all won’t mean anything if he gets injured in camp. I know the Islanders parted ways with their strength and conditioning coach about 2 months ago. I also know they want the someone who they replace him with has ties to Long Island. Have they found another one yet?
Boy oh boy, if the Isles really want Duchene then I’d hope they’d trade down to 3 to get him. It would IMO be a disaster if he was picked 1st overall.
#17 tb wont give up luke schenn their 7th pick and 1st in 2010
One week from now this will all be over,just as the draft lottery speculation ended and we moved onto who the Isles would pick. I look forward to talking on here about the newest Islander, JT.
Logan, McKenzie, or CB? I’ll put my money on CB being right in the end.
I don’t care who they pick, as long as its not Duchene or Hedman
I heard that SMG has arranged for a boatload of armed security to be present at the draft party. Wonder what that could mean lol…
(jk)
Come on CB, you’re getting Isles fans all emotional…Good for your blog but bad for our blood pressure…
Duchene wasn’t in the conversation at the time of the draft, it was Hedman and Tavaras…If it was Duchene all the time wouldn’t Garth have at least hinted that its not a 2 horse race???
It was a 2 horse race during all interviews right after the draft…I also remember Wang doing interviews and it was about 2 players and neither was Duchene….
My money is on CB too. I just cant fathom any other name being called next friday night. I might need a sedative…..LOL!! Hedman is number three for me. Duchene is number 2. But im no scout FWIW. But seriously how do you leave a guy who scores like JT on the board?
#26.. DEAD ON!!!!
just take tavares its that simple he solves our lack of goal production problem our ticket and jersery sale problem and it would make 85% of a miserable fan base happy for the first time in awhile
The Botta TavHedDuch began in January. Obviously Duchene was on Chris’s radar as early as that. Do you really think that the Islanders weren’t aware of him in April? They’ve been scouting these guys for years. Who’s to say they haven’t been locked in on Duchene for months now? That argument doesn’t hold any water.
My only concern with JT is that while other players’ points have risen, his points have declined in each of the past 2 years. I’m not saying he is leveling off or that he may have set the bar too high his 2nd year in juniors, (I mean it could be because of any number of reasons) but it is something you notice. How many top players have had that happen? Not many. Most top players increase their stats season to season. Also, how will his 5-on-5 play be? You know he’ll be dynamite on the PP, but can he be a significant contributor 5-on-5? Honestly, I see him as a winger, not a center in the NHL, but that is fine by me. I’d still draft him first. BUT, if it came down to Hedman or Duchene, I’d rather have Hedman. He seems like an awesome prospect on D. I’m not sold on Duchene being a huge point producer in the NHL.
Chris,
While Garth has stated he has the man he wanted slated as the No.1 pick for a while now - there must be a reason why he has kept it to himself the whole time. I believe - that while TB and COL are not going to trade up, someone else (i.e.) Brian Burke just might. If another team acquires either 2 or 3 - perhaps they will have the package needed to move Garth from #1. I would say walking away with ANY of Tevheduch and an additional top 20 would be worth trading out of No.1 for. And that is why I think Garth is waiting to see what he is offered.
Again I sense a trade.
Are the Isles promoting 17,000 fans, packing the Ole Barn, because theyer looking for the place to erupt in pandemonieum after choosing John Tavaras??
Or
Will they set up 95% of 17,000 fans to be “angry”, “devastated”, and just plain “raged”, by choosing Duchene???
Common sense folks, relax, it JT…
Lets Go Islanders!!!
interesting columbus blue jacket rumor
isles trade 26 and 37 for #16 or the one i like more isles trade 31 37 and 56 for 16 i like this one more as we would have 3 first round picks #1, 16 and 26
(20) Jim: Fringe-at-best players like Walter, Iggulden and Colliton (gone to Europe; too bad) have no bearing on what a team does with the No. 1 pick.
(34) I doubt it, but I guess.
I’ve been guilty of it too, but let’s say for the last week we call a moratorium on burning-it-the-ground, riot and new Coliseum jokes. What do you say? CB
It was a 2 horse race right after the draft and it was Hedman and Tavaras…Thats who Garth talked about and so did wang…
Take what you want from that…
Sorry for the second post, but, have to agree with 34, enough of burning things down over an 18 year old kid.We are not Laker fans.
It seems as if some Islander fans are trying to threaten their team with abandonment if Tavares isn’t picked. So many people want JT that the team may be forced to take him to avoid the backlash. What is truly astonishing about that scenario is that Duchene may be the guy they want because like JT, they had him over night and may have decided he’s a leader and a kid who will stop at nothing to become a great player. Fast forward to draft day and beyond. The Isles take JT because they basically feel they have to and he becomes a 30 or over goal scorer and leads the Isles to nowhere. Then Colorado ends up with Matty and they hoist the cup within 5 years. It will be funny to hear how many fans badmouth the team for passing on MD eventhough it was their fault. May I remind everyone of how many goals Palffy scored and how many playoff games the Isles won during that period?
Before the Islanders won the draft lottery, Snow was open to trading down. Once they won the #1 pick, he wasn’t. If Duchene was his pick all along, why the change in thought? He could have had Duchene at #2, nobody else was going to take him. I think that’s evidence in itself that it’s not Duchene.
Really though its not like they are rioting over winning a championship LOL! Is alcohol allowed? That actually could be a recipe for dissaster. Yell profanity and some obscene hand gestures at the jumbotron sure. But regardless the pick, we have to have faith in Garth. And I do. He must be having a ball with all this insane speculation. I hope CB that you are right. Its quite possible they see something in Duchene they really like and would make him a better long term option.
7 days,,,,,,,
Pertaining to Hedman, what is it that people love most about Hedman? it is the fact he is a super huge offensive minded defenseman..
Well I couldn’t help but puke when an even hugger than Hedman defenseman won the Norris last night…
That was our Hedman, with more toughness and the ability to wear a “C”…
makes me sick!
listen to Snow on XM Radio and you will hear that he has been passionate about a certain player for some time now. Who that is; I have no idea and nor does anyone else. This is great; I commend the Islanders for the way they have approached this and they are appreciative of the conviction of their fan base and I think they are good at what they do and they are not going to screw this up. It may take some time but we should all be patient. Let’s put it this way, are you going to judge Garth based on the first pick? If he drafts someone other then JT at #1 and lands someone at #26 or moves up and lands the next Gillies at let’s say 15; is the draft a bust? We cannot judge based on popularity at this point… We won’t know how well we did last year for some time until players hit the NHL. Maybe Dibo is the next Datsyuk? We don’t know? Maybe Duchene is the next Zetterburg? Isle fans need to come together no matter who the pick is and that is the bottom line. Just because we all have a voice compliments of the internet does not make us experts on whom the right draft choice is. Get real folks: I am going to watch this team no matter what and this is the best opportunity we have had in a long time. Peace out! Enjoy the draft
#37 where did you see those rumours?
I have always said BPA. I also feel that player for numerous reasons is Tavares.
I just believe the Isles are setting a lot of fans up for disapointment if they don’t draft one of the big 2 or trade down and take Hedman or Duchene, while picking up a package.
How will the Isles ever get fans to their draft party again if they take Duchene (who may be the best player)? Who would be around to even see the Isles second pick.
BPA and then Mr. Kassian please!
I wonder if Tor could obtain the #2 or #3 pick without giving up #7? If so they would give the Isles #7 and 2 or 3 and Isles would give them the #1 so they could draft JT (if Duchene or Hedman is Snow’s target). Isles would have to give Toronto something else (Hunter? Witt? Jackman?—all Burke types). Then the Isles could draft the player they want, then a guy like Cowen at 7.
To really make me happy they would then trade up around 12 and draft Kassian. If this is possible they would leave round 1 with Duchene or Hedman, Cowen, and Kassian. I don’t think any little kids at the draft party would be traumatized then.
i dont know what to comment about anymore. i still cant wait for the draft. i still want tavares. i still think the islanders will come out of this with a great player. what i dont understand is why they would promote them having the number one pick when the fully know that the fanbase is for tavares and if they dont select him they will be once again dissappoint the fan base. they better hope that hedman or duchene bring us success early on becuase this is a dying franchise and we badly need a pick-me-up.
lastly, we didnt have a 20 goal scorer. we dont fill out the building. we dont have a league-wide superstar and we have little hope. want to know who can fix most of that? tavares
#44 I truly believe the Chara trade is the worst in Islander history. Losing a d-man like that for nothing was horrible. Then the series of mistakes made to try to make little Alexi Yashin happy (can you believe that you have to make a grown man happy so he can perform?) really dug a very deep hole for the Isles. They’d have been a lot better with Speeza and Chara, Aucoin Scatchard and all the other guys they moved of the Isle to make Yashin happy.
If the Isles draft Duchene #1 overall, this draft will go down as one of the worst draft days in Isles history. Snow/Jankowski will never live it down if Tavares or Hedman wind up being better than Duchene, which is a virtual certainty.
This draft will be remembered in the same negative light as the 2000 draft and all the mistakes that were made that day. Just as the 2000 draft set the franchise back, so will the 2009 draft if the Isles make the colossal mistake of taking Duchene #1 overall.
Hey CB! I was out at the Open myself today! Absolute mudfest especially on 15 walking back across to 14! I yelled to Mike Weir, a huge Hockey and Detroit fan, at the 3rd tee if we should draft Tavares, no response! A few chuckles from the guy’s around me!
Anyway, Duschenne at 1 will shock me! I have not seen 1 scout or mock draft picking Duschenne at 1. What do we know that no one else know’s! Pick Tavares, Please!
Strummer @ 48: My vote for worst trade in Isles history is Jokinen/Luongo for…Parrish/Kvasha. Two all stars for two bums. The Chara/Spezza for Yashin trade is #2 on my worst trade list, followed by McCabe/Bertuzzi for Linden + pick. Milbury had some doozies.
top 10 reasons to draft john tavares:
10-fans have been starved for a high profile player who can light the lamp. isles get so much negative attention becuase of MM. what better way to change it than draft the guy everyone has been talking about since he was 14. people took 17,000 tickets to see tavares, not duchene. all this talk would never happen without tavares. so many more business advantages like winter classic. sometimes the fans ARE right if they do their research.
9-has been under the microscope since he was 14. 14! what were duchene and hedman doing at 14?
8-has produced everywhere hes gone. the stats speak for themselves.
7-he single handedly made sure canada won the gold at world juniors. who bought back canada from the dead against america? who set up the game tying goal under 10 seconds against russia in the semis?!?? 10 seconds!!!
6-he broke the great one’s record as a 16 year old……you have to do something right to be mentioned in the same breath as gretzky.
5-isles need the face of the franchise player….tavares has shown he can put a team on his back and run with it while duchene hides behing grachev and hodgson
5-he scored more goals in 24 games for the london knights than duchene scored all year against second unit defense pairs….i would also like to point out duchene got whipped by windsor. he also suked in the finals but people apparently forget that or drop that evidence.
4-just because a person excels mightly in one area does not mean he is defecient in all other areas. its just that his offensive game stands out so much more than other areas. he is willing to be great in all three zones.
3-i would like to know who created the myth that tavares cant bring us a cup….yea, he put all the hopes of canada on his back and took them to the promise land, he carried his terrible Oshawa team for parts of 4 years….what has duchene carried? hodgson’s luggage?
2-last time we didn’t pick someone becuase of skating issues, it was parise.. he burns us every time…..no one will blame garth if tavares turns out to be a bust….we already have the character player we need in bailey…how many character players do you need? the other teams arent giving us anything for a trade and we have depth cause of last year so a tarde down is not likely…the hockey world and most of isles country is waiting for john tavares to arrive on long island.
1-as soomeone famous said, you take the best player….evidence is overwhelmingly in favor of tavares. sometimes, the obvious choice is the right choice.he will bring this franchise back from the dead much the way kane, crosby, ov have. they rekindled interest in hockey.
feel free too add your own. i know duchene will be a good player but tavares is what we need.
Also to emphasize another point that some made earlier. Tavares was MVP of the gold medal winning World Junior team this year. On this team, Cody Hodgson played second fiddle to JT. This is the same Cody Hodgson played BEHIND on their Junior A team this year. Duchene was not even better than Hodgson, who played second fiddle to Tavares on the World Junior team that Duchene got cut from. I ask — how is it even remotely possible that the Islanders would take Duchene over JT?????
i realize my post was long so no more from me for this thread
i just hope the 26th comes and goes and the coliseum is still standing afterwards. This would mean that Bettman called Taveres as the first pick selected by the Islanders and everyone went home happy.
I know that as a busy adult I shouldn’t care who they take…following this team has been an almost 40 year hobby now, but it is that, a hobby
but I’ve gotta say it will be so thouroughly depressing and demoralizing if they mess this up again like they’ve done so many times in recent years, always with this “we know better than anybody else” mentality
like many people here I endured many bad games this year, both in person on the tube, with the hope that we finally get that one big-time consensus kid…watched the lottery…and the pay-off could be yet another piece of stale bread while somebody runs off with the fancy pastry? that’s why I’m not going to the draft party…my last one was 2000, I got up and left as soon as the pick was announced, and swore I’d never go again
I think I’m gonna stop commenting on the draft now
Tavares (the guy I really want), Duchene, or Hedman. It is a no lose situation for the Isles. Yes they will lose at first glance in the fans eyes if they pass on Tavares. That’s fine. Fans will come around so long as the guy they do take was worth it all. I still really really really want JT, but I am pretty happy that so long as they take one of these 3 they are getting one hell of a hockey player. This draft is damn near Isles proof! :p
With all of the hype for the Draft Party and the Isles knowing that 85% of those fans are for Tavaras, they would be crazy to not pick him. CB is right, it will be Tavaras !!!!
Long Suffering @ 53: I agree 100%. There is no way Duchene can be considered as good as Tavares. When Tavares was leading Canada to a world junior championship this past winter, Matt Duchene was in Brampton, because he wasn’t good enough to make the Canadian World Juniors. In Brampton, Duchene was the team’s second line center, behind Hodgson. So Duchene wasn’t even the best player on his own junior team this past season, but the Islanders are going to draft him #1 overall? It doesn’t make sense and if the Isles are dumb enough to do it, they deserve the negative backlash they’ll get from the fans.
Jethro#51 the Kvasha/Parrish trade was horrible as well (How does anyone pay Milbury as a hockey expert?). The Bertuzzi/McCabe deal went down on my birthday and slightly darkened a wonderful time. I knew that one was horrible.
Thank God in Heaven that Milbury is long gone.
CB…I clearly remember the article after the Isles won the draft lottery. He was asked about Hedman and Tavares. He gave a little scouting report on both. He was asked if he favored one over the other, he said yes and wasn’t going to tell us. He said he still had plenty of meetings left to make the right decision for the franchise, but that he did in fact have one of those players in mind.
In that article today, he says he remembers when he was asked if he had a player in mind. (That has to be the article he’s referring to). He says his opinion back then is his opinion now.
Let’s say he was talking about Tavares.
Since he favored him that makes Tavares the pick.
Let’s say he was talking about Hedman…the only other option. Since he will be the player he favored, that makes Hedman the pick.
How on earth could it possibly be Duchene? If he picks Duchene and says he was the guy they favored all along, I would love to see his explanation when someone points to these two articles.
It would make Snow a liar…
This might be a stretch but I don’t think it was a mistake…I think Garth is well aware of what he’s been saying since the night of the lottery because he did not tip his hand. I believe that maybe…just maybe he’s a little excited like us and just wants to give the fans some hints that its probably gonna be JT.
I would like to point out that you need to listen not only to the Wednesday Garth Snow interview but also the XM interview right after the draft lottery.
Two points I would like to make. First is the interviewer brought up Tavares and Hedman only, Duchene not on the radar. Garth Snow says both outstanding players and would love to have both in an Isles uniform.
The second is a seemingly harmless comment by Garth Snow to start the interview but very telling of his mindset. The interviewer brought up the playoffs and Garth’s comment was “this time of year is all about GOALTENDING and SPECIAL TEAMS, AKA the POWER PLAY. We know Garth’s TOP priority last year in Free Agency was MARK STREIT, for what reason?, primarily the POWER PLAY! We now know Garth puts a very high value on this for winning in the playoff’s. Tavares is a wrecking machine on the POWER PLAY!
I also think it’s not just how many Tavares scores but how he scores them. As per Brian Burke, Tavares is already a man and is willing to pay the physical price to score goals in front of the net. This is why I believe Garth is going to pick Tavares.
Let’s hope you’re right CB. Tavares is the way to go. By the way, any word on the Draft Party After Party that you mentioned a few posts ago?
CB maybe you can place a little friendly wager with Bob and Greg? I’d bet you’d win. In fact, I guess when JT’s name is called first, we’d all be winners.
Last year, before the lottery, didnt Snow announce that Stamkos would be their pick if given the #1 pick (or take him if he fell to wherever they were slotted with the lottery)?
Wasn’t it also said, after the lottery, that the Isles would be interested in Stamkos and any of the top 3 D men if they happen to fall to #5? Is this true or am I making this up?
So Bailey was essentially 5th on their list?
Anyway, with the thought that the Isles wanted Stamkos if available, and they took Bailey, who is not a Stamkos clone, I feel the Isles will choose Tavares to make up for not having that top line center available in 08.
My brain is melting trying to figure this sh%t out.
I have talked so much about this up coming draft and all the speculation, how about a different draft idea. I believe that the hockey world’s eyes wil be on us and possibly some cameras of draft party at Nassau Coliseum. How about making this like a playoff atmosphere. Put rally towels on each chair, and after hopefully after Garth Snow calls the name John Tavares, the goal horn sounds, and all us fans at the draft party stand and wave our rally towels. Taht would be a sight to see, 17,000 plus fans waving rally towels four our draft pick. Just an idea to add some excitement. The rally tolwes would mean nothing if it’s not Tavares. I am cautiously optimistic it will be John Tavares.
#62…excellent point and just another reason why Snow will draft JT.
Snow is a smart man…It think he has dropped us some hints that its gonna be Tavares…and this week I think he will continue to do that.
I like the way goforbroke @ 18 is thinking. Make someone else come in and do some heavy lifting and we end up with 2 out of the top 3. That is the reason you don’t tip your hand, because anything can still happen
I can’t stand the speculation anymore!!! Please let it be JT!!!
The Islanders can extend an olive branch to their fans for letting LaFontaine go, then trading Turgeon, then trading Palffy, then passing on Parise, by selecting John Tavares 1st overall next Friday night. We’ve earned it by sticking with this team through all the “downs”… the “ups” have been few and far between. Why draft Duchene when we already have a very similar player in Josh Bailey?… who it seems in the near future will make a terrific #2 center behind #1 center Tavares. What do you think CB? Can you pass along this sentiment to Garth?
This is what the post posted, i knew the first part but clearly states he aint trading too:
Islanders GM Garth Snow said yesterday that he has made his decision and knows who it’s going to be. “I made up my mind a while ago,” Snow said yesterday at the Coliseum. “This is a big moment. We’ll get a special player.” The consensus is that the Isles will pick the center John Tavares, but the defenseman Victor Hedman and forward Matt Duchene clearly remain possibilities. And Snow reiterated yesterday that he does not “envision” trading the pick
Can’t we talk about who we are taking with the 31st overall rather then the 1st overall. Cause i am getting bored with this stuff
To every fan hoping for JT like me, every day leading up to the draft lottery, I kept thinking of the Lotto commercials. All we needed was a “little bit of luck”. Well, we still need “a little bit of luck”, and it’s in Garth’s hands now. So c’mon everybody, JUST A LITTLE BIT… JUST A LITTLE BIT…
Why would any “REAL” Islander fan dream up a scenario of trades that ended up with TORONTO having the #1 draft pick.
I mean really????
This process has been a stress test like no other. We have all been a tread mill since the latter part of the regular season. FIRST it was the battle to finish in the #1 Lottery slot; SECOND it was the palm sweating Lottery itself; THIRD and last it is the NEEDLESS drama of who Snow is going to choose. Haven’t we all been put through enough as fans? The damn stars have aligned and we are finally lucky enough to have a goal scorer extraodanaire in our laps and there is still doubt as to whether or not Garth is going to dare to abandon conventional wisdom in classic Milbury fashion and re-invent the wheel. Enough is enough! Tavares has been projected as the plumb of the 2009 draft since he was 15 years old!!! He is still worthy of that status. For God sakes,Garth,no more surprises,unless you can add to Tavares with another blue chipper!
Last post. In NHL.com’s 5 Questions for John Tavares, he said Mike Bossy was a player he likes to pattern his game after.
I like Matt Duchene and I think he will be a good player but if we draft him #1 I will never go to another game again. This will further prove the incompitance of Wang and Snow and abandon the entire fanbase. Snow told TSN that the player they wanted when they won the draft lottery is still the player they are selecting at #1 and after doing their homework on the other players, they reaffirmed their choice. How can it not be Tavares?
#53 your so right. to not take tavares would be awful for this fanbase and for this team. i also cant believe that wang wouldnt be putting his 2 cents in on this pick considering he has lost a buttload of money and tavares would almost instantly put more cash in his pocket and would help push the lighthouse project foward with all the buzz that would be around the team
Can we turn this into a reality TV show?
In my mind the #1 pick has to make the team and play for the Isles. So it has to be Tavares or Hedman. If Duchesne can’t make the junior national team, how does he make an NHL roster. It’s going to be Tavares
isles website has an ad for sales people -not sure how long its been there but imo its a pretty good sign that they will draft JT if they want new sales people workin the floor at the draft party selling ticket packs
@45 great post
@61 that article that Snow was asked i believe that it was all 3 not just Tavares and Hedman. So actually it could be Duschene…..now i am not saying it is but at least he is in the conversation.
Also
The Isles had all three in for interviews, so why at least wouldn’t Duschene be in their. I know it is not what Isles fans want to hear…but it doesn’t necessarily mean that they will draft Duschene.
Pat Brisson on this Blog, said it was going to be either Tavares or Duschene (his clients I know) but if he didnt think it was true he wouldnt have said it. Maybe to either of them, but out in public on a great blog like CB’s Point blank.
I know most want Tavares (as do I) but popularity does not make the best player
@77 could be that they will need more sales people after they take an “unconventional” pick in Duschene too. Much less excitement. Ok i will get off my high horse now….sory Mr Botta
Not saying this is gonna happen and will root for the kid if he’s picked…but read the pre-2001 draft scouting report on Stephen Weiss at HF. The tell me if drafting Duchene number 1 doesn’t scare the Hell out you…cuz it does me.
Tavares = I am still an Islander fan.
Duchene or Hedman = I am a free agent in fandom for the first time ever.
A couple of things:
I love the “JT will score 40 goals but Duchene will win you a cup” take on the two. I think that’s really oversimplifying the whole one dimensional two way player thing.
Second, most of us know we’ll be back eventually even if the Isles do something brash like taking Duchene #1. We’ll be pissed (rightfully so) , we’ll storm out of the building, we’ll flood the internet boards with our bellyaching but we’ll come around eventually and we’ll embrace the pick as our guy. We’re all masocists , umm I mean Islanders!
Seeing CB and the rest of the media are throwing their predictions out there, here is mine. The Isles end all speculation of who is chosen #1 by somehow doing a ‘99 Brian Burke type of deal where he got both Sedins, and wind up with the #1 and #2 overall picks in this years draft taking JT AND Hedman. I know its far fetched, but its fun, isnt it? hahaha. If that doesnt happen, I still think they take JT (or would like JT). That would give us a very good 1-2 punch down the middle for YEARS with JT and Bailey. But if they take someone else, so be it.
//start Mini Rant - Guys really need to stop talking about trades that happened in the past and focus on the situation our Isles are presented right now. Yes, they were bad trades, but whats the point to continually drone on and on about it? Us diehards have been through the same as you. Please stop with the comparisons of previous trades and drafts and making it sound like the upcoming draft is already doomed from the start. Snow has nothing to do with what Milbury did, and Snow has yet to even come close to mimicking what Mike did, so please stop. Snow is 100x the better businessman than Milbury ever was. You are chastising Snow before he has done ANYTHING. I swear, the number of pessimists on here is amazing. Its got to stop. //end rant… sorry for the long post CB.
One more thing….
LETS GO IS-LAND-ERS!!!!!!
You know, after reading some of these responses, I am getting the feeling that no matter WHO the Isles take, there is going be a riot of some kind at the coliseum.
i keep going back to the tavares juggling act goal against slovakia. i just it watched again. how many guys could that, and how often do they come along?
Islanders fans won”t be happy no matter what happens….
If the Islanders want Duchene and wanted to trade out of the 1st pick to #3 to take him, why would they hype him so much? That would be stupid.
If they over hype Duch it gets them less from Colorado b/c its obvious the isles target him.
So if isles really wanted Duch, you would here very little about him and only get hype about Tav & Hed.
Assuming Snojanks arent stupid, they are taking Tavares.
PS - I think Snow is only holding out to see if someone offers NYI a ridonkulous trade offer. If not, the Islanders are BRING’N SEXY BACK to LI, JT baby!
Quotes about Tavares in the World Junior Tournament. “He’s the guy,” said teammate and longtime friend Chris Di Domenico. “He wants us to follow him. He is a great guy and he has such a big heart.” And from the coach Pat Quinn… “”It is clear [Tavares is special],” head coach Pat Quinn said after the game. “I didn’t know much about this young man before [the Canadian junior training camp opened in mid-December]. But he has that something else.
“He has that change of pace that freezes guys. He knows how to carry the puck and what to do with the puck.” Are you listening Garth Snow??? Pat Quinn is considered one of the greatest hockey minds in the history of the game. Pat Quinn cut Duchene.
Honestly, I’d be happy with Duchene or Tavares. I’m hoping for JT mainly because he’d bring fans back to the seats and can score at will. Someone commented on how he is a one way player like Pavel Bure. I think i’d be very happy with Pavel Bure who was one of the best goal scorers in the game.
However, as bad as it is to say, I’m hoping for one more bad year or us winning the lottery and drafting either Taylor Hall or Kirill Kabanov next draft. They are both going to be dominant players in the NHL.
6 days!!! Hurry up and get here next friday!
I’m still with the majority … I am overwhelmingly in the Tavares corner.
I doubt very very very much that Snow leaked any hint to the Logan / Newsday / Ranger camp.
Even though it’s providing an anxious final weeks before the draft … I like how Snow is playing this.
If Snow hasn’t changed his mind on who he is leaning … then I find it hard to see Duchene in the running for 1st overall … afterall … he only showed up on the radar late.
i dont want this to happen but hedman will be choosen
I don’t understand why people wouldn’t continue to support this club if we take Hedman. Do you people not like stud 6′5″ #1 defensemen?
As for the people that don’t like Hedman because “we had a Hedman in Chara,” just face facts. He left a good Senators club as a free agent. Do you really think he’d resign with us if we didn’t trade him? I don’t think so.
#86: You’re right, Snow isn’t Milbury. But if he takes Duchene over Tavares or Hedman with #1 overall, then he will be compared to Milbury forever because that decision warrants such a comparison. Only incompetence would permit Snow to take Duchene over far more accomplished and higher ranked prospects like JT or Hedman.
When you listen to fools the mob rules
I guess Garth really is good at this run around game
Not for nothin but Chara was on his third team when he won the norris……just sayin.
If snow picks tavares he certainly has dont a great job keeping the excitement up. Everyone though JT was a sure thing #1, hell he would of went #1 over stamkos last year. Snow is keeping everyone guessing. If he take JT Snow have been a genius. If he takes anyone else then Snow just proved he is another moron just like milbury.
I like that image you painted of Garth. It’s perfect. So perfect, I’m wondering if you were in his office when he did that.
While I dont want to dismiss the talent of Schroeder, I would be very upset if the Isles traded up for him. As both Logan and Botta have pointed out, with their second pick the Isles need to add size.
How can the Islanders possibly explain drafting someone who did not even make the Team Canada World Junior roster vs. the 1st line center on that same team? It makes no sense at all and they will never be able to sell that to the fans
I’m just tired of the team having 20 goal scorers. I want someone who can put up 40-50 goals. I want us to have our own version of Ovechkin, even if he won’t be exactly like him. Duchene will be another of a long line of guys who will top out at 25 goals in a season.
Blizzard, I think Ottawa would like to do that again and keep Chara instead of Redden.
@Swan..so if they pick Duchene it is OK just because Snow thought it was best….amazing. If they pick him Snow screwed up big time.