SNOJANKS UPDATED! Tavares % inches up
Plus: Pierre McGuire/Point Blank mock draft top 5
Islanders Point Blank on Twitter
Phew! Just one more week until the draft. I was starting to wonder if we could keep this conversation even remotely informative and entertaining for more than two months after the lottery win. Now we’re almost there!
Wait a sec. What did you say? It’s two weeks away?
Oh, spit.
Hey, I tried. I mean, it’s not like anyone at the Islanders is helping. Tough diggin’ up this stuff on your own.
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NO PRESSURE
The email Inbox continues to get creamed with messages - some real nice, some real not - about how I’m going to be humiliated when the Islanders don’t take John Tavares.
Let’s be honest, friends. If the Islanders take Victor Hedman or especially Matt Duchene first overall, bless them for doing what they truly believe is right. But if the Islanders take Victor or Matt first overall, your focus is not going to be about the hump bloggin’ in RVC and being wrong. No, not at all.
I’m going with what I feel is right, based on some evidence and common sense. So what if so many more legitimate mainstream journalist/entertainers think otherwise? The prediction here remains Tavares. If I’m wrong, I’ll even increase the post per thread maximum from 3 to 5 so you can celebrate or vent with and at me.
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MOCK DRAFT TOP 5: McGUIRE VS. PB
NBC and TSN and everywhere else commentator Pierre McGuire joined us via text last night for a mock draft of the first 5 selections.
Team McGuire Point Blank
1. NYI Tavares Tavares
2. TB Hedman Hedman
3. Col Duchene Duchene
4. Atl Schenn Kane
5. LA Kane Schenn
McGuire said his top-5 ranking of the best players in the draft equals his mock draft. We had the same top 3, plus Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson 4 and Jordan Schroeder 5 (boy, have we been mocked for No. 5).
Point Blank will not have a mock draft of the entire first round, and please let me explain why. I have been all over this draft since the Islanders lost just about every game in December and Tavheduch was born. Since the Chris Campoli trade, I have talked to everyone on my speed dial about prospects 1-50 in order to write intelligently about Islanders picks 26, 31 and 37 (with a possible move from 26 to as high as 15, more likely closer to 20).
I have listed 12 names for Islanders fans to look out for between picks 15 and 37. At forward (from high to low): Zack Kassian, Carter Ashton, Chris Kreider, Jordan Caron, Ethan Werek and Joonas Nattinen. On defense (from high to low): David Rundblad, Calvin de Haan, Stefan Elliott, Tim Erixon, Dylan Olsen, Matthew Clark. I have also name-dropped John Moore and Simon Despres as dboys likely gone too early for the NYI to move up, but you never know.
I’m very comfortable with the research that went into those projections. However, for me to type up a mock draft of what Dallas is going to do at 8, Anaheim at 15 and Philadelphia at 22 would be foolish. More than that, it would be an insult to readers.
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CLOSER TO TAVARES
The view here is that the likelihood of the Islanders drafting John Tavares first overall has increased a bit over the last week for a few reasons:
1. As many fans have pointed out here and elsewhere, it seems more and more outlandish that the Islanders would pump their Draft Party to these heights and then pass on the player they know at least 80% of their fanbase yearns for. In a Point Blank poll the day after the lottery, more than 90% of 632 individual voters wanted Tavares. Results of a new Islandermania poll: Tavares - 282, Hedman - 34, Duchene - 8.
How else to explain the regular updates from the Islanders of how many tickets have been snapped up? (The number is now up to 11,000 12,000 13,000, to which a die-hard at Imania posted, “Who are they kidding”?). Why else would the Islanders market the event so hard? They are well aware Hedman and Duchene do not bring the same high level of buzz. The Islanders wouldn’t be digging themselves a hole, would they? Because the hole could end up being the site of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The more I think of it, sincerely, the Draft Party really is the place to be two weeks from tonight.
2. Although the Islanders did not want the details to get out, a lot was learned last week about the visits of Tavares, Hedman and Duchene. To be sure, it means nothing that Hedman’s trip was short - he had little time between the draft combine and a league-sponsored media tour at the Final - while Tavares and Duchene each stayed over two nights at Garth Snow’s house. But it does say a lot that management thought to have Doug Weight spend some quality time with Tavares.
And if you were really paying attention, it seems the Draft Party hype went into full motion soon after the visit from Tavares. It is not a stretch to think Tavares answered all of management’s questions, and then the Islanders immediately went into we-must-maximize-the-hype mode. Remember, the sales clock didn’t start ticking on Tavares on April 14. It could start on June 26, giving the Islanders a little more than three months before the home opener.
3. Minor maybe, but telling. When I posted my interview with Tavares last Wednesday and the majority of the Country celebrated, no one from the Islanders even tried to call me and warn against building up expectations for the taking of Tavares. I did receive some “Please. Just. Stop. It.” calls over the season. Of course, I didn’t listen.
Countering all of the above, there’s Billy Jaffe’s Duch-love from Wednesday and the feeling that if the Islanders could make this draft pick in a bubble…they might lean toward Matt Duchene. I still think Tavares will be the pick.
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FUN WITH HEADLINES
Newsday headline if the Islanders go with Victor: HED-SCRATCHER. Of course, it might not be large on the back page. The Yankees play the Mets at Citi Field the night of the first round. A-Rod or David Wright could get a hit in the clutch.
I will say this: the team that gets Victor - the Islanders or Tampa Bay - is getting an outstanding hockey player and young man. The Islanders have their psychological testing. Hedman passed my 15-minute test with flying colors.
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While everyone who loves this game is enrapt in a thrilling Stanley Cup Final, of course I find myself thinking about the Islanders and teams like the Florida Panthers.
Why the Panthers? Well, they’ve been on my radar lately because Bill Torrey is in charge of hiring their new GM and that job hunt is intriguing because Florida has talent and prospects.
You know that NHL commercial the league ran early this season with all the questions? “Will Ovechkin blah blah blah, will Crosby blah blah blah”? One of the questions, a very fair one, was “Is this the year the Panthers break through”?
Well, look at the forwards of the franchise seemingly on the verge the last few seasons: a playmaker in Stephen Weiss, a 31-goal breakout from David Booth, good young forwards like Nathan Horton and Michael Frolik and some solid prospects. A pretty good D last year with Jay Bouwmeester and Bryan McCabe at the top. Vokoun and Anderson in goal (and future star Jacob Markstrom), plus a highly-respected rookie coach in Pete DeBoer.
They have ability and adequate doses of leadership and guts, and just missed the playoffs this season. So what’s missing?
The Panthers have some very good forwards. They have yet to find a great one. Does Matt Duchene = very-good-not-great Stephen Weiss? That’s why you have scouts, I guess.
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SNOJANKS!
Without further ado, from the folks who brought you the Tavheduch Watch comes the Snojanks Scoreboard. It might sound to some like SNo Thjanks but is named after general manager Garth Snow and assistant GM/director of scouting Ryan Jankowski.
Featured every week from now until the draft, Snojanks reflects the view of Point Blank on the probability of the Islanders’ potential moves with the first pick overall. Here’s our chart from a week ago. We have revised it.
THE SNOJANKS SCOREBOARD
June 12, 2009
55% - The Islanders select John Tavares with the first overall pick
20% - They select Victor Hedman with the first overall pick (Know this: a head coach with a legendary Eastern European team told me yesterday he was certain Hedman would have a better NHL career than Tavares. I greatly value my comrade’s opinion, so I’m passing it along).
20% - The Islanders select Matt Duchene with the first overall pick (Know this: the interest in Duchene is not going away. It’s almost a crush).
4% - The Islanders move to 3 with a trade and select Duchene. (No idea what they could possibly get from Colorado to make it worthwhile). Hmm, I guess that means there’s a 24% chance of them bringing home Duchene.
1% - They draft two out of Tavares, Hedman and Duchene by making a trade that does not include Kyle Okposo or the Islanders’ first round pick in 2010. (As extraordinary as this might be, it seems less and less likely the Islanders can pull it off. They just don’t have enough to offer).
Comments.
79 Responses to “SNOJANKS UPDATED! Tavares % inches up
Plus: Pierre McGuire/Point Blank mock draft top 5”
Please Wait
Please oh please don’t draft Duchene unless you are trading down for him. Also, maybe management is intensionally hyping the party knowing full well they are taking Duchene at #1. Maybe Wang has gotten approval for the LH and figures “Hey the Coli’s gotta come down anyway. Why not save some $ and have the fans bring it down for free?”.
The weather outside maybe dreary, but the odds of Tavares being the man brightened my day.
Though initially saying the draft was next Friday freaked me out a bit, as I have a HappyHour/B-Day party to go to.
And I was very on the fence about going to the draft party, but I thought what the heck, might as well get the free tix. But the closer we get, the more I want to go.
ive said it before and ill say it again: why do some people assume that a guy who has the ability to score 40 goals does not want to play defense?
why do some people assume that a guy who is not as offensively gifted is a an “all around player”?
why do some people assume that a guy who is 6 foot6 hits like he is 6 foot 6?
a player’s assets should not be used against him. if you overanalyze and point out his flaws, you forget what he does best. it just bothers me that some people assume that a guy who is capable of scoring 40 goals can’t play defense, doesn’t have any character, is selfish, can’t skate, etc. if you need character players on your team, get a 3rd liner with a ton of character. if you need a physical defenseman, get a shutdown d-man. both of these types of players are fairly simple to aquire through free agency. if you want a guy who can score 40 goals, you have to give him 6-8 mill/year. on top of that, he many not even want to come to a team like the islanders. instead of being scared and playing it “safe”, just do the convential thing for once. i mean, if you don’t, you have another zach parisy on your hand. how has that turned out?
p.s. matt duchene+stephen weiss (not exactly the guy you draft with a top 3 selection, look at his numbers, he has great character though lol!
1) IF the Isles can pull off a trade that would give them 2 of the top 3 picks, you HAVE to make the 2010 1st rounder available.
2) Seems that the top 3 are as good if not better than anyone available next season(assuming the Isles BOTH finish near the bottom AND win another draft lottery.
3) So outside of trading Okposo, ALL other assets should be on the table to pull off that coup!
I have to lean toward what you are saying here CB. The Smoke is starting to clear a little and Tavares seems to be the more Logical choice.
However with the Islanders past track record you never know.
Keep fingers crossed and hope for the best and that huge draft party might be the start of demolition on the coliseum if Tavares is NOT picked!
CB you hit it dead on, they can’t be promoting this hard to take matt Duchene at 1. I would understand if the islanders truly want Hedman they will have to take him at 1 because Tampa may very well want him most of all. But if the Islanders want Duchene they better trade down to colorado.
I will definately still go to games next year if Duchene is the pick, but it will be very difficult to drop $2000 on season tickets if Matt Duchene is taking at # 1.
In a few years Duchene could very well be better and 90% of us may be eating our words, but Garth none of us will have the right to accuse you of making a mistake by choosing Tavares, because its what we all wanted. Gives us what we want for once, make the simple choice, take john Tavares
Hey CB, at what “Tavares percentage” do you buy your ticket to Montreal for the draft?
Does the Islanders “Draft Party number” include the Kids Club too? I got an email from the Islanders saying that the doors will be open at 5pm for the kiddies to play with Sparky, take locker room tours, jump on the big inflatable thingie-ma-bobbers, and all that fun stuff. With it being the last day of school (and early release at 11:30am), I may just bring the kiddies early, stay for the first draft pick, and then bolt before Tampa’s pick. Of course I’ll be recording Versus on my TiVo for later browsing.
Good points # 5!! I just don’t see how after all the hype of the draft party, that drafting Duchene could happen! Im starting to feel like they will take JT!!
You should write all of newsday’s headlines.
i’ve got one and only one thing to say about the difference between drafting TAVARES and HEDMAN. no free agents are ever going to sign on LI to play with victor hedman. just not going to happen.
now if tavares is lighting the lamp on a nightly basis, i’m pretty sure a few free agent forwards are going to want to come here and play with him and boost their own stats.
duchene could be good, but you take the highest prized guy at #1 not a guy who jockeyed his way to the front of the pack with 2 months to go before the draft. no matter what i say the islanders need to take a forward. how many 2-1 games did the islanders lose this year? 3-2? if we had 1 more scorer to finish those chances around the net those games would be W’s
Matt Duchene played on a Brampton team with Hodgson and Grachev. Two slightly older more talented and experienced players and Duchene benefitted from that even though he only put up 79 points. If Duchene played on a Oshawa team like Tavares did that had alot less talent on it, Duchene would not even be looked upon as a top 5 pick. Last year the Islanders played it safe and went with the safe pick in Bailey. You do not do that again this year. You go for the potential homerun hitter.
Draft cannot come soon enough
Tavares baby
CB,
I took a Sports Marketing/PR course at Hofstra several years ago. I’m sure you know the teacher, Greg Bouris. It seems like your careers have had some similar paths. Reading your tweet, now you’re mention of the Florida Panthers has me worried. Of course from a strictly selfish point of view. Am I looking too far into this?
I don’t see the islanders finishing dead last next year and therefore that 2010 first rounder should be made available with something else to get this year’s 2nd or 3rd pick as well.
Just got a text: “ISLES DRAFT PARTY: More than 13,000 people have gotten their FREE tickets to the Draft Party on June 26th. Have you?”
maybe Isles are keeping Duchene in the mix as a favor to player agent Pat Brisson…doesn’t Brisson represent Mark Streit, Tavares AND Duchene? Isles fans very happy and even more grateful when team takes Tavares, while Duchene gets major hype from being “right on that same level” with whatever team picks him, presumably 3, and Brisson gets a bit of extra reward from Isles in the form of a hyped pick for delivering Streit
WHO IS GOING TO THE DRAFT PARTY? CB CAN WE GET A MEET UP?
3 comments:
1. would it surprise you if the marketing team is hyping & promoting this draft party without any insider knowledge as to who the team takes #1? It wouldn’t surprise me. would it surprise you if snow/jankowski want hedman or, heaven forbid, duchene? It wouldn’t surprise me. Would it surprise you if the Isles draft Duchene and there are, lets be conservative, 6,000 fans at the party of which 5995 storm out? It wouldn’t surprise me. I trust them to make the right pick. I would rather have a pronger or an yzerman over a hull/Andreychuk . that being said, i still dont understand how duchene went from not even making jr team THIS SEASON to top 3 pick.
2. I think botta should add an option to your draft playout % game: they trade down to #2 and then trade down to #3.
3. If duchene is their guy, would it be so terrible to trade down 2x and pick up the 32 & 33 picks in a very deep draft as well? or some 1st rounders for 2010?
we drafted Matt Duchene last year, but he goes by the name Josh Bailey
Can someone tell me what Duchene has that Tavares doesn’t that would even make picking Duchene plausible ?? The only thing that I have read is that he can skate better than Tavares.
Scoring, leadership, playmaking ability, will to win, ability to play under pressure all go to TAVARES ! ! !
(13) Thank you, Derek, but yes.
(18) Chad: You make a particularly excellent first point. You are right: the marketing department does not have any idea whom the hockey ops staff is taking first overall. That said, it is very conceivable the message from upper-upper management to them a few weeks ago was simply, “We have to make this the biggest thing it can be” and left it at that. I have been there before…CB
Chad, haven’t heard anyone call Tavares a Andreychuk type…they did say Dale Hauerchuk(sp?) though. And I would take him on my team any day of the week.
It’s going to be Tavares. It has to be Tavares. To do anything else is suicide.
LOOK! the Isles better take Tavares. bottom line. This is the real deal staring them in the face. a potential 40 goal scorer and someone to put (ala George Steinbrener) “fannies in the seats”.
This is such a no-brainer. I don’t see any comparison between Duchene to Tavares and it clearly looks like they can trade up to get a blue chip defenseman if they are creative.
They are just playing this out in silent mode. to build up the drama and keep people talking about the team. It’s good as long as everyone is talking about the ISles. The longer they stay silent on Rick’s status and the draft, they better for them. (IMO)
I think you’re more likely to see the Islanders take Kane first overall than seeing Wright or Reyes get a clutch hit.
edit…meant Wright or A-Rod.
#1984 love that line and i agree totally. Tavares, Bailey and Okoposo is a real start. Now add in Bergenheim, Nielsen and Comeau and were looking alright. Now we just need some fruggin size…
Chris, you make some good points. I’ve been wondering if all this draft party hype meant that they were going to take Tavares. But I dont think that it does. I think Duchene is the pick. It will be interesting to see the reaction of the people at the coliseum when this happens.
#27
“I think Duchene is the pick. It will be interesting to see the reaction of the people at the coliseum when this happens.”
I don’t want to see it. What a disaster this will be to watch JT carry some other team to the CUP.
JT all the way, or BUST!
i dont know why your so obsessed with not tradin the 2010 1st round pick…if we could get tavares and hedman you wouldnt do it! come on now, hedman is prob better then the anybody in the 2010 draft. you should realy rethink your logic on that one………also after hearing that tim erixon’s father was a bum ranger i dont want him to even be a consideration, why cant we get guys like Eric Nystrom and Brandon Sutter? there fathers not only played on the Islanders but each were here for all 4 cups, come on mr.Islanders son not on the Islanders? thats wrong and im sure Snow could pick them up.
also i dont want the guy named duch! think about it if we draft duch he will be here for a long time and however long that is we will hear duch taunts from ranger fans…a missed shot DUCH! beat up in a fight DUCH! a shootout try DUCH! and what could we chant for him? DUCH? DUCH-BAG?
i think they would hype up the party if the pick was tavares or hedman. while fans would initially be disapointed with picking hedman, imo that would wear off quickly. i really do think hedman will be an amazing player in this league. i agree with chris that i just can’t see nyi hyping this up so much if the pick was duchene. that’s setting up an ugly scene.
Just making a point here and people should take notice.
This Draft party from what people are saying already has confirmed over 12,000 tickets.
HELLO! do you think it is do to the fact that TAVARES is the Attraction.
GARTH SNOW and CHARLES WANG take notice and observation that maybe if you draft Tavares that Ticket sales might go through the roof, SELLOUTS Baby that means $$$$ Wangster.
GET IT DONE!! TAVARES !!!
I would if possible, trade 2010 #1 - for 2,3, or even 4. Why? Because there is no guarantee that the ISles will be as bad, if we stay healthy and normal maturation from the kids. Which means we could be drafting # 7-12 next year. 2010 1st + Comeau and/or Nielsen? Where do I sign…
When all the smoke has cleared after the Isles make the 1st overall selection, and Johnny T. is sitting there doing interviews with his Vintage blue Isles jersey on, I think we’re all gonna find out that Garth and company had planned on taking Tavares all along.
This is EXACTLY what they want. We have the entire NHL, not to mention all of Canada wondering what we’re gonna do with the 1st pick. All the attention is on the Isles (in a good way, for once). This is perfect. Johnny T. WILL be a New York Islander two weeks from today.
All of the talk about “this is the Isles, anything can happen”…needs to be thrown out the window. All of the “Mad Mike” stuff needs to be put behind us. It’s WELL behind us now, and ya gotta trust that Garth and Jankowski know what they are doing. Don’t compare it to last year when they traded down twice from 5 to 7 to 9 to take Bailey. This is TOTALLY different. We didn’t have a SUPERSTAR in waiting and the face of a franchise staring us in the face at last year’s draft. And anyone who sits there and says that Filatov is the face of a franchise is crazy. He might end up being a very good player at some point, but so will Bailey; and the extra picks that we acquired by moving down in last year’s draft are the picks that Snow is gonna use to move up in the first round this year and get a solid d-man or maybe even the power forward (Zach Kassian) that this team so desperately needs…IN GARTH WE TRUST!
LET’S GO ISLANDERS!!!!!
I don’t think for a second that the organization cares about what the fan reaction will be on draft night to who they choose.
Regardless of which player the Isles choose, the management see themselves as winners already with the hype surrounding the draft party and more people in the building to try to make buy season’s tickets, which is what the draft party is all about anyway. And the county loves the fact that they’ll have thousands of extra cars paying to park in the NVMC lot, and lots of fans buying refreshments inside on what would have normally been an empty night.
Good read, if they play it “safe” with Duchene, I am done with this team until Snow is fired. I am sick of the stupidity.
as someone said thee other day, Jay Boumeester finally has become a great defenseman, so florida was right when they predicted that and drafted him. But said news for panthers management, he is going to be a great d man for some other team. I don’t feel like waiting around to see hedman blossom and then sign somewhere else. Take Tavares
To Chad, if the Isles do pick Duchene w/ the #1 Pick, I dont think you will see a mass exodous of fans.
Instead we’ll be a-whompin’ and a-whumpin’ every livin’ thing that moves within an inch of its life. Except the women folks, of course.
#29
“also after hearing that tim erixon’s father was a bum ranger i dont want him to even be a consideration, why cant we get guys like Eric Nystrom and Brandon Sutter? there fathers not only played on the Islanders but each were here for all 4 cups, come on mr.Islanders son not on the Islanders? thats wrong and im sure Snow could pick them up.”
Do you want to WIN? or have this be a reunion for kids of former islanders players?
If Erixson is good get him! He even said he has no attachment to the rangers. He does not even remember his dad playing for them.
bottom LINE we need to WIN!!!!
and no friggin way we’re getting both JT and Hedman. NO WAY!
My brain hurts JT all the way.
Ahhhhh 2 Weeeeksss!!!! I can’t wait till the draft is over.
CB ~ I see you already responded to a question I was to ask about the whole Draft Party Hype Machine … I firmly believe that the marketing department has ZERO clue as to who the Isles are going to pick … their order are just to hype the party. I believe that who the Isles are going to pick is a closely guarded secret among perhaps 5 top people in the Organization … Snow, Janks, Wang, Morrow and another amatuer scout.
The fact however that marketing hasn’t been instructed to tone it down a bit may actually point to Tavares being selected #1 … but who knows.
All I know is I have my draft party tix, and that when Snow is called up to the podium there will be a deafening roar from the crowd as he makes his way to the podium … followed by deafening silence to listen to Snow / Janks speak… followed by ??????
Why are you being mocked for your #5? Jordan Schroeder is a fine prospect and has top flight skills. He is just short, but he is stocky and strong. I think he is going to be a successful player at the next level.
That last blog was a very good point and what I was talking about to a fellow Islander fan the other day.
There is no way they would hype up this draft party so much, knowing who the fans clearly want, if they had any true notions to take Hedman or Duchene. Tavares has to be the pick. Unless they are only allowing those in to the draft party who voted for Hedman on the website?
Uh oh…
(41) When Snow is called to the podium and the cameras from Versus go live at the Isles Draft Party, all across the US and Canada the scene will be (16,000?!!?!)Isles fans chanting “JOHN TA-VA-RES!!!!” over and over again. If he picks Hedman or Duchene, or trades the pick, they will see the Coliseum being torn asunder by (16,000?!?!?) Isles fans who just can’t take it anymore. Well, that and one unlucky fan being launched through the Jumbotron.
Hey CB, the only way I see you humiliated at the draft is if the Isles pick YOU first and they make you get on the ice for some combine style exercises!
I think they’re going to draft Tavares, but if I’m wrong, it certainly wouldn’t be the first time the Isles surprised me on draft day.
I would trade next years number one, and the rest of this years picks, to Tampa for their number one. JT and Hedman are Islanders.
It’s just a little dream I have, two weeks to go, almost there.
Vader (#44) … Lets just hope that it doesn’t come to that … that is why I left ????? at the end of my post… b/c God knows what will happen if Snow says anything other than “The Islanders are proud to select with the #1 pick from the London Knights John Tavares!!!!”
The NVMC will come down quicker than any demolition team could do it … and that isn’t because the crowd will tear it down … it would be from the collective gasp of 16,000+ fans creating a sonic wave that causes the old barn to collapse on itself.
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Do you guys think that the Isles will issue more than 16,234 tix?? I mean they can set it up for concert capacity “In-The-Round” …. right?
CB I made a post 2 years ago about how I wanted the Islanders to draft John Tavares. I bought a Tavares jersey and will be wearing it at the draft party. If anybod is set up to look like a fool, its me. But like you, I have complete confidence that the team will make the right decision and draft JT. Keep up the excellent work CB. I hope you can make it to the party, but if you go to MTL, tell JT how much all of us appreciate him coming to the island, and most of all have fun
44-Your last sentence is funny.
I really dont see Duchene in mix. while there is outside possibility of Hedman. I think Tavares is the #1.
All i can say is im not buying seasons if Tavares is not selected. I dont think Im the only person that feels that way.
For those of you who will be able to attend the draft party, could you try to record the few minutes leading up to and through the announcement of the first pick? I really want to be able to see what the atmosphere is like right before, during, and right after the pick is made.
#48 - The implosion of the NVMC….see it on the Discovery channel. Nah…..it will be a good day for the fans!!!
Entertaining read, CB! With so many voices out there insisting the Isles are taking Hedman, I’m still concerned they’ll pass on Tavares. I just wonder if there is some validity to those rumors. We all said the “Snow/Nolan rift” stories were inventions of the “Canadian media’s imagination” when that story first broke up there, and it turned out there was fire behind that smoke, so I wonder if that is the case here as well.
rb #16, thats a good insight. if they want tavares, it only helps them to promote duchene as well. having him over at snows house is a good idea then! give some love to agent brisson, no sweat off out back and only helpuwth tavares negotiations, partnerships, long term etc..
52, i’ll bring my camera and try to record as much of that as possible
is the draft party actually going to be shown on Versus?
Hot Rumor has Pronger going to the Kings for number 5 pick and Johnson
Mike L … you and me brother … I developed the hockey player crush after Tavares’ 2007 record breaking season of the Great One’s single season goal record … The thing is … way back then I couldn’t dream the Isles would of had a shot at holding the #1 lottery spot … The Isles were a tough inspiring team with Ryan Smyth leading the charge back then. Oh how things have changed.
So Mike L … You, myself, CB and 10s of thousands of other Isles fans will look not dumb … but smart on June 26th.
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Hock … it will not take much to bring down that old barn … if we all hold our breath at the same time when Snow gets to the podium we may suck all the air out of the building … LOL!
I have faith that Garth will do the right thing. Last season I thought it was Colin Wilson … these season I know TAVARES will be selected. However this decade … other than Kyle Okposo the Isles haven’t made a 1st round selection that I had as my first choice … so I’m a bit concerned … only a bit.
Isles select Tavaras……Isles sign Tavaras……..have a feeling its gonna be an outrageous contract -why? Because thats what the Islanders do
What are the odds the Islanders will alienate 92+% of their fanbase…..again?
CB - would Tampa in your opinion, be willing to trade a pick so the Islanders do not draft Hedman?
Botta….do us a favor and place a bug in Snow’s office, so we do not have to wait this out any longer.
Thank you.
Damn you Botta! For a second there you had me thinking that there was only one week!
Chris-Thanks for the nice complement.
Gloobenberg you are right…in a quick typed response I got the wrong name. And just to clarify…I WANT TAVERAS and my 2nd choice would be Hedman. I was simply (1) playing devils advocate (2) saying that depending on what they could get to move down it might be worth it, especially if taveras is not their guy OR if they have 2 of the three ranked so close together they would be happy with either one @ #2 and (3) getting fans ready for a big letdown should Taveras not be an Islander. I am ready for it, I wont be happy about it, but ready for it and give it a 50% chance.
CB…the Isles have been scouting these guys for the last 2 years probably. JT, Hedman, and Duchene. After winning the lottery Snow mentioned both Hedman and Tavares, giving a little insight on both and saying he will get a great player either way. He even said he ranked one over the other…though he wouldn’t tell us.
Now are you saying now that even though they’ve been scouting Duchene all year, having ranked behind Hedman and Tavares, that all of a sudden in April, May, and June 2009 after winning the lottery, Snow and the scouting staff all of a sudden enamored with the kid and think he’s the better player of the 3? I’m sure they like Duchene but I can’t buy that they are considering taking him number 1.
If Isles don’t take JT, then everything Snow has said in the past about the importance of scoring goals, not being able to acquire it via free agency; and reconnecting with the fans all goes out the window.
#34 - we all hope you are right but the Isles have consistently gone against the grain. It always seems we think we’re smarter than everyone else (the Parise non pick is the biggest example, although last year is pretty glaring). We just all hope that the Isles will not be the Raiders and make some outlandish move. I am speaking for pretty much everyone here but I think we can safely say that fans will accept Hedman or Tavares, although Tavares is the overwhelming majority play, but anything else and people will be throwing themselves onto the ice from the upper deck.
CB, where can you get one of those draft party t-shirts?
(60)
i dont think hockey is the same as football.
how much is okposo making or bailey , not alot
tavares will of course get more cause #1 but wont be crazy
I would like to think as positive as possible for next season but the reality is…I dont expect the playoffs at all next year simply because they havent added anything that wasnt there last year. Even if they add a 1A Goaltender and they draft JT, they should never in a million years get rid of their 2010 first rounder or their 2nd rounder either. Stockpile potential players in a balanced way and motivate and train the players to be NHL caliber. Also, one of the biggest items that I am looking forward to in the LH Project is the upgrades to the Training Facilities that this team needs so desperately! Iceworks just doesnt cut it for a professional franchise in modern sports…
This is simple really! If the Isles keep the #1 pick they will draft Taveres. If they move to #3 they will take Duchene, because he will still be there at 3 and there is no reason to draft him #1.
I hope if the Isles do pick Tavares he picks another number then 91. I know it really doesn’t matter but I’d prefer if he had a better number like 29.
I hope your friends crystal ball is wrong and Tavaras becomes the better player on the Isles…
If the Lighthouse BS was all figured-out in a positive way then I could see them trading down etc. and maybe NOT drafting Tavares. But with all of the doubt hanging over the franchise can/could they REALLY risk NOT drafting Taveres?!?
I put my money on the Islanders drafting Hedman at 3. They should sell off the number one to get to number 2 and get AS MUCH AS POSSSIBLE
Then Colorado will trade up to get Duchene because it has been said by many people close to their managment that they want him VERY bad, and he has grown up loving the AVS and loving Sakic, so can you think of a better replacement for Sakic other then Duchene? Nope! Sign Anderson as our number 1 because he is a complete beast of a guy, just not well know around the hockey world because he play in FLA. Add Gaborik and our team is a contender
What would be near perfect is Tavares, Kassian and then 2 or 3 of Tim Erixon, Dylan Olsen, Matthew Clark. Take a goalie after that and then Matt Doughty.
How can any team pass a guy who broke or came close to duplicating Wayne Gretzky’s scoring record in juniors??
Tavares is an amazing goal scorer and will help our team if hes drafted. The fact that he broke that record though, you cant think he will surpass Gretzky in the NHL. It was only by 2 goals, he played 3 more games, but didnt put up nearly as many point as Gretzky. Gretzky was always know as a great playmaker over his scoring as well. Either way we will see a great prospect commin our way and thats exciting.
I have personally watched Tavares play and while some people say he is one demensional, thats true but he is still a good skater, good passer and good 2 way player. Its just the fact that he is such a great scorer that makes his other attributes SEEM lower.
I am just so high on Hedman because when you watch him play your just in awww. Its amazing, watch his clip of being 16-17 years old playing against men and still standing out. He puts up alot of point for a defence too. I think he is a young Lidstrom and every scout I talk to says the same.