Monthly Archives: June 2009
Islanders Point Blank on Twitter
Agent Pat Brisson may work out of CAA Sports in Hollywood, but there has been no glitz to his handling of clients John Tavares and Matt Duchene. Brisson has stayed out the picture, did not join his players on their trips to New York and has limited his clients’ interviews. I was grateful Pat gave me a few minutes on the phone today.
You’ve keep a low-profile, Pat, considering you’re the agent for two of the top three picks in the draft. You even worked with the Islanders keep the Long Island visits of John and Matt a secret. What’s been your thought process?
The game is the players. Always has been, always will be. I’m in what I call “the service business.” I work for them – they do not work for me. I often say I’m a “family advisor.” I’m there for the players and their families for whatever is needed. It’s not just about the contracts.
I’m happy to take your call and answer what I can, but you’re not going to hear a lot from me in the media. I wanted John and Matt to come to the Island and do what they were there for: meet the Islanders and see the community without my interference any unnecessary distractions.
Did they convey to you what they thought of their meetings?
Yes. They both were very impressed by Islanders management and Long Island. I know both John and Matt would be very comfortable if they ended up as Islanders.
Victor Hedman came with his agent, but you did not accompany either of your clients.
I would have if I thought it was necessary. I have gone on those visits in the past with other clients. I’ve known Garth Snow for 15 years and have a lot of trust in him. I was confident he and the Islanders would take care of my clients and I felt it would be a better experience for them without me. Maybe me being there changes the tone of the conversations. I did not want that. Everything worked out perfectly.
No matter who the Islanders draft first overall, the contract is not likely to be a battle.
No, it won’t be. I have been the agent for three of the last four players selected first overall – Sidney Crosby, Eric Johnson and Patrick Kane. I do not represent Steven Stamkos. With the latest CBA, these deals are basically no-brainers. You can’t ask for any more money than the CBA permits.
Once you get started, how long does a contract for a first overall draft pick take to hammer out?
Maybe 10, 15 minutes. (Laughs) Like I said, my agency is not just about the contracts. The contracts for Matt and John will be the easy part.
What is your working relationship like with the Islanders?
Very, very good. Mark Streit is a client and we had first-class, professional dealings with the Islanders last summer on Mark’s contract. Mark is very happy there. Like I said, I’ve known Garth for a while as a player and now as a manager. I know the owner, Charles Wang, is dedicated to winning and he’s trying to get a first-class facility for the team and for Long Island. The lines of communication over the last two months about John and Matt have been very strong.
What do you think is going to happen with the first overall pick?
I get the feeling either Matt or John is going to be picked first overall by the Islanders. I guess you can say I am biased, but I really feel that way. I have a very positive feeling about the Islanders and my guys, so let’s see which way it goes. The only thing else I can say is that I’m very proud to work for both of them and I’m certain they’ll have great NHL careers. If you don’t mind, I have to take this other call. Talk to you soon.
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Glenn Anderson presents the nominees and the winner of this year’s Unsung Hero Award in hockey blogdom as presented by Hockey Barn. (Click here to see who won). The award is given to the “writer who has shown dedication and commitment to producing high-quality hockey content in a non-mainstream style that may perhaps offer them less recognition than they would otherwise receive. Each of the nominees offers a unique view of the game and does so very successfully.” Phew!
Thank you to everyone who nominated PB and congrats to all of the nominees. Thank you to the judges and the crew at Hockey Barn. Most of all, thank you to the PB readers who have made our little venture something bigger than I believe any of us expected.
In other Hockey Barn Award categories, congratulations to Darryl of Dobber Hockey on winning the Leadership Award, Leslie from Musings of a Hockey Mom for the Hockey Mom/Dad/Blogger of the Year Award and Don of Litter Box Cats for being named Rookie of the Year for his coverage of the Florida Panthers.
Congrats especially go out to Greg Wyshynski of Puck Daddy not only for winning Writer of the Year, but for his incredible spirit of community and leadership in the hockey blogosphere. In the Hall of Fame wing for writers, Greg is a Builder.
Attention all readers: Adhere to the Comment Guidelines. Comment only on the story written. Read the story if you want to comment. Start your own topic, your future comments go to moderation. No more than 3 per thread. Allow everyone to have their own opinion. Let everyone have their say on the first pick without talking down to them. Stop going after each other and declaring who’s a good fan or a bad fan. Do not make the blog your blog. Start your own. There can never be enough good Islanders blogs. Do not make the blog your message board. There are plenty of good Islanders ones out there. If you are going to quote me saying or writing something, please do it accurately. Everything is archived on the site, even my interview with Mike Francesa about Tavares and the Lighthouse. If you post under a fake email, I can’t communicate with you. Your call. It’s perfectly okay if you don’t like the guidelines. No one will be offended if you go somewhere else. Check out Comment sections of other blogs if you want to know why I have guidelines. Thank you, as always, for checking out the site every day…CB
Islanders Point Blank on Twitter
Before we start with the interview, Garth Snow was just on “NHL Live” with Deb Placey and Billy Jaffe and said everything you’d think he say – nothing. Snow, as he should, wouldn’t say who he’s leaning toward. The GM said he’s putting the final touches on the team’s draft list, 16,000 fans will be at the Draft Party and Rick DiPietro will resume skating in August.
Ex-Lightning GM Jay Feaster came on after and said he thought Snow wanted Victor Hedman. Of course, Jay really has no idea. He’s just heard what other media people have said. Now on with the show…
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Just enough time had passed after his Red Wings lost Game 7 to call Islanders dynasty draft guru and current Detroit Senior VP Jim Devellano for his thoughts on the process.
Five days later, how are you holding up, Mr. D?
Ah, every day the pain dissipates a little more. Our guys gave everything they had and we lost to a great team, so that makes it a little better. Would have been nice to get that eighth Stanley Cup ring (laughs), but for now I’ll have to settle for seven. No regrets. No complaints. No excuses. Everyone here at the Red Wings is very proud of what has been accomplished and we hope to be back. It’s just when you get that close…you know?
No, I don’t. But here’s why I called – the draft. What picks are you most personally proud of from your time with the Red Wings and the Islanders?
Wow, there are so many to choose from. I’ve been involved in 41 NHL drafts. I’ll give you what I feel were the most important ones for each franchise. In 1973, we drafted Denis Potvin for the Islanders. Make no mistake: it’s a selection that no one, including me, should get credit for. Denis was the guy that year and then there was a drop-off.
Ten years later, we drafted Steve Yzerman for the Red Wings. In both cases, our teams selected the foundation players that would lead us to multiple championships. Hall of Fame captains. Above anything else I’ve been a part of at the draft, it doesn’t get any better than getting Denis Potvin and Steve Yzerman.
What was the management structure when you were with the Islanders?
Simple but effective. Of course, it was a much simpler time when we started. But our roles were very clear-cut. Bill Torrey was the ultimate boss as President and general manager. Al Arbour was the coach and no one ever got in his way or told him how to do his job. I was responsible for the draft and our farm team operations in Fort Worth and Indianapolis. I had a great scouting staff and we worked hard and as a team. I have incredible memories of my time with the Islanders.
You took Steve Yzerman 4th overall in 1983 after Pat LaFontaine went third to the Islanders. Were there any other players under consideration at 4 besides Yzerman?
(Laughs) The only other player under consideration was Patty LaFontaine. He was a local boy, and for us in Detroit that meant a lot. No only was he a fantastic prospect – right on par with Yzerman – but we couldn’t sell any tickets back then and having a Detroit kid as talented as Pat would have meant a lot. I think Bill Torrey knew that and still took Pat. That’s okay. I’d say it worked out nicely for the Red Wings that Stevie landed in our laps.
It’s perfect that you mentioned the Red Wings and ticket sales. On Long Island, there are tickets to sell and a large majority of the fanbase wants John Tavares and would not be pleased if the Islanders take anyone else.
Look, no one has asked my opinion on this. I’ve gotten to know Charles Wang well over the last few years and like him very much. He and Garth Snow and their staff will do what’s best for the Islanders. I’m not going to tell you who a team should pick because my days of running the draft are over. I haven’t scouted the top players like the Islanders’ scouts have. But if someone was asking for my counsel…
I’m asking for your counsel. You have seven Stanley Cup rings, so you probably know what you’re talking about.
Okay, since you’re asking, my advice is take the best hockey player. Period. This happens a lot with players perceived as the “popular” pick. It is sheer goofiness that a franchise would ever let anyone other than their scouts determine which player to draft.
Forward or defenseman, best player available – no question about it?
None at all. The only thing I might do differently, because the business has changed, is that I would probably make the announcement of the pick before the draft.
Like the day before?
Days, weeks, just do it. All the top prospects finished playing a month ago. How many times do you need to interview the top kids? I mean, what’s the hold-up? Why drag it out? Be bold.
The teams picking at the top of the draft have known they were for a long time. The scouts have seen these kids dozens of times. They have all the data. Show confidence in your decision-making, respect the scouting process, make the pick and do a contract. Under the new CBA, these entry-level contracts are not tough negotiations. Make the best player part of your franchise as soon as possible, make him feel like he was your guy. Let your fans get excited about him.
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Islanders Point Blank on Twitter
TSN’s Bob McKenzie, in my book the most respected and connected hockey reporter in North America, has stated that he believes the Islanders are leaning toward drafting Victor Hedman. I called Bob today to get some insight into his prediction. Our conversation broke out into other areas.
You’ve said on TSN it will be Victor Hedman for the Islanders. Can you explain how you’ve come to the prediction?
First things first. Would I take it to the bank? Probably not. I first predicted Hedman on a fun segment we do call the “TSN Quiz.” It was more than a month ago. Fact is, anyone can make a case for the Islanders taking Hedman, John Tavares or Matt Duchene because that’s how the Islanders have decided to play it. How do I come up with Hedman for the Islanders? I can’t get into specifics, but it’s from listening to people.
Can you understand why I believe they are drafting John Tavares?
Of course, because selecting Tavares would be the easist, most logical thing to do.
Why do you say that?
For TSN, I do draft ratings that will be out a week on Monday. I talk to 10-12 top scouts and then rank the players. Tavares was the No. 1 pick, and it was virtually unanimous.
I know you don’t want to give up your entire story, but were Hedman and Duchene 2-3 in either order?
Yes, that was also clear-cut, although some people in hockey don’t see it as a big fall-off from the third pick to 4 and 5 like others do.
If the Islanders don’t draft John first overall, what will your reaction be?
I don’t scout players, so you’ll never hear me say, “What a stupid pick”! You might hear me say, “What a ballsy pick,” but I won’t go after a team. All three of these kids are excellent young hockey players. Also keep in mind that the scouts I interview for the rankings, they don’t necessarily have their jobs on the line. Their picks could always be different if they were making the selection for the Islanders. I should also point out that no one seems to view John Tavares as a generational talent.
That’s said a lot about Tavares, but is there even a slight chance that he could be?
There always is. If you score enough goals, say more than 50 in this era, you’d have to at least be considered generational. And Tavares can score goals. He’s not dynamic like Alexander Ovechkin. He’s not going to take it the length of the ice and go through people. To use a basketball term, Tavares is an outstanding half-court player, fantastic inside the blueline.
Does it go without saying Tampa Bay would like Victor Hedman?
I don’t know. I can tell you this: if the Islanders do not draft Tavares, there could be high drama on the draft floor. Tampa Bay will listen to every offer it gets in those minutes.
So that would mean…
If the Islanders are not planning on drafting John Tavares, they have to be listening to offers.
What does Colorado want?
They have the easiest job, unless they want to re-invent the wheel. They take who is left of Tavares, Hedman and Duchene.
Who comes after the Big Three?
Lately the consensus is pretty strong in favor of Evander Kane and Brayden Schenn in some order. Those are the players that some scouts feel are very close behind Matt Duchene.
What do you recall about the Pierre McGuire meltdown after the Islanders passed on Zach Parise to take Robert Nilsson?
I was sitting next to Pierre in our TSN studio above the draft floor. As each team passed on Zach, Pierre’s anxiety was building. He just didn’t understand a pick he felt for a few teams should have been obvious. As for the Islanders, it was really bad timing – because of his father being J.P., because of the skill, because he seemed to land in the Islanders’ lap. I tell you, it was like Mount Vesuvius with Pierre. What I remember most is you at the bottom of the platform playfully pleading with Gord Miller to try to get Pierre to calm down. “Stop! Alright already”!
If you’re making the first overall selection for the Islanders on June 26, who do you draft?
John Tavares. The only issue, compared to Hedman and Duchene, is how much JT is going to score. Will it be 30? 40? 50? He has hands, vision, sense of timing. My son played both hockey and lacrosse against John, who always played in a group a year or two ahead of his age. I’m not a scout, but I understand what Tavares could mean to a franchise like the Islanders. The thing about him is, he’s an amazing athlete and he’s fearless.
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Islanders Point Blank on Twitter
First in a series, I think, on some of the mechanics of draft weekend
There has been a lot of discussion about the Islanders movin’ on up in this draft, but little talk about the true cost to do so. The NFL actually has a “rate card” teams use as a model on draft day, but the NHL does not. To get a better feel for the process, we contacted a league source who has both run a draft table and been in the trenches as a scout for more than two decades. “Keyser” provided us with his first round price estimates based on his personal experience and on recent draft history.
So you have it handy for our discussion, here are the Islanders’ current draft selections on June 26 and 27:
Round Selections
First 1 and 26
2nd 31, 37 and 56
3rd 62 and 91
4th 92
5th 121
6th 151
7th 181
PB: For the Islanders to move up from the 26th overall pick to the 21st, what is the estimated cost?
Keyser: I would say to trade places with teams from 26 to anywhere in the 20-24 range, it will cost them a late second-round pick if they have one.
PB: The Islanders have the first pick in the third round at 61st overall and have a late-second rounder at 56.
Keyser: That could be negotiable, but with such little time during the draft, if they really want the player they’ll probably have to cough up the 56. I would recommend Garth Snow having conditional deals in place if not Friday night, then after he makes the first overall pick and welcomes the kid and his family.
PB: What if the Islanders look to move from 26 to the 18-20 range?
Keyser: Then you’re definitely looking at trading the late second (56). You probably still don’t have to touch the two early second round picks (31 and 37). But besides the late second, the other team might ask for a sweetener – like a 4th or 5th round pick.
PB: The 56th overall pick and a 5th sounds reasonable.
Keyser: Yeah, it does. But if you look desperate enough, the other GM could try to hold you up. I think you’d have to give up the 4th.
PB: Maybe it’s better for GMs to use the phone than to walk over to visit the trade partner at his table.
Keyser: (laughs) Yup, sometimes it is. To be honest, though, I have to say most GMs act like gentlemen on the draft floor. They know they might be in your position not even next summer but even in the same draft. It’s usually not very cutthroat when it comes to moving picks. The Islanders moved back well last draft, although the seeds for those deals to go from 5 to 9 were probably planted ahead of time.
PB: What’s the cost to flip with a team from 26 to 14-17?
Keyser: Now you’re talking about a much bigger leap. You don’t often see that in terms of just swapping picks. The Islanders would have to pay a price. To go to 15 all the way from 26? You’re looking at one of the early second rounders plus the late second. Or the other team could ask for a top prospect, which is why a big deal like this needs to be planned in advance and just finalized on the floor on Friday night. The price could be very steep, but it’s worth it if your scouts are salivating over someone who could be in the top 5-10 overall on their draft board.
PB: Any way the Islanders keep the first overall pick and also acquire the second or third overall picks?
Keyser: Anything is possible, I guess. If I’m Tampa Bay, I’m setting my minimum price at Josh Bailey, the 26th pick and the Islanders’ first round pick in 2010. And I don’t think that’s even enough to get a deal done because of the uncertainty of where the 2010 first pick could be. If the Islanders have a decent season and that pick next summer is, say, 8 or higher, the other team has made a bad deal. The Islanders would get the best player in the trade, easily. Tough to see a deal like that coming together.
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Point Blank Analysis: Too cost-prohibitive for the Islanders to move below 18. Although the Islanders are aiming high for talent, it would be surprising to see a team that horded draft selections in 2006 and 2008 give up one of their early second rounders and more.
Look for the team to make a switch of picks closer to the 20-22 range, giving up the 61st overall pick. In one of the more famous (or infamous) trade-ups in recent draft history, in 2003 Lou Lamoriello took his Devils from 22 to 17. The painless price of a 68th overall pick was the difference between Zach Parise scoring 122 goals for New Jersey and Marc-Antoine Pouliot scoring 14 for Edmonton…and counting.
If the Islanders are successful in trading up, they will pick a player that Garth Snow will declare his scouts had very high on their board. The GM will say the kid is too good for the Islanders to have waited any longer and risk losing him before 26. Snow might even say his staff was certain his new prospect would be taken by one of the teams before them at 26.
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Even before the Islanders won the lottery, “quintessential final dynasty piece” Butch Goring was talking up defenseman Victor Hedman as the player the Islanders must pick first overall on June 26. I finally tracked down Butch today to get his reasoning.
He made it clear before we started that he had not seen much of Hedman, John Tavares or Matt Duchene. His recommendation was based on what he’s been told about the players, his own experience in the game and his feel for what the Islanders need.
“The Islanders should go for the top defenseman,” said Goring, now a studio analyst for MSG Network. “If you look at the last couple of years, they’ve done a pretty good job of adding young forwards – Sean Bergenheim, Kyle Okposo, Josh Bailey, Frans Nielsen, Blake Comeau. But in the system, they lack top defensemen.
“I don’t know if Victor Hedman is going to be a bonafide No. 1 defenseman, but everyone you talk to says that at worst he’ll be a No. 2. The Islanders need someone like Hedman. They have a player in Mark Streit who can carry a power play and do great in both ends, but they don’t have that big and mobile defenseman who can chew up a lot of minutes like Hedman will. In today’s game, you have to be able to move the puck. With Streit and Hedman, the Islanders would be set for a while in that area.
“Hedman is also more ready to play in the NHL next season. If they draft Tavares or (Matt) Duchene, there will be pressure for them to make the team. There’s no doubt the Islanders will keep either of them up. But you have to wonder if they are ready. They have been playing against other teenagers in the Ontario Hockey League. Hedman has been going up against men in the Swedish Elite League and he has fared extremely well.
“You just don’t see defenseman available in the draft with the credentials of Hedman. For me, he is the right pick for the Islanders.”
Get Yer Draft Party Tickets: The Islanders report that as of today 14,224 fans have picked up their free tickets to the team’s Draft Party. If you don’t already have yours, here’s where to get them.
Comments on this story only. Planning on multiple posts each day during the countdown to the draft. Enjoy the home stretch.
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