IS SNOW PREPARING YOU FOR DUCHENE?
Or does he just want you to THINK Matt’s his man?
Until 7:15 pm on Friday, I will stick to my belief that the Islanders are going to draft John Tavares first overall. But know this.
Two days ago, Newsday beat writer Greg Logan wrote a blog entry putting his money down on the Islanders drafting Matt Duchene. I don’t know for certain, but from my old job it’s safe to make the assumption that Greg posted his prediction after speaking with Islanders general manager Garth Snow. You see, Newsday has a Draft Preview in Sunday’s paper, including a story where Snow talks to Greg. In all likelihood, their conversation was on Friday.
In the Sunday story, as always a must-read courtesy of Logie, Snow talks about how his pick “could be different from public opinion.” He even cites the Josh Bailey move of a year ago. He talks of finding players who will help the team “win the Stanley Cup.” Sound familiar? (“Tavares will score a lot of goals. Duchene can win you a Stanley Cup”). Oh, baby…
The GM also plays up “character,” “community” and “family.” This by no means is a thumbs-down to John Tavares – by all accounts a solid kid – but make no mistake: it is a big thumbs up to Matt Duchene.
I’m sticking by my prediction that the Islanders will draft Tavares. I’ll get much more into that (and this “community” stuff) in my next post.
But understand something: by Greg Logan’s blog post on Friday and the general manager’s talk of “family” and potentially going against public opinion, Garth Snow wants everyone to think he’s drafting Matt Duchene.
Or he could actually be preparing you for his selection of Matt Duchene.
Comments. Guidelines.
195 Responses to IS SNOW PREPARING YOU FOR DUCHENE?
Or does he just want you to THINK Matt’s his man?
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KevinH says:
I hope your Right Chris in that Garth is just making us think he is drafting Duchene. Friday Night should be intersting!
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Kevin says:
Making me wish for a Lighthouse update. I am burned out on this discussion. Hey Chris, why did Rich Pilon change his number from 47 to 2?
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matt says:
oh boy this is nerve racking i cant wait till friday
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Isle_in_LA says:
I think I just crapped myself. I can’t wait until Friday.
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MSA says:
With the Lighthouse in flux (but possibly seeing a little light) maybe they want the controversy that would be caused by going against 90% of the fan base. What’s that expression….no publicity is bad publicity….
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Jim says:
Here is the quote”
“…”The best player we and the staff identified could be different from public opinion,” Snow said. “We held Josh Bailey in higher regard than what others did last year. Our focus was to select a player who could help us win the Stanley Cup…Good people do great things,” Snow said. We’re going to select a player who will spend significant time in the community here. Guys are close-knit in our sport. Whoever we select is going to be a fit personality- wise. It’s going to be a family..”
Personally, I think a lot of people here are going to be disapointed, but not me. I said, back in April, that I thought Duchene was the perfect choice for the Isles. He has a lot of offensive talent, can already play in ther defensive zone very well and skates like the wind.(We already have a guy with good hands that doesn’t really fit to Gordon’s system in Hunter, I can not see the Isles passing on a kid with wheels like Duchene in favor of someone wioth inferior skating ability). The Isles are NOT going to be dictated to whom they think is the best pick for the team and great for them. If they choose Tavares, I will root for him. If they choose Duchene I will root for him. As Coach Brooks said, many years ago, “…the name on the FRONT of the jersey is a hell of a lot more important than the one on the BACK…”
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mapisles2025 says:
If Garth ends up picking Tavares after all this, I will love him.
If Tavares is not the name called on Friday, well…let’s not go there.
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jon from nj says:
the isles will confound, like they did with bailey, and decide to draft duchene, a kid who had a good 5 months. i will disown this team.
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isles316 says:
Well, if he does take Duchene there might not be a person left in the building by the time someone drafts Tavares.
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db says:
im sick just thinking about it
isles draft in 2008
bailey 9th overall over hodgson 10th
hodgson #1 center over duchene #2
duchene over tavares?????
it really doesnt make sense. how could snow draft bailey over hodgson in 2008 draft then turn around and take hodgsons 2nd line center over the consensus #1 pick tavares in 2009. it would be like saying bailey over tavares. i already put $500 down for next years season tickets i have been a season ticket holder since 1990 and i will gladly lose the $500 and never be a season ticket holder again. i have been thru enough from trading away turgeon mcabe bertuzzi luongo jokinen chara to passing on spezza heatley gaborik filatov and if tavares is next i am out. that would be the last straw. i really hope he drafts tavares and leaves duchene for colorado. -
Steve K. says:
We all know what will happen if the Islanders do not draft Tavares, 17,000 people go nuts whether or not its the “right” pick or not. The people want Tavares. I for one will be a whole lot less into whether the Lighthouse gets approved or not. I accepted it, reluctantly when they passed on Schenn and Filatov for Bailey. Not this time…
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rob in nj says:
Jt or bust.. Nj and Parise here I come….call me narrow minded but there is one option …JT…
MD is a joke at number one,,,,fing joke…NJ Devils here I come -
Steve says:
I hope you are right as usual, Chris! He should let everone know at least by Thursday so we can decide if we want to attend the party or not!
TAVARES!
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pete says:
Asked if his personnel staff was divided, Snow said, “No, it’s pretty much a unanimous decision.”
That quote, there is no way that noone has an objection to the Isles selecting the number 3 ranked player.
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Soprano12 says:
I have heartburn
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CB, if you’re trying to build suspense, it’s working. I might have a heart attack before Friday. Will you write my obituary?
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i want tavares but the pick will be hedman just watch
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cb just wondering why would snow want fans to think hes drafting duchene. just to keep the guessing game going only to draft tavares.
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Marc says:
Garth is certainly doing a great job keeping everyone talking about the Isles’. On a side note, CB, any idea why the Isles’ are hiring new sales associates; did they let some of the previous sales associates go or do they anticipate needing more after the draft?
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“It might be different than public opinion”
Right now public opinion has them drafting Hedman.
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Vas says:
I will be the first to start the “Snow Must Go” chants! This guy is absolute clown if he drafts Duchesne! And when I see him which I will I will even tell him that! This guy is gonna be the GM of the Kansas City Wharthogs! WHAT A CLOWN THIS GUY IS!
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Al L says:
There is an air of arrogance to Snow. He gives you the impression he enjoys being dared and going against the grain. I have adored this franchise since 1972,but there has been too much heartbreak and disappointment off the ice for the past 20 years. I don’t think I can endure the stupidity of turning your back on a kid who has been projected to be far and away the #1 draft pick in 2009 for four years now. Should that happen,I can not see myself investing any more time in such a hopeless situation.
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Can it be verified that most or all of the contest winners voted for TAVARES? It would be weird if Snow is being honest that the same player they had pegged for #1 in April is still the player they’ll select AND 90% of fans AND most/all of the contest winners (who will be in Montral to see the draft and meet the #1 pick) seem to want TAVARES. As I’ve said before, the Isles’ need to do what they feel is right, but all signs point to TAVARES.
On a separate note, what happened to the Lighthouse update being released to the public ten days after the Murray-Wang-Suozzi love fest?
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Sorry chris, you are my daily isles fill but if I don’t hear JT then good bye and good ridance….I have been abused enough abd JB is not enough to convince me otherwise…
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Kvashinator12 says:
I want Tavares, Hedman is the better pick, Duchene shouldn’t even be in the discussion…If they choose Duchene move the team, please move to KC…
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IT will be hedman i got my facts togther ok
1) Asked if his personnel staff was divided, Snow said, “No, it’s pretty much a unanimous decision.’
well this proves its either Hedman or tavares rite
2) “The best player we and the staff identified could be different from public opinion,”snow said so this means its not tavares so it leaves it down to hedman -
Joe G says:
This is an absolute joke. They go from Milbury to Milbury Jr. who happens to be the backup goaltender. Go ahead Snow draft Duchene and im done…Ive had it. How many GM’s are looking at this organization and saying what a laughingstock it is? You know something, I honestly feel if Ovechkin or Crosby were in this draft Snow would find some reason not to draft them. An absolute joke!
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beatlebailey says:
I know mentioning the “Jets” and “Draft” in the same sentence is asking for trouble but if any of you other Isles fans are also Jets fans then you know anything is possible come draft day. I have changed my mind. We are taking Duchene. Everyone should mentally prepare themselves for the riducle. Garth has had to much time to analyze. It actually would have been better if we had the choice of sloppy seconds with the second pick. After the Duchene pick Mel Kiper Jr. will be air dropped into the nhl draft studio and explain that the isles just dont understand the draft…prepare the paper bags!
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isles99 says:
cb, i have never said this before so let me get it in now….you do a phenomenal job of covering this team even though you have your own agenda and you spin stuff from time to time. you coverage of factual events/things, however, is bar none with all your connections. i just don’t like it when some of the people here beleieve in your words as if it is the gospel (they don’t think for themselves). like you write the duchene thread, ppl come out and say duchene is an ok selection…next thread you write that you think isles will select tavares, everyone is happy again… when you wrote a post about the lighthouse 3 weeks ago, you said something to the tune of: murray was wondering wheather they will pick tavares or hedman, and you came out and said “little do they know, they are taking duchene”….was this a joke or you knew something ahead of time? i mean you did take it off the website……. i cant wait until you community piece cause this is just fluff to get the debate going again with the ending you wrote..if in fact snow does take duchene, i am done like many others…i suffered yashin, heatley, spezza, luongo, gaborik, jokinen, bertuzzi, chara, etc before…i was so pissed when they drafted bailey and passed on filatov last year…i dont know where they get the impression that the bailey choice was right…that cant be determined for years but filatov had4 goals in 8 games while bailey had 25 points in 55 plus games…not exactly a good start…anyway, if the isles take duchene, the new jersey devils will have one more fan. parise, ill gofrom despising you to thinking of you as the symbol of isles’ ineptitude and incompetancy.
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Islanders 360 says:
These comments do worry me a bit. I see no advantage to him making these comments if they are not leaning towards Duchene. I highly doubt Colorado read that and said “we’d better offer a great trade or else we might get stuck with Tavares.”. Why make these comments other than to prepare the fan base? I really hope I’m missing something.
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i hear you #25 but no one knows if Tavares will be the better pick until 2-3 years from now. If Garth does take Duchene it proves he has BALLS ( not brains that is for sure..lol )
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Neil says:
I think we’re all passed caring about what anyone says at this point…it’s all posturing and possibly having some fun with reporters and bloggers.
I don’t think it’s totally unfair to say in the end that, we, the fans of this abusive team, are owed Tavares by management.
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jonw says:
Garth the master spin doctor adding excitement and drama has everyone shaking their heads,maybe even his own staff.The 26 can’t get here soon enough.I am not buying the kool-aid though.There are so many different scenarios that can take place on draft day,and the longer Garth can keep people guessing the better.
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dalcy says:
just read the Tavares article in The Hockey News draft preview issue and i am now convinced that the Isles will take Tavares.
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doc says:
oh boy…
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downwithsnow says:
just reading this has my blood BOILING beneath my skin, its probably in everyones best interest for this draft party to be CANCELLED…I’ll freak out if anyone is taken but Tavares, and it looks as though Snow is firing warning shots.
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We this team can’t score goals if the net was twice as big and pee wee herman was in net! This teams goal scoring capabilities is as pathetic as the Toronto Maple Leafs incompetent management! (Pre-Brian Burke) We make fun of Burke and his big mouth but come Friday if JT is not the pick the joke is on us with BOZO the clown (Garth Snow) as our GM!
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bergie20 says:
i’d just like it to be known that whoever we end up picking will have my full support and i will remain a die hard fan of the isles no matter what. that being said i hope to God that it isn’t matt duchene. it’s gotta be tavares or hedman. snow said that the selection was a virtually unanimous decision by the scouting staff. i have a very hard time believing that the entire scouting staff would pick duchene first. garth is good at the old smokescreen too so i take what he says with a grain of salt. we’ll see what happens on friday night.
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Matt says:
it is what it is. if it’s duchene, welcome to long island. i don’t know why but I think I will be bothered if they don’t take John Tavares.
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Dr. Generosity says:
Keeping the hockey world guessing as to Snow’s choice has but one benefit: It makes clear to any buyers interested in any of the top three that they should call the Islanders first.
What this strategy actually does for our club’s rebuilding plans, and the relationship Snow might build with a player if we keep the pick, is less clear.
This week will tell us whether PB was looking too hard at the PR side of the business when advocating for Snow to announce his pick in April, or was right on the money all along.Note Logan makes explicit in his story–for the first time I’ve seen–that Hedman’s stay at the Marriott was attributable to the change in travel plans, not team preference. (Well, that’s the story he was told, at least.)
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also, letting everyone know you want Tavares before draft day does not get you 17,000+ consumers, i mean “fans”, in one place.
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BTW CB Great Work! U got me all worked up! Don’t know whether to laugh or cry! We will find out on Friday for sure!
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i completely agree with you beatlebailey…its just that even if you wait 4 years to find out tavares is better (when 28 teams are drooling are over him and hes the consensus number 1), you will be in the same position now 10 years from now…..if thats not a sign of incompetent, i dont know what is…..well if the isles take duchene/hedman, the negative backlash, fans leaving can be righly justified. and snow can shove his arrogance when he finds out he was the dumbest in the class and not the smartest if he doesnt draft tavares.
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Results of theGreg Logan’s poll at the newsday site. You just know we will be taking Duchene.LOL
What should the Islanders do with the No. 1 pick?
Draft John Tavares (6680 responses)
81.1%
Draft Victor Hedman (1003 responses)
12.2%
Trade the pick for an established star (432 responses)
5.2%
Draft Matt Duchene (121 responses)
1.5%
8236 total responses (Results not scientific)
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C.J. says:
I am REALLY curious to see what happens when and if the Isles select someone other than JT.
That draft party will be an absolute debacle. TSN, no doubt, will need to cut away… or perhaps, they’ll relish in the drama. I guess it will make for good ratings either way.
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Tool123 says:
I’m calling out Snow’s Bluff! His Staff has a unanimous decision on someone who was never the consensus #1. Bluff!
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Stevie10703 says:
Since when have the Isles every gave the fans what they wanted? Seriously, if it is Duchene I hope for his sake that he becomes that Stevie Y player they are comparing him to because if he doesn’t and Taveres becomes a regular 40 plus goal guy in this league, we’ll never hear the end of it. If we had the #2 or #3 pick I like Duchene, but right now, we have the #1 and we have to do just as Devallano said and that is take the best player available and that is Taveres. Also after last year and trading down to take a Bailey at #9 who was projected to go anywhere from 12-15 (only the us and the Bruins interviewed the kid)and passing up on players like Filatov, Wilson, Hodgeson, I don’t know how Snow would be able to explain away passing up on Taveres who has the potential to be the first legit finisher we’ve had since Ziggy left the Island. I think you also have to look at so many different aspects in drafting Taveres from on ice production to what he can do off the ice and his pick will get people to the ticket office and you’ll see an increase in season ticket purchases (both partial and full). I mean just take a look at the amount of fans requesting Draft Party tickets (we could actually pack the entire NVMC) and they didn’t do all that so we could hear Duchene’s name called. Also, this talk of “Taveres can score goals but Duchene will win you Cups,” well, why can’t Taveres win us Cups? That quote sounds as if Taveres hasn’t won anything but, has Duchene won anything? I see a gold medal hanging around Taveres’ neck from the World Juniors a tournament which he led his team and the tournament in scoring.
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Pez says:
i’m gonna throw up if we take duchene over taveres and just get duchene we could easily get him at third if we trade the pick and get something else i pray to god he’s bludding
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Froggy says:
This is what troubles me…all year long while the players were actually PLAYING it was Tavares or Hedman – everywhere. Then the season ends and Duchene gets into the conversation. Now all of a sudden he is our pick? He was the number 2 center ON HIS TEAM. Yes, that means he played with lesser players, but also means he played against lesser players. He didn’t even make the Canadian junior team. He will be a 70-80 point two way center – sound familiar? Didn’t we pass up our future number 1 defenseman for Bailey. Anyone else watch the playoffs? Think you need a natural goal scorer to win? Because I sure do. So he isn’t the best defensive forward – so what. This kid has been the man ever since he was a kid. Maybe he hasn’t needed to be the best defensive forward. Should he have worked on this part of his game? Maybe – but you can’t teach goal scoring. We have our two way center – time for the sniper. Let’s not overthink this Garth. My goodness rooting for this team is torturous.
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god bless this team, seriously…..talk about just NEVER learning from your mistakes.
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John G. says:
goodness. you really know how to keep us hanging. love it.
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StevieL says:
This is all BS. Show me just 1 poll or NHL scout that is saying Duschenne is the best player in the draft, and should be the #1 pick! I have seen that no where, except in Islander world!!
And Mr. Snow it is a little early to be patting yourself on the back over Josh Bailey! Isle fan’s will not forget we passed on Schenn, Filatov, Wilson , Boedeker and Cody Hodgson for Bailey. In a year or two we will see if this was smart or a stupid move!! Are we adding Tavares and Hedman to that watch list?? -
Why are people aleady throwing Snow under the bus? Did the draft take place and did we take Duchene? Come on guys, relax. They are going to take Tavares. He is and has been the projected #1 pick for the last 3 years. Snow said he pretty much knew who he was taking in April.
Doesn’t it seem strange that the conversation turned into 3 players ever since the Isles won the lottery? Give Snow some credit for treating these 3 kids exactly the same and making everyone wonder. Who knows, maybe a team blows us away with a trade offer. -
the islanders front office knows that what seems like 95% of the fan base wants john tavares. they understand the backlash from fans if they take someone else but lets be honest if they don’t take JT, it will be for a reason.
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Blizzard says: I still smell a trade…….
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puck-o says:
Well prepare to be the laughing stock of the NHL yet agin come Friday. Kansas City here we come
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This can’t be so. Tavares was the leader and go to guy for a gold medal winning Canadian junior team, and he is not about championships? Oh yeah, might I mention that was a team that Duchesne did not even make!
MD is a class act to be sure, and Matt, if you are reading this, it is not about disliking you, (we would love you on our team WITH Tavares), it is about venting on Isles management for years of abuse! -
al says:
The New York Islanders … Kansas City bound
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nick says:
i hate garth snow..he tries to get to fancy with his picks and play up that he’s a good g.m., a good g.m. would take the most logical player which is john tavares…believe me garth your not wowing anyone hear..PROVE ME WRONG AND DONT BE A COMPLETE MORON
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i will vote for kate murray if they take anyone but tavares.
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Jim M says:
This is honestly just redicolous now, I dont even know if it will be exciting if they select JT, just a huge feeling of relief that it actually happened. NVMC is going to receive some serious damage from 17,000 plus fans if Tavares is not the pick friday night.
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Once again “lets try to outsmart the NHL! Because thats worked in the past!!!!!UGHHHHHH
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You know what’s gonna suck. When we pick Tavs and then we have to wait for the season to start T_T
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Tond says:
why is snow doing this to the fans..havent we been through enough..hes not gonna trade the pick so who care if he declares his pick early. this will be alot worse if he picks MD..didnt we get our “2 way ” center last year..just take JT and trade up to 12 to get the KASS and everyone is happy..when was the last time every islander fan was happy (not including the new 3rd jersey)
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LennyK says:
With the first pick Garht Snow is going to select Mike Lee-our future back up goalie. Please-Tavares or Hedman. And Dylan olsen with our second pick.
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cmimbri says:
you guys make it sound like mat duchene is garbage …..you are really showing your ignorance as islanders fans… id be happy with any of the three yes my preference is tavares but i would be thrilled with duchene and then hedman in that order ……
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Looks like the “process” was buying a copy of Red Line Report.
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just think of the feeling everyones gonna get watching Tavares put on another teams jersey on draft day and all those fans going crazy.
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MT says:
Then why didn’t Snow send Dougie Weight to meet Duchene for breakfast and why didn’t Wang go to one of Duchene’s games?
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jeff says:
So now the Isles will decide which player to pick by who made the best house guest for Garth Snow? I got news for you Garth, it’s not a family, it’s a hockey team. Pick the best player. Why not call Mike Milbury, ask how he’d rank the three and draft whoever he picks third?
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Original Rob says:
What credentials does Garth Snow have to think that he can make these snide comments and entertain these crazy trades (5th to 7th to 9th)? He has accomplished absolutely ZERO as a GM, yet he’s cockier than every other GM, including the guys who, you know, actually build cup-winning teams.
Even if we do take Tavares after all, Garth is really rubbing the few remaining die-hard fans the wrong way. This is not the right way to promote a product.
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Mike in Bohemia says:
I dont mind Snow playing it close to the vest, but I don’t see the point of “scaring” anyone into thinking we are snatching up Duchene. What does that accomplish? Does anybody actually think Colorado (or anyone else) is going to offer us anything to move up to prevent us from stealing Duchene…..God forbid they’d be left with Hedman or Tavares.
If Garth wants to play poker, trying to get an offer he cant refuse, it would be in his best interest to send out vibes that he is taking Tavares. This Duchene nonsense is killing me…..
CB – please slap me in this face if I’m off base on this. -
ken Baumgartner says:
C’mon people. ITS NOT GONNA BE DUCHENE.
A. Snow said at Draft either Tavares or Hedman. Duchene didnt even become a hot item until ohl playoffs that happened later. Garth also mentioned having scouted for Years- guaranteed he brings that up after he drafts Tavares. Duchene is out xxxxxxB. Not gonna be Hedman (for some reason all beat riters are leaving Hedman now. Also, Snow’s comparison of Pittsburg, Chicago and Washington- all teams built with young star FORWARDS. HEDMAN IS OUT xxxxxxxxxx
C. Tavares already has fellow Islanders on his tweeter account. breakfast with Weight… years of work that Snow referred to already.
Relax. i’m sick of these comments blasting Snow assuming the worst. i know we are used to Mad Mike, but give the guy a break. If Garth would have made this public it wouldve made his job alot harder dealing with Toronto etc. and it would’ve been very stale.
I’m thinking of no more reading b/c its so stressful.
CB, know this.. Islabnders will be taking Tavares -
Garth, we will NOT be prepared for Matt Duchene. This goes beyond a hockey decision for me. This is an outrageous insult to the emotional investment made by your stakeholders. It says more about you than any dumb trade, pick or coach hiring.
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Railbait says:
“Taveres can score goals but Duchene will win you Cups,”
Absolute Bull! Pure and unadulterated! Whoever said this did not watch the Junior Championship. Who led their team to the championship? TAVARES! Duchene wasn’t even invited to the dance!
I do believe the Islanders will draft Tavares. They have to, for the franchise, and the fan base. We need some respect again.
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John k says:
Meant to put this in this one.
I hope we are all over thinking this. With all this conjecture, this is how I see it and how I hope it plays out. Snow says it was the player they wanted all along. If it was md, morrow and the isles wouldn’t have been so excited about winning the lottery. They were never gonna pick lower than 2nd. The could have had md at third at the highest and they know it. They were happy at the choice of the top 2. Given the draft party and our severe lack of scoring, I gotta hope it’s jt.
And I’m sure as we all know, any of these players could be a bust. And to say one will score and one will bring the cup is nonsense at this point. Saying someone is like yzerman is not anywhere close to them becoming yzerman.
If I were betting, smart money is on jt having a fine NHL career. And that’s just another piece of the puzzle for us. The other perks of 90% of us wanting jt, ticket sales, media coverage and overall just feeling good about the isles are a bonus. -
mike says:
I was going to bring my son Friday but it sounds like Snow is going to F*** this up big time ? So I will stay home for saftey reasons and if they do F*** this up it will be real easy to make my second favorite team (Penguins) my first and be done with the Isles.
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Long Suffering says:
Charlie Wang — these are desperate times for this franchise. You can not screw around with this pick. Garth Snow is as dumb as a box of rocks…do not let him overthink this pick or use this as an opportunity to prove he is a “great” GM by going against this grain. This pick is NOT about Garth Snow. This pick is about the future of the Islanders franchise and the fans that enable this franchise to exist. JT is clearly the best player available. Duchene DID NOT even make the World Junior team. Duchene was not even the 1st line center on his Junior A team — in fact, he played behind the center that played behind JT on the World Junior team. PICK JT. If not, have fun in Kansas City because you will destroy the fan base here on the Island as a result of Garth “dumb as rocks” Snow trying to prove “HE” is the man…sickening.
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Cincy says:
The Avs get the Isles 1st pick – draft JT.
The Isles get the Avs 1st (Duchene), plus RYAN SMYTH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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chip saunders says:
I know it’s all a crapshoot,but,PLEASE draft Taveras.
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Dan says:
With all this rain everyone is going stir crazy and hearing all these different stories on who the isles are going to pick is just making us even crazier. Friday cannot come soon enough. If they do not pick JT the fans will go crazy and Snow will have to move off the Island and probably hire a security force. The worse part is that will not be either Duchene or Hedman’s fault and they should not be blamed for it. So whoever we pick we need to be supportive but from the sound of things there will not be any fans left if they don’t pick JT. By the way if they do end up taking someone else besides JT you will definitely know that Wang had nothing to do with the pick because he will lose a ton of money(season tickets and jersey sales), negative publicity to name a few things. Everyone says he is a meddling owner but I think this would prove that wrong.
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kevin says:
this is hard. i hope they take tavares. why add salt to the wound?
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CrackheadTheo says:
Everyone RELAX. They are taking Tavares. Garth hasn’t shown his hand and he is just trying to keep other GMs thinking and scratching their heads. I truly believe JT is and always has been his plan to take at #1. Garth AND Wang went see Tavares play and seemed to hve loved his visit to LI. It was kept a secret to everyone. The Dougie Weight breakfast, etc etc…I personally feel that all this propaganda going on right now with MD makes if even more obvious we are taking JT.
It will be Tavares, I am certain and you can mark my word! -
This has Wang written all over it. He wants people talking about the Islanders as long as possible. So that’s why he is telling Snow to say misleading things.
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savetheisles.webs.com says:
i am starting to get scared.
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DavidNYC says:
I want Tavares but what do I know? Whoever they pick, I’ll get over it and continue to follow the team as I have since I was 7 years old. Snow and his scouting team have done their homework and are extremely prepared. These are people who live and breathe hockey 24/7 so as fans, we really know very little and have to trust those in charge. If Snow chose a player because he was afraid of fan reaction, then I would be appalled and call for his dismissal.
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txdbog says:
Its gotta be Tavares…Its just gotta be…
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#69 and #70 from your mouths to gods ears to that clowns Garth Snow’s brain! I hope your right! I purchased my season tix the day after they one the lottery! 3 hundred sections on dead center ice! 6 rows up! wanted to get a 2 way look at JT! I hope I still can!
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drp79 says:
Our record of outsmarting the rest of the league is not good. If we do not take Tavares I’m done, this time for good. What is there to root for if we’re just going to waste our picks? Just look at the last ten years. Can’t we have something to be genuinely excited about just once? We need a gunner and he’s the consensus number 1. Duchene wasn’t even the number one center on HIS OWN TEAM!!!
Can’t be… Snow must pick Tavares. If not, I give… I can’t root any more. -
My GOD you people need to calm down. Nobody is scaring the fans into believing ANYTHING – the fans are overreacting to a bunch of cryptic statements to the media. Let’s all relax and wait until the pick on June 26 – let’s not forget we have 2 other big picks so this could be one of the most pivotal drafts in Islanders history if played right.
I’m hoping for Tavares, but heaven help me I’m hoping a lot more that they pick whomever ends up being the best player, years down the road.
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So far we’ve discussed the 2009 World Junior team. Guess what — JT also made the 2008 World Junior team and tied for the team lead in goals scored. Guess who didn’t make the 2008 team — yep…Duchene was cut from this team as well and so was Cody Hodgson, the center who played ahead of Duchene this hear. How is Duchene even in the conversaton for the first overall pick?????
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SNOW MUST GO CHANT ON FRIDAY IF THEY DON’T DRAFT JT!
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Billy says:
Well this is the way I read Logan’s article. When asked if all the scouts and himself agreed on the decision for their draft pick, Show responded that “No it was a unanimous decision” Well I cant imagine everyone wanting Hedman or Duchene without some people voicing JT…. Or they are all insane, which ever fits. We will find out soon enough
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Strummer's Army says:
Guys I’m on record as saying from what I’ve seen/read Tavares is the best player in the draft and I don’t see how the Isles can pass on him.
I have to say this the Bailey move worked out really well for the Isles and makes the scouting staff look very good, so they deserve some trust here. Of course, if they pull tons of crazy stuff and continue loading up on small puck movers then the trust can evaporate really fast.
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CB, I really hope that Snow is not trying to misdirect fans and trying to make us think anything. I mean, if he is interested in misdirecting anyone, Id think it would likely be other teams. I think- hope, actually- that any misdirection of fans is just a product of that and not the overall objective. I guess I just dont see what benefit there would be for any GM to just mess with fans minds, you know?
Stevie10703 (38): You and others have said that there is all this talk of “Taveres can score goals but Duchene will win you Cups” and technically thats true but when you look at it all the talk I see of that quote is people re-quoting it just to say it is wrong. I dont even remember who said it first (and did they sait what, like once?) but it just keeps getting repeated over and over by people saying it is wrong. I dont really think that means there is all this talk about it- other than people around here disagreeing with it!
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Tim Finnegan says:
CB,
As an Islander fan who reads everything hockey. I am obliged to think that JT is the player for us. What we need as Islander fans is a little spotlight, glamour, and goals! None of us expect to win the Stanley Cup next year but all of us expect a better performance. Now, MD is a very talented player who will do any team justice but JT has something that MD will never have now, and thats the faith and support of Islander fans everywhere. Yes hes young, but JT has faced such a challenge being the youngest player to be drafted into the OHL in which he put up 77 points in 65 games. Hes experienced adversity and pressure throughout his entire hockey career, who could be a better fit for the Islanders? A team that carries one of the biggest burdens on young players. Its time for a change, a new beginning and the person to spark this is JT. If draft day comes a goes and JT is not on our roster i wont turn in my blue and orange but i wont blame those who aren’t quick to get their season tickets either.Tim
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Jeff says:
This is getting to be too much, just when I thought I have had enough. “May be differenmt than public opinion.” Which pblic opinion is he referring to? Hockey people who around the league as a lot have us drafting Hedman. Or is it against public opinion meaning Islanders fans? I really cannot see it being DUchene. Guy comes on at end of year, did not make team Canada. Scores less goals in more games than Tavares. One other blogger made a great point, they smiled when they won the lotto. Duchene could be had at 2 or 3. Were they smiling because they know the Lightning want Hedman and now they can choose him first? I don’t know. All fans still mad last year. Just remember one thing, Snow moved down, but if Aaron Ness or Corey Trivino, are very good playrers along with Bailey, then it was worth trding down. Also lost in the shuffle was Toronto’s second round pick, # 37 this year, which can be packaged for a blue chip prospect. So it was worthwhile. Last year was to replenish the system. Not this year. This year we must take Tavares. This team has passed up so much on high offensive talent over the years. Must be Tavares!
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BK from the Shore says:
If they don’t take Tavares I know 17,000 people who will happy to help “renovate” the old barn
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Strummer, I think it is WAY to early to claim that the Bailey move worked out really well. What has Bailey or any of the extra picks accomplished yet? We won’t know for a few years if that move was the right one or not. I didn’t like the move last year and I still have some reservations that it’ll turn out in our favor.
As for the draft, all this talk is exhausting. It is all hearsay and speculation anyway. We can all talk about this until we are blue in the face but it won’t change who Garth wants to pick. I just hope I don’t waste gas and tolls to drive from Jersey to see him screw this up. I did that when Milbury passed over Gaborik and Heatley and made that horrendous trade and I haven’t been back to a draft party since.
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alex says:
let c…. hmmm… take the #1 consensus of the fans and keep the people (who pay to see games which keeps this team afloat) happy…. or…… take “the best player for the team” and sink all hopes of there being an Islanders team in the future and giving a giant middle finger to every fan who loves this team and would do anything for them!
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one thing is he didnt say “different from what fans think is the best” but public i.e. people who say it should be hedman and a lot of people have said that so maybe there is hope
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Jimmy says:
please just say JT on friday make everyone happy
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Gloobenberg says:
Ya know…I find myself getting sucked into this abyss and i can’t even explain why i’m allowing myself to sucked in.
None of us know anything…that’s what it ultimately comes down to. I know many of us fans are very upset already…yet nothing has taken place.
Like I said..ive gotten sucked in. I want Tavares. We all do..most of us anyways. I will not be able to comeprehend any other name mentioned on Friday with the #1 pick.
I’m not even sure that my “heart of hearts” feeling translates to JT because this team has a horrible habit of repeating history and not in a good way.
It’s so hard to live and die with a team when it only feels like you’re dying. Can we change that please???
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Seth says:
i pray Garth is only doing this to build suspense and make it feel that much better if we select Tavares…but if he doesn’t it will be just terrible
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Alex Kinkead says:
Just Stop Messing with us!
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DRIVE45 says:
If the Islanders draft Duchene, after 31 years I will be finished wih this organization. I’m not going to the draft party because this scenerio might take place. Tavares should be the pick.
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okay, first of all went to JT’s twitter account..and he only has ONE islander on his account..brendan witt..not “several”as one person said.
Do anyone really think that the islanders or wang or snow care about idle threats about not picking JT?
And/If they pick someone other than JT, the only thing 17,000 plus will do..not walk out…they will be silent…and continue to be islander fans..
even when they are in kansas city…
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kabbage19 says:
Hey chicken littles, the sky is not falling! John Tavares will be the pick for the Islanders. Huge kudos to the Islanders organization for keeping the Islanders in the news for the last two months. The last place team getting a lot of press during the Stanley Cup playoffs. They couldn’t have done that if they had announced that they were taking JT at the draft lottery. They will still sell a lot of jerseys and season tickets in July, August and September.
I also think that they will probably pick another skill forward with their second first rounder whereever that ends up being.
Come on people these are good times to be and Islander fan! The glass is almost half full!
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Bryan says:
I can hear the draft party “boos” already. Friday will be another sad day for islander fans, but at least we’re used to it.
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And Bailey hasn’t done anything to impress me to this point. He doesn’t look out of place, but he doesn’t look like anything special.
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Section 320 rocks!!!!!! says:
#77
I am in and I will even start them!
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Joe says:
O Geeze
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James says:
Some of you are so overdramatic
You guys are jumping to conclusions and its absolutely pathetic.
Snow is doing the right thing by not saying anything, there is no hint of him picking Duchesne and yet we have some of you claiming he is, geez take a pill or something
Also to those who rid this team if they dont pick JT, good go, you arent good fans anyway. You deserve to root for the Rangers from now on.
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Booten says:
It’s going to be John Tavares…it’s all smoke and mirrors if you ask me. I also think it’s as simple as the Islanders wanting to keep people talking and writing about the Islanders.
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skye says:
oh man. with all the draft rumor mayhem friday can’t come any sooner!! i really do hope this is one of Snow’s “haha fooled you” antics, if not then if they are planning on grabbing MD they might as well trade back to get something else out of it
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Adam M says:
If he wants Duchene, move down to 3 and add a piece. If not, pick one of the top two. Ryan Smyth anyone? =P
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Hoser14 says:
Matt who? Is Matt Duchene a number 1 pick? Is he going to be the man that fans will pay money to see? Would 17,000 fans show up to hear Garry Bettmen say “… with the is first pick, the New York Islanders choose Matt Duchene…”
The answer is…..NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!
After last year draft party, I can’t see how Snow and Wang can explain this one away. Oh but Matt Duchene is fast! Big deal! So was Justin Papineau and Andy Hilbert. At 5’11″ he’s not exectly a power forward and didn’t really turn the Red Light light on (an unimpressive 61 goals in 121 games). The Isles already have Josh Bailey.
If not JT and his 225+ goals, then Hedman and his 6″6″, but Matt Duchene? Spare me. Don’t ask the fans who they want and then draft someone else, it’s insulting to the fan base and unfair to the kid who is being set to up fail, especially if JT scores 40-50 goals and the Isles are losing 3-1, 4-2 games.
As hockey’s verson of Mel Kiper will say if the Isles screw this up “The Islanders don’t know what the draft is all about!”
4 out 5 Islander fans want JOHN TAVARES!
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Hoser 14:
I couldn’t agree with you more!!!
It HAS to be Tavares.
IF it’s anyone other than Tavares, then it’s a clear sign that the Islanders and their management just don’t get IT!!!
Even if Duchene turns into the “better” player in the long run… Noone could blame Snow for taking Tavares… but if it was to work out differently… and they didn’t draft Tavares… and he IS the better PRO… then it will be another infamous BLUNDER by the Islanders.
Never to be forgiven.
DOC
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german islesfan says:
this draft makes me sick. cant wait for june 27 and we have JT. Snow is driving all isles fans crazy with his poker game…
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izzo says:
The comments left here border on embarrassing. Gotta love the fact that multiple fans will “abandon the team” and “not care if they move to Kansas City” based on picking one child over another when 99.9% of them have never seen either play.
Call me naive, but I trust the minds of NHL scouts over those posting comments on a blog. And you should too, even if they don’t make the “popular” pick.
All three of these prospects have strengths and weaknesses. They’re three completely different players who all have boom-or-bust potential. Giving up on a franchise on draft day because they take a guy you don’t want is absolutely ridiculous.
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islanders1984 says:
Snow is playing a game with everyone, he knows major trade proposals will come this week. Lets just say Snow has Tavares and duchene equal in value. He would be a fool to show his cards. What if Colorado blows him away with an offer and he takes it. He will still get one of the guys he wants plus allot more. Play your game Mr Snow
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Dave says:
@ #17:
That’s actually a great point. Everyone is saying we’re going to pick Hedman at #1, so if he picks Tavares he is going against public opinion.
Snow isn’t an idiot, regardless of what some fans who are still suffering from the pains of Mike Millbury believe. I think it’s obvious to him that the best player available is John Tavares.
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this is true 98 and 17, in Fact the only person public opinion doesn’t have us taking is Tavares. Popular opinion (Isles fans) has us taking him.
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ny711ot says:
IzZo u r naïve. The islanders have routinely screwed up the draft and or subsequent player development for 20+ years. Until a diamond in the rough like dibennedeto or martin make an impact our scouts frankly have proven nothing. They haven’t earned the right to make another cutesy move like they did last year. Just keep it simple and go with tjhe consensus. If they do that
Snow is a genius with this pre draft hype. If they don’t he is a schmuck and we r doomed. It really is that simple. -
Dan C says:
I have no problem if the Isles trade down to 3 and take Duchene there if they get decent value to slide down, but they CANNOT draft him with the 1st pick. They will complete the alienation of their fan base. Josh Bailey was an interesting pick at 9 last year…but Cody Hodgson would have been the right pick. I don’t think Snow really knows what he’s doing.
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The PolishPrince says:
I’ll still follow this team even if they take MD with the #1. I know I’ll have to hear it from every Rags fan I know. Unfortunately I’m pretty sure I won’t be going to the draft party with my three sons now because I have the feeling that the place is gonna riot when the pick is made. Why do the Isles constantly feel that they need a whole freakin team of “two way character” players?
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Bob Bassen says:
The Islanders finished last in the league and rightly or wrongly are considerded a complete laughingstock…have been for while. And when you’re down and out AND have had some unorthodox administrative decisions in the past, it’s very easy for everyone to pile-on…fans and media alike! Unless he can pull-off an *OMG* type trade where the Islanders come out with an INCREDIBLE outcome that pleases everyone, I just don’t see how the Isles cannot draft Tavares! With all of the Lighthouse/Kansas City/Coyotes/Hamilton/etc. BS floating around, the Islanders can’t risk alienating the core of the fan base or it’s over. I think Snow has played the draft beautifully. He has legitimately dissected the players and has allowed the hype to really build with fans. blogs, and the NHL as a whole. The Islanders are going to be the focus of the entire Hockey World for the next couple of weeks and THAT is priceless! I think Snow and Gang have done a fine job since he has taken over and I expect a great draft!
Go Isles! -
gary says:
they are going to blow this again as they always seem to do(Parise, Rick etc)
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zeike says:
I simply cannot believe that this franchise would continue to think it is smarter than every other team in the league, again. This team has not won a playoff series in a decade yet we continue to go against the grain. Just make the consensus pick for once. I hate to think we have become the Raiders. Prove me and everyone else wrong.
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John from ATL says:
Why us? Maybe Duchene will be a great player, (Yzerman, Sakic, Trottier) but, the fans do not have faith in this franchise that they know best. At the final home game the fans were chanting for Travares. Back then no one knew who Duchene was. Now after months of
disinformation from Canada and the Islanders front office over thinking this again. They will blow it. They never should have won the lottery.We can all look back in five or ten years and think. Hey, we should have Travers, Luke Schenn and Z. Parise).
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Bryan says:
Chris – Hope you read this so you can answer. Is it possible that the Islanders pick all along was Tavares and the “process” was simply find out if this guy is going to come here and be part of the team or if he is going to be the next Boumeester?
Maybe they were just worried they announce they are taking Tavares and then he refuses to sign or shows little interest in being there long term.
Also could it just be that they want an arena full of excited/curious fans who will instantly open the wallet after the pick is completed?
Thanks. Appreciate it.
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4195mary says:
God, ya gotta love Snow. What fun, all this intrigue. He wouldn’t dare take Duchene now though, would he?
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anthony says:
here is the reason why i think it will be JT. on the NYI website it said that they will have a “PERSONALZATION STATION” on site to customize jerseys on site. WOULD THEY HAVE THAT IF THEY PLAN ON TAKING DUCHENE? They want the money, they want ticket sales,they want to sell jerseys and stitch TAVARES that night, and they NEED a name. ALL CAN BE ACHIEVED BY SAYING ” the NYI select JT” Versus will show a love shot of the crowd i have heard if the crowd goes nuts for the pick. ITS ALL ABOUT THE MONEY
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YellowHat says:
it is funny with all the hatred and emotion directed at snow (myself included) I can only think IF snow actually picks JT then all this will become “snow is the greatest”. He will certainly have managed to build things up pre-draft and then turn himself into a God in the fans eyes for doing the most logical thing in drafting JT.
If he doesn’t pick JT he is just an ass.
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dose says:
whad’ya trying to do. trigger a heart attack over here.
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Joe says:
Isles99, and all others who say you’re “done” if the Islanders don’t draft Tavares, are not real fans. Simple as that. Don’t threaten that you’ll leave, why don’t you go now, we don’t need bandwagon fans. A fan follows their team through the good and the bad. Anyone willing to be done over a draft choice was never a real fan to begin with.
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Larry says:
I cant get over how many people think the commisioner announces 1st round picks. The tean goes up there nd does it
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Anyone read Larry Brooks article in the Post today?….He says if Snow is not going to pick Tavares he should announce that early this week so that draft night doesnt turn into a fiasco.He says it would be unfair to Hedman or Duchene if they are picked draft night. He also says something very interesting. He says the longer the Islanders remain silent the greater the likelihood Tavares will be taken by the Islanders.
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Johnny Jet says:
Last time I checked 40 goal scorers win the cup too! If Snow says he has not swayed form his pick 2 months ago with his staff all agreeing, it must be Tavares with an outside chance of it being Hedman. Only Tavares went out and hung out with Weight and Wang only went to see him personally.I trust Cb because he has the best pulse on this team becuse he actually worked for them, Mackenzie is shrewd but snow has confused him and Logan give me a break, he got faked out by Snow with him still laughing all the way to the draft!
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Joe says:
Joe G #137, where did you see that article, I went to nypost.com and couldnt find it
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Tony says:
1. Like everyone else, I am sick of all the speculation and just want the draft to be over regardless of who the Isles choose.
2. That being said, I will be at the draft party Friday and PREFER JT is the Isles’ pick. If he isn’t, I will be angry and leave the Coliseum but I will do no physical damage to the building nor threaten to disown the team.
3. This will be my last visit and comment to this website until after the draft. -
John from ATL, who are Travares and Travers?
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Joe #139 its on page 77 in the Post. Brooks weekly Slapshots article.
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Mike from Philly says:
Well I guess I will prepare myself not to drop money on a partial plan. Leave it to this team to go against convential wisdom and choose the 3rd or 4th best player with the 1st pick. I don’t know why we all wanted the 1st pick anyway, we knew that the Islanders would once again act like they are smarter then the rest of the league.
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Drafting first and going against the grain is a lot different than in years past when us fans trusted that Garth/Jankowski knew better in trading down to take Bailey instead of making the popular pick like Filatov of Hodgeson.
Or when fans wanted Parise and instead we trusted management that Nilsson was the better pick.
When drafting #1 and a mistake is made by going against the grain… it will hurt way more.
The fans yearn for EXCITEMENT!!!
Tavares gets fans excited. Duchene does not excite people nor does Hedmen even though probably 99% of us fans have NEVER seen these guys play.
Again, it’s one thing to miss on a player that is a 2nd tier player because you like one’s intangeables better than the other, but when it is a CONSENSOUS #1 – lookout!
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Joe says:
If JT is not drafted i will be walking out of the draft party and i promise i will not renew my ticket package.
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19 Isle in NJ 22 says:
CB & other Dads … firstly I’d like to wish all you Dads a Happy Father’s Day!!!
Chris … it’s threads like this that curdle the milk in my coffee … LOL!!
When I read Logan’s article I didn’t really sense anything other than Snow being evaisive… the one big stinger was his reference to Snow saying his decision may not be the popular one … which also is another way of saying … that it just may be … Right?
Well … I just hope Snow makes the right choice … this isn’t just about one player … this is about setting the direction of the team for the next 10 years … I don’t blame Snow for any of Milbury’s misdeads … I just don’t want to see him going down that path … b/c There are kids entering their Sr. year in H.S. that were born the last time the Isles won a playoff series … Heck … Landon Ferraro was just a toddler.
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Craig says:
Well said Joe (#135)
People sure can talk a nice game but when push comes to shove, they cower. All this talk of no longer being an Islanders fan because of who they select. I’ve been an Islander fan for as long as I can remember and have suffered through years of ineptitude. Changing owners, constant changing of coaches, bad trades, bad drafts. It all boils down to where we are today. But as a true fan of any team in any sport, you support them in hopes one day down the road they will come through for themselves and for you, the fan. I was born during the stanley cup years so I can’t remember when they won. My best memories of the Islanders was when I was 12 and the Isles made their last run for a cup in 1992-93. What an exciting time. I can only hope the Islanders draft well, draft smart (no matter what public opinion may be) and build a winner in the model of Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Washington who’ve been perennial losers for so long until today.
Everyone says Tavares, not because they think he’s the best player but because he’s the most well known name of the bunch. He’d put fans in the seats and some excitement in the building. I want the best player to go to the Islanders, no matter who it is.
If it’s Duchene, so be it. I will welcome him with open arms and hope he helps this team become a winner once more.For the rest of you who can’t stop moaning, give it a rest and just support your team. If you want to go, then just leave already. Let the real Islander fans support our team.
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Thomas32 says:
Now ,Im nervous! Im totally for Tavares , but im an Islanders fan!! I bleed the orange and blue just like all of us. I’ll have my opinion after the draft, whoever we take and we’ll all see who turns into the better player and then it could be open season on Snow and Management on their choice. Im PRAYING for JT , but Im sure that ANY of these players (JT-Duchene) will make a huge difference in the team. I hope CB’s right with snow just making everyone think we’re taking Duchene! But Im still gonna give him a fair shot at this season and hope he helps the team. It just doesnt make sense to me to take him with the number 1 pick , so Im still thinking Tavares will be our pick!
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JANE FONDAS ARMY says:
I, for one, think the Isles will draft Tavares…hint, why did they just hire Chynoweth to be an assistant coach? from what ive read, he’s gonna be working w/the young defensemen on the team and has been good at it in the IHL. it makes sense, why draft Hedmen, the Isles have capable d-men, they just wanna make them better. also, Garth and the scouts already have Tavares as the 1st pick in mind, i think that Snow/the scouts are concentrating on what to do w/the 2nd 1st round pick…the Isles still need a few more established young vets to mesh w/ the prospects and complete all four offensive lines. . I dont really see them drafting Duchene, like i said, they can use the 2nd 1st rdr to get someone like him that has NHL exp. and also, i think Josh will be a great 2-way center in 2-3 years. which brings me to defending our net, they need to address the goaltending situation, im sure garth is thinking that very same thing…our other picks for a reliable backup via trade…hmmm.
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Just a feel good dream I want to share with my fellow Tavares supporters…
Last night I had a dream about next year’s 2010 draft lottery … In the dream we finished 5th from last … and still won the draft lottery … John Tavares was sitting at the desk representing the Isles instead of Bossy or Morrow … and when J.T. was being interviewed by TSN after the lottery … the interviewer said to John … Last year you were drafted 1st overall and then Jared Cowen fell to the Isles who traded up to #14 with 2 seperate moves … You two had an immediate impact on the Isles. Do you have anything to say to Isles fans from Garth Snow about what is going to happen with this #1 pick? John looked at the camera and said… Garth Snow told me to convey that we will be taking Taylor Hall … he doesn’t want to cause another off season of anxiety … then he said … DiPietro’s back to top form so we’re going to the playoffs in 2011 with Taylor Hall … I wished I could of slept longer to see how that turned out … LOL!!
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@125 you act like I haven’t followed this team for two decades. I’m well aware of the failures in the past. Doesn’t change the fact that I trust the current scouting staff (which is different than scouting staffs of the past) that has followed these players, more than a fan (who has not) and simply wants the product of the hype machine.
Sure, they might screw the pick up if they take Duchene. On a personal standpoint, if he’s the pick, I would be irritated, to say the least. But they’ll make the pick because they think he is the right pick based on the work they did. It’s their job.
Plus, we’re talking about 18-year-old children here. It’s impossible to know what they’re going to be at this point.
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isles 14 says:
whom ever they draft.i will support.i will always root for the the name on the front.but i hope it’s jt!
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Dan says:
CB, I think you’re grasping for straws here more than the people who screamed “HES PICKING TAVARES” when Snow said he’s got the same idea in mind since the draft lottery. He mentioned the team as a family, not that his pick has stayed with his family. explaining the ’08 draft year as building for a stanley cup does not allude to someone’s comment of Duchene winning you a stanley cup, and all three top picks have the “character” necessary to be the face of the franchise, with Duchene lacking the most character in all honesty.
The Newsday article is just another filler article trying to hold us over until Friday. We can’t try to make something more out of it. The Draft topic is a dead horse right now, and unless something like an e-mail or phone call from Garth leaks out miraculously to the public mentioning his choice, we’re not gonna know, and we won’t be able to break Garth’s crazy mind game, until Friday at 7.
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Michael says:
Maybe we should all leave the hockey decisions up to Garth Snow – how many people have actually seen any of the three players perform – and I mean more than just in highlights. If you listen to the scouting reports on Taveras and Duchene – do they not resemeble LaFontaine and Stevie Y? I loved Pat as much as anybody – but the bottom line is how many cups did Stevie Y lead the ‘Wings to. Granted LaFontaine had injures, but he was clearly not the best choice. Nobody would want Islanders executives coming into your home or office to make your decisions – why not – because you know your business best. We will not know for years – whom the best selection was.
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No matter who they draft this is BS what this franchise does to it’s LOYAL fans. If it is going to be JT why not say so? Snow is a FOOL PERIOD and Charles in charge is worse for letting this CLOWN do this to the fans that have delt with SH** the last 20 odd years.I wish it was back in the days of Bill Torrey and Al Arbour when this franchise had CLASS in how it treated it’s LOYAL fans.It is really SAD what has happened to this franchise and how it treats its fan base which with the CRAP they have put on the ice over the last 2 decades deserves a HELL of alot better.
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vukota says:
Why does everybody say we should just trust Garth Snow? What has he done to gain our trust? It’s not like he is some savy GM who has years of experience.
let me ask you guys a question. If you were going in for surgery and you found out they just hired the lead surgeon from the mailroom would you just sit back and say I trust him because he is a surgeon???
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Madchef says:
I will support whomever they select because I live and die with this team, lord knows how miserable they have made me for some time now. I would like to see them take Tavares and he be everything he is hyped up to be. If they go with Hedman they better sign a forward free agent with offense, and if they select Duchene well I hope he turns out to be the Yzerman type he is being heralded. you never know, and I only can guess whish is the best really i cant wait for Friday, I am very excited and I believe Snowjanks will do us diehards right. Thanks for being the best Isles info giver CB.Keep up the great work
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Jordan says:
This is a little scary. All I know is he better trade down if he chooses to pick Duchene. I want Hedman, but Tavares over Duchene
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More often than not Snow’s transactions have worked out well. He has seen these guys workout and play more than we have. Surely a longtime goalie would be acutely aware of what to look for, both on offence and defence. Maybe he does think he’s smarter than the rest of the league, but I really don’t believe that. Finally this team has a game plan, and if that means an Yzerman( Duchene) over a Heatley( Tavares) I’m in.
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Priest says:
If they did draft Duchene it would be cool for me as I have a friend (more of my brothers friend actually) who played with Bailey in Windsor (and is likely to be drafted himself this year), and a good friend of mine played with Matt in Brampton.
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Chris A says:
I hope he [Snow] knows what he’s doing
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303Joe says:
I was on the fence about going to the Draft Party but now after reading all this crap I’m staying home. If they choose Duchene at 1 that will be the last time I ever step foot inside the Coliseum for a hockey related event. I want Tavares and will accept Hedman but no way on Duchene.
Why are we to believe anything Snow or his scouts do as Isles fans? Last year instead of taking a top 2 shut down d man in Schenn he played games till he landed an at best #2 center man in the league in Bailey. While I like Josh I just think he should have taken Schenn we would have had a solid shut down guy for years to come. Big deal he landed some extra picks and picked all runts w/ Towes, Ness and Trevino.
Hopefully Friday at 7:15 Snow announces they pick from the London Nights John Tavares or I believe this franchise is done on LI. They will lose alot of casual fans as well as many die hards like myself who have seen just to many stupid picks and trades over my years as an Isles fan.
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#163 You are 100% correct Shenn is and will be a Scott Stevens stud for many years it was a HUGE MISTAKE not to pick him.
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IsleofNJ says:
Although Wang lets Snow and Company run the hockey side of things…..REALISTICALLY, Is there any way that Wang lets them pick anyone else but JT ?!
a) Picking JT puts a helluva lot more coin in their pockets (Tix, Jerseys, etc)
b) If the Lighthouse project were to fall thorough and Wang was gonna sell the team, Isles are a helluva lot more marketable with JT on the roster.
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Michael from T.O. says:
NO matter who they draft, I feel this team will be much better at the end of the weekend. One player isn’t going to turn this team around. The Isles need a lot and after next weekend, the players they draft (or maybe even trade for), will make this team better.
We all need to remember, these young players are all drafted on potential. I don’t care what players do in the juniors or college, it is what they do when they are pros that count to me. -
Jimmy Mac says:
One last post…
I understand why everybody is getting upset.
Tavares is the #1 pick in this years draft.
He is the best player in the draft.
All the scouts agree.
Tavares can score 30+ goals in this league every year.
I would be happy with Hedman… but I do want the forward.
Duchene will never score 30 goals in the NHL.
Go back at watch the games. I have the OHL package.
Duchene is a good player… no better than Kane.
This is the Isles chance to put fans in the seat… you can’t go wrong with picking Tavares.
If you don’t want one of the 2 best players in the draft… then trade down and get the team some assets.
Don’t reach… with Duchene we would have 3 second line forwards… if they are even that.
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Chad says:
I cant see the strategy in wanting people to “think” that he is drafting duchene. Thats works out perfectly for Tampa as Hedman falls into their lap and then Colorado gets Taveras @ 3! OR Tampa takes J.T. and Hedman falls to ‘Lanche at 3. Either way, it all but kills what little trade value (as per c.b. 2 days ago) the 1st pick is to both Tampa and Colorado.
If everyone wants to read b/t the lines of everything Snow is saying and assume he is talking about Duchene, it means he is preparing fans for the let down NOT trying to get people to think he is taking Duchene when he wants J.T. or Hedman all along.
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Obs says:
I will be taking my family to the draft party. We will walk around, take a tour of the locker rooms, meet the players that show up. Should the Isles draft anyone other than Tavares, I will support the kid, root for him & hope he becomes a Hall of Fame player but I will take my family and walk out of the building. I have seen too many bad picks. I would much rather see the the Isles take the safe pick here (Tavares) and have one of the other 2 (Duchene, Hedman) have a better career than watch them pass on this kid and blow the pick.
Happy Father’s Day all. -
westfall says:
Lets have a few lessons on leadership: this myth that Duchene is more of a leader than Tavares is crap. The WJCs are always a big deal in Canada, but this past year’s was even bigger being held in Ottawa. The folks at Hockey Canada, who have proven they know a thing or two about building a team, named Tavares the CAPTAIN. Then the tourney starts and Tavares just about single-handedly brings his team back from a 3-0 deficit against the US and winds up winning the MVP of the whole tournament. That’s not leadership??? Second myth regards the comparison being made between Duchene and Steve Yzerman. Stevie Y ended up being a great leader in addition to an outstanding player, but it took him a long time to develop those leadership skills. In fact, when the Wings were swept by the Devils in the ’95 Finals, people said that the Wings would never win the Cup with Yzerman as captain. It wasn’t until 1997, when Yzerman was 32 years old and surrounded by other great players that Detroit finally won the Cup. This is not to knock Stevie Y, but just to point out his kind of silly to compare the leadership qualities of two 18-year olds.
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Ugly Roe From Massapequa says:
There’s an old saying in sports: You can’t teach speed. When you look at the Big 3 potential draft picks, the HUGE advantage in speed goes to Matt Duchene. It’s not even close, by the way. He is hand’s down faster than Tavares. Also, Duchene plays BOTH ends of the ice, is a penalty killing offensive threat, and plays the point on the power play. He is FASTER than Tavares, more WELL-ROUNDED than Tavares, seems to have better LEADERSHIP qualities than Tavares, and would probably put up more overall POINTS than Tavares, as well. Sure, Tavares would probably score more GOALS than Duchene, but he is likely the kind of player that will always score more goals than he will be credited with assists, thus not the kind of player that makes the players around him better a la Duchene. I have been watching Duchene on youtube for the past few hours, and have decided that if I were the one picking between the two, it would be Duchene for me. Less goals, but more assists, a desperately needed point on the power play, better leadership, and that born-with SPEED that can’t be taught. I’m fairly certain that Duchene could lap Tavares in a race around the rink.
Duchene. And if the Islanders’ fans riot as a result of that pick, it will just show the world how unintelligent they really are.
Because of me, everyone already knows how ugly we really are.
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jethro09 says:
I hope Snow’s motivation is simply a smoke screen and just wants to mess with everyone’s heads. As perverse as that may be, I will be Snow’s biggest supporter if he takes JT on Friday and his biggest detractor if he takes Duchene. I can’t wait until 6/26/09.
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UIF says:
Everyone says “Snow’s such a great bluffer,” but bluffing only works if you play a legit hand once in a while. Snow has never told the truth in an interview, so take what he says with that in mind.
That said, if he really was “preparing us for Duchene,” then he should be prepared for an empty Coliseum next season. I’ll still be a fan of the Isles, but NOT a fan of this “three second-line centers” vision. FWIW, I won’t make a two-hour trip to the old barn to see Matt Duchene, regardless of whether that’s “unreasonable” or not. And I’ll wager that I’m not alone.
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303Joe, IMO youre being selective in which drafted players you bring up here- promising talented players like Niemi and Petrov for example are FAR from “runts” and those are two players that the Isles picked because of the Bailey trade down. Plus, Bailey himself is not a shrimp, either- and he is still a growing/developing kid. Rmember how many more picks the Isles got because of that trade down- its not Bailey over Schenn, that isnt what happened. That would have meant taking Bailey at 5th, and that is not what they did. Instead, it was Bailey +++ over Schenn- multiple promising players instead of one. Thats the whole picture of what happened.
Michael from T.O.: Your first line is a wise statement and we all have to try and remember that no matter what.
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#164 I absolutely agree with you. Where are all these pro Duchene posts coming from? Nobody heard about him until about 4 months ago. Why is it that Tavares is the consensus #1 pick? Why is it that Tavares was projected to be the #1 pick 4 years ago? Why because he is the best player in the draft, thats why… Who the hell cares that Duchene is a FASTER skater. Give me a break. The Oakland Raiders draft the fastest players every year and look what that has gotten them. They need to draft TAVARES!!!!
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For his career in juniors, Tavares has 215 goals and 218 assists. I think the young man not only knows how to score goals, but it seems that he also knows how to distribute the puck.
Ugly roe… you’re way off base.
DOC
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You want a fast skater? Trade up for Krieder and just draft Tavaras #1.
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If Snow let everyone know who he was selecting, that would give other GM’s time to formulate trades and provide time to put a strategy together. So for instance he announces 3 days prior to the draft that he is selecting Duchene,( which I hope he does not), that would give Burke and other GM’s ample time to make some serious trade offers to TB for JT or Hedman. It would actually benefit TB/Col if he announced who he was going to pick in advance. So I do agree with him not making the announcement and keeping other GM’s in the dark. Once he makes the selection it really does not give much time for a trade.
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i love the people who question if others are fans….yea we are fans, we just don’t buy the kool-aid like you………what have the isles done since 93 to warrant them not picking tavares…yea, absolutely nothing!!! you say you want us to stop being fans, well we will if they dont take tavares….then you and the other 200 people left can happily watch islanders games while no one cares and the islanders are i nthe same position now 10 years from now
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BC says:
I don’t understand the argument to pick Duchene. Not to knock duchene, who I think will also become a great player in the league, but I don’t understand why people rank him above Tavares. Wayne Gretzky, like Tavares, was never the fastest skater, yet he did pretty well in the NHL.
Gretzky never one a Selke Trophy either, so I don’t see a problem taking Tavares who isn’t necessarily the best defensive player. Regardless, I think it would be much easier to draft Tavares and have him work with coaches to improve his defensive game, something he has been doing, than to draft Duchene and try to teach him to score goals like Tavares can.
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MATT says:
personalization station=TAVARES
did they do that for DP when he was #1?? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
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Chris TMC post #175 I never said Bailey was a shrimp/runt the kid had good size and brings a nice grit to his play. I like him I just think his upside is a #2 center compared to what I think Schenn will be at top pairing shut down d man you know I think they should have went with that pick. As for Niemi and Petrov yeah they have size I never said they didn’t. But will we ever see any of them in an Isles uniform? Haven’t heard anything good about Niemi except he hit’s people. Petrov could be a very good player IF he ever comes over here after his Russian contract expires. As for the other kids mentioned Ness/Towes/Trevino yes I’ll stand by my 1st comment they are runts in an organization with runts all over the place.
Hopefully for the sake of the Isles surviving on Long Island he picks Tavares or Hedman Friday night picking the concensus #3 player Duchene at #1 would be suicide for the organization as I said earlier they will lose to many casual fans and die hards for them to survive.
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plus the nyi site has IMMEDIATE SALES POSITIONS OPEN. HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
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bossman says:
If Schenn was taken last year, Hedman’s name wouldn’t even be mentioned now
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leviticus says:
First of all Isles99, to connect Snow with what went on with Milbury is nonsense. Your “1993″ argument has no logic to it at all. Snow has not by any accounts done a poor job here. Do you really think the mess he inherited could get fixed overnight? We have seemingly been drafting well since 2006, and he’s been on board only since 2007 draft (and we didn’t pick until the third round that year!). Second, why don’t you and all the other armchair GM’s, who probably really believe that you could run a professional hockey team (LMAO)and by the way, also run a draft by what you read, wait and see what happens before you go on suicide watch. Nothing has happened for you to get your panties in a wad over. Geez, calm down and let this play out…ya never know, you might even be happy (although I bet money you guys will have some complaints about the Isles draft).
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Snow talks about family but if he picks Duchene then he just alienated about 90% of the fans. The “uncles and aunts” of the franchise that drop by his house up to 41 times a year and throw him $100+ per visit. But we’re just the fans, who cares what we think. It’s not like the kid is rated #1 by the scouting services or anything. We should all just shut our mouths and keep forking over the greenbacks.
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KO21 says:
This really sucks to hear…
I just cant wrap my mind around Garth choosing someone other than JT after “promoting” the “Draft Party” only to devastate and enrage the Isles “faithful”…
Would Garth actually “destroy” the spirits of over 15,000 die hards???
Ask garth that question, please…Thats what needs to be asked by our media….
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* Why us that never saw Tavares play in person know he’s the BPA. Primarily we are basing our opinions on the overwhelming concensus from the majority of amateur scouts that have had him pegged as #1 for the last 4 years and trust that majority. Also b/c of Tavares’ performances and highlight real plays.
* Our caravan from NJ to the draft party lost 2 people. A long disgruntled fan having read comments from Isles fans about a possible riot has made him not want to expose his 8 y/o son to the “carnage” as he put it … plus he said he’s not rushing home from work then only to make a 70 mile trip to see Duchene get selected #1 and have to worry about a riot. To bad … he was going to buy a partial season plan with us. I wish this whole fan anxiety feeling can be defused… Personally I still believe Snow drafts Tavares. -
Garth is the man. I full trust him to draft Tavares. Hopefully we will never be in this prediciment(last place) for a long time, so having the only opportunity to draft someone as successful as John Tavares is like winning the lottery. Oh wait, we did. Do the right thing Garth and you will have Islander Country on your side.
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By the way, with all do respect to Duchene and Hedman, all three prospects will be good players, maybe great players….but we need atleast one 20 goal scorer on this team….don’t we?
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-to #191 -we will this season…Okposo, Bergy,Cuomo,Streit,Baily and now Tavares..only, he’ll score 35-40 as a rookie.
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Fair enough 303Joe (183) Im not arguing against what youre saying, tell you the truth- I think you make some valid points. I was just pointing out that the Isles didnt just pick a few runts and they didnt pick Bailey instead of a guy like LS… they picked Bailey and Ness and Ullstrom and Niemi plus the 37th in this draft, whoever that will be. Plus, they said they would not have taken a chance on a guy like Petrov if they didnt get those extra picks- so he is part of that trade in a way, too. Theres a lot of size there, a lot of promise there, a lot of potential there. I just think when you think about that draft trade it helps to look at all the factors- thats all.
That being said, Garth has pretty much come out and said not to expect that kind of thing this year, and we might as well take him at face value because why would he bother saying that if it wasnt true? Its not like he is showering us all with information lol.
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I will have $50 in my pocket on draft night to buy a ticket that evening for opening night if they draft Tavares. He is the right player, strictly from a business end he will put me and many other fans back in the seats. Do the right thing and don’t be cute. If Snow messes this up, let the chants rain down every night, “Snow must go”. Not drafting Tavares also means Wang does not care about the fans needs and he will be out in the cold as well. Once again do the right thing, draft Tavares.
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Tom B says:
If he is going to build up this whole draft party, then draft Duchene #1, I would really be surprised if that happens.
however if he actually does take Duchene, then it confirms my belief that this franchise is in worse shape than I ever expected.
I would be extremely dissapointed.
oh my….