IT’S VH DAY ON LONG ISLAND: PB Q & A with Hedman’s agent, plus some arena talk
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Victor Hedman’s American Eagle flight from Toronto landed at Laguardia on Sunday at 4:25 pm, where he was greeted by a Point Blank reader who works the checkpoint. Victor was described by our man Pete as “a complete gentleman.” Pete told Hedman to make sure the Islanders take him to Jones Beach. The defenseman from Sweden asked about the women of New York.
“He is tall in size, but looks like he needs to fill in a lot,” Pete relayed via email. “I wouldn’t call him the second coming of Zdeno Chara, but he’s big. He’s got the frame to be a force to be reckoned with.” After grabbing his luggage, Hedman got into his Islanders-arranged limo. He is accompanied on the trip by his agent, Peter Wallen.
I was thinking about Hedman’s visit Sunday night, of how he said he was visiting the Islanders and the Tampa Bay Lightning back-to-back this week. No question, the young man will be warmly welcomed and charmed by the ownership and management of both teams. However, I was thinking about the difference in the facilities Hedman will be touring.
The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum and NHL arena in Tampa Bay will make Victor think he visited teams in completely different leagues. The St. Pete Times Forum is a palace, as those of you who have attended a game there know well. The accomodations for the home team - the locker room, the change room, the stick room, the workout spaces, the family and wives lounges - are spectacular. As for the Coliseum, by comparison it’s like the high school gym in Hoosiers.
But then I flipped on NBC Sunday nnight and thought, big Filppula’n deal. Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, played at the home of the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings, also a very out-dated hockey barn. Both the Coliseum and The Joe have something else in common: history.
What will the enormous difference in arenas in Nassau and Tampa Bay mean to Victor Hedman? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
In the case of cornerstone players like Hedman and John Tavares, it’s not about the building.
It’s about the kind of team you’re building.
It’s about who’s doing the building.
It’s about the kind of players you want to build around.
Victor: welcome to Long Island, New York, United States of America.
*
Late Sunday night, I tracked down Hedman agent Peter Wallen in New York.
What are your expectations for Victor’s meeting with the Islanders on Monday?
It’s all about Garth Snow and Victor getting to know each other. I’m sure they’ll show Victor around the arena and Long Island, talk about the areas where most of the players live, talk about the direction of the team. It’s just a chance for them to get to know Victor and for Victor to learn more about the franchise. I don’t have the itinerary. I just know we get picked up by a car in the morning.
How badly does Victor want to be the first overall pick by the Islanders?
Very badly. It would be a dream come true for him, I know that. But I also know that if he goes to 2 or 3, he will still be very happy and very proud. That said, going to the Islanders at 1 would be very big for him.
Do you think Victor is going to be the first overall pick in the draft?
That’s impossible to know. I think we might not even know until the night of the draft. I mean, if you’re the Islanders and you have the first pick in this draft with two or three really great players, you’re going to get a lot of offers for the pick. Victor could go No. 1, and it might not even be with the Islanders.
That’ll stir it up, Peter. Do you already have a working relationship with Islanders management?
Not much of a history with them. When I had a partner in my agency, he handled Mattias Weinhandl and I did some work with them. But I know Ryan Jankowski very well and we talk a lot. I also have a good relationship with Anders Kallur. The Islanders have good people.
Any other connections to the Islanders?
This is good. You’ll like this. A long time ago, when I was 14 years old, I traveled from Sweden with my youth hockey team to a tournament in Canada. They told us we would be staying with local families. I got placed in the house of Mike Bossy’s family.
Get out.
Yes! It was 1979 and he was already a big star with the Islanders. His parents were so nice to me. My second week there, the Islanders played the Canadiens in the Montreal Forum. The Bossys took me downstairs to meet him and Mike gave me his stick. I still have it, 30 years later. A Titan.
Do you leave for Tampa Bay on Monday night?
Change in plans. The NHL is hosting some of the top prospects at Game 3, so we leave New York late Monday afternoon and travel to Pittsburgh. On Wednesday we’ll be in Tampa Bay.
Do you think it will matter to Victor that the Lightning’s arena is state-of-the-art and the Islanders don’t have a deal yet for a new facility?
It’s out of Victor’s hands. He’ll sign with the team that drafts him and he’ll play there this season. Secondly, it’s the NHL! It’s the culmination of a life-long dream. The arena doesn’t matter. I mean, shut up and play.
From talking to your client on Thursday, he seems like an impressive young man. For all we know, the Islanders may have become enamored with John Tavares when he came to the Island two weeks ago. But I believe there’s a good chance they’ll be just as impressed with Victor.
I agree with you, which is why the Islanders should draft him. He’s a special player and a great young man.
Comments.
89 Responses to “IT’S VH DAY ON LONG ISLAND: PB Q & A with Hedman’s agent, plus some arena talk”
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Victor seems like a good kid, player, and all around person. I would hope that he can look past our rink and enjoy his visit, however short it may be. He will make a great player, but I just don’t think it will be with the Isles. As much as I may want Hedman, JT is what we need. He is the future and the hopeful “savior” of the isles. May he guide us back to glory!
JOHN TAVARES! Enough with the Hedman possibility. John Tavares is choice A, B, C, D, E.
Victor does seem like a very good young man. A good character guy and a very talented player. I’m still saying best player/situation available. Just such a great time to be an Isles fan with youngsters like Okposo, Bailey, Bergy, Comeau, Joennsuu, Figern, Rhasanksi, Harmonic, Neimi, Wrecker etc and then they can’t lose with the choice of Tavares or Hedman and all the other early picks they own.
We are watching the birth of the next very special era of the Islanders.
CB, BTW excellent gaining the access you are and the coverage your providing is fantastic. Keep it up!
I would say its an interesting time to be an Islanders fan. But it sure as hell is not a “great” time to be an Islanders fan. It will be great when we have an arena that keeps the team on Long Island and when we have a team that actually can complete for the cup. Both of which are probably a decade away at the very least.
NYICHAMP neither is a decade a way. The team will compete for a cup in 2-5 years and they’ll have an arena on LI or elsewhere well before 10 years is up. It is a great time, everything is lining up in the proper direction. I wasn’t old enough to see things coming together in the late 70’s but I have to think it was something like this.
Hedman stand in front of a great carrer as an lightning.We need Tavares nuff said.
Victor is a good lad…Go Tavares go!
I think there’s a chance that Strummer is right, and next year will be very exciting from a hockey perspective. This past year was not such a great time to be an Isles fan, but things are looking up, at least on the ice. As far as the arena, well, we’re all hoping…
Another place, another time, I would be more incllined to take the defenseman, but, under the current roster construction, the center is a NOOOOOO BRAINER…are you listening, Messers. Wang, Snow & Jankowski?
as long as we come away from the draft with either tavares or hedman then i will be happy
CB - … Love the Van Halen logo … Whenever I see Victor Hedman’s initials I think of Van Halen … How’s that for brand identity? LOL!!
Hedman’s agent says all the right things … and there is good reason for that … because they are just the right things to say.
I have no doubt that Victor would make an awesome Islander … However … I have my concerns about drafting potential star defensemen from Sweden with such a valuable pick when there are potential star forwards ripe for the picking … I have ONE main reason … It takes a good 2 - 3 years longer for a defenseman than a forward to reach peak potential … that may rob the Isles of 2 - 3 years of service the Isles get from him if he decides to move to another team, back to Sweden or even the KHL … Tavares is in NHL to stay … and we’ll get instant dividends.
On Coach’s Corner last night Don Cherry ripped into the Hotstove reporters of the previous night who suggested the Islanders had questions about Tavares’ skating. Cherry went on to say he was a good skater and all this talk about him slipping is rediculous.
I hope they keep their picks and take either Tavares or Hedman, draft a Richard Panik or Kreider at 26 and possibly that 6 foot 7 goalie from Finland with an early second rounder. Those are a couple of good risks.
25 days 12 hours and 45 mins left of the anxiety and guessing what Snow will do with the pick. Give or take 5 mins.
When you see the Isles selling the draft party as “Be a Part of Islanders History” you have to think it’s going to be something BIG … and PROUD as an Islander fan that you’d want to be a part of. They couldn’t be so bold as to pick anyone but Tavares could they??? They know pretty well that the fan base overwhelmingly want JT … with 4,000+ tickets already distibuted for the draft party (I have mine) this could be a real barn burner of a celebration or riot … LOL!
I just don’t want to see Bettman get up and say….We have a trade to announce. When Bettman says his hello’s, I want to see Snow and Co. already walking toward the podium and the phone off the hook. Take Tavares, then go back to the table, work the phones hard, move up in the draft and let Tavares accompany you to the stage and make the next pick.
LOL wants to know about New York Women…….
(#13) Blizzard … Yeah … I caught that Blizzard … Vic had that … “Where your women at?” attitude … LOL!!!
(#12) Bossy22 . I love that scenario that you paint … keep the phone off the hook …. Then bring Johnny T up to the podium to make the announcement for the second pick … Wouldn’t it be ironic if that pick became Kassian?? LOL! Tyupical Islander style … LOL!
Great kid, and I’m sure he’ll have a very good career ahead of him, that said, I still want the sniper. Tavares!
Seven goals in the Swedish Elite League this year is not enough of what the Islanders need !!!!! JOHN TAVARAS
Tell VH that the women in Tampa are much better!!
CB, good Job. thanks. great reading every day. Now get them to pick Tavares and we will actually go to games. Garth buddy, if you’re reading this, we would not want Vinny and Hedman for tavares. We want Tavares. please jhust draft him and then get another blue chipper!
as long as we come away with tavares or hedman i’m happy. you can’t go wrong with either player. i think it will be hedman b/c of mckenzie’s quote.
I honestly like both players and they are both future studs and as much as I want Tavares, drafting Hedman wouldn’t be the be all, end all. We’re not talking about Scott HE-Whose-Name-Shall-Not-Be-Mentioned. We’re either getting a sniper on offense or a rock on defense. It’s out of my hands so whoever I want is irrelevant. I’ll root for whoever pulls the jersey over his head on draft day.
The woman in Tampa are allot looser than the JAP’s here on LI. Sorry VH, I guess that singles is out.
Hedman will be a great player but in order to have a shot at keeping us in Long Island we must draft Tavares. He will sell tickets, jerseys, magazines, and hopefully the Lighthouse project to the Nassau Republicans. Islanders will have the face they have not had in a very long time. They will also have the sniper they have not had since Ziggy. Also, that was a very long time ago.
Folks, JT will have very little (if any) on the progress of the lighthouse project. Kate has gone on record as saying “this is not about the Islanders”. JT will ultimately be responsible for helping the Isles win and filling the rink.
Well said chris… if a player chooses one team over another simply because the one team has free starbucks or a ‘wifes and family lounges’ my gut says when time comes to perform, that player wont show up. PS the joe is an absolute dump of an arena, the coliseum seems like a palace compared to it. Anyone whos been there knows exactly what i’m talking about.
the difference between the St. Pete Times Forum and NVMC? what’s hanging from the ceiling…a little dusty, but they’re there waiting for additions
Isles would be making a mistake to pass on Tavares, but if they don’t go that way and take VH I hope people dobn’t boo the kid…the draft is a culmination of years of work for the players and their families
Best case scenario is this team is competing for a playoff spot in 2-5 years not a cup. We still have a long way to go. Our prospect pool is still pretty weak, and whoever our first pick is this year isnt going to transform us into a contender overnight.
I hate to say it but if VH is announced at the draft party, which I am going to, there will be anarchy at the old barn. I will personally see to it. Sorry VH nothing against you, its just we NEED to draft the sniper. Im sure there are plaenty of chicks in Tampa….LOL!
He sounds like a great kid, TAMPA BAY IS GETTING AN EXCELLENT PLAYER
I agree with #28. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves and lable this team a contender for anything but a top 10 draft pick next year. Tavaras or Hedman will be a cornerstone player for the Isles but they’re not going to turn things around overnight. For my $ I hope the Isles take JT as I’ll be at the draft party with my three sons and don’t want the place burned down!
Rb, I hope they don’t boo him either if that is the case. That would be pretty stupid.
@ #23(tavares or bust)
what the hell, man? that’s the most intolerant thing i’ve heard on this board.
also, let’s not start shouting “off with his head” if Snow decides to pick Hedman.
I agree, Hedman seems very stand up but doesnt have same Buzz for us as Tavares
We need Attendance. Goal scoring gets people in the Seats.
Looking foward to draft day. I think its Tavares all the way.
as the old song goes……
GO Johnny GO…GO….Johnny be good….
maybe that can be his theme song…every time he scores a goal…they play that clip from the song…who sang it…its from the 1960s i think..
1958..Chuck Berry !
Make it the Tavares theme song!!!!
It seems like Headmans Agent Wallen has very good relations with the Islanders, from Bossys parents to knowing Jankowski Very Well, to having a good relationship with Kallur.
Does Tavares have any connection at all?
Headman seems to have the Inside Advantage from what i read here.
Believe me that having a connection helps, it might be one of the last deciding factors.
CB…. I like your photoshop skill with the VH logo.
The Hedman cometh, if only to see the Long Island women.
Hedman sounds great…For Tampa. Lets make a deal with Tampa to ensure we do not take Hedman, they give us another pick like #32? Having 26, 31 and 32?
I hope it’s Tavares, but I’ll also be happy with Hedman. I also hope the draft party doesn’t turn ugly if they go with Hedman - we’d still be getting a phenominal prospect.
By the way, Johnny Winters version of Johnny B. Goode is way better than Chuck’s, imho.
Mike from Bohemia (43): Exactly! The absolute LAST thing this team needs is fans being all negative about decisions being made with valuable information we are simply not privy to.
BTW I would be inclined to pick the Judas Priest version out of my personal metal loyalties, except that I probably like the Johnny Winters version better.
It will turn ugly if we take Hedman at the Coliseum. Lets not make that happen Islanders. Lets hope Islanders management does not make the fans feel like fools. This draft party will have a decent amount of people at it because the Islanders have the first overall pick. I was not there last year but I am sure that there will more people there this year bc we have the 1st pick and the draft party is being marketed more. Dont F this up Islanders.
Does Hedman have the nastiness to dominate in the NHL?
Isles say no.
You don’t have to be nasty to dominate on D….Lidstrom isn’t nasty, Bourque wasn’t nasty, Niedermeyer isn’t nasty, etc.
If we do trade down… I want Hedman and either Kane or Magnus.
That would make me happy.
RB Post 27
Are you talking about the Billy Joel Banners? Sweet
a guy from sweden coming to check out LI women??….dont think so…same would go for a woman ladies..equal opportunity disparager here..lol
For all u fans who are ok with the VH pick and can t understand the JT or bust mentality you need to get a real grasp on the situation. We are on the verge of losing our franchise, the bottomline is a goal scorer will bring in more revenue , end of story. You do not get games nationally televised b/c you have a super solid defenseman. This franchise needs to increase revenue now , not 3 or 4 years down the road. There is no lighthouse on the horizon , need to sell out games right now. A hockey franchise is a business and at the end of the day JT = more tickets = more $
I disagree with some…While I think the team will miss out on the playoffs next season, I think they’ll be in it right up to the end if they can stay healthy, and I won’t be surprised if they squeak in. A few smart moves (not necessarily major splashes, although one would be nice) in the offseason would go a long way, and obviously DP staying healthy and actually returning to form is a big “if”. But “if” lady luck smiles on them, I think the Isles could surprise some people next season.
Despite everyone talking about the draft pick, the next captain, and DP, I believe KO will be the big story next year.
JTorBUST (47)
Just out of curiosity, how many goals are you expecting each year from JT?
Sumo, you also dont need to be over 6-1 to be a great defenseman as the ones you mentioned. forget his stupid height, its not basketball. reach is important but you can have long reach without the extra height.
Bottom line, we need GOALS!!! we need offense, the hockey world has been waiting for Tavares with baited breath for yours. lets not ruin this with a colossal mistake
I have not read alot about JT’s feelings about coming to the Islanders, but if everything else is equal, I must say VH is saying all the right things, and I would feel good having a player with his attitude playing for the team.
Dave, I’m not saying to draft him. I want JT too (as long as he doesn’t turn out to be another Dave Chyzowski.) But Hedman isn’t all about size and reach. He is a smart player who is a good skater with good skills. He may not crush people with his hits but he is by no means a wuss. And our team needs help everywhere, not just on O. I was just pointing to the fact that Hedman is more than capable of dominating without being nasty. That said, I would love if the Isles drafted Tavares, but who knows what Snow has up his sleeves. IF he picks Hedman, I know one thing I will not do, and that is boo the youngster. Especially since he WANTS to be here and it’s not his fault if Snow picks him over JT. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what comes to fruition at the draft. People can bicker back and forth all they want, but at the end of the day, it is Snow and Wang who make the final decisions, not us arm-chair GMs.
Hockey chanel on XM radio interviewed both EJ Maguire and Bob Mckenzie separately about an hour ago. Both insist that John Tavares is going #1 at the draft, the question is weather or not the Islanders are the ones making the pick. Both also said if they were GM for the Isles, they would choose John Tavares. Interestingly, Bob Mckenzie said he thought the Isles would take Hedman about a month ago, but it sounds like that has changed.
Also, isles website reports over 5,000 people attending the draft party. I gotta laugh, do we even have 5,000 show up to some games?
(17)
Seven goals isint horrible for a young kid playing with real men.
Savetheisles.webs.com ( hopefully have new post today )
(47) JTorBust - I agree totally with you that it is JT or bust. Since last July I’ve followed Tavares knowing it was a good possibility we might be able to draft him. Since NOvember i also followed Hedman. I cant figure out how any Islander fan in their right mind would not want Tavares over Hedman. Other than Denis Potvin no defenseman has been taken first overall and made an impact in the last 40 years. Height is good if you are the Knicks and you need a low post presense but plenty of smaller defenseman in the NHL turn out to be hall of famers. I believe taking JT is our last chance to get a real bonafide goal scorer
ps. I think that the 5000+ fans attending the draft party arent going there excited for VH…they want to say they were there when we draft JT
Botta i cant believe you’re using the sammy hagar era VH logo…we need the DLR era logo especially since thats when the islanders were really winning (and VH was better too)
26 days left…jeez!
So the top prospects will be at SCF Game 3, huh? I’ll be there as well; wish there was something useful I could do.
So all the top prospects seem like great guys with positive early impressions of the Isles. As long as Garth & Co don’t go completely off the charts we’ll be in good shape. Should be fun!
#33, don’t get ur panties all up in a bunch, its a joke, and long Islanders know exactly what I’m talkin bout. VH doesn’t want a yenta. Lol
This “Victor Hedman plays against real men” thing is really getting old.
I guess the only reason why Tavares dominated in the OHL is because played against little boys?
Well realistically if the Islander draft Hedman the chorus of Boo’s and derisive chants arent necessarily aimed at him, more our GM and scouts.
CB interesting that your take on the Coli vs. Tampa will mean nothing. I totally agree with you. But Garth likes to scapegoat the Old Barn he did especially following The FA Debacle of July 2007. IF Players believe in the org they’ll sign, if they don’t they won’t. Hopefully Garth starts to hold himself more accountable & stop blaming the size of the locckerroom for everything!
the team with the best d-man in the league (lidstrom) is about to win the cup. just saying…..
my money is on a trade down to 2 (which mckenzie hinted at today) where we take hedman. wouldn’t be surpised if we then traded up for a forward. imo, scott glennie would be a great fit for us.
bergie20,
the team with the best d-man in the league couldn’t have done it all these years without datsyuk, zetterberg, yzerman, holmstrom, shannanan, franzen and more recently fillpula, cleary, helm…..you need both defense and offense to win….the statement that the team with the best d-man in the league is about to win the cup is illogical…just saying….
The choices ARE difficult. Good luck to us all.
isles99 - you made my point for me. you need both offense and defense to win. we don’t have either which makes either tavares or hedman a great pick for us. detroit and pitt’s offenses and goaltending cancel each other out. detroit has a much better d which is providing the difference for them. if lidstrom was a penguin it could be a different story. really, nyi can’t lose with either player. being disapointed with hedman just doesn’t make sense. now i’m done.
lidstrom wasnt getting so much credit when osgood had his near 4 GAA earlier in the season, it’s a team effort boys, the “new” nhl doesn’t nec. favor scoring, but rather removed the ability to “trap” your way to the Cup… that being said, if victor was a hitting machine, i’d MAYBE want him over jt, but since the league is slowly becoming the No Hitting League anyway, give me the scorer and call it a draft
I think alot of people are going to be disappointed come draft day. From what I read, 90% of Islander fans want John Tavares which is cool but the Islanders lack solid young blue liner which makes me believe that Hedman will be our guy. Will John Tavares kill us over the next 10-15 years? very strong possibility but we can have a 6′6 dman who could shut down anything that comes his way which is very hard to find.
Robby d #24 is right, but there is more to keeping the team on the island and that a playoff team this season is a must. Sure we have to stock up on piks and pprospects but they are not going to get us to finish 8th or better. Ufas and trades for underacheiving forwars and D from other teams is amust. They need to be young and have SIZE! So its going to be the Big “T” and a new cast of players with DP or someone else in G. IF wANG REALLY OPENS UP THE WALLET we will know if he wants to keep the team here or if he doesn’t and we play with another AHL lineup we better get used to the idea of all those piks playing in KC in 3to 5 years.
wow already 5200 tickets sold for draft party
Take our #1 pick for next year and DP and give it to Tampa for this years pick and then we can draft Tavares and Hedman.
bergie 20,
i agree both are equally important…my preference is offense becuase its more exciting and btw, where did you get the misconception that pitt and detroit’s offense cancel each other out….grave mistake my friend….pitt is a two man team with cindy crosby and malkin…they have no depth…their supporting cast is trash…with th exception of guerin whos benefiting from playing with cindy…pitts secondary players are islander rejects #1 and #2 (satan, fedotenko) detroit on the other side has a top 3 playersof datsyuk, zetterberg, hossa…their supporting is 100X better with guys like franzen, hudler, samuellson, holmstrom and newcomers like flipulla, helm, and revived players like cleary….also detorit had 30 more goals than pitt in regular season…detroit wins becuase they have unbelievable depth not becuase of lidstrom alone….people are goign to dissapointed with hedman becuase they want the guy who puts picks in the net and as*es in the seats considering both offense and defense are important
Its been over a month since the Islanders won the lottery. Dont you think that they have exhausted and will exhaust every single scenario, possibilty, and then some about #1? Its obvious who the fans want(sans myself). The Islander brass knows this for sure. All this “we will sell more tickets, get on more prime time games, attendance up”, etc. means nothing if we dont add MORE players. Tampa won the lottery, picked a stud in Stamkos, and still finished 2nd worse. If the Islanders make the unheard of choice of Hedman, they obviously think the franchise will be better because of it. Do I agree? Ive always leaned towards Hedman, however lets not boo (I will be there too) if Hedman is chosen. Obviously there are plenty of well known hockey people who wont think its a bad choice. With that being said, I do think we will choose Taveras.
#72 Here here! Would do that in a ny min… but would they take a rickety dipietro?
jt91: Ok DP, Our last pick in this years first round and our # 1 pick next year. What do you think? I think they bite!
i cant beleive people are talking about trading dp
The perfect June 26th:
Wake up at about 9am…hit the Marriot bar at about 10am…enjoy a few bloody mary’s…have some lunch…then some more beverages…over to the coliseum for the draft party…listen to JT & Snow on the jumbo-tron…order my new JT jersey with my I-Phone…back to the Marriot for celebratory cocktails…call a cab at midnight, drunk and happy, with a new era of NYI hockey fully upon us!
76 and 77. Although DP has been injured, he is a proven all star. Hedman has not proven anything. he may become a good Kenny Jonsson that’s 6-6, thats it. i wouldnt even be surprised btw if Brayden Schenn AND Duchene go before HEdman. i think the whole Hedman thing is a Toronto media thing to get Tavares. DP though can maek the entire team MUCH better when he plays
Trade for the #2 pick. Let’s draft Tavares and Hedman.
Tavares plz.
Hedman wants to know about New York Women after living in Sweden????? I sense culture shock!!!!!!!
Botta - What will it take to trade for Tampa’s number 2 pick, aside from trading away the 1st pick? Maybe next years #1 pick?Maybe Throw in Tambilini, just cuz?
I like #73
anthony, i dont think thats possible. lets keep it simple here. take tavares and use the other picks wisely. i cant wait until the 26th!
(5) the isles will not be in the conference finals for at least four years. Two years to compete for the cup? seriously thats a joke. You will have to get throught the pens in the east to get near it anytime soon, have fun going through sid and gino if your the isles. other teams could do it because they don’t have a clueless GM.
(76, 77, 78, 80)DP is hardly a proven star, he’s is a fragile mess with a contract that will no team would be stupid enough to undertake. Unlike Garth Snow, Brian Burke has a brain. No one in their right mind would take DP and his 13 or so remaining years. to think Burke would make me think you are as stupid as Snow for signing him for 15 years. His contract makes him impossible to trade.
Hedman seems like a great kid but if you pass on tavaras you need to get something else huge too.
Good story CB, joke comments by some readers.
Hey Brad, you obviously haven’t been paying attention. The DiPietro contract was done by Charles Wang, not Snow, who is far from clueless. He had a very good draft last year, made two of the best free agent signings in the league the last year with Weight and Streit, and got a first round pick for Chris Campoli.
Mr Hedman
you seem like a great guy, and will probably be a great defenseman…unfortunately you are not the second coming of mike green and the team needs goals. best of luck in tampa bay