24-HOUR RECAP: China trip, Tavares, Gordon, Sutton, arena, trades, free agency, perfect season?
After five days in Florida, the Islanders were given today off. Their next workout will be the morning skate at the Coliseum on Saturday in preparation for the Hurricanes. With that in mind, and considering our “24 Hours at Point Blank” Q & A marathon became a bit of a wild scramble, I’m presenting a collection of the best and the worst. There should be plenty here to chew on for the day. Forgive me if some of the answers were more poorly written than even the norm. It was a challenge. Although the Q & A is over, you’re welcome to respond in Comments to any of the 4,000 words below.
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Alex Smith: Do you think Matt Moulson will be more than just a one year wonder? Could he actually be a long-term 20 goal plus scorer?
CB: Alex, since you were reasonable enough to set the bar at 20 goals, yes, I do think Matt Moulson can be a 20-goal scorer for this team for the next few years. It’s a good sign that he continues to get chances and some goals no matter what line he’s on. (Again, in Tampa Bay: Trent Hunter gets five minutes on the power play, Moulson gets two).
PattyB94: Do you think the Isles will be going into the trade deadline as buyers or sellers?
CB: Technically, they will not be buyers or sellers, PattyB. In less than two weeks, they’ll know where they are in the playoff race on March 1. They will not be out of it. (Hey, look at that: the Bruins and Rangers lost again). They will not be pro-active in search of a major impact player. They will consider offers for the few available players they have of value - Andy Sutton leads that list. Garth Snow will decide in the hours leading up to the March 3 deadline whether it’s worth accepting a good offer for Sutton.
mm30: Was there ever a time when the GM had you prepare a press release for a trade that was then pulled for one reason or another?
CB: There’s one un-needed press release I remember best, because it wasn’t so long ago. A few hours before Garth made the deal for Ryan Smyth, I completed a first draft for a release with the headline, “Islanders Stand Pat.” I brought down a copy for him. He and Kenny Morrow told me about the deal he was close to completing and I threw the release in the garbage and said, “Okay, keep me posted”!
NickyL: CB, I know it’s a long time before JT can be a FA, but do you think he would seriously consider staying or bolt first chance he got? Maybe to his hometown Leafs?
CB: I’ve spoken at length about this subject with Tavares, Nicky. Just haven’t gotten around to writing about it, so I’ll just blow the story here and others can write it. I have absolutely no concern whatsoever that Tavares will be with any team other than the Islanders during his restricted free agent days. (What happens in seven years when any player is UFA is impossible to predict. That’s too far down the road for all of us). He’s very on board with Long Island and the team. You won’t have to sweat it out when he gets to his “Kessel” year. It’s just a matter of whether he signs for another 3 or 13 years. Good thing is, it’s a real long shot this blog will be around for a long time. If I’m wrong about this, maybe you can hunt me down on Twitter.
Mike Olivo: Chris, I’m seeing the same signs of problems as previous seasons: lack of depth on defense, lack of scoring punch, awful special teams. So, as presently constructed, do you think the Islanders can grab a playoff spot?
CB: The Islanders are one of several mediocre teams going for two, maybe three spots. (You have to think Lavi’s Flyers could join the present pack in the top six). If they get their act together, play well with so many games left at home and make a roster adjustment or two, why can’t they compete?
Andrew: Any updates on the uniform change for next season?
CB: The Islanders will wear their classic royal blues at home next season and are working on matching whites for 2010-11.
MLem: This one is very hypothetical. The Islanders add a top goal scorer via trade or free agency sometime between this trade deadline and trade deadline 2012. Keeping it realistic (obviously no Ovie, Sid, Gino) who do you think they add or look to add?
CB: Matt, you’re asking me to predict what goal scorer the Islanders add to their roster by March 2012? Sorry, bud. That’s just too mind-blowing for me. Let me see if I still have one of my Yes or Emerson, Lake & Palmer LPs from the old Titus Oaks in Hicksville.
KevinFitz: Have any good Rich Pilon stories? Always loved good old rugged Rich. I know so many of the tough guys on the ice tend to be the nicest guys off the ice. Was he that way? Thanks CB!
CB: For some reason, Rich Pilon and I hit it off well. I think he was shy at big charity events and would seek me out (not that I’m Mr. social). When the NYI and his agent agreed on his last contract extension with the team, it took me a long time one night in Vancouver to track Rich down and tell him to come back to the team hotel to sign his contract. When he finally returned my calls, he yelled in his high voice, “Botts, have I been traded”?
Extra ButterRVC: Excluding DeHaan and Hamonic, which two players in the Islanders system do you see having a legitimate chance at making the Islanders line up as a regular next year?
CB: Excluding your choices de Haan and Hamonic (who should develop and not be on the Islanders out of camp), you’d hope Jesse Jonesuu has progressed enough to push for a spot. Maybe they’ll give Matt Martin a long look.
Devon: Be completely honest: do you think top tier free agents won’t come to Long Island? Is it really about money, or about coming to a contender? In other words, is there even a 1% chance of us adding a huge piece (like Kovalchuk) in free agency?
CB: If recruited effectively and offered the best contract, sure, there is a chance a top free agent would come to the Islanders eventually. A more secure arena situation and franchie future would certainly help. It is probably a moot point because the Islanders have not wooed any major FAs since 2007 and I don’t think they will in 2010.
Craiggers: Do Garth Snow and the Isles really think Matt Martin is the future answer as a “Tavares Protector” for this team, or will they be looking elsewhere this offseason/trade deadline?
CB: I doubt Snow has Matt Martin on his dry-erase board as future John Tavares protector. He likely has him pegged as a potential third-liner with some muscle who might be able to score 15 goals in a season. I doubt Martin’s job is locked in for the NHL next season. Not at all.
Larry: Chris, over the summer (if my memory serves me right) you may have made comments stating that Streit was the leading candidate to lead the Islanders as their captain, also noting Okposo and Weight as worthy candidates. In the last few weeks you have said Okposo is the future captain. We can see his leadership on the ice, but what can you tell us about his leadership off the ice in the locker room?
CB: I thought last summer that Streit would be the best choice for captain. Weight is good, but my opinion has not changed. Kyle Okposo will be the captain in the next year or two, deservedly so. I think the press and the fans have both seen enough of Kyle to know the reasons why.
Bergie20: Will the Islanders be bigger players in free agency now that Wang has increased his revenue streams from the Coliseum?
CB: If the Islanders are big players in free agency in the next year or two, it won’t be because the Islanders are making some extra dough on parking and concessions. It will be because they decided to spend on a quality player to make the team better.
Beachchica: A question for you CB - why do you love doing this so much? Just to let you know, we are soooooooooo happy you do!!!!!
CB: Thanks, beachchica. I cover professional ice hockey. I have season credentials for 3 NHL rinks within an hour of my home. In my brief time away from the Islanders, I worked the All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium, the Winter Classic at Fenway and wrote about the drafting of John Tavares for months (!). And the best is yet to come. I’ve been blessed with great contacts and even better friends. I still get to hang with my three sons. There’s nothing not to love.
DeHaamonic: CB, Great job as always. If the Isles drop out of it, why wouldn’t you trade Dwayne Roloson? A 40 year old goaltender who would appear to have some value. Then just re-sign Biron for another year. For a developing team what is wrong with having Biron and 2nd round pick instead of Roloson and a 4th round pick going forward?
CB: I don’t think you can rule out the Islanders doing something like that, but that sure seems like a whole lot of nothing just to get a second round pick for Dwayne Roloson. The Martin Biron signing did not turn out to be the wonderful thing the Islanders thought it would be. Not sure why they’d want to cash out on Roloson, unless they were blown away. And I doubt they’ll be blown away.
Stephen: What do you think is best for the organization? Sell, sell, sell or stick with what we’ve got and maybe sneak into the 8th spot?
CB: I think Garth should just make the smart, small move or two to give the current squad a better chance. If he gets a knee-weakening offer for Sutton, he has to consider it. And then Garth should just ride it out and see where Gordon and the boys take it.
Eastonhockey: Asuming the Isles miss the playoffs this year, come back with lowest payroll next season and miss the playoffs will Wang be holding Snow and Gordon accountable by firing them or will Wang just focus on his city and China hockey dreams rather then be concerned with wins and losses?
CB: You’re a beaut, easton. To answer your question, Charles Wang is not going to fire Garth Snow under any circumstances for a very long time. Snow will determine Gordon’s future. I expect Scott will be back next season no matter what. As a close observer of this team, you probably knew the answer to your question. Wang is able to focus on a lot of things at once. He wants to win.
MJS: Even though Islanders Country clearly believes he’s messing everything up, can we expect to see Scott Gordon extended, say over the summer, or is the last year of his contract where he really gets to earn the big bucks?
CB: The big bucks, eh? Messing everything up? Scott Gordon will be the coach when camp opens in China. If his contract is extended before the season, it will probably be done quietly. If I’m Scott’s agent, I’m not pushing for it or waiting by the phone for an extension. Not the NYI way.
James: Training camp in China: good idea or bad? Having been to China and back more than a few times and having seen how long it can take to recover from jet lag…Uh, I have an opinion on the matter. Yours?
CB: Two thoughts on training camp in China. I’ve said since I was a teenager that if I ever owned a sports team, I would be involved and do whatever I wanted. Charles Wang does not have to explain himself for this. As for the physical toll, what - will it cause them to start next season winless in ten games?
Examiner: If you had to grade the job of Garth Snow and company since the beginning of the rebuilding project (2008 Draft more specifically), what would that grade be?
CB: As I wrote a week or so ago, Garth Snow has had a good year. Many of his decisions this year have worked out really nicely. But let’s hold off on glowing about his work on the rebuild until the end of this season. If the Islanders tail off this year, it would be awkward giving a good grade to the GM of a team that finished 30th last season and around 25th this season.
Squarejaw: Do you feel that because Martin Biron has been sent to Bridgeport on conditioning it’s a sign that no trade is close to happening? And, at this point, can we expect anything more than a 3rd rounder?
CB: The Islanders have not had any offers yet. Let me ask you: if you were a GM, would you give up more than a third round pick for a goalie who struggled for a half-season to win, didn’t play for a month and now is in the minors? Would you trade a fourth round pick? Hopefully for Biron’s sake, a solid showing in the AHL will lead to finding him a new team.
JPinVA: With all the positive things that have occured, (Schremp, Hillen, MacDonald, Sutton…), great games under “the system” and bright prospects emerging. Do you think this has been a successful season already?
CB: You can make the case that if the team is playing meaningful games in March - they only have five to go - the franchise will look at it as a successful season no matter how it ends up. They sold some tickets, got the fans interested, earned more points in the first half than many expected, saw some young players improve, got Moulson and Schremp for free, watched prospects have a good year of development. And no bad apples!
Ted S: Do you think they are marketing Tavares correctly and do you think Tavares will be as good as advertised?
CB: The Islanders have had the perfect balance in their marketing of Tavares. I don’t know your view of how he came advertised, but in my view he’ll eventually be the 40-goal scorer we thought before the draft.
Djmc: With Andy Sutton playing the way he has been playing, do you think he has won an extension on his contract? I am a big fan of having his hard-hitting presence back there.
CB: Sutton has won over the coach. He has the mobility to fit in this system. He has the size the Islanders lack. The team should, and I’m sure will, consider bringing Sutton back. Since they still have a long way to go, they will also have to listen to rental offers for him before March 3.
Eric R: Who would you choose in the draft now if you were the GM having seen Tavares and Duchene play?
CB: I don’t know how many times that’s been asked, just because Tavares is in a bad slump. Any team with the first pick could not have gone wrong taking any of the Tavheduch guys. The Islanders made the right choice for them.
Dr. Generosity: Bob Bourne once said, “History is our seventh man.” (He said it after we crawled back to beat the Caps in the ‘85 playoffs.) Are we going to see any more Islander HOF inductees? 18’s not getting any younger, and many would like to see him honored.
CB: The Islanders appear to have ditched the team Hall of Fame concept. There was only one inductee, Bob Bourne, and that was so long ago, Justin was still in college. I do not know their reasons why. My speculation is the decision, like everything, comes from Charles Wang. My speculation is also that, knowing the team would struggle in this rebuild, he put talking about the past on hold. That’s only a semi-educated guess.
Bill Scanlon: You have some great stories about the players and Al Arbour during the dynasty years. I was wondering if you had much contact with Bill Torrey and what kind of success he may have had in this free agent salary cap environment today.
CB: I’m fortunate enough to speak with Bill Torrey regularly. A brilliant man, obsessive worker and class act like Mr. Torrey would have success in any era. Okay, maybe not four in a row, but you know what I mean.
Tony F: I still think about the old days at the NVMC. Whatever happened to the air horns people would bring and cow bells leading the ‘Lets go Islanders” chant?
CB: I don’t know about the airhorns, but I think the cowbells of the 80s went the way of Blue Oyster Cult. On New Year’s Eve a long time ago, I helped my brother - then an intern at WBAB - give out bumper stickers in the Coliseum lot before a BOC and Foghat show. In return, we got seats on the floor. I was about 15 and nearly got run over a dozen times. I almost didn’t make it to write about John and Josh on a daily basis.
Josh: In my opinion, the fact that Mr. Wang is taking this team to China for training camp is a sign that things will eventually work themselves out in terms of the Lighthouse. I mean, why would the PA or the NHL approve such a move if the team was to be shopped? Thoughts, comments, ridicule?
CB: Charles taking the team to China in September is merely a sign he’ll be owning the team next season. And that was never in doubt anyway. Other than that, it doesn’t mean diddly in terms of his ownership and the Lighthouse Project.
Derek: Snow was known for being a chippy, aggressive, team player (with big shoulder pads), at times a hothead even. What happened to that guy? Has the suit made him soft? Why hasn’t he come out and defended his team against Colin Campbell and the disciplinarians of the NHL. There have been several occasions where he should’ve stood up for his team. Can you shed any light on this CB?
CB: If you look at Garth’s management record the last three years, he has done little to make waves at any level. No big trades, no big signings, no media rants. He rarely goes on the TV game broadcasts. I can’t remember the last time he was quoted in a newspaper article saying anything of substance. Personally, I am not surprised. He wants to lay low during the challenging times and build slowly. If the team ever gets really good, I’m sure he’ll drop his guard once in a while and either push back on a league matter or say something worth quoting in the press. It looks like he has wisely positioned himself as the anti-Mike Milbury. When you consider Garth’s team came in last in the league in ‘08-09 and is now three games under NHL .500, and yet most fans seem overjoyed with his performance and “vision,” I’d say he’s done quite well for himself.
Bri on LI: Is it in the Isles’ long-term plans to keep Howie and The Jaff together? I love Jaffe, I repect the heck out of Mr. Rose, but I know Jaffe’s coveted as an analyst actoss the NHL.
CB: To be clear, MSG does the hiring and paying but the Islanders have the ability to give (or not give) their blessings. Howie Rose will continue to be the NYI play-by-play man for MSG for a while. As I’ve written, The Jaff’s deal is up at the end of this season. I would think MSG would want to keep him around. If not, The Jaff would not be without work for long.
Sheppy: Any chance the Islanders sign Derek Boogaard?
CB: I would think if Boogaard turned UFA on July 1, the Islanders would make a call. If Shawn Thornton is a UFA on July 1, I’d bet big money the Islanders will make a call.
mt275: Did you ever get to take the Stanley Cup home?
CB: Yes, I took the Stanley Cup home. Once. In the early-90s, the NYI hosted “Stanley Cup weekend.” This was before the days of the Cup needing an escort from Toronto everywhere it went. True story. I went to Laguardia to pick up not my mom or my brother, but the friggin Stanley Cup. There it was, on the Air Canada luggage thing, just like everyone else’s bags. I wheeled it to my car and put it in the hatch. As I’m driving back to the Coliseum, I started thinking, “Why do I need to lock this up in the Coliseum storage closet? Isn’t it safer, like, in my own bedroom”? So I drove to my folks’ house in Hicksville and called my friends and some co-workers, and we had one helluva party.
bionicman: In the time you were working for the Isles, did you keep any mementos or memorabilia? Any prized Islanders possessions?
CB: I did not want much in terms of memorabilia when I worked for the team, so I did not hord stuff and I have no regrets about it. There was only one time I asked. When my first son was about to be born, and I knew the roster and payroll were being purged, I asked a few friends like Chara, Berard, Linden and Reichel to sign one of their sticks for him. The Chara stick is pretty cool and is in the kids’ room.
I have a few of the team/staff photos through the years. Charles would give them to each staffer as a gift, which was very kind.
My favorite team photo is when I sat in for Sanjay Kumar, in the front row next to Charles and Peca and Osgood and Laviolette and Milbury and the rest. When people see it, they don’t think I was a replacement. They just think I was a big shot with the team. I do not rush to correct them.
The few other prized posessions I have mean a lot because I did not ask for them. Bob Bourne went out of his way to sign a large replica of his HoF banner for me. Bryan Trottier, Al Arbour and Torrey also gave me nice gifts. Bob Nystrom and his wife Michelle wrote me a note after his ceremony that I’ll always keep.
Oh yeah, I also have a copy of the Islanders history book I co-wrote with Stan Fischler. It was signed by everyone on the Cup teams. And I still have the engraved Rolex the team gave me during my 20th and final season, which was also extremely generous.
Nyles: What is your opinion on Rob Schremp? Is he a keeper or a tradable asset?
CB: I think it’s way too early to categorize Rob Schremp as (your words) a “keeper” or “tradable asset.” He’s been fun to watch the last few weeks, but he has so much more to prove at this point in his development.
Jeff K: In regards to the Yashin buyout, what’s your take on how much of the decision was based on financial versus hockey reason versus fan pressure?
CB: The Yashin buyout had nothing to do with financial pressure and everything to do with Charles Wang listening to the fans and his hockey staff and doing what he thought was best for his team and his very close friend.
Ken: Don’t you think this is the perfect season? They have stayed relevant and competitive until at least February. We have seen great strides in KO, Bailey, Hillen to name a few. JT appears to be the real deal. DP is back. Now we are in a position for a lottery pick and a shot at 1st overall. I think this could be the perfect season before we take off.
CB: As I wrote in response to another question above, you are right - this could turn out to be an ideal season in the franchise’s view. Move more tickets, win new fans, build for the future, play meaningful games in March and either make the playoffs or get a top pick. A real estate deal would be the topper. I think we can all agree that ending up with pick 8-14 is not a great scenario, but there is a lot of merit to what you said. Just too early to tell how this is going to shake out by April.
Thanks to everyone who partcipated. Comments on any of these answers? Comment Guidelines.
66 Responses to “24-HOUR RECAP: China trip, Tavares, Gordon, Sutton, arena, trades, free agency, perfect season?”
Please Wait
… WOW GREAT WRITEUP Chris, you keep delivering the goods! A+++++
.. Glad to hear the Isles will consider or even look at a Boogard and a Thorton in the offseason, they REALLY REALLY need some physical presence (as well as other things) but this is also a priority
.. Im surprised tha the Isles have turned a lil ‘quite, hush hush’ on there great history and traditions - i understand that there are other priorities but thats something that should CLEARLY BE EMBRACED!!
.. Lets continue to build slooooowly, draft and PATIENCE (please no more quick fixes + #8 playoff seeds, i was SICK of that BS!) — lets build from within and add a couple of outside pieces and do it the right way P-A-T-I-E-N-C-E!!!
.. Again nice job Chris A+++++
CB.. I think you spend too much time on this site.. ;o)
Hey Cb You must have forgotten to include one of my mind blowingly fantastic questions. Dont worry we all make mistakes.
(Joking in case you couldnt tell)
how about alexei yashin? dude gets paid twice for the next few years and he’s top 3 in scoring in the KHL. maybe we should bring him back……….? but then he wouldnt get paid twice. lol
Dear Readers: this 4,000-word post has nothing to do with the Ilya Kovalchuk trade. The Islanders were never going to get him. It was over before it started. Now it’s really over. Plenty of other sites on the internet to talk about the new star of the New Jersey Devils. Thanks…CB
I happen to disagree with you. I think we need to trade Sutton and get a nice return for him. We have to trade biron and get at least a 3 or 4 and prospect. We need to trade Park for anything and Sim for anything and bring in a big forward or 2 or 3 ideally.
I skipped through a lot of these bc if I didnt I’d still be reading during the pre-game skate tomorrow. But I did stop and read your answer to the memorabilia question. It really got to me. It’s nice to see professional sports players and teams who are generous and treat their employees with respect and gratitude. its also nice to see someone like yourself be so appreciative. when sports teams talk about being like family you kind of roll your eyes, but reading this does bring some validation to it and its very nice to see.
If the Islanders got Boogaard or Shawn Thornton I would be the happiest man on earth!
I would not mind at all a high draft pick and a few other ones (first rounder for Sutton, third rounder for Biron?). Right now, we’re in the number 4 draft spot, in front of the improving Hurricanes, the newly improved Leafs, and the Oilers. We could end up moving down another spot, and then we can hope and pray for good luck in the lottery.
We’re 5 points out of 8th now, and dealing with several injuries. I think we should cut our losses and make the season end on a positive note. Sell some pieces and pick up some new ones in the draft and free agency. I think things would look VERY good for us in the 2012-2013 season. It sounds like a long time away but think about it. After 2 more seasons of development for Okposo, Tavares, Bailey, Hillen, MacDonald, Schremp?, and other youngsters, and a year of NHL experience for De Haan and Hamonic, and some real deal NHL veterans to fill in the gaps, and we have a legitimate team. You can’t rush it though, we have to be patient and let all the young stars we have develop into solid, 100 point a year players (A guy can dream, can’t he?).
Lou is the cream of NHL GM’s… but let’s not melt the Snow-man just yet.
I’m no Wang sycophant, but I think he’s getting it right this time. Snow has drafted well with a vision in mind, and his signings have been OUTSTANDING, even if they were from the dollar menu. He’s made a commitment to flash. Continuity is a MUST… and Gordon has evolved. Things WILL get better.
We will know a lot more about where the team is from June through December. If they’re still at the cap floor then it’ll be time to get the pitchforks ready.
Day off. Really? i would give them a double workout after this road trip.
They did not earn the day off IMO.
They just got a few days off in Florida.
I’ve been very critical of Gordon but giving this team a day off was the right thing to do. The predictable thing to do was to skate them till they’ve collapsed. The character guys need to step up tomorrow night and lead the way. We had some very poor signs last night. Worst for me was no fight or grit to their game as evidenced when Victor Hedman pulled a face rub and headlock on Tambellini and neither Tambellini not anyone else on the ice did anything. Fight for your space, fight for respect and eventually you earn it. Anything they gained over those 2 good weeks has been lost with this latest stretch.
the isles lose 6 straight and they get a day off??? they should be punished with intense cardio workouts. when they throw up, make them do more.
do u agree CB
what’s the word on jon gleed? he a big bodied defenseman (6′2 200+ lbs and can fight) with a +10. i’m wondering if they will give him a shot. at this point it really couldn’t hurt…unless he’s slow as hell.
The isles plan is to come in last place or so for 4 years… Then be a top 20 team. What does that get them? Stanly cup? Haha year right. Like other teams aren’t devoloping players as good or better then Tavares baily n okiposo… Please charles Wang. Sell the team n save the fans another 10 years of on ice failure.
I agree with all the posters with regard to the day off. they just had a couple of days in florida. When you play like they way they have been playing, day off is not an option. Arbour was asked how he would respond to these guys playing the way they did and i bet it would be as carlin stated a bag skate. Day off, in the midst of a 6 game losing streak, and not even one where any game they really had a chance?
The problem isn’t just the players, Gordon has to take his share of the blame too. His line combinations leave me scratching my head, he isn’t always fair in his treatment of players, he has done nothing to shake up the powerplay (not to mention that he gives his top scorer minimum time on the unit), etc. And his Bill Stewart impression last night was far from impressive. And honestly, what has Snow done to improve the team this year as well? Not much. I’m hoping for a more productive offseason this year but I won’t hold my breath.
Maybe instead of being angry with gogo/Wang/snow lack of winning drive we should just be happy al aurbour n bill Torrey were not cut from that type of mold.
i saw the 4th line on the ice with a 2 goal deficit and less than 3 min to go last night and was thinking they have to be losing on purpose again
Snow’s inactivity is somewhat disappointing because this team can’t just build through the draft, they would maybe be a playoff team in 2013. They need smart trades and smart free-agent signings. Since the Ryan Smyth trade, is the Campoli deal the only one he’s made? Not counting, swapping insignificant minor leaguers of course.
I think your Q&A format was an outstanding idea. I hope you do another one at some point. Regarding our team, I am in for the rebuild, but at some point very soon we need a “talented” vet or two to help the kids and a bit more muscle. The vets we have are either over the hill or 4th liners at best.
I simply love the Titus Oaks reference…I actually spit out when coffee when I read that….great job!!
In defense of the Snowman:
1.Streit was a quality signing.
2.Hillen as an undrafted FA.
3.Campoli deal was positive for Isles.
4.Three drafts. Mostly undersized “D” and goaltending in the “brick” rounds, but the staff may have come up with some winners with MACDONALD(Nolan), Hamonic, Donovan, Poulin, Petrov, and the barnacles of Sarnia.
5.He gets lucky with Schremp, but he didn’t PASS on him.
6.Hitting gold with one of five scratchers (Moulson).
A comparative snap shot of the organization today vs when he started would be a big plus on Frosty’s resume.
CB how can you say Snow hasn’t made any big trades. I seem to remember Ryan Smyth being kind of a big trade, plus the trading down in the draft not once but twice brought quite an up roar as well
great post as always Chris.
This rebuild will take time. When Snow took over as the GM, the big league club and the minor league system were both a complete disaster. The Isles basically have started from scratch. Snow has quietly gotten this back on track but there’s still a long way to go. If they stay the course, we’ll be rewarded in a few years. Remember, this is only Year 2 of the rebuild. In Year 1, we had to hit rock bottom. Thankfully, that’s over with and we’re slowly starting to climb.
As far as trades go, who exactly can the Isles trade for that will have a big impact WITHOUT trading JT, KO, or this year’s number 1 pick (which will probably be a lottery pick). As far as this year’s draft, it’s just another building block. Quick history on the Caps: in 2002 they drafted Alexander Semin #13 overall. In 2004, they drafted Ovechkin #1, Jeff Schlutz at #27, and Mike Green at #29. In 2006, they drafted Nick Backstrom at #4 and Varlamov at #23. The point being…it takes a few drafts and time. We’re heading in the right direction finally.
Moulson will never again hit 20 goals. He is not an NHL caliber player. Sometimes guys get hot and that is what happened to Moulson the first half of the season. Remember when Jonathan Cheechoo scored 50+ goals? After that he had 37, 23, 12, and he has 5 this season. Moulson had a nice run but he needs to be on a third line or lower and see no power play time. Hunter should get more power play time, he is a much better player.
I agree, Cant believe they got night off after last night. I would of made them stay on the ice last night and practice with lights off like old school Herb Brooks did to olympic team.
I love hunter but he mins should be cut the way he playing. It really not fair that Bergie and Tambellini are seeing no PP time. I think Bergie is last guy to score a pretty goal on PP.
Are ice Snake bitten on road. How many posts can Tavares and Streit hit in last 6 games.
(23) I wrote in the last three seasons, this being the third one. The Bailey and de Haan draft moves caused a lot of discussion within the Country, but were not earth-shakers…CB
Umm… why so hard on Moulson? The guy just dumped in 21 goals (with a shot at 30) in his FIRST YEAR with the team. Unlike some of these Isles, Moulson has shown that he’s not afraid to shoot the puck, and he certainly has a nose for the net. He’s not the prettiest skater, but he’s willing to camp out in the slot and take some hits, and is not that easy to knock off his feet.
Moulson is far superior to Hunter. Hunter is a 3rd liner. Moulson is a solid 2nd liner.
I definitely think Moulson can pop in 20-25 goals a year. He has good hands, has a nose for the net, and will actually stand in front of it. I see him as a solid 2nd-line keeper for us.
CB: The 24 Hours at Point Blank Q & A was a real treat. I cannot tell you how many times I hit ‘refresh’ throughout the day just to read the new questions and answers. Thanks so much for having dedicated so much time. I’m already looking forward to the next one.
Moulson reminds me of an eternally happy Mark Parrish. Kind of like the Disney Goofy version. He’s a solid player that hopefully will continue to play at the same level he’s shown this year and I hope Snow will do the right thing and lock him up to a 3 year deal minimum this offseason
a thought I had when reading cb’s answer to the yashin buyout question:
Charles becomes too close to certain players. He’s the owner, the boss, who has to delegate responsibility over their careers and it stands to reason when he develops personal relationships with these players it could skew that divide. Just look at Arthur Blank in the ATL-befriended Vick and gave him a monster contract while there existed questions about his personal life.
I’m not saying Charles would make a decision that disastrous, but I’d like to see him step back and remove any hint of friendship from hockey/business decisions.
Definitely down on Hunter, he needs to step it up! we do need to shake things up a bit with the lineup. Bring Bentigovo and Jonesuu. Let’s see what they can bring to the table. My first reaction to hearing the news about Kovalichck was great another awesome player we need to face in the Atlantic conf…
24 hour recap, and time for a 25 game countdown. AT this point, I’m onboard for the Draft Pick ! Olympic Hockey and the Rest of the Ski Season will be my distraction. 1 more 25 game Swoon, and NEXT YEAR for real, we’ll be starting our ascent………
islesfan999 (31): 2nd line isnt really ‘far superior’ to 3rd line, they simply have team roles that are different. Its only in fantasy hockey that people find success in takling an entire team and rank all the players like that.
At this point I’d like to see Snow just sell what he can and hopefully get lucky come lottery time…Seguin is Duchene+, Hall or Fowler wouldn’t be bad either. Too early to talk about those kids yet but at this point its much more fun to talk about the future than the present.
I am not necessarily hard on Moulson. I am hard on Isles fans who don’t actually watch him play. There are so many things he CAN’T do! I mean, do you people actually watch him or do you just look at the score sheet to see if he popped one in. He is slower than Tavares, can’t stickhandle with the puck, can’t pass. Moulson is invisible if he doesn’t score. Hunter is slow, but he is the strongest on the puck of any player on the team. Have you ever seen him with the puck in the corners? He consistently gets free, even more so than Okposo. It just pisses me off to see “fans” turn on a guy who has been on the team for 7 years and puts his mark on the game every night, for a guy with a much smaller skill set who is having the season of his life.
At this point, I wouldnt mind seeing a March swoon, and get a top 3. According to CB, nothing is the works for an “impact” player, and we are going to have to watch this group make it or not. With that in mind, dont rush Bailey or Hillen back, let the young guys play, and hope for a top 3 pick in June.
we can’t compete in our conference. look who’s in it. crosby,malkin,kovalchuck,marty,pronger,gaborick.and on and on. there’s not a snowballs chance in hell they make the playoffs.
Yeah thats great.Hunter gets the puck out of the corners.And then………Oh right.Cant skate away from anyone because he cant skate.Cant pass because he doesnt have the skill for it.Cant get his shot off because he takes 20 minutes to wind up for that slap shot that hits the geico sign more then the net.He should play darts though because when he does hit the net no one is better then hitting the logo on the goalies chest!!!!.Bullseye!!!This guy would not be on any other number one power play in the league.Not even in edmonton,who are the worst team in the league.I dont want to hear about a guys best attribute being,”he hustles”,on the first power play unit.Bailey or Moulson should be on the first unit with Tavares and Okposo.The islanders will be a contender when Hunters role on this team,if he has to have one is the role Sim has now.
Oh and i for one havent turned on him.I never liked his game.I think he has been overrateed by this fan base for 7 years.Mark on the game????????.Oh right those meaningless hits that he throws after the puck is already up the ice.Sutton has made more game changing hits in half a season then this guy has in 7 years.
Dennis, what are your thoughts on Trent Hunter, fan of the guy?
If a team finishes in the lottery three years in a row and has a worst 2nd half to the season then first half… Where is the improvement? Failure is failure. Playing more streaky then last season but still being a lotto team is not improvement. Could u imagine the ny Yankees or football giants ever comming in last place in a row every year but nobody gets fired?
#43 - couldn’t agree with you more, been a fan for 30 years, for the first time in my life and am on the verge of giving up on following them.
easton- check the penguins 2001-2005. bottom or near the bottom of the league every year. think anyone in pittsburgh is complaining about that now?
what’s up with multiple postings? respect the botta, people.
Love that Stanley Cup story!
Only on long island can a little success turn it’s fanbase against the team. We’re in the second year of a rebuild, playing nearly five hundred hockey and hunting for a playoff spot in february, all with a team that added very little talent in the free agent pool. Twenty five games to go and we’re three wins away from matching our 2008 total. Looks like progress to me. If you want to watch a team spin its wheels and sneak into the playoffs by tossing money at free agents, put a ranger game on. If you want to watch a team build an annual contender the right way then get to the coliseum Saturday night.
CB - thank you for everything you do, as said before.
I gotta say, unfortunately, because of the economy we are in, as well as the state the team is in, I will not be in the stands for any more games this year.
I will be following and will be rooting for the team, however, with the product they give us, with no game plan other than “the youth movement”, the message this team is sending me is “this is all you get, take it, or leave it”. I choose to leave it.
It kills me to make this choice and I’m sure I am not the only one. I only write this in hopes that others actually come forward if they feel the same way, only to show that we have not abandoned the team in head count at the games, but clearly are choosing a way out from the wall our back was put against.
While I am once again disappointed, I see we are getting cloe and despite the short term, I think a bottom 5 finish serves us all better for the long term. we are getting closer.
#51 - Bam. That’s exactly how I feel about it. A month ago no one was talking about tanking the season again or firing Snow or Gordon. The reality of the whole thing is that the Islanders now, are the team that finished in 30th place last year with a #1 overall pick and a few surprising pieces added to the roster. The Isles are meant to not be a great team this year, but the second they went on a winning streak people got their hopes up. The second they played like they should those hopes came crashing down and now people want heads to roll. I think it would be amazing for the team to get into the playoffs this year. It would be a huge overachievement for the team. If they don’t make it, then so be it, there has been improvement in the kids that will be the core of the team. I don’t know if people realize that both Chicago and Pittsburgh sucked for a while and now dominate. So long as no one Millburys the process the rebuild will work and eventually the Isles will be called out as contenders, but jeeze, the way people talk on here now you’d think it was last year, six or seven games ago the tenor was completely different.
lol @ the taking the stanley cup home story CB
good stuff…..
CB…Thanks for the info on Lighthouse Hockey…another excellent blog that I will be visiting daily!
If this season is a success, what would you call the Avs season? I mean, they are the youngest team in the league and had no expectations.
Moulson vs Hunter….Not a comparison. Snowman hit gold like a previous poster said. Matty Ice has hands of gold. He can stickhandle, go into the corners and do dirty work in front of the net. He is more skilled in every facet of the game than Trent Hunter. All I hear from the TV guys is “Hunter shoots and misses the net.” I don’t have anyhting against Hunter but he has been injury prone and is very streaky. Hunter is what he is…a 15 goal scorer with an edge. We need guys like him but it seems like we have too many guys exactly with his skill set. There isn’t anyone besides KO that can really score from the circles out. That is our biggest problem. Tavares wss always gonna be a circles in scorer. He will be better with strength next year. The injury to Bailey really bothers me. CB knows I have a man crush on Bailey and I know CB thinks we should not have taken him at #9. But I really do think he can be the glue. He is our best passer. So when we have to score from circles in we need a passer to do it. Or lucky deflections. We played horribly in the last 6. Roloson has hit a little wall. They guy was amazing for the first half. If he picks his game up again we will be fighting for the 6th to 8th spot all the way to the last week of the season.
I think we need to remove the word playoffs from our vocabulary. This team needs more talent! Think of how far teams like Pittsburgh, Chicago, Washington, and Chicago have come with adding talent. They all sucked 4 years ago. In 3 years, we will no longer stink either.
CB, will you be discussing the top 10 players at the draft after the trade deadline?
#11 this team is “Islander tough” they stick together!!LOL!!! They all took that face rub equally!!LOL!!! “Islander Tough” LOL!!!
The problem with the team and the fanbase is that there is too much emphasis on young players. I mean, not every player the Isles call up is a star. McDonald, Katic, Kohn…. everyone has them penciled in as 2or3 or 3or4 dmen for the next decade. Yes, McDonald is playing a lot. Well, if you notice, the Isles are one of the worst defensive teams in the league. What does that tell you?
The problem with the D isnt bc we are playing young guys. Its actually the vets that are bringing the D down. Playing guys like Witt, Gervais, and Meyer make us thin defensively. If you gave me a Sutton, Streit, Hillen, MacDonald foursome. Kohn hasn’t played enough for anyone to tell if he’s solid or not. Point is its not the young guys on the blue line that are the problem.
Make Roli the captain . He settles this young team
Move hunter and weight and biron
Reality is……..We will NOT go out and trade, NOT go out and sign a legit free agent, we will be better off getting a lottery pick (hopefully top 3). Garth has said he has the Ok to add to payroll -ROTFLMAO. And my wife said its OK to…..well..u get the idea. Reality again - all the “tradeable assets” we have, we are not trading. It was a nice 10-3-1 run, we were not that good. Sit back and wait some more, young doesnt necessarily mean good. For every Pittsburgh and Washington who built through the drafts, there are the Minnesotas of the world who tried and failed at the same thing. It’s very very very very frustrating
MacDonald is now the soup of the day. Hillen was earlier in the year. Next it will be Kohn, then Katic and soon DeHaan and Hamonic and this board will be buzzing about having a dominant defense for a decade. Similiarly to when we thought Biron’s brother, Kudroc and Mazei would be the bruise brothers. Similiarly to when we thought Lachance Holland Strudwick Kasper Berard etc. would be great players. It’s being going on for two decades. We are always told we have these budding players.
Disagree w/ all the talk of moving Sutton.Isles need veteran leadership not to mention good d-men w/ size.Extend Suts for 2yrs,move Gervais,Park,Sim,Weight for our toughness.This alone should help create space for our youngsters.Tired of watching wrong guys on the ice and then to top it off getting intimidated and pushed around.PS—All future players must have size w/ the ability to skate and hit!!!