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9:42 pm - In an interview with rightsholder MSG Network, Islanders general manager Garth Snow said his team’s future is bright, he is building a “consistent contender” and the team’s goal is to make the playoffs next season.
After defending his play-in playoff proposal - “There were 16 teams in the playoffs when there were 21 NHL teams, and now there are 30 teams and there are still only 16 playoff teams,” he said, dead seriously - Snow was asked by Howie Rose about his team. Here is an unedited transcript:
This is clearly Year 2 of a rebuilding program. Where are you right now relative to your expectations?
I think there are a lot of bright signs for the future when you look at our team. Kyle Okposo has taken a huge step in the right direction. Josh Bailey…when you see the difference in him after a summer of training, he came in and looked like a man. John Tavares is gonna benefit from a summer of training.
I don’t think people realize that after a player is drafted, the emphasis when the season ends is to get in shape to do well at the (draft) combine. That’s not necessarily getting in shape for a hockey season. It’s no fault of any player. It’s just the way the system works…and obviously, leading up to the draft, there’s appearances, commitments made, whether it be in the media or certain markets.
Then as the player enters into the market he is drafted by, there’s a lot of commitments and time that takes away from training. There’s an added benefit for John to get a really good summer of training.
Do you feel (Tavares) needs to get significantly stronger to take the next step in his development?
He’s going to get stronger just because he’s a 19-year-old kid. Sometimes we lose sight of it.
What about from a technical standpoint, in terms of skating and an ability to stay on his feet…does that comes with more weight and more bulk?
I can tell you from my own experience, when you’re 19 years old or 20 years old and playing against men who are 28 and 32 years old, there’s a big difference. And not only in strength and conditioning, but what you find works maybe in college or junior might not necessarily work in the NHL.
Those are lessons I know are sometimes frustrating for our fans, but things are going in the right direction. We have a great group of young players. We have a good nucleus. We have solid leaders in that locker room. It’s going to be fun watching this team evolve and grow up.
Will Rick DiPietro play again for the Islanders this season?
Yeah, we believe so. The swelling has gone down and he’s been skating with Sudsie (Maharaj) and Mike Dunham, our two goalie coaches. I fully expect him to play at some point.
What happens as you get into the summer if there are any lingering questions whether he can carry a big load next year? For the sake of this conversation, we’ll assume (UFA Martin Biron) goes somewhere else. Do you then need to find another veteran goaltender as you did with Biron to pair with Roloson?
You know what happens when you assume, Howie. With Rick, with what he’s gone through and the way he’s rehabbed, this is why for us it’s important for him to get in games now.
Well, then if he comes back and plays ten games (this season) will that satisfy for you that you have no issue with him going forward? Or will there be that lingering doubt that he can play a significant number of games?
The one luxury we have is Dwayne Roloson, who’s under contract for next year. He’s obviously a goaltender who’s played extremely well for us and he’s carried the load. It’s a luxury that we have.
When you got to the trade deadline, you were five points behind and you made the decision to trade Andy Sutton. Andrew MacDonald got hurt the first game back after the Olympics and you brought up Dylan Reese, an inexperienced player as opposed to trying to get Brendan Witt through recallable waivers. What’s the thinking there in terms of going young or with a veteran to make that last playoff push?
For me, when I was looking at the situation, that Ottawa game (before the Olympic break) was a big game for me. We were up 3-1. We win the game and we’re four points out of a playoff spot. There’s been several other games I would classify in that category. For us, we did a premptive move, moving Greg Moore for Dylan Reese. We felt he could be a depth defenseman. We have the luxury of recalling Brendan Witt. We felt we had depth in that area. (Bridgeport defenseman) Mark Flood, although he’s been hurt, he’s playing this weekend.
I would say the big positive in all this was the emergence of Andrew MacDonald, Jack Hillen and Dustin Kohn. In the weeks leading up to the deadline, they performed at a level we felt put us in a position to win hockey games.
From my standpoint, the goal is to bring the consistent contender to Long Island and win a Stanley Cup. If the opportunity presents itself, that we can make a move that helps the long-term and the short-term, we’ll do it. For me, it’s pretty easy. We felt that we were gonna make moves to help us bring a Stanley Cup back to Long Island.
What would your report card read for Scott Gordon’s work?
I think he’s done a great job. If you look at the way Andrew MacDonald and Jack Hillen emerged on the blue line, the development of Josh Bailey, Kyle Okposo, John Tavares, Frans Nielsen - one of the most underrated players not just on our team, but in the league - I think he’s done an excellent job.
Looking toward the summer, what would you identify as your biggest need?
We obviously want to improve in a few areas. We’d like to add a couple of defensemen.
Is size an issue?
Yeah. In a perfect world, we’d have six 6-foot-7 defensemen, 250 (pounds), that could skate like the wind. We’ve had some success July 1 - Mark Streit, Dwayne Roloson, Doug Weight, Matt Moulson. We feel we can go out and improve our team. Our goal is to make the playoffs next year.
You’ve got fans who are patient. You’ve got others who are disgruntled. What’s your message to them?
We’re gonna build this the right way. Our goal is to bring a Stanley Cup back to Long Island, and we’re just gonna execute that plan.
You are cordially invited to discuss Garth’s remarks and submit your own Plus/Minus from tonight’s game.
Toronto, Carolina and Columbus all win one-goal games - the Leafs and Canes in overtime. Holy crap.
Predict the homestand: Three home games in four days. Three winnable games. I say the Islanders pick up four out of six points. What say you? In Comments.
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You’re Never Out of it: At the general managers’ meetings this week in Florida, the Islanders presented a proposal to improve their chances of qualifying for the Stanley Cup playoffs in future seasons.
The Islanders’ concept - delivered by GM Garth Snow - was for a “play-in” mini-tournament in which the teams at the bottom of each conference would square off against each other to qualify as the eighth seed.
After playing 82 regular season games, teams 8-15 in the East and West would still get a shot at making the playoffs. Wouldn’t matter if you were essentially out of the hunt before Christmas, as the Islanders were last season.
The Islanders, who appear poised to finished 26th or worst in the 30-team NHL for the third consecutive season, apparently did not receive much positive feedback. The Columbus Blue Jackets pushed for the removal of the “loser point” for teams losing in overtime or in the shootout. That proposal was also dismissed.
The story of the Islanders’ idea was first reported by TSN, Sportsnet and the Canadian Press. One journalist in Boca Raton said the best aspect of the concept was the laugh it brought to all of the hockey people and media at meetings predominantly focused on rulings on hits to the head.
When asked by Point Blank about the merits of the team’s proposal, a National Hockey League source replied, “The chances of it happening are the same as it being taken seriously - zero percent.”
Here’s what I want to know. Let’s say, as they did last year, the Islanders play 82 games and finish last in the league. However, they win the play-in tournament and get swept by Washington in the first round.
Would that mean, because of the round robin, they would lose the top pick in the draft? You’d have to think so, which would really make a person wonder.
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Future Watch: The special edition of The Hockey News is out now, with Calvin de Haan (28) and Travis Hamonic (61) the only Islanders placing in the top 100 among prospects not in the NHL.
As many readers have mentioned, the Islanders’ overall grade of B+ (up from C+) is skewed a bit because all players 20 and younger are included when grading team performance. For the Islanders’ grade, John Tavares and Josh Bailey count. According to The Hockey News, the Islanders are eighth in the league. The top five: Los Angeles, St. Louis, Colorado, Chicago and the Rangers.
Among the locals, the Rangers - with former Islanders scouting boss Gordie Clark running the draft the last few years - placed three players ahead of de Haan: Derek Stepan (16), Evgeny Grachev (21) and Chris Kreider (22). The Devils’ most recent first round picks made the list: Jacob Josefson (37) and Mattias Tedenby (40).
The magazine polls 23 NHL scouts to establish its rankings.
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Tonight’s Tilt: The Blues, who will start Chris Mason in goal, have not played a game since Saturday. St. Louis is an impressive 18-10-4 on the road this season, fourth in the NHL. Only elder statesman Keith Tkachuk is out with an injury.
As reported by Katie Strang, the Islanders are not recalling anyone for tonight’s game. This means Jeff Tambellini has a chance of getting in.
As reported by Mike Fornabaio, Josh Bailey will likely make his American Hockey League debut if Bridgeport qualifies for the playoffs. Bailey, along with current Islanders Andrew MacDonald, Dustin Kohn, Dylan Reese and Trevor Gillies, has been placed on the Clear Day list for the Sound Tigers. John Tavares, although eligible, was not put on the roster by the Islanders.
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The Plan: Garth Snow on “NHL Live” on Tuesday: “The future is bright. We’ve just got to stick to our plan and make these young kids realize how important these wins are down the stretch.”
On the trade deadline: “There were a couple of offers for our other free agents. But we were five points out from a playoff spot. For me, it would have sent the wrong message to that locker room and to our fans. These games down the stretch are so valuable for our younger players.”
At least two wins in these three games. Your prediction, and thoughts on this post and tonight’s game, in Comments.
Finishes the season 7-18-25 in 44 games.
This is a two comments-per-reader thread.
While the hockey team has lost 14 of its last 17 games, this has not been the best of times for the Islanders on many levels. Despite the embarrassing stretch, the franchise has plenty of moves to make to begin to turn the Country’s frown upside-down.
Here are just a few decisions the Islanders could very well make, or might want to consider, in no particular order of importance.
1. Name Kyle Okposo captain: You say the team is all about the home-grown corps - make it official. Okposo is ready and can handle it. He also happens to be the best young player on the team. Kyle only has 14 goals in ‘09-10, so no one can blame the pressure of the captaincy if he doesn’t burst out of the gate next season.
Okposo is the second youngest team-leading scorer in the NHL (after Patrick Kane, born six months later). He’s an outstanding leader who’ll have Mark Streit as an experienced deputy. Do it before the end of the season and have the supremely-respected Doug Weight offer his blessing.
2. Give Matt Martin a few more games: Okay, so maybe the Islanders don’t want to add too much youthful energy to the NHL roster. You don’t want to earn too many points and blow a shot at kids like Tyler Seguin, Taylor Hall and Cam Fowler. You also don’t want to hurt Bridgeport, which is four points ahead for the final playoff spot in the AHL East.
Andrew MacDonald and Josh Bailey in AHL playoff games would be a good thing. All that said, make the NHL team tougher and more exciting - heck, throw the fans a frickin’ bone - and give the tenacious Martin a few games at home.
3. Sign Travis Hamonic: The Islanders are going to sign the hot prospect anyway. There is no way they are going to let Hamonic re-enter the draft. Instead of doing it in late April or May, finalize the kid dman’s three-year entry level deal during the hockey season when people are still talking and writing about the Islanders every day.
4. If he’s the man, give Scott Gordon an extension: Virtually every team in pro sports refuses to let their head coach enter the final year of his contract as a lame duck. (I know this not just any franchise). The uncertain status weakens a coach’s influence on his team and the subject will be discussed all season.
Gordon has one season left on his three-year deal. If Charles Wang and Garth Snow stand by their chosen coach and his system - unless they believe Scott Bowman could have done much better than 52-79-17 with the roster they gave him - they should extend Gordon a season or two. It would be a powerful message to the team, and the fanbase.
5. Win a home game or two: In the pursuit of suckulence and a top-five spot in the lottery, the Islanders can go to Vancouver and California and lose after midnight for all most of the Country cares. However, lineup schminup, the franchise does not want to fall on its face before the thousands still paying to see the boys at the old barn on Hempstead Turnpike.
You think it’s fun for the front office’s sales force to host a potential client at a home game and the team lays an egg? The Islanders host St. Louis, New Jersey and Toronto over the next four days. They are capable of winning all three. Taking two in regulation would do the heart good. Remember, fellas: loser points = no good.
6. Kidnap Kirill the Thrill: Whatever it takes, get the franchise’s top skilled forward prospect - only highly-skilled forward prospect? - out of Russia and to New York. Like almost everything in sports, it’s all about the money.
7. Find the next Jack Hillen: They often don’t work out as well as Hillen, but collegiate free agent signings are like free draft picks. The Islanders, still with holes all over the depth chart, are looking into signing an available college stud or two. Right wing Bobby Butler, with 25 goals and 47 points in 32 games this season at New Hampshire, would be a good place to start. Any combination of size and mobility on defense would also be worth the investment.
8. Burn the jammies: Thank heavens, but the Reebok uniform pajamas systems are almost a thing of the past. Start spreading the news that the return of the classic look is near and will never change again.
9. Bolster Bridgeport: Jack Capuano continues to make tuna salad out of too little on the farm. The Sound Tigers, with a roster as thin as the Islanders and denied the joys of a goal-a-game by Jeff Tambellini, somehow found a way to win three games in less than 72 hours last weekend.
Trevor Smith has stepped up since the arrival of his New Hampshire teammate, Mike Radja. The goaltending has been strong. Despite the freefalls of rookie prospects Justin DiBenedetto and Robin Figren - a combined 19 points in 121 games - Bridgeport could make the playoffs. The Islanders franchise could use a strong showing by its development club in April.
10. Host a first-class FanFest: The LA Kings did this last offseason with terrific results. They even had seminars with three of their most popular goaltenders, three scorers, three fighters, etc. The Blackhawks’ event for this summer is already sold out. There is no reason why the Islanders can’t take a three-day weekend and turn it into a celebration of Islanders hockey. The good thing is, you don’t need a state-of-the-art arena to pull it off.
11. Leak those scouting trips: Remember the golden times of almost a year ago when one day Logie would report that Wang and Snow were in Brampton, then I’d find out when they were in London? Yup, it’s that time of the year again to get the faithful excited for the draft party. Hit the road (again and again), young Jankowski.
So maybe the Islanders will miss the playoffs again. Doesn’t mean they can’t lead the league for the second year in a row in Draft Party attendance.
Keep in mind, Snow said after he selected John Tavares that the goal scorer was his definitive choice from the moment the Islanders won the lottery in April. Reports of a fan and Internet-inspired selection have only become exaggerated with time. The Islanders know who they like in the top five. Might as well get some buzz out there in a few weeks.
12. Extend Matt Moulson: One of the few real happy stories with the big club this season, the highly likeable Moulson rose from relative obscurity to become the Islanders’ leading goal scorer. Moulson’s 23 goals are five more than second-ranked pal John Tavares and as many as Trent Hunter, Frans Nielsen and Sean Bergenheim combined. The restricted free agent must be re-signed. Make it for a few years. How many players or prospects on the roster have his hands? (That’s a rhetorical question).
13. Be Honest and Forthright: Since the Islanders are asking their fans to pay now for next season and get answers later, it’s only right to expect Charles Wang to address some questions about his hopes and plans for the future of the hockey team and arena. I’m certain he will with Long Island’s newspaper.
14. Re-think that April 1 deadline for season ticketholders: This little website has heard from more than 200 season ticketholders not amused by the invoices for 2010-11 they received last week. Much more on this at a later date, but here’s the short version: for a friend of mine with two seats in the corner 300s, between tickets and parking, his life as a dedicated Islanders fan will become at least 30% more expensive than it was the last two seasons. (The parking issue is a story in itself, as many of you have learned).
Oh yeah, and season subscribers that don’t pay by April 1 will see the price of their seats go up. Last year my friend paid over eight installments and without any interest.
As he wrote, “After sitting through these three dreadful seasons, it’s going to cost me more than a grand extra in tickets and parking to come back? And I have to pay for next year’s seats before this last-place season is even over”?
One has to assume the Islanders plan on adding a top three pick, Petrov and at least two premier unrestricted free agents this summer. I’m well aware Islanders tickets are less expensive than most in the NHL, and so is the parking. You’re well aware of the team’s lack of any real success in this generation.
The Islanders must be planning to take a major step forward on the ice. They have to be. If by any small chance they are not devising something special this summer, the Islanders should re-consider its approach with the people they consider their most important fans.
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Please read and react on FanHouse, and spread the word about the cause. Thank you…CB
Trevor Gillies’ gets a rare shift late in the third with the game tied 2-2 and gets called for a boarding penalty. The Flyers score on the power play to win.
All the slumps - eight road losses in a row (all in regulation), Snow/Gordon on the road in the division (except MSG) and vs. the Flyers (NHL-worst 15 losses in a row) - continue. When the Islanders were up 2-1 in the third, I was getting ready to kid Howie Rose about not being there.
Dwayne Roloson does everything to help his team win, again.
John Tavares and Kyle Okposo score in the same game for the first time since. Nov. 13.
During the second intermission, Jeff Carter tells VERSUS that the Flyers have to go harder to the net because the Islanders’ defense is so small.
Scott Gordon tells Katie Strang before the game, “There’s no question that there’s a mismatch from a size standpoint.” The coach also says Gillies will be with the big club through at least the weekend.
Islanders fall to 0-3 since the trade deadline, a season-low six-games under .500 and ten points behind the eighth spot in the East.
The Maple Leafs won in overtime. The Panthers won in a shootout in Minnesota. (Florida management has to be pulling its hair out). The Blue Jackets were victorious in Anaheim.
Rob Schremp suffered a right knee injury and will be evaluated by team doctors on Wednesday.
The Islanders have no practice on Wednesday, host St. Louis on Thursday, the Devils on Saturday and Maple Leafs (winners tonight) on Sunday.
See you Wednesday.
Point Blank live in-game commentary tonight begins at 7:15 pm
The Islanders are due to win. They are also due to win in Philadelphia. During this tumultuous, rollercoaster, almost-never-boring season, would it really be a surprise if they get the two points tonight?
The Orange and Blue have not beaten the Flyers on the road in the Garth Snow/Scott Gordon era. In fact, they have not won anywhere on the road within their division these last two years other than Madison Square Garden.
Beyond Gordon’s time, all together the Islanders have lost nine in a row in the city of Brotherly Chippiness. The last time they won in Philadelphia was when Ted Nolan was the coach, Wade Dubielewicz was the goaltender, Ryan Smyth was the de facto leader and the good guys won four in a row in that final week to make the playoffs.
The Islanders’ current 14-game losing streak against the Flyers is the longest active head-to-head slump in the NHL.
The Islanders’ last victory anywhere on the road was exactly two months ago today in Phoenix. Thanks to the Olympic break, that is only a slump of seven games.
They enter the game nine points back of Boston for the final playoff berth in the East. Five juggernauts - the Rangers, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Florida and Carolina - stand between them. This has become dire enough that some team broadcast insiders have begun tweeting more about what losses mean in the hunt for Tyler Seguin, Taylor Hall and Cam Fowler. Of course, we are above that and will wait to see how the Islanders perform up to Game 70.
(Columbus, 6-0 losers, did not show up in LA last night).
The Islanders have a few wins at home on the horizon. The boys are due.
Notes: Tonight’s game is at 7:30 and will be on VERSUS with Doc Emrick and Billy Jaffe on the call. On Islanders radio station WMJC (94.3 FM), Chris King - since there is no MSG show to simulcast - will do the play-by-play, color commentary, sideline reporting and mix drinks. If you get the station, you know Kinger will make tonight an entertaining three-hour information session about your favorite hockey club.
The choice of Trevor Gillies as a recall tonight is interesting because Peter Laviolette has not been playing heavyweights in his lineup. Gillies might be able to stare down Daniel Carcillo, but the Flyers’ middleweight agitator will most likely not fight him. Chris Pronger is not going to take himself off the ice for five minutes to fight anyone. Perhaps Gillies will keep the peace and will play more than the three minutes Gordon gave him in his debut.
More to come.
5:40 pm: Blake Comeau (facial lacerations) will sit this one out. Doug Weight missed today’s practice with the flu. Rick DiPietro not yet ready to return. The Islanders recall designated enforcer Trevor Gillies as they seek to end a 14-game losing streak against the Flyers - the longest current team-to-team slide in the NHL.
Chris Botta on Twitter
When the Islanders return to the playoffs, Frans Nielsen’s name will rightfully be mentioned when votes are placed for the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward. Nielsen is the Islanders’ best forward in the D zone and he is emerging as one of the best in the game.
“I take a lot of pride in keeping the other guys off the scoreboard,” said Nielsen, the 25-year-old center who leads the team with a plus-11 and is sixth on the Islanders in scoring with 9 goals and 19 assists.
“Frans has been a strong defensive player for a while now,” said head coach Scott Gordon. “There isn’t anybody I wouldn’t play him against. It’s a credit to how hard he has worked at it, plus he is someone with a good deal of skill who will continue to improve in the offensive end.”
As a result, Nielsen is every bit a fixture in this rebuild as some of his more hyped and earlier-drafted young teammates. The 2002 third round pick has been impressive in his own zone since joining the Islanders organization in the 2006-07 season. However, it wasn’t until the magnificent hockey writer and stats analyst James Mirtle posted a story at the end of January when many around the league realized how far the Dane had come in such short time.
There for everyone to see was the proof of Nielsen’s checking efforts. Using his calculus to determine the best defensive forwards in five-on-five and shorthanded situations, Mirtle ranked the young Islander third in the NHL - behind Daniel Alfredsson and Troy Brouwer and one place ahead of Patrick Marleau.
I asked Mirtle of the Toronto Globe & Mail for an explanation of his math (since, to be candid, I’d be lying if I told you I understood all this stuff). James was kind enough to write me before the Olympic break:
“The 1.60 (Nielsen’s grade) is like a goals against average for a player, but it’s only for even strength and shorthanded situations,” explained Mirtle. “The Islanders are almost never getting scored on when Nielsen is out there.”
Mirtle was then asked for his perspective specifically on Frans:
“Statistically speaking, Nielsen leads Islanders forwards in a ton of defensive categories. He faces the other team’s top lines most nights and has been on the ice for only fifteen 5-on-5 goals against all season. He’s also got great numbers on the penalty kill and should probably be used more often in that role.
“No one else on the Isles is close to make the top 30 in my ranking, which is unique around the league as players normally benefit from playing with one another. To me that says Nielsen’s been solid defensively with a whole bunch of different linemates.”
Again, keep in mind this exchange with Mirtle was prior to the Islanders’ struggles before and since the Olympic break. Like the rest of the Islanders, Nielsen’s numbers have suffered in every category as the team has lost 11 of its last 14 games. (Using the traditional plus/minus NHL math, Nielsen is minus-3 in those 14 games).
Nevertheless, he is a plus-11 on a team that runs the troubling gamut from understandably struggling teenage first-line center (John Tavares, -19) to veteran checking forward (Richard Park, -18).
Still, for Nielsen to be in such heady company with Alfredsson - and be so far ahead of the rest of his team - says a lot about the well-rounded player he has become.
He credits the Swedish Elite League for his education on defense.
“They play a lot of trap hockey in the Swedish League, but either way I think it’s the best defensive league in the world,” said Nielsen, who first played in the SEL as a 17-year-old. “When I first got there, I didn’t know much about defense. In Denmark, I had the puck a lot. But Malmo put me on the fourth line and told me, ‘Just focus on not letting the other team score.’
“The Swedes completely taught me how to be a responsible two-way forward. That’s where I also learned how to win faceoffs. By the last season in Sweden, I was top-five in the league. When I first got there, I couldn’t beat anybody on a draw.
“Now Scott (Gordon) has started to use me to match up against the other team’s top line. It’s a compliment and a challenge and a lot of fun. For me, shutting down the top scorers in the league is just as nice as scoring a goal.”
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Just returned from writing about the Blackhawks. Saw two great games and it was a privilege to get a peak into the franchise’s renaissance. Since FanHouse puts the “pro” in the fulltime professional writer equation for me - and makes Point Blank happen every day - please read if you have a moment this morning. Back in a bit with some Islanders stuff. Thanks.
I understand where Scott Gordon is coming from. What I don’t understand is, if the Islanders are trying to make the playoffs - as Gordon and Garth Snow have said repeatedly this week - why they didn’t try to add a player or two on Wednesday before the trade deadline? After the game against Chicago on Tuesday, after Andy Sutton had already been dealt, Andrew MacDonald limped out of the Coliseum wearing a boot. Management had that night and until 3:00 the next afternoon to give the team a, uh, fighting chance.
Here’s what the coach said after the 3-2 loss to the much bigger Bruins on Saturday when asked about playoff aspirations (as seen on Islanders TV):
“Let’s stop beating us up as to what the guys are thinking. At the end of the day, we’re pretty depleted on defense. We’re at a huge disadvantage.
“It’s not going to be easy. We’re going to get the effort. I know we’re going to get the effort, and we’re going to be better. But to immediately take out two guys that were playing 23, 24-plus minutes (Sutton and MacDonald), and insert a guy who’s never played an NHL game (Dylan Reese) - who has come in and done a good job - to insert a guy who’s been off for a month and a half (Jack Hillen) and is playing with the thought of what it’s like to have a puck hit you in the face, we’re at a huge disadvantage.
“We’ll get through it, but that has more of an impact than the trade deadline. The over-analysis of the trade deadline is over with. We’re trying to win hockey games. We’re trying to get into the playoffs. It’s obviously not going to be easy for us, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t stopped trying.”
It’s for that exact reason the over-analysis of the trade deadline is not over, Coach. Sorry, just one more day of it.
After the game on Saturday, Gordon looked genuinely upset - as if he truly believed the team had no options but to field the roster they did. With the knowledge that MacDonald was injured, they could have grabbed a depth defenseman (or two) for late-round picks. They could have done something. They are 0-2 since.
But maybe that’s the point - to not do too much to earn points in the standings. Toronto won last night.
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