Maybe the point is that the Islanders don’t want their fans to think things have changed. Maybe the point is to get people to think that they are close to the culmination of long-term plan — well, a very-long-term plan — and that patience remains the most important virtue.
But goodness, how can the recent words of general manager Garth Snow not smack of “Same Old Islanders?” What kind of reaction did Snow think was going to come when, according to Newsday, he said that his two first-round picks and two second-round picks in the upcoming draft are not going to be used on rental players.
“I don’t think we’re in that position. Just doesn’t make sense,” Snow said.
If that is Snow admitting that his team just isn’t very good, that’s one thing. Just outside of the playoff picture on Friday morning, having gone 3-5-2 in their previous 10 and 6-10-2 in their previous 18, he might be right. Tough to argue when a player like Jack Eichel — maybe one of two players on the Sabres roster you have to key on — has this much space to score, like he did during another disheartening loss, a 4-3 defeat in Buffalo on Thursday night.
Avoiding rental players before this Feb. 26 trade deadline might actually be a prudent move, if Snow is fully committed to trading the picks at the draft in June for something more substantial. That begins with offering every asset in the organization not named Mathew Barzal to the Senators for Erik Karlsson, and working with desperate Ottawa general manager Pierre Dorion on making something work.
But if Snow lets this season flutter away and then keeps the picks? Well then consider the voice of the elephant in the room, gaining volume as he says Snow has them as a backup plan if captain John Tavares — who, remember, is NOT being traded — decides to leave as a free agent July 1.
Let’s be clear: If Tavares leaves, Snow loses the biggest gamble of his managerial career. This is not the Lightning with Steven Stamkos, who decided to stay with a team that made it to consecutive conference finals and one Stanley Cup final. Tampa Bay general manager Steve Yzerman maybe took a risk by not trading Stamkos, but ended up signing him on June 29, 2016 — two days before he would have officially become a free agent — to an eight-year, $68 million deal, his annual $8.5 million counting for a lot more in a no-tax state.
see also
Erik Karlsson represents a perfect Islanders opportunity
Despite still having not even discussed numbers with Tavares’ agent — at least, as of two weeks ago — this is not much of a comparable situation. Yzerman might have held a hard line, but Stamkos not only wanted to come back, but he had a great situation to come back to. There is no need to look further than their place atop the NHL standings this season.
Tavares surely wants to come back to the Islanders, and has made that abundantly clear. But his situation is far more unstable, far more liquid than maybe Snow is willing to admit. Asked in early October how he felt about the situation, and Snow said, “Excellent.” Every time he gets a chance, he’ll remind people that the Islanders drafted Tavares when he was 18 years old, and that they want him to retire with the Islanders. Co-owner Jon Ledecky will say the same thing. It’s as if saying it over and over will guilt Tavares into staying with the only team he has known.
But that team under Snow for the past 12 years has also always operated with a focus on the future. The “woe is me” pathos remains, with Snow saying that injuries are “100 percent” the reason they’re struggling for playoff position. But, of course, he added, “Not making excuses, I’m stating a fact.”
Fact is that if the Islanders still have these draft picks when the first round begins, it’s just more of the same. And if Tavares leaves, Snow will think fate has cursed them, not mismanagement.
If it’s always about the future, then the present always stinks.
Alexandre the Disgraceful
This might be one of the worst on-ice incidences in a long time.
Senators forward Alexandre Burrows decided that attacking Taylor Hall wasn’t enough after Hall hit him with a totally legal body check. (Also, why in the world does every body check now need to be followed up with a scrum? Enough.) After totally disregarding the actual hockey, Burrows got Hall on the ground, punching him repeatedly in the back of the head. When that was no longer viable, Burrows raised his leg and buried his knee into Hall’s head — not once, but twice.
Burrows then decided to forego an in-person hearing with the Department of Player Safety, who suspended him 10 games. I agree with ESPN’s John Buccigross on his proposed suspension.
Flower Power
Boy, a lot was made about Marc-Andre Fleury’s return to Pittsburgh. Like this and this.
After the video tribute, Fleury said, “I was happy I had a mask on.”
Stay tuned . . .
. . . to the two teams in the cities of the Super Bowl finalists. The Bruins have been the best team in hockey since Nov. 16, going 27-4-4 during that stretch. And before the Patriots blew it in the big game, the B’s honored Tom Brady with this silliness.
But the Eagles won Philadelphia it’s first NFL title, while the Flyers haven’t won a Stanley Cup since 1975. Yet Claude Giroux and Co. are 10-4-1 over their previous 15, and solidly in the first wild-card spot. Wouldn’t be a bad first-round matchup, huh?
Parting shot
So the Oilers may be struggling big time — don’t know what kind of idiot would have picked them to win it all — but Connor McDavid is still doing things like this. How many players in the history of the league could have scored that goal?