July Follies...

It is that time of year again. The skies in Canada will be full of fireworks and hockey fans will be dreaming of the next big scoring center, bruising D-man, and managers, well, they will simply lose their proverbial minds.

Yes, free-agency season is upon us all, and I am buckling up for what promises to be an interesting 2009 off-season, not necessarily a busy one. I am looking at this off-season a little differently than most prognosticators, in regards to my favourite team. Most have stated that the Isles will not make any significant signing come July 1, as has been re-iterated by Garth Snow. There is no debating the fact that the New York Islanders will have to over pay to attract anyone, those disagreeing with that are living in a bubble, and yes, that is ok too.

Having said all that, the Isles are significantly below the salary cap floor for the upcoming season and so I believe that the team has no choice but to be active starting tomorrow. They will be looking for a goalie, at least one D-man and a bruising winger that can drop the gloves (I smell Chris Neil).

I can only hope that Tambellini and Sim will disappear within the team’s farm system come October and maybe one of those managers that will undoubtedly loose their minds within 24 hours, will want to trade for one of them (no, I am not on meds), but that will never happen. There is no disputing the fact that the Islanders have roughly $10 million to make up in order to reach the floor of the cap and signing RFA’s Comeau, Thompson and Hillen, will not come anywhere near the amount needed.

It is ok for us all to dream of major signings… that is what hope is all about… but let’s get real.

Final thoughts...before the big day

I know… I know… I just finished moaning about people continuously re-hashing about this weekend’s upcoming draft, but having said that, if I gave you the choice between drafting Dale Hawerchuk, Bryan Trottier or a defenseman that defies all comparisons, who would YOU choose.

I do not believe that an Islanders fan alive would choose any-other player over Brian Trottier.

Well, on my way into work this morning I was listening to TSN’s Pierre Mcguire on the radio and the hosts of the Ottawa morning show asked him to compare Tavares, Hedman and Duchenes to players gone by and to my surprise, he did just that.

Good old Pierre started off by stating that Tavares is very NHL ready and if he were the New York Islander’s GM, he would draft Tavares in a second, quoting marketing, promotional, and all his qualities….hmmm…sounds familiar. What surprised me was that he compared Tavares’ skill set to that of Hall of Famer, Dale Hawerchuk.

He had difficulty comparing Hedman to any previous defenseman. According to the hockey expert, the young D-man’s skill set is unique (size, speed, mobility…) and could not find anyone to compare him to….interesting!?!?!

When it came time to compare Duchene’s skill set, Pierre Mcguire's take was that the closest player to Duchene was none other than Brian Trottier. As per the TV personality, the young man’s all around game, energy and vision is quite comparable with one major difference-Duchene is a better skater than Trottier ever was.

Now tell me again, who would you prefer?

Time keeps on ticking...but not fast enough

So here we are, four days prior to the upcoming 1st round draft day in Montreal. The blogosphere is drowning with predictions; people trying to scratch claw for their little bit of “look at me” moments. I just wish certain guys would heed the old adage; “sometimes less is more”.

Seeing so-called experts re-hashing the same old-same old; Tavares… no Hedman… no Duchenes, arguments are annoying at best and sickening at most. I can only hope that Friday gets here fast, if for no other reason than to put this nonsense to bed once and for all.

As far as I am concerned, I do not care who the Islanders choose, as their first pick (notice I did not say 1st overall…hehehe). I simply want them to make a pick out of the top 3, period. For those clamouring for Tavares (which I was one), he will not turn the NY Islanders around over night, he has the potential to be a cornerstone, but not a saviour. Hedman, has the potential to be a top 2 defenseman, with All-Star written all over his towering build. As for Duchenes, well how can any fan in their right mind argue with the fact that scouts are calling him a winner, a guy that will lead you to a Stanley Cup!!?? There is no wrong choice from where I sit.

As I have previously stated, Tavares should speed up the rebuilding process, but that only means the build might take 3 years rather than five. To all the fans screaming that they will cancel their season tickets if the team drafts anyone else other than Tavares, give me a break and get real.

For all the loyal followers on the Island, go to the draft party; enjoy it for what it is; a breath of hope, a sneak peek at what might be and dream of better days ahead. As for me, I will be sitting on my comfy chair and enjoying every moment of my team being in the spotlight on this much anticipated day.

As the world turns....and turns....and turns...

The past few months have been rife with rumours, innuendos and political shenanigans on Long Island. As fans we should be excited about our team’s number one pick. We should be counting the days to the upcoming draft extravaganza, but the ongoing soap operas that continuously surround the team just seems to be sucking the life out of what should be a renewed time for hope.

I have been quiet over the last little while, because as most fans, I have been mesmerized by the Lighthouse saga, and the political hot potato it is turning out to be. As intriguing as the fight for the Lighthouse has been, the saga surrounding the will he or won’t he pick Tavares, has been as nerve racking.

I do not live on the Island, so I cannot fully understand the ins and outs of the local politics, but as a fan of the team, that wants nothing more than a good product on the ice, and a place that will be attractive to players, I remain speechless, and what appears to be a short-sighted, unwillingness to see the big picture stance of Mrs Murray and her band of merry men. Without a major league team occupying the Coliseum, it will be flattened within 5 years and the area will not have any other venue to attract, well….anything. If that is the will of the people of Hempstead and area, then so be it, (do not shed a tear when the team is moved), but if the local fans want to keep the team, they need to make a serious move and cause the powers that be to worry about the upcoming election, as of this date, I still do not see that happening. I read a lot of talk, but I see very little action.

If I could say one phrase to Garth Snow right now, it would be “please, make the right call, for all the right reasons.” Personally, Tavares is my choice, having seen him play in juniors and at the world championships; he has no equal within this draft class. He can be a marketing dream as well as a valuable asset on the ice. He is no Crosby, but he can easily be the Isles version of Danny Heatly. If Garth is interested in building the Isles faster, Tavares will be his choice, if he is choosing the slow boat approach, look for Headman to be the man. Regardless, the clock is ticking and a whole lot of fans are waiting for it to chime… One false move by the GM, will result in a marketing backlash and even rougher seas for next season.