Did they not offer Dan Boyle a more then fair offer? My guess is D is tough to come by and any team the isles talk to are probably asking for Strome, Nelson, Reinhart etc etc.. It's not for a lack of trying that's for sure. Plus the season is still 3 months away
- Vukota

Thank GOD we didn't get Dan Boyle. Garth would have annointed him on our Top Pairing. Guy shouldn't be better than top 4 at best on this team....top 6 on any of the playoff teams. Not the difference maker we need. Vet presence is okay to add when you have a solid top 3 or 4. We have question marks beyond Viz & Hammer.

Someone good is gonna have to be dealt in order to get a Top defenseman. Even to a cap-strapped team. The kids won't all develop. Can't keep 'em all. Our new forwards got big $$$ - doubtful they can be traded. Bailey has little or no value. Grabner Neilsen, Lee, Strome, Nelson, Donovan—one of them has to be involved in the asking price. No way around it. It's a tough decision. Not happy at the idea but that's the reality.

http://prohockeytalk.nbcs...l-gambling-investigation/

i get it, its capuano, the guy is a moron, but come on!! is this news?? the 29th worst PK in the league is finding ways to get better?? get outta here!!!
- LetsGoIsles

Actually, it kind of is news when he seems to beat a dead horse on so many other things.

http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2014/07/21/vanek-connected-to-federal-gambling-investigation/


- NYI44

thats why he floats

http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2014/07/21/vanek-connected-to-federal-gambling-investigation/


- NYI44

Wow. Thats never good.

Pens have a number of blue chip D prospects. That's sort of the direction we were going with the Dumoulin/Harrington for Grabner packages...
- YouMeAndDupuis9

I agree you have great D prospects, as do we, but all they are as of now are prospects. Rather have a proven player you know?

Chris Botta @ChrisBottaNHL
No snags, no news on #Isles sale. Only Andrew Barroway has made a huge offer. Other interest, but no other submitted bids.

Martin also adds the added wrinkle of playing the powerplay, which Boychuk doesn't do. Plus, he wouldn't cost any other pieces.
- cap1681

I'm pretty sure Martin already turned down a big offer from the Isles when he was a free agent. That has Vanek debacle written all over it if they trade an asset for a player who, while good, is a fairly safe bet to not re-sign. If they did something like what Edmonton did with Nikitin, where the trade was conditional upon a contract extension...if that's possible in a player-for-player trade proposal, then it's a deal.

Boychuk is going to be the hardest defenseman to pry out of Boston. I'd guess something more like Grabner and Lee is going to be a realistic offer for him.
- eichiefs9

Aren't the Bruins trading a d-man due to the cap....Grabner makes 3 million per... I think that takes grabs out of the equation and for sure Bailey

T-Bay have cap issues and some defensive depth....

I know this is reaching but I'm just a frustrated Islander fan with a dream of making the playoffs.

An chance we can get Brent Burns out of SJ?

Maybe Grabner, CARKNER, and STRAIT?

I know this is reaching but I'm just a frustrated Islander fan with a dream of making the playoffs.

An chance we can get Brent Burns out of SJ?

Maybe Grabner, CARKNER, and STRAIT?
- BetMustGo

No one wants garbage like the two names in caps. They aren't trade material, period. The only thing you might get for them is the waiver fee.

The reality is if we going to get a top d we would have to give up something valuable.

Grabner, strome, Nielson, lee, pokka, pollack. Bailey, strait, Carkner , clutterbuck are going to get you a top 4 dman.

So I'm with snow. We can't come this far to turn and then trade a top level prospect for dman.

Strome, Nelson , Reinhart and even bailey are the guys that will take this team to more than 1st round of playoffs if they breakout this year.

We know what we got in Tavares, Neilsen, ko, hamonic and Halak.

Aren't the Bruins trading a d-man due to the cap....Grabner makes 3 million per... I think that takes grabs out of the equation and for sure Bailey

T-Bay have cap issues and some defensive depth....
- Nolanders

Teams that have cap issues are not going to give away there players. Plus the Isles are not the only team that has cap relief either. So when a good Dman is in play for a trade, expect most teams being involved bc D is hard to acquire.

I know this is reaching but I'm just a frustrated Islander fan with a dream of making the playoffs.

An chance we can get Brent Burns out of SJ?

Maybe Grabner, CARKNER, and STRAIT?
- BetMustGo

Burns is a staple to SJ, so theres prob no chance hes available. But just an Fyi, the 2 players you have mentioned have no value in trades n should never be mentioned again...

I know this is reaching but I'm just a frustrated Islander fan with a dream of making the playoffs.

An chance we can get Brent Burns out of SJ?

Maybe Grabner, CARKNER, and STRAIT?
- BetMustGo

Carkner and strait do not increase the value of this trade. In fact they detract from it. If it were that easy Snow would have completely revamped the entire blue line by now.

Burns is a staple to SJ, so theres prob no chance hes available. But just an Fyi, the 2 players you have mentioned have no value in trades n should never be mentioned again...
- Ur Not Me

I dont hate strait. I wouldnt mind him as a number 5 or 6. Carkner to me is a blatant waste of a roster spot. Some say he adds some bite to our blue line. Im still waiting to see that. He has taken amacs spot as my least favorite islander.

The reality is if we going to get a top d we would have to give up something valuable.

Grabner, strome, Nielson, lee, pokka, pollack. Bailey, strait, Carkner , clutterbuck are going to get you a top 4 dman.

So I'm with snow. We can't come this far to turn and then trade a top level prospect for dman.

Strome, Nelson , Reinhart and even bailey are the guys that will take this team to more than 1st round of playoffs if they breakout this year.

We know what we got in Tavares, Neilsen, ko, hamonic and Halak.
- Spartiarti

Reality is that most teams do not trade there top 4 Dmen unless they have a player ready to take over or contract status or aging vet that a team is willing to move.

I understand what you're saying. My thinking is that there are not many 1st pairing defensemen available out there, without giving up a kings ransom. Yes, he is essentially a rental, but Martin would step in and be the best defenseman on the Islanders. Bringing someone in like that, without giving up any of your prized prospects (Strome, Reinhart, etc) would be something worth looking into.
- cap1681

The isles need vets signed long term. Rentals are likely to walk ala Ryan Smyth and Thomas Vanek. Martin would be a rental. He turned the isles down once already. Im not trading grabner for a 1 year rental who said "no" to the isles once already.

I dont hate strait. I wouldnt mind him as a number 5 or 6. Carkner to me is a blatant waste of a roster spot. Some say he adds some bite to our blue line. Im still waiting to see that. He has taken amacs spot as my least favorite islander.
- Cptmjl

Strait is decent but that's it, I think his lack of speed is his issue of being a consistent 5/6 Dman. But what I've seen from a little sample size of Mayfield & Czuzman, rather have them be my 5/6 in line-up.

Carkner is only here as another enforcer, even tho that part of the game is slowly going away but isles cant have Martin as the only 1 player who can drop the gloves if needed. Same w/Boulton, remember when I complained about why soooo early on giving him an extension when there might be better enforcers available in off-season? Hows that signing looking now?? Same as before not needed to me

So do the Isles. My guess is if the Isles move one or two of their forwards its going to be for a D-man with a couple of years left on his contract
- Vukota

This is the only move that makes any sense. Although I woukd be interested in a bigger deal for a top six forward and top four d-man, ala Kane/Bogosian or Marchand/Boychuk IF the deal didnt gutthe isles of their blue chip prospects. But trading a couple of forwards for one signed top 4 d-man is the most likely scenario if anything happens.

I dont hate strait. I wouldnt mind him as a number 5 or 6. Carkner to me is a blatant waste of a roster spot. Some say he adds some bite to our blue line. Im still waiting to see that. He has taken amacs spot as my least favorite islander.
- Cptmjl

Strait is a 7th d-man on a contending team, no more. Carkner wouldnt make a contending team's top seven. If these two are playing every night, then your team has issues on the back end.

Carkner and strait do not increase the value of this trade. In fact they detract from it. If it were that easy Snow would have completely revamped the entire blue line by now.
- Cptmjl

You're correct CARKNER, and STRAIT aren't gonna get us much. I gotta stop smoking crack! Sorry, I thought Snow was GM in SJ for a second.

This is the only move that makes any sense. Although I woukd be interested in a bigger deal for a top six forward and top four d-man, ala Kane/Bogosian or Marchand/Boychuk IF the deal didnt gutthe isles of their blue chip prospects. But trading a couple of forwards for one signed top 4 d-man is the most likely scenario if anything happens.
- Jethro09

In a way I agree. The best way to make a deal is identifying what prospects will stay and package who isn't. Isles cant play everyone

I know this is reaching but I'm just a frustrated Islander fan with a dream of making the playoffs.

An chance we can get Brent Burns out of SJ?

Maybe Grabner, CARKNER, and STRAIT?
- BetMustGo

Reaching would be a massive improvement over that offer.

Teams that have cap issues are not going to give away there players. Plus the Isles are not the only team that has cap relief either. So when a good Dman is in play for a trade, expect most teams being involved bc D is hard to acquire.
- Ur Not Me

totally agree with you but wouldn't a team needing relief try to snag some good prospects from a team rather than another player with same salary.