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Eric Hornick
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@ehornick
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Calgary beat Vegas 7-1 on the final day of the regular season. Had Vegas won that game in regulation the #Isles would have had one of the winning combinations in the #NHLDraftLottery
- Upstate_isles

That close to being one of the stupidest trades ever.

Nino, Strome, Reinhardt, and Dal Colle. Top 5 picks.......none are on the isles. You'll pardon me for having ZERO faith in the management to draft well at 11 and 12 respectively.

Sidenote : Barzal was absolute luck (and to prove they didnt realize what they had, this years Calder candidate, and most likely winner, couldnt make the isles roster last season.
- kindlyrick

Hard to say drafting Barzal was luck but agree that this management can't draft in the first round. Look what the Jets have done drafting in the first round.

That close to being one of the stupidest trades ever.
- DuranDuran

Hammer is a great guy but the injuries have taken their toll on him. It was the right move by the Isles to trade him and Hammer also wanted to be closer to home.

Hard to say drafting Barzal was luck but agree that this management can't draft in the first round. Look what the Jets have done drafting in the first round.
- ziggy_skalica

We can agree to disagree on Barzal, however its tough to dispute the fact that on a team that missed the playoffs last year (call it an inferior roster), Barzal couldnt seem to crack that lineup. This year he's a Calder candidate. When you have a player who some NHLers called elite talent akin to McDavid with speed and skill, it didnt happen overnight. Pt per game player in the Dub since his first year.......yet couldnt crack Capuanos/Snows roster.

Hammer is a great guy but the injuries have taken their toll on him. It was the right move by the Isles to trade him and Hammer also wanted to be closer to home.
- ses111

Who cares what his play now is like......isles got good value for him, and just sat on it watching the L's pile up and did nothing with those picks. I zero no faith in this organizations drafting ability.

Luck ? I couldn’t for the life of me understand how people were not seeing in him what he was .Also even the commentators were scratching their heads at how he wasn’t picked before he was .Nothing lucky about it .Bruims (frank)ed up huge not picking him with those three picks .

Who cares what his play now is like......isles got good value for him, and just sat on it watching the L's pile up and did nothing with those picks. I zero no faith in this organizations drafting ability.
- kindlyrick

Some Isles fans think it was a mistake even trading Hammer. The issue is Garth did not use the picks to improve the team. I have no faith in this teams drafting or developing ability. Go get Lou or Dean now.

Luck ? I couldn’t for the life of me understand how people were not seeing in him what he was .Also even the commentators were scratching their heads at how he wasn’t picked before he was .Nothing lucky about it .Bruims (frank)ed up huge not picking him with those three picks .
- Allforhim12

Ill repeat the isles got lucky snagging him

Some Isles fans think it was a mistake even trading Hammer. The issue is Garth did not use the picks to improve the team. I have no faith in this teams drafting or developing ability. Go get Lou or Dean now.
- ses111

He asked to be traded a year prior, im sure he still wanted to get closer to home. It was a home run deal for the isles, i just cannot make sense of them not replacing his minutes. Total fail. Its no different than letting Streit walk and not replacing him.......then scratching their head when they couldnt gain the zone on the PP the next year.

I don’t understand the relevence of Hamonic and him sucking right now. My entire point of any Hamonic discussion was that his minutes were never replaced. I don’t care if he’s a -45 every season. The fact remains that for 80% of his time on the island he was the isles best dman who played top pair minutes and faced every teams top line. The return gotten for Hamonic at the time of trade was value and those picks should have been used to acquire a similar 20-25 min a night dman to replace that.
- kindlyrick

I know we are agreeing

Ill repeat the isles got lucky snagging him
- kindlyrick

ya Connor was a late first as well. Chin up boys, you guys are already disappointed and you do not even know who you will get in the draft. If you are able to keep JT, you will likely need those sweet rookie contracts. Don't panic just yet

Well gentlemen...I think Joe Veleno is the pick, assuming he's there at 11. Safe pick, pro-style game, and he's an excellent two-way center. Lots of offensive talent, too. He'd be a great #2 center down the road, behind (wipes away tear) Barzal.

Could maybe snag someone at 12 like Joel Farabee, who's playing great on a line with Jack Hughes and Wahlstrom at the U18's, Jesperio Kotkaniemi, d-man Ty Smith who plays a real hard-nosed game despite being slightly undersized, Martin Kaut who it up the World Juniors playing with Necas (CAR) and Zadina (2018), Rasmus Kupari a skilled Finnish center, or even one of the big question marks like Grigori Denisenko or Dominik Bokk, an uber-talented German winger who had a good first pro year playing in Sweden's 2nd tier league and got a small cup of coffee in the SHL. Risky due to not having a ton of experience playing with/against better talent, but has a real high upside. If Snow decides to use the two second rounders to make one of his patented late-first-round-trade-ups then Bokk might be an intriguing pick.

ya Connor was a late first as well. Chin up boys, you guys are already disappointed and you do not even know who you will get in the draft. If you are able to keep JT, you will likely need those sweet rookie contracts. Don't panic just yet
- bikeguy99

Connor was a late first?

Well gentlemen...I think Joe Veleno is the pick, assuming he's there at 11. Safe pick, pro-style game, and he's an excellent two-way center. Lots of offensive talent, too. He'd be a great #2 center down the road, behind (wipes away tear) Barzal.

Could maybe snag someone at 12 like Joel Farabee, who's playing great on a line with Jack Hughes and Wahlstrom at the U18's, Jesperio Kotkaniemi, d-man Ty Smith who plays a real hard-nosed game despite being slightly undersized, Martin Kaut who it up the World Juniors playing with Necas (CAR) and Zadina (2018), Rasmus Kupari a skilled Finnish center, or even one of the big question marks like Grigori Denisenko or Dominik Bokk, an uber-talented German winger who had a good first pro year playing in Sweden's 2nd tier league and got a small cup of coffee in the SHL. Risky due to not having a ton of experience playing with/against better talent, but has a real high upside. If Snow decides to use the two second rounders to make one of his patented late-first-round-trade-ups then Bokk might be an intriguing pick.
- eichiefs9

The focus at the draft should be strengthening this teams defense. I’m not sure using the picks this year does that. Trading those picks with the rights to maybe Dehaan and or Nelson is what’s needed to snag a top pair guy.

The focus at the draft should be strengthening this teams defense. I’m not sure using the picks this year does that. Trading those picks with the rights to maybe Dehaan and or Nelson is what’s needed to snag a top pair guy.
- kindlyrick

That's certainly an option, and a good one, but nobody really has any clue who is available via trade and I'm tired of playing the hypothetical-trade game, personally. Not to mention we all know Snow isn't going to do jack shit.

I'll assume we're drafting until there's some sort of legitimate word that they might move the picks. We do need to add talent on the blueline, but I'm not really convinced a pair of picks outside of the top-10 and Brock Nelson have the type of value to make a trade for a truly-talented defenseman happen. de Haan's rights have no real value, maybe a 4th or 5th round pick.

Not to mention, with the asinine cap situation that Snow has put us in...if Tavares doesn't walk, the Isles are going to need a lot of young, cheap talent. There probably isn't cap room to add someone with a big hit, unless shitstain decides to find a creative way to move out one of terrible contracts like Cizikas, Clutterbuck, Ladd, or someone else.

Ill repeat the isles got lucky snagging him
- kindlyrick

My apologies .I see where you were going .

Connor was a late first?
- kindlyrick

Late(r than Barzal) first

Barzal was 16 and Connor was 17

Ill repeat the isles got lucky snagging him
- kindlyrick

Hey ...the Oilers tried to make everyone feel better about trading that pick to the Isles by saying they wouldn’t have picked him anyway ....

That's certainly an option, and a good one, but nobody really has any clue who is available via trade and I'm tired of playing the hypothetical-trade game, personally. Not to mention we all know Snow isn't going to do jack shit.

I'll assume we're drafting until there's some sort of legitimate word that they might move the picks. We do need to add talent on the blueline, but I'm not really convinced a pair of picks outside of the top-10 and Brock Nelson have the type of value to make a trade for a truly-talented defenseman happen. de Haan's rights have no real value, maybe a 4th or 5th round pick.

Not to mention, with the asinine cap situation that Snow has put us in...if Tavares doesn't walk, the Isles are going to need a lot of young, cheap talent. There probably isn't cap room to add someone with a big hit, unless shitstain decides to find a creative way to move out one of terrible contracts like Cizikas, Clutterbuck, Ladd, or someone else.
- eichiefs9

Garth is not doing anything because Dino or Lou are taking over.

Wonder if the Isles will try one of the 1'st and one of the 2nd's? I see EK is on this JT to Leafs thing again.

Late(r than Barzal) first

Barzal was 16 and Connor was 17
- eichiefs9

I see Connor and immediately think McDavid

That's certainly an option, and a good one, but nobody really has any clue who is available via trade and I'm tired of playing the hypothetical-trade game, personally. Not to mention we all know Snow isn't going to do jack shit.

I'll assume we're drafting until there's some sort of legitimate word that they might move the picks. We do need to add talent on the blueline, but I'm not really convinced a pair of picks outside of the top-10 and Brock Nelson have the type of value to make a trade for a truly-talented defenseman happen. de Haan's rights have no real value, maybe a 4th or 5th round pick.

Not to mention, with the asinine cap situation that Snow has put us in...if Tavares doesn't walk, the Isles are going to need a lot of young, cheap talent. There probably isn't cap room to add someone with a big hit, unless shitstain decides to find a creative way to move out one of terrible contracts like Cizikas, Clutterbuck, Ladd, or someone else.
- eichiefs9

I’m with you on guessing trade situations. Waste of time. I just wanna see the isles address the weakness.
Sh1tstain has a good ring to it.

Garth is not doing anything because Dino or Lou are taking over.

Wonder if the Isles will try one of the 1'st and one of the 2nd's? I see EK is on this JT to Leafs thing again.

- ses111

I don’t see Tavares going to the leafs or any Canadian team for that matter. The dollar differential alone is reason to not sign there. I think we can hear all the “i wanna win” line and that might hold some small weight but the bottom line is always the money. Stamkos I’m sure got offered the world but chose the lightening ultimately because the dollar differential and the no income tax. That’s real money. Tavares to the hometown leafs sounds like a great story but i don’t see that happening. I believe 91 has a handshake deal where he’s gonna see what offers he gets and the isles will Match it and give him the full 8 years.

I don’t see Tavares going to the leafs or any Canadian team for that matter. The dollar differential alone is reason to not sign there. I think we can hear all the “i wanna win” line and that might hold some small weight but the bottom line is always the money. Stamkos I’m sure got offered the world but chose the lightening ultimately because the dollar differential and the no income tax. That’s real money. Tavares to the hometown leafs sounds like a great story but i don’t see that happening. I believe 91 has a handshake deal where he’s gonna see what offers he gets and the isles will Match it and give him the full 8 years.
- kindlyrick

I actually agree with this.
What teams can afford him that aren’t complete crap anyway?

I actually agree with this.
What teams can afford him that aren’t complete crap anyway?
- Larsson_fan

Sharks

I actually agree with this.
What teams can afford him that aren’t complete crap anyway?
- Larsson_fan

Sharks and Blues have been mentioned frequently.

Frankly, I wouldn't rule out the Sabres either now that they're getting Dahlin. They could probably afford to jettison someone like Scandella and his $4M cap hit with Dahlin coming into the fold. I think there would be plenty of interest in Scandella, maybe even from the Islanders. It's possible that if Tavares and Buffalo were both interested in a sign-and-trade to add the 8th year, Scandella could be a piece coming back the other way.