Garth Snow gave a rare interview yesterday, infuriating Islanders fans once again. Perhaps it's best if the general manager of 12 years doesn't talk.
Snow reiterated that he will not trade John Tavares, which is totally fine. Tavares always said that making the playoffs was his main objective. The problem is, Snow has failed to provided head coach Doug Weight and his captain the pieces to get into the playoffs.
“We have obviously two first-round picks, two second-round picks . . . We’re a team that’s right on the edge of getting in the playoffs and not being in the playoffs,… Snow told Newsday's Steven Marcus. It is clearly a seller's market for this year's trade deadline. The reported asking prices for players like Michael Grabner and Rick Nash are exorbitant. Clearly Snow does not want to part with his precious draft picks.
Wasn’t the point of acquiring picks for Travis Hamonic last June was to improve the current team, not the 2021 Islanders? I understand that this draft is very deep. The Isles could conceivably have two lottery picks, theirs and the Calgary Flames. I have no problem trading one for a defenseman. I’ll give Garth credit, he does have a knack for trading back into the first round.
Then the general manager used injuries as an excuse for the Islanders place in the standings. “Not making excuses, I’m stating a fact,’’ the longtime GM said. Injuries have hit the team hard. Calvin de Haan, Johnny Boychuk, Devon Toews, Scott Mayfield and now Mitch Vande Sompel are or have been out long term. Isn’t the job of the GM to replace injured players? If there is a hole in roof, I'm fixing the roof. I'm not throwing my hands in the air and telling my wife that it's not getting fixed.
There is an option for Garth. The Rangers have waived defenseman Brendan Smith. The 29-year-old signed a four-year, $17.4 million contract last offseason. Smith has struggled all season. The cost for Snow would not include draft picks, just plenty of cap space as the cap hit is $4.35M for the next three seasons. This time, Garth should do nothing.
Jaroslav Halak will get the start tonight in Buffalo. Ross Johnston will replace Alan Quine. Tonight in Buffalo and tomorrow at Barclays against Detroit are four points the Islanders need. They pissed away a point Monday against Nashville, they can’t afford to piss away anymore.