We live in a "now" society. Everything is accessible immediately. Missed a tv show? No problem, just access the "on demand" feature via your cable provider. Ever order shoes from Zappos? Seems like they're delivered before you get home from work. I can go on and on.
The same "now" society applies to sports, especially the draft. If a player fails to make an impact, or even worse, failed to make the NHL within a year of being drafted, most consider them a bust.
Now imagine a player, who made the NHL a few months after being drafted and not making an immediate impact. In fact, said player is having the best season of his career nine years after being drafted.
That player is Josh Bailey.
General manager Garth Snow traded down twice in the 2008 draft. The Islanders went into the draft with the fifth pick, moved down to the seventh spot and finally selected Bailey at nine. Snow's 1st first-round pick since becoming general manager. Bailey already had a strike against him coming out of that draft. The two players drafted at five and seven, Luke Schenn and Colin Wilson respectively. The Isles did not lose out on either deal.
Snow totally mishandled Bailey from the start. Instead of heading back to juniors, Bailey made the Islanders for two reasons, his salary would help them reach the salary cap floor and the other, the team was awful. Snow probably selected Bailey higher than he was projected and there was unfair expectations for the forward, who had one 20-goal season in juniors. Bailey never truly found a home on any line for years. The talent was there, just not the consistency.
Now that Bailey has finally put it all together, both offensive and defensively, fans still give Bailey grief. He is basically the Rodney Dangerfield of the Islanders, no respect, no respect. Captain John Tavares requested to play with Bailey this season, his request has benefited both players, as Bailey, Tavares and Anders Lee have formed one of the most productive line in the league this season. Fans still cry that the Islanders do not have a top-line winger to play alongside Tavares and they are right. It's all about chemistry though and the "BLT line" has had it this season.
Bailey assisted on three of the Islanders four goals Thursday night against the Vancouver Canucks. He now sits at 299 career points. In fact just five players from the 2008 draft (Steven Stamkos, Erik Karlsson, Drew Doughty, Derek Stepan and Jordan Eberle) have 300+ points. Bailey, already having a career season, is one point shy of 50 points. Sorry to disappoint you Isles fans, the majority of those point are not secondary assists on empty-net goals.
It also baffles me why fans would root against one of their own players who has proudly worn the orange and blue, and sometimes black for 623 regular-season games.
The only lineup change interim head coach Doug Weight will make is inserting defenseman Scott Mayfield into the lineup. The St. Louis native will replace Adam Pelech.