Dee Karl: Last Chance Islanders A season of "lasts" for the Isles. Looking to NOT be in 'last' place.

Garth should be fined and disciplined by the NHL or at the very least the Islanders. That type of behavior is unprofessional and shows us for the circus we are

Had to look up what Garth said that was being "censored". What the hell, you can't say poop anymore? I know we can't say the word poop on here, but thats far from the point.

Canada has different broadcast standards. Bad words not a big issue. On the substance of the matter, Snow gets huge marks for standing up for his guy! And, somebody actually worries about what Larry Brooks thinks.

Most insiders think Garth made a cool move in tamping down the critics who wanted to jump all over the kid he picked. My guess, he got himself off to a great start with a very talented player.

Canada has different broadcast standards. Bad words not a big issue. On the substance of the matter, Snow gets huge marks for standing up for his guy! And, somebody actually worries about what Larry Brooks thinks.

Most insiders think Garth made a cool move in tamping down the critics who wanted to jump all over the kid he picked. My guess, he got himself off to a great start with a very talented player.
- spatso

This

Garth should be fined and disciplined by the NHL or at the very least the Islanders. That type of behavior is unprofessional and shows us for the circus we are
- SnowFrigginWay

I believe Garth was trying to take the attention off the kid and put it more on himself. I have no problem with what he said. The players got a kick out of it and if anything it gives the team more of a "us against the world" mentality. I'm so tired of everyone bashing Snow for the sake of bashing.

Garth should be fined and disciplined by the NHL or at the very least the Islanders. That type of behavior is unprofessional and shows us for the circus we are
- SnowFrigginWay

Every other word out the mouths of players on the ice is a curse, I love the way Garth stood up for how he get treated by the media. The "Us against the world" mentality should be embraced by Islander supporters.

Canada has different broadcast standards. Bad words not a big issue. On the substance of the matter, Snow gets huge marks for standing up for his guy! And, somebody actually worries about what Larry Brooks thinks.

Most insiders think Garth made a cool move in tamping down the critics who wanted to jump all over the kid he picked. My guess, he got himself off to a great start with a very talented player.
- spatso

And good for him.

"Well said". Great interview..

And good for him.
- nfph

Yep...Nicely played by him...Garth earning some respect from this imo......

Snow is a joke of a GM.
Get's no respect in the league, and hasn't earned any !!
Isles will never draw any legit free agents until they bring in a credible leadership team.

"Sideboard: I’m not sure why Larry Brooks, the Rangers #1 Fan, couldn't actually print the word he was so offended that Garth Snow used. That word completely describes the newspaper that employs him."

That's some of your best work right there Dee.. well said.

Snow is a joke of a GM.
Get's no respect in the league, and hasn't earned any !!
Isles will never draw any legit free agents until they bring in a credible leadership team.
- rsmarro

tons of Cap room.... tons of youn talend on team and in system... just signed Halak. will be signing some guys today now that all the "get out of jail free cards" are used up by the idiots. Has grabbed guys off scrap heap like Moulson, Grabner, etc. Snow wil but Judged after this season.

Canada has different broadcast standards. Bad words not a big issue. On the substance of the matter, Snow gets huge marks for standing up for his guy! And, somebody actually worries about what Larry Brooks thinks.

Most insiders think Garth made a cool move in tamping down the critics who wanted to jump all over the kid he picked. My guess, he got himself off to a great start with a very talented player.
- spatso

well said.. nice to have a Non Troll.

I'm still onboard for Garth...the guy has taken so much crap for the past 8 seasons to no avail....

He set a plan in motion - we're waiting for his crop of youth to mature still. Okposo finally came around, JT has been great. Now that Strome, Lee, and Nelson will have full NHL seasons this year, we WILL see a big improvement in this team.

Everyone, including Garth, knows his fault has come at getting a great goaltender, which we now have. Halak will do big things for this team. If we won ONE more game each month this past season, we would have had 91 points - 2 points out of the playoffs. Halak will bring us at least this extra win a month.

Everyone get off Garth's d*ck - its Charles Wang that's the issue. If Garth truly had an open wallet I think we'd have had a few overpaid free agents that would be coming off the books now from the 09-10 season that would have made us a better (but close to the cap) team.

To summarize - lay off of Snow. He's done a great job as GM. I can highlight plenty of things he has done great and he's had little falter - the Vanek fiasco was literally his only "bad doing" and he was doing his best as GM to make the team better and get us a star winger for Tavares. If Wang wont open his wallet, then Garth has to get creative - which he did.

In Garth I STILL Trust.

I'm still onboard for Garth...the guy has taken so much crap for the past 8 seasons to no avail....

He set a plan in motion - we're waiting for his crop of youth to mature still. Okposo finally came around, JT has been great. Now that Strome, Lee, and Nelson will have full NHL seasons this year, we WILL see a big improvement in this team.

Everyone, including Garth, knows his fault has come at getting a great goaltender, which we now have. Halak will do big things for this team. If we won ONE more game each month this past season, we would have had 91 points - 2 points out of the playoffs. Halak will bring us at least this extra win a month.

Everyone get off Garth's d*ck - its Charles Wang that's the issue. If Garth truly had an open wallet I think we'd have had a few overpaid free agents that would be coming off the books now from the 09-10 season that would have made us a better (but close to the cap) team.

To summarize - lay off of Snow. He's done a great job as GM. I can highlight plenty of things he has done great and he's had little falter - the Vanek fiasco was literally his only "bad doing" and he was doing his best as GM to make the team better and get us a star winger for Tavares. If Wang wont open his wallet, then Garth has to get creative - which he did.

In Garth I STILL Trust.
- kcNYI

Vanek was the first time he's been burned badly in a trade, that's true. Where I blame him is that he utterly failed to address the goaltending and defense at the same time and allowed the team to continue its free fall in November without giving them any help and didn't make a coaching change either. It's not so much his actions but the inaction when the season could have been saved. For that he takes full responsibility and for that I think he should have been fired.

Vanek was the first time he's been burned badly in a trade, that's true. Where I blame him is that he utterly failed to address the goaltending and defense at the same time and allowed the team to continue its free fall in November without giving them any help and didn't make a coaching change either. It's not so much his actions but the inaction when the season could have been saved. For that he takes full responsibility and for that I think he should have been fired.
- Isles_since_6

I agree with your stance on goaltending - I mentioned that in my rant and now he fixed it with Halak.

I will argue defense though - he traded for Wisnewski, Visnovsky, Ehrhoff, tried to sign Paul Martin, tried to sign Hamhuis etc. He has done a tremendous amount to shore up our defense. If Ehrhoff, Martin and Hamhuis all signed, think how great our defense would be...

It not his fault that the players were negligent that if they signed how much better this team would be. So when push came to shove he grabbed some fill-ins and drafted "defense-heavy". Now we have the D prospects coming through that will help turn this team around.

Larry Brooks
‏@NYP_Brooksie
Told that Islanders have been looking into Del Zotto, whose rights will either be dealt today by Nashville or who will not be qualified.

Garth should be fined and disciplined by the NHL or at the very least the Islanders. That type of behavior is unprofessional and shows us for the circus we are
- SnowFrigginWay

Yes, and they should give him a spanking and make him sit in the corner in silence for ten minutes, no, twenty minutes! Both the NHL and the Islanders. Potty-mouthedness should not be tolerated!

Could someone kindly retrieve and post the Larry Brooks hatefest article?

Grath Snow is an embarrassment to not only the Islanders but to himself. As a GM he is as bad as Milbury. I feel so sorry for you Islander fans. Hopefully when you get a new owner you will get a real GM.

Grath Snow is an embarrassment to not only the Islanders but to himself. As a GM he is as bad a Milbury. I feel so sorry for you Islander fans. Hopefully when you get a new owner you will get a real GM.
- mikes1519

Your proofreading skills are an embarrassment.

I agree with your stance on goaltending - I mentioned that in my rant and now he fixed it with Halak.

I will argue defense though - he traded for Wisnewski, Visnovsky, Ehrhoff, tried to sign Paul Martin, tried to sign Hamhuis etc. He has done a tremendous amount to shore up our defense. If Ehrhoff, Martin and Hamhuis all signed, think how great our defense would be...

It not his fault that the players were negligent that if they signed how much better this team would be. So when push came to shove he grabbed some fill-ins and drafted "defense-heavy". Now we have the D prospects coming through that will help turn this team around.
- kcNYI

No you're incorrect here. I'm talking about last season in November - the team was free falling, Strait, Visnovsky were both out of the lineup with long term injuries and the team was rotating in Carkner and Martinek, along with Ness. Along with our goaltending that was floundering, having those three defensemen in the lineup it was obvious to anyone watching that the team was not able to compete at an NHL level with those defensemen in the lineup. At that point, you don't make a trade for a top line winger when you have glaring weaknesses that are costing you games. You make a move and trade for NHL caliber defensemen who can actually stem the bleeding.

You cannot compare previous seasons where he tried to add talent, signing ufa's is great if you can get it done, but in November when the team is losing 5 times as many games as they're winning, you get something done in a deal to save the season. You add a goaltender and a defenseman at a minimum if you expect to be able to compete.

I don't care what he'd done 2-3 years prior, I cared that the team maintained it's previous growth when they made the playoffs in the shortened season, instead we moved major assets to Buffalo for Vanek and then expected to outscore our opposition in a defense first league. That's a major mistake and let the players down along with the fans.

As a GM, you don't sit back and write a season off in November because you're afraid to make a move. You don't sit there and watch the team fall to 29th overall because you couldn't find a 4-5 defenseman to fill in. Martinek, Carkner and Ness all are not capable of playing at the NHL level especially not a regular shift.

That's a massive failure and anyone who doesn't understand that has dark glasses on and a white cane.

We could have made the playoffs if during November we'd addressed the team needs instead of making one deal to bring in Vanek and then leave it as it was. You cannot win in this league without defense and goaltending and watching the team play without that due to Snow's inaction and inability to patch it up was not only disappointing, it was the single most disappointing season for me in particular in the last 20 years because the team had played so well the previous season down the stretch.

The GM's work is not just done at the draft table or the ufa period, you MUST continue to evaluate your team during the course of the season and if the team has come off the rails you don't sit idly by, you address it by making a move.

No coaching change, no defensemen added, no goaltender added. Last season was a massive failure and I place that entirely on Snow. He had the power to change the team's fortunes and instead did absolutely nothing. That's on him, and any other team in the league would have fired the coach or gm after that tailspin.

Could someone kindly retrieve and post the Larry Brooks hatefest article?
- TheSabresTaco

www.google.ca

Grath Snow is an embarrassment to not only the Islanders but to himself. As a GM he is as bad a Milbury. I feel so sorry for you Islander fans. Hopefully when you get a new owner you will get a real GM.
- mikes1519

that's nice.