Splinters: Fan therapy through humor
by Dominik on Jan 12, 2009 4:01 PM EST
in Bits o' Islanders News
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PrintBasket of good cheer and links from around the Island before Islanders v. Rangers: Episode IV, tomorrow ...
- First, B.D. Gallof mulls what's eating Brendan Witt. Right on; I subscribe to this line of thought -- and I think Witt may fetch more in a deal than our UFAs.
- Not Your Average Ice Girl goes all anthropologist on the female hockey fan. I've definitely seen the Puck Bunnies in the flesh (no, not that much flesh), but I agree they are rare. Regardless, the advent of "Femfans" is to be encouraged. As long as they register at the front desk. (Kidding!)
- OnTheNYIslesScene passes along the story of the visiting Arkansas boy who went to an Isles game, came home with a #81 shirt -- and got sent home from school. (Note: remarkably, "Satan" means just what you think it means in both Slovak and Czech.)
- 7th Woman was among several bloggers and fans to hit practice over the weekend. She confesses to getting her towering Islanders confused.
- With Frans Nielsen nearing a return, NYI Fan Central is excited to get to see the Islanders youth on parade.
- Official's Outlook took in a Sound Tigers game -- they beat the Wolfpack, baby! -- and saw training camp story Brandon Sugden play.
- Still Drivin' reflects on one of his greatest days as a sports fan. I bet you get the moment in under three guesses. (Spoiling hint: It might involve Tonelli, Nystrom and chaos).
- Finally, though it stunk, but something amusing came from Jason Strudwick helping the Oilers beat the Isles last week.
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Speaking of Witt
I’ve identified him as a potential candidate for teams looking to solidify their blueline at the trading deadline. What kind of return would you be looking for in return for him?
I am Jack's unbridled optimism.
The understanding is that Snow is seeking high picks.
Gallof in that link above noted that Adam Foote fetched a first-round pick from Colorado last year. Chris Botta (Islanders Point Blank) has cited Craig Rivet fetching two 2nd-rounders from Buffalo over the summer. I’m sure Snow would be asking for something similar, or else a near-ready prospect with scoring punch.
Con: Not fitting into the system, Witt’s defensive numbers will not look good this year. Plus, he had a knee injury that kept him out a few weeks earlier in this season.
Pro: He’s supposedly healthy and is signed for two more years at $3 million, so he’s more than just a rental. He’s got the warrior mentality that’s perfect for a team that plans to go far in the playoffs. He really leaves every part of his body out there.
Lighthouse Hockey: an SB Nation New York Islanders blog with hip issues.
You mention his injuries
this season. With the combination of the injuries and the obvious need for change of scenery, do you think that might hurt his value on the trade market a bit? Say, instead of a first rounder (which was way, WAY too much for Foote. That was a desperation move to bring a beloved player home), maybe a second and a mid-level prospect?
Also, this is a really good year to be looking to load up on picks. With the depth of this draft, multiple picks in the Top 50 can have a major impact in about 2-3 years.
Thanks for the lowdown.
I am Jack's unbridled optimism.
by A.J. Haefele on Jan 13, 2009 5:12 PM EST up reply actions
No problem!
Your deal sounds fair. And yes, I think the injuries should downgrade Witt’s trade value — one could still argue that he hasn’t recovered from the injury (as I did before he shared his feelings) rather than that Gordon’s system doesn’t fit him.
I agree, Colorado was crazy to give that up for Foote. In this environment, first-rounders are just too precious. The draft is still largely a crapshoot, but the long-term cost of wasting your high picks on rentals is too great unless you’re getting one heckuva an asset in return.
I try to understand it, and I end up theorizing that GMs who spend high picks are behaving like CEOs who get share-price-dependent compensations and bonuses: they act for the short-term to boost their own stock/chances of survival, out of fear that long-term thinking will only mean they won’t be around to reap the rewards of their strategy.
Lighthouse Hockey: an SB Nation New York Islanders blog with hip issues.
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1979-80
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May 24, 1980: Tonelli to Nystrom. At long last, the steady build of the New York Islanders from expansion doormat to surprise semifinalist to annual contender reaches the promised land: Buoyed by a late season trade for Butch Goring that gave the team the depth up the middle GM Bill Torrey had been seeking, the Islanders knock off the Philadelphia Flyers in six games.
The victory justified the faith in coach Al Arbour who guided them from their second season to their first Stanley Cup seven seasons later. The Islanders would not be the first expansion team to win the Stanley Cup, but they would be the only one capable of a dynasty.
1980-81
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May 21, 1981: This time it was much easier. After falling to "only" 91 points in the 1979-80 season, the Islanders returned to their division title tradition, piling up 110 points -- a whole 13 points over second-place Philadelphia.
Between the quarterfinals (where they beat the upstart Oilers in six games) and the finals, the Islanders reeled off eight consecutive wins -- with a four-game sweep of archrival Rangers in between. As they defeated the Minnesota North Stars in five games for their second Cup, their goal difference in the final was a combined +10.
1981-82
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May 16, 1982: Another year, another landslide title. The Islanders won the Patrick Division by a whopping 26 points over the second-place Rangers, and were seven points clear of their nearest competition for the President's Trophy, the still-not-quite-ripe Edmonton Oilers.
A first-round scare against the Pittsburgh Penguins turned in the Isles' favor thanks to John Tonelli's heroics, and a true dynasty was on its way: Past the Rangers in six games, then an eight-game sweep of the Quebec Nordiques and Vancouver Canucks to run away with the Stanley Cup.
1982-83
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May 17, 1983: Not so fast, whipper-snappers. The Edmonton Oilers' steadily rising challenge for league supremacy took them all the way to the finals for the first time, where the New York Islanders summarily dispatched them in a four-game sweep. For the Islanders, the Dynasty was secured. For the Oilers, it was a powerful lesson in where talent ends and the demands of playoff hockey begin.
Four years, four Cups, 16 consecutive playoff series wins (a record that would grow to 19 until the rematch with the Oilers the following year). Mike Bossy scored 60 goals yet again, and Wayne Gretzky became acquainted with Billy Smith's crease.
