Islanders place Brendan Witt on unconditional waivers
Well, that answers that question.
The guy played through countless injuries, was a key "warrior" in many battles (both on ice and vs. SUVs) when others did not step up. But he had clearly lost a step, as they say, over the last two seasons.
Thoughts? Memories? Tributes? Comments.
over 1 year ago
Dominik
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What’s the difference between waivers and unconditional waivers? Does this mean he is just released if no one picks him up?
Officially applying for the open Color Commentator position!
Unconditional versus regular
Basically, unconditional waivers means you have no intention of retaining the player, and it is the necessary step before buying his contract out.
Regular waivers happens when you hope to hold on to the player but by rule have to expose him to waivers to reassign him (regular waivers) or recall him (re-entry waivers).
Lighthouse Hockey: Adapting forecasts to the disturbance known as Nino.
Missed
He will be missed by me. Obviously he wasn’t in his prime on our team and was aging bad the last 2 seasons, but he was one hell of a shutdown defenseman in his career. Great shot blocker, great highlight reel hitter, agitator, and decent fighter in his day. He was also a funny guy with a good heart and a good defensive leader. He showed how a shutdown defenseman should play the game.
Go isles or Go home.
Annoyed
I guess I have to wait a little to see if there was significance of the timing, but otherwise, just a lousy time to buy him out. Take him off the market for a whole month, and any small bites he might have gotten have more than likely been fed. It’s getting a little petty right now.
I cannot wait for Rakh-tober.
I wondered about that, but I’m not sure that’s how to read it. They’ve always liked him and seemed to want to do right by him, so my guess would be there would’ve been open dialog with him about what they wanted to do with him, what he wanted to do, if there were any interested parties. Since the market is slow for bottom-run defensemen (so many guys are unsigned), I doubt waiting until now removed any serious bidders.
I’d love to know whether another year in the A was even an option (from their perspective and from his). It’s possible neither wanted that.
Lighthouse Hockey: Adapting forecasts to the disturbance known as Nino.
Eric Hornick got back to me, telling me that there is a 48 hour buyout period after arbitration. I believe this might have been covered some time ago in other threads, so it’s seems a little more sensible, but I think it could have been done after the season ended anyway. It feels a lot like “we’ll keep you until we’ve got our extra defensemen we need,” which is shameful. I guess given the nature of recent movements I’m just down on the org, and hope i’m wrong. And yes, to the captain obvious who’ll point it out, OMG I’M OVERREACTING! …yup.
I cannot wait for Rakh-tober.
His role just seemed so clearly not in the cards — like I don’t think he was ever a possibility to make the club, even if they hadn’t signed Jurcina and Eaton — that I doubt it was even a “we’ll keep you just in case” scenario.
This org just seemed to have a soft spot for him (understandably so), extended his deal before he even became a UFA, waited longer than they should have before demoting him … I just tend to guess they’d be up front with him through what is an awkward time.
Lighthouse Hockey: Adapting forecasts to the disturbance known as Nino.
tough as nails hell of a guy
Fan friendly. And was a stand up guy during his tenure here. Hopefully this either means someone picks him up. Or that we buy him out and he gets a chance to hook up with some other team . Good luck to him
by lostsin44 on Jul 30, 2010 2:20 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Tough indeed
I know he was never a fit for Gordon’s style, but I’ll always wonder if that knee injury against Dallas (and rushed return) early in Gordon’s first season was what derailed him. Seems he’d never admit being hurt — probably to his own detriment — but I don’t think the Witt we saw the last two years would fit on any NHL team.
Lighthouse Hockey: Adapting forecasts to the disturbance known as Nino.
The price for playing solid D
The blocked shots finally caught up with him. That is a shame. As far as his time with the Isles, he should be fondly remembered. He was a solid D-man that anyone would have been proud to have on their team.
I will never forget the penalty that Crosby pulled from him in 2007. I remember him COVERING Crosby like a glove. Finally the ref (forgot which ref) gave Witt a penalty for “playing him too rough.” That will always be one of my favorite calls. Witt should have pulled a Billy Smith and flopped next to Crosby the next time he was cross checked by him…but that is not Witt’s style.
Keep wrecking vehicles Witt. We’ll always have fond memories of you.
I saw a roller rink in Hawaii next to the beach...I have to move there now.
by metalcoconut on Jul 30, 2010 4:27 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
*applause*
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Jul 30, 2010 5:09 PM EDT up reply actions
Brenden Witt was the definition of a defensive defense man – Unfortunately in the modern NHL if a D-Man cannot score I think his days are numbered. High energy, High fan value, High motivator aside Witt was always a stay at home blueliner. Not that it makes him a bad player; just that it makes him an ineffective player for this team.
by IslesFanForLife on Jul 30, 2010 5:00 PM EDT reply actions
Jurcina
Why would we sign jurcina if we wanted offense from all of our d-men? He adds size, isn’t very physical, and put up less then 15pts in both of his 2 full seasons with the capitals, one of the best offensive teams in the nhl. Not productive at all offensively.
But I agree with everything else. Witt was something very special in his day. I’m sure he’ll be signed elsewhere and have a starting job on some team that wants a leader as a bottom 2 defenseman.
Go isles or Go home.
I’m sure he’ll be signed elsewhere and have a starting job on some team that wants a leader as a bottom 2 defenseman.
I would bet good money against this. Unless he found a miracle cure for what ails him, any team that watched him last year — getting the softest minutes possible but still not getting it done — couldn’t be too impressed.
Lighthouse Hockey: Adapting forecasts to the disturbance known as Nino.
Botta brought up a great point
On his IPB post he kinda mentioned it in passing that the buyout counts towards the cap. Is it safe to assume now that the isles have completely given up on free agency? I really wasn’t expecting to get stepniak but with all of these cap strapped teams I was really hoping for an effort to trade for a scoring winger. Given the amount of teams in cap trouble it could have easily been done without giving up any players important to this teams future.
I hate to get off topic I did enjoy witts time here and I’m sorry it didn’t work out for him but it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth when Garth says he plans on going to the playoffs yet now over 25% of our team salary is going towards 3 players who won’t even play this year.
by RobsMustard on Jul 30, 2010 5:54 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
I wouldn't rule out a trade, as we will be just hitting the floor...
but I think they are 100% done with FA, aside from maybe a goalie late, that doesn’t have a job and can be signed cheap for insurance.
Well...this is embarassing
Haha i tend to stray away from being panic mode islander fan and sure enough just hour after i panic, snow makes a great trade and makes me look like an idiot…party on garth
by RobsMustard on Jul 30, 2010 10:39 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Thoughts? Memories? Tributes? Comments.
Thoughts and Memories:
Love Brendan.
Understand why he isnt playing, love him anyway.
Most of my friends do not care about hockey- even guys lol. One of my friends is randomly invited last minute to go to an Isles/Rangers game at MSG (she lives in Manhattan) and had amazing seats. Knowing nothing about the teams other than the fact that her buddy TMC loves these Islanders people skating around, I am amused by the text messages Im getting from her- how the teams really dont seem to like each other, how the fans are screaming things, it was hysterical. The funniest ones were her asking me about #32. How old is he? Is he married? He is so hot! Can you get us in to meet them? LMAO… I had to explain to her that although he is the perfect age for her he is happily married, he is indeed smokin hot, and no the Islanders are not like metal bands, so I have no “in” to meet any of them lol!
Finally, comments:
Buying Brendan out is not necessarily any kind of an insult, it could be a sign of respect. This could be exactly what he wants instead of playing in Bridgeport next season.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
Defense!! DEFENSE!!
Has anyone signed Andy Sutton yet?
I know he has his ups and downs, but it wouldn’t hurt…especially with his size!
Get out of the sticks, Charles, move to Queens!! Come, Get some respect a Professional team deserves!!
Seems like a bit of a waste, I figured they were going to keep him around and pay him 3 million to at least play this year for the AHL instead of spreading out his cap hit over two years.
But I guess buying him out puts 1.5 against the cap as compared to the 3 million for this year not being against the cap in BP.
Wheel of Location, Turn Turn Turn. Tell us the location that we will play.
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
Well we just traded for James Wisniewski
So that made Witt even more useless. Love the trade though as now our first six d look like Streit, Hillen, Mac, Eaton, James, and Martinek. Not to shabby and I think this will be even more important as Harmonic and De Haan have more time to develop.
I am SO perfectly fine with this trade!
Very good, very good!
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Jul 30, 2010 9:05 PM EDT up reply actions
Awesome
Exactly what the doctor ordered. A solid playing PHYSICAL defenseman that can produce well offensively. Exactly what we needed. I wanted to shoot myself seeing jurcina as a top 6 starting in october, this is like a present from God, lol. Solid 2 way player, and definitely a top 6 guy.
Go isles or Go home.
Was a big fan
Was a big fan of Witt until his interview after scoring two goals. His answers to every question was curt and infantile. The poor interviewer didn’t know what to think. Here it was the Islanders win a game, he scores two goals and is the 1st star of the game and he answers every question as a jackass. That was the beginning of the end for him.
The Interviewer is a complete frickin doof.
And the questions he asked him were very stupid.
Just thought Id add that in.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Jul 31, 2010 10:43 AM EDT up reply actions
TMC is right on this one. I would just like to add that the reporter was going to selfless team player who know nothing of the spotlight for post game purposes. He was in what could have been the most strangest situation he could ever possibly dream of in that not only did he score 2 goals, was elected first star and won the game for the Isles but he was the focus of attention for a game that the Isles should have probably lost.
Personally I feel that the reporter should have given him his credit and moved on. Not everyone is used to having cameras in their face after a game and they all can’t be as polished as Crosby or Moulson (I had to throw that in there). Plus the reporter should have seen that he was pretty uncomfortable in front of the camera and picked up the slack. That is what reporters are paid to do. That reporter seemed like he was trying to pull a rabbit out of a hat and he surely didn’t read his subject very well.
I saw a roller rink in Hawaii next to the beach...I have to move there now.
by metalcoconut on Jul 31, 2010 1:26 PM EDT up reply actions
What this brings to mind really is the dwindling relics of the final pre lockout generation of dirtbag do-anything type of players who kind of signify the 90s to me, players that were typified by like the Corsons and Witters who even before age innevitably caught up with them struggled a little bit to forge an identity in the new NHL where players are slotted more into specific roles, and the all heart guy kind if fell by the wayside.
Claude LaPointe didn't make as good a pun, sadly.
by LaChance at Glory on Jul 31, 2010 2:53 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
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