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[Gameday Bits] Unleash the Vanek! Plus Other, Non-Vanek News.

Time for the Islanders to take their new horse to the track.

By Dan Saraceni

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Looking good, Louis. Feeling good, Billy Ray.
Looking good, Louis. Feeling good, Billy Ray.
Rob Carr

Still a few hours before Thomas Vanek's first game as a New York Islander, each moment of which will absolutely define his entire tenure with the team for the rest of our lifetimes. In the meantime, why don't you read these links?

Last night's NHL scores. The Rangers lost their home opener at the Garden 2-0 to Montreal and will probably have a long, uncomfortable and dreadful ride to Long Island today. You know, just like everybody else does.

NEW! FIG picks for tonight's game can be addressed here. If you're going Vanek, better get in now.

Vanek For Strength

If any of these were posted yesterday by Dom or in the comments, I apologize. There's a Library of Alexandria's worth of words out there about the trade.

  • Matt Moulson scored twice last night in his Sabres debut, a 4-3 loss to Dallas. Good for him. [SB Nation]
  • Arthur Staple reports on the message Moulson's trade sends to the Islanders locker room. That message: "win games now." [New$day]
  • But the Islanders are excited to a new Austrian to their ranks. [New$day again]
  • Elliotte Friedman on Garth's gamble. [HNIC]
  • And Pro Hockey Talk on his possible thought process. [PHT]
  • NHL.com's Dan Rosen says it's a win now for the Sabres and a win maybe for the Islanders. [NHL.com]
  • CBS' Jeff Capellini on the Islanders, finally, being in a position to put their foot on the gas. [CBS]
  • Butbutbut...what about all that Minnesota stuff? Wild beatwriter Michael Russo's got you covered, in a very down-to-Earth piece about trades in general. [Star Tribune]
  • AUDIO: Chris Botta was on Hockey Central at Noon talking about the Islanders probably. I have no idea. [Sportsnet]
  • MORE AUDIO: Vanek's agent Stephen Bartlett talks about his commission the trade of his client. Fun fact: He's Doug Weight's agent, too. [XMNHL]
  • Whenever a trade goes down in the NHL, Scott Cullen of TSN comes correct with the numbers and analysis. [TSN]
  • The Hockey News Double Feature: Adam Proteau tells us what we already knew: Moulson is legit...[THN]
  • ...And Ken Campbell brings some interesting background information to the table regarding Snow, Vanek, Ryan Smyth, Doug Weight and getting UFA's to sign on the dotted line. [THN]
  • Eric Duhatschek on Snow's belief in the Islanders' potential [Globe n' Mail]
  • Backhand Shelf's Dave Lozo isn't a fan of the trade and feels it was money driven. [BHS]
  • Greg Wyshynski wonders if Snow can sell Vanek on Long Island the way he did Lubomir Visnovsky and Evgeni Nabokov. [Puck Daddy]
  • Puck Buddies' Vinny Piccolo loves the move and feels it signifies a new day for the franchise. [Puck Buddies]
  • Blogger Michael Leboff has a personal reflection on the trade's timeline and how it shapes the Islanders' immediate future. [Next Impulse]
  • And for your fantasy hockey concerns, Rotoworld's James O'Brien (aka @cyclelikesedins on Twitter) looks at the impact of the IRL swap on your team. Remember, if there's money on it, it's called a "pool." [Rotoworld]

    Wait? Other stuff is going on, too?

    Yup.

    • Some old guy named Bobby Orr has a book out. He talks to Wyshynski about the NHL today and whether or not he could play in it. [PD]
    • Matt Duchene drives the Avalanche team bus over former coach Joe Sacco. But he's also in a better place this season after seeing a sports psychologist. [Denver Post]
    • Ottawa's resident rumor monger and ketchup chips expert Bruce Garrioch looks at the Anaheim Ducks and the 145 goalies they need to trade yesterday. Anybody know a team that can use a new netminder? Didn't think so. [Ottawa Sun]
    • Speaking of the Senators, this thoughtful article from Silver Seven examines the team's never-ending attendance problems. I thought only Sun Belt teams and downtrodden expansion markets had those. [SSS]
    • Checking in with El Cubano Grande Al Montoya, and why he's both the answer and not the answer to the Winnipeg Jets goaltending issues. [Artctic Ice Hockey]
    • BREAKING NEWS: NHL Network sucks. [Puck Sage]

    Hey, just because a man is big, doesn't mean he shouldn't take good care of his feet. Griffin Reinhart is attacking this pedicure with some real veteran poise.

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