Islanders News: "They paid dearly for the opportunity to screw it up their own way - and they will"

Welcome to Free Agency Frenzy 2016. If you have a bunker or fall out shelter within driving distance, I recommend locking yourself in it before noon. That's when the salvos begin.

I'll step on my soapbox for two seconds just to say this:

• Today, like the draft, isn't the end of a team building period. There is no end. Things will shift for sure, but it just means Garth Snow and his 29 colleagues will have to adjust.
• Whether you like the deals or hate them, be respectful towards others in the comments. And remember we all want the same thing: a winning club.

In the meantime...

Islanders links

• Andrew Ladd woke up this morning on Long Island and might sign with the Islanders today. Meanwhile, Frans Nielsen is "uncomfortable" with the free agency process and waiting to see what happens. [Newsday | LHH on Ladd]
• No, the Islanders shouldn't look at free agent Mikkel Boedker. But here he is in The Post anyway.
• The Point Blank Podcast talks about Ladd and other free agent targets.
• Newsday runs down some other signing options.
  
• Lost in all of this is that today is the first official day of the Ledecky/Malkin era of Islanders ownership. Charles Wang reflects on his 16 years as owner, praises Garth Snow and the team's progress and laments Nassau's shortsightedness in Newsday. Also in Newsday, Randi Marshall writes about the hope and the reality of the Wang regime. We've written so much about Wang over the years, it's hard to formulate a response right now. Maybe later this summer.
  
• Real nice work by Ken Campbell of The Hockey News on this story about Kyle Okposo, his Nigerian heritage and growing up into one of this season's most sought-after free agents.

More prospect stuff

Camp ends today for the Baby Islanders, so they took the time to soak in the experience and talk about the future.

• Video and pics from Wednesday's scrimmage. [Islanders]
• Mathew Barzal will be ready for camp, where he knows he'll need to earn his job. [NHL.com. Man, this kid says all the right things]
  
• Kieffer Bellows on the pros and cons of growing up the son of an NHLer. [NHL.com]
• Newsminer.com - The Voice of Interior Alaska - trumpets the five locals who attended Islanders camp.
• Ho-Sang's hair is amazing.
  

  Josh Ho-Sang had some down time at #Isles Mini Camp today...
  
  Safe to say he made some new friends at @NHIceCenter! pic.twitter.com/dqOCxtevHK

  — New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) June 30, 2016

  
  
  

Other links you won't read

• A ton of dudes were put on waivers yesterday for buyout purposes including Dennis Seidenberg, Matt Carle and James Wisniewski. [AP]
• Being a free agent is incredibly stressful, and could land you in the hospital. [SI.com]
• Torey Krug will stay in Boston for four more years. [SCOC]
• The P.K. Subban aftershocks continue, and signal a troubling direction for Les Canadiens. [EOTP]
• The Taylor Hall aftershocks continue, and signal yet another troubling direction for Oilers fans. [C&B]
• Elliotte Friedman's final super-sized 30 Thoughts covers Hall, Subban and a ton of other topics.
• In general, things are really bad in Canada thanks to good old fashioned bad management. [Globe n' Mail]
• Dustin Brown is taking this whole, "no longer the captain of the Kings" thing pretty hard. [Mayors Manor]
• Well played, Beau Bennett. [Twitter]