Islanders News: Let’s go Eberle {clap, clap, clap-clap-clap}

Tonight is the first round of the NHL Draft, so not very much time to bask in the glow of shiny new Islanders acquisition Jordan Eberle.

Except that the Islanders don’t have a first-round pick to use tonight...

...except that history has shown such a situation means little, as Garth Snow typically has a way and desire to get back into the action in the first round. Maybe defenseman Travis Hamonic is the bait to do that (more on that later), maybe not.

Islanders News

• So yeah, anyway, Ryan Strome was traded for Jordan Eberle straight up. A “stud winger for Tavares and please re-sign here” move for the Islanders. A salary dump for the Oilers, who signed Eberle to a $6 million annual cap hit way back. [Newsday | LHH | Times | NHL.com fantasy spin | Post | Soundin’ Off | SB Nation]
• Eberle is excited, knows the franchise history, knows the franchise player, and Garth Snow likes “big goals in big games.” [Isles]
• Here’s Eberle’s full call with media. Then amuse yourself with the next video on that MSG page being “Capuano on Game 7 loss to Washington.” #hockeyliveshere [MSG]
• Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli likes that Strome is cerebral, can play wing or center, and is cheaper. [NHL]
• TSN Statistically Speaking verdict: The Isles win the deal, at a cost, and Eberle is a good candidate to rebound from an off season (that was still pretty good). [TSN]
• The Isles got better, the Oilers got cheaper. Such is the cap world. [Puck Daddy]
• In case you’re unaware, here’s a fairly thorough history of how the Oilers loved, then scapegoated, then shopped, and finally prepared fans to expect a lesser return for Eberle. [Edmonton Journal]
• Strome is taking the news well. He talked on Sirius XM after realizing he’d been traded when his phone blew up while in flight. [SoundCloud]
• The trade could be good for him as well. [TSN audio]
• Cal Clutterbuck on Boomer & Carton to discuss Barclays ice and “the troublesome commute.” And Brett Yormark too, though that was more about arena promotion [CBS NY]
• Oh, also! The Islanders and the rest of the league released next season’s schedule. Dan has your Isles schedule and highlights here. [LHH]

Trade Winds

Oilers fans by and large took the Eberle-Strome trade less well:

“Peter Chiarelli is bad at his job and I so wish I tried harder to illustrate that yesterday when he was snubbed for the GM of the Year in favor of an actually good one.” [Copper & Blue]

The reason for their anger? It seems the Oilers made the trade now to free up cap to re-sign Kris Russell for four years, $4 million per.

Travis Hamonic came out of his trip to Las Vegas with a well-deserved award, a good time with his love, and still able to call himself an Islander...

...But will that last part remain true for long? There’s rumors. Rumors the Isles are listening to offers but demanding big things:

Meanwhile, elsewhere

BREAKING NEWS late last night: The Coyotes have lost longtime NHL coach Dave Tippett, who was no fan of how they parted with Mike Smith and Shane Doan. [FFH]

Former Isles head coach Jack Capuano is headed...not to Buffalo but to Florida?

• There was another trade yesterday, smaller. The Canadiens acquired underrated (former Sharks) defenseman David Schlemko from the Sharks Knights. [HEOTP]
• Meanwhile, Alex Radulov is playing contract chicken with the Habs. [Puck Daddy]
• Goerge McPhee didn’t exactly create a great team with the expansion draft, but he stuck to his plan to “harvest assets” by making sure other teams couldn’t protect their favorites without dealing with him first. [TSN]
• The Predators would not give the ransom money to McPhee, and thus they lost James Neal. [Puck Daddy]
• The Wild protected their defensemen in the expansion draft, but with some forward RFAs (Hi Nino and your tool agent) to fit in they might now deal one. [Star-Trib]
• Pretty great and in-accent read from Vladimir Tarasenko, growing up in Russia and coming to his own in St. Louis. [Players Tribune]

Check back later for draft (and trade?) coverage. You know you can’t look away.