If Reports Are True, Garth Snow Is About To Fleece A Yet-To-Exist Team
Last night was a ride for those of us that take part in the never ending saga that is #IslesTwitter. The bombshell of a report stating Garth Snow has a deal in place with Vegas to send this year’s 15th overall pick along with Forward Nikolay Kulemin in this year’s expansion draft was met with tremendous praise before the man who reported it, the Godfather of IslesTwitter Arthur Staple, immediately discounted his own report, with more details to come.
LOL, no problem Art. This isn’t a fragile fanbase that was literally tracking flights last trade deadline in hopes that Matt Duchene was on his way to becoming an Islander or anything.
With Isles fans fearing the worst, what was mass celebration quickly turned into mass hysteria, only to have Kulemin’s name redacted from the report, with the deal now believed to be the Isles’ 1st round pick, “a large contract” and a non-existent Mikhail Grabovski most likely being sent Vegas’ way come Wednesday’s expansion draft.
So good news, turned possibly terrible news, turned to what seems to be amazing news. Not like IslesTwitter to overreact in situations like this, eh?
As far as the alleged deal goes, I’ve been pretty vocal about how clear it is that NO ONE in hockey, outside of George McPhee, knows exactly how tomorrow night will play out, but with Staple being as close to an end all be all when it comes to Isles news, this fleecing of a deal seems to be as legit you can get without slapping a #confirmed on the end of it.
If Garth is able to move major money [Grabo alone is a $5M cap hit] off the books while simultaneously hanging on to unprotected players like Nelson, Strome, and de Haan, there’s no doubt that he’ll have played the expansion draft game and won. Clearing big money for the, what seems like, inevitable move to get one, if not two, top-6 forwards, as well as JT’s looming contract extension will have the Isles sitting pretty heading into what seems to be a hectic summer for New York’s punching bag of a franchise.
As for the 1st overall pick – with the Isles supposedly in win-now mode, a middle of the road 1st round pick in a draft thats been described to be on the weaker side is something we all should have no problem parting ways with. Barzal is set to join JHS and Beau as the team’s youngin’s next year, and with Dal Colle holding down the fort in Bridgeport, I’d say the team isn’t in dire need for more prospects. Use the pick to clear cap space, use the cap space to get some proven talent in the top-6. Bang bang, Garth Gang.
With a good chunk of change expected to be off the books within the next 36 hours, and Dreger saying stuff like this on TSN airwaves..
..I’d say the next couple of days are going to be either real exciting or a total let down, otherwise known as everyday life on #IslesTwitter.
Hold on to your butts,,, folks.