MEDIA PRAISE? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

CAUTION: I didn’t get much sleep last night and I woke up with a burr in my saddle. The following is a direct result…..

Forwards:
Richard Park
Andy Hilbert
Bill Guerin
Jeff Tambellini
Jon Sim
Shawn Bates
Mike Sillinger
Ruslan Fedotenko
Miroslav Satan
Mike Comrie

Defensemen:
Bruno Gervais
Chris Campoli
Radek Martinek
Brendan Witt
Freddy Meyer
Marc-Andre Bergeron

Goalies:
Wade Dubielewicz
Rick DiPietro

Take a good look at that list. This is the current roster of the New York Islanders. This is the roster that they will put on the ice in the toughest division in the east next season. This is the same roster that was highly touted recently in newspapers around the nation. The press release spewed praise all over GM Garth Snow for his great job in replacing all of his UFA’s who left in the first days of July. Take another look at that list. Does that look to you like the kind of roster that will even come close to competing in the toughest division in the east? To put things in perspective, let’s look at who left and who the replacements were.


Jason Blake 40 29 69 - Replaced by Jon Sim 17 12 29
Ryan Smyth 36 32 68 - Replaced by Ruslan Fedotenko 12 20 32
Viktor Kozlov 25 26 51 - Replaced by Mike Comrie 20 25 45
Alexei Yashin 18 32 50 - Replaced by Bill Guerin 36 20 56
Tom Poti 6 38 44 - Replaced by ???
Sean Hill 1 24 25 - Replaced by ???

So now you see why I question that press release and the praise of Garth Snow. I’m not even mentioning that Zednik and Asham could also be departing before the start of next season. Take another look at that first list. Now don’t you think that the players that left were key in bringing the Islanders to the playoffs last year? Does the current roster strike you as a playoff caliber team? I sympathize with the fans of the Islanders. This once proud franchise that was a dynasty in the 80’s has deteriorated into a club that is only a step better than some AHL teams. The fans deserve better than this. The press should be questioning not praising Snow. The only thing this roster will achieve is a good chance at a #1 overall draft pick next year. Maybe that is just what this team needs, a payoff at the end of what could very well be a dismal season. I’m just not so sure the fans are looking forward to that or having to wear paper bags over their heads when they don their jerseys in public. Now that I have spread some sunshine, I feel much better. My work here is done.