Isles made right call not to overpay Smyth

New York Islander Fan Central | 5/12/2008 07:14:00 AM | | |
Rocky Mountain News: Rick Sadowski wraps up Colorado's season with former Islander Ryan Smyth's comments on a fourteen goal season in fifty five games with two goals and three assists in eight playoff games for the first season of his five-year, $31.25 million contract last summer as a free agent.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Going back to last summer I was glad the Isles did not do whatever it took financially to sign him, he's not a seven million dollar player and to give him a Yashin-like contract would have only hurt the franchise. Ryan Smyth at his best is a good player, a lot like Peca with good offensive skills but this is not a franchise offensive star with great offensive speed or skilks. He brings good intangibles and character but if you are looking for an offensive talent to carry your offense Smyth is not that player with a great shot or great speed/passing skills.

Kevin Lowe got a lot of abuse for not resigning him but he's still a smart enough gm to know when a players best is behind him. He saw it before everyone with Janne Niinimaa and a few others, that surface in Edmonton also helps players games so when they change teams it's a factor.

You can bet on this roster as the first line left wing even if Comrie and Guerin were signed to play next to him those numbers would likely have been even lower.

Maybe next season he returns and does a great job and proves me wrong, but if he cannot stay healthy and produce big numbers with a Sakic and the great offensive talent on the roster (not to include Forsberg as a rental) why would anything think things will get better unless the support talent can find the time and space to get him the puck.

Sure we can debate whether he would have signed here for significantly more money than another club offered and by his agents comments the Isles were in it until the end but what's done is done.

Hard to see the 2007-08 Islanders doing any better on the ice with Ryan Smyth given his performance in Colorado.