D'Amato In LI Herald Supporting Casino, Not LH

LI Herald: Former Senator, Al D'Amato on Thursday, personally writes a three page article on the merits/benefits of a Shinnecock Nation Casino over the Lighthouse, and includes: " For six years, real estate developer Charles Wang, has been pressuring elected officials from the Town of Hempstead and Nassau County to authorize this $3.7 billion project."

" Six years ago our economy was in much better shape. It might have been possible to finance the project and fill 36 stories of office space. Now, regardless of the developer, it’s impossible. Even though the commercial realty market has been creeping back, the current market would not be able to sustain such a grand endeavor."

NYIFC Comments:
Who does this man think he is kidding?

A week after he is visiting Ed Mangano, and now is writing articles in favor of a Casino, supporting mass transit, and against the LH.

In 2005, he was ripping the LH, calling it " the sixth borough of NYC, " and knocked the sixty story tower, as a "non-sense" plan back then.

Charles Wang and Scott Rechler won an open bidding to develop that land, if Nassau County did not want to award them the bid, they were under no pressure to accept them as developers vs other competing bids.

Nassau County/TOH were/are under pressure to renovate or replace, Nassau County's Coliseum.

Tom Suozzi, was honest enough to make it clear long ago Nassau did not have the resources to renovate or replace the Coliseum, long after Charles Wang bought the team.

I'm no historian on Long Island economy, but even I remember where Nassau was financially during the Tom Gulotta administration with it's bond ratings. During the exact same time, Al D'Amato was lobbying Charles Wang to purchase the New York Islanders.

How nice of the former Senator to throw in the hockey team as something important in this article a few times, but I'm not buying, I suggest no one else does either.

He pulled this exact same act over a decade ago.

Silence is deafening from that TOH impartial judge, Kate Murray.

All seems designed to make Wang-Rechler walk away on their own, so Nassau/TOH are held blameless.

Shinnecock Nation should take a long, hard look at the history of Nassau County/TOH politics, along with Al D'Amato's conduct which Tom Suozzi.com linked to the Newsday article last year regarding the former Senator, and his part in this.

D'Amato whether he knows it or not just made Mangano's job much harder to sell what he is trying to do as credible.

Bottom line:
Whether it be Wang/Suozzi, Shinnecock Nation or someone else, they are financing their own projects.

Nassau, and TOH, cannot afford to pay for anything, a little fact missing far too often in this process.



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Calvin deHaan's First Comments, Mark Wotton Signed, World Championship Exhibition Results

Ottawa Citizen: Don Campbell has Calvin deHaan's, comments upon signing his first professional contract that will be announced on Wednesday, and what's ahead going into 2010-11.

NYIFC Comments:
Ottawa Citizen had the first comments and not Newsday? This is a first rounder, selected 12th overall in the draft.

deHaan received a maximum contract allowed under the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement, with a base salary of $900,000 a season and bonuses of up to $600,000 per season, meaning the contract could be worth $4.5 million.
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USA Wins Exhibition:
Kyle Okposo per twitter page, had two goals in Tuesday's 3-1 exhibition game win against France, and was named first star of game. John Tavares, had an assist, and a penalty in Canada's 4-1 win against host Germany.

Islanders Authorized: Reports Bridgeport Captain, Mark Wotton has been resigned to a one-year AHL contract for 2010-11.

NYIFC Comments:
Good news for Wotton, perhaps not good news for Brendan Witt in terms of staying in Bridgeport?



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Charles Wang vs Other Teams Not Offering Front Loaded Contracts

I was going through the NHL teams that do not offer front-loaded contracts today, and wanted to ask this question because all I read is the usual, no top free agent will sign here mantra.

This begs the question what top free agents have signed anywhere, without that infamous front-loaded contract?

Granted Garth Snow brought some of this on himself, saying a few years ago the arena is one factor that came in in negotiations which many re-interpreted and made much more of.

Marian Hossa, left Pittsburgh, and signed a one year contract for 7.8 million with Detroit, before leaving for Chicago, and his twelve year deal (front-loaded) worth 62.8 million while he was injured.

That is the last time a top player,entering UFA, did not sign a front-loaded deal in this CBA.

What has Garth Snow not offered in contract negotiations like other clubs when the words front-loaded contracts are not part of negotiations? I don't see other teams who have signed top players to contracts unless they were on that team and most of those are front-loaded.

The contract Buffalo matched from Edmonton to retain for Thomas Vanek was heavily front-loaded.

New Jersey signed Patrik Elias to somewhat of a front-loaded deal in 2006 but he still has to play his final three years to make his five million each season. Jamie Langenbrunner's 5-year, $14 million dollar contract is somewhat on par with Trent Hunter's five year, ten million dollar contract.

In July 2007, Dainius Zubrus, signed a 6-year $20.4 million dollar deal with the Devils, which was a terrible signing and heavily criticized at the time.

Sergei Gonchar signed a 5-year, $25 million deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins in Aug 2005 for a club built of UFA that cost gm Craig Patrick his job, which is similar to the contract Snow signed Mark Streit to given today's market vs talent disparity/expectation of each player at time they signed.

Marc Savard: Seven year extension with Boston was heavily front-loaded.

The list of front-loaded contracts and now teams trading for players failing under those contracts (after highest part of salary having already been paid-Scott Gomez/Ryan Smyth), so who is signing top line talents to contracts in this league as UFA where Charles Wang or Garth Snow has failed to do the same?

I just don't see it. Comrie, Guerin, Weight, Sutton, Witt (resigned) Hunter, along with Sillinger (under Neil Smith) all signed here. Before that Hamrlik, Yashin, Peca, Scatchard, Parrish and Aucoin all resigned as RFA.

Even Jason Blake's, 5-Years, $20 million was slightly front-loaded at $5 million, $4.5 million, and $4.5 million before Anaheim took the remainder of his contract in a trade.

As far as this team the last few summers, I have seen a roster set up mostly before July 1st with few available spots.

You want to criticize the general manager or owner for not signing/spending on Alex Tanguay or inviting Max Afinogenov with his eight goals last year to camp, fair enough, but there were questions about both players. You can add letting Satan go unsigned with his nine goals in thirty eight games for Boston to the list if you want.

Add in Doug Weight's re-signing, along with Tim Jackman, those are fair game for not signing a younger UFA with some scoring upside, or even bringing back Jon Sim vs a spot for a signing.

It's a question some will have if Brendan Witt is not brought back to the NHL, as his cap hit sits on the club's books along with Yashin. (maybe DiPietro)

I'm just not seeing where as an owner Charles Wang is failing to pay players when the contracts are not front-loaded.

If that's the case, there are about twenty teams or more in the exact same boat, that simply lose their pending UFA or top players to a front-loaded contract.

If I'm wrong, let me know.




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Tsn Scott Cullen's Sloppy Isles Report/Quick Hits

Updated: Mr Cullen has corrected his report.
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Tsn.ca: Scott Cullen released an Off-Season game plan for the Islanders, misquotes the owner, nor does he post Charles Wang's comments about spending for free agents in the past.

NYIFC Comments:
Just more proof why one person should not be doing thirty team reviews, the depth chart review is well done, but these are mistakes that cannot be made in a review.

Scott Cullen:
Owner Charles Wang has high expectations anticipating a playoff berth next year, telling Newsday, "Everyone in that locker room who we bring back has to be better than they were this year," but there was no mention of management making a commitment to improve the roster to the point that it's reasonable to expect a playoff berth.

Charles Wang did not say that, GM Garth Snow did:

Cullen on payroll issue/spending, not even quoting Wang:
Considering that the Islanders do have room to move under the cap, and the possibility that the Island still isn't the free agent destination of choice for top free agents, the Isles could use some of that financial flexibility to help them acquire a player from a team in a tighter cap situation, but there has to be a willingness to take on salary.

What Charles Wang did say when asked if the Isles were willing to spend the type of money required to reel in a top-shelf player:
"I think we've demonstrated that in the past,'' Wang said, "and we'll continue to look at every opportunity. We went after Ryan Smyth [in 2007] and he got us into the playoffs."
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Nothing to add on 2008 college prospect, Corey Trivino's impending suspension from BU reported by Scott McLaughlin in Daily Free Press.
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In NYIFC business, I have decided to go with a sidebar, and twitter updates, for World Championships, as opposed to individual blog entries. USA plays France today it an exhibition game. Scott Gordon, John Tavares, Kyle Okposo, Jack Hillen, and Frans Nielsen will represent the club in Germany.
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All prospects who have to be signed by 6/1 or 6/15 have been added to sidebar with pending UFA/RFA. I took out full rosters in redesign because you can link to Isles general roster.



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