Denver Post: Terry Frei who's work also appears at Espn and usually never has a kind word for the Islanders today took a shot at gm Garth Snow for trying to rationalize Kyle Okposo's signing with " sophomoric whining " that respected UM coach Don Lucia was impeding Okposo's development in an article on prospects leaving college in season should be stopped with Bill Daly's comments.
Why today?
Undrafted DU sophomore forward Brock Trotter, the Pioneers' leading scorer, signed Thursday with the Montreal Canadiens who immediately left Denver for the Habs AHL team in Hamilton.
Yes folks, that's the same university Islander prospect Rhett Rakhshani returned to after the WJC.
NYI Fan Central Comments:
It should be noted Brock Trotter was undrafted. The Habs signed him after the player made clear he was available. Wade Dubielewicz also went undrafted out of Denver.
Mr Frei should do a little research because the whining from day one came from Don Lucia, who could have kept his opinion to himself for Okposo's sake as the player and his family did but fired the opening shot. Mr Lucia even took a second little dig at the Islanders or Bridgeport/AHL when he he said Okposo would not be playing in front of the 10,000 a night he had at Minnesota with Bridgeport.
Most hockey fans are well aware of Don Lucia's being outspoken of NHL teams who sign his players early from when the Calgary Flames signed Kris Chucko after his sophomore year in 2006 here he outright accused the Flames of trying to get him to leave school in season and later in a Star Tribune article heresaid the Flames are an organization that is not big on college hockey who put Chuko in a difficult situation by contacting him during the season to get him to leave which is not very professional.
Perhaps Mr Frei should write the entire story on Don Lucia if he's going to cheap shot Garth Snow in the Denver Post or the motivation behind his article should be questioned.
I don't blame Garth Snow here one bit because Okposo was being played out of position and there were problems which speak to the coach and his decisions. To be fair this is the first time the Islanders had a problem with someone's development.
Seems like Mr Frei just wanted to get in his usual dig at the Isles. On that front there are other places that are fair game for criticism of the gm given the recent struggles, but not this.
I wonder what Mr Frei would have written this if Brock Trotter reported to the Avalanche affiliate or if he was their prized pick? I did not see the Canadians gm criticized here.
With the Islanders in Minnesota it will be interesting how much more of this we will read with writers associated with the Gophers or the College programs looking at the Isles current record as a reason to question the Okposo signing.