Anything reasonable this weekend with the Islanders I will have no problem with and blog accordingly.
Very few things will be on my do not list for Garth Snow that would bring a strong negative reaction, but not all of them.
1. Do not trade down with the Toronto Maple Leafs and take Bryan McCabe or Jason Blake contracts in exchange so they have more money to spend on free agents. If
the Leafs want these players off the roster that badly they can give our team it's number one pick (the Isles keep the fifth pick) and take Bates/Hilbert contracts otherwise thanks but no thanks. Otherwise just contact John-Michael Liles or Wade Redden on July 1st while the Leafs sit in cap hell taking the pr hit on Sundin.
2. No looking back at Olli Jokinen, he wanted out in 1999, let the Panthers trade him elsewhere unless it's for low rated picks and prospects. Mr Gandler is talking up a storm this week.
3. Trading the pick for someone who can sign elsewhere within a year (Patrick Marleau)is just a shortsighted poor move for a gm under pressure not to stick to his advertised youth movement. You do not move your first rounder for that, a second round pick is another matter. Enough was moved for Ryan Smyth and the shot was taken, time to play conservative on that front unless the name of Malkin or Ilya Kovalchuk comes up with an Islander contract agreement in advance.
4. Keep these kids (Tambellini, Gervais) unless the return is equal on the prospect front. In other words I want to see the name Jeff Carter from Philadelphia before one of them is included in a deal.
5. Keep these kids unless II (Nielsen, Colliton, Walter) unless you know your addressing a need and there is not a spot for some of them here long-term, even there something that helps and is a young player has to be part of the package.
6. No Blake Wheeler moves taking a player rated far lower with the fifth pick.
7. Don't overpay to trade up for a player you could get at five anyway which is easy for me to write but is much harder to see on the draft floor as things happen quickly. Stick to your depth chart in that case and move on.
8. Keep the first rounder for next year's draft unless a signed Malkin, Kovalchuk is coming back. Nilsson, O'Marra, Nokelainen and last year's first round are gone, a steady influx of first rounder need to be added to the prospect pool in years ahead.