Simply put all players get injured sooner or later in this league. Crosby, Ovechkin, you can add virtually every player to that list.
The problem is injuries are beyond the control of the player, team and the fans so all you get is a lot of frustration from everyone when a club struggles on the ice without it's best players.
Back on 10/3 I blogged on this club still be stuck in 2007-08 when they led the league in injuries, same thing still applies with some of the names changing but the same problem still effecting everything. This team was not close to full strength in camp, during preseason and obviously not now.
Garth Snow knew what the career records of his defenders were when he settled on this group when it came time to offer them contracts. On the other side of this how do you not lock up a Brendan Witt for three years with a contract that was good for both sides? Same with a Radek Martinek.
Last year Aaron Johnson came here with his sixty games in Columbus and got injured practicing. Players like Berard are always a question of when and he did a great job staying healthy in the second half last year.
You give Campoli a three year contract, you have to follow a similar template for Bruno Gervais. Andy Sutton was signed at his market value or below considering what other defenders were paid. Freddy Meyer has been worth every penny of his contract and more given how he has played in the last year when he finally got healthy.
So what's the answer? Garth Snow is not going to find free agents that are a hundred percent durable. I'm not going to hit this very hard but the way the Coliseum ice is maintained the last few years it has seemed to contribute to injuries with the ice seemingly never good anymore.
So now we look at the trade market and there is Marian Gaborik with all his injuries who at this time would cost Garth Snow his first overall pick and likely Kyle Okposo along with close to a hundred million dollars to sign him.
Cannot be done, even if such a deal is made later on and does not include Okposo or the pick you look at the frequency of his injuries and his age and it's a
non-starter for that kind of money.
For now the New York Islanders and the fans will have to make due with what they have here and in Bridgeport who have also had a ton of injuries unless a peripheral move is made. I'm not sure if anyone has noticed but Scott Gordon's high speed practices has not led to any more injuries as they did in Moncton or he has changed things somewhat to keep his veterans healthy?
At some point by the new year I expect we will see most of the injured players back or close to returning, my guess is by that point it will be too late.
Sooner than later I suspect Garth Snow will start moving in some prospects or make a decision about Blake Comeau.
Seems 07-08 never ended with the injuries. This group may even miss more man games by the time this season is over if Weight, Comrie live up to their career track records. Guerin obviously played hurt a year ago.
Everyone better keep their fingers crossed on Streit, Hunter and Okposo who has never played eighty two games in one year.
Only difference from a year ago is the Islanders will have a reasonable amount of time off between games in the second half of the season but they are playing more hockey now unlike a year ago.