Hot Tuesday update

Newsday: Katie Strang has an interview with Kyle Okposo and Garth Snow's comments about the young prospect.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
No doubt both were interviewed during last weeks business club event when Snow and Okposo were together.

Islanders website: Reviewed the picks the club will have in the upcoming draft.

1st Round: #5
2nd Round: #36, #53 (Ana to Edm to NYI)
3rd Round: #66, #73 (Edm to NYI to Edm to Ana to NYI)
4th Round: #96
5th Round: #126, #148 (Phi to NYI)
6th Round: #156, #175 (Min to NYI)

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Phoenix was awarded the 35th pick as compensation for losing the rights to Blake Wheeler recently so the Isles move back a selection. There may be more picks added as compensation so that could change again before June 20th.

Sudbury Star: Harold Carmichael reports Islander coach Al Arbour has been nominated for Joe Drago coach of the year award at the 40th Annual House of Kin Sports Celebrity Dinner and Awards Wednesday night.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Unless Al Arbour is being nominated for his win against Pittsburgh this season it seems late in the day for him only to be nominated now for his accomplishments, but impossible to know how this work.

J.D News, Jacksonville NC: Gregory Bond has former Islander Ed Westphal's comments about NHL salary and the struggle for some clubs to keep up.

SI: Darren Eliot reports on the goalie equipment working group which will meet Wednesday in Toronto and include Garth Snow and Rick DiPietro.

Lots of old updates on this one from March when this was announced here.

Updated 7:46pm:
Tsn.ca: Reports Anaheim traded the rights to former Islander defender Marc-Andre Bergeron to Minnesota for a third round pick.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
So Anaheim was able to unload Bergeron, got it's third round pick back and added depth for their playoff drive while Garth Snow obviously was concerned he would be stuck with him so he dealt him at the deadline and made the offensive part of his back line weaker subtracting the club's best powerplay point shot at a time they had just won six in a row and had nothing on the backline to replace Bergeron's shot?

Not one of Garth Snow's best moments today. Not saying Bergeron's shot would have made the difference by itself but the year before they desperately needed to add a shot and decided on Bergeron and he helped. This year they took a step back to where they were before that trade and left themselves weaker when they could have waited and gotten the same pick from the Wild.

Tsn.ca: Reports former Islander Trevor Linden will announce his retirement on Wednesday.

Kings website/several media outlets: Report Marc Crawford has been fired by the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday with comments from general manager Dean Lombardi.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
I remember two years ago how many Islander fans were furious the club did not hire Lombardi and Crawford. It begs the question if ownership believes in Lombardi's development/prospect plan why did they not support the coach who had to take the pains to coach under those circumstances?

Dean Lombardi sure left him hanging a long time or someone was just fired he really is interested in?

What about Garth Snow's contract extension?

In Greg Logan's rush to stir the pot and create an issue of Ted Nolan's status for beyond next season he forgot to address the real issue and that's the general managers contract status beyond next year.

Who gives a coach a contract extension after a losing season where he could have more term than the general manager?

Mike Babcock's Redwings are the top team in the league, he could become a free agent in a few months if he opts out of his contract here so why is this a major issue now for Mr Logan to a point no pregame was written before the Islanders played Philadelphia?

Mark Herrmann had a full feature on the Ferraro twins btw so please do not tell me there was not space for a pregame.

Those who recall Garth Snow officially retired as a player but I could not find anything on the term of Snow's gm contract beyond his playing status and whether it counted against the cap. No word on what Mr Wang is paying him beyond that to be general manager or for how long but I'm guessing it's three years.

Garth Snow's playing contract should have nothing to do with his gm contract.

Bottom line why should Mr Wang give a contract extension to the coach if the general manager is not locked up first?

As much as I like Ted Nolan and want him to return no coach should have a longer contract than the general manager. You tie them together and fire both together or fire one and then fire the other.

Having written that both Garth Snow and Ted Nolan should be back for next season with no job security beyond that until they show they are taking this franchise in the right direction long term.

Chuck Gormley has an article on John Stevens future coaching status here where Chairman Ed Snider who's as controlling as it gets for owners in this league puts the decision on Mike Holmgrem with regard to the coach.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Snider last year gave Ken Hitchcock a three year extension and fired him before the first month was over after taking a fit in the paper. Anyone who thinks Snider will let Paul Holmgren will decide this if the Flyers fail to make the playoffs should remember Snider was turned down by Colin Campbell for the general managers job before Snider gave the job to Holmgren.
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Not to go off topic too far but how come everything I read anything about John Davidson in St Louis are glowing reviews for a man who came in the same summer as Snow and Nolan and is a point behind the Islanders in the overall standings who signed a bust in Paul Kayira? The stuff you read about Davidson and Andy Murray make them sound like they have built an incredible team when in effect their only difference maker has been Brad Boyes.

That's right.

JD has friends in the media business who he has worked with for years so it's overlooked or dumped on Larry Pleau who deserves his share of blame for the struggles before JD arrived but it's time everyone got a share of blame and some of the golden image off the broadcaster turned team president.
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Meanwhile out in Los Angeles Dean Lombardi and Marc Crawford are heading for their second awful season in a row.

They have some great prospects to show for it (many from Dave Taylor's losing tenure) but almost lost Dustin Brown last summer with Rob Blake only getting older and goaltending marginal to be kind.

It's going to be a long-term rebuild in Los Angeles too.