Tue 24 Jun 2008
This was supposed to be the “can’t miss” draft. The draft where the Isles got another youngster that could have helped them escape the mediocrity that has infested the organization over the past 25 years. Instead of going after Luke Schenn or Nikita Filatov, two players that could have immediately made an impression on the Island [the thought of Schenn delivering checks or Filatov dipsy-doodling around defenders had me salivating like one of Pavlov’s dogs], the Islanders acted like an obese person who went on weight watchers instead of getting the gastric bypass they needed to finally wear a T-shirt and pair of shorts in public.
You simply don’t try to rebuild your prospect base in a draft this deep. It’s common sense. If the Islanders had decided to do something like that last season, I wouldn’t have been angry, considering they didn’t have a first round pick, but with the amount of impact players that were available in this draft, I can’t help but feel disappointed.
While I don’t have anything particular against Joshua Bailey, I get the feeling that something else was going on at the draft that made them trade down. Sure, he had 96 points this season in the OHL, but he I have the feeling he is not the young impact player this team needs right now.
I hope the Islanders seriously have inside information here and are really as high on Bailey as they say they are and aren’t drunk on incompetence. Forgive me if I’m out of line here, but it’s really hard to have faith in a team that’s drafted busts like Ryan O’Marra, Robert Nilsson and Petteri Nokalainen over the past few years. The only legitimate player to be drafted by this team over the past four years was Kyle Okposo, but that was Neil Smith’s doing, not Milbury or Snow.
From the scouting reports I’ve read, Bailey is more the Mike Peca type, a player that can play in all situations and chip in some offense. While Peca was one of my favorite Islanders when he was here and someone in that mold can help, there’s no telling when this kid is going to be ready and like most fans of this team, I’m simply sick of waiting.
I know the youth movement will take some time and I know I will have to wait, but I’m not exactly thrilled about it. Seeing guys like Bailey, Okposo, Jack Hillen and Sean Bergenheim develop into solid NHL players will hopefully worth it.
I hope.
June 25th, 2008 at 6:37 am
Do you put all your eggs in one Russian basket or do you grab as many chicks as you can? Even if Filatov becomes Marion Gaborik, there is a good chance more than one of the picks Garth secured will play in the NHL. The Isles simply need more than one flashy player. Next year Garth can go for the superstar.
June 25th, 2008 at 9:49 am
“You simply don’t try to rebuild your prospect base in a draft this deep. It’s common sense.”
Isn’t that the best time to try and develop your prospect base. Would you rather have more or less picks in a deep draft?
Let’s also not forget how badly we need new youth. Pretty much all of our quality prospects will be playing with the Islanders rather than Sound Tigers this coming season. It’s a youth movement, after all. What good is it drafting a Filatov if we don’t have a solid team to surround him?
You’re right, our picks won’t make an immediate impact. All the other teams in the NHL cellar improved through the draft. Which is good.
I’m hoping for a last place finish and Tavares, who looks to be way better than anyone in this year’s draft. Tavares, Okposo, Comeau, Bergenheim, Bailey, Toews, Petrov (eventually), etc.? Now that’s a team.
June 25th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
Patrick…I feel your pain. The Isles have a long rebuild and people have to realize at the end of the day this just will not happen overnight.
June 27th, 2008 at 1:33 am
I’m not really sure why O’Marra, Nokelainen, or Nilsson are relevant here. They were selected by the previous regime. It would be equally preposterous for me to say that I have faith in the pick because the Isles took Bossy and Trottier with late picks. What Milbury did is not relevant to evaluating this draft.
It’s not really be possible to analyze the draft in a particularly serious way this soon after it happened. All we have to go on now is the rankings that various media organizations have done. Obviously, if that were all that you need to have a successful draft, there would be no reason to pay for scouts or a management staff; they could just fly some season ticket holder up to Ottawa and let him put a copy of the Hockey News draft edition on his expense report. It could be that Filatov makes the Isles look silly. Let’s look back after a few years and see if we’d trade Bailey and all the other players we got by trading down for Filatov. For now, I’m more than willing to give the moves a shot.
June 30th, 2008 at 12:13 am
jkp, Steven, and Joyce, I totally agree. We need to give this some time. The more picks we get from a strong draft, the less room there is to mess up. Just depending on one guy makes me nervous. There are a few teams in the league that have that one player who can score, but the games are boring to watch, and I doubt they’ll be hoisting the Cup anytime soon either.