When the free agent market opened last Sunday, most projections had Montreal’s Sheldon Souray atop the list of available defensemen after a season in which he scored 26 goals and totaled 64 points. But while the high-priced forwards – Daniel Briere, Scott Gomez, Chris Drury and Ryan Smyth – all were snapped up in the first 11 hours, Souray still is sitting there for the taking.
Like several general managers, the Islanders’ Garth Snow is wrestling with the question of Souray’s minus-28 rating last season at even strength, his slow feet on the defensive end and how much that is offset by his 100-miles-per-hour slapshot from the point on the power play. It’s a tough question.
At this point, defense has become Snow’s priority. He could add Souray’s offense and a more-defense-oriented puck mover, but that might come at the expense of the continued development of either Bruno Gervais or Chris Campoli. Given the offense that division rivals Philadelphia and the Rangers have added, not to mention Pittsburgh’s firepower, Snow at first seemed to be leaning toward the addition of a physical, stay-at-home guy who can skate.
But the longer Souray sat without signing, the more intrigued Snow became. With the addition up front of 30-goal scorers Bill Guerin and Mike Comrie, one agent advocated the notion of putting together a power play with those two plus Miroslav Satan, another past 30-goal scorer, teamed with double-barreled blasts from the point by Marc-Andre Bergeron and Souray.
It would take a lot of fortitude for opponents to stand in the line of fire from those cannons. On the flip side, long rebounds might result in an unusual number of short-handed goals against.
Still, it’s something to think about. Souray is 31, and his total goals over the past three seasons (15, 12, 26) came as soon as he received increased ice time. But in the end, Montreal chose to invest $5.5 million per season in hulking defensman Andrei Markov rather than spend even more on Souray’s slap shot. Apparently, that raised questions for most teams around the league, and it now appears Souray will command less on the market than expected. But it still could wind up in the same range as former Isle Roman Hamrlik, who got $22 million over four years from the Canadiens to replace Souray.
As of this posting, it doesn’t appear the Islanders are going to sign anyone today. Along with Souray, Snow is considering a list that includes Detroit’s oft-injured Danny Markov, Atlanta’s Andy Sutton, Nashville’s Vitaly Vishnevski, Colorado’s Ossi Vaananen and likely a few others. Former Isle Bryan Berard might be a consideration, though he played only 11 games last season and 113 over the past three years because of injuries.
The possibility of trading for Phoenix’s Ed Jovanovski has been junked because of his no-trade clause, but a trade for former Islander Bryan McCabe can’t be ruled out even though he has four years worth $28.75 million remaining on his deal. If that happened, Snow undoubtedly would be sending considerable salary the other way and might pick up a decent forward or two in the process.
Some Islanders fans have wondered if there is a chance former Isle Kenny Jonsson might be persuaded to return from Sweden. If that could happen, I’ve been told, it would have happened by now. So, there is no easy answer. Just a riddle on defense that Snow is trying to puzzle out this weekend.
Comments (493)
No, He can't....
I still say Vishnevsky is the answer. McCabe costs too much although he is still an Isles fan favorite. Souray is too much of a liability.
I still like David Tanabe for depth.
Thanks for keeping us in the loop Greg. So much for using your comp time this summer.
For those of you who have not yet seen this, hockeybuzz.com reports that the Islanders have a press conference scheduled for Monday to introduce their new signings and "a strong source tells me that a defenseman, that has not yet bee acquired will likely be there as well." One source close to the Islanders believes that a current roster defenseman could be dealt to make this happen...Also, do not count out Jovonovski yet...Apparently it is not as dead as it was after the Isles acquired Guerin and Comrie.
I want souray i know his faults but we need the offense and our PP has been awful - he will def help us more than he will hurt us - with Guerin, Comrie, Satan, Sills, Hunter, MAB - among others we will have a top 5 PP in the league
Snow, sign Souray and add Markov. Look Souray might now be the greatest Dman but he can put the puck in the net and we need that. If you pair him up with Martinek, they can do wonders. Then Markov can be the stay at home guy Snow is looking for and what this team needs. Also adding Mike Peca as a third line center would help. If healthy, which Peca claims he is, he is good for 15-20 goals.
Souray,Martinek,Witt,Bergeron,Markov,Gervais
Let Campoli spend the year in Bport and get some big minutes. Martinek is a FA at the end of next year and Campoli can take his place.
oh and also if Charles Wang wants to see people in the stands, signing Soray, an exciting all star, would be a big help.
I agree ...when the Isles traded for MAB he braught something special to the PP. He certainly caused some odd man rushes the other from time to time, but he wasn't awful in own end and was able to create offense. Not that DP will always be able to bail out the "D" but he's shown that he's able to make the big save. Now, if you were able to add Souray on the PP with MAB? Wow, that would be tough to stop. The Isles have some youth up front which is good, but they'll need the "D" to be able to create chances for them ...imagine Guerin, Hunter, Sillinger knocking in the rebounds from Souray or MAB ...for whatever risk he may be on the "D" he would be a positive overall. Plus, as was said earlier - Martinek (when healthy), Witt, Gervais (still young though) are capable "D" men ...
Either way I think the Isles are gonna be ok - I just hope they'll still find some ice time for Bergie and Tambellini or any other young guy (Comeau) that makes the squad ...gotta mix in the youth to see what we've got ...
Greg, once again, above and beyond. Thank you!!
Go for Soray, leave Mc Cabe up North, it won't hurt to have two slap-shots on the PP on either the 1st or the 2nd unit.
Bring Mc Carty in as well.
Gritty player that we can use.
Berard - No Thank You!!! the guy was put on waivers last year and is an injury waiting to happen.
McCarty??? Why??? This isn't 1998. keep Simon and Asham.
I DO NOT WANT SOURAY!!!!!
Gervaise and Campolli are keepers. They are fine defensemen who have not yet come close to meeting their full potential.
I'd rather fill that vacant slot with Boynton or Sutton. Moving Gervaise and Campolli so we can fit in the slow footed Souray is a mistake. We already have a decent cannon for a shot in Bergeron.
I am not intersted in matching offense for offense with Pittsburgh and the Rangers. Both have defense issues that they are a long way from ironing out. As a matter of fact, on the defensive side of things the Rangers just got a whole a lot worse.
Following them both down the same Rabbit hole would be foolish.
What about Andy Sutton? Has he signed on with anyone? Anyway, I wont complain if Souray comes our way, but a stay at home bruiser (ala Witt) is absolutely mandatory when battling the division foes. So if Souray's on board, another stay at home, reliable Dman needs to tag along as well.
Campoli > Gervais in my humble opinion.
I understand what you both are saying and I don't completely disagree, but in my opinion you can't just hope to stop offenses like Ottawa, Pens, Ranjerks and so on ...now, I'm not saying you don't need a quality "D" because obviously you do, but you also need to be able to keep the puck in your own offensive zone and create chances. We can't expect DP or the "D" to hold down these potent offenses - we need our own to step on and contol play ...having guys with cannons like MAB and Souray would create a lot of room in the offensive zone. I thought our "D" last year was pretty good but they got tired always having the puck in their own zone. Just a thought ...but I wouldn't be totally opposed to a stay at home "D" man ...but I'm hoping for Souray to sign for 3 years.
I've never been a big Campoli "fan". I don't hate the guy, but I don't feel like he's strong on the body. He has a lot of growing to do ...I saw him give the puck up a lot last year and I saw him get beat a lot last year ...I think Gervais is more reliable than Campoli ...if the Isles sign Souray I wouldn't be sad if they dealt Campoli (sorry Miggsey)
Interesting the nobody has pointed out that having Sourey and MAB on the same pp is not as great as everyone thinks. Both lefties which means only one can play the right point and get one timers. kinda defeats the purpose of having both out there. If there was a righty out there with as big a shot, that would be interesting..but there isn't. That is why the Aucioin/Hamerlick combo was so great (even though they could not hit the net). A penalty kill could not cheat against either and had to play both for the one timer.
Same problem with McCabe...
I would rather the Isles extend an offer sheet for Boogard from Minnesota. 6'7 enforcer will help people from running DiPietro. I don't feel like this aspect has been addressed yet. I like Simon, but Boogard is a big time Heavyweight
yeah, but is he worth all the draft picks to get him?
I'm sure he's a big time crease clearer, but you shouldn't do the offer sheet route unless it's for a young all-star ...
So Canada.ca thinks the Isles have no chance for the cup and won't make the playoffs.Most experts said that last year and our team suprised everyone.I think with Yashin gone,we'll be even better so watch out. And if it looks like we won't make the playoffs,we can trade for draft picks in a strong draft year and really start to rebuild.As far as the defense goes,I would like to see the Isles get Dmen that can keep the crease clear and let Ricky do his thing.We need speed, skill and players who can play good defense.I would say no to Souray but I trust Garth and Ted to do the right thing.
WHAT ABOUT SIGNING JEFF ONEIL.THIS GUY IS A PROVEN SCORER AND WOULD FIT IN WELL WITH THE TEAM.ALSO THEY SHOULD TRY TO TRADE FOR ZHERDEV FROM COLUMBUS (HEARD SOME RUMORS ABOUT THIS)THESE TWO WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO THE ISLES OFFENSE GREATLY.
DEFENSE-SIGN SUTTON AND GET BACK McCABE.BOTH ARE HARD HITTERS AND OUR DEFENSE WITH THESE 2 WOULD BE ONE OF THE BEST IN THE LEAGUE.ALL THIS COULD BE EASILY DONE WITH CAP SPACE AND HAVE SOME MONEY LEFTOVER.
ZHERDEV - Needs a lot of work in defensive-zone coverage. Takes too many shifts off. Must become more dedicated to the NHL game. enough said.
REDRUM!
I don't think Souray is worth more than 2 mil a yr. Minus-28, that say a lot. having two guns at the point on the PP would be nice, but I wouldn't pay a premium for just that, and when you consider that -28, you have to realize that we would be paying a premium for his rather limited services.
Sutton, Vishnevski, Vaananen would be good pickups. McCabe is too expensive.
I have an ouchie. I need a band-aid for my head.
I'm a DEFENSEMAN the Islanders just signed afew days ago. Does anybody know ME??? Myself, Simon and Asham will be policing the Isles this year. Steve Avery will finally get decapitated. lol
Position: Defenseman Shoots: Left
Height: 6' 5" Weight: 233
Born: Feb 7, 1983
Born in: Daysland, AB, Canada
Drafted: Phoenix's 2nd round choice, 31st overall, in 2001
Souray would be a great pickup for ANY team. Doesn't everyone realize that each team now averages 7-8 power plays per game? That is way more than only a few years ago. If a player farts too close to another skater, there is a penalty called.
I dont agree with all these ridiculous number of power plays but since thats the way it is, we need to adapt. The bottom line is that power plays (and shootouts) have more influence on a game's outcome than anything else. You need PP specialists and shootout specialists. Souray is that PP specialist. Sign him.
Also rememeber that his -28 +/- is because all his PP goals do not count as a +.
I agree 100%!!
Before the Isles got MAB how many times did the PP go 0-5, 0-6, 0-7 ...
Guys from the point who have cannons change games ...sometimes, yes, it can be a problem with some odd man rushes, but as hattrick just pointed out - in this new NHL there are a ton of PP's a game ...we have to take advantage of that ...
the islanders have a very small team right now...were gonna need a big time enforcer to protect them....Everyone knows Godard is the best available
Agree Agree...
Many of you are a bunch of stat people. You see a stat and you think it tells the whole story. Although his plus/minus is worrysome, this team was a fantastic 5 on 5 team last year. They often lost games because they were unable to score on the PP. This team might be starved for goals next year and adding those offensive numbers will surely help.
Also to those of you who are saying it would be bad to have MAB and Souray b/c they are both left handed. Well, newsflash, most teams have 2 PP units, and how SWEET would it be to have 2 PP units with a booming shot from the point. Just a thought.
Keep it sweet,
CM
does anyone know how arbitration works. i know the process but how do they come up with the final numbers.do they go off last years similar free agent signings or this years free agent signings. also as far as flukeqvist are gomez drury and brieres contracts considered if a goalie goes to arbitration. or do just the most recent goalie contracts count. because if fedetenko gets 2.9 then avery might get 3 looking at that situation and then the rangers would be in major trouble. by basic question in a nutshell is do all these major signings this offseason for big big money affect arbitrations this summer. anyone knows send me a response.
Lets not kid ourselves, the offense here will not overpower anyone. That said, you need stalwarts on D, people who will make you think twice about approaching the net (even with the new rules). Sign Sutton, wait for arbitration winners that teams walk away from and improve from trade during the season.
I think garth should trade for Martin St louis,this is a gamebreaker,and I really think Tampa Bay is ready to move one of the big 3 they have,but i'm sure it will come at a price, maybe Campoli,or Martinek and a draft pick,something like that
Souray- Too slow afoot;should go after Sutton----Nolan likes defense!!!!
Jovo cop could help as well however highly unlikely to obtain. Jeff O'Neill-also a high + guy
Souray- Too slow afoot;should go after Sutton----Nolan likes defense!!!!
Jovo cop could help as well however highly unlikely to obtain. Jeff O'Neill-also a high + guy
Souray- Too slow afoot;should go after Sutton----Nolan likes defense!!!!
Jovo cop could help as well however highly unlikely to obtain. Jeff O'Neill-also a high + guy
Greg,
Sheldon Souray's ex and most importantly his kids are on the west coast. I don't by any of this.I think his agent is using the Isles and Devs to drive up his price so can get the sweetest deal out of the Sharks. That's where I believe he'll sign.
Please sign Markov.
Oh ya as for Souray,i live in Montreal and seen him play alot,and would have to say who cares about his minus 28 this guy brings alot to the table not only is his shot leathal,this guy is a leader and he is gonna be missed in Montreal!! I say Garth sign Souray and you'll have more good nights than bad ones!! I Garantee the Islander POWER PLAY will be in the top 5!!
We dont need anymore flimsy, soft Souray types--campoli is soft enough. the only way to even consider sneaking into next year playoffs is to get tough defenseman to clear the crease. Witt is too darn slow and wore down lasgt year---we need two solid D men. As for offense, we will have a dearth of goals regardless.
As an islander fan I am in the same position garth is in. I like Souray and his offensive side but his d lapses cancels it out. I keep saying we need a #1 dman, NORRIS TROPHY CALIBER dman that can play in every situatin on the ice and down other teams best players. From all the names of available dmen that are still available is Jovonowski and Mccabe. If we really have shot at grabbing Jovo then we need to go for it. He would be my #1 choice and Mccabe #2. The rest like Souray, Markov, sutton etc are limited in their play and what they can and cant do. We have plenty of those and I think they would help it really would be money not well spent on the D. If your gonna dish out 22 million for a one dimensional player like souray then I would say dish out 30 million for a GREAT DMAN!
I don't get a good feeling about souray. I feel that until campolli and gervais prove they can physically contain the oposition we need somebody that will. Remember, we lost Hill who was one of those guys, and still haven't replaced him. In the defencive area we need somone who can be responsible in front of my boy Ricky.
Back to Souray... if we do get him I won't be upset, unless its for a $5+ mil/yr contract... and pleeeeeaaaaaaase sign asham already... c'mon Snow Man!!!!!!!!
The Rangers have an offer out to Asham--check msg site
sources? nothing on msg website
you build contenders from the goal out. We have DP. Now sure up the D with free agents like sutton, markov, vishesky. we need 2 d-men and a 3rd line center. souray is good if we can get him for around 3 mil anything more is a waste. get the d-men because we need 2 then we have a defence
Cap Space. The Isles have the most cap space of the 30 NHL teams right now at 24.48 million left to spend. This team will be greatly improved from now until training camp.
The Rangers have an offer out to Asham--check msg site
Posted by: Jim from Woodbury | July 7, 2007 10:09 PM
sources? nothing on msg website
I know nothing about this hockeybuzz.com. Seems to me that they are NEVER right? Can someone fill me in on this. Someone credible that is ...lol
Souray would be nice. We still need a "thumper" as well though. No secret I have never been a Campoli fan. Unless he took some HGH in the off season he is to small for the NHL in my opinion. Miggsey and I differ huge on this one. Just my humble opinion.
Since I did ok with my 06-07 end of the year prediciton, I'm going to throw another one out there so you can all blast me. :) ..... HUNTER will have more points and have a bigger year than Ryan Smyth! There it is folks...HUNTER !!!!
If I was Snow, I would sign Souray, O'Neil, Peca, and Markov. Then trade Bereron for picks.
Souray had more points last year than anyone on our current roster. He is an upgrade over Bergeron, might as well trade MAB and only have on defenseman who will be a liability.
O'Neil is a righty with a cannon, he can play the point with Souray. He also loves to hit and is a great face-off man.
Peca was probably the Oilers best forward in the playoffs in 06. I think he still has a lot to offer.
Markov or Vishnevski would be a good upgrade over Hill.
These moves would make the Islanders a very tough team to play against. A physical team that makes you pay the price if you take a penalty.
No doubt steady... have we even resigned him?
Steady,
Hockeybuzz.com is basically a guy who claims to have many contacts throughout hockey. He's right sometimes, wrong most times. The more I think about it, the more I think he actually is telling the truth, and not making stuff up. The thing is, if you're a GM type, and want to drive the price up on somebody (to a hurt a rival's cap number, for example), wouldn't you tell this guy you're team is interested, just to get it out there? He's probably used a lot, and probably knows he's being used, but by doing so, his sources probably give him info to make him look good when they can. So what the hell does all this mean? Don't take anything he takes too seriously, especially the rumors, but just know that once in a while, he'll get it right before anyone else even knew it was a possibility.
And a little story I read about the hockeybuzz guy said that he was on Canadian TV at last year's trade deadline as a analyst type (his first TV gig). He reported to all of Canada that Ryan Smyth had been resigned and that it was a done deal, about 30 minutes before Ryan was sent here.
I'm with you all the way about Hunter. Garth, sign him to a 4 or 5 year deal NOW, before he has the breakout year, scoring-wise. This guy is going to be the face of this club.
19;
The problem some people have with Hockeybuzz is the meaning of the word "rumor". It's a simple word in simple english that some fols just don't understand.
So they take everything on that board as is if it's the writer claims it's the gospel truth. I can't understand why some people just butcher the meanings behind simple words. The fact that they claim that they present rumors pretty much spells it out.
Caesar,
I was doing a little digging on Boynton today. He's not a UFA afterall. Even after reading the article about him being waived, I still can't figure out what the deal is, but it appears he's still property of Phoenix.
http://coyotes.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=323224
danny, if you are going to steal the tsn scouting report on zherdev...point out the upside as well!!!!!!! one of the best one on one, has ridiculous offensive potential.....
Thanks for the scoop "19 and others!"
Mets finally won...Can go to be now :)!
bed not "be"
Get Scatchard back. Great on face offs, corners, tough, good leader.
http://coyotes.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=327021&page=NewsPage&service=page
I have to agree with "sidewinder" on Souray. A big part of the new NHL is the powerplay. If the other team doesn't respect your powerplay, they will walk all over you.
If they Fear your Powerplay they will play tight and avoid the wrath of their coach if they end up in the box.
Souray's shot commands respect. Not only that, it is a thing of beauty. I guarantee you will on the edge of your seat every time he gets the puck at the point.
I say sign Souray and pair him with a stay-at-home D. Then let it rip!
Kevin T.
they need kenny jonsson.period!
19;
That's interesting. I had read an AP article a week or two ago proclaiming that Phoenix bought him out.
Well, perhaps we could do good to get him in a trade. At least we don't have to offer him crazy money. I think he's earning about 3.5 per as his current contract.
At least we won't be stuck with him for more than two years.
Garth,
Souray is a waste of cap space. We need to emphasize team defense and speed. Pass, sign Markov, and keep looking.
Everyone is all about Markov, and I'm not saying I wouldn't like him - but hasn't he been very injury prone most of his career?
I wouldn't want Scatchard back unless for a minor league deal. He had 8 points in 48 games last year and was a minus 18.
Hockeybuzz.com is the best source out there for rumors. They reported all 3 Islander free agent signings well before they happened.
After reading Logans article, it seems it was Comries idea for the ONE year only.
Scatchard....Please no...We got three already just like him, but younger.
Get a THUMPER and McCabe or Souray. There is room for both.
HUGE Mets win Mookie!
Souray certainly would help the Isles' PP..and their offense in general.. with his shot. As was pointed out earleir, his +/- suffered last season because Montreal was awful 5 on 5. I wouldn't call him a soft D-Man either, I've seen him step up for teammates from time to time.
That said, I don't think he's worth 6+ mil per year. He's really only had one big year.
If the Isles can get him at the right price, I say do it, but they shouldn't take a chance if they're not sure.
I def don't think Bryan "The Can Opener" McCabe would be a good move. Sure, he's got a big shot, but we already have one of those. He's not great defensively and his contract is way prohibitive. Besides, I don't see why anyone who was an Isles fan in 2002 would want him anyway. It would be like signing Darcy Tucker or Shane Corson.
Speaking of the Leafs, I think Jeff O'Neil might be damaged goods. His numbers have dropped off the last couple years and he's missed a lot of games.
I do think Mike Peca would be a good move. If healthy he could play the role of top shut-down forward for the Isles. His faceoff skill and leadership ability would be a plus too.
We need defense and speed along with that--The Rangers skated rings around us last year so speed is essential--No to Souray and Peca
Souray is sighing with the rangers!
Souray is sighing with the rangers!
I believe the Isles still need offense. I think they should offer Zach Parise a 5 year deal in the 22 or 23 million dollar range. Yes, it would end up costing us 2 or 3 #1 picks, but the cash is there, he's young and proven,would still be under 30 when the contract ends, and we will have hurt the Devils if they don't match, if they do, it swallows up their cash to acquire other players. With Sean Bergenheim and Comrie coming, Bruno Gervais getting better and better,and Ricky in net, another goal scorer would certainly not hurt. Defenseman are never short in supply, goal scorers are. Grit would be provided by Guerin,Sillinger,Simon,Wittand Asham. Come on Garth, show us some guts!!!
Here's Spector's take on some of the dmen available to the Isles. Interesting arguments.
"McCabe isn't much better than Souray in my humble opinion so rather than spend a lot of money and giving up some talent in a trade for the Leafs blueliner he's better off just spending the money on Souray. As for Berard, his recent injury history could prevent him from continuing his NHL career. For the money Snow could spend on Souray or McCabe, he could sign, say, Vaananen and Sutton and provide himself with some solid defensive depth. Remember, sometimes the shiny nugget turns out to be fool's gold."
Candyman:
Here's a couple of your blogs:
Lodi, Shoot the Puck, etc.
Last year:
Guerin + Comrie = 56 goals
Drury + Gomez = 50 goals
Last 5 years:
Guerin + Comrie = 264 goals
Drury + Gomez = 212 goals
Enough said.
July 6,2007, 7:47 AM
Then you said on July 7, 2007, 8:48 PM:
"Many of you are a bunch of stat people. You see a stat and you think it tells the whole story."
What's the story there Candy? Whenever the thought seems right, just go with the flow!
Souray: No way. Too much money to spend on a guy that is a defensive liability. They need a QB on the PP, not a canon. They have a canon... but how many times did Poti make bad choices (shoot/pass) to QB 0 shot PP's.
There may not be that kind of player available, but you can't give up the roster spot, ice time and cap space to somebody who has a hard time playing sound positional hockey.
I hope they make an effort to get Sutton, and try to better coach Campoli into that QB role.
It's this exact position why I can't understand why they gave up on Grebeshkov.
He may have been the missing piece to this puzzsle.
Steady, I'm right with you about Hunter. First line TOI and a nice pat ont he back from management (raise and "A" to go with Sillinger's "C") could make him a solid 25-30 goal guy who is going to be in the top 10 in hits.
IMO Snow has done well to give Nolan something to work with in a difficult time. If players like Bergenhiem, Tambellini, Campoli and Gervais can be counted on to contribute more than they did last yuear this team is better than the 06-07 version.
If for not other reason, they won't have Yashin as a distraction... and they might have a top scorer with more assists than goals.
Does anybody know if they have replaced Flynn yet?
I believe Hunter should be given a long term contract, i 've been saying for a couple of years now this is the next captain of the islanders!!
As for the defence i say go for Souray,he's a Nolan type player,Ted will get the most out of him plus that deadly shot from the point!!! Bergeron shot is great but Souray's shot is leathal!!
And i still say to Garth to try and aquire Martin St Louis from Tampa Bay,i'm sure he's available for the right price and this guy is the missing piece up front,he's an islander killer,i'd rather have him on the team than against it!!!
Hey Ouch! the main stat last 5 years how many CUPS between Gomez and Drury and How many between Conrie and Guerin? OUCH! By the way Comrie is a 3 or 4th line center who Snow now believes is first liner. Much the same as last year the Rangers signing Cullen (a 3rd liner) and trying to squeeze him into 2nd line. Didn't work too well did it? This year will be much the same as oyu watch Comrie out performed every night due to the fact that he will be out of position. Maybe if he could play 3rd or 4th line then the ISLES could sya they have something. Also if you really beleive that at his age Guerin is a first line winger then you are really smoking some wacky stuff! To actually beleive that Guerin and Comrie will make the ISLES better then Gomez and Drury will make the Rangers is not olny silly it is plain ignorant! When they get on the ice, the story will be told, and the most important stat will be wins and playoff wins! Good luck this season, it will be a long one for ISLES!
Oh ya on Zherdev,this guy has some awsome talent,just his head screwed on wrong,but his age 22,and his salary around 2.5 million next year and 3.3 the following year make him intriquing,I would make a package deal for Zherdev and Foote who has one year left in his contract at about 4.6 million,just not sure if he has a no trade clause but that could be dealt with considering he'd have a better chance at winning with the islanders than the jackets!!! just a thought!!!
msg4ever:
I'm on your side Blue! I was merely showing the bloggers here how easily Candyman changes his mind. First, he makes a lame attempt at saying that based on past performance by the combo of Guerin and Comrie vs. Gomez and Drury, Garth is a freekin hero and they can all pat each other on the back as if Garth "saved" the day. Sorta like Underdog! He finishes his statement by saying "Enough said" as if his argument has a strong valid point to it. Then when people start bringing up stats, i.e. Souray's plus/minus rating, he quickly suggests that "stats" are overrated. Talk about sitting on the fence!
Why do I get the feeling that all the people that are against signing Souray, will be the first ones to complain when we have an average powerplay? I can see us losing a lot of games 3-2 when we had a PP with about 5 minutes left and couldn't capiltalize on it.
Some people just dont understand that games are determined by power plays because there are so many of them. You need a PP specialist. Play him only 15 minutes a game for all I care or have him suit up as a 7th defenseman. Just sign him. Think of it as hockey's version of the designated hitter. Here for offense only. And if he scores 25 goals and 65 points then its worth it.
Once again, if you condemn signing Souray then keep your mouth shut when the PP fails us especially late in games.
Ouch!
Good job smart guy, way to take 2 totally different blog entries and try to show an inconsistency...i would rather have drury &gomez on the isles...i showed those stats in response to someone who commented that guerin & comrie couldnt possibly have more goals than drury & gomez... Those stats only prove that its possible for com/guer to have more since they done it before...
Quit bein a candy hater man...although its nice to have such a following of ranger fans matchin up all my posts...stay sweet ouch, dont hurt yourself with that candycane
msg4ever takes it up the...
doo-dah, doo-dah!
msg4ever takes it up the...
OUCH! OUCH!
I'm the super duper blue power ranger, yay!
Hey Candyman:
I didn't "try" to show an inconsistency. I actually showed an inconsistency. Your almost as good as Garth with the spin doctor BS. I do watch your posts, Steady's, and a few other who know the game of hockey, and specifically, the state of the Isles and what moves they should make. Getting Guerin and Comrie was something that you guys said should happen before they signed, and did happen. So good for you guys and Garth for getting the deals done. But when you start razzing Ranger fans and bring up "past" statistics, then turn around and say "stats" aren't that important,then in defence of the $Rags, I have no alternative but to show your little inconsistencies. Plus, Sather signed Drury & Gomez for things to come and for the Rangers type of offence that they'll have with them. Gomez should do just fine with Jagr, barring any injuries, and Drury with Avery & Shanahan will work pretty good as well, as long as they sign them. So that "13" goals last year crap doesn't fly, especially with Gomez on the Devils.
facts are facts.... you cant predict the future, you can really only base any kinds of projections on past performance. candyman was merely trying to point out an error a comment of a ranger fan.theres no way guerin and comrie will outscore drury and gomez? well... last year they did. in some cases (like Sourays -28 doesnt show his dominance on the PP) stats dont tell the whole story, but whe