They will not trade the pick unless they trade back a spot or two. No dealing for players.

There is no secret pill or special magic that will make them cut corners and hope for the best. Not their philsophy.

How about, the Isles, should they not have the ability to sign any UFA’s whether because they won’t spend the money or no one WANTS to sign with them, trade the pick for a young established player on a “cap strapped” team? I’ve heard that scenario from plenty of posters and many other posters have talked about teams like chicago being “up against the cap”, but is it a distinct possibility?
Or are we just going to see our Isles stay the course and build exclusively through the draft?

wait… did I say that out loud?

shoot.

This draft is sooooo fluid, that I will not make predictions of trading up or down. I don’t think the Isles would have as hard a time trading up to #3 from #5 as many would think. The 3 guys rated from 3 to 5 all have the same upside, and provide unique skills that compliment the game in one form or the other. I just think that those 3 players are so close that Garth isn’t willing to give up anything in order to select a specific player to his liking, when he can get a comprable talent at #5.

That being said I still think his priority should be Gudbranson. He’ll need another year in Juniors (He doesn’t qualify to play in the AHL), and I don’t believe in rushing a defenseman. Call him up after the Junior season ends to the “A”, and possibly a cup of coffee on the Island.

I know … I’m ahead of myself.

I’d be happy with any of Connolly, Fowler or Gudbranson. They are all top notch talents that will make the Islanders a much better team in the long run. They are all impact players.

On Connolly’s hip. We’re all kinda bugabooed about hip injuries because of DiPietro. I would like to remind my fellow fans it’s not his hip that is keeping him out. It’s his knee. His surgically repaired hip got him to an all star game, and he was single handedly willing the Isles to win in the first half of 2007-08. He had the Isles at the 6 spot in the conference before his “other” hip got injured trying to make a ridiculously difficult save in the all star skills competition. Remember he dropped the “F” bomb while being mic’d? Then the summer of 2008 we saw that DP was in a softcast for his knee. It was his knee that has been giving him problems.

So if the Isles do draft Connolly … Give this kid a break. You just may be wearing his name on the back of your Islander jersey for the next 15 years.

Connolly as the scouting pundits have been screaming about would be in the same conversation as Seguin and Hall had he not been injured last summer. He may be filling the back of opponents nets with 40 goal seasons for years to come. Have you heard how good he was on the penalty kill? He gives point men fits … his good positioning, and speed means point men can’t and don’t cheat on him as much. This kid brings many attributes we haven’t seen in one package on the Island in ages. Size, Speed, Skill and Physicality.

Fowler. This kid was the apple of scouts eyes last year. It was him and Hall as 1 and 2. Some thought he might bump Hall down this year. After the WJC he only raised his stock … but … Hall and this kid Seguin had tremendous seasons, while Fowler kinda leveled off and anchored the blue line for the CHL Memorial Champion Windsor Spitfires. Another kid with tremendous talent … I’d also be proud to see him in an Islander uniform being mentored by Streit, and running the power play for the better part of this decade and beyond. I’m sick of Islander forwards being used at the point during power plays.

Then back to my choice … by a slim margin (determined by most critical need… SIZE) Erik Gudbranson … The guy is 6’4″. He’s got a mean streak, is a steady defenseman with great passing and a decent shot. He’s not going to ring up the points and goals like Fowler… but he’s going to make it extremely hard for the opposition to ring up goals against the Isles. He’s not inept in the offense department either. He’ll get his fair share of scoring chances from the blue line. Chara wasn’t a known offensive force when he first came up either. Gudy is the best fit at this time for this team.

If I had it my way … I’d try to package all my picks this year after the 35th pick, and package Bergy and DiBo with Ness (9 picks and 3 players) to get picks from Columbus and Florida and take all 3 guys. Fat chance that will happen… just sayin’. That is how much I think of these 3 guys.