NYI: Trade Deadline 2010

The last two weeks have been incredible for any hockey-crazed person. Almost every single day provided us hockey fans the opportunity to turn on the television past 3:00PM EST and enjoy entertaining, up-tempo, and emotional hockey. It was a luxury that I miss tremendously today, however, with one ending comes a new beginning.

Yesterday marks the first day of the trade deadline, in my opinion. Now that the Olympic roster freeze has finally been lifted, general managers can finally get down to the nitty-gritty and piece together the final details of any deals they may have allowed to brew over the break. For any of those that believe that general managers did not talk much over break, look no further than the fact that Jordan Leopold was packed and simply waiting to fly to Pittsburgh on the first flight past 12:00AM today. There are many deals on the table, and many things that could go down in the blink of an eye. As Brian Burke stated, “the trade deadline is the day when everyone in the NHL loses their minds.” Considering the halt in roster moves for the past two weeks, I believe that today and the coming two days will prove to be quite interesting.  There is nothing better for fans than when general managers begin to feel a little pressure…well, unless you’re on the bad end of a deal as us Islander fans have been so many times.

Here is to hoping Garth Snow stays composed over the next few days. To be honest, there is no reason for Garth Snow to do anything crazy. Let us look at the two key players that SHOULD find their way out of Long Island in the next two days.

First, and foremost, is Andy Sutton. At 35 years old, and nearly 6-and-a-half feet tall, Andy Sutton is playing the best hockey of his career. A drop in weight and an increase in his physical play has seen Andy Sutton develop into a very solid, number three NHL defenseman that numerous NHL teams covet. His vision both on the offensive and defensive sides of the puck has led to an increase in blocked shots, and a better first pass out of his own zone. Ironically, and somewhat fortunate for Garth Snow, Sutton is also in the final year of a three-year deal that he signed with the Islanders, making him a perfect playoff rental for any team that believes they need depth.

Sutton has developed into a quality player for the Islanders, and there are many who believe that Garth Snow should take it upon himself to resign him to a multi-year contract, however, we must look at the bigger picture. While Sutton will be able to contribute at this level for another two seasons, at best, the rest of the Islanders squad is still rather young and only getting younger. During those two years, the Islanders cannot reasonably be considered a Stanley Cup contender, as it will be at least another three seasons before the Islanders can be considered a top-level team. That being the case, it may be beneficial in the long run to trade him and bring in younger players or picks that will aid in the rebuilding process. A difficult decision for sure, but one that I’m sure many Islander fans will agree with.

Furthermore, it has been brought up that since Sutton wants to say, maybe he will return in the offseason. Just because Sutton wants to resign here does not mean that he will come back in the offseason after a playoff run with another team. While it would be a classy move (a la Keith Tkachuk), it is very rare that a player returns to the team that traded him.

From the many words spreading throughout the blogosphere, interest in Andy Sutton is abundant, and that bodes well for Garth Snow and the Islanders interests. The more teams Snow can get involved in a bidding war, the better. I’d have to believe that a team would be willing to give up a first-round pick for a solid NHL defenseman, but only time will tell how “crazy” the NHL general managers get at this year’s deadline. Before you consider Sutton going for a first round pick, ask yourself if you’d like to see Garth Snow give up a first round pick for a player like Andy Sutton if the timing was right.

Second on Garth Snow’s list should be the trade of a goaltender. All year long I have stood behind Roloson as our number one goalie, and I still believe that if it were not for him, the Islanders would not even be considered in the playoff race at the moment. Granted, although only six points back, we need to be honest and admit the Islanders are not in the playoff race this season. Making the playoffs this season actually hurts the Islanders long-term plan, and with a daunting schedule ahead, I’d put our chances at making the playoffs this year at 20%.

That being said, I believe that Roloson needs to be the goalie to go. As a forty-year old netminder, Roloson’s value will never be higher, and Snow must capitalize on that this year. With only one-year and an affordable $2.5 million cap hit remaining on Roloson’s contract, there will be many teams willing to pay that money for a playoff proven goaltender who brings experience and leadership to a locker room. The question is, what will they be willing to pay the Islanders to acquire his services for the playoffs this year? My guess is as good as yours, but it doesn’t seem overly farfetched to believe that a first round pick could come back to the Islanders. Furthermore, trading Martin Biron only brings us back a third to fourth round pick, at best, which can’t hold a candle to the return that a Roloson trade would bring.

Think about teams such as Detroit, Philadelphia, and Chicago. All of these teams can be considered contenders, however, they all share one thing in common: shaky goaltending. While they allow their younger goalies to develop, Roloson could be used as the playoff starter this year, and as an affordable one-year stopgap until each organization puts forth a better netminder. Does it still seem too farfetched to think a first-rounder is out of the question?

What do you think Roloson’s value will be at 2:59PM on March 3^rd? Time will tell, but it may get even more interesting than the Andy Sutton saga.

While these two are obviously the big time focus of Garth Snow, I would not hesitate to include the following names in trade discussions: Richard Park, Martin Biron, Jon Sim, Jeff Tambellini, Sean Bergenheim, Blake Comeau, Freddy Meyer, Bruno Gervais, and Trent Hunter. Each has minimal value, but could still prove valuable to another team in one way or another.

This trade deadline is once again another defining moment for Garth Snow and the Islanders rebuilding plans. With the future looking somewhat brighter than it has in a long time, this deadline could only make the future brighter. What do you want to see happen?

-Justin Marques (IslesNet@Gmail.Com)

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/islesnet

Side Note: Be sure to check back here on Hockey Independent on March 3^rd, as B.D. Gallof, myself, and the Hockey Independent Staff will be in the H.I. Chatroom discussing every trade and rumor that goes down. It should be a great day!