You gotta hope the Islanders really work on some of these prospective porspects. I would love to see them put a team together like the other NY hockey club did. They have a smart veteran presence (Jagr, Rucchin) up and coming stars (Lundquist, Prucha) and great group of not-so-skilled but effective role players (Malik, Moore) I look at the Islanders and see lots of soft players (Yashin, Kavasha, Satan) an unproven "goal tender of the future" (parenthese not nessicary) and defense in complete disarray. Getting into the playoffs is a streach this year for this team and unless they undergo a MAJOR overhaul they will be golfing come April.
Very true, except that Satan, while not a physical presence, has at most times been the Isles best player and a consistant scorer, and they couldn't have done anything about the defense - if you look at the players they gave up, Aucoin has been bad and injured, Jonnson was never coming back, and Hamrlik is offering less offesnively to the Flames than both Zhitnik and Sopel are for the Isles. While the playoffs are most liely not happening this year, you can't deny the potential they have coming through the ranks. Plus, if the new GM and Charles Wang want whats best for the Islanders, they release Yashin after this year as the final salary cap exception, eat the money, and build a better team with better leadership with the new crop of young players Milbury drafted.
As Winston Wolf said.....Just because you are a character doesn't necessarily mean you have character.
hockey sux
humans suck
Milbury doesn't know talent, the guy has made some of the worst trades in hockey history. Totally predictable yet terrible trades, including giving up the draft pick that would have been Spezza and picking DiPietro over Heatley after trading Luongo and Jokinen away. The clock is ticking for him to trade DiPietro for Alex Daigle. "I heard he was a great scoring threat! And he knows Yashin too!"
Well, you got to give some credit to the Islanders scouting team. They did draft all this talent to begin with, which Milbury then promptly dealt away.
Wasn't Milbury responsible for drafting the talent? He just wasn't smart enough to hold onto the talent.
garfield: Wasn't Milbury responsible for drafting the talent? He just wasn't smart enough to hold onto the talent. So what lesson can be gleaned from this episode? Hire Mad Mike as your head scout, but do all your business with him in a Chili's. Anywhere really, just not at the rink.
Big on character doesn't put up the W's?! Character alone won't get you to the playoffs. My nine year olds have a ton of character - will Milbury sign them up?
Character alone won't get you to the playoffs. No it won't. But it will help. Character let's you listen to your coaches. It gets you to play as a team. It keeps you up when then things are down. It makes you look at what you can do better and not which teammate or coach to blame. It makes you show up to play every game. Lou Lamoriello has put many teams together based on players with character. If you don't have it, you don't play on his team. 4 trips to the finals and 3 cups in 9 nine yrs. nuf said
