Hoo boy. Another nice, quiet period in the hurricane of ludicrousness that we
like to call the New York Islanders.
First, the trade.
On Saturday, the Islanders, who have gone winless in a season-high eight
straight games (0-7-1), traded 1997 Calder Trophy winner Bryan Berard to the
Toronto Maple Leafs for goaltender Felix Potvin.
Tom Laidlaw, Berard's agent, tried to outquote Mike Milbury when he said the
Isles' limitation of Berard's offensive rushes was akin to "having Picasso
paint your garage." Berard was never content to play his position and look
for his chances, constantly making bad passes and getting caught out of
position.
"With the system we were trying to run, I just don't think I fit that well,"
Berard said. "They want to have a defensive-minded system. I'm kind of wide
open. What surprises me about that, was that (Milbury) knew what I was when he
got me."
The Islanders traded for Berard, the first overall pick in the 1995 NHL Entry
Draft, in January 1996. They sent the second pick, Wade Redden, to Ottawa in
a deal that also involved the end to the infamous Kirk Muller struggle.
Berard was compared to two-time Norris Trophy winner Brian Leetch of the
Rangers en route to winning the 1997 Calder Trophy as the NHL Rookie of the
Year with 8-40-48 numbers.
But he faltered in his sophomore year, badly. Though he nearly doubled his
goals en route to 14-32-46, his defensive liabilities were far more evident,
as he slumped to a -32 rating. (I guess he really was the next Brian Leetch.)
Berard came to camp this season with the intent of reversing his downward
spiral, and got off to a good start. The power play was ranked first in the
league for a while, but he had only four goals and was -6 before another groin
injury. And there have always been questions about his dedication.
"I can't tell you he won't become a terrific player in this league," Milbury
said. "I know he was feeling some pinch, though I don't believe it was there
quite as much as he felt it. I think he learned a lot during his stay on Long
Island. I think it will hold him in good stead as he moves on. I trust that
he'll hear some of the same comments from coaches in Toronto he did in New
York and perhaps will adjust his game accordingly. He came a long way
defensively, maybe at some expense to his offense. Maybe there's a blend they
will find there in Toronto that we didn't quite accomplish here."
As for the newest Islander -- well, Felix, welcome to the fire.
Now, wait a second, didn't the Isles already have a number one goalie?
Yes, they did, and he's pissed.
Coach/GM Mike Milbury has been unable to secure a trade for Tommy Salo, who
was the No. 1 goalie before the arrival of Potvin. On Saturday night, Milbury
told Salo he would not dress and that he should watch the game at the team
hotel in Montreal. He did not speak to Salo again until late Monday, then had
Salo watch the game against the Washington Capitals from the press box at the
MCI Center.
Edmonton, Calgary, and Nashville have all been mentioned as possible
destinations for Salo. Edmonton is rumored to have offered Janne Niinimaa for
Salo. Nashville is believed to be offering draft picks.
The first game for Potvin was a microcosm of the Isles' season. They fell
behind 4-1 and lost to the Capitals 4-3 as Potvin was singed for three bad
goals, one by Mike Eagles from behind the net.
The loss dropped the 13th-place Islanders to 13-26-3. The team is 3-15-3 in
its past 21, and are 0-23-1 when their opponent score first.
They trail the Pittsburgh Penguins by 16 points for the eighth and final
postseason berth in the Eastern Conference. And the Penguins have six games in
hand.
Well, at least they have committed ownership, right?
Right?
Well, uh....
On Monday, Islanders co-owner Howard Milstein announced he had teamed with a
Washington, D.C., area businessman to purchase the National Football League
Washington Redskins for a record $800 million -- meaning he will have to sell
his interest in the Islanders. Islanders co-owner, Steven Gluckstern, can
reportedly not afford to purchase the team outright.
But former Islanders great Clark Gilles, who won four Stanley Cup
championships with the team between 1980-83 and headed one investment group
seeking to purchase the Islanders before the franchise was sold to Milstein
and Gluckstern for $195 million in February, wondered if anyone would still be
interested in buying all or a portion of the team.
"What do you have to do here to get this thing back on track?" Gilles said.
"It's a major project . . . Before anybody's going to step up and put up what,
45 percent of $195 million, they have to ask themselves a big question: 'What
are you buying? What are you getting?'
"You have to be willing to lose $25-$30 million on the come you're going to
get a new building, that officials in Nassau County are going to make it
possible to get a new building. But, really, what kind of commitment do you
have from the county? Nothing. I hate to say it, but you have to wonder if you
would be better off going out and getting an expansion team."
Now, if you're wondering why the Isles couldn't afford to give Zigmund Palffy
a decent contract, and refused to give Trevor Linden a raise, and yet the
co-owner could spend almost a billion dollars for one of the worst teams in
football...well, I don't have an answer for you.
In a rare bit of good news, Kenny Jonsson was named to the World Team for the
NHL All-Star Game in Tampa.
"I'm proud," the 24-year-old Swede said. "But it's the team I have to win or
lose with and we have to turn things around here. Otherwise, it's going to be
a long year."
Asked about the All-Star skills competition, Jonsson, in a bit of dry wit,
said: "My skill is going to be finding a new owner."
