Whether it was a fire sale is open for debate, but the Islanders
certainly can't be accused of standing pat with a bad team. No,
they may have made it visibly worse. And all Isles fans can say
these days is... "Thank god for the Tampa Bay Lightning."
So much for Draft Deadline '99.
The Islanders began preparing for another few years of
mediocrity and ownership confusion by trading four veterans to
playoff-contending teams in exchange for youth and draft picks.
In separate deals, forwards Robert Reichel and Ted Donato and
goalie Tommy Salo were traded within a few hours by Isles GM
Mike Milbury. Then Sergei Nemchinov was dealt as well.
In all, the trades dumped almost $5 million worth of salary off
the team's payroll.
Reichel, the team's leading scorer this season with 56 points,
was traded with third- and fourth-round picks in next year's
draft to the Phoenix Coyotes for the 21-year-old left wing Brad
Isbister and a 1999 third-round pick. Reichel, who becomes a
restricted free agent this summer, is making about $2 million
this season. His agent, the infamous Paul Kraus, has indicated
his client will start the bidding at $4 million a season, and if
he doesn't get it, will go back to Europe to play. While
Reichel has been a good contributor to the Isles this season,
there were strong indications the Isles didn't think was worth
anywhere near $4 million.
"In conversations with him and his agent, their contract demands
were out of line, certainly for us and for most teams if they
hold to what they asked for," Milbury said. "They weren't
willing to negotiate. And there was sincere talk that Robert and
his wife wanted to go back to the Czech Republic after this
year."
Donato has disappointing numbers (7 goals and 11 assists) after
he was acquired from the Boston Bruins in November. For the 29-
year-old power-play specialist, who was making $1.5 million this
season, the Islanders get a fourth-round pick from the Ottawa
Senators.
Milbury said he was sorry to see Donato go: "He's a good guy,
but we never fit him in and there's no sense having a third or
fourth-line guy making a million bucks on a team that won't make
the playoffs.
Salo, 28, was sent to the Edmonton Oilers for Mats Lindgren, a
24-year-old forward. Salo became expendable when the Islanders
acquired Felix Potvin from the Toronto Maple Leafs for
defenseman Bryan Berard on Jan. 9. This move was definitely not
a salary dump -- Salo makes just over $1 million a year and
Potvin makes almost three times that.
Lindgren, a left-handed center and left wing, had 5 goals and
12 assists in 48 games with the Oilers. He is seen as a solid
two-way player.
"I knew at the time of the trade for Felix Potvin that we
wouldn't have room for both Felix and Tommy," said Milbury.
"We're hoping that Lindgren has a bigger offensive upside than
he's shown. He scored at every other level."
Milbury and Salo have had a contentious relationship for years,
the most infamous incident being the arbitration hearing a
couple years ago where Milbury's cutting down of his goalie led
the Swede to tears, a sure sign of serious mental toughness.
Milbury said of the Salo deal, "Everyone saw it coming. We had
made a decision that it wouldn't work with Tommy in goal for
us."
Nemchinov was dealt at the deadline to the Devils for a 4th-round
pick.
Surprisingly, the three players most rumored to be headed off
Long Island are still part of the Islanders.
Rich Pilon, Bryan Smolinski and captain Trevor Linden all
survived the trading carousel and remained Islanders.
"Under the circumstances, I think we did pretty well," Milbury
said. "You go into a situation and don't have the kind of year
you hope, certain realities become quite clear. There are some
on-ice problems and some economic problems. . . . Roster moves
are simple, though. When you lose, you have to make moves. We
weren't getting it done with the guys we let go."
Though the Islanders are once again in an ownership mess, with
co-owner Howard Milstein far more interested in spending $800
million for a crappy NFL team in Washington, Milbury said
ownership had little input into the deals. And if you believe
that, I've got a bridge to sell you. "We started to push over
$25 million and we weren't getting value," Milbury said. "Now
we're in a position to do things this summer."
Milbury said his top priority for the team is to get "as good a
center as we can find, maybe two. And shore up the defense. I'm
comfortable in goal (with Felix Potvin) and with our top four
defensemen."
***
Little-used center Craig Janney will miss the rest of the season
because of a blood clot in his lower right leg, the Isles
announced. Janney will be at Long Island Jewish Hospital for 4-7
days.
