Snow Trades Down Twice; Selects Josh Bailey

With a 5th overall pick in a top heavy draft, it was hard not to get excited. One of those seven was going to be an Islander. We'd finally have a blue chip prospect to go along with Kyle Okposo.

Well, things went a bit differently than expected.

Garth Snow traded down not once, but twice to move down to #9 overall and selected center Josh Bailey from the Windsor Spitfires. It was a selection that was unexpected by the fans, as many of them had Filatov on their mind.

I have no issues with Josh Bailey, and I think will turn into a good NHLer. I see him as a 1st or 2nd line center down the road. Josh is a hard working playmaker, who has some grit to his game and doesn't back down. That's all great, and if his work ethic is as strong as it says it is he can make himself really good. When he was selection, the boys at TSN said he was a pretty good pick and even hinted he could be in the lineup next year.

The Islanders picked up some extra picks in the 2nd and 3rd rounds by trading down twice. That's understandable as they have a need for quantity in the system. But, they needed quality just as bad here. In my opinion, you address the quality first. When interviewed after making the first trade with Snow, Maple Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher was interviewed by the crew at TSN. When asked about dealing away the 2nd and 3rd round picks, Fletcher didn't hesitate in explaining how important going for quality first is. He ended up taking defenseman Luke Schenn.

Now, that's not to say Josh won't be a quality player. In every draft quality players can come out of anyone in the first round. Some of those at the top might not pan out either. I can't say that I know enough about Josh to make any sort of assumption yet.

By moving down two times, not only did the Isles pass up on Scehnn, but they also passed up on winger Nikita Filatov, center Colin Wilson, and winger Mikkel Boedker.

The one that hurts the most is losing out on Filatov. Islander fans wanted this guy bad. The team ached for a guy of his caliber bad. Franchise wingers don't grown on trees, and last I checked a franchise player at any position wasn't rushing to sign here. That's why you draft them when you have the chance.

Bailey did put up 96 points in 67 games in the OHL last year, with 29 goals and 67 assists. But, it was his first year putting up points like that. When the pick was made, the TSN guys mentioned that this was the guy the Islanders wanted all along.

Some fans are annoyed when they think of the long and painful season they endured to even get a top five selection. Although they didn't win the lottery for the chance to get Stamkos, the team had a chance at the second best forward in the draft in Filatov, a guy who many analysts had said if he was Candian, then he would have gone second. Filatov would have been perfect for the Isles, because of his speed, skill, and his ability to be feisty despite his small size. There was no problem with being enigmatic.

Again, its nothing I have against Josh Bailey and I wish him all the luck and will root like mad he turns out to be a 70-80 point playmaker. He is a hard enough worker that he could possibly do that. Now, we already had 2 picks in the 2nd and 3rd rounds to begin with. The Isles wanted to stockpile more while getting their guy. Now I'll admit, I would have been thrilled with Schenn or Filatov. But with a revamped scouting crew, maybe they saw something in Bailey that many fans haven't seen. This is all very possible as many fans haven't seen any of these prospects play; myself included. That is why it's difficult to say for sure who exactly is the best pick.

Excitement on the Eve of the Draft

As an Islander fan, you have to be excited. We are one day away from selecting an excellent player. It's a draft that many experts say is one of the best in years. There are some quality players available well into the 2nd round. However, the first seven or eight picks are ones who could become superstars in the league. That is what makes this draft so exciting.

As GMs arrived yesterday in Ottawa for the event, the trade winds began to pick up. It's been rumored that one GM possibly looking to move around could be our very own Garth Snow. The Isles pick 5th as it stands right now. However, there are rumors that the Los Angeles Kings could be shopping their pick. In The Hockey News' mack draft, they had the Islanders swapping picks with the Kings, and selecting defenseman Zach Bogosian 2nd overall. While I really like Bogosian's game and would not mind him at all, you have to take defenseman Drew Doughty at number two if you're moving up. Yet another rumor that involves LA's pick has them talking with the Penguins about Evgeni Malkin. The Kings have a great young core they have been establishing, especially on offense, and they could really use a blueliner like Doughty to pair with Jack Johnson for many years to come. King's GM Dean Lombardi says that he has received a couple of offers for the 2nd overall, but after discussing it with management are most likely going to stick with their plan for now and hold the pick. Granted, things can change in the hours leading up to the draft. However, I think LA holds the pick and takes Doughty.

Another rumor that involves the Isles is with Toronto. According to the Toronto Sun, the Leafs are once again interested in moving Bryan McCabe and his contract, and once again it is believed he'd only be willing to waive his no trade clause for a trade to the Islanders, where his wife lives and the McCabe family lives in the summer. The Sun says it is very possible that a deal could be worked on that has McCabe and Toronto's 7th overall pick going to the Islanders for the 5th. But as Greg Logan mentions in his blog on Newsday today, Snow has said time and time again that he won't help a team with their contract problems unless it would be worthwhile for him. That would mean Toronto would have to throw in a young player along the likes of Kyle Wellwood, Alexei Ponikarovski, Alex Steen or Matt Stajan. I don't think that this is something Toronto would go for right now, so I would expect McCabe to remain in a Leafs uniform through the draft.

Other rumors of teams looking to move up include Vancouver (10th overall), Chicago (11th), Anaheim (12th) and Ottawa (18th). From an Islander standpoint, it really wouldn't make any sense to move down past 10. I'm not too sure how the Isles can even make a deal with Vancouver as they really don't have that much to give up in order to move up the 5 spots, unless they are considering breaking up the Sedin twins, which I highly doubt.

Now if I'm Snow, I am definitely listening to any offers that come my way. If a team looking to move up comes calling, it could be a great opportunity to pick up an excellent young NHL player, as well as a pretty solid prospect from the first round of this draft. However, moving out of the top 7 or 8 would mean you potentially lose a chance at a superstar prospect, but it could be well worth it depending on the package.

My own personal opinion is that the Isles should keep the pick as it looks like the Russian phenom, winger Nikita Filatov could be available at pick number 5. He seems to be the guy that most fans are hoping for, and rightfully so. Every scouting report has talked about his skill, speed and desire as things that set him apart from some of the other forward prospects in the draft, even though he is a bit on the small side. During the premiere of the new Islanders Insider show yesterday, MSG+ analyst Billy Jaffe mentioned that Filatov is the type of player Detroit would go after because of his skill, puck handling and speed. Detroit certainly knows how to pick them, so it is certainly a good thing if they are high on him. If Filatov is not there at 5, then there is always one of defenseman Luke Schenn, defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and winger Mikkel Boedker.

Filatov has no contractual obligations in Russia next year, and will play in North America for the upcoming season. If he doesn't make it to the NHL, he will be the first overall pick in the Canadian Hockey League import draft and will spend the year there. In a recent post on his blog, Filatov mentioned the Islanders and Toronto as possible destinations, but specifically spoke about the Islanders as being a perfect destination as they do need help offensively and he would have the chance to make the team out of camp. In his first North American "appearance" on radio a few nights ago, he said he thinks he will go to either the Islanders at five or Toronto at seven. He has talked to many teams, and I think he would be able to tell who has shown the most interest. So, he would know.

So there you have it, all the pieces are in place for Filatov to go to the Islanders, and this is exactly what I think will happen.