Thank you.

Perhaps you should look at the amount of activity as a sign that many of the UFAs will not be resigned, and RFAs are not a high priority at this time.

He didn’t name names, okay. But as I read that, all I could think was “Briere.” And then, Drury and Gomez. Maybe even Brad Richards. Who knows? RELAX!! That’s not gonna happen. Chill. Waddell said he didn’t want to take over a bad contract, that 2-3 years down the road, the team just can’t unload. (Buying out a high cap hit player is a recipe for DISASTER. You’re better off keeping the player, than eating the hit to pay him not to play for you anymore, with a ‘ripple effect’ through the year. Alexei Yashin ring a bell?) Okay, that seems smart, to me.

For me, folks, I want Atlanta to make a selection in the draft at #4. Unless a tremendous offer to slide back one to #5 materializes. One GM has been particularly outspoken about wanting to move up: Toronto’s Brian Burke. I think he’s targeting Tavares. Waddell and Burke made a deal, at the trade deadline, that saw Atlanta move Erik Christensen for prospect Eric O’Dell. The two GM’s will allegedly collaborate on the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, BC. So, I wouldn’t be entirely shocked to see Toronto make us an offer for #4. I’m not certain where Toronto drafts. I’m thinking it’s around 7th or 8th. That’s too far to move back, if you’re Atlanta. But if Burke wants to part with a player, Waddell has just said he’s willing to do that. I don’t know who Toronto has that’s worth our #4, other than Luc Schenn. In case you’re curious, thinking Schenn is the one Leaf ‘off the table,’ Brian Burke actually said, “Any player can be traded. Wayne Gretzky was traded. Luc Schenn isn’t out of the realm of possibility.” That’s paraphrased a bit. Burke made those comments back in April, shortly after the regular season ended. I wouldn’t be shocked for Burke to make a blockbuster deal for Tavares, maybe even tossing in Schenn to complete the deal. Remember something, folks. Brian Burke is sitting in the Mecca. He’s been brought in with high expectations, to a market that hasn’t won a Cup since 1967. He’s got Ron Wilson as his Head Coach, his personal choice for the job. He’s got to get the horses he needs. There’s absolutely no doubt that a Tavares acquisition, by Toronto, would set their local media into a FRENZY with excitement. And unless Burke got utterly fleeced by the Islanders, their media is likely to herald the deal. The Toronto media wants Tavares. Burke wants Tavares. Ron Wilson probably wants Tavares. The issue will be, if they get him, what was the cost? If it’s some “throw away” 2nd and 3rd rounders, for the coming years, they’ll probably do the deal.

Remember, when it comes to the Islanders, “a fool is his coveted draft pick are soon parted.” How many 2nd and 3rd round picks would really be enough to compensate for the loss of Tavares? For most GM’s, the answer would be, “not enough to make that worth pursuing.” Remember the rule here, folks. Picks 1-5 = “Can’t miss prospects.” Picks 6-10 = “Probably a good player, but ya don’t really know.” Picks 11-15 = “Good scouting departments make these picks count; if you don’t have one, you shouldn’t count any chickens.” Picks 16-30 = “crapshoot.” And picks 31 and beyond are “A shot in the dark.”

So, who’d really, SERIOUSLY, trade Tavares for “Shots in the dark?” Even if they offered five “shots in the dark,” you’re losing Tavares for the “possibility” of nailing “a shot in the dark.” Stupid is as stupid does, especially if you’re the Islanders. I hope, for the sake of their fans, they have the good sense to reject any offers for that pick that don’t involve Crosby, Malkin, or Ovechkin.

Switching gears, both the ‘Canes and the ‘Hawks are down 0-2, coming home. Something like 85% of the time, the team with the 2-0 lead wins the series. But we’ve already seen tht 0-2 deficit erased and the series won TWICE in these playoffs. The Washington Capitals did it to the NY Rangers. The Rangers won both games in DC, but the Capitals took the series in seven. Pittsburgh trailed the Capitals, 2-0, then won the series in seven games. Game Two winners also have a very high series winning percentage. Those are good things, if you’re Pittsburgh or Detroit.

Tavares, unless traded to Toronto, Burke’s fantasy wish, will be an Islander, more than likely. Hedman will fall into the lap of the Lightning. Duchene, barring something radical, will likely go to Colorado. That leaves MPS, Kane, Schenn, and Cowen at #4. Any of those players suck? The issue will be “how much do they differ?” in terms of their talent and potential, and NHL-readiness. If it’s Kane, it’s Kane. But if it’s MPS or Schenn, I think we could have moved back one slot to pick up a draft pick and still get either of those players.

I really didn’t want Waddell to tip his hand. What if some team really wants MPS, and was willing to give us something to pass on him, at #4? The optimist in me says, “We’re going to get a good player at #4.” Whether we get the BEST POSSIBLE PLAYER at our draft position remains to be seen.

I’m taking Kovy’s position: improve the team or goodbye.

No more talk or excuses, the fans want action and solutions.

My question for Thrashers management is simple: “Where’s the Beef?”

http://thrashers.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=423446

DW says all the right things about signing FAs or making the big trade but talk is cheap, they have to spend to back it up. If he’s being straight, I scratch MP-S off the draft list as DW says the Swedes historically want to stay in Sweden until they are NHL ready, he mentioned waiting a long time for Toby to come over. So that sounds like Kane unless Duchene is available…or unless DW trades down to get an impact player, which I think he may favor doing.