The New York Islanders failed to build off of a 2012-13 run to the playoffs by failing to improve their defense and replace their aging goaltender. The 2013-14 season was frustrating for the Islanders organization as the team fell right back into a lottery draft selection. And they did so even after trading for star winger Thomas Vanek, and wasting what will be a 2015 first round pick on a player who walked away in the offseason.
The team improved when this past offseason started and Garth Snow signed a proven goaltender in Jaroslav Halak. That move alone was enough to put the Islanders back in the playoff discussion, but it far from guaranteed the team at that time anything. For as inconsistent as the goaltending situation has been, the team’s downfall has always been the defense. Even after signing Halak and adding tremendous depth to an already high-powered offense by signing Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin it was hard to expect much from this years Islanders with no moves made on defense.
Garth Snow’s defensive prospects may be some of the best out there, but Griffin Reinhart and Ryan Pulock can’t be rushed to the big league, and are still multiple years away from being as good as they should be. By not signing any standout defensemen this offseason, the Islanders all but guaranteed they would be a mediocre team who happens to have one of the best players in all of the game with John Tavares.
On Saturday afternoon, that all changed.
Snow traded for not one, but two Stanley Cup winning defensemen. The first was taking Johnny Boychuk, a stay at home, physical defenseman that is the exact type of player the Islanders needed on their blue line from the cap-troubled Boston Bruins for two second round picks and a possible third round pick if he’s traded to an eastern conference team. With a big shot from the blue line, Boychuk has proved to be a dependable veteran two-way defenseman who is in the middle of his prime at age 30.
The next trade involved another cap-troubled team, the Chicago Blackhawks. Snow was able to steal their talented offense first defenseman in 23 year-old Nick Leddy in return for Ville Pokka, Anders Nilsson, TJ Brennan. Leddy comes off of a 31- point season and has shown to be the type of talent a first round pick should be. Although young and still coming into his own, Leddy has only known winning and will bring that mentality to Long Island.
Then, Leddy will bring that mentality to Brooklyn as his expiring contract leaves him as a manageable restricted free agent. The Islanders will play they final home opener at Nassau Coliseum in one weeks time, but it looks as if they haven’t played their final playoff game just yet.
The Islanders will be a true contender in 2014 behind a team that is now well balanced. In return, they will now become a popular pick to make the playoffs as more than just a wildcard but as a top three team within the metropolitan division.
This could be Snow’s final season as general manager, but if it’s not, it will be because of October fourth, 2014.