Coming off an exciting evening of deals with Vegas Golden Knights’ General Manager George McPhee, Garth Snow delivered the for the New York Islanders in a huge way.
Love him or hate him, Garth Snow killed it for the New York Islanders in the last 48 hours. With Mikhail Grabovski off their books, Snow took $5 million in dead salary (along with Ryan Strome) and turned cap space into the long-awaited elite winger for John Tavares.
There’s no shortage of history between Jordan Eberle and Tavares, as personified by the above goal in the 2009 World Junior tournament.
According to Newsday:
“I’m excited to be part of that, get a bit of a fresh start. John is a generational player, he thinks the game better than anyone in the league. We’ve had some chemistry together in the past. I think the way he plays suits my game.” – Jordan Eberle on joining the Islanders
So, finally, the question that remained for seven years has been answered. John Tavares has an elite winger in Jordan Eberle, and this one is without dispute.
This is a deal that benefits both clubs. The struggling Strome who scored only 58 points in the past 140 games — that’s through two seasons — should find new life in a young Oilers lineup and a change of scenery.
With Jordan Eberle, the Islanders have an answer to Tavares who wants to see the organization take the proper steps that will make a “win now” club. Eberle scored 51 points last season, one more than Strome’s best season, and that was an off year for the three-time 60+ point scorer.
Let it Snow:
Garth has begun to reconcile for his transgressions in the 2016 offseason. As fans know, the team failed to replace the second-line center who departed in Frans Nielsen while putting too many eggs in the basket of their younger players to pick up the slack.
With Tavares’ contract situation growing more ominous by each passing day, Snow has been working phones in an attempt to show the star center just how committed he should be to the Islanders in the long-term. With that being said, landing Eberle is not enough to mend the issues from the 2016-17 team.
There is still a deep hole in the literal center of the lineup that the Islanders continue to look for in the trade market (yes, Matt Duchene). Fans should not be satisfied with this move alone but should be excited for the next coming days as Garth looks for a second and possibly third piece.
Tomorrow marks the NHL’s 2017 entry draft, and it should be another busy day for Snow on the phone lines.
