New York Islanders general manager Garth Snow joined Sirius XM Radio to discuss some hockey.
Sirius XM Radio scored an interview with Garth Snow, the devious general manager of the New York Islanders.This comes as a shock because the former netminder is notorious for operating covertly and rarely taking the time to do interviews with the media.
In accordance to his persona, the discussion lasted a mere thirteen minutes. Still, he revealed some things the Isles fanbase may or may not have previously known.
One of those tidbits was Kyle Okposo, the talented veteran who is an unrestricted free agent.
The message was blunt: the Isles appreciate his contributions, value his leadership, but also acknowledge that because of the salary cap, there’s a legitimate chance they’ll lose him.
#Isles GM Garth Snow on @SiriusXMNHL just now on Okposo: "We wish him nothing but the best." Think that tells you where that's headed.
— Arthur Staple (@StapeAthletic) June 17, 2016
The organization’s view of Ryan Strome hasn’t changed: despite a Sophomore slump, they believe he can still be a gifted passer and a big component of the team’s success moving forward.
Top prospect Michael Dal Colle struggled out of the gate on a dismal Oshawa Generals team, but went on a rampage to conclude the season with the Kingston Frontenacs. He’ll be a big part of the team’s future, Snow said, but don’t bet your life on him making the team out of Training Camp, either.
Snow was incredibly happy for the fanbase and players for advancing to the second round of the postseason for the first time in two-and-a-half decades, but noted that it’s something to build off of. The rebuild was grueling he said, but a neccesary ingredient to winning a series.
The duration of the interview pertained to technical stuff like expansion, Barclays Center and the new ownership.
The league hasn’t released all the parameters regarding expansion, but Snow noted that every team’s going to lose a quality player, and that it’s a positive that there’s a dearth of professional talent.
Charles Wang, who sold the team to Jon Ledecky (if you recognize the last name it’s because his niece, Katie, is an Olympic swimmer) and Scott Malkin a couple of years ago, is a quality guy. The new owners will enact the same winning vision, Snow said.
And Barclays Center, the heavily scrutinized new home of the Isles, has great facilities. Some adjustments, were, well, requiring adjustments, but once the team started pregame skates at their practice facility, it was easier.
The full interview can be found here.
