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<heading>ADN;RUSHTON-COLUMN-NYI
</heading>
<msg_id EventId=
"">4699713</msg_id>
<category>News
</category>
<sport>NHL
</sport>
<url>/nhl/news/ADN4699713.htm
</url>
<team>NYI
</team>
<location>
<city>New York
</city>
<state>NY
</state>
<country>USA
</country>
</location>
<SMS>Odd Man Rush: Snow under pressure to improve Isles quickly
</SMS>
<SMS></SMS>
<Editor>By Michael Rushton, NHL Contributing Editor
</Editor>
<text>
Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - The moves that New York Islanders
general manager Garth Snow has made this offseason are just as much about
2015
as they are about this upcoming season.
</text>
<continue>
<P>
More than a few thought the Islanders made a mistake in opting to keep their
2014 draft pick and instead send their selection in next year's draft to the
Buffalo Sabres to complete October's trade for Thomas Vanek.
</P>
<P>
Vanek, by the way, recently wrapped his season as a member of the playoff-
participating Montreal Canadiens after the Islanders were forced to deal the
winger to try to recoup some of the loss when it became apparent they were
not going to the postseason.
</P>
<P>
In keeping his upcoming selection, Snow knows he will be picking fifth overall
and will most likely be getting a talented player who can help in the future.
Had he chosen to keep his
2015 pick, Snow would not have had any idea where
he was picking in what is expected to be a deep draft headlined by a pair of
top selections in Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel.
</P>
<P>
Obviously, Snow has to think his team will improve into a later pick in
2015
or else he isn't doing his job.
</P>
<P>
Snow can take this gamble because of the pending return of captain John
Tavares, who had notched
24 goals and
42 points in
59 games before suffering a
season-ending left knee injury in February while playing for Canada in the
2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
</P>
<P>
Tavares helped the Islanders snap a five-season playoff drought in
2013, but
New York was last in the newly-formed Metropolitan Division heading into the
Olympic break and already
12 points out of a wild card spot.
</P>
<P>
In other words, Tavares needs help and Long Island isn't the most attractive
option for free agents right now. That could change when the club relocates to
Brooklyn for the
2015-
16 season, but Snow has had to get creative.
</P>
<P>
He has done so through trades designed to get a jump on free agency, acquiring
the rights of goaltender Jaroslav Halak from the Washington Capitals back on
May
1 and then doing the same for veteran defenseman Dan Boyle from the San
Jose Sharks on Thursday.
</P>
<P>
Halak has already forgone free agency, inking a four-year deal with the
Islanders on May
22 to stabilize that important position, while New York now
has exclusive negotiating rights with Boyle up until free agency on July
1.
</P>
<P>
Should they sign the
37-year-old, it will cost the Islanders a fourth-round
pick heading the Sharks' way. If they do not sign him, a fifth-round selection
is the cost of the gamble.
</P>
<P>
"We don't know what the future brings with Dan, but we wanted to get that
exclusive negotiating window with him," Snow told Newsday. "He's a defenseman
we think can help our team."
</P>
<P>
Several New York-based newspapers cited Boyle's agent as saying his client is
looking for a two-year deal and according to capgeek.com, Snow has nearly $
28
million of cap space to play with, so signing Boyle shouldn't be a problem.
</P>
<P>
And it is a move Snow needs to make. The Islanders are deep with defensive
prospects and having a veteran like Boyle around for two years -- heck, he
might even be worth three at the right price -- would be invaluable for the
team's future.
</P>
<P>
That's the path Snow has decided to take in getting both Halak and Boyle while
opting to part ways with a future draft pick. Signing Boyle would be sticking
that plan.
</P>
</continue>
<time_stamp> June
6,
2014, at
03:
08 PM ET
</time_stamp>
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