Where were we?

When last we were into this thing, we were all hopeful for the future but realistic that the future wasn't quite here yet. So, after some good runs during the season, we're kind of in the same place, no?

Good. Now that we've agreed on that, let's not dwell on our negligence in posting anymore.

Instead, let's turn our attention to one of the joys of being an Islanders fan--namely, that, less than a week before a game you've been thinking about going to since the schedule came out, you can buy a ticket for a center-ice seat seven rows off the ice for $39.35, even with Ticketmaster fees. And that's how I got to the Nassau Coliseum last night to see the Islanders take on the Nashville Predators (my Western Conference team of choice).



After the first period, I was beginning to rethink the trip from Jersey. It was a period typical of the Isles of late: lackadaisical skating, defensive breakdowns, and an infuriatingly bad power play. Amazingly, though, I only cursed out loud once. I would've apologized to the children in the general area, but if their parents are taking them to a game where Bruno Gervais is on the ice, I'm assuming they know what they're getting into.



The second period was a good deal better, starting after a strong shift from Frans Nielsen and Kyle Okposo that gave way to a goal on the next shift from, wow, Freddy Meyer. Seeing Freddy Meyer score a goal was proof enough that the night was worth the trip, but then, after two goals from the Predators, the truly incredible happened: Bruno Gervais scored a goal. On the power play (granted, a 5-on-3, but any goal on the power play is something of a miracle). Someday I will tell my grandkids (or, more likely, someone else's grandkids) that I once went to a game where Freddy Meyer and Bruno Gervais scored a goal, and they will look at me like I'm crazy and say, "Sure, old man." But I've got the ticket stub (and it's signed by Butch Goring).



Steve Sullivan's power-play goal in the third seemed like an inevitability, so I took it in stride. And as the clock ticked down, I mentally prepared myself for the long train ride home, where I could at least take comfort in the fact that my Western Conference team had picked up two needed points. But with Marty Biron pulled, the Isles started hustling and digging for pucks and then Mark Streit tied it up (sure, I would have liked to see a forward score, but you can't have it all) with 12 seconds left, and it was high-fives all around.



Overtime was pretty entertaining, and the Isles had some good chances. But it was on to the Frans Nielsen showcase that is the shootout. And Nielsen would've had the winner if Biron hadn't decided to try for his best Wade Dubielewicz impression and failed miserably. Luckily, John Tavares saved the day, and the intimate gathering of friends at the Coliseum headed out into the not-snowy-yet night happy.



I was in between trains, so I went down to the lower level of the Coliseum to see if there was any postgame stuff being filmed. Sure enough, about a dozen diehards were staring at Deb (Kaufman) Placey and Butch Goring as they did their postgame thing. So I hung around and got Mr. Goring to sign my ticket stub. I couldn't pull my act together fast enough to get a picture with him, so that dream will have to be fulfilled some other time.



So, to recap: I saw the Islanders win, bringing me to 3-0 on the season in my in-person Islanders experiences; my second-favorite team picked up a point and stayed in playoff position; I got Butch Goring's autograph; and, to cap it all off, it's a snow day for me today, so the late-night return to Jersey City was no big deal. Who says there's no such thing as a happy Islanders fan?

Happy Days Are Here Again

And breathe out...

The Mediocre One and I arrived at the Coliseum around 6, with the hazy sun beating down. After we were inside for about a half-hour, we stepped out to the concourse and saw this:



Not a good sign. My stomach started to churn a little more.

There were lots of people milling around the Coliseum floor, so we didn't stay there too long. We had some brief thoughts of buying some cheap merch (until I realized the line was way too long to wait on, especially for a Shawn Bates nameplate and a Dave Scatchard shirt) and taking a locker room tour (until, again, it was hard to justify waiting in a line that long just to gaze upon Tim Jackman and Dean Chynoweth, especially since I'd seen the locker room during last year's draft party debacle, where there were no lines at all). Instead, the Mediocre One grabbed a beer and I took some atmospheric photos.

Nice touch, putting the organ on the floor:



Here's Disco Chris King:



And, for Howie, a nice posed photo of Billy Jaffe:



Mike Bossy in the house:



There were plenty of jersey fouls to be seen:





And the relaying of word from Washington:



Then, we sat down and prepared for whatever the hell was coming. TMO called up Rev. Zamboni, who relayed the information that Colorado seemed convinced the Isles would take Duchene. This did not bode well for our safety, as every time Duchene appeared on the big screen, boos rained down (Hedman got his fair share too, but he at least seemed to have some supporters). We made note of the nearest exit.

As 7:00 drew nearer, I began to develop that feeling I get in the pit of my stomach prior to almost every Islanders-Rangers game. It is the feeling that something completely horrible is reasonably certain to happen, and when it does, there will be endless rounds of mockery that follow. TMO stated that he was feeling a bit uneasy, too.

After Bettman's standard long-winded introduction, it was go time. With TMO keeping the Rev informed over the phone, I was in charge of capturing the moment of euphoria/dismantling of the Nassau Coliseum. And it was exactly like this (sorry for the bad sound, but I think I captured the spirit of the thing):



And all was right with the world.



We stuck around to see if the Tavares interview was forthcoming, but I had a train to catch (thanks for the lift, TMO), so we bolted. I shared the good news with the LIRR ticket taker on the Hempstead train, and then another ticket taker broke the news that the Isles had traded up, which didn't surprise me. By the time I made it to Connolly's in NYC to see my friend's band (10 minutes to spare), the Isles had traded up again and selected a guy I'd never heard of (though, based on my knowledge of college and junior hockey, that's not such an amazing feat). I still don't know much about Calvin de Haan, or why the Isles were so high on him that they were willing to let so many picks go, but I'm not gonna think too much about it.

Why? Because for one night, things went as they should for the New York Islanders. Ten thousand Islander fans (their estimate...I'd place it a little lower) celebrated a happy occasion (I'd think even the Hedman supporters--and the Duchene backers, assuming there were some--were somewhat happy). People who'd been waiting for a reason to erupt finally got it.

And that's enough for today.

We Live In Hope

We hope that our team doesn't move to Kansas City.

We hope that Rick DiPietro plays a full season someday.

We hope that Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey turn out to be superstars, or at least not Dave Chyzowski and Brett Lindros.

We hope that Alexei Yashin is sorry for what he did (or, rather, didn't do).

We hope that we can one day hold our heads up high and not be the punchline to every joke.

And we hope that when all the clouds of secrecy disappear, Garth Snow and the Islanders step up to the podium and pick John Tavares tomorrow night. Not necessarily because he's the best player (though he probably is). Not because Victor Hedman and Matt Duchene are much more inferior players (by all accounts, they're probably not). But because it is what must be done.

If the scouts are to be believed, Hedman and Duchene will both have long, successful careers in the NHL. And I wish them the best (unless they find themselves on the Rangers at some point in their careers). But, for the Islanders, and the fans who will gather at the draft party Friday night (you can say the draft party has no impact on the decision the Isles make, Garth, but you'll be whistling a different tune when the fans start beating Sparky the Dragon with sticks), the choice has to be Tavares. It is the safe choice. It is the best choice. It is the right choice.

Please, Garth, please.

The Palm Isle will have representatives at the draft party. I'll be there until right after the pick is made, at which point I have to dart to the train to get back to the city to see my friends' band play (bros before Snow, that's how I roll), but I believe The Mediocre One will be staying a bit longer. In any event, one or both of us should have a recap up over the weekend.

[ADDENDUM: I do not speak for our most celebrated Palm Isle denizen, The Rev. Zamboni, who has declared himself a Hedman supporter. Of course, he will not be in the Nassau Coliseum at 7:15 Friday night, so his declaration is understandable. I just want to live to see 33.]

An Oddball Opinion

I'm going to break ranks here. I bleed orange and blue and everything, but I'm getting a little tired of this Texas Hold'em all-in approach to the "Lighthouse Project." I'm in favor, I'm in favor and I want it to happen but good holy christmas--what's the rush? Is the reason you're not going to an Islanders game really because of the arena? I mean, if they were contenders are you telling me you'd be staying home because there's not an expensive steak restaurant there? Please.

What's more disturbing is the complete lack of interest on the environmental impact of this project. Again, I want it to happen, but if Hempstead has to take some time to get their collective heads around what this will do to the environment then I am fine with that. I like my water to be as unpolluted as possible and if that means I have to go to some more games and park in a crumbling parking lot and watch an antiquated scoreboard then I'll survive. Think I'm overreacting? Check out this article from the same paper that's treating Wang like he's Ghandi.

Call me a whiny liberal environmentalist if you want (hell, I'm just happy someone's reading this blog) but here's how I see it: One of the richest men in America uses a hockey team to strong arm some local politicians into approving a gigantic building project. As far as I know it's environmentally sound, but if the project were somehow to be considered a huge environmental liability, how could these politicians possibly stand up to the onslaught of Newsday and Wang dragging us fans along with them? I'm guessing the politicians would be strung up before getting a chance to explain the delicate intricacies of our aquifers or whatever other problematic impact the project might present. I don't exactly know how to take the moderate road of wanting the team to stay and getting a new arena while avoiding feeling bullied into supporting Wang's project on his terms. Open to suggestion...

Related articles (for those wondering where the hell this all came from) here and here.

NO! NO! NO!

I know the Rangers are going to trade for him and the Islanders would never touch him, but I have to respond to this.


Why is it so hard for people to understand the importance of rebuilding? I don't get it. Anyway, yes, I did update the picture.

Long Island Threatens to Move One of its Last Redeeming Qualities

I’m sure if this blog is ever to achieve some moderate level of success, I’ll have to avoid insulting Long Island. Until that time let me say that the Islanders are one of the few things you can say about the place until you resort to, “well, it’s not New Jersey.” I think without the Islanders the few cultural attachments to the rest of the world will be gone and the Island might as well sink into the North Atlantic taking a significant chunk of the country’s strip malls and douche bags with it leaving the rest of the country to wonder why it suddenly got so quiet.

It was amazing yesterday to see how a single preseason game made everyone lose their mind. A wise man once said, “don’t believe the hype—don-don-don’t believe the hype.” Luckily, the Lighthouse project is taking a long time to approve which gives the Islanders some time to show the ever-patient New York area sports fans a chance to see what’s happening here. I had a Ranger fan sing, “I’m Going to Kansas City” to me, I had Islander fans telling me, “they stink they deserve to move.” But they’re not moving—they’re just threatening to. And as much as I was wrong about Mark Streit being awful before the season began and several other things, I know the Islanders aren’t moving. Don’t take a poor attendance as a sign of dispassionate fans. I’m happy to compare our passion with any team’s fans. As white collar as Long Island can be sometimes, the Nassau Coliseum is as blue collar as it gets. Try going to a Ranger game sometime where there are so many suits you’re not sure if you’re going to see the hockey or Pavarotti perform Carmen. Anyway, I’m OK, you’re OK, let’s not lose are heads just yet.

Good News

I just finished a Geography class which was one of the most depressing regular scheduled hours of my life. Basically, Long Island is an environmental disaster and our water is close to being completely poisoned. In that light, politicians in Hempstead should be commended for doing a thorough job on the environmental impact of the project. Also, the locals may have heard that traffic can be a problem around here. Something else to look into. But they said they would have already approved the revamped coliseum if that’s all Wang wanted. Clearly they’re on our side and want this to happen but this project is, in my estimation, unprecedented so there’s a bit of catching up to do. If nothing else, this whole thing has momentarily seized the attention of the New York sports media—something I never thought the Islanders had in them.

Heaven Must be Missing a Center

I’m going to take a page out of the Craig Carton playbook and start this drumbeat now if no one else has yet—John Tavares must be drafted if the Islanders get the opportunity. Sure, I just really found out about him because of that sweet goal in the World Junior Championships, but don’t act like you’ve been keeping a steady eye on his development with Oshawa. Besides, you can’t blame me for thinking about a juicy first overall pick at this point. So tell your Congressman, your friends, tell your ‘massage therapist’ that you want John Tavares in an Islander uni this time next year. Feel free to come up with a good, easy chant we can shout during Islander games… Oh, hell, it’s gonna be “We want Tavares! CLAP, CLAP, CLAP-CLAP-CLAP!” no matter what clever thing we come up with. And if we friggin’ trade down again I have all of you to blame for not helping me.

The Canadian Double Standard

Tonight, the Vancouver Canucks honor one of the all-time good players in NHL history, Trevor Linden. And no, that’s not a typo. Trevor Linden was a good player. Nothing flashy. And yet, he’s treated like a god amongst the Canuck faithful and some of the Canadian media. And for what? He was a good ol’ Canadian boy playing for a Canadian team.

Look, I don’t want to take anything away from Trevor Linden. I really don’t have any issues with the Canucks retirement of his jersey. Here on Long Island I’m no stranger to a team reliving the past as a way to deflect attention from the present. But what does strike me about Linden was his ineffectiveness here on Long Island along with several other notable Canadian favorites.

And hell, who could blame them? There were more than a handful of reasons to be disappointed in playing for the Islanders. Things were a little different ten-plus years ago when these guys donned the fishsticks. ‘Financial crisis’ doesn’t quite capture the circus that was the time. One horrible year after another killed attendance in the Coliseum and after all, the bright lights of Nassau County aren’t exactly comparable to pretty much anywhere else.

Linden is not alone as far as former Islanders being honored in Canada. Wendel Clark was honored earlier this year by his Toronto Maple Leafs. And I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before someone throws a party for Kirk Muller. These three have more in common than just playing for the Islanders but that they failed to live up to expectations. Each one was a little different, but they were part of a long chain of disappointments. What separates them from the pack, however, is the fact that these bleed-maple-syrup Canadian boys seemed to lack that same 110% they gave with their former Canadian teams.

But the fact remains that these players did not live up to their billing, regardless of what happened off the ice. Clark’s numbers dropped considerably when he was on the Island, Trevor Linden was prone to long slumps and the Kirk Muller incident finally torpedoed Don Maloney’s questionable GM tenure and launched Mike Milbury’s. But this was all glossed over by the hockey and Canadian media when covering these careers.

Now none of this would be a problem except for the insistence that men like these gave their all, night-in and night-out, unlike those without Canadian passports. And here in lies the Canadian double standard: Canadians highlight everyone else's problems and forgetting their own.



I have to disagree slightly with some of the Rev’s comments from earlier this year. Players from different countries are different. The truth is that Europeans grow up with a different view of the NHL than North Americans. They don't follow teams, they follow fellow countrymen. They do watch live broadcasts of the World Championship every year and come out en masse to see the finals in those tournaments. Their style is a little different because of the rules and rink size, etc. And when they play abroad, they may not have the same motivation--just like so many Canadians that have played on Long Island.



And then we see European players return home when they still have a few years left simply to play in front of their own people. So at the end of the day, Europeans come with some different values. It doesn’t make them soft but spending years living in a different country—check that a different continent—can’t be easy. Yet the NHL is full of Europeans leading in a variety of categories so they can’t be too much softer than their Canadian colleagues.

Look, the point is that the Canadian grizzled hockey machines are myths. Everyone’s human and has their hang-ups. So as our colder North American brethren salute their legends, remember that even they didn’t always have all that heart with which Don Cherry speaks so highly of. Or maybe I’m just a silly, naïve hockey fan from the US.

A Plea

Before mustaches were retro

I am sick of league tyranny. The NHL under the Bettman administration has been one disappointment after another. One year the refs call penalties one way, the next they call it another way. Schedule formats change, conferences shift and unprofitable expansion is embraced. And yet, the league slavishly clings to one of the most outdated tenets of the game—three periods.

The current format today is as old as it is unfair. The first written record of ice hockey period lengths comes from an 1883 three-team tournament at a Montreal winter carnival. It was the first championship of hockey and featured TWO 30-minute periods.[i] This became the standard until the 1910-11 season which saw the format change into our current three 20-minute periods.[ii] This format has been with us now for… carry the one… 98 years!

And as we can see from the on ice product, this is outdated. The game of hockey wants to be a faster game? How about being done in 40 minutes instead of 60 minutes? Look at other sports—the NFL, NBA, and MLS all have two halves. Yet the NHL continues with its archaic, and may I say uneven, three-period system.

There are those who would point to my affiliation with the Islanders and their penchant for blowing leads in the third period (hereafter referred to as the ‘turd’ period) as the reason for making such a plea but to them I say, “OK, we get it Mr. Douchebag, you can read. This is me clapping slowly and sarcastically for you. clap… clap… clap…”

In conclusion, I would like to ask all readers to please write Gary Bettman and insist that he bring the NHL into the 21^st century and dispense with turd periods. Thank you.

---

[i] Fischler, Stan. “The Great Book of Hockey.” 1991 pg. 3.

[ii] Ibid. pg. 19

I.C.E., I.C.E. Baby

Went to the team store in Hicksville Tuesday night to get some autographs from Kyle Oh!kposo and Blake Comeau (The Mediocre One chose not to attend so he could play hockey...oooh, your desire to do something athletic is really impressive, Jack LaLanne). Pretty good crowd considering it's the middle of summer. It still wasn't a big enough crowd to turn people away, which would've been cool to see (though not so cool if it meant my trip to Hicksville was for nothing...not that a trip to Hicksville isn't always rewarding).

Still, I'm liking this I.C.E. Tour thing the Islanders are doing over the summer, taking players out to events in the community and keeping the team's name out there in the off-season. Even if the Lighthouse Project (the song on the website has to go) comes through—and it needs to—there still needs to be interest and, more important, some sort of investment from the local community in the team if the Islanders organization is to thrive. With the Dragons and the Long Island Ducks the only other pro sports teams on the Island (and I am using "pro" very loosely), there really is no reason that the Island shouldn't rally around the Isles. Of course, some playoff success will help that, but the community outreach done on the I.C.E. tour is perhaps even more important. It's much easier to root for guys when you see them at the local park or signing free autographs at the team store or when the team gives your kids a free hockey net. It's a simple thing, but, just like in the game itself, it's doing the simple things right that brings success. I'm not up on the community outreach that other NHL teams are doing, but it seems to me that the model the Islanders are using here could do wonders for teams around the league and the game as a whole. But what do I know?

Anyway, a tap of the stick to the I.C.E. Tour. Check out the full calendar here.

Thank you, Shawn Bates

I have witnessed precious few truly exciting sports moments live and in person. In fact, I can only think of three. I saw Jimmy Connors start his legendary run at the 1991 U.S Open against Patrick McEnroe. I saw the Newark Bears win the Atlantic League championship last year (hey, it was exciting to me). And I saw Shawn Bates score that penalty shot goal against the Leafs in Game 4 of the 2001-2002 playoffs:



I would have to fill you in on far too many personal details to explain how much that playoff game--and most of that season--meant to me, but I will tell you that I have never felt quite like I felt when Bates capped off that ridiculous third period with that goal. With that one goal and the subsequent eruption it caused in the Coliseum, Bates made all those years of frustration that came with being an Islanders fan seem worth it.

So, even though it was inevitable, the official news of the Islanders severing their ties with Bates still leaves me a little sad. Sure, there were far too many times we saw a mouthguard-chewing Bates after flubbing a scoring attempt, but who cares? If the only goal Bates ever scored was on that penalty shot, he would still be one of my favorite Islanders.

The Reverend and I shared an elevator at the Coliseum with Bates last year, and I was standing right next to him. It occurred to me that I should thank him in some way, but after he didn't hear me say, "Hey, Shawn," I decided not to push the matter. I'm sure I would've embarrassed myself, so it's probably for the best.

But consider this my thank you to Shawn Bates. Good luck wherever life takes you.

Flirting with Disaster

There's nothing quite like watching a disastrous situation unfold before your eyes. Sure, you can see clips on TV or read all about it in the paper, but there's no substitute for being there when the wheels come off.

And, so, I am ultimately glad I got to see this year's NHL Draft live on the scoreboard at the Nassau Coliseum. Sure, I could've gotten a sense of the collective "Wha' happened?" on the Islandermania message boards, but it wouldn't have been nearly as memorable as being there when the trade with Toronto was announced to a hearty chorus of boos...which was topped mere moments later when Garth Snow traded down again, setting off a cacophony of grumbling, shouting, and wailing (and later the "Garth Snow...SUCKS!" chant). When Gary Bettman said that he had another trade instead of announcing the Isles' No. 7 pick, there was that palpable feeling of "No way...not possible." And then it was possible, signaling the mass exodus and the all-too-familiar walk of shame from the stands back to the parking lot.

To echo the thoughts of the Mediocre One and many other Isles fans, I have nothing personal against Joshua Bailey. In fact, I feel bad for him and worried that he would get a muffled reception when he showed up on the screen for his live interview (he didn't...the true-blue Isles fans rallied together to give him a proper, if slightly subdued welcome). I wish him the best and hope to see him on the Island for years to come. He seems like a bright kid, and there is certainly a significant upside to him. But Snow's outright refusal to nab one of the seven consensus immediate-impact players was crushing for those of us who had decided to spend their Friday night staring at the Coliseum scoreboard and sifting through Brent Sopel and Ryan Smyth shirts on the clearance tables. This was supposed to be the blastoff on the rocket ship back to the top of the division. It was supposed to be a moment for Isles fans to bask in the glow of that thing so often in short supply in the hearts and minds of those who come to the Coliseum: hope. Instead, it just seemed like business as usual.

Though I was initially gut-punched by the trade down (but I stayed until the bitter end, until they turned the scoreboard off and told us to leave), I feel a little better after reading about some of the guys taken in Rounds 2 and 3. Believe me--I would like nothing more than to see Bailey and the guys taken with the extra picks form the core of a new dynasty (or at least a team that can finish higher than eighth) and for Garth Snow and his scouts to be declared geniuses. And, if so, I was there when it all got started. Otherwise, I was there when it all fell apart. We'll see.

Here are some photos from Friday night:

John Buccigross interviews Josh Bailey live via satellte:



Future stars (pleasepleaseplease) Robin Figren and Jack Hillen, both of whom seemed like swell guys:



For the good times:



Another example of poor Islanders management: these Sock-'Em Yashins were in a playhouse for kids; let adults have at these guys for $5 a session and watch the money pour in. (make up some Snow ones while you're at it):

Robbed!

After the Rangers lost to the Devils in the shootout yesterday, I was doubly pleased, because (a) the Rangers lost, which is always exciting, even in a meaningless shootout and (b) the loss meant that, by my accounting, the Islanders won the Hummer Metro Ice Challenge (the Isles and Rangers finished tied in points, but the Isles win on tiebreakers--total wins and won the head-to-head against the Rangers). I know, I know. I shouldn't be excited about things like that. But this season, I will take what I can get.

Then, because I didn't watch the postgame show, I discovered this morning that MSG declared the Rangers the winner and gave their charity the money.

Um, as the kids say, WTF?

Seriously, that's disgraceful. Chris Botta sums it up here. Get outraged, America.

And let's go, gulp, Devils.

I Needed to See Sean Avery Get Punched.

So I went onto Youtube and this made me laugh instead.



Anyway, I can't be to depressed about the B squad losing. In all honesty, it was nice to see a few creative plays out there. The kids are a little more fun to watch, if not as good, as their major league counterparts.

The Howie and Billy Flirt of the Game
I'd like to first open this to sponsorship as next season I hope to make this a regular installment on the blog. Tonight's bit of flirty dialogue came as the culmination of banter involving the league MVP. Billy, who thought it should be Ovechkin, was relentless in his teasing of Howie for not agreeing. These juicy lines came in the third period after hearing that Ovechkin had scored "again".
Billy: (In a high, whiny voice) "You're going to change you vote!"
Howie: "I can be bought..."
This was no doubt followed by off-camera winking, smiles and slapping each other. Again, any sponsors should please contact the Rev. Zamboni.

Leafs Fans, You So Craaazy

So, Bryan McCabe invites all the Leafs to his house for a party. He asks Paul Maurice if he can bring the beer. The coach says that's no problem and loads up his SUV with cases of beer.
En route to the party, the coach is at a traffic light and the guy in the car next to him is blowing his horn and yelling "GO LEAFS!" Maurice smiles and waves.
The guy yells over to Maurice: "Hey coach! What's with all the beer?"
The coach replies: "Oh. I got it for McCabe."
The other guy punches the air and cheers.
"Great trade coach! Great trade!"

This will probably be resolved by the time you read this post, but Garth Snow has offered to take McCabe from the Leafs if they throw in a first round draft pick. McCabe has a no-trade clause, but would wave it for the Islanders (not often you hear that) and his nearly six million a year contract would be our problem. At the end of the day, the offer is Snow's way of saying, thanks but no. I'm guessing the deal won't go anywhere. But my god, someone should tell the Leaf fans. They're losing their mind. I don't think Snow is god's gift to GM's, but seriously, he's not a complete idiot. He's negotiating and basically saying "no" to McCabe. It's also a note to all buyers that the prices are high this year. Read between the lines, brother Canuck.

I suck at HTML so you'll have to cut and paste this the old fashioned way.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/rumors/post/Islanders-would-take-McCabe-but-want-draft-pick?urn=nhl,68493