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Comeau Avoids Arbitration with 1-year Deal |
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With the Arena vote behind them, the NY Islanders have avoided salary arbitration with Blake Comeau and have inked him to a one-year deal worth (reportedly) $2.5 million.
While it is good to have Comeau around for to start the season, I can't help but think the 25-year-old may not necessarily END the season in an Islander sweater. I am probably wrong, but a one-year deal at a reasonable rate does make him easy to trade or use for leverage.
Okay, the rant about the vote. I took my friend Brooks Simpson's advice yesterday and decided not to write out of emotion. I will say I am a little disappointed at the turnout. While I fully expected there to be a large number of NO votes, I expected a better showing than only 17% of registered voters of Nassau County.
If I did the math correctly, .007% of the Nassau population managed to kill Ed Mangano's plan. Now, how Mr. Mangano miraculously had a Plan B announced at 2 pm today is beyond me when all indications were that THIS was the last best effort to keep the Coliseum and the Islanders on Long Island.
Mangano was no match for the big Dem "NO" machine run by Jay Jacobs. As Charles Wang said last night on the 11 o'clock news "the sound bites won out over the facts." Well, this is politics and facts are easily manipulated. Jacobs still says something can be done to keep the Islanders where they are, but many of his plans and ideas may make the team even less profitable (if that's possible) than they are now.
Still, it is very possible that something can be worked out with Nassau County in the long run. But the long run is running out of time. Not only due to the sheer reality of what it takes to build an arena, but also Mr. Wang's advancing age. When he started this, he was already a wealthy, middle aged business man. How much longer do you think he wants to deal with Nassau County political ineptness and financial loss.
Last night he was heartbroken. Pretty soon he could become simply apathetic to the entire situation. Another few years of losing money in a run down building will do that. It won't be a question of where will Charles Wang move the Islanders after 2015. It will be to whom will Charles Wang sell the Islanders to -- who will then move the Islanders after 2015. Even if the County is willing to sell him the land, I am not sure what the zoning of the Town of Hempstead will allow him to build or if he would want to take on a project like that at this stage of his life.
Katie Strang received a quote from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. He too was disappointed in the outcome and said the NHL will continue to work to keep the Islanders where they belong, on Long Island. But we all know that only works for so long.
If we are not careful, it could in deed be -- So Long.
A ray of sunshine tomorrow as Matt Moulson will be signing at the Massapequa mall team store from 6:30 - 7:30 and then at the Meet up at Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza. The Meet Up is by reservation, so I am not sure how many spots are available.
New York Islanders Blogger • 
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