So you thought watching your team finish dead last in the league was enough punishment? No, you didn't, because you also have to suffer through the seemingly endless but coming-to-a-head questions about the future viability of the team and its whereabouts.
The reward for your patience? The first overall pick in the NHL Draft in a year that offers a highly coveted potential star, the likes of which has rejuvenated other stagnated franchises.
At least you thought it was a reward.
Well, it still is, but it comes with strings attached.
Now you have to suffer through two-plus months of columnists, talking heads, bloggers, fans, and scouts picking apart John Tavares. Because what else is there to do besides watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs?
We can pick apart Victor Hedman and Matt Duchene, too, but that just isn't as much fun, is it?
All I know is that it's still April and my head is already spinning. How are we supposed to make sense of any of this when...
Tavares is like Brett Hull.
Tavares being like Brett Hull is a good thing.
Tavares being like Brett Hull is a bad thing.
Tavares enters the draft much the same way Mike Bossy did.
Tavares is no Mike Bossy.
Tavares can't skate.
Tavares can work on his skating.
Tavares is entitled.
Tavares has answered every challenge.
Tavares will score 40-50 goals.
The only thing Tavares will do is score 40-50 goals.
Hedman is the love-child of Zdeno Chara and Nicklas Lidstrom.
Hedman skates like the wind.
Hedman isn't physical enough.
Hedman won't adapt well to the North American game.
Duchene is the next Steve Yzerman.
Duchene is the next Joe Sakic.
Duchene is now on par with Tavares and Hedman.
Duchene projects to be a good player, not a star.
Duchene's role is already occupied by Josh Bailey.
Had enough?
Go ahead and state your preference for which of these players the Islanders should make (more) famous in June. Go ahead and make your argument for why your preference makes the most sense for the organization.
The only thing that has become really apparent to me is that the Islanders are going to add a damn fine player (players?) to their roster regardless of whom they choose.
What I don't entirely get is the notion that Tavares isn't good enough anymore. There is nothing wrong with the Islanders drafting him for what he is. They should not pass on him for what he isn't.
If we're going to assume that Tavares can be a perennial 40-50 goal scorer, then that's enough. Those players come at a premium no matter how you acquire them. And you need to acquire them to compete in this league. This is a grand opportunity to do so.
Tavares doesn't need to skate as fast as Hedman or be as complete a player as Duchene. The truth is, the Islanders need all three. They can't get all three this year. I just can't get past the fact that it seems much harder to acquire a Tavares than a Hedman or a Duchene. Maybe that's only because it's been 10 years since Ziggy Palffy was sent packing.
A short while ago, many of us seemed to be relieved that even the Islanders couldn't screw this one up by not drafting Tavares. Now I dare say they have even more of a cushion. With the surge in Duchene's stock and the continued slobbering over Hedman, this has fast become a no-lose situation.
Now if it could just fast become June 26th.
****
Kyle Okposo and Mark Streit both emerged victorious in their first contests at the 2009 IIHF World Championship in Switzerland.
Earlier today, Team USA
defeated Latvia 4-2. Okposo assisted on a Jack Johnson goal at 11:15 of the first period to tie the game 1-1. Johnson would score the eventual game winner unassisted with four and a half minutes to go in the second period.
Drew Stafford (unassisted) and Patrick O'Sullivan (from Ron Hainsey and Dustin Brown) also scored for the U.S. The team finished 0-4 on the power play. Robert Esche made 18 saves for the win.
Okposo took two shots on goal, finished +2, and received 15:53 of ice time.
Going by the
game notes, it looks as though Okposo (St. Paul) is playing on an All-Minnesota second line with T.J. Oshie (Warroad) and David Backes (Minneapolis).
Team USA returns to the ice Monday at 10:15 EDT to face Austria.
Yesterday, Streit assisted on a power play goal that accounted for all the scoring as Switzerland held off France 1-0. Martin Gerber recorded the shutout.
Streit's name inexplicably does not appear on the individual stats report page of the
game summary, so you can just assume that he took 12 of Switzerland's 42 shots on goal and logged 38:42 of ice time.
The Swiss next face Germany on Sunday.
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