Well the NHL trade deadline came into town like one of those classic winter storms. All the hype for the days leading up to it but when the storm finally hit there was no substance to it and all we got were a few trades. While Islander fans weren’t expecting the world, what turned up was something good but not anything substantial.

Now we get to the day after the deadline and as Isles fans look out their windows, nobody can find Snow. I have been saying it for weeks that I didn’t think the Isles would do much at the deadline and as it turned out, the league didn’t do much at the deadline. The only move of note was the Islanders acquiring winger Shane Prince from the Ottawa Senators for a third round draft pick.

Prince is a 5’ 11”, 23 year old Rochester, New York native that was the Sens second round pick in 2011. He has had success in the American Hockey League and in 42 games in the NHL this year; the rookie has 3 goals and 9 assists. This is clearly not a move to put the Isles over the top but it is a good sound move for a player with an upside.

With that being said, the Isles did not do enough. I’m not just talking about yesterday. Yes the Capitals did add depth and even though I’m not an Eric Staal fan, the Rangers improved short term and give the impression that they are “all in.”

I’m not going to kill Snow though for yesterday. I’m perfectly fine with not overpaying for some of the average talent that was exchanged. I can however, get on Snow for not addressing this teams needs in the offseason. From last year’s deadline, through the offseason and up to this year’s deadline, Islanders’ General Manager Garth Snow has basically done nothing. That is simply not acceptable.

I for one was not expecting the regression of Anders Lee but more eye opening, the absolute failure of a season for Ryan Strome. That coupled with Mikhail Grabovski’s constant injuries and Nikolai Kulemin being very average leads to you still having a good team, but not a serious contender.

This team needed more, especially when the organization knew that Travis Hamonic wanted out over the summer. The actions of Garth Snow do not look like a General Manager that is fighting for his job tooth and nail. Rather it is one word that is a reflection of the whole organization; comfortable. Everyone is comfy in their positions.

We have reached out to the Isles again to see if Islander general Manager Garth Snow would be available to come on the podcast but we have not heard an answer. Nobody has. In my time in the car today driving from Long Island to Connecticut, I heard four General Managers give interviews.

Garth Snow seriously reminds me of the Loch Ness Monster. There are blurry pictures and some old videos but there is no tangible proof of its existence. Wherever Snow is hiding it would be nice if he came out and talked to the media.

As for the game tonight in Vancouver, Noel will have an update later in the day with lineups and pairings. On the Podcast today we were joined by former Islander goalie Kelly Hrudey. The current Calgary Flames analyst for Sportsnet recaps the Trade Deadline and we talk about the Islanders as they push for the playoffs. Enjoy!

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