It's Not Going To Happen

Some of the great lies in life are written and told by those who don't have a freaking clue.

How do I know this? Well, I know this because over the weekend I read in Newsday that the Islanders allegedly have had talks in bringing back prodigal cash checker Alexei Yashin. Since then, I have gotten emails and calls and been stopped in the halls at work by people who have asked me if I heard that the Isles were bringing Yashin back this summer.

Just one thing; everybody on the internet and people I know: no one from the Islanders is even quoted in the story saying anything regarding Alexei Yashin. Every statement in there was spoken by Yashin's agent, Marc Gandler.

Gandler is, by trade, an agent. It is in the best interest of an agent to work up some hype behind anyone he or she represents because hype means more money. Gandler is simply using the Islanders in an attempt to drum up some interest in his client--for which presently, there is none.

Think about it for just a second. Garth Snow and the Islanders Brain Trust are publically married to the idea of a youth movement on Long Island. Correct me if I am wrong, but when you decide to go with the kids you have to be prepared to take your lumps, sure, while they learn on the job. But you also need to surround the kids with positive influences in and around the clubhouse. You need them to feel safe and relaxed as the kids learn their way through the NHL and being an adult. You need to coddle and you need to know when to be stern so the kids grow up.

Now, if you're going to go that route, would you bother bringing back in the glaring red sign of inconsistency and alleged aloofness to mix in the incubator? Of course you wouldn't. Why the heck would you mess with that delicate and intangible chemistry by adding a lightning rod to the room?

Look--Garth Snow is simply not that stupid. Ted Nolan is not that stupid and oh, by the way--last time Yashin was an Islander, the coach had tried and tried again and even he couldn't get a consistent effort out of Yashin. Why revisit that nightmare a year after you appeased the loyal fans by paying Alexei Yashin to go away?

And don't give me this "we need more offense" crap. I know we need more offense and yes, Yashin allegedly scored a little bit over in Russia. But do we need the sickness that he brings just to score a few more times? Don't you think that with a healthy Mike Comrie (who played half a season on a bad hip) and a healthy Bill Guerin (who played half the year with a bum shoulder) that those two guys alone are going to be worth more on the scoresheet than Yashin is going to anyway? Why bring The Walking Heat Magnet into the locker room when it is going to be a tough season full of growing pains anyway?

Speaking of Walking Heat Magnets, don't you love it when they show Kirk Muller on the bench as an assistant coach for the Montreal Canadiens and they talk about how great he is with the young players? Don't you just well up in the eyes when you hear about the great leadership "Captain Kirk" brought to the Devils and Habs and Leafs throughout his career? Don't you stick out your chest with pride when you recall the time Muller deigned to join us on the Island and he was such a stand-up guy and leader that turned around the fortunes of the Fisherman Franchise?

You don't? Oh, wow. That is so weird. Weren't those 27 games over 2 years just so freaking legendary? What? They weren't. Man, do I feel dumb.

Anyhoo, there actually is a reason I brought up Kirk Muller and it isn't just because I resent the way he treated the Islanders. I bring it up because on NHL.com, in their Frozen Moment picture of the day, they posted a photo of Pavel Bure from 1995 where he was playing for the Islanders. It actually looks like he may have been trying. Enjoy.

Isles win in OT; Yashin featured in the New York Times

Trent Hunter saved the Isles' bacon last night with the winning goal in OT after our boys had squandered a three-goal lead.

In the second period, the Islanders looked to be coasting along 3-0. Soon it was tied at 3 after a penalty shot score by Eric Perrin and tallies by Ken Klee and former Islander Alexei Zhitnik.

Mike Comrie had two goals and Josef Vasicek and Trent Hunter each made the scoresheet with a goal and an assist. The newest Islander, Rob Davison, added his first point as an Islander on a two-line pass that sprung Comrie in the first period.

Holik had tied the game at four with a little more than a minute left in the third after Comrie had reclaimed the lead early in the period. Hunter capped the game after Josef Vasicek intercepted Klee's pass and whipped the puck in front to Hunter, who made no mistake for his ninth of the season at 1:09 of the overtime.

The Islanders website reports that Frans Nielsen will be re-examined later today. He left the game in the second with a shoulder injury. Also, Brendan Witt traveled with the team and may be ready to come back Saturday for Fan Appreciation Day in a matinee with the Flyers.

As of the time I write this, with all precincts reporting, the Isles are in tenth place in the race for the playoffs. Every game counts here on out. The Sabres are in eighth with 71 points in 64 games and the Isles are 4 points behind them.

The New York Times has what I consider some strange comments about Russian hockey in an article by Michael Schwirtz. Mr . Schwirtz maintains that the NHL is losing some of the better Russian players to the Russian leagues who are trying to reclaim some of the home-grown talent. While that fact is undeniable, Yashin tried and tried to get an NHL contract for this season after the Islanders bought him out but he couldn't find anyone who wanted to meet his price, so he went back to Russia to play.

The article also touches on the planned European Superleague that is in the planning stages. Overall, an interesting read. You can find it here: www.nytimes.com

Yashin Update

Looks like Alexei Yashin is not going to be an NHL player next season. The Canadian Press is reporting that Yashin has signed a one-year contract to play in Russia this year. There is no provision in the contract for a possible NHL return; meaning that Yashin is going to play the entire season for Locomotiv (Yaroslavl).

Where Yashin Ends Up

That is a great question. I've been thinking about that for a little while. Apparently so have some people in the media.

Stan Fischler mentions that the Devils and Rangers would probably be at the top of his list since he already is in the area. Off-hand, you could actually see that happening. The Rangers could conceivably do that; if only to rub it in the Islanders' faces and sign the former captain to a reasonable contract to fuel the rivalry fire. As far as the Devils go, well, you never can tell what The Genius Lou Lamoriello is going to do in the best of times. You never think he is going to fire a coach ten minutes before the playoffs start but he has done that twice.

Saying that, if Alexei stays in the area, I would speculate that the Devils would have the inside track. Again, that's because you never know what Trader Lou's offseason plans are.

Yashin's agent Mark Gandler has said publicly that his client would love a chance to return to the Senators. Let me check my "Yeah, right" Conversion Chart for the likelihood that Yash would drag it back to O-Town: Hmm. "Outlook Not Good". I'd check with Miss Cleo (if she is still around) or Dionne Warwick (if she is still alive) to see what a real psychic would think of the possibility before I'd trust an agent who has a client who just got turfed in a high-profile way. Gandler has to say that his client is open to anything short of jail time so that Yashin looks like a good soldier. I mean, if you're out of work--even with a 2.2 million dollar stipend for the next eight years--you're still out of work. Plus, I am betting that Carol Alt is not the kind of woman who just window shops. I see her more as the crazed couch monster who gets the shakes as they change from product to product on the Home Shopping Channel. He's got his family in the states so he's probably footing the bill for everyone. The man has got to bring in the bucks to keep everyone in the way that they've been accustomed to. Facts is facts.

So where is will he end up? Part of me thinks Toronto because they always look for a quick-fix; but I wouldn't wish that media on a guy like Alexei. If he thinks it was bad in Ottawa, think again. Plus, if Peca signs back with the Leafs, I'm just putting it out there that the two of them wouldn't be co-existing very well. The pressure on Alexei would be off the charts and that is a locker room prone to sniping and in-fighting because of the media and the way that they fight to break even the tiniest story. Again, does the fam want to go through the Canadian experience? They can't have fond memories of Ottawa; no matter what anyone will cop to publicly.

Yashin comes off as a pretty laid back dude. Why not see if something with the Kings could be worked out? A couple of years at 2.5 per or so to hang out in LA might be the perfect landing spot. The Kings are an up-and-coming team with young guys. Rob Blake is there so Alexei wouldn't be relied upon to bestow leadership in the room.

What about the Panthers? In Florida you can do your thing in the relative quiet in the cellar of the Southeast Division. Why not Washington? I'm betting that Alex Ovechkin would like to see if he and his former Russian Olympic teammate can get a good stew going. With Alexander Semin, the Caps have proven to be dangerous here and again. Mr. Leonsis wouldn't have to shell out a ton of cash to get Alexei and he gets a good Russian player to play with his young, emerging Russian stars.

No matter what happens, the Alexei Yashin saga is not over. Hopefully he finds a place where he can play up to his potential and not worry about playing up to the paycheck. In this, The Summer Islanders Fans Are Afraid to Breathe, it is going to be interesting to say the least.

It's About Time

Our wishes have come true and the Isles have bought out the remainder of Alexei Yashin's contract, making him a free agent. For the next eight years (twice the remaining years of the contract) the Isles will be on the hook for a cap-charge of 2.2 million dollars a year--which is two-thirds of the value of the remaining value of the landmark ten-year deal agreed to six years ago. The albatross is gone!

As Greg Logan put it in Newsday, the buyout can be seen as Charles Wang admitting making a huge mistake with the deal, but Ted Nolan also described it as a chance for a "new beginning" for the Islanders. I tend to agree. It's hard to argue the fact that back in 2001 when the Isles traded for Alexei Yashin and Michael Peca, both men added some desperately needed credibility to the franchise that had been hemorrhaging money and the goodwill of the fanbase for years. Yashin helped, in a way, restore order, pride, and like I said, some sense of credibility. But now the man is a former Islander and Mr. Wang has paid another steep price to prove to the people who love the team that he is 1004% committed to bringing the pride back to the Islanders franchise. Mr. Wang has his detractors--I am not one of them--who can say whatever they will about the way he goes about his business but no one can deny that every move he has made has been to better the Islanders on the ice and in the eyes of the fans.

What does this mean for the Islanders? Well, it means that the team has 2.2 million dollars in "dead money" counting against the cap for the next eight years. (There's a joke about "dead money" and Yashin's perceived lack of effort in here somewhere.) But that also gives GM Garth Snow and the rest of the team's braintrust an additional $5 million to spend on fortifying the squad and securing the type of players Ted Nolan needs for his system.

This also, ahem, sends a none-too-subtle note to guys like Ryan Smyth that they team is putting the past mistakes in the past and that they are ready to move forward in a positive way. The seismic shock felt around the league is the news that the Islanders are truly ready to be players here. Agents have been warned. Don't think that the allure of playing for a family-friendly organization like the Islanders and for a guy as respected as Ted Nolan is not going to be attractive for a lot of players this summer. Suddenly, the Islanders become an option...and not fallback. Good times!

Offseason Question #3: What to do about a problem like Alexei Yashin.

According to Peter Botte of the Daily News, a two-thirds buyout of the remaining contract would cost $17.63 million spread out on the salary cap over eight years. That leaves over 5 million dollars in cap money to use each season on the rest of the team. That five million may go a long way into securing Ryan Smyth or Jason Blake or (gasp!) both over the next few years.

Yashin, by the way, had zero points and was temporarily demoted to the fourth line in the five-game playoff stinker against the Sabres. That was the same amount of points I had this playoff season and I made a whole heck of a lot less. This is a song with a familiar refrain. We heard the same complaints about his time in Ottawa as well. It's his reputation and unfortunately, this one has a lot of evidence to back it up.

People like me wonder how much the European and Russian players understand about the desire the North Americans have to win the Stanley Cup. That's why you get stories about young guys like Sidney Crosby playing his first playoff on bad ankles or Steve Yzerman playing on a leg that that was so bad that he wouldn't be able to run again. Maybe the NHL fans are too quick to point fingers at the Russians and Europeans...but for many of them, perhaps the big hockey dream was playing in the Olympics and not necessarily playing to get their names engraved on Lord Stanley's hardware. Either way, Yashin always looks a step or two slow when he is out there. He doesn't elevate his own play or the play of his linemates and as a captain, he cannot be a Leader of Men if he himself is not motivated. Too often he looks as if he is just going through the motions out there with little or no exertion.

I've often thought that there is a direct correlation between Alexei Yashin and Alex Rodriguez in the fact that both men have superior skill but in the end, both players have a nagging desire to be loved. Well, Yashin is not loved on Long Island. He has not given of himself to be revered as perhaps he wants to be. Is that because he is Russian? Not necessarily. It's that he comes off as a very quiet and insular guy.

Speculation aside, the numbers simply do not lie. Yashin's production has not come close to living up to the compensation. If there is a way to relieve yourself of that compensation, you do so. Yes, the contract was ridiculous when he signed it but none of us would have turned down that kind of stability and cash. Ownership wanted to send a message to the fans that they were trying to show the fans and the league that they were committed to franchise stability.

The coach and the GM were not here (in their respective roles) when he signed the contract. The dwindling ice time and the 10-2-4 record when he was out proved to Ted Nolan that he could win without the captain in the lineup.

This is a familiar refrain over the past two offseasons: dump Yashin. Pay him his money and let him go away. Well, one thing we all can bank on with this ownership is that we never know what to expect. Heck, lots of people thought firing Neil Smith was a mistake! Best mistake ever made, I say! (He didn't get a new job in the league, did he? Surprising.) "Yashingate" is so unorthodox and hard to predict. Last year I thought for sure Alexei would be bought out. This year, hell, I don't know what to think. I mean, the numbers are there. It makes sense team-wise to do so. They surrounded him with viable veteran leaders in the room who were supportive and not much came of it. I mean, there was team building and team improvement but nothing from the captain; the flagship of the franchise. The mega contract is a hindrance. Buying him out would prove to the fans and the players that ownership is not going to reward mediocrity and that they are going to bring a winner back to Nassau County. To take a step forward, the Islanders need to relieve themselves of a past mistake.

I say buy him out, put it behind us, and move forward. Send the message. It makes so much sense to do so that to not buy out the rest of his contract would make no good sense whatsoever. I mean, I don't know how Mr. Wang and Garth Snow could rationalize keeping him on in the press. Plus, if keeping Yash on means we lose Ryan Smyth or Jason Blake, the potential public relations nightmare may be off the charts. Islanders fans have stopped hating on Yashin. Now, for the most part, we're indifferent. We shrug our shoulders at him. Bringing him back at the (possible) expense of the others just kicks the beehive.

But then again, it isn't my $17.63 million on the line here...but that's what it all boils down to.

He's the keeper!

First off, I want to thank my buddy Bob for giving me the Hockey News with Ryan Smyth on the cover. I let my subscription lapse in December and in the words of the immortal hair metal band Cinderella, you don't what you got 'til it's gone. I always think I am being smart by saving some cash because you get so much news on the net all the time for free but that decision always ends up biting me on the backside. So, thanks Bob!

If you don't have a friend like Bob and are also wondering where Our Man Garth falls in the First Annual THN GM Ranking, let me spill the beans: they have him 16th. Wonder who is ahead of him? Wonder no more:

#1 Ken Holland, Detroit. Hard to argue.

#2 Lou Lamoriello, Devils. Probably was a coin flip between he and Holland.

#11 Kevin Lowe, Oilers. My guess is that lots of people are doing spit-takes at Albertan Tim Hortons seeing him ranked just outside the top ten.

#12 Paul Holmgren, Flyers. Yep, the guy Garth stole Randy Robitaille and Freddy Meyer from is ranked ahead of him. A head scratcher, for sure. The guy took on dead weight contracts for Mike York and Alex Zhitnik too. Wow. Whose drinking buddy is Holmgren, eh?

#14 Johnny Mucks, Ottawa. Funny, they brag about deals he made in Buffalo to justify his brilliance. Of course, this is the guy who poisoned the rep of Ted Nolan and tried to float the rumor that Miro Satan was a Nolan hater earlier this year on the Island--as pointed out by Greg Logan of Newsday. The Old Boy Network is apparently alive and well at the Hockey News too. Grrrr.


Today I feel like making a bit of a plea on the behalf of Rick DiPietro.

Look--we all know that Ricky is a hyper-competitive guy and he's proven himself to be one of the best goalies in the league but we really need to get the guy a night off. I know points are precious right now but can we take a look at the schedule and pick out a game or two for the guy to sit out? Saturday vs. Washington screams "Dunham" to me. Mike Dunham is a good goalie and has had some serious-ass flashes this year in Rick's stead. I know that the Islanders can't take any team lightly but with big showdowns with Ottawa and Montreal coming up next week (both on the road), a night off night be in order for The Franchise. DiPietro won't want the night off because he is a player and a gamer, but it may be in his best interests. He's the keeper, after all.

In other news, Alexei Yashin will be back tonight for round two against the Rangers. It's been five weeks and the team has played exceptionally well while the captain was sidelined with the knee issues. Chemistry is a delicate thing so it will be very interesting to see how Coach Nolan fits Alexei back into the team structure. Sure, we all heard that Ryan Smyth would be playing with Jason Blake and Yash when Yash was ready but the way those wingers have been playing with Robitaille, I don't know that they need to be split away from him. Best guess is that Yash will get some minutes with his old buddy Viktor Kozlov and Miro tonight. I don't think Yashin will be playing too too much because, again, you really need to ease him back into shape.

The Isles are still in seventh place in the east. They are only four points away from the Lightning and the sixth spot. Our boys are in Tampa on the 20th for what should be an important game--they are all important right now--as far as seeding goes. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Tonight the Islanders host the Rangers in another four-pointer. Beating the Rangers is always as sweet as finding money in the street. Let's hope our boys can add to the Misery in Manhattan with a strong effort and solid win.