New York Islanders Growing Divide Between Jack and Garth

The rift between coaching and management seems to be growing in the New York Islanders organization as the stress of losing takes it toll. Nowhere is it more evident than when it comes to the usage of one Anthony Beauvillier.

When Anthony Beauvilier was named to the New York Islanders active roster alongside Mathew Barzal, the thought was that these 19-year-old kids were something and would be given a chance to prove that with playing time.

Three months into the season and Mathew Barzal is back with his junior outfit and Anthony Beauvillier is in and out of the lineup as frequently Taylor Swift changes boyfriends (I’m told that’s a lot).

Barzal was given all of two games to prove himself, while Beauvillier has been scratched nine times this season, playing in 22 of the Isles 31 games so far. It’s clear that Jack Capuano does not rate him as highly as Garth Snow does.

Snow made sure there was space on the roster for Beauvillier, even gong as far as shipping out, the only asset he could in P.A. Parenteau. A player he had just signed in free agency two months prior.

When Team Canada recently requested that the New York Islanders loan Anthony Beauvillier to them for the world juniors Snow refused. Preferring to keep Beauvillier with the Islanders rather than let him play in the annual tournament. It was another nod to the value Snow places on Beauvillier.

But with the frequency in which Capuano has been relegating Beauvillier to the bench recently, Beauvillier could have used the experience. Not to mention what playing for Team Canada could have done to his confidence.

The Dissonance in Managment

And therein lies the divide. Garth Snow seems to believe that this kid is worth keeping around. But his coach seems to disagree with him, by making him a healthy scratch or limiting his ice-time when he does make the lineup.

With an active roster of 23 men and only 20 names allowed on the game-day roster someone’s going to have to be a healthy scratch. Unfortunately, coach Capuano has been revolving press box responsibilities between Beauvillier and Alan Quine.

Beauvillier’s a player with a ton of promise, who’s played remarkably well with what little opportunity he’s been given. The GM seems to see and believe this, but the coach has another opinion on the matter.

After 30 games in the books on the 2016-17 season, where Beauvillier fits in the Islanders pecking order should be established by now. And both the GM and the coach should be on the same page on this. Evidently, this isn’t happening.

Sprinkle in some veiled criticisms of Garth Snow’s free agent day deals, both coming in and leaving, and you start to see the cracks in the relationship between the two.

Next: Best Call-Up Options for Isles

Who’s right and who’s wrong isn’t the intent here. Although, how do you not scratch Andrew Ladd for a game at this point? The intent is to show the growing divide in approach that these two have and how it’s manifesting itself with roster decisions.