New York Islanders Garth Snow Trade Deadline Résumé

The trade deadline has never been a date that lives up to the hype for fans of the New York Islanders. For reference, here is Garth Snow’s complete trade deadline résumé as GM of the Islanders.

WARNING/DISCLAIMER – Drink a Monster or an Espresso before proceeding.

2015-16

2016 3rd Round Pick to Ottawa for Shane Prince and a 7th Round Pick

Taylor Beck to Colorado for Marc-Andre Cliche

2014-15

2015/16 Conditional 3rd Round Pick (turned into a 7th b/c Isles didn’t win the Cup) to San Jose for Tyler Kennedy

Chad Johnson and a 2016 3rd Round Pick to Buffalo for Michal Neuvirth

Cory Conacher to Vancouver for Dustin Jeffrey

David Leggio to Arizona for Mark Louis

2013-14

Thomas Vanek and 2014 Conditional 5th Round Pick to Montreal for Sebastian Colberg and a 2014 Conditional 2nd Round Pick (Part of Ho-Sang)

Andrew MacDonald to Philadelphia for 2014 3rd Round Pick (Sorokin), 2015 2nd Round Pick (Part of Boychuk) and Matt Mangene

2012-13

More from Analysis

• Islanders, Finally, Have Cap Space – What Can They Do With It?
• Islanders: Consequences of the Nick Leddy trade
• Islanders Ilya Sorokin Proves He Was Worth the Wait
• Islanders Power-Play Cannot Continue Playing the Same Way
• Islanders: Analyzing Mathew Barzal’s Evolving Play-Style

Condition 2014/15 2nd Round Pick to Boston for Tim Thomas

Yeah. Remember that? For a brief while, the Islanders had a two-time Vezina winner and former Conn Smythe Winner. Well, not since Billy Smith at least.

…Thomas never played for the Islanders, though. Instead just taking room on the Isles cap before going to Florida in free agency that September.

The First Few Years

2011-12

Brian Rolston and Mike Mottau to Boston for Yannick Riendeau and Marc Cantin

2010-11

2011 6th Round Pick to Arizona for Al Montoya

2009-10

Andy Sutton to Ottawa for 2010 2nd Round Pick (Kent Simpson)

Greg Moore to Columbus for Dylan Reese

2008-09

Mike Comrie and Chris Campoli to Ottawa for Dean McAmmond and 2009 1st Round Pick (Kyle Palmieri->Nick Leddy->Calvin De Haan)

Bill Guerin to Pittsburgh for 2009 Conditional 5th Round Pick (Became a 3rd – Michael Lee)

2007-08

Marc-Andre Bergeron to Anaheim for 2008 3rd Round Pick (Kirill Petrov)

2008 7th Round Pick (Jason Demers) to San Jose for Rob Davison

Chris Simon to Minnesota for 2008 6th Round pick (Justin DiBenedetto)

2006-07

Robert Nilsson, Ryan O’Marra, and 2007 1st Round Pick (Alex Plante) to Edmonton for Ryan Smyth

2007 2nd Round Pick (Ted Ruth) to Washington for Richard Zednik

Denis Grebeshkov to Edmonton for Marc-Andre Bergeron

(Compiled courtesy of NHL Trade Tracker.  See Garth’s full résumé here)

CONCLUSIONS:

If you made it through this entire curriculum vitae, you’ll notice a couple things. First, there is a serious dearth of impact moves on this list.

The biggest impact move Snow made was in his first year as GM. Why that trade wouldn’t teach the lesson that potential very often doesn’t pan out. O’Marra (33), Plante (10), and Nilsson (252) accumulated a total 295 total games in the NHL. That’s 705 fewer games than Jason Chimera.  Even though Ryan Smyth didn’t re-sign, the trade was clearly worth the risk.

• You absolutely SHOULD NOT HOLD YOUR BREATH for a big trade this season. Just look at the past two seasons. The team was deep in a playoff race both years. Additionally, both of those seasons had historic significance to the team – one was the last at the barn, the other the first at the Barclay’s. The team was light years away from where it is currently. Now, look at the moves Snow made to bolster the roster for the playoff push in those seasons. I don’t know when Garth Snow became gun shy or what made him that way, but he is.