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Smyth Brings
Hope and Risk to Long Island
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(NEW YORK,
NY) -- As the 3 p.m. bell rang on Tuesday's trade
deadline, the big move came. |
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The Islanders - the laughingstock of the league eight months
ago - acquired left wing Ryan Smyth from the Edmonton Oilers
for two former first-rounders [forwards Robert Nilsson and
Ryan O'Marra] and this year's first round pick.
It's a hefty price to pay for a possible rental, but a
necessary one.
By bringing Smyth to Long Island, the team gets immediate
credibility. As of right now, only one paper [Newsday] sends a
reporter on the road to cover the team and attendance is
dwindling with high walk-up prices for tickets.
The only way to win back the fans and the press is by winning.
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Going to
the playoffs will make this team relevant in the New
York sports specter. On a team where the name players
are manufactured and not considered sexy around the
league, Smyth gives the Isles star power. He brings
scoring [31 goals and 22 assists], clubhouse
leadership and more importantly importance to his new
team.
If the Islanders make the playoffs and the Rangers do
not, their fan base will have a renewed sense of hope,
which was ripped from there after years of
mismanagement, a lockout and last summer's fiasco,
when newly hired Neil Smith was let go as general
manager [and boy, did he make a few good signings in
his 41 days] and Garth Snow came out of the backup
goaltender's role to take his place. |
In one full swoop, all of that ill-will is forgotten and Smyth
immediately vaults the Islanders up the New York food chain.
Instead of competing with the Red Bull and Liberty, they
become more important than the Devils and Nets. And if the
Rangers and Knicks go dark in early April - as they probably
will - the Islanders go right behind the Mets and Yankees in
the New York eye.
But with this high reward comes a great risk. If the Isles
fail to make the playoffs and Smyth walks as a free agent this
summer, all owner Charles Wang has done is torch his farm
system and tick off his fan base.
And what if the All-Star forward walks right into Glen
Sather's office at the Garden to sign a contract from the man
that drafted him?
Well, Sparky the Dragon better have a lot of friends, because
there will be tons of empty seats to fill.
The Isles can't be concerned with that, though. This is a move
that had to be done and it's a move that only the Islanders
should have pulled off. If the Rangers did the same thing,
it's a disaster, same with the Devils, Flyers or almost any
other team in the NHL.
But the Isles? They needed hope and Smyth gives that franchise
and its fans just that.
Joe
McDonald covers the New York Rangers for TheFourthPeriod.com.
He is also the publisher of NYSportsDay.com and managing
editor of NY Sportscene Magazine.
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