Good Evening, Islanders Country.
It's a Quick Fix featuring Joe Buono (@IslesFix) and former VP of Communications for the Islanders, Chris Botta (@ChrisBottaNHL).
Chris and Joe are back to set the stage for what is set to be a seminal moment in the history of the New York Islanders. The consensus is that the Isles will select defenseman Matthew Schaefer, the consensus pick, with the top pick. That should and will be enough to make it a night of celebration for the franchise, but the weeks-long buzz about what else the Islanders may do to trade back into the 1st round or make a roster-shaking move looms as well.
There will be nothing to be disappointed about if the Islanders “only” take Schaefer and then enjoy the Draft Party at UBS Arena, but the fans have been primed for something else. Whether that happens tomorrow or in the days that follow will quickly fill the void of no longer having the anticipation of pick No.1.
Plus, we talk about the evaluation phase of Mathieu Darche’s first few weeks on the job and the tricky contract negotiation he faces with Noah Dobson that may lead to a homegrown defenseman being on the move. Also, lessons from past drafts, and Chris shares memories of the days that led up to Mike Milbury’s big gamble 25 years ago in drafting Rick DiPietro.
Listen and enjoy!
🔗 Rocky Thompson aims to upgrade Bridgeport Islanders by Andrew Gross, Newsday “Islanders general manager/executive vice president Mathieu Darche hired Thompson, 47, a Flyers assistant coach under John Tortorella the previous three seasons, on Monday to replace the fired Rick Kowalsky, who went 40-88-16 without a playoff appearance in his two seasons.”
🔗 The Islanders history that shows everything that’s at stake with No. 1 pick by Ethan Sears, New York Post “If you want to understand what the No. 1 overall pick on Friday means to the Islanders, there’s no better way than to look at the four times they’ve previously held the top pick. The impact of all four decisions ended up having dramatic ramifications for years on end, from the best possible outcomes to something approaching the worst.”
And we leave you with this…the draft party the last time the Islanders picked No. 1
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