How about two former agents-turned GMs – Mike Gillis in Vancouver and Brian Lawton in Tampa Bay – giving money away like it’s not theirs? Oh yeah, it’s not. If in the next two years the Canucks and Lightning meet in a Cup Final, Mark Gandler will get a GM job.
I really don’t want to go after the Jeff Finger signing. But I will say that if you took the career stat boxes of Finger and Mark Streit and put them side-by-side, you’d think the Islanders made the deal of the decade.
I would have loved to have been there when JD got the news that Vancouver signed 24-year old grinder Dave Backes to a three-year, $7.5 million offer sheet. Gotta give Gillis credit: he’s going into the job not worrying about making friends. Good for him. Financially, not great for hockey. PR-wise, it’s priceless. Can’t wait to see what he’s going to do next.
Ok, one more thing on the Finger signing. Here’s what happens when a deal like this goes down: in Toronto, the pro scouts are patting themselves on the back for unearthing an underappreciated gem. In Colorado, they’re sitting around saying, “We love Fings, but are you frickin’ kiddin’ me? Ah, never mind. Good for him. SOB’s buying the Molsons when we play there.”
In my new consulting gig, I announced some news today. I can’t wait to see whose paragraph is bigger in the city tabloids – the thing I released or the Streit signing. Results tomorrow.
Sorry for the tease before. Have to believe there won’t be another announcement tonight out of Uniondale. I’m told, in the immortal words of Don Maloney – doing a nice job in Phoenix, by the way – the Islanders have nothing imminent. Besides, Garth has to know if he’s going to sign somebody who can make an impact, there’s no sense making a formal announcement after Newsday goes to press. Right?
Goodnight.
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