The Guerin Trade

So the Internet is abuzz about this supposedly "done deal" that has Bill Guerin going to an Eastern Conference playoff contender. And as is always the case when details aren't finalized, speculation comes to the forefront and people go crazy trying to figure things out. We're not going to be doing that. Sorry.

I actually missed tonight's game so I could take my wife out to dinner. When I got home, my mom told me Guerin warmed up, but didn't play. She's not as well-versed in NHL business as I, so while she was a bit confused, I immediately knew it had something to do with a trade. After all, he had agreed to waive his no-trade clause earlier this week. The story now is that he's going somewhere for at least a second round draft pick, if not more. Not bad for a team who is only really losing 20 or so games out of a player in a season that is going nowhere.

Now, when I told my mom about all of this, she responded with something like, "Oh, well if he really cared about the Islanders, he wouldn't agree to waive his no-trade clause." That's not true. If anything, I'm sure it was Garth Snow who initiated such a discussion. Besides, nothing is stopping Guerin from coming right back here next year. Remember when Guerin's buddy Doug Weight got traded from St. Louis to Carolina, won a Stanley Cup, then re-signed with St. Louis? It's not totally out of the realm of possibility. As Zach likes to say, Long Island is awesome for those who have the money to really enjoy it.

Most fans wouldn't mind Guerin and Weight re-signing with the Islanders next year. After all, this team isn't ready to become a youth-driven one, and it never hurts to have guys who want to play for the Islanders. But tomorrow's Newsday promises to be a fun one, as Greg Logan states his article will be about some veterans who have shaky relationships with coach Scott Gordon. It's hard to see Weight, who was enjoying a tremendous resurgence before being injured, being among the players who are tuning Gordon out. Guerin is on pace to at least match last year's totals despite playing with less offensive talent. This article will have huge repercussions with fans, especially since we all know players talk to each other and anyone who's not a Gordon fan will tell any prospective free agent not to come to Long Island. We can only hope for the best here.

In short, there's a lot in the air in Islanders Country right now. Tomorrow morning, we'll have a lot more closure. My only question is how the Islanders can possibly trade Guerin for only a draft pick and stay above the salary floor. I guess this is another question that will be answered tomorrow.