New York Islanders GM Garth Snow said he didn't expect to add any veterans to his forward lines, though he may be looking for an experienced defenseman.
Chris Botta of Islanders Point Blank recently spoke with four NHL scouts who suggested Snow would shop around for blueline depth.
One scout told Botta he knew Snow had been trying to add a defenseman throughout the summer, going back to his failed effort to sign Christian Ehrhoff after acquiring his rights from Vancouver in late June. Ehrhoff went on to sign with the Buffalo Sabres.
Another scout claimed he knew “for a fact” Snow sent a training camp invitation earlier in August “to a pretty good veteran,” that was subsequently rejected “for now.” This lead Botta to speculate the target was Bryan McCabe, the best defenseman left on the free agent market.
The Isles’ lack of experienced depth on defense is a legitimate concern. Their blueline currently consists of Mark Streit, Milan Jurcina and Mark Eaton, followed by Andrew MacDonald, Ty Wishart and Travis Hamonic.
Snow's payroll currently sits about $2.3 million beneath the salary cap floor, though the Isles would become cap compliant if right wing prospect Nino Niederreiter cracks the lineup this season, as expected.
If he wants, Snow has more than enough cap space to add an experienced defenseman or two via free agency or trade.
That will stoke blogosphere speculation of Snow trying to land Long Island native Mike Komisarek from the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Bear in mind the Isles GM is likely under orders to keep payroll as low as possible, meaning there won't be room for a blueliner like Komisarek, who carries a $4.5 million per season contract for three more years, even if Snow sent salary the other way.
Snow’s best trade option appears to be the Sabres, who are rumored to be trying to move Shaone Morrisonn and the last year ($2.075 million) of his contract.
Besides McCabe, free agent options include Anton Stralman, Steve Staios and former Islander Chris Campoli.
