At the expansion draft on Wednesday night, Islanders general manager Garth Snow confirmed what most people already knew: that his team is shipping its 2017 first-round pick, 2019 second-round pick and Mikhail Grabovski to Vegas for the protection of its most valuable players.
The initial reaction to the trade was one of jubilation, even as the reporter, Newsday’s Arthur Staple, changed his article three times to get it correct.
Fans reasoned that the move — which is essentially $5 million in cap space for a first-round pick — would allow the team to get better in the short-run.