Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Ryan Smyth (with guest Noel Fogelman)
One guy in a moustache and Mets cap is, like, “hey, welcome to the EyeLindahs.” Dan and special guest Noel Fogelman revisit one of the most bizarre episodes in recent Islanders history, the many-layered acquisition of “Captain Canada” Ryan Smyth.
They look at all of the crazy factors leading up to the 2007 trade deadline and how the Islanders came out of nowhere to grab the power forward after a stalled contract negotiation with Edmonton. They talk about his productive - if unmemorable - time on the ice, his unceremonious exit in free agency and the Islanders “legacy” Smyth left behind and probably doesn’t even know he has.
Along the way they laugh about emotional goodbyes, dramatic news reports and players who should never have left their original teams (and who all somehow ended up playing for the Islanders).
Thanks again to Noel for coming on. Follow him on twitter at @thefirstnoel19. And make sure to listen to Reliving My Youth. His guest this week is the great Adrienne Barbeau.
WEIRD BONUS MATERIAL!
So much! Here’s the legendary tearful press conference and CBC report, hosted by a very young Elliotte Friedman. This entire video belongs in the Islanders Hall of Fame.
Smyth’s first goal as an Islander in a forgettable win over the Caps.
And his first and only playoff goal as an Islander. You can watch the whole game here, but this is where he scores, just before the end of the second period. It would be the Islanders’ last goal of the game in a 3-2 loss.
Finally, if you have a big chunk ‘o time you can read all of these Edmonton Journal stories from the day he was traded. Oil Country was angry that day, my friends.
It turns out that so-called unbridgeable gap between Smyth’s contract demand and general manager Kevin Lowe’s last, best offer was $500,000 US. Not per year as had been rumoured and reported.
Total. That’s right. Total.
Geez, the gap between Smyth’s good teeth is bigger. One of his bridges is longer. It amounted to $100,000 US per year on a five-year pact that included a no-trade clause. But it died on the table. The cause of death, depending upon your perspective, either greed or neglect.
What makes a “Weird Islander?”
We’re always open to suggestions about other Weird Islanders to discuss. Remember the criteria. Candidates must fulfill one of the two of the following:
Played one (1) season or less for the Islanders or very short stints over multiple seasons.
Be a veteran NHLer who is not generally associated with his time on Islanders.
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Theme Song: “Robots Talking” by Phill Dillow via Pixabay.com.
Drum sfx via Zapsplat.com....
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