Garth Snow has been here before, and if there’s one thing he’s learned as general manager of the Islanders it’s that come draft time, you never limit your options.
So that’s why Snow is currently not just taking phone calls from other general managers interested in his No. 5 overall pick in next Friday’s NHL draft, but he’s also actively making calls to ensure if he does go through with a deal, he’ll be getting the proper value.
“I’ve had initial conversations, but those types of deals will happen on the [draft-room] floor,” Snow told The Post. “I have talked to other managers concerning different scenarios with the pick. We wouldn’t close the door on an opportunity to trade up or trade down. We feel we have a lot of options, and if nothing unfolds on the floor, we feel we’ll get a great hockey player at No. 5.”
Snow called his high pick “the silver lining” to a disappointing season, and this will be the third draft in a row where they enter with the No. 5 pick. Last year, they selected electric winger Nino Niederreiter, who spent the season in juniors. The year before that they traded down twice, eventually picking Josh Bailey with the ninth overall pick.
“There’s going to be different options available,” Snow said. “It’s a fun time for our staff because it’s an opportunity for us to put a quality player in our organization.”