During Wade Dubielewicz’s 24-hour stint with the Islanders this season, he said he admired what the team was doing.
“It’s easy to say you’re rebuilding,” he said. “But when you actually have to go through it and lose all those games, it’s hard not to just bail out.”
GM Garth Snow, like Dubielewicz, spent most of his playing career as a backup goalie and is now in charge of the rebuilding process with the Isles. With the NHL draft lottery coming up two days after the team’s season ends, Snow soon will find out what he will be going into it with.
Regardless of the Isles’ draft position, Snow said he has no regrets about the decision the team made a year ago to get younger, even if it likely will result in the league’s worst record this season.
“It’s been frustrating,” Snow said with a smile, pointing to his graying hair. “We came up with a plan to build through the draft, and we’re sticking to it. This season has been painful, but we think we’ll be better for it.”
Though that may be true if players such as Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey develop like the Isles hope they do, but it also largely depends on what Snow does with the draft in June.
“This is an important time for our organization to take the next step,” Snow said. “I take that very seriously.”
Snow said the fans have been supportive.
“Whenever they come up to me, whether it’s on the concourse during games or at practice, they say, ‘Stick to the plan,’ ” Snow said.
For now. The Isles have tried — and failed — to get better before and still haven’t won a playoff series in 16 years.
Whether that changes in seasons to come remains to be seen.
“The team we have next year will be very similar to the one we have now,” Snow said. “I expect a lot of players to develop.”
Tossing in a top draft pick would be nice, too.