And just to prove a point....a little

An interesting piece from Newsday:

Free agents across the NHL continued to bypass the Islanders yesterday on their way to lucrative contracts elsewhere. In some cases, general manager Garth Snow said last night, he made a value judgment not to waste money on players who aren't worth it.

But when it comes to players, such as Ryan Smyth, for whom he was more than willing to open the vault, Snow said one big drawback he keeps hearing is that worn-out Nassau Coliseum isn't exactly a selling point. If all things are equal, players tend to choose a more modern, exciting environment.

Although the Islanders offered Smyth a five-year deal worth $32.5 million, he took Colorado's five-year offer for $31.25 million. Asked if he considered upping his offer to Smyth to see if that would make the difference, Snow said, "No. We knew our offer was better than anything else out there.

"I'll be honest. One of the reasons for Ryan not coming back was the facility that's here right now. We all know we're trying to put a new Coliseum up. It seems to me the common theme of why players aren't coming here is not because of Long Island or the organization. It's the facility when visiting players come here.

"I don't want to make too much of an emphasis on it, but we do need a new Coliseum. The agents I talk to tell me the same thing."

There you have it. Smyth took a pay cut to sign in Colorado because he WANTED to play there. My beer-infested rant wasn't far off.
New York (MSG), Colorado are attractive places to play hockey. Players are always going to want ot play there or will be lured there, cap structure or not.

T tags: nassau+colisseum free+agents Islanders