Isles Trade Redux

1) Now that there finally is a real deal to discuss. One that by the way NONE of the other rumor mongers got correct. (Another notch/props to FAUXRUMORS for getting that one nearly 3 weeks before anyone else!)

2) Anyway this is what we're being told are the reason(s) that this deal went down. In addition to the reasons outlined by FAUXRUMORS back in November(that Nolan didn't like Zhitnik's tendency to take bad penalties) we're told that goalie Rick Dipietro had significant influence.

3) As was mentioned this past summer, Rick DiPietro and Isle's owner Charles Wang are very close. In the past this has led to the dismissal of coaches (Laviolette the most notable). It has also led to one of the more silly contracts in NHL/sports history, the 15 year deal Ricky signed(and predicted by FAUXRUMORS) this past September.

4) The story goes that DiPietro has been lobbying the Isles owner(who by all accounts IS the defacto-GM) to get Nolan/Snow to bring up Chris Campoli. Who until this deal was buried in Bridgeport despite having quite a good rookie campaign last year. Additionally, DiPietro's long time buddy from his high school days in New England, Fred Mayer was in a similar situation in Philly. We're told that Ricky proposed this deal to Wang over a game of 1 on 1 in Wang's back yard last month. Mentioning that the Isles would save a ton on their salary cap in the process. Wang got the word to Snow, who knows from experience that Wang's 'requests' are to be followed, or else, and Snow got on the phone busily trying to arrange this deal with new Flyer permanent GM Paul Holmgren

5) Things transpired very quickly after Zhitnik's 4 penalty performance against the Penguins last week. This deal will also allow the isles some flexibility to add payroll/a player at the NHL deadline if they remain in the playoff hunt in 2 months time. We have to say that it is probably a good move by the isles to unload Zhitnik, even if they didn't receive much in return. In the New NHL, payroll is as important as talent level, and both need to be juggled very closely.