Tampering?

1) As everyone knows players still under contract can NOT be contacted by another team until their contract officially expires. For impending free agents that would mean they or their representatives can not be contacted until July 1. However our sources tells FAUXRUMORS 2 that the Islanders are miffed at the Edmonton Oilers and their back door attempts to contact current Islander property, Ryan Smyth.
2) Evidently the Oilers have been making subtle overtures to try to lure back their wayward son. They are doing it with a less than direct approach to try to mend/patch things up in advance of the free agency period. How are they doing/getting away with it? Simple, by using current Oiler players they can circumvent the illegality of it. Ostensibly the players are friends/former mates of Smyth so there isn't anything the league or Islanders can do about it.
3) Our sources in the league office tells FAUXRUMORS2 that: "Unless or until there is direct evidence of a team official(other than a player) making contact with a player under contract with another team there is nothing the NHL can or will do". So as annoyed as the Islanders are they can do nothing. They also don't want to alienate Smyth by making this a huge issue. Since the season ended for the Isles the team has made/is making an all out effort to try to lure and land the coveted leader/forward.
4) The team has used its current players as well as former players such as Hall of Famers Bryan Trottier and Michael Bossy to sell Long Island to the Western Canadian boy. Snow has had several conversations with Smyth's representative/agent, Don Meehan. Team owner Charles Wang, always the activist/involved leader will have Ryan and Don over to his L.I. estate later this month to try to make a final push to get their man signed long before the free agency period commences.
5) The folks who know Ryan best tell FAUXRUMORS 2 that they can NOT see Ryan staying on LI or with any Eastern team for that matter. Ryan has spent his entire career in the West in Edmonton, and if he doesn't return to 'The Oil' another Western Conference team would seem to be the logical destination. Money also will NOT be a huge factor here. Smyth will get a very lucrative long term deal regardless of his choice. Wang, known for his record breaking (head scratching) long term deals will probably try to throw an offer that will be difficult to turn down. A 7 year 50 million deal with assurances of No Yashin and 'The C' for Ryan's sweater.
6) Will that be enough? Unlikely, and if Smyth isn't signed before the draft on June 22nd do NOT expect him to stay on LI. Therefore the Isles window is closing, and the window re-opening for Edmonton? Another question that must be asked: Is Smyth worth it? Yes he is a heralded leader, but are his offensive stats worth 1st line money for a 30+ year old? The answer for many GM's looking to add his intangibles certainly will be ye$!