Isles ending 4th or 5th, when do they have to decide to give us the pick?

[Skooby]

The Isles are tied with Calgary, so they're drafting either 4th or 5th depending on today. When do they have to decide to defer or keep the pick this year ?? Is it after the draft lottery or before ?

[DetDannyWilliams]

Mike Harrington ‏@BNHarrington - #Sabres win in regulation makes Islanders No. 4 pick and thickens draft plot even more.

[DetDannyWilliams]

The Islanders have until June 1 to let the Sabres know which pick they will send north to complete the Thomas Vanek deal. If the Islanders don’t send this year’s pick, Buffalo would get the Islanders’ 2015 pick (Friedman, March 12 (http://www.cbc.ca/sports-content/hockey/opinion/2014/03/30-thoughts-canucks-brass-must-resist-panic.html)).

[DetDannyWilliams]

Vogl tweet...If against Buffalo the Islanders get:
2 pts.- Calgary needs a regulation win against Vanc. to keep the Isles in the 4th lottery spot.
1 pt. - Calgary needs a win or OT/shootout loss
0 pts. - Calgary keeps the 5th lottery spot no matter what (more ROT wins).

[Skooby]

Well this breaks it all down, thank you very much.

[Skooby]

Isles get the 5th spot in the draft, so we'll see what they do. If they get lucky in the lottery, they obviously keep it because there's an easy chance to get better via being first this year. I still think they defer it hoping for better next season because they just need above 5th, but everything being equal the draft looks so much deeper next year. McDavid looks like a huge prize to be had doesn't he ?

[gebobs]

The Isles are tied with Calgary, so they're drafting either 4th or 5th depending on today. When do they have to decide to defer or keep the pick this year ?? Is it after the draft lottery or before ?
They won't know their position until after the lottery. No way they give us their pick this year unless they decide to rehire Milbury before the draft.

[jimmifli]

Logically, if they give up the pick this year it says "we think we'll be worse next season". You can't say that to your fans.

Even if they believe the draft depth next season is so significantly better that they'd rather have next years pick, there's little chance that this years 5th over all is worse than next years 10th overall. So even then it would be an admission that they expect to miss the playoffs.

The just can't do it to their fans. They make the pick and hope like hell they make the playoffs next season.

[tampabay25690]

I will be shocked if the Isles give the Sabres this years pick!!!!
Sabres are ready to get next years!

[GreedoII]

If Buf doesn't get the 1st pick I hope NYI do. Win win either way. Do you give to Buf or defer it to next year 2015. Snow is stupid enough to give the 1st pick to us. Or if they get the 1st I can see Murray swinging a trade and giving back that 1st from Vanek and say a few picks to get the 1st and 2nd this year regardless. Oh the possibilities....

[coastal]

I agree with jimmi... the Isles HAVE to keep this year's pick.

what will be amazing is if that 2015 pick somehow turns into McDavid or Eichel.

The Vanek deal would go down as one of the most lopsided trades in NHL history of either of those players go on to become true franchise cornerstones.

time will tell and the waiting to see makes it even that much more interesting.

An added piece to the theater of the rebuild.

[trapezeus]

the fact vanek left and we flipped moulson and get a 1st round pick, regardless of how it plays out, its lopsided and a big fail for the Isle.

i wanted darcy out,but this deal he swung was perhaps his greatest swan song if we can execute on the picks. if we nail our pick this year, and the isles whether its this year or next and presuming the sabres are awful next year, i think 2015-2016 sabres season could be absolutely electric.

[Skooby]

The Sabres look like they can get the #1 pick next year as well, no help needed.

[gebobs]

The Sabres look like they can get the #1 pick next year as well, no help needed.

Only if they finish 28th or worse and win the lottery.

[trapezeus]

maybe we need to cause the sabres to have a $20MM loss so we can whine to get the #1 pick. I can't believe Florida got the pick.

[Skooby]

maybe we need to cause the sabres to have a $20MM loss so we can whine to get the #1 pick. I can't believe Florida got the pick.

It's a coin toss who's the best draft pick this season, the first 2 picks have compelling evidence either way.