Islanders Get Valked!
After a quiet season trade wise, Islanders GM Ryan Long pulled the trigger on a minor deal Monday, hooking up on a trade with the Scott Edwards led Montreal Canadiens.
The Islanders sent 29 year old Slovakian winger Lubos Bartecko to Montreal, and in exchange received journeymen winger Garry Valk. The 38 year old winger seemed happy to make the jump to the club from New York.
‘While we weren’t mathematically out of a playoff spot in Montreal, we were 7 points out, with 3 teams between us and 8th spot. So to go from that situation, to the team which currently leads the conference is a great position for me. I’m just happy to try and contribute in whatever way I can, and hopefully help the Islanders capture their 3rd Stanley Cup.’
GM Long spoke about the trade at the press conference welcoming Valk to Longer’s Island. ‘ Valk brings us a wealth of veteran leadership and experience, and he’s a pure defensive specialist. He’s never going to lead this team in points, but the intangible things he does make players like him invaluable. He’ll help us further improve our PK, and he’s the kind of guy we want out on the ice in the final minute with the lead. Bartecko was just too far down in our depth chart to get any meaningful playing time, so we wish him all the best in Montreal.’
Valk will make his debut on Longer’s Island tonight, when the team hosts Dallas. To celebrate the grizzled veteran’s arrival in NY, the first 2,000 fans will receive a 1993 O-Pee-Chee Valk hockey card.
The Islanders sent 29 year old Slovakian winger Lubos Bartecko to Montreal, and in exchange received journeymen winger Garry Valk. The 38 year old winger seemed happy to make the jump to the club from New York.
‘While we weren’t mathematically out of a playoff spot in Montreal, we were 7 points out, with 3 teams between us and 8th spot. So to go from that situation, to the team which currently leads the conference is a great position for me. I’m just happy to try and contribute in whatever way I can, and hopefully help the Islanders capture their 3rd Stanley Cup.’
GM Long spoke about the trade at the press conference welcoming Valk to Longer’s Island. ‘ Valk brings us a wealth of veteran leadership and experience, and he’s a pure defensive specialist. He’s never going to lead this team in points, but the intangible things he does make players like him invaluable. He’ll help us further improve our PK, and he’s the kind of guy we want out on the ice in the final minute with the lead. Bartecko was just too far down in our depth chart to get any meaningful playing time, so we wish him all the best in Montreal.’
Valk will make his debut on Longer’s Island tonight, when the team hosts Dallas. To celebrate the grizzled veteran’s arrival in NY, the first 2,000 fans will receive a 1993 O-Pee-Chee Valk hockey card.
posted by Longer at 8:19 AM
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