2015 NHL Draft: Winners And Losers From An Exciting Weekend

NHL Draft Winner: New York Islanders

Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Garth Snow proves once again why he’s one of the most underrated general managers in the NHL. I love the moves he made. If the market’s a poker game, Snow’s that guy who knows he has four hearts and goes all-in for a flush. In the first round of the NHL draft, Snow not only made a bold move to get into the first round, he did so while admitting a mistake that he made. Griffin Reinhart hasn’t panned out like the Islanders thought he would. Snow didn’t want to wait to see if he could salvage his mistake. He turned that mistake into a first round pick and a second round pick. He turned that first round pick into Mathew Barzal, a very skilled forward who fell right into Snow’s lap. Most general managers probably don’t have the courage to admit their mistake. Snow did.

Snow wasn’t done after that. He moved up in the first round to grab Anthony Beauvillier, another forward who fell. Could he have gotten him in the second round? Maybe. But Garth Snow saw what he wanted, and he did what he had to do to ensure that he got what he wanted. He drafted two skilled blue line prospects in Mitchell Vande Sompel (third round) and Parker Wotherspoon (fourth round). He concluded his day by drafting defenseman Ryan Pilon in the sixth round. Just another day in the office for the NHL’s gambling man Garth Snow.

Next: Loser: Oilers