Think Rational

UPDATE: Uh-oh, Gord Miller was talking about something that I was also fearing too much to bring up. He feels that moving Smytty to the Island may have been a retribution move for Smytty failing to be agreeable at the bargaining table. This however, doesn't really make sense, since Smyth would really only have to be there until the end of the season and he is a free agent anyway. So hopefully my theory below still stands.

Also, Pierre Maguire was speechless over this move. PIERRE MAGUIRE! That says a world about this trade.

Let the rumours and conspiracy theories begin.

WHAT?!

Smyth to the Islanders?! Are you kidding me? I never actually thought they would let him go for any price. I am absolutely in disbelief / outraged / shocked ...

...is what I thought at first. And rightfully so. This guy is one of the biggest reasons I converted to Oilers fandom. But rationality has kicked in. Just like there seems to have been events recently that seem to keep happening to keep me away from returning to soccer (the greater good trying to prevent me from being injured severely again? stay tuned), I also have a feeling I was given insight into another future event. On the TSN page that tracks trades today, there happened to be live audio from TSN studios of their trade coverage. I put on my headphones for another reason and happened to catch what they were discussing. And it was this...

They were discussing how dumb it is(and I agree) for players that are at the end of their contract to be traded away so that the team could get something in return for their star player, and then that same star player that was traded away returns to the team after the season is over. Think Doug Weight and Mark Recchi last year. In the long run, if your team isn't going to make the playoffs, like the Oilers this year, then they get some value for trading Smyth away now, and then he can sign back in the summer time. It's an abuse of the system, it seems to me, but teams are doing it. And if it benefits the weaker teams, maybe the league won't step in and prevent it.

Smyth bleeds blue, and I find it hard to believe he wants to be, of all things, a New York Islander. I will put my faith in him and believe whole-heartedly that he will find his way back into an Oilers uniform this summer. So we will save the cursing of anyone's name until this summer.

What I do know, is that Kevin Lowe will be hearing it from the crowd big time tonight at the Messier celebration. Can't wait.