So, if you had the 21st pick in 2015, then garth snow wouldn’t have traded Griffin Reinhart for a 1st round pick?
Lol
most likely not,
as was reported at the time, he only would make that trade if Barzal was available.
The Oilers added Reinhart at the 2015 Draft via trade with the New York Islanders, sending out the 16th and 33rd overall selections for the young defenceman. It’s interesting to go back now and look at what Chiarelli said at the time of the deal:
"We’ve been hunting for defencemen, and there’s a lot of intelligence on Griffin internally. I’ve always liked him as a player. He’s been behind a lot of good defencemen in Long Island. I had discussions with Garth on and off over the last month or so and we just kind of ramped up those discussions. I saw him in pro a couple of times last year; I saw him in London for the Memorial Cup and he was just a horse. Happy to get him. We had some guys at 16 that we liked, but this was something we decided to act on and he’s ready to play and he’s going to be a very good part of our D."
Bob Green has reason to be confident in Reinhart’s potential. The strapping rearguard served him well over the years, and remains the highest player ever drafted from the Oil Kings into the NHL. I saw him play dozens of games myself over those years, and wrote this report on his draft day in 2012:
" As for Reinhart, his game matured over the course of the season, and by eye he became more effective as he, like [Matt] Dumba, realized that sometimes less is more. The big guy has some nice skills when it comes to moving the puck, getting involved in the offensive zone, booming in shots from the point, often showing up right on the doorstep. One suspects he’ll find that last tactic more effective in the pro ranks when he has the element of surprise on his side, something which will happen naturally if he evolves into more of stay-at-home guy, as many project. Perhaps because I saw him the most times over the longest range of time, I wondered at times about Reinhart’s consistency, but given that the topic is teenaged defencemen it’s probably redundant to even mention that. One very positive development in his game was an increasing willingness to buy in to the physical side of the fray. By nature the big guy plays more of a contain game — the type that drives a certain segment of the fan base nuts — but towards the end of the season and especially in the playoffs, he would mix in the odd booming hit that would be felt by one opponent but seen and heard by the rest. He’s no Shea Weber, but his overall style of game reminds me of Eric Brewer or perhaps Dan Hamhuis."
as Arthur Staple wrote in Long Islands "Newsday":
"It’s June 26, 2015, on the floor of Florida’s BB&T Center. The Islanders have already traded away their first-round draft pick, 21st overall, to complete the ill-fated Thomas Vanek deal from 2013.
As the first round progressed, general manager Garth Snow looked for a way into the middle of the pack to try and draft the player the Islanders badly want, Seattle center Mathew Barzal.
The Bruins had three straight picks, Nos. 13, 14 and 15. The Oilers, at 16 and already with Connor McDavid in the fold, were looking to deal. The Islanders brain trust held its collective breath as the Bruins make their three picks; none are Barzal. as soon as he knew Barzal was still there Snow dealt defense prospect Griffin Reinhart to Edmonton for the 16th and 33rd picks and the Islanders get their young man."
Garth Snow knew Edmonton had tried to get Reinhart twice before, and according to chiarelli they had almost drafted him first overall in 2012 before settling on Nail Yakupov. So Snow knew what he was doing. people look back now and try to revise history, because Reinhart has flamed out, but at the time the Oilers had wanted him for years
