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Tuesday, September 04, 2012

Laxdal on Reinhart

from the Edmonton Sun:

Former Islander Derek Laxdal is Griffin Reinhart's coach in Edmonton.  (Laxdal played 16 regular season games and 1 playoff game for the Islanders over the 1989-90 and 1990-91 campaigns.)

He's quoted in the Edmonton Sun over the weekend:

<<Laxdal did say he was surprised that Reinhart was taken in the No. 5 slot in the NHL draft (by the New York Islanders). He thought it would be even earlier.

"You know what? I thought Griff had a chance to go in the top 2 picks. He's an outstanding kid and an outstanding player and he's only going to get better and better. He's going to have a long NHL career and they're looking for longevity out of their draft picks. Obviously he got by a couple of picks there. But at the end of the day he's going to be a true NHL defenceman.
 >> 
Eric's note: With thanks to sharp-eyed reader Kevin Corey: the Sun story is incorrect.  Reinhart was taken 4th, not 5th.

In the Six Degrees of Hockey Separation story, Laxdal has an interesting footnote -- it is how he became an Islander.  He was acquired from Toronto in a long-forgotten 1989 trade along with Paul Gagne and one other player:  Jack Capuano (who appeared in the NHL before and after the trade, but never for the Isles).  Mike Stevens and Gilles Thibadeau went the other way in that deal.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

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