Archives for April 16, 2014

‘“This year was completely unacceptable,” Murray said during the team’s wrap-up news conference in the arena on Tuesday. “I told them it wasn’t all on them. It was on management, it was on the coaching staff. A lot of it was on injuries where we had to put people into positions that they aren’t ready for. So that’s out of our hands.”‘

‘“We’ll get a good player, and I think there’s a great chance we could get a guy that we have No. 1 on our list,” Murray said. “I think with the way the draft sets up, we probably have a better chance of getting the guy that we have No. 1 than we had a chance today of getting the first pick.”‘

‘Say what you will about the team, which was an abject disgrace this season, Murray and Nolan give suffering fans a reason for hope. It’s faint hope, but when your team has hit rock bottom, you’ll grab onto anything you can.’

‘“I’ve had some talks with people in the league. We’ve had our ‘pee-pee’ slapped once here so I’ve got to be careful what I say,” Murray said, as laughter filled the press conference room in First Niagara Center. “I’m on notice and I don’t want to have to pay that fine.”’

‘“When you tear it down, it doesn’t happen overnight,” he said. “I don’t buy into five-year rebuilds. I think when you use terminology like that as a GM you’re really setting yourself up for a long run if your owner buys into that. I could sit here and say it’s a seven-year rebuild and hopefully I get 10 years out of it. But that’s not reality and not what I want anyway.”‘

‘Murray acknowledged he wanted the Isles to move up so GM Garth Snow had a tough decision. Snow must decide by June 1. The 2015 draft has Connor McDavid, perhaps the best prospect since Sidney Crosby in 2005.’

‘“If you want to play, you’ve got to figure out a way to stick,” Flynn said. “And for me, I guess being more of a defensive player and killing penalties was the way to do it.’

”’A lot of nights it was hard to watch,” Murray said. ”A lot of nights we competed hard and just didn’t have enough talent to put us over the top. But other nights, it wasn’t pretty.”’

‘The top two projected prospects are left wing Samuel Bennett, of OHL Kingston, who finished first in the final rankings released by NHL Central Scouting last week, and OHL Barrie defenseman Aaron Ekblad.’

‘“When you tear it down, it doesn’t happen over night. But I don’t buy into five-year rebuilds,” Murray said.’