When Garth Snow sent Matt Moulson, plus a first- and a second-round pick, to the Buffalo Sabres for Thomas Vanek in October it raised some eyebrows.
When it became clear that Vanek planned on testing the open market this summer when he becomes an unrestricted free agent, the trade looked even worse on paper for the New York Islanders.
Snow tried to save face at Wednesday’s trade deadline by getting something back for the Austrian winger, but the return wasn’t as much as many were expecting.
The Islanders received a conditional second-round pick and prospect Sebastian Collberg from the Montreal Canadiens for Vanek and a fifth-rounder in 2014. If Montreal misses the playoffs, no draft picks will be exchanged.
Islanders fans have been upset with Snow since he acquired Vanek, so when the latest deal was finalized, they took aim at Snow on Twitter. Within minutes the hashtag #SnowMustGo became a top trending topic in New York.
Here is some of the best reaction to the Vanek-to-Habs deal: