Isles net Eberle in an attempt to land a bigger fish: Tavares

GM Snow’s team has long been adrift, and that might cost them a franchise talent

By acquiring Jordan Eberle from the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday, beleaguered New York Islanders general manager Garth Snow is sending a loud message. He only hopes dearly that John Tavares is hearing it.

By landing Eberle, Snow is telling Tavares that the wheels are in motion to improve the talent base around the Islanders’ captain in an attempt to get him to re-sign with New York.

Tavares, 26, has one year left on his deal with the Islanders and would be the most ballyhooed unrestricted free agent to hit the market in years if that’s the route he chooses to go.

But Tavares has maintained all along that he would like to stay with the Islanders under ideal circumstances. By making the team more competitive, especially up front, Snow is trying to create that very environment.

In the end, Snow can’t stop there, however. There continues to be chatter that he’s been kicking tires on Colorado Avalanche forward Matt Duchene, who has two years left on a deal that has an annual cap hit of US$6.25 million.

At the 2009 world juniors, Tavares and Eberle showed outstanding chemistry as linemates with Team Canada, something they’ll look to rekindle with the Islanders.

“Obviously, John is a generational player and a guy who thinks the game at a very high level and he’s obviously the leader of that team,” Eberle said. “I’m excited to hopefully get an opportunity to get a chance to play with him and hopefully bring some success to the Islanders.”

In the process, he might help sway Tavares to stick around long-term.

THESE KITTIES HAVE CLAWS

During his reign as Toronto Maple Leafs owner, Conn Smythe was alleged to have once coined the phrase: “If you can’t beat them in the alley, you can’t beat them on the ice.”

The Florida Panthers have taken that saying a step further, or however many steps it takes to get to the boardroom.

After announcing Thursday that towering Hall of Fame defenceman Chris Pronger had left the NHL’s department of player safety to work as an adviser under general manager Dale Tallon, the Panthers’ front office now features some mighty tough hombres.

At six foot six, Pronger accrued 1,590 penalty minutes during his illustrious NHL career. Bryan McCabe, who recently was promoted to the position of director of player personnel after spending five years in player development, was known for his controversial can-opener check during his playing days.

And Shawn Thornton, one of the league’s most notorious pugilists of the past decade, was appointed the team’s vice-president of business operations on June 1.

That’s a heavyweight brain trust if ever there was one.

“No one’s going to screw around with our front office,” Tallon joked as he left the NHL general managers’ meetings Thursday evening.

Pronger has aspirations to be an NHL general manager one day. As such, learning under Tallon is the perfect fit.

“Dale had a very nice sales pitch and I like the pieces in place here with the Panthers,” Pronger told reporters. “I can see great things for this team — it’s just a matter of putting the workboots on and supplementing those players with other pieces and help support them and get them to where they want to be.”

Pronger is in Chicago working with Tallon to prepare for the draft. The Panthers hold the 10th overall pick.

YOU LYING DEVILS

In closing, it’s time to come clean. I know who the New Jersey Devils will pick first overall Friday.

Back in April, just hours after the Devils won the draft lottery, New Jersey general manager Ray Shero, enjoying a leisurely beverage in celebration, pushed a folded piece of paper across the table to a couple of reporters including yours truly.

“The identity of the guy I’m taking No. 1 is written on that,” he said.

What a scoop. We quickly grabbed it to see what name was scribbled on there.

Was it Nico Hischier? Nolan Patrick? Maybe a shocker in Cody Glass or Gabe Vilardi?

Nope. The name on the paper: Vontae Mack, the fictional linebacker from Ohio State who is picked first overall by the Cleveland Browns GM, played by Kevin Costner, in the movie Draft Day.

Well played, Mr. Shero. Of course, we do know this: If you actually call out the name Vontae Mack at the United Center podium on Friday, 30 other NHL GMs will be euphoric that you did.

John (Tavares) is a generational player and a guy who thinks the game at a very high level and he’s obviously the leader of that team. JORDAN EBERLE, recently traded to the New York Islanders