Islanders quietly let trade deadline pass

After making two major moves earlier this season, the Islanders stood pat at Monday's trade deadline. Though general manager Garth Snow received interest in a handful of players, he wasn't tempted by any offers that came his way.

"For me, with the way our team is playing, I'm comfortable keeping this group intact," said Snow, who traded defenseman James Wisniewski in December and goaltender Dwayne Roloson in January.

Rob Schremp was claimed off waivers by Atlanta. Schremp had 10 goals and 12 assists in 45 games.

Veteran defenseman Radek Martinek and fourth-line forward Zenon Konopka had multiple suitors. None was willing to part with a second-round pick, believed to be the asking price for each.

"We're not just trying to dump salary," Snow said. "Our deals came a couple of months ago when we were 20 points out of the playoff picture."

Although rumors surfaced yesterday morning that a deal sending Konopka to Anaheim was imminent, the discussions never moved past the preliminary stages. Snow likes Konopka's toughness and leadership skills, attributes that have made him a favorite in the Islanders' dressing room and among the fan base.

There was some concern among interested teams about Martinek's health, but his current lower-body injury was not thought to be a major deterrent.

With their position in the standings - 14th in the Eastern Conference, 13 points out of a playoff spot - the Islanders clearly were in position to be sellers, but Snow said he also explored some opportunities to add salary. The options he pursued were not rentals but rather younger players who might fit into the team's long-term plans.

Although "none made sense" to acquire now, Snow said he's looking forward to a point when the team is in a position to add rather than subtract. Snow traded for Ryan Smyth at the deadline in February 2007.

"Yeah, that first year was fun," he said. "Whenever you start a rebuild, you know you are going to go through some rough patches."