Rift between Snow, Nolan was deep

BY GREG LOGAN | greg.logan@newsday.com The "philosophical differences" that divided Islanders general manager Garth Snow and coach Ted Nolan, whose two-year tenure ended Monday, go back at least a year. Snow and Nolan attempted a dramatic franchise turnaround when they traded for Ryan Smyth and then failed to sign him and several other elite free agents despite making extremely competitive offers last July. It quickly became apparent to Snow that the Islanders would have to win fans back gradually by building for the long-term through the draft and prospect development. But Nolan, who was hired with the hope of winning right away, found it impossible to adjust to the change of thinking. "Something I recognized right from the beginning is that we had to draft well and develop some prospects in the correct fashion," Snow said... [read full story]