from Arthur Staple of Newsday,

The rumor mill has been working overtime this week, with Snow among numerous GMs who are trying to remake their teams with the specter of a flat salary cap heading into next season and the prospect of an expansion draft looming next offseason. That may mean some surprising names could be bandied about in trade talks when the teams convene on the First Niagara Center on Friday to begin the draft.

Snow gave a window into some of his thinking during a satellite radio interview on Friday morning. The Islanders have three veterans who are now just two weeks from unrestricted free agency and Kyle Okposo, the biggest name among them, is clearly headed elsewhere.

“We’re just in a situation with the salary cap that you really have to analyze where you are today and where you’re going to be in five years from now. So there’s always tough decisions,” Snow said. “Kyle’s a great person. He’s been a terrific player for this organization. Wish him nothing but the best.”

Snow was not asked about Matt Martin or Frans Nielsen, but sources indicated that Snow and Marc Levine, Nielsen’s agent, have been in contact on a long-term deal in recent days.

Martin, like Okposo, appears headed for a new team once free agency begins on July 1.

more