It was a great time here. We had great runs in the playoffs. We were underdogs all the time, but we had a lot of good teams. We stuck together all the way until the end.

I have to think long-term first for the Islanders and myself. That is what is fair.

I've played in the Eastern Conference for a decade and know what it takes to win. The Islanders have been a playoff team the last few years and now I'm hopeful I can take us to the next level. The playoffs have always been when I have played my best hockey.

I'm going to be fine. It wasn't like yesterday.

I don't want to say what Buffalo offered, but I took the best deal. . . . I got four years, the deal that I wanted.

I definitely was thinking,