By Brian Bohl

UNIONDALE, N.Y.- Garth Snow was not afforded many opportunities to contribute to the Islanders playoff hopes when he served as the backup goalie to Rick DiPietro last year.

This summer, Snow traded in his pads and helmet for a suit and a cell phone, taking over the general manager’s position after owner Charles Wang fired Neil Smith just 40 days after hiring him.

Snow, 37, became the youngest GM in the National Hockey League this July, moving directly from the dressing room to an office as the team’s top executive. His first major move was signing DiPietro to a record 15-year contract, prompting a slew of satirical headlines about his aptitude for the job.

The backlash continued after the organization refused to buy out Alexei Yashin’s contract. The fans frustration reached an apex after the Islanders started the season 0-3 while DiPietro suffered a minor injury.

But working directly with new coach Ted Nolan, Snow waited patiently as the Islanders steadily improved throughout the season. He made two shrewd trades before the All-Star break, sending underperforming veterans Mike York and Alexei Zhitnik to the Flyers in separate deals.

Those moves saved close to $5 million in salary cap space, which Snow took full advantage of by adding three impact players before the NHL’s trade deadline last Tuesday.

Snow ended weeks of speculation about leading-scorer Jason Blake’s future, holding on the impending unrestricted free agent. Instead, the rookie GM made a bold move, acquiring All-Star forward Ryan Smyth from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for 2003 first-round choice Robert Nilsson, 2005 first-round choice Ryan O’Marra and the Islanders 2007 first-round draft pick.

“When you get a special player like Ryan, you’ve got to give up something to get something,” Snow said. “Thankfully, we have an owner who will put his resources into creating a championship-caliber team. I think Long Island will be proud.”

It was the franchise’s boldest trade since they acquired Yashin from Ottawa in 2001, and the move energized the entire team after the announcement was made. Both Nolan and the players said the trade sent an unmistakable message to the entire league: The Islanders are planning on being contenders for the Stanley Cup.

“To come into the locker room today, everyone was extremely pumped up,” DiPietro said the night of the trade. He also took a playful jab at his former backup and current boss.

“Snowy is already a better GM than he was a goalie,” DiPietro said jokingly. “He’s made great moves. At no time did he try to force trades. The best thing he did was address the needs. You can’t just go out and get random players that are available. We didn’t just bring any pieces in. We brought in guys that addressed our needs.”

Smyth, 31, will also be an unrestricted free agent on July 1, though Snow said he gave up the high draft choice and two prospects so the Islanders could make a run at their first playoff series victory since 1993. He also traded for veteran winger Richard Zednik, bringing him over from the Capitals to help bolster an offense that was without the injured Yashin and Shawn Bates throughout most of the second half.

“When Garth called me and told me it was done, I thought he was just pulling my leg,” Nolan said about bringing in Smyth, who recorded 31 goals in 53 games for Edmonton this season. “We couldn’t have hand-picked anybody better. He’s everything you want in a hockey player: he gets the big goals for you.

“When I came into the room and told the players that Ryan Smyth is coming, they smiled just as big as I did, if not bigger.”

The Smyth deal wasn’t the only one Snow completed with Edmonton. The Islanders obtained defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron and his 103 mile-per-hour slap shot from the Oilers a week before, giving Nolan an extra weapon to use on the first power play unit that was fourth-from-last in scoring percentage before the trade.

Nolan will probably go with a first line of Smyth-Yashin-Blake when Yashin returns from injury. Currently, Randy Robitallie, who the Islanders picked up for York, is filling in on the top unit, though he could eventually be slotted down to the third or fourth line to provide offensive depth.

Blake was rumored to be headed to a Western Conference contender, though Snow decided to keep the speedy winger after he couldn’t find a match. Blake said he was relieved to stay in New York after spending the last six seasons with the Islanders, and responded by scoring his second hat trick of the season in his first game after the trade deadline passed.

“It was 50-50. I didn’t know if I was staying or if I was going,” said Blake, who broke the 30-goal mark for the first time in his career. He still has an outside chance of scoring 40 with a strong finish. “When I didn’t get a phone call, it was a big relief. This is my home. I’ve been here for six years. I love it here.

Instead of moving to a new address, Blake said he was thrilled that the front office showed they have confidence in the team’s ability to make a deep postseason run.

“I’ve been here for six years, and I’ve never seen a move to get someone of that caliber,” Blake said. “Garth and Charles did a great job. They want to bring a winning team to Long Island and they don’t want to wait.”