For days I’ve seen Islander fans bug out on every message board imaginable because the team hasn’t made any moves. In all honesty, it’s driven me absolutely crazy. People, there are three months until the season starts and just because of two days of inactivity, everyone thinks all is lost.

Calm down people.

Hopefully, now with the team close to a deal for Steven Reinprecht [according to hockeybuzz.com] and the signing of Ruslan Fedotenko, Isles fans will see that things are going to get done, even though it may be a bit too slow for some.

However, like the most ardent cry babies in Islander Country right now, I also feel your pain and still feel that much more needs to be done before this team can be considered playoff contenders.

Personally, I’ve never been a huge fan of Fedotenko, because like many European players, he just doesn’t seem to bring enough intensity and passion to his game on a consistent basis. After watching guys like Yashin, Czerkawski, Jokinen and Kvasha pull the same type of crap when they were here, I hope Nolan can work some magic with “Tank” and turn him into the 30-goal scorer the Flyers expected him to be when they signed him in 1999.

In addition, while I’m not too enthralled by the amount of dough they gave him either, it’s obvious the team needs more offense and Fedotenko has enough upside that he can still be a bargain at that price. After paying Yashin all that cash to score 50 points last season, signing Tank for almost three million to score 35 points at the very least doesn’t seem like too big of a blunder if he doesn’t come through.

With Fedotenko now in the fold, the Isles do have a little bit more scoring, but I feel that they need at least three more guys that can put up 45 points a season before I’ll be comfortable with the offense. With the potential of the Isles signing a primary scorer looking very slim now, they’ll have to stockpile solid and dependable gritty players on all four lines to make up for it.

In my opinion, what this deal basically just did was replace Viktor Kozlov. If you don’t believe me, look at Kozlov’s situation last year before he signed with the Isles. A talented player coming off of a bad season in need of a change of scenery, I predict Fedotenko stays here one season, scores 25 goals and goes somewhere else. Scoring 12 goals last season with the Lightning, Fedotenko had a similar season to what Kozlov had two years ago with the Devils.

The only real differences between the two is that Fedotenko has a ring, has proven to be a clutch performer when the chips are down and doesn’t mind getting dirty in front of the net, something that could have turned Kozlov into a superstar if he did it a few times a season. If the Isles can find a way of harnessing his ability, say by putting him on a line with a high energy winger line Bergenheim and find a center somewhere that can pass him the puck, Fedotenko may be able to have the best year of his career. If not, he’ll score 15 goals and add 20 helpers and provide depth on the second and third lines.

Not a bad signing, the Isles just need about three or four more before I’m completely happy.