Another preview of a NYSportsDay piece, once the season gets in full swing, I’ll be back to my daily rants guys, I promise.

For years, Islander fans have cried for the team to sign grittier and tougher players. Since Ted Nolan became head coach last season, it seems like they’ve been slowly getting their wish.

After mid-season injuries to Alexei Yashin, Radek Martinek and the late season suspension of Chris Simon, the Islanders were forced to call up and sign NHL journeymen like Eric Boguniecki, Deron Quint and Todd Simpson down the stretch, with limited and no success.

Now with Nolan taking a much more active role in player acquisitions, it’s obvious the Isles as a whole have gotten a whole lot tougher.

Picking up former Minnesota State stalwart Tim Jackman on July 5, the Islanders have added a player that can fill a role similar to the departed Arron Asham, but with the potential to do even more. Never getting a real opportunity to prove himself at the NHL level, the 6’4 Jackman has bounced around several organizations over the past five years and desperately needs a place to find his game. Drafted in the second round in the 2001 draft, the right wing has the size and capable offensive skills to be a solid two-way player, if given the chance.

Signed the very next day on July 6, the 6’4, 240-pound Kip Brennan has 210 penalty minutes in 57 NHL games over the past six years, with only one goal and an assist during that time. Getting a look this training camp, it’s obvious that the heavy-fisted left wing will be called upon during those tough games with division rivals like the Rangers and Flyers, but will otherwise be gooning his way through the AHL, playing for the Isles minor league affiliate, Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

While the Islanders depth chart at the forward position got some added muscle, the Isles also got some added scoring touch this past week.

Trading former first-round pick Petteri Nokalainen to the Bruins for 23-year old center Ben Walter, the Isles may just gotten the lower-line offense they so desperately need. Leading the Bruins AHL affiliate in Providence in scoring last season with 24 goals and 67 points in 73 games, Walter will challenge for the third and fourth line center spots with Richard Park and Shawn Bates.

However, despite his knack for providing consistent offense in the AHL, the Isles love Walter’s grit and worth ethic as well.

“Our staff loves his two-way play, work ethic and knack for scoring big goals,” said Isles GM Garth Snow on the team’s official website. “Ben is a young player who will battle for a position in training camp and gives us excellent depth at an important position.”

They may not be comparable to some of the depth pickups of other teams, but the signings of Jackman and Brennan have given the Islanders the size and grit they lacked last season, while the acquisition of Walter gives them more offense. The jury is out however on how much these players can actually help the team get past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 1993.