While the last quarter of the Islanders season was filled with misery, injuries and bad bounces, Richard Park took his game to the next level and proved that he can be much more than a fourth line pest. Scoring 12 goals and 32 points this year, Park was more productive than his previous season with the team, but numbers only tell half the story.

Despite all the sour spots on this team this season, Park was one of the only reasons to watch them every night. He played in every situation and worked hard on every shift, sometimes much more noticeably so than his teammates. If that wasn’t enough, he brought out the best of every player he was on the ice with and helped make Kyle Okposo’s first cup of coffee in the NHL much more adventurous than it could have been otherwise.

When I think of Park, I think of a guy that could win the Unsung Hero award on any team he plays on. Last season, his two goals on the last day of the season got the Islanders in the playoffs and this season I think he really established himself as a leader on this team, However considering the fact that real hockey fans are harder to find than people who play Dungeons & Dragons, the exploits of a guy like Park will continue to go unnoticed. However, that doesn’t mean that he isn’t important to this team. Luckily, the Islanders organization knows that and have him locked up for next season.

Even though he needs to start finishing more, Park looks like he will get serious ice time on the Islanders third line next season, that is unless they go out and sign a player or two or bring back Josef Vasicek. For my money though, regardless of where he is slotted, Park is a guy that has to get 12-14 minutes a game. His energy out there is too positive and he’s got too much grit to be on the bench. If he gets a few lucky bounces next season and stays healthy, Park could score 20 goals. For a team starving for offense, Park could continue to develop into a key role player in this league.

Ted Nolan and Garth Snow have a model they want to build this team around and I think Park is the perfect player for the system they’re trying to create. He can provide some offense, plays solid defense and can block shots. If they had a few more of him, maybe they’d be in the playoffs right now.