Last season, Bill Guerin proved he wasn’t a savior.

Nevertheless, he did prove he was still a solid player who could contribute. I don’t anyone would have argued if Guerin put up the same numbers, 23 goals and 21 assists on the second or third line of a team like the Penguins, Red Wings or Sharks. But this is the New York Islanders we’re talking about and Guerin’s 44 points were a bit of a disappointment to many of the fans here, despite what he did in the locker room and in the community.

Before he played his first game with the Islanders, I predicted he’d score 30 goals in 08. 23 isn’t so far off that prediction, but when you add in how cold Mike Comrie was at times and that the team had no one around him that could give him some space, 23 goals is pretty damn good if you ask me. I don’t know if this year is going to be different, but I think if guys like Trent Hunter and Comrie come into this season looking to take their games to the next level, Guerin could be a huge benefactor of their success.

Let’s face it, the Islanders don’t have a legitimate first line. Rather, they have two above average second lines, a great third line and a young energy line on the bottom. It doesn’t matter who defenses put up against these lines because none of them feature game-changing players. They feature hard-working players that will make you pay for your mistakes, guys like Hunter, Richard Park, Sean Bergenheim, etc. If a few of these players can have solid seasons, somewhere along the lines of 20-25 goals and 30 helpers [I don't expect Park to do that considering everything else he does for this team, but I see no reason why Hunter or Bergenheim can't, I mean Hunter did it his rookie reason], defenses will have to plan against the Isles differently.

As of right now, they know to keep Guerin away from the front of the net and slot and to watch out for Comrie’s toe drag. Mark Streit’s presence on the blue line and a healthy Chris Campoli should help the offense as well, but back to Guerin.

Aside from the 99 Oilers and 2004 Stars, Guerin has never been the go to guy on offense for any team he’s played for. He’s been a great secondary scorer and a guy that can provide leadership though and if the Islanders can either develop or get someone who can be that legitimate go-to guy, I think they’ll see a more productive Guerin.

Photo by NHL Media

Posted under Offseason 2008