Before the Islanders last home game this season, I decided to hit the Starbucks across the street from Nassau Coliseum with my girlfriend. While we were drinking our white chocolate mochas and complaining about the season, Islanders center Nate Thompson strolled in. Garbed in my Islanders jersey and a huge kool-aide smile, I said “Wassap Nate,” as he waited for his coffee.

In return, I got a nice wave back and a smile.

True story.

Nevertheless, in spite of that kind gesture, it may be the rest of Islanders country that waves goodbye to Thompson this offseason. Well, at least from a regular spot in the lineup, that is. Tough on the boards and good in his own zone, Thompson proved his value as a fourth liner this season, but his offensive game still needs some polishing before he can truly earn his spot on the team in the future.

If the Islanders do indeed draft John Tavares and the Islanders do decide to sign Thompson as a restricted free agent, he’ll most likely be rounding out the depth chart at Bridgeport. Also considering the fact that he’s arbitration eligible this offseason, the Islanders could part ways with him before he becomes slightly more expensive.

Like I said, if the Islanders do draft John Tavares, Thompson is almost guaranteed to be in Bridgeport, despite Islanders head coach Scott Gordon’s affinity for him. If the Islanders draft Victor Hedman or pull of some type of shenanigans, they’ll still be looking for a center that can contribute more offensively than “Nice Nate.”

Even if the Islanders are looking to add depth at Bridgeport, they may even be able to do better than keeping Thompson around, as they can resign Mike Iggulden and give Justin DiBenedetto. Nevertheless, the guy has several solid seasons in the AHL under his belt, can play Gordon’s system and at the very least can fill in for a few games if someone is injured. If he wins his case in arbitration, Thompson probably won’t be due for too much of a raise either, still making him an affordable depth player.

Stay or Go?

Despite the variable in his favor, I think it’s in Thompson’s best interest to look for a gig somewhere else next season. With the youth movement in full swing and the Islanders already having a player that can do many of the things Thompson can do in Tim Jackman, his chances at establishing himself anywhere but in Bridgeport are very small.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Posted under Offseason 2009

I think if you asked anyone in the Islanders organization what they thought of Thomas Pock’s play this season, it’s fair to say that they’d give you an answer so unemphatic that they’d leave you wondering if he was even there at all.

The old tale is that if a defenseman is unnoticeable on the ice that he’s done his job, but I believe Pock may be the exception to that rule.

Kenny Jonsson, he is not.

Playing in 59 games this season, Pock scored just three points and was a -17. For a guy with a few high quality seasons in the AHL under his belt, Pock hasn’t been able to put it together in the NHL. Much like Jeff Tambellini and Andy Hilbert, Pock is an AAAA player, who is able to play extremely well in the AHL, but just doesn’t have what it takes to thrive to his fullest potential in the NHL. Supposedly an offensive defensemen, his play this season was as tenacious as a sleeping newborn.

If the Islanders blue line is decimated by injuries again this season, players the likes of Andrew MacDonald, Jamie Fraser and Dustin Kohn should get the opportunity to fill the void, while Pock goes to look for a job with another NHL club.

Stay or go?

An emphatic go. The Isles have enough players under-performing and don’t need another one.

Battling an undisclosed illness for the last few games of the season, Dean McAmmond was a serviceable player in his short stint with the Islanders, proving that he still has the smarts and speed to be a dependable third or fourth liner in the league. Scoring nine points in 18 games, McAmmond did a pretty good job of providing added offense and killing penalties for the down and out Isles. However, considering the direction the Islanders are headed, with a handful of young players waiting in the wings, it seems a better move for the franchise to go with one of them than spend more money on a player that doesn’t have as much to give back. Like I said, McAmmond is still capable of scoring a dozen goals and as many helpers in a Richard Park-esque role, but I, much like the rest of the fans of this team, would much rather see a player like Jesse Joensuu on the ice than an aging former 20-goal scorer like McAmmond.

Stay or go?

Go, please. No more used up veterans on this team.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Posted under Offseason 2009

When the Islanders signed Doug Weight this past offseason, not much was expected from him, especially considering he had the worst season of his professional career last season.

I even set the bar pretty low for him in July, writing:

“If he’s healthy all season, I definitely see him scoring a dozen goals and adding 30 helpers, while setting a great on-ice example for the youngsters.”

And who wouldn’t have set the bar low for the guy after what happened to him the year before? As a matter of fact, many insiders thought the guy was finished after last season.

“I felt like I had a lot of hockey left in me and that I was not put in a good situation to play,” Weight said of his experience on 2007-08 on the team’s official website a few days ago. “But those things happen and it’s how you respond to those things. Fortunately, the Islanders wanted to give me a chance and I had a coach that had a lot of respect for my game and the way I play. I felt like I responded pretty well.”

Damn skippy you did.

In just 53 games, Weight scored 10 goals and added 28 assists, good for third on the team. Scoring 21 of his points on the powerplay as well, Weight did everything the Islanders could have asked from and more. Before the Islanders began their collapse and Joey MacDonald was doing just more than holding down the fort, Weight was also scoring a point a game and was screaming his head off on the bench, proving he was every bit the leader the Islanders expected him to be.

Considering what most of us expected from him, it’s almost impossible to argue with that.

“I wish I could’ve stayed healthy because I think I could have had a pretty good season and helped our team even more,” Weight said on the team’s official site. “But having said that, I am going to work hard during the offseason and come back and hopefully have a great year.”

If he is healthy, I expect Weight to score 15 goals and add 40 assists that should put him near Mark Streit and Kyle Okposo for the team’s scoring lead. That alone means the Islanders offense will still have its fair share of growing pains next season, but that won’t be because of Weight.

Simply put, the guy just fits into the Islanders system and is still a capable playmaker.

If the Islanders pick up John Tavares and perhaps a free agent signing and there is less pressure on Weight to produce, I expect him to have an even better season. At this point in his career, he can’t be asked to score 70 points, but if some of the youngsters can pick it up, Weight can and will continue to be a productive player for the New York Islanders.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Posted under Offseason 2009

It may be a long time before next season, especially with the playoffs just beginning a few days ago, but here in Islander country, we can start contemplating possible line combinations for next season.

Here’s my take, considering the Isles pick up John Tavares.

Forward Lines:

Sean Bergenheim Doug Weight Kyle Okposo
Blake Comeau John Tavares Jesse Joensuu
Jeff Tambellini Josh Bailey Trent Hunter
Richard Park Frans Nielsen Tim Jackman

Spare forwards who will see time during the season:

Jon Sim, Trevor Smith, Joel Rechlicz

Defense

Mark Streit Bruno Gervais
Brendan Witt Radek Martinek
Andy Sutton Freddy Meyer

Spare defensemen who will see time during the season:

Jack Hillen, Dustin Kohn, Andrew MacDonald

Goaltending

Rick DiPietro
?

Not too shabby, eh?

These combinations are also based on the fact that Dean McAmmond, Andy Hilbert, Mike Sillinger, Kurtis McLean, Mitch Fritz, Yann Danis and Joey MacDonald are all UFAs. Chances are that either Danis or Joey Mac could be resigned, but due to Rick DiPietro’s inability to stay healthy, I expect the Islanders to give another goaltender with some experience a chance to backup DP, maybe someone like Kevin Weekes or Antero Niittymaki if the Islanders were extremely lucky. Nothing against either Danis or Mac, who showed signs of brilliance at times, but for long stretches of time they weren’t sharp and this team needs a backup that can be consistent, someone like what Stephen Valiquette does for the Rangers, well aside from that 10-goal debacle against the Stars in February.

The Islanders also have a hearty helping of RFAs in Smith, Comeau, Nate Thompson, Jeremy Colliton that will be signed soon to provide depth at Bridgeport and in Comeau’s case, to give him his first real contract.

All in all, it’s obvious the Islanders will be much younger at the start of next season and with a majority of the growing pains out of the way, the team will be much more competent on the ice.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Posted under Offseason 2009

For a few seconds there, Islander fans were probably thinking they were going to get the number five pick, especially considering how bad the team’s luck has been this season.

Sure, it hasn’t been completely horrible, as guys like Blake Comeau, Josh Bailey, Sean Bergenheim and Kyle Okposo have all shown signs of becoming players the team can depend on in the future. For the most part though, it been the same old song, as the team has failed to make the playoffs with aging veterans, nagging injuries to key players and youngsters that aren’t quite ripe yet.

Make no mistake about it though; not getting that first pick in this draft would have been an unforgettable end to one of the worst seasons in team history.

However, lady luck [Sorry, not the hot blonde chick with glasses in the new New York State lottery commercial] smiled upon the team yesterday as the team managed to nab the first pick in this year’s entry draft.

Can you dig it?

I know I can.

Nonetheless, despite the original excitement, I think I’m going to take things slow until something gets done.

No need to go crazy until the Islanders do something, right?

“We’re extremely pleased to have the first overall selection in this year’s draft,” said Islanders General Manager Garth Snow on the team’s official website. “This is an exciting time for the franchise and we are truly looking forward to the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.”

Thanks for the cliché-speak Garth; that’s exactly what we want to hear right now.

There are simply a ton of possibilities here. The Isles can take whoever they want, or they can hold the pick up for the highest bidder, which could possibly help them in the future even more than one player the likes of Tavares or Hedman could.

I personally would love to see Tavares on a line with Okposo; that alone for me would make me a happy camper next year. Having a 6′6 blue-liner with the skating ability of Hedman has possibilities as well, but I like to think that the Islanders defense is probably their strongest asset right now.

Snow has already stated that heknows what he wants to do with the pick, he’ll keep that information to himself for the time being.

“Yeah I do, but I’m not going to share it,” he said in reference to the Isles plans with the pick. “We’re going to get a great player for this team.”

Historically, the Islanders have luck on their side, as through the three other times they’ve drafted first overall, they’ve snatched up Billy Harris, Denis Potvin and Rick DiPietro.

Nonetheless, I still have this feeling in my stomach that something isn’t right.

Maybe I’m looking too much into this, but both Tavares and Hedman looked absolutely miserable after the news, like someone just told them their puppies died. It shouldn’t be too much of a concern however, because if either of them pull an Eric Lindros and decide not to play for the Isles, they may be in better shape than they could have been with just one of them.

Either way, the Islanders and their fans will have something to talk about despite missing the playoffs for the second season in a row.

For now, that’s something.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Posted under 2008-2009, Isles Thoughts 2009, Offseason 2009

The only thing worse than watching the Islanders lose 6-2 is watching the Islanders lose 6-2 in person.

In the end, I felt horrible for my g/f, who had her first NHL spoiled by the exploits of Phil Kessel and the Bruins, who dominated the living crap out of an Islanders team that was sluggish in both ends of the ice.

Despite that however, you could see that Islander fans and the organization feel better about this team than their record indicates, especially Islanders head coach Scott Gordon.

“We have some elements of team identity to carry over into next season,” Gordon told the Associated Press after the game. “The second half of the season flew by with the attitude and commitment we had.”

After a dismal first half, the Isles were a different team in the second, as many of the youngsters carried them. Up until April, the Islanders were playing close to .500 hockey in the second half, no small feat for a team missing players like Rick DiPietro, Trent Hunter, Andy Sutton and Mike Sillinger. During that span, Kyle Okposo, Frans Nielsen, Blake Comeau and Sean Bergenheim proved that could be everyday NHLers, while Josh Bailey and Jeff Tambellini showed that they may be able to contribute a bit more than they did earlier in the season as well [keep your fingers crossed.] Even the super youngin’s like Jesse Joensuu, Mike Iggulden, Trevor Smith and Joe Rechlicz have shown some potential and will be fighting for a job in training camp next year.

Doug Weight came back for the last few games of the season and showed his support for the team by signing a one-year extension, while Yann Danis fizzled out after a three-week stretch of excellent hockey in February and March.

Sounds like a Soap Opera doesn’t it? Now imagine writing something about a team like this every day for a year and watching half the other dudes and dudettes give up halfway through.

Seeing the Blog Box occupied only by the uber dependable Gary Harding for the last game of the season yesterday was pretty disappointing. Those guys have a privilege and to just give up because the team is losing says way more than any of their writing ever could.

That’s one of the reasons why I’d rather write at home [aside from the fact that I cover minor league hockey, live in Brooklyn, run three other sites and teach college English and journalism] anyway. What I’m trying to say here is that the Islanders should pay attention to these things very closely. When your most dedicated super fans can’t show up to watch the game from one of the best seats in the house and do something hundreds of young journalism students would die for, you know you have a problem.

Simply put, this team needs more offense, needs to stay healthy and needs a new building. Once that happens, all the fans that gave up will have a reason to believe again and this team can gain it’s respectability back.

Nothing short of John Tavares, the lighthouse project and Rick DiPietro back in net can fix that.

Site News: Now that the season is over, I will update less often, probably once or twice a week, in order to give myself a much needed break. Thank you to everyone that helped support me this season. Hopefully next season we’ll be able to talk Islanders hockey a bit longer.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Posted under 2008-2009, Post Game Rants

Not a bad game overall and without a doubt better than what this team was doing the last two games against the Hurricanes and Penguins. Definitely good to see Bergenheim get in there and get a goal; same thing goes for Jackman, who hasn’t given up on a shift all season. Yann Danis made 27 saves, many of which were with traffic in front of the net, which, at the very least, kept the Islanders in the game.

Today, against the Eastern Conference leading Boston Bruins, the Islanders will try and go out in style the same way the did last season when they beat the Rangers on the last day last season.

If all goes well, the Bruins will dress Manny Fernandez, who got the start last night, and make sure he’s ready just in case uber-dependable Tim Thomas [Did you ever think you'd say that about the guy four years ago?] goes down for the playoff run. With the Islanders luck however, Thomas will be in net, as the Bruins too look to go out in style and crush an Islanders team that doesn’t stand a chance.

At any rate, should be an interesting match-up. Lets see if Kyle Okposo can have a good game as well and make sure the Islanders have a 20-goal scorer on this team this season. If not, it’s going to be something many Islanders fans remember for years to come.

Streit wants a sniper- Islanders All-Star defenseman Mark Streit knows what he wants the Islanders to go after this draft.

I’m sure many of you will agree with him as well.

“I think we need a sniper, a goal-scorer,” Streit told Newsday. “I think when Ricky (goalie Rick DiPietro) is healthy and we have our whole ‘D’ corps, we have a pretty good defense we can build on. We have a lot of good talent up front, and obviously, one other guy who could put the puck in the net wouldn’t hurt next year. But that’s out of my hands.”

I’ll be there- As part of my winning the 2008 Islanders blog of the year, I won a pair of tickets to any non-Rangers home game this season and decided a few weeks ago that today would be the perfect day. I’ll see you guys there. Driving all the way from Brooklyn, the Islanders better not let me down, or they’ll be hell to pay.

Posted under 2008-2009, Post Game Rants

Despite the fact that the Islanders are headed for their worst season in quite some time, this offseason will be an extremely important one.

Both Islanders head coach Scott Gordon and rising star Kyle Okposo will be exposed to the IIHF World Championships later this month for the first time.

There, both of them will get the additional training, Gordon from Ron Wilson, an NHL coach with over 1,200 games coached and experience in the Olympics and international leagues as a player. Okposo will have plenty of players of a high skill level to play with and will be in the locker room, getting pointers on anything he needs help with.

As long as he doesn’t suffer any type of serious injury, this is a great opportunity for KO.

As far as Gordon is concerned, this is completely win-win. Perhaps, Gordon will be able to take some of the things that have worked for him this season and be able to help Wilson and his country kick some tail. Before this season, I thought Wilson was one of the better coaches in the league. This season still hasn’t changed that thought, but it’s fair to say that Wilson is going through the same pains Gordon is going through this season.

Maybe they can grow through these things together.

“I don’t think you ever get tired of getting that opportunity to represent your country,” Gordon, who was a goalie on the 1992 U.S. Olympic team, told the Associated Press. “My two experiences with the national team as a player and as a player in the Olympics were great experiences. It’s something that, when I got into coaching, I hoped that one day I’d get an opportunity to be a part of it. There’s no passion like playing for your country.

“I don’t know what the long-term is, I’m just happy about this short-term opportunity, and I’m looking forward to working with Ron Wilson. He’s certainly had a lot of experiences at different levels in international competition and in the NHL. I’ll be a sponge, I’ll listen to every word he’s got to say.”

On another note, I just came across this nifty little video of Wilson getting in an argument with Toronto reporter Howard Berger. Good stuff.

Posted under 2008-2009, Isles Thoughts 2009

For the second game in a row, the Islanders have made me sick to my stomach.

Pretty hard to do considering the fact that as a child, I’d watch Faces of Death while eating ice cream.

Nothing like cookies and cream and monkeys getting their brains bashed in if you ask me.

Last night’s game however, proved to be much more than disgusting; it was pitiful.

After Bill Guerin scored and looked down, it was obvious- even after being traded away a few weeks ago, for a paltry fifth round pick, he felt bad for his former team.

Six unanswered goals is hard to stomach and especially considering how hard the team came out in the first period.

What is even tougher to understand is how bad the Islanders powerplay was. Spoiling two separate five on three opportunities, the Islanders powerplay needs some serious work. However, with all the injuries the Islanders have dealt with as of late, what did you expect.

Even Islanders coach Scott Gordon knows his team will going to have a rough time competing the rest of the season.

“Right now, in our lineup, we don’t have a lot of firepower,” Gordon told the AP after the game. “I think we hit four posts during the course of the game. It’s not going to come as a surprise that the puck is not going to go in as easy as it would for some teams.”

In other news, the Islanders signed 2007 third-round pick Mark Katic and 2008 sixth round pick Justin DiBenedetto to three-year, entry-level contracts.

Katic is coming off his best season in juniors producing more than solid numbers of 13 goals, 41 assists and 54 points in 63 games. With Chris Campoli gone to Ottawa, Katic will first have to prove himself in Bridgeport, but will eventually at some point in the future have an opportunity to be the slick skating offensive defenseman the Islanders will need in the future to compliment Mark Streit.

Scoring 45 goals and 48 assists in 62 games with Sarnia this season, DiBenedetto proved he could still put up big numbers without Steven Stamkos around and with the team in need of young and talented forwards, DiBenedetto not only makes the organization deeper at the position, but he could challenge for significant time in Bridgeport next season.

If the injury bug takes over again next season, who knows, we may see both of these kids.

For time being however, they have both been assigned to Bridgeport.

Posted under 2008-2009, Post Game Rants

I said a few weeks ago that I’d be pretty cool with Doug Weight signing an extension with the New York Islanders.

Today, those thoughts have not changed.

Despite missing 29 games with injuries this season, the wily veteran still has 35 points and when healthy, has been a difference maker.

Signing for only two million bucks as well, Weight is a low-risk and high reward signing. If he stays on the ice and off injured reserve, he’ll score his 50 points or so and will help youngsters like Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey get better.

It doesn’t get much better than that.

“I wish everything could have been a little better this year; I wish I could have stayed healthier, I wish a lot of guys on our team could have stayed healthier,” Weight told Newsday. “But I really have been impressed with everything over the course of the last three or four months, and I’ve said before we like the area. I’m excited to be coming back and excited for what’s coming for this team, hopefully sooner than later.

“We’re going to be champing at the bit to get back in September, and I’m happy to be part of it.”
The fact that Weight is still hungry and is a testament to what Scott Gordon’s system can produce may also entice other veterans to come and fill holes on this young Islanders team. Islanders General Manager Garth Snow has sad that next year’s roster will be a very similar one to this season’s, but if he can get someone at a price similar to Weight that can come in and produce, you can bet your bottom dollar that he’ll do so. Because of that, keeping Weight around can turn out to be a smart move for the Isles.
Remember this anyone?

It feels like 10 years ago, doesn’t it? To the rest of the hockey world, it seems impossible that the Islanders could have players the likes of Ryan Smyth, Alexei Yashin, Jason Blake and Viktor Kozlov on their roster, but just two seasons ago, they did.

However, if this team is to ever make the playoffs while playing in Long Island again, a new batch of players, much younger and far less accomplished, will have to find the same amount of intensity those guys did just two short seasons ago.

Will it ever happen?

Posted under 2008-2009, Isles Thoughts 2009