Even with the number one pick this upcoming draft, the New York Islanders have several needs that will have to be addressed before this team can even be considered a playoff contender. One being a competent backup goaltender to support Rick DiPietro if his injury problems continue to be a detriment to the team [the guy reminds me of Samuel L Jackson's character in “Unbreakable” more and more every season] and the other being another talented offensive player. Over the past few weeks, I’ve also had a few discussions with other people, who feel the Islanders could also use another energy guy.

The only question is, what does the team do? Do they continue to develop the talent they have and hope that those needs get filled, or do they get proactive and ensure those dire needs? I personally feel that aside from a backup goaltender, the Islanders may sign a veteran leader or two to fight for a spot in training camp, but aside from that, they’re done.

That is unless they are willing to part ways with a few of their underachieving youngsters. However, I don’t expect Snow to pull a Mike Milbury here and trade any young player before he has a good enough idea of what they are truly capable of. No more Todd Bertuzzi or Bryan McCabe jobs here anymore.

Despite that, I figured it would be interesting to see who is available right now.

I know this list is far from complete, but here are some of the forwards who will be UFA’s this offseason:

Marian Gaborik, Mark Recchi, Martin Havlat, Keith Tkachuk, Mike Knuble, Maxim Afinogenov, Ian Laperriere, Nik Antropov, Brian Gionta, Steven Reinprecht, Bobby Holik, Alex Tanguay, John Madden, Mike Comrie, Mike Cammalleri, Eric Cole, the Sedin twins, Taylor Pyatt.

Thoughts:

Aside from Gaborik, Havlat, Cammalleri and the Sedin Twins, I don’t know if I’d take a chance on anyone here. Recchi and Tkachuk may get interest from the Isles, especially because they are leaders. Laperriere may be an interesting choice too and would be fun to watch with guys like Richard Park and Blake Comeau. However, like I mentioned before, for any of these moves to happen, the Islanders will have to trade some of the youngsters to make room. Do you do that in a rebuilding plan? Especially considering most of these guys don’t look to be the type of players who would want to stay here long term?

Defensemen:

Johnny Oduya, Niclas Havelid, Jay Bouwmeester, Adrian Aucoin, Francois Beauchemin, Mattias Ohlund, Marc-Andre Bergeron, Michael Komisarek.

Thoughts: The Islanders defense isn’t in horrible shape, but I personally would like to see Oduya get a shot. Bergeron learned how to play defense in Minnesota and isn’t the same player he was a few seasons ago with the Isles. Adrian Aucoin is still a god if you ask me.

Goaltenders:

Manny Fernandez, Nikolai Khabibulin, Antero Niittymaki, Martin Biron, Scott Clemmensen, Jason Labarbera.

Thoughts:

Take Clemmensen and be done with it. The guy proved this season he could handle the pressure. He’s in his prime and will be ready if DP gets hurt. A no-brainer if ya ask me. However, Niittymaki may be an interesting option as well.

Posted under Offseason 2009

If one thing was painfully obvious this season, it was that Doug Weight doesn’t like losing.

Unlike some of the other players that seemed content with their play during the season, Weight was always seen yammering on the bench and trying whatever he could in order to get his team going.

Now with the team ready to draft the number one pick in the draft in a few weeks, Weight sees the possibilities.

And boy is he excited.

“Getting the first pick in the draft certainly excites me from an organization standpoint,” Weight said. “We had 61 points this year and we had a lot of injuries and it was a tough year for us this way. I think we are going in the right direction, but nothing speeds it up like getting a great hockey player. We have some good young players that have taken some strides this year, but to get somebody like this in your organization in September or October will give us a boost and maybe it will give us some confidence. If you team that up with everyone getting healthy next year, who knows what position we are going to be in.”

You have to admit, Weight has a point. While the rest of the NHL is focused on what the Islanders did this year, no one is thinking about how much better they can be next season. Guys like Josh Bailey, Frans Neilsen, Kyle Okposo and Blake Comeau should be ready to perform at a higher level and if they can keep veterans like Trent Hunter, Brendan Witt and Radek Martinek healthy, who knows what the team will be capable of.

Well, I think even if that is the case, the team will struggle to find itself in the postseason, but they will be better than this season.

At the very least, it’s a start.

While garnering the first pick has lifted the spirits of Weight, it’s been great for business as well.

“There is a lot of excitement surrounding this year’s NHL Entry Draft for the Islanders organization and its fans,” New York Islanders President Chris Dey told the team’s official website. “That enthusiasm is being felt through the increased interest in our various ticket packages.”

Teams like the Blackhawks and Penguins have proven how much a first overall pick can change play on the ice and business; hopefully this is just the beginning of something special for the Isles.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Posted under Offseason 2009

While I’ve nibbled at this topic a few times, I’ve failed to give a full out answer on what the Isles should do with the first pick. Everyone who reads this site knows I believe John Tavares should be an Islander. But many don’t know why.

Here it is.

Despite the fact that many scouts have said he doesn’t play great defense and is a bit selfish with the puck, those same scouts still see him projecting into a 40-goal scorer. That reason alone, I feel the Islanders need him in the lineup. Simply put, who gives a crap if he doesn’t play defense now. That should change over time and if he’s scoring 40 goals, I could live with bad defense, even if it’s on the Mike Comrie level.

What many people are failing to realize here is that the New York Islanders are desperate and far more than anyone thinks. They need someone on the ice they can believe in and someone they feel can be a guy that can help them get out of this funk they’ve been in since the early 90s. Since that time, they’ve brought in so many people that have failed miserably at the task and it’s time now to set this ship right before it’s totally unrecoverable. So far, Kyle Okposo looks to be a guy the team can build around, but he is not going to be the offensive leader this team needs in order to make the playoffs, nevertheless win a championship. Josh Bailey, too, while he made significant strides in spite of tremendous growing pains this past season, looks more like a 50-60 point guy with character.

John Tavares however is a star right now and the Islanders don’t have any.

The last thing you want to do is go playing around with trades and hurt your chances at giving the fans what they want. While this is a sport and of course, the main goal is to win, sometimes making fans happy is the smart thing to do. As of right now, Tavares is the clear fan favorite, despite Victor Hedman having a group of fans that think he’d be the right guy as well. As far as Matt Duchene goes, the fans don’t know much about him.

What the Islanders need to do now is to protect themselves by putting as much information about these three players on their site and show them meeting the Islanders brass. I’d even go as far as quoting them about how’d they feel if the Islanders drafted them, even throw some video on the site of these guys in action, so they can make their own decision and be forced to go off of what the media tells them. Make the fans aware of what is going on and put them in a situation where on draft day, they are educated and don’t flip out because they have no idea who the team drafted.

Remember, this is a business and the Islanders have to make their customers happy. If they aren’t going to do what everyone thinks they should do and draft Tavares, they should start preparing now in order to deflect that obvious backlash that may ensue.

Posted under Offseason 2009

Andy Hilbert- Unless the Islanders don’t have the confidence in some of the youngsters that are due a push, guys like Blake Comeau and Jeff Tambellini, there is no reason why Hilbert should stick around. Considering the miserable season Miro Satan had for the Penguins this past seasonand Hilbert’s success there a few years ago, it makes sense that he could end up there again. However, if the Islanders fail to sign or draft a top tier forward, Hilbert, because of his grit and comfort in Scott Gordon’s system, may be one of the first players resigned to round out the depth chart.

Mike Sillinger- Two years ago, one could make the argument that Sillinger was one of the best players on the team. He scored 59 points, killed penalties and won faceoffs, seemingly at will. However, last season, Silly was injured and limited to less than 60 games. This alone played a huge part in why the team missed the playoffs. This season, Sillinger was out of the lineup for 75 games, dealing with even more injuries.

Now a UFA, Sillinger, if healthy and ready to return, could garner interest from other teams in the league. However, the question remains as to if the Islanders should take a chance on him, if that is the case. It’s hard to argue that many of the Islanders problems on the ice this season stemmed with problems with puck possession and Sillinger’s ability in the faceoff circle could have helped that, but at 37, soon to 38, the larger question is can he still be productive? If I was a betting man, I’d throw a hundred dollar bill on him hanging up his skates next season anyway, so even if the Isles decide to bring him back, it’ll be in the short term and considering the fact the team is in the middle of a youth movement, that decision doesn’t make much sense.

But this is the Isles we’re talking about.

Dean McAmmond- He showed some ability that many thought has eluded him lately in his short tenure with the Islanders, but I feel his arrival on Long Island this season had more to do with politics than the Isles wanting his services. With Richard Park and Tim Jackman signed and a host of youngsters that can be plugged into that fourth line with them, the chances of McAmmond sticking around for next season are slim to none.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Posted under Offseason 2009

Jason Pitton- I saw him play at Islanders prospect camp in 2005 and didn’t get much of an impression from him. Four years later, I guess you can say the same thing. Pitton’s numbers are less than mediocre as he’s battled inconsistency and injury. With guys like Tim Jackman and Joel Rechlicz either on the big club or in the AHL, the 6′2, 215-pound Pitton may not have the versatility the team needs right now. However, with Mitch Fritz likely gone this offseason, the team may keep him around in case they need another tough guy.

Blake Comeau- I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; this kid has the makings of a great role player, but he has to take his destiny into his own hands. While I have little doubt that the Islanders will re-sign him this offseason, he has to come into next season’s camp in the best shape of his career and has to force Islanders head coach Scott Gordon to keep him with the big club. If he does that and can shoot the puck some more, there’s no reason why he can’t find himself in the 15-20 goal and 40 point range. I don’t know how you guys feel about this, but as far as a non-top six forward goes, those are damn good numbers.

Jeremy Colliton- Every time he’s been up with the big club, I’ve enjoyed watching him and I think he’s got a lot more offensive ability than people give him credit for. However, much like Ben Walter, I think he’s been lost in the organizational shuffle. Because of that, he’s better off trying to go somewhere else in order to accomplish his dreams of being a NHL regular.

Sergei Ogorodnikov- Don’t know much about him aside from the fact that he had a decent year in the ECHL a few years ago and he’s got some international experience until his belt. At 23 however, the questions remains as to how effective he can be at the NHL level and when he’ll get there.

Jamie Fraser- I think he’s another no-brainer. He’s got the same great hair as his relative Kerry, who is one of the best officials in the league and is a good leader. On the ice, he’s got a big heart and that’s one of the reasons why he’s a fan favorite in Bridgeport. A good player on both sides of the puck, Fraser, in my mind, should be one of the first players called up if the Isles get hot by the injury bug again.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Posted under Offseason 2009

Currently, the Islanders have 10 restricted free agents that they must decide what they want to do with. Over the next two posts, I’ll answer those questions myself.

Trevor Smith- At this point in his career, I think Smith is a better player than Jeff Tambellini and deserves a chance to prove what he’s got. Overall, he’s got a good nose for the net and has great instincts. With the right linemates and a full-time spot, I think he can be a guy that can score 15 goals next season in the NHL. So as far as resigning him goes, I think it’s a no-brainer. At 23, he’s got enough experience at the college level and in the AHL and ECHL to get the job done in the NHL. It’s time the Islanders give him a real opportunity. Otherwise, he’ll get it somewhere else.

Nate Thompson- As I’ve discussed in older posts, Thompson would be a good depth signing, as he’s capable of being a leader in the AHL and is a good defensive player and middleweight in the NHL, but the question remains as to how much he can help the Islanders.

Peter Mannino- While he wasn’t nearly as strong as Nathan Lawson, who put up some stellar numbers in Bridgeport this season, I think Mannino, with a bit more seasoning, has the ability to be a decent backup goaltender one day. At the very least, he deserves one more year in the AHL to prove himself, especially considering the fact that he spent time in the ECHL this season.

Ben Walter- This poor kid has consistently put up quality numbers at Bridgeport and Providence, but for some reason, has been unable to crack the lineup. Sometimes I feel the Islanders have held on to him simply because he’s proven himself in the AHL and because they gave up a former first round pick in Petteri Nokelainen for him. At this point in his career, the Islanders don’t have much else to gain from their relationship.

Jack Hillen- Much like Smith, Hillen has an impressive college resume and should be given an opportunity this season if the Islanders don’t go out and make a big signing on the blue line. After that, he’ll have to fight it out with Freddy Meyer for the sixth defenseman spot. Not as aggressive as Meyer, Hillen is a good skater with a good shot that simply needs to take more chances on offense, while working on his defensive game. If he can do that, he’ll be a good addition to the blueline. If not, then he’ll be another wasted signing. However, in order for the Islanders to find out what the case really is, he’s going to need one full season under his belt. If he shows the initiative in training camp, I say give it to him.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Posted under Offseason 2009

I was on the Hockey Night on Long Island this past Saturday with Alex and Steve, where we discussed a bevy of topics and shared a few laughs.

You can check it out here:

Posted under Offseason 2009

Both Joey MacDonald and Yann Danis showed flashes of brilliance this season with the New York Islanders and played admirably behind an often battered and beaten defense. Make no mistake about it, in today’s NHL, where injuries are happenstance, it certainly means something. However, the the question remains as to how much it will mean to the Islanders this offseason.

Simply put, Danis and MacDonald still aren’t proven commodities in this league and with Rick DiPietro’s injury problems the past couple of seasons, the Islanders need not only to sign a seasoned backup, but someone who can also play at Bridgeport that is capable of backing up as well. As far as I’m concerned, Peter Mannino still needs to earn his bumps and bruises, making the Islanders forced to go shopping in the free agent pool or at the draft to solve these problems.

In my last post, I named a few goaltenders the Isles could go after in the draft, but I failed to address the message that could potentially send to DiPietro. Even if they are a few years away, it may agitate DP and make him even more of a loose cannon on the ice, giving the Islanders another disaster of a contract to deal with while they are still paying off the salaries of Alexei Yashin and Shawn Bates. Nevertheless, drafting a young goaltender who in a few years could play 30-40 games would be the best thing for the organization and something that the Islanders enigmatic goaltender will have to deal with.

In addition to signing a young goaltender, the Islanders would be smart to take a look at the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have Curtis Joseph, Olaf Kolzig and Martin Gerber entering Unrestricted Free Agency this offseason. Of the three, Gerber may be the best option. Making $1.8 million this season and coming off a less than mediocre campaign in ‘09, Gerber, who won 38 games three years ago, can be the guy to the team if DP’s hips aren’t up for the long haul and can be acquired for a reasonable price. His apparent friendship with Mark Streit should only help facilitate the process as well.

Who knows, many the Islanders can hit the Swiss jackpot two years in a row.

So I’m sure you’re all wondering, what does this have to do with Danis and MacDonald?

Well, I personally think Danis would be the better choice to play at Bridgeport considering the fact that he was the better goaltender of the two last season, with a drafted youngster earning his stripes in Utah and Bridgeport before the Islanders decide where he’s going to go next, leaving Gerber and DP with the big club.

With that being said, I believe that leaves MacDonald without a gig.

But that’s just in my bizarre world.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Posted under Isles Thoughts 2009

I have good news and I have bad news. What would you like to hear first?

Well, I’ve always been a sucker for the good news first. Like the time my father told me the Islanders got Kirk Muller and Mathieu Schneider before mentioning that it cost the team Pierre Turgeon and Vladimir Malakov.

Anyway, back to business.

Yes, there is some good news to talk about despite the team’s current state.

It appears that John Tavares is down. Yes, he is down, with the New York Islanders that is.

For those of you who don’t comprehend the colloquialism, “down” means there’s an understanding of sorts between the two parties involved.

That my friends is great news. Even better than the play of Mark Streit and Kyle Okposo in the Ice Hockey Federation Men’s World Championship.

“I told Garth, ‘If you draft John, he’d look forward to playing for your organization,” Tavares’ agent Pat Brisson told Newsday. “If he’s drafted by the Islanders, he probably has a chance to play right away and contribute, and it’s the New York market. We had a nice talk.”

Looks like Tavares won’t be puling an Eric Lindros after all and the Islanders may have an easy decision to make. The fact that the Islanders also haven’t made much reference to Victor Hedman since the draft and Islanders assistant GM Ryan Jankowski has scouted Matt Duchene shows the Isles are looking for more offense at the center position.

Tavares can definitely be that guy.

OK, time for the somewhat bad news…

I’m not sure how many of you have read the Newsday article a few days ago where Islanders owner Charles Wang stated for the record that if he had the chance, he would have never bought the team, so I’ll post the link here: http://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/islanders/ny-spwang2712699310may02,0,3754050.story

While it’s obvious that Wang has felt this way for quite some time, anyone who has lost as much money as he has over the past nine years would, the last thing he should do is publicly renounce his decision to buy this team- especially so close to the draft when things have to chance to start turning in his favor.

It’s like complaining about your marriage because your wife’s been acting weird for the past weeks, to only find out she’s been scared to tell you she’s pregnant. Simply put, if the Islanders get John Tavares and can add a few other pieces, things will start to change. They’ll be in a much better situation to play hard ball and get the Lighthouse Project going as well.

Because of that, Wang’s best option is to keep his mouth shut until after draft day. If Garth Snow gets the job done, he’ll be able to talk as much as he wants.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Posted under Offseason 2009

With all the hoop-la lately regarding what the Islanders will do with the number one pick this upcoming draft, it’s easy to forget that they also have the 26th pick [edit] in the first round, courtesy of the trade that sent the under-achieving Mike Comrie and the unhappy Chris Campoli to the Senators.

Now, while Islanders general manager Garth Snow has kept mum on his intentions, I offer a few thoughts as to what the team should do with their picks.

Option One- Draft John Tavares and a talented blue liner. Many believe Tavares could be the player to build around, but he’ll just be one piece to the puzzle that will get the Isles back into the playoffs. A guy like Calvin De Haan, who scored 63 points in 68 games with the Oshawa Generals this past season, may be a great choice. With Campoli gone, the Islanders could use more depth on the powerplay and De Haan has the talent to be that man. I don’t know how you guys feel, but I miss the days when the Islanders had a bunch of talented defensemen who could score. Considering that, De Haan has the potential to help the Islanders offense quite a bit.

Swedish D-man David Rundblad is a little bit older and while he doesn’t have the same offensive ability, he may be the better skater of the two and has more size, making him the Andy Sutton with a better shot of the future. However, he may be spending more time abroad before jumping to the NHL, making him a tougher guy to consider drafting.

Option Two- Draft John Tavares and a goaltender. Of course, now it’s obvious what I think the Islanders should do with the first pick, but with the 29th, they may consider getting a young goaltender, just in case Rick DiPietro injures another hip. Wait, he’s already injured both of them over the past two seasons.

If Edward Pasquale is available when the Islanders go for their second pick, they should consider picking him up. Winning 32 games in the OHL this season with a solid .911 save percentage this season, Pasquale could be ready to thrive in a few seasons just in case DP doesn’t come close to finishing him record-breaking contract.

Oliver Roy is another quality goaltender the Islanders could look at. Winning 35 games in the QMJHL this season, Roy is a guy that may be able to play 40 games a season and take some of the pressure off DiPietro.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Posted under Offseason 2009