Pretty interesting that John Tavares and Matt Duchene chose to stay the night over Garth Snow’s crib a few days ago; I don’t know how common a practice that is, but it at least means that if either of these two players get drafted by the Islanders, they’ll be somewhat happy campers.

Things get even better though, especially in the case of Tavares.

From Yahoo Sports:

• C John Tavares not only slept at GM Garth Snow’s house during his visit to Long Island in late May, but he toured Long Island with 17-year veteran C Doug Weight during his stay. “I drove him to some areas and said, ‘I played 15 years in the league before I knew this was here,’” Weight told Newsday. “You can have a wonderful fan base; we can start winning, and sooner or later, there will be a new building. You’ll have one of the greatest cities in the world 30 minutes from your door, and it’s a beautiful summer spot.’ I said, ‘You’re the type of player who can be the face of this franchise for a long time if they take you. There’s nothing to be afraid of as far as being here on Long Island. There’s a reputation because the team hasn’t had much success over the last 12 years, but maybe it just takes somebody like you to get in there.’ He showed absolutely no worry… He handles the pressure well, but I also think he likes to get away in the off-season. This could be a perfect place for him.”

Make no mistake about it, this was one of the reasons why Doug Weight was resigned. He’s like a used car salesman you want to take out to dinner. There’s a sincerity in his words, yet you know he’s got his own motives. The guy has a way with players that makes me think he’ll earn himself a nice role in the front office of a team or in the NHLPA once his playing days are over. If he can continue to perform at the pace he was last season, he may have one more year left in him after all.

However, before I sing his praises any further, we’ll see just how much they played a part in the way things turn out on June 26.

Hopefully this is the beginning of more good news to come.

Posted under Offseason 2009

Since I got such a good reception from the last article I wrote [thanks for all the E-mails guys], I figured I’d attack the defense today. Just for the record, this has absolutely nothing to with the fact that there’s nothing to report in Islander Country right now or that NHL 09 is coming out in a few days and I’m playing the hell out of this game before it becomes a dust collector later this week.

Here we go:

Defense Combo 1

Brendan Witt and Radek Martinek- Absolute no-brainer here. These guys in my mind are one of the top defensive pairings in the league when it comes to shutting down top lines. They play smart hockey and get the absolute most out of their ability. They had a bit of trouble against some of the faster teams in the league that I played, but with Martinek’s puck moving ability and Witt’s toughness, they were a blast to play with and guys that I know will be solid this season. I wish Martinek was more of an offensive threat, especially on the powerplay, but beggars can’t be choosers right? Overall, these guys were on the ice for 28-30 minutes a game for me and I don’t see any reason why they won’t get that type of ice time this season.

Defense Combo 2

Mark Streit and Chris Campoli- I know I may catch a little bit of flack for this, but I love this combination. Both have offensive ability and Campoli’s toughness and growing ability as a well-rounded defenseman in this league make this work for me. Campoli is ready for more responsibility and I think covering up for Streit on defense will allow him to grow as a player. Streit also benefits by having Campoli around because defenses will also have to watch Campo at the blue line, which gives him more room to skate and create. They were also very solid on the powerplay and it was fun to see them both take shots from the point.

Defense Combo 3

Bruno Gervais and Andy Sutton- Well-rounded and steady. That’s what comes to mind when I think of these guys. Both of these guys have more grit and offensive ability than they get credit for and in the video game world, or in a perfect world ha-ha, this completely shows. They block shots, take the body and can make the first pass out of the zone. They can also kill penalties pretty well too. However, inconsistency isn’t prevalent in the make-believe world of NHL 08 and while I think these guys can and will be solid, they will have to both be on top of their games this season or they’ll be in smaller roles.

Photo by Gamespot.com

Posted under Offseason 2008