First thing first- Moulson: The kid looked good last night and has an impressive resume in the AHL. Could he make this team, or is he just a guy hanging around to add depth at Bridgeport? What do you guys think?

Phaneuf’s hit on Kyle Okposo:

Straight from the horse’s mouth: “I thought it was a clean hit,” Phaneuf told the AP. “I stepped up and used my shoulder. You don’t like to see guys get hurt, but that’s part of my job when the hits are there, to take them.”

My Thoughts: Looks to me that Phaneuf left the air on that hit and if Okposo misses time with this concussion, Phaneuf should get suspended. KO called his pops afterward and told him he was OK; let’s just hope this doesn’t turn out to be something serious.

Posted under 2009-10

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

The first year I started this site, I had a plethora of trolls that hated when ever I would dog Islanders goalie and resident heart throb Rick DiPietro. They’d say things like “Give him time,” “His mistakes aren’t enough to outweigh his ability,” or even “Shut up loser; you have no idea what you’re talking about.” Last season however, before he rammed his head into Steve Begin, my attitude began to change and I found another player to pick on, Andy Hilbert.

Unlike DiPietro, who, I believe to this day still has no idea just how talented he really is and repeatedly goes out of his way to make the superstar play, rather than the smart one, Hilbert is smartness personified. As a matter of fact, I think he knows his game perhaps better than anyone else in the league. He knows that he’ll never be the 30 goal, point per game player he was in the AHL and has modified his game in order to stay in the league. As far as I see it, he’s one of the hardest working players in the league today as well.

As a fan, he irritates me because he can’t finish and he always seems to be around the puck. If someone like Jon Sim had as much moxy and awareness on the ice, he wouldn’t be in Bridgeport and would have ended the season with more goals than he’s ever had in a season.

As a journalist, I love the transition he’s made in order to stay in the league and love his heart. He’s the kind of player that won’t hurt you by being on the ice and like I said, works his tail off. However, at the same time, those attributes don’t always translate into numbers and that’s why I’ve often complained about his play.

Simply put, if the Islanders feel that either Trevor Smith or Jesse Joensuu is ready to play in the NHL full-time next season, Hilbert, despite his responsible play, should fall victim to the Islanders youth movement. However, considering the fact that like Nate Thompson, he has proven he can play in Islanders head coach Scott Gordon’s system makes him an intriguing option. An unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, the most I can see the Islanders giving Hilbert is a one-year contract, hoping he stays healthy and continues to thrive with Gordon, while the youngsters continue to develop in Bridgeport.

At 28 years old, Hilbert can play it safe and earn a decent contract that could keep him somewhere for a few years in hopes of finding a linemate that can help him take his career to the next level, preparing him to sign one bigger contract before he hangs up his skates. He can also sign a one-year contract somewhere and go for the gusto and prove to the rest of the league that he’s more than an immensely talented and hard working third liner.

Stay or Go- If the Islanders don’t have confidence in players like Joensuu just yet, I’d sign Hilbert to a one-year contract and if he’s playing well enough at the trading deadline, I’d ship him off for a pick. If Joensuu and Smith come to camp ready to earn a job, Hilbert’s hard work alone would secure him a spot.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Posted under Offseason 2009

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

In the beginning, Jeff Tambellini needed time. It was a situation that is beginning to feel all to similar to Islanders fans over the past few years. The team deals a few veterans after they feel they don’t have what it takes to make the playoffs and youth comes in. He was still green after putting the finishing touches on his college career and finishing up his first year in the AHL, but he still had a ton of promise.

No one expected that it would take almost four years, but it seems that finally, Jeff Tambellini is becoming something that Islanders fans and he himself can get used to.

Very similar to Andy Hilbert, Tambellini is a beast in the AHL, a sniper and offensive force that would even scare Jeff Hamilton. In the NHL however, Tambellini is a guy that has to do a bunch of things in order to be successful.

Once he realized, his job was on the line and even veterans the likes of Jon Sim where being targeted by the organization for various reasons, that’s when I think Tambellini realized he had nothing to lose and began to take the body and shoot with more confidence.

So no more excuses about Ted Nolan not playing him, no more excuses about what line he’s on.

It’s all up to him now and he knows it.

“For the playoffs, (the games are) meaningless, but for each guy in this room, we’re playing for respect, we’re playing for jobs next year, we’re playing for ice time,” winger Jeff Tambellini told Newsday. “These are big games for us. No one is taking this lightly because this is a young group and we’re all trying to prove ourselves and put our personal mark on this team.”

Speaking of taking the body, Tambellini has has had no problem hitting players much bigger than him, which in turn has made him a much better player in corners, in the defensive end and on the powerplay. As a result, the guy has five goals in his last 16 games and has been on of the Islanders best players during that span, a far cry when he was barely noticeable at all.

Some would say that’s too little too late for the former first round pick, but with another year left on his contract and the team to get even younger next season, Tambellini, at least early in the year will get more ice-time due to his second half prowess.

My guess is he’ll be another Hilbert-clone, scoring about 10-15 goals a season that can play in all game situations, which may upset some Isles fans, but he will be a full-time NHLer next season and won’t ride the bench.

For him at the very least, it’s a step in the right direction.

We’ll see how much it helps the Islanders next season as well.

Posted under 2008-2009, Isles Thoughts 2009

Kind of funny that a guy that most Islander fans despise, the one and only, the incomparable, the magically delicious Wayne Gretzky, actually digs what the Islanders are doing with the youth movement.

Very strange. Very strange indeed.

“I really like what they’re doing,” Gretzky told the Associated Press before Phoenix’s 3-2 loss Sunday on Long Island. “You have to go through tough times to get back on top. You can’t be impatient. You have to do your homework in scouting, and if you get lucky and get a (Sidney) Crosby or an (Alex) Ovechkin, that helps too.”

Which basically means the Islanders have to do the opposite of the Coyotes have been doing the past few years, developing solid talent and then making them play a small role when they trade for Olli “I stunk on Long Island worse than anything that’s come out of the back pocket of Paris Hilton after a night she’d care not to remember” Jokinen.

While I’m sure the Islanders will take the compliment, I don’t know how the Islanders would deal with a Sydney Crosby type player at this stage of their franchise. While it’s obviously pivotal that they get better players and since they’ve been having problems signing elite free agents, the draft is the only way to go, but with the Lighthouse Project hitting snag after snag, would a top flight prospect really feel comfortable here? Just something to ponder. Instead, maybe the Islanders would be better off adding character players and forming a nucleus of six to eight guys that can do a little bit of everything, rather than one or two superstars. Again, just thinking here.

On another note, I really like that the Islanders will be sending Kyle Okposo and a few other youngsters to Bridgeport to help with the playoff push. Despite the fact that many of these guys have been in the NHL all season, they have yet to experience professional playoff hockey. That I think will be great for them and prepare them for next season.

“I’m going to play hard wherever I go,” Okposo told the Associated Press a few days ago.. “If I go back to Bridgeport for the playoffs, I’m going to give our team everything I’ve got. … The chance to maybe take on more of a leadership role, plus get the experience of the playoffs, is exciting to me. If I’m fortunate to get that opportunity, I’d be foolish not to embrace it.”

Posted under 2008-2009, Isles Thoughts 2009

As many of you guys know, I am currently covering the Brooklyn Aces of the EPHL for Bay Currents Newspaper and my own Aces site, AcesOverBrooklyn.com. During that time, I ran across James Brannigan, a Dyker Heights, Brooklyn-native that lit the league on fire, scoring 35 points in just 17 games. Recently signed by the Utah Grizzlies, the ECHL affiliate of the New York Islanders, Brannigan is setting his sights on being a part of the team’s rookie camp next season.

Last week, I interviewed the feisty sniper over the phone to hear about his crazy season on AOB. Here’s the post for you guys to check out:

Before a single puck was dropped at Aviator Arena this season, James Brannigan seemed like a perfect fit for the Brooklyn Aces.

Looking for a place to thrive after being used in defensive roles at Colorado College and the ECHL that didn’t show off his 97 mph slapshot, Brannigan needed a change of scenery and a chance to prove just how talented he really was. Playing amazing hockey during his time in his hometown, Brannigan was leading the league in scoring with 22 goals and 35 points when he was called up to the Utah Grizzlies of the ECHL on Dec. 29 .

Now just a heartbeat away from the AHL and even the NHL, Brannigan has seven points in 12 games with the Grizzlies. Chatting over the phone from Utah in this exclusive interview done last night, Brannigan talks about his time in Brooklyn this season in addition to his hopes for the future and how he’s enjoying his time in the Mid-West.

Check it out!

As always, you can listen directly here at:
http://media.switchpod.com//users/patrickhickeyjr1/AcesOverBrooklynPodcastJamesBranniganInterview.mp3

Or you can download the file on to your I-Pod or I-Phone here:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=294739484

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Posted under 2008-2009, Scouting Report

104 games in the NHL= four goals.

57 games in the AHL last season= 38 goals.

Simply put, something is wrong here. The Islanders know it. That’s why they sent him to Bridgeport on Saturday.

Now, the rest of the NHL knows it too.

But more importantly, Tambellini knows it.

Over the course of the season, unlike the rest of the youngsters on the Isles, who have shown some type of progression, Tamby has been a wreck. Obviously suffering from a lack of confidence, Tambellini hasn’t been a factor at all.

“If you start playing mind games with yourself, you’re only hurting yourself,” Tambellini told Newsday. “It is what it is. I don’t know what to tell you. I go day-by-day and I just play each game as a new game. I can’t worry too much about the past. It is what it is. I can’t really dwell on it.”

Well Jeff, you kind of have to start worrying about it. You’re a former first round pick that has performed great at every level, except the NHL. You’re not exactly 21 any more either. In order for you to stay at this level and be more than a fourth liner, you have to change your game. Because obviously, what you’ve been doing this season hasn’t been working.

The way Blake Comeau played on Saturday, with passion, intensity and desperation, is exactly the way Tambellini should be playing. It’s easy to see that he’s never going to be a power forward or a role player. He’s a sniper through and through. With his skill set, he has to score or else he’s going to be stuck in the AHL forever. Right now, he lacks the desire to get himself to the places on the ice where he can score and takes garbage shots from all weird angles, hoping to catch a break.

So far this season, it hasn’t happened.

It hasn’t been because the team hasn’t given him an opportunity either. It would have been the case last season, but not now.

So what can the Islanders do about this?

Maybe a reality check in the AHL will wake him up, maybe it won’t.

I personally think he needs to have an epiphany of some sorts and soon. Otherwise, Comeau will finish this season here and Tambellini will be lost in the shuffle, either playing out his days as a depth player with the Isles or hopping from team to team that is willing to give him a chance to live up to his promise.

“We all want him to score,” coach Scott Gordon told the Associated Press. “There’s definitely a lack of confidence that probably has built up, which is natural. I’m sure he’s frustrated.”

Posted under 2008-2009, Isles Thoughts 2008