You wouldn’t expect a guy that led his team in points last season to have this much uncertainty about their game this year, but Islanders center Mike Comrie’s game is that unpredictable to understand.

At times, Comrie can be a potent finisher, capable of being a leader on a team and despite his size, is willing to drop the gloves if he has to. For those reasons, he’s a guy that many teams would like to have in a second or third line role. However, considering the combination of the Islanders rebuilding plan and a lack of solid free agents wanting to go there, Comrie was slotted as the team’s number one center.

While starting off 2008 like he was ready to score 70-80 points and proving he was more than a depth player, Comrie faded down the stretch. When the Islanders resigned him for 2009, I was originally happy because his numbers weren’t that bad, with 47 points in 55 games. Over his next 11 games though, Comrie only had two points and soon after got the flu and missed the rest of the season. Because of the way the Islanders handle injuries with the media, it’s hard to really know if Comrie was indeed sick or if he had other injuries plaguing his performance on the ice.

If he wasn’t hurt, his overuse of the toe-drag had to have played an influential part in his slide towards the end of the season. After the first 10 games of the season, the entire league had him scouted and was ready for his little move, making him look silly numerous times. The only teams that it wound up working against later in the season were the Western Conference teams that didn’t see much of him. In order for Comrie to effectively take his game to the next level, he’s going to have to add a few more moves to his arsenal. Otherwise, he’ll continue to be a solid secondary player and will never be a true superstar.

Another way Comrie could improve his play this season is by redefining his defensive game. How many times last season did Comrie cough the puck in his own end? Way too many times for many fans likings and my own. If he steps up his play in the defensive end, he’ll get more ice-time and will be able to get more of an opportunity to produce. He’ll also make himself more attractive to other teams in the league, which could nab the Isles a few prospects or a high draft pick if they decide to trade him at some point in the season.

The other variable with Comrie is where he fits in with the team’s offense. For my money, I’d like to see Doug Weight play with youngsters Jeff Tambellini and Kyle Okposo. The coaching staff however, may want to reunite Bill Guerin and Weight. That leaves Comrie kind of up in the air. Not having steady linemates may prove to be beneficial for him, considering how his play dipped on the same line with Ruslan Fedotenko and Guerin for most of the season.

However, it may limit his production and leave him on a line he’s not comfortable on.

The waiting game begins…

Photo by NHL Media

Posted under Offseason 2008