Aside from Doug Weight, the Islanders don’t have any real playmakers and John Tavares needs someone to pass him the puck.

This is where Alex Tanguay fits in.

He’s in desperate need of a change of scenery and is coming off an injury-plagued season last year, where he still managed to score 41 points in 50 games. He also doesn’t need to shoot the puck much, probably about 110 shots will do the trick, and can still score 20 goals a year. He makes the most of his shots and is incredibly unselfish with the puck. Sure, he’s fragile and sometimes inconsistent, but I still think that if he plays with Tavares, it could be something special.

The fact that the rest of league has passed up on him means the Islanders can get him cheaper than they could have done before. If they sign him to a two or three-year contract, they get him through his early 30s and if he doesn’t perform, they could always trade him to a contender for a draft pick.

However, if he performs, Tavares and who ever else is on the line with him and Tanguay, most likely Kyle Okposo, will be able to learn from a guy will some experience and will be able to get more of an opportunity to step up their game as well.

Low-risk, High-reward if you ask me.

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

Despite the fact that Trent Hunter is the longest tenured member on the roster aside from Rick DiPietro and Radek Martinek and would make a more than solid NHL captain and Brendan Witt has the leadership ability, I’m beginning to feel that Mark Streit should be the Islanders next captain.

We all know it’s a decision that won’t be made until next season, but just look at the guy’s numbers. 52 points and a +7 on the worst team in the league, from the blue line. I don’t know if there are many players in the league that could put up points like that if they were in his situation. Add in the fact that he missed and handful of games and it’s possible he could have even broken his career high in points that he set last season.

However, as many of you dudes and dudettes know, being a captain of any team in any league has more to do with the total package than just numbers alone. That is a category where I think Streit is totally underrated. Making amazing strides in his defensive game this season, I dare say that Streit is the best defenseman this team has had since Adrian Aucoin. And Unlike Aucoin, he doesn’t have to take 200 shots a season to be productive offensively. A great passer with an excellent shot and skating ability, Streit is one of the few defensemen in the league that can attract attention in all situations on offense and make the players around him better.

To me, that’s exactly what a captain should be able to do.

And to think, the Montreal Canadiens thought they used the guy up and that he’d never be able to reproduce the numbers he put up last season. I’m not a betting man by any stretch of the imagination, but I’m sure the Habs would gladly take Streit over Mathieu Schneider any day of the week. And let’s be fair here, Schneider is one of the most talented offensive defensemen of this generation. He’s a guy that many teams would kill to have.

But he’s not Mark Streit.

Again, that’s another reason why he should be Islanders captain. He’s one of a kind and he’s getting better every day because the organization has had faith in him from the start. The same way the youngsters are growing, Streit too has become a much better player this season and is a representation of what this team could be if they worked as hard as he did.

Posted under 2008-2009, Isles Thoughts 2009

I’ve told you guys countless times in the three seasons that I’ve been writing this column that the New York Islanders are unlike any team in the NHL.

Regardless of if they are winning, losing or middling, there is always news, always things to think about and write about.

Despite being in last place, this team will have a serious goaltender controversy to think about this offseason. Everyone knows Rick DiPietro will be the number one, but coming off another injury-ravaged season, it’s highly doubtful that he’ll play the 70 games he wants to play.

My best guess is that DP will play about 50-55 next season and if all goes as well, then and only then will he be used in the Tim “Every Day” Cheveldae-esque role that he insists on playing.

However, will it be Danis or Joey MacDonald that is on the bench? Would one of them be willing to sign a two-way contract next season to provide support just in case DP gets injured again? Highly doubtful. Especially after both of them have proved they can be a solid backup if given a chance.

So what happens here? Who knows, but from what I’ve seen from Danis over the past few weeks and how much the coaching staff has embraced him, I think it makes this decision in the future an even tougher one.

“He’s played like a No. 1 over the short term,” coach Scott Gordon told the AP. “That’s ultimately going to be a decision to be made after the season is over. Ricky’s status will factor into it. All I can say is Yann has clearly shown his performance has been at a higher level than anything we’ve had all year. I’m happy for him.”

Wow. Big words, but that’s what comes with putting up the numbers that Danis has this season.

And who would have thought after his first two miserable outings? Not me, that’s for sure.

But then again, this is what the New York Islanders are all about. A few months ago, everyone, including myself, weren’t thrilled when Wade Dubielewicz got picked up by the Blue Jackets, because we didn’t like what we saw from this Danis-guy with the French-accent. We all wanted our Yoda back, so he could swing his light saber. Instead, we got d’Artagnan, with his saber and funny looking mustache.

But hey, he’s been great and it’s given this writer something to of course, write about.

What more could you ask for?

A playoff appearance?

One day fellas, one day.

Posted under 2008-2009, Isles Thoughts 2009

Kind of funny how I was furious about the Islanders getting only a fifth rounder for Bill Guerin on Wednesday.

Now, three days later, the truth comes out.

It turns out that when the Islanders took Guerin out of the lineup before the Buffalo game on Feb. 28, they had no deal with any team in place, flubbing all the reports from various websites, based in both journalism and in rumor. At any rate, both Snow and Guerin’s agent felt it would be in the Islanders best interest to keep him out of the lineup to avoid injury.

This is where I don’t quite understand the logic.

You take a player out of the lineup that you know interest is low on because you don’t want them to get hurt, to do what exactly? Lower their already low value? Seriously, what is the worst thing that can happen, get a fifth round pick for a legitimate goal-scoring threat that could bolster any team’s offense?

Wait, that happened already.

Nonsense. Complete nonsense.

If Guerin played those games he sat out for and scored a few goals, perhaps he may have drawn some more interest from teams looking for offense and the Islanders could have gotten more.

If Guerin gets hurt, what happens? They don’t get a fifth round pick? I, like most Islander fans, could deal with that.

It’s highly doubtful this fifth round pick will be the franchise player that will guide this team out of the cellar. It’s also doubtful that this fifth round pick could be the 20-goal scorer the Islanders lost in Guerin as well. I know you should never really rate a trade until some time has passed, but I really think the Islanders should have taken a chance and let Guerin play his last few games with the team. Now the Islanders will have to wait and see what they’ve eventually received in return for their former captain.

Speaking of captains, it kind of irks me that the Islanders won’t name a captain until next season. It makes me think that they don’t have faith in the players they have now and will go outside the team and look for a veteran free agent to sign and name him captain.

That, I believe, would be dead wrong. This team has plenty of players, guys like Trent Hunter, Brendan Witt, Mark Streit and even Richard Park, that would be able to serve as a more than solid captain. The way things are going, this team needs someone from within to help them get to the next level. Someone that has seen how bad things are and can grow, despite thus struggles and help lead the team to respectability.

Those are just my thoughts though.

What do you guys think?

Posted under 2008-2009, Isles Thoughts 2009

This is always one of my favorites times of the year, but the way things are going with the Islanders this year, things have the potential of getting very ugly, very fast.

Considering the fact that there seems to be a rift between several of the older players and Isles head coach Scott Gordon, many of the team’s veterans could be on the move.

I’m also wondering if Trent Hunter’s supposed lower body injury has more to do with his relationship with Gordon [I have no idea what it is, but if it's rocky, we may have seen the last of him] than anything with his lower body.

As of right now, it just feels like the team has had enough of many of the veterans on the team.

Jon Sim, for example, goes and plays his best game as an Islander and is put on waivers the very next day. The guy has been playing great hockey as of late after a whole season of under-performing and as soon as he gets going, you attempt to give him away? I don’t know if I agree with the logic there. He’s signed for an agreeable one million dollars next season and if he continues to produce, he’ll have a dozen goals in about 60 games. That’s not too shabby for a guy that scored 17 a few years ago with a plethora of ice time. Why they wouldn’t want to just ride him out until he stops scoring is beyond me.

What they are doing right now is slapping him in the face. Putting him on waivers once and not having anyone pick up was bad enough, now putting him back there while he’s playing his best hockey is the ultimate disrespect. Now if no one picks him up, what’s the next step? Throw a player you’ve already proven to have no faith in and that you’ve shown has no value to the 29 other teams in the rest of the league back in the lineup? Like I said, he’s still got another year on his contract and you’ve already made him miserable this season, so what exactly is this guys incentive to play hard for you? That’s the big problem here. Now he has none.

Simply put, doing things like this will inhibit free agents from coming over in the future. Add in the fact that the Islanders obviously already have problems signing players that they need to and this is not good news.

Not good business dealings if you ask me.

Posted under 2008-2009, Random Rant

Well, the way this season has gone, the bright moments have been far and few between. In this post, I break down three things I’d like to see transpire by the the time the Islanders pack it up.

Kyle Okposo scoring 20 goals- It may not mean very much to the rest of the league, but considering how poorly he started the season, the fact that he hasn’t had a consistent linemate for most of the year, the time he spent on the shelf in November and December and how bad the team has played this year, scoring 20 goals would be a huge achievement for him. While it still wouldn’t be enough for him to nab the Calder trophy, it would be enough to help get fans thinking a bit more positive about the direction this team is moving in. It may also give some free agents the courage to sign and help get the Islanders out of the cellar next season.

Josh Bailey and Frans Neilsen getting to 35 points- Again, it’s something that may not mean everything to the rest of the league, but if Josh Bailey and Frans Neilsen can find a way to score 35 points, which would mean they would both have to average close to a point a game over the last 23 games of the season, it would be huge. Is it asking for too much, especially on a team as offensively challenged as the Islanders? Perhaps, but again, much like Kyle Okposo, the improved play of Neilsen and Bailey would go an incredibly long way in helping to solidify the team’s youth movement. For Neilsen, it would prove that he can be more than a solid defensive forward that can win faceoffs. For Bailey, it would go a long way in proving that the Islanders made the right move when they traded down in an incredibly deep draft to get him.

Mark Streit getting to 60 points- If Mark Streit can get to 60 points, it would prove that he is the real deal. That he can put up similar numbers on a much different team and be a leader on the ice. It will also show the rest of the league that free agents can come to the Island and enjoy some kind of success. But for Streit, it’ll prove that he’s much more than a gimmick player and one that any other team in the league will be glad to have. If he can find a way to get to 60 points, he’ll have the type of confidence needed to continue to produce at a level of a top-flight offensive defenseman.

Posted under 2008-2009, Isles Thoughts 2009

It’s funny how I wrote yesterday that Mike Comrie was perhaps the only Islander without a contract for next season that could be moved at the deadline.

To be able to get a first round pick though, now that definitely wasn’t expected. Sure, you lose Chris Campoli in the process, but he didn’t want to be here. What where the Islanders supposed to do there?

Campoli apparently didn’t want to stay and the Islanders were done waiting for Comrie to be anything more than a spare part. Take away his first 10 games with this team and I think it’s fair to say that his tenure was an undeniable disaster. Even if the Islanders basically got a washed up Dean McAmmond for Comrie, it’s better than nothing. He’s was pretty much going to be gone at the end of the season anyway. As far as McAmmond goes, he’ll have an opportunity to prove if he can still play in this league or not. Who knows, maybe he may prove the critics wrong. My personal opinion on the matter is that he’s washed up and Ottawa was simply throwing him away, but I have been wrong before.

As far as the first round pick for Campoli goes, I think the Islanders got a great deal. I’ve always held the kid in high regard, but aside from his rookie season, was never able to put it together for a whole year. Now he’ll go somewhere else and score 50 points, but unlike the countless other youngsters the Islanders have given up over the years and got relatively nothing, the Isles now have something to show for it. Now it’s up to them to make the pick count.

I also think that the Isles have enough talent at the blueline in the minors that over the long-term, the loss of Campoli won’t be a huge one. However, we’ll have to wait and see on that one.

Despite the fact that it’s going to be a late first round pick, the Islanders now have options at the entry draft. For all the drama the Isles stirred last season when they traded down for Josh Bailey, I think it’s fair to say that the entire fan base has accepted him and wants to see what he develops into. If they can get two more quality youngsters and throw them into the mix, this will be a huge step forward in the rebuilding process.

Posted under 2008-2009, Isles Thoughts 2009

After getting reamed by Islanders head coach Scott Gordon several time after his first few starts, it appears that Isles goaltender Yann Danis is starting to win him over.

While this obviously good for Danis, who was a relative-unknown last season, it’s not exactly the best news for Joey MacDonald.

So with that being said, who gets to back up Rick DiPietro next season?

“One thing about Yann, I think he’s taken it a step further than what Joey did,” Gordon told the Associated Press last night. “Not that Joey didn’t play well, but certainly, Yann, from a level of consistency, has been able to play like a guy that’s a true No. 1. That’s reflective of his numbers…to consistently give up less than three goals is what you expect a No. 1 guy to do, and that’s the type of performance he’s been able to give us. It goes hand in hand with his success. When you have that kind of goaltending, it certainly makes it easier for your team to know that, when you have those off moments, it’s going to stay tight.”

Only on the New York Islanders could there be a goaltending controversy right now. With the trading deadline rapidly approaching, could one of the two be on the move? Again, only on the Islanders. Nevertheless, this situation alone should provide plenty of bar conversation over the next week or so.

What do you guys think?

Bergenheim back- Despite registering just one shot in 11-plus minutes of action, Sean Bergenheim is back. It may take him a few games to get back in the swing of things, but having another gritty player in the lineup is definitely going to help the Islanders the rest of the season. Another guy I’d like to see get up to 15-20 goals, Bergenheim got hot at the end of last season, lets see what happens this time around. A skilled penalty killer as well, having a healthy Bergenheim back in the lineup also makes up for the injury of Nate Thompson and allows either Richard Park or Andy Hilbert more responsibility at center. Considering how dependable those guys have been on the ice this season, I think that’s good news as well.

So again, while this team isn’t going to make the playoffs, at least there are things to think about the rest of the season and offseason.

Posted under 2008-2009, Isles Thoughts 2009

I’m sure many of you guys noticed the line combinations the other night.

What did you think?

I personally loved the “New Kids on the Block” line of Josh Bailey, Kyle Okposo and Blake Comeau. They definitely had the “right stuff” out there. Wow, did I just say that? Okay… moving on.

I was also a fan of the “Money for Nothing” line of Mike Comrie, Bill Guerin and Doug Weight line. Alright, so maybe that’s not exactly fair, considering that Comrie has been injured for a big portion of the season and Guerin will score 25 goals this season and Weight has been mucho excellente. But I’m on a roll here, play along.

At any rate, the combinations seemed to get the Islanders offense going the other night and while we know the playoffs are completely out of the question,unless this team wants to win 30 of their last 34 and get help from every other team in the league, these new combos will make the games a little more interesting.

“I think the whole second half here, we’re probably going to experiment with some things—obviously, with our younger players—to see if they can develop some chemistry over the second half of the season,” Gordon told the AP the other night. Whether what we go with remains the same down the stretch or we change from game to game will be decided by the success they have as lines. Given the younger players we have, if we can develop some chemistry over the second half of the season, maybe there’s something we can build on going into next year.”

Exactly, Flash. Put these kids in a situation to show what they have and earn their bumps and bruises. Let Bailey create and let Okposo shoot. Give Comeau an opportunity to get in front of the net and work in the corners. It’s exactly what the fans of this team want to see. Nothing against Guerin, Comrie and Weight, but the fans of this team know that while they are important to helping these kids develop, they won’t be around to see what this team hopefully will become. Young veterans like Chris Campoli, Bruno Gervais and Trent Hunter will.

So if these kind of combinations have to continue the rest of the season, I say keep ‘em coming. If Bailey continues to pass like Craig Janney and Okposo keeps firing those one timers, this offseason could become an interesting one and one that can continue the movement of building a consistent winner on Long Island. If not, it’ll just be plain old good for these youngsters, which isn’t a bad thing either.

Posted under 2008-2009, Isles Thoughts 2009