New York Islanders GM Garth Snow appears to have a thing for chronological symbolism. Please recall earlier this month when the Islanders announced a $400 million plan to construct a new arena and then followed it with news that Michael … Continue reading →

Posted under NHL

BUFFALO, N.Y. - New York Islanders general manager Garth Snow can accept the NHL's punishment following a fight-filled game against Pittsburgh.

Posted under NHL

What an interesting week it's been for New York Islanders GM Garth Snow and his relationship with agent Don...

Posted under NHL

As this Evgeni Nabokov drama unfolds, our sympathy grows for New York Islanders GM Garth Snow.

Posted under NHL

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

For a few seconds there, Islander fans were probably thinking they were going to get the number five pick, especially considering how bad the team’s luck has been this season.

Sure, it hasn’t been completely horrible, as guys like Blake Comeau, Josh Bailey, Sean Bergenheim and Kyle Okposo have all shown signs of becoming players the team can depend on in the future. For the most part though, it been the same old song, as the team has failed to make the playoffs with aging veterans, nagging injuries to key players and youngsters that aren’t quite ripe yet.

Make no mistake about it though; not getting that first pick in this draft would have been an unforgettable end to one of the worst seasons in team history.

However, lady luck [Sorry, not the hot blonde chick with glasses in the new New York State lottery commercial] smiled upon the team yesterday as the team managed to nab the first pick in this year’s entry draft.

Can you dig it?

I know I can.

Nonetheless, despite the original excitement, I think I’m going to take things slow until something gets done.

No need to go crazy until the Islanders do something, right?

“We’re extremely pleased to have the first overall selection in this year’s draft,” said Islanders General Manager Garth Snow on the team’s official website. “This is an exciting time for the franchise and we are truly looking forward to the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.”

Thanks for the cliché-speak Garth; that’s exactly what we want to hear right now.

There are simply a ton of possibilities here. The Isles can take whoever they want, or they can hold the pick up for the highest bidder, which could possibly help them in the future even more than one player the likes of Tavares or Hedman could.

I personally would love to see Tavares on a line with Okposo; that alone for me would make me a happy camper next year. Having a 6’6 blue-liner with the skating ability of Hedman has possibilities as well, but I like to think that the Islanders defense is probably their strongest asset right now.

Snow has already stated that heknows what he wants to do with the pick, he’ll keep that information to himself for the time being.

“Yeah I do, but I’m not going to share it,” he said in reference to the Isles plans with the pick. “We’re going to get a great player for this team.”

Historically, the Islanders have luck on their side, as through the three other times they’ve drafted first overall, they’ve snatched up Billy Harris, Denis Potvin and Rick DiPietro.

Nonetheless, I still have this feeling in my stomach that something isn’t right.

Maybe I’m looking too much into this, but both Tavares and Hedman looked absolutely miserable after the news, like someone just told them their puppies died. It shouldn’t be too much of a concern however, because if either of them pull an Eric Lindros and decide not to play for the Isles, they may be in better shape than they could have been with just one of them.

Either way, the Islanders and their fans will have something to talk about despite missing the playoffs for the second season in a row.

For now, that’s something.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Posted under 2008-2009, Isles Thoughts 2009, Offseason 2009

I said a few weeks ago that I’d be pretty cool with Doug Weight signing an extension with the New York Islanders.

Today, those thoughts have not changed.

Despite missing 29 games with injuries this season, the wily veteran still has 35 points and when healthy, has been a difference maker.

Signing for only two million bucks as well, Weight is a low-risk and high reward signing. If he stays on the ice and off injured reserve, he’ll score his 50 points or so and will help youngsters like Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey get better.

It doesn’t get much better than that.

“I wish everything could have been a little better this year; I wish I could have stayed healthier, I wish a lot of guys on our team could have stayed healthier,” Weight told Newsday. “But I really have been impressed with everything over the course of the last three or four months, and I’ve said before we like the area. I’m excited to be coming back and excited for what’s coming for this team, hopefully sooner than later.

“We’re going to be champing at the bit to get back in September, and I’m happy to be part of it.”
The fact that Weight is still hungry and is a testament to what Scott Gordon’s system can produce may also entice other veterans to come and fill holes on this young Islanders team. Islanders General Manager Garth Snow has sad that next year’s roster will be a very similar one to this season’s, but if he can get someone at a price similar to Weight that can come in and produce, you can bet your bottom dollar that he’ll do so. Because of that, keeping Weight around can turn out to be a smart move for the Isles.
Remember this anyone?

It feels like 10 years ago, doesn’t it? To the rest of the hockey world, it seems impossible that the Islanders could have players the likes of Ryan Smyth, Alexei Yashin, Jason Blake and Viktor Kozlov on their roster, but just two seasons ago, they did.

However, if this team is to ever make the playoffs while playing in Long Island again, a new batch of players, much younger and far less accomplished, will have to find the same amount of intensity those guys did just two short seasons ago.

Will it ever happen?

Posted under 2008-2009, Isles Thoughts 2009

Kyle Okposo has 21 points in 28 games since the All-Star break.

Josh Bailey is having the best month of his professional hockey career with seven points, including four goals, in 13 games.

Frans Nielsen has 10 points in his last 13 games.

Before going down with an injury, Sean Bergenheim has seven goals and 11 points in his last 16 games.

Even Bruno Gervais is stepping up his offensive game as of late, scoring three goals and seven points in his last 16.

While these numbers are far from amazing, they are without a doubt better than what these kids were producing earlier in the season when Mark Streit, Richard Park, Bill Guerin Doug Weight and Trent Hunter were leading the team in both ends of the ice.

Now, it feels like this group of youngsters may in fact have what it takes to get the job done next season.

As far as Islanders general manager Garth Snow is concerned, this was what was supposed to happen all along.

“We came up with a plan to build through the draft, and we’re sticking to it. This season has been painful, but we think we’ll be better for it,” Snow told the New York Post. “This is an important time for our organization to take the next step, and I take that very seriously.”

With the draft coming up, the Islanders have a chance to bring in another youngster that can grow alongside the group the Islanders have put together.

That according to Snow, that is exactly what the fans want.

“Whenever (fans) come up to me, whether it’s on the concourse during games or at practice, they say, ‘Stick to the plan,’” Snow told Yahoo Sports. “The team we have next year will be very similar to the one we have now. I expect a lot of players to develop.”

Hmm. Is that another way of saying that the Islanders won’t waste money on washed up players or guys that haven’t produced every where else? As far as I’m concerned, aside from the signings of Weight, Mark Streit and Richard Park, I’ve been pretty unimpressed with the free agents this team has brought in over the past three seasons.

Hopefully that trend will stop and the Isles will truly start the youth movement next season.

Posted under 2008-2009, Isles Thoughts 2009

Despite the Islanders record this season, they’ve had a few players that have never given up this season. Guys that regardless of the score, have fought hard in corners, taken quality shots on net and taken the body.

When thinking of players that fit into this category, Tim Jackman is one of the first players that comes to mind.

Signing a one-year contract extension with the Islanders yesterday, Jackman was rewarded for his hard work, making his return to the team next season an imminent one.

While Jackman coming back may not be a huge signing, it does assure the team of some fourth line grit and toughness.

You can never have enough of that, can you?

“Tim earned this extension by showing his willingness to do whatever is necessary to help the Islanders succeed,” New York general manager Garth Snow told the Associated Press. “We know Tim is excited about being an Islander next season, and we’re just as excited to have him back.”

The thing I like the most about Jackman is that he can fit adequately into a variety of roles. If someone is picking on Kyle Okposo or one of the other youngsters, Jackman has no problem dropping the gloves with them. If the Islanders need someone to go out there and change the momentum of a game and provide some energy, he can do that too. If someone on the top lines is slacking and needs a reality check, Jackman can play with the top line and get himself in front of the net and at least be an option. He’s even shown an ability an ability this season to kill penalties and block shots if he has to.

Because of that, he’s proven himself at this level and absolutely deserves an opportunity to strut his stuff in the NHL for at least one more season.

Simply put, Jackman doesn’t hurt the team when he’s on the ice. He’s a decent skater with good enough speed to be productive in pretty much any role the team needs him to be in. I actually think that he has better hands than most scouts give him credit for. Like Andy Hilbert in the fact that he’s produced more offensively in the AHL than the NHL, I think if Jackman plays 80 games and gets his 12 minutes a night, he could net 10 goals and add as many helpers.

For the time being though, I, like many Isles fans, are just happy to have him back.

Posted under 2008-2009, Isles Thoughts 2009

Damn was that pretty.

From Bruno Gervais and Frans Nielsen fighting for the puck and to Kyle Okposo finishing the play and jumping into the arms of his teammates, this is what I want to see for the next few years.

If that wasn’t enough, I think the Islanders have struck gold with Mike Iggulden. Talk about net prescence. In every game he’s played this season, he’s gotten himself in a place to cause damage. Tonight was no different as he got himself right in the slot and took advantage of the fact that Josh Bailey, another kid who is playing good hockey over the past few games, was in front of the net, looking for a rebound as well. If Iggy can continue to play this way, I can see him on this team next season.

What do you guys think about that?

Personally, I could see him on a line with just about any of the youngsters. He doesn’t hurt any of them and is a good puck distributor in addition to possessing a good shot. I like his defensive game as well.

Right now, this team feels like they are beginning to form their identity. Void of real veterans besides Radek Martinek and Brendan Witt, the youngsters have taken control and are holding their own and the young veterans like Tim Jackman and Mark Streit are playing more than solid hockey as well.

Slowly, but surely, every signing by Mike Milbury or Garth Snow during the Ted Nolan era is either adjusting themselves to Scott Gordon’s system or is leaving via trade or free agency. As this trend continues, this team will get better and more exciting to watch.

It’s happening right now, can you see it?

Over the past few weeks, I’ve loved the fact that they can come out and play well against teams like New Jersey and Montreal that are trying to cement playoff spots. Because of that, the next few games against Boston and Chicago will be even more enjoyable to tune into. Now who said playing spoiler wasn’t fun? Sure, many fans of this team have given up on them this season, but the real fans will come back next season when they see all these kids come back meaner, faster and stronger.

It’s only a matter of time. Add in a few key signings and this team will be right where it needs to be. I can smell it. It’s just going to take some time. This band can play.

Tonight, simply put, was 60 minutes of fun hockey. Plenty of penalties due to hard work, a few fights and a plethora of great saves, especially the Carey Price stop on Jeff Tambellini late in the third made this one of my favorite games of the year.

Posted under 2008-2009, Post Game Rants