It feels like a year ago that the Islanders were awarded the first pick in this year’s entry draft.

Or is it just me?

Ah, the suspense.

Who will the Islanders draft?

John Tavares? Victor Hedman?

Will they even use the pick?

Guess we’re just going to have to wait and see.

At any rate however, the Islanders still need to solve their goaltending issue and look for a few more players to challenge these youngsters for spots in camp. Nothing is worse than a complacent 20-year-old who knows he has a job. Because of that, the Isles have to look around for some veterans who can come in and try and earn a job. Who knows, they may end up with another Richard Park or someone like that who can truly help the youngsters and his career at the same time.

Islanders call on former first round pick to backup bench- Any older Islander fans doesn’t have to be told who Dean Chynoweth is. Despite the fact that his career didn’t go as planned, he was an extremely fierce competitor who put his heart into every shift.

For you younger fans who don’t know who he is, check this out:

Over the past decade and change, he’s made a good name for himself in minor league hockey and has shown the same type of passion behind the bench.

At the very least, he’ll be an interesting addition to the Islanders bench.

“Dean has an extremely strong background of developing young prospects from working in the International Hockey League (IHL) and WHL for the past 11 years,” Snow said on the team’s official site a few days ago. “With the youth of our team, he is a perfect fit to show them what it takes to succeed in the NHL. His defensive background from his playing days will also serve as a tremendous asset to our young defensemen.”

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

The only thing worse than watching the Islanders lose 6-2 is watching the Islanders lose 6-2 in person.

In the end, I felt horrible for my g/f, who had her first NHL spoiled by the exploits of Phil Kessel and the Bruins, who dominated the living crap out of an Islanders team that was sluggish in both ends of the ice.

Despite that however, you could see that Islander fans and the organization feel better about this team than their record indicates, especially Islanders head coach Scott Gordon.

“We have some elements of team identity to carry over into next season,” Gordon told the Associated Press after the game. “The second half of the season flew by with the attitude and commitment we had.”

After a dismal first half, the Isles were a different team in the second, as many of the youngsters carried them. Up until April, the Islanders were playing close to .500 hockey in the second half, no small feat for a team missing players like Rick DiPietro, Trent Hunter, Andy Sutton and Mike Sillinger. During that span, Kyle Okposo, Frans Nielsen, Blake Comeau and Sean Bergenheim proved that could be everyday NHLers, while Josh Bailey and Jeff Tambellini showed that they may be able to contribute a bit more than they did earlier in the season as well [keep your fingers crossed.] Even the super youngin’s like Jesse Joensuu, Mike Iggulden, Trevor Smith and Joe Rechlicz have shown some potential and will be fighting for a job in training camp next year.

Doug Weight came back for the last few games of the season and showed his support for the team by signing a one-year extension, while Yann Danis fizzled out after a three-week stretch of excellent hockey in February and March.

Sounds like a Soap Opera doesn’t it? Now imagine writing something about a team like this every day for a year and watching half the other dudes and dudettes give up halfway through.

Seeing the Blog Box occupied only by the uber dependable Gary Harding for the last game of the season yesterday was pretty disappointing. Those guys have a privilege and to just give up because the team is losing says way more than any of their writing ever could.

That’s one of the reasons why I’d rather write at home [aside from the fact that I cover minor league hockey, live in Brooklyn, run three other sites and teach college English and journalism] anyway. What I’m trying to say here is that the Islanders should pay attention to these things very closely. When your most dedicated super fans can’t show up to watch the game from one of the best seats in the house and do something hundreds of young journalism students would die for, you know you have a problem.

Simply put, this team needs more offense, needs to stay healthy and needs a new building. Once that happens, all the fans that gave up will have a reason to believe again and this team can gain it’s respectability back.

Nothing short of John Tavares, the lighthouse project and Rick DiPietro back in net can fix that.

Site News: Now that the season is over, I will update less often, probably once or twice a week, in order to give myself a much needed break. Thank you to everyone that helped support me this season. Hopefully next season we’ll be able to talk Islanders hockey a bit longer.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Posted under 2008-2009, Post Game Rants

Who would have thought that after Bill Guerin boogied on down to Pittsburgh a few weeks ago that Doug Weight would want to be a part of the Islanders’ future?

Not me and not many other Islander fans.

However, according to the Mighty Chris Botta, Weight is focused on returning next season and is actually looking forward to signing a contract.

With April fool’s a week away, this is no joke either.

This guy is serious about returning to the team.

“This is not a case of seeing if the grass is greener on July 1,” Weight said. “I know what we have here with the Islanders and I’m very excited about it. With a lot more health and whatever changes management makes, this team can go from the bottom of the League to the playoffs next season. I truly believe that.”

As Peter Boyle from “Everybody Loves Raymond” would say: “Holy Crap!”

It’s kind of hard to argue with the play of Weight before he was forced to deal with injuries, especially when he was averaging a point a game and was leading the team in the locker room. I know that I’ve been saying that Mark Streit should be the next captain of the Islanders, but if Weight is around, he may end up being the perfect choice.

From the looks of his comments, it’s obvious that he loves Scott Gordon’s system and believes the guy have him an opportunity to rejuvenate his career. That may not have meant much to guys like Tom Poti and Viktor Kozlov, who earned big ticket salaries with the Capitals after upping their market value with the Islanders under Ted Nolan, but Weight seems to be a different type of guy.

“I can’t tell you how much I’d kill to be in the playoffs next season in an Islanders uniform. This place has come to mean a lot to me. They gave me a chance last summer to prove I had something left and we proved it together. I’m going to play next season and I hope it’s here.”

If he is indeed healthy and feels he can still contribute, I think it would be great for him to return.

While Weight is “killing” for the opportunity, he may end up doing something much safer in oder to secure his spot on the team… signing the bottom line.

Posted under 2008-2009, Isles Thoughts 2009

A few months ago, I ran into former Ranger tough guy and fan favorite Nick Fotiu, who shared his thoughts on the rivalry with the Islanders in the late 70s and 80s. Over the course of the interview, Fotiu also spoke about how he was actually Scott Gordon’s coach at one point in his career, making the interview that much more interesting to Islander fans who otherwise wouldn’t have been interested in what Fotiu had to say [especially since he made a name for himself checking the hell out of every Islander he could get his hands on during his heyday].

After the game, I had an opportunity to ask him a few questions about just how intense the rivalry was between the Islanders and Rangers.

The Drive for Five: You played a big part in the Islanders/Rangers rivalry in the 70s and 80s. What was it like for you?

Ron Duguay: What made it exciting aside from the teams being so close in proximity, was the fans. I’m sure that there were probably more fights in the stands than on the ice at times and it was fitting since the fans were the ones that really created this rivalry. On top of that, both teams really enjoyed playing against each other and there was a respect. It wasn’t like when we played Philadelphia, when it was a gong show. When we played the Islanders, it was hard-nosed hockey.

TDFF: Was there a player on the Islanders that you were scared to hit the ice with?

Duguay: No. I just knew and was always aware that if I went into Denis Potvin’s zone, I was going to get hit and hit hard. Other than that, I think everyone always played hard and were respectful of each other.

Photo Patrick Hickey Jr.

Posted under 2008-2009, NHL, Random Rant

Well, according to ESPN and Newsday, John Tavares will play for the New York Islanders if they select him first overall.

With all the bad news this season that fans of this team have had to deal with, this is almost like walking into a room and finding out someone sprayed your favorite air freshener before you come in.

Enchanting.

Refreshing.

Good.

“I know they won four Stanley Cups in a row. They had great players there. Mike Bossy and Bryan Trottier played there. They’ve got a great history, obviously,” Tavares told Newsday. “They’re looking to get a new arena—I’ve heard that, too.
“I haven’t heard too many bad things about Long Island.”
Even more interesting than what Tavares told Newsday was what ESPN got Tavares’ agent to say on the record..
“Assuming John goes first in the draft, I think he will go where he is chosen,” Tavares’ agent, Pat Brisson, told ESPN. “Let’s say it’s (the Islanders). I know (owner) Charles Wang is trying to get a new building. … Look at Mario (Lemieux) when he went to Pittsburgh. There wasn’t anything there. And it wasn’t too nice when Sidney (Crosby) went there, either. If you start picking where you want to go, you may not make the right decision.
“There are always better franchises, better organizations. But I don’t see John avoiding anywhere. … John respects the process and the league.”
What was that? Did you just exhale? That was pretty loud my friend. Yes, it was that obvious.

And what is obvious to Islander fans is obvious to the rest of the league as well. If the team needed anything right now, they need a number one pick. Not as much as they need a new building, but it definitely wouldn’t hurt the process either.

Already with Josh Bailey, Kyle Okposo and plenty of young talent that is hungry and ready to contribute, getting Tavares in the draft and continuing to build the team around him would be a great step in the right direction for this team.

The fact that the Islanders aren’t as desolate a franchise to Tavares is also a huge deal as well.

Stay tuned.

Site News:

I will be appearing on WKRB 90.3 FM this Thursday at 6:30 to discuss the Brooklyn Aces on the new talk show “Hockey Night in Brooklyn, with Jonathan Rios.”

Tune in!

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

Goddamn it, I love being right.

Over the past few weeks, Islander fans have seen the transformation of Sean Bergenheim from gritty third liner to possibly a top six forward that can play in any game situation. It’s been a process that many may still be in shock over, but like I’ve said countless times on this site, there is no reason why this kid can’t be a 20-goal scorer in this league. He’s got so much energy and has a much better shot and even better hands than most people give him credit for. It’s only a matter of time until everyone in the league begins to see it.

It also makes his life much easier when the players around him are playing well. Yesterday, that was exactly the case as Josh Bailey and Jeff Tambellini played their best games in quite some time, while Andy Hilbert, Kyle Okposo and Blake Comeau were no bums either. Add in a strong defensive performance [Anyone see Zach Parise on the ice yesterday afternoon?] and a great first game with the Isles by Mike Iggulden [an old friend of mine and a die-hard Islander fan Anthony Natoli is extremely high on him and has been waiting all season for him to be called up. Just figured I'd throw that out there] and because of that, the Isles had a winning formula.

The first period in my estimation was perhaps the best 20 minutes the team has played all season. The forecheck was amazing, Joey MacDonald made all the saves he had to and the Islanders defense was rock solid. It was like someone finally turned a light on in this team’s collective head and they played the way they were supposed to.

When the score was 5-2, I decided to go out and watch the rest of the game later. About 45 minutes later, I get a ring from Islanders Blog Box member and a damn good friend of mine Gary Harding, who tells me Trent Hunter is out for the season. Just when things start looking good for this team, they lose an emotional leader and a key player in Hunter. Well, it could have been worse; the Islanders could have been battling for a playoff spot and this happened. However, with nothing to lose, the best thing that could happen is for Hunter to heal up this offseason and come back healthy and lead this team next season.

For now, I’m just wondering if this means Jon Sim comes back or another youngster gets a shot.

Guess we’ll just have to wait until 3 P.M., when the Isles take on the Coyotes at the Coliseum.

Posted under 2008-2009, Isles Thoughts 2009, Post Game Rants

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

Wow.

That was the word that I uttered when I found out the Islanders received a fifth round pick from the Pittsburgh Penguins for Bill Guerin yesterday.

Wow.

Simply put, I think Islanders GM Garth Snow panicked.

Why you ask? The guy got a third round pick for Marc-Andre Bergeron last season, a third round pick, [yes, I didn't stutter ]. He even got a sixth round pick for Chris Simon, a player no one in the NHL wanted last season and now, he gets a conditional fifth round pick for Bill Guerin, one of the most prolific American born goal scorers of our era.

Someone dropped the ball.

And to make matters worse, now Islander fans everywhere will have to root for the Pens and hope they get into the playoffs and past the first round so that fifth round pick can magically, deliciously transform into a third round pick.

Not going to happen.

So the Islanders will have an extra pick, but at what cost? I know Guerin was going to be gone at the end of the season anyway, but you simply cannot give away a player with his resume for a pick that low. If it was a third or second round pick, I would have been OK with it, but this is like a slap in the face.

Ray Shero is probably playing “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang as we speak.

Not cool.

With Guerin gone now, the Islanders will have to put the C on someone’s jersey and as of right now, I think it’ll either be Brendan Witt or Trent Hunter. While I have always had a soft spot in my heart for Witt, despite his struggles this season, I do think Hunter is the better choice. He’s going to be around another four years and is a young veteran and someone the Islanders can build around. More than anything right now, I feel this team needs to find some sort of stability right now, some kind of immovable object that fans know that regardless of how bad things get, that person will be there.

Trent Hunter can be that player.

After that, I’d give A’s to Richard Park and Witt. This way the Islanders have guys there that command a decent amount of respect around the league for their hustle and drive, which is exactly what Scott Gordon and the rest of the organization want to preach anyway.

But who knows what the Islanders will do. I remember when Bryan McCabe was named Islanders captain and I nearly crapped by teenage pants in disgusts.

What I do know however is that because of all of this, the last dozen or so games should be very interesting.

Stay Tuned.

Posted under 2008-2009, Isles Thoughts 2009