The draft is behind us and so is the initial surge in free agent signings. There has been a lull in the free agent market and a few names that could really help the Islanders in the short and long term.
Who is left worth taking a shot on?
Todd Bertuzzi, LW - Why? Size, strength, goal scoring ability and he should come cheap given his penchant for injuries.
What would it take? - 1 year 3 Million.
Alex Tanguay, LW- Here is a guy that I cannot believe is still available. Either his agent is asking for stupid high money or general managers are scared of his injuries the last two seasons. Tanguay is still young at 29 has great play making ability and can score. Snow should go after him.
What would it take? - 5 years 24 million.
Travis Moen, LW/RW - Banging forward that can skate. Energy guy with an edge. What would it take?
2 years 2.2 million.
Nick Boynton, D - The Islanders have some depth at D but Boynton may be coming into his own at 29. Eats minutes and is reliable in his own end.
Beyond these guys, there isn't much that's attractive out there or should I say suits the Islanders. Playing GM for a minute I would offer contracts to Bertuzzi and Moen and test the water with Tanguay.
Looking forward to the season the Islanders aren't expected to do much. This is where I am going to disagree with the people and there are a lot of them who will predict the Islanders to finish at or near the bottom of the NHL again.
I am not predicting the Islanders to make a miracle playoff run here but I think challenging for one is not out of reach. The main reason for this is simple -
Golatending - Dwayne Roloson. Say what you want about Roloson's age but the fact of the matter is he is an excellent goaltender and does not have a lot of miles on him. He has backstopped Edmonton to respectability in recent years after coming into prominence with the Wild. Roloson will bring stability to the Islanders in net whether Dipietro is ready or not and will play to a 2.80 Goals against and a .915 save percentage.
Yan Danis and Joey McDonald last season were just fill ins in a lost season and this season Roloson changes all that. The Islanders do not have a question mark in net anymore.
Depth at Goaltender -
1. Dwayne Roloson
2. Rick DiPietro
3. Scott Munroe
Defense - When Healthy the Islanders ice a good to very good defense core.
We all marveled at the skills of Mark Streit last season and he will be the centerpiece of the Islanders defense again.
Brendan Witt and Andy Sutton will provide the crease clearing hard nosed presence.
Oft injured Radek Martinek can be a serviceable defenseman if he can manage to stay healthy. It remains to e seen whether Freddy Meyer and Bruno Gervais can hack the NHL level as last year was a step back for Gervais. One more addition through the free agent market would be wise.
Defense Depth Chart -
1 - Mark Streit
2 - Brendan Witt
3 - Andy Sutton
4 - Radek Martinek
5 - Bruno Gervais
6 - Jack Hillen
7 - Freddy Meyer
8 - Andrew McDonald
At Center, the Islander Roster is set. Doug Weight will provide the veteran leadership.
John Tavares and Josh Bailey are the 2nd and 3rd line centers unless someone switches to wing. If someone does switch to wing then another acquisition would be warranted at the center position because the health of Doug Weight is an issue.
Frans Nielson could be the wild card as he has show flashes of offensive skill and only extended ice time will reveal whether he will be a main stay or just another fill in player.
Depth Chart -
1 - Doug Weight
2 - John Tavares
3 - Josh Bailey
4 - Frans Nielsen
5 - Nate Thompson
At Wing, the Islanders have some exciting prospects. Kyle Okposo is still just that, a prospect. This could be the year he blossoms getting a full season playing with natural play makers Josh Bailey or Doug Weight.
Its also make or break time for Sean Bergenheim. Either he turns into the offensive threat he has hinted at or its time to move on.
The same can be said for Jeff Tambelini who has been a major disappointment at the NHL level.
Veteran Trent Hunter, who is a favorite to become the team captain will be back to provide his usual 15-20 goals.
I really liked what I saw out of 6'4" Jesse Joensuu last season and he should start the season on the Islanders unless he tanks in camp.
Trevor Smith, Richard Park and Tim Jackman round out the bangers and grinders.
Joel Rechlicz is Snow's chosen one to be the protector of the future of this team in Bailey, Okposo and Tavares. Hopefully he will be up the task as he will be tested. Tim Jackman can provide support,m but he is not a heavyweight.
Blake Comeau started the season in Scott Gordon's doghouse last year and quickly whipped himself into shape making himself valuable again.
It is the Winger position, take your pick of LW and RW where the Islanders need the most help. Add one or two of the names above in the free agent section and maybe you have got a team that can contend for a playoff spot.
Depth Chart -
1 - Kyle Okposo
2 - Trent Hunter
3 - Sean Bergenhiem
4 - Blake Comeau
5 - Jesse Joensuu
6 - Jeff Tambelini
7 - Richard Park
8 - Tim Jackman
9 - Joel Rechlicz
As you can see the winger position is by far the Islanders weak link. Sign Tanguay and Bertuzzi that gives you play making ability from the wing, goal scoring from the wing and size to clear some room for the skilled centers.
Whether the Islanders can or will do this is any ones guess but I would love to hear the fans thoughts.
FCT
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Free Agnecy 2009: New York Islanders - Day 1
As we all expected The Islanders were not huge players in the free agent market but did fill a glaring need and did so with in my mind the best free agent goaltender available.
Dwayne Roloson carried the Oilers at points last season, most notably in the last two months of the season. Yes he is 39, but he is signed for 2 years at an absolute bargain at 2.5m per season. He sported a 2.77 GGA and a .915 save percentage. He is also friends with Rick DiPietro as the two have shared goal tending coaches in the past.
Snow made a great move here.
So after the frenzy yesterday, what is left out there?
Alex Tanguay - Tanguay picked a bad season to get injured because i had him on my fantasy team and he happened to become an unrestricted free agent this year. Snow "overpaid" for Mark Streit and I would love to see him do it again with Tanguay.
Todd Bertuzzi - We all know his story, he will come cheap for a guy with his skill. Its worth a shot.
Andre Roy - The Islanders need toughness to protect the young players. There isn't much out there in the way of toughness unless Snow wants to sign Mike Tyson next week.
Jet Ortmeyer - Would fit perfectly with Scott Gordon's system the only problem is, he can;t score either.
Brendan Morrison - He is a play maker and can play any position. The only problem with this is he is a natural center and may not want to play wing. I would prefer Tanguay but Morrison has got skills.
We will update tomorrow with who else if off the board and update our want list.
FCT
Dwayne Roloson carried the Oilers at points last season, most notably in the last two months of the season. Yes he is 39, but he is signed for 2 years at an absolute bargain at 2.5m per season. He sported a 2.77 GGA and a .915 save percentage. He is also friends with Rick DiPietro as the two have shared goal tending coaches in the past.
Snow made a great move here.
So after the frenzy yesterday, what is left out there?
Alex Tanguay - Tanguay picked a bad season to get injured because i had him on my fantasy team and he happened to become an unrestricted free agent this year. Snow "overpaid" for Mark Streit and I would love to see him do it again with Tanguay.
Todd Bertuzzi - We all know his story, he will come cheap for a guy with his skill. Its worth a shot.
Andre Roy - The Islanders need toughness to protect the young players. There isn't much out there in the way of toughness unless Snow wants to sign Mike Tyson next week.
Jet Ortmeyer - Would fit perfectly with Scott Gordon's system the only problem is, he can;t score either.
Brendan Morrison - He is a play maker and can play any position. The only problem with this is he is a natural center and may not want to play wing. I would prefer Tanguay but Morrison has got skills.
We will update tomorrow with who else if off the board and update our want list.
FCT
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
2009 NHL Free Agency: New York Islanders
The Draft is history, and the Islanders did what they should have done.
John Tavares' name was spoken by Garth Snow sending the 11,000 plus fans in attendance at the draft party into a frenzy.
We as fans knew it was the right move.
The Islander brass, for once agreed.
The 2009 draft also saw the Islanders trade up twice to draft Oshawa Generals defenseman Calvin de Haan at number 12. Snow passed on more highly touted defenseman John Moore, who fell to 21 (CLB) and Dmitry Kulikov who was plucked at 14 by the Panthers.
The one that may have gotten away however is 6'3" power forward Zack Kassian, who was selected 14th to Buffalo.
I was surprised as you can be with the Islanders when Snow selected De Haan, who projects as a 2-4 year project before he gets to the NHL.
Then I was more surprised when his next 2 picks were goaltenders. Mikko Koskinen of Finland projects as a possible franchise goaltender, but again he is a project, and why draft a goaltender or two when you have one under contract for the next 12 years?
Turning to the NHL Free Agency period and looking ahead to this season, there is a real opportunity for the Islanders to improve themselves dramatically this off season if they are so inclined.
Should I go into the myriad of reasons the Islanders should try and sign Jay Bouwmeester if he is available tonight? Calgary would be foolish to let him get the free agency, but stranger things have happened. He is 25 years old and just coming into his own. He could be an elite NHL defenseman for the next 10 seasons, which is exactly the contract length I would offer up.
One pipe dream scenario would have the Islanders try and sign Daniel and Henrik Sedin. They are still young at 28, and have really come into their own the last 3 seasons. They are asking Henrik Zetterberg type money and years, which is patently insane, but maybe 8 years at 42 million apiece gets it done.
Will the Islanders even consider any of the above?
Absolutely not, even though they should with Bouwmeester. Lets have a look at some free agents that may be of interest.
Donald Brashear - He is 37 years old now, but can still go and commands respect. You sign him to a one year deal and tell him - "If anyone touches John Tavares, you know what to do."
Mitch Fritz - We need toughness. He cant skate but he sure as hell can fight.
Trevor Gillies - Just because hes the son of the Islander legend should be enough.
Micheal Komisarek - His troubles last year aside the local guy us a good defensive defenseman, and still young at 27.
Andrew Raycroft - The Islanders need a backup goaltender that can handle starting minutes for when... oops, If DiPietro gets injured again. Raycroft has had success in the NHL and is still relatively young at 29.
Todd Bertuzzi - He has a few things the Islanders need. Size, scoring touch and an attitude.
Chris Niel - He has everything the Islanders need other than goal scoring ability. He will defend teammates and can skate. Think of Richard Park with a tough edge. The fans adore him in Ottawa so I can't see him leaving there but Snow should be calling his agent.
It remains to be seen if the Islanders will play at all in the free agent market. I think they should push heavy for Bouwmeester but the Flames will likely re-sign him and if they do not, he will be courted by at least a dozen teams ready to win now. The Islanders are still a couple if years away, but if Bouwmeester has any foresight he could be a cornerstone of something special on the Island. 10 years and 68 million wouldn't hurt the Islanders case though.
Let me know your thoughts on who the Islanders should or will target in the free agent market.
John Tavares' name was spoken by Garth Snow sending the 11,000 plus fans in attendance at the draft party into a frenzy.
We as fans knew it was the right move.
The Islander brass, for once agreed.
The 2009 draft also saw the Islanders trade up twice to draft Oshawa Generals defenseman Calvin de Haan at number 12. Snow passed on more highly touted defenseman John Moore, who fell to 21 (CLB) and Dmitry Kulikov who was plucked at 14 by the Panthers.
The one that may have gotten away however is 6'3" power forward Zack Kassian, who was selected 14th to Buffalo.
I was surprised as you can be with the Islanders when Snow selected De Haan, who projects as a 2-4 year project before he gets to the NHL.
Then I was more surprised when his next 2 picks were goaltenders. Mikko Koskinen of Finland projects as a possible franchise goaltender, but again he is a project, and why draft a goaltender or two when you have one under contract for the next 12 years?
Turning to the NHL Free Agency period and looking ahead to this season, there is a real opportunity for the Islanders to improve themselves dramatically this off season if they are so inclined.
Should I go into the myriad of reasons the Islanders should try and sign Jay Bouwmeester if he is available tonight? Calgary would be foolish to let him get the free agency, but stranger things have happened. He is 25 years old and just coming into his own. He could be an elite NHL defenseman for the next 10 seasons, which is exactly the contract length I would offer up.
One pipe dream scenario would have the Islanders try and sign Daniel and Henrik Sedin. They are still young at 28, and have really come into their own the last 3 seasons. They are asking Henrik Zetterberg type money and years, which is patently insane, but maybe 8 years at 42 million apiece gets it done.
Will the Islanders even consider any of the above?
Absolutely not, even though they should with Bouwmeester. Lets have a look at some free agents that may be of interest.
Donald Brashear - He is 37 years old now, but can still go and commands respect. You sign him to a one year deal and tell him - "If anyone touches John Tavares, you know what to do."
Mitch Fritz - We need toughness. He cant skate but he sure as hell can fight.
Trevor Gillies - Just because hes the son of the Islander legend should be enough.
Micheal Komisarek - His troubles last year aside the local guy us a good defensive defenseman, and still young at 27.
Andrew Raycroft - The Islanders need a backup goaltender that can handle starting minutes for when... oops, If DiPietro gets injured again. Raycroft has had success in the NHL and is still relatively young at 29.
Todd Bertuzzi - He has a few things the Islanders need. Size, scoring touch and an attitude.
Chris Niel - He has everything the Islanders need other than goal scoring ability. He will defend teammates and can skate. Think of Richard Park with a tough edge. The fans adore him in Ottawa so I can't see him leaving there but Snow should be calling his agent.
It remains to be seen if the Islanders will play at all in the free agent market. I think they should push heavy for Bouwmeester but the Flames will likely re-sign him and if they do not, he will be courted by at least a dozen teams ready to win now. The Islanders are still a couple if years away, but if Bouwmeester has any foresight he could be a cornerstone of something special on the Island. 10 years and 68 million wouldn't hurt the Islanders case though.
Let me know your thoughts on who the Islanders should or will target in the free agent market.
Friday, June 26, 2009
The 2009 NHL Draft:Voice of the Islander Fans
The 2009 NHL Draft is tonight. At 7:10PM Eastern standard time Garth Snow will finally walk to the podium and thank the City of Montreal for its hospitality. He will acknowledge the Islander fans "at our draft party" who will be 20 thousand strong at Nassau Coliseum. Snow will then thank Gary Bettman and say what an honor it is to have the first overall selection in the draft and thank all of the top prospects.
The next words out of his mouth had better be -
"The New York Islanders are proud to select with the first overall selection.. From the London Knights of the OHL, John Tavares."
Or Else.
Unless you are an Islander fan you simply do not understand.
Way back on draft lottery day, every Islander fan expected some other team's logo to come out of the envelope that contained the owner of the first pick.
As fans, we all let out a collective YEAHH!! As the shock and happiness came over us like a late 3rd period tying goal.
We all thought in our heads were getting the next great player! A can't miss superstar sniper than the Canadian press and all hockey publications have been clamoring over since he was FOURTEEN.
Then reality came over us like a wave enveloping The Wizard on "Deadliest Catch."
What if they screw this up?
Non Islander fans reading this may wonder what it is that I am talking about. Non Islander fans have not been through what we have. As bad as it has ever been for the team you pull for, It is never as bad as being an Islander fan for the past 15 years.
Non Islander fans make the grave mistake that there are no Islander fans, the base isn't there because no one comes to the games.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The Islanders are expecting over 20,000 fans to come to the draft party at the coliseum ON A FRIDAY NIGHT!
Any time there has been a playoff series in the last 15 years, the Nassau Coliseum has rocked like the old days even if the odds were hopeless against heavily favored top seeds like Tampa Bay, Buffalo and Ottawa.
Anyone who witnessed the last sliver of success the Islanders had in the playoffs, the 2003 7 game series against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The place was electric - jammed full of Islander fans some think do not exist willing the team to victory in game number 6.
Now back to the "Or Else" I wrote above.
The Canadian media has more than done its part. They have managed to convince some people that John Tavares isn't all they said he was for the last 5 years.
They have even gone so far as to compare Tavares to Alexander Daigle.
Canada is sick of its superstars playing on what is conceived to be "their teams." Canada has seen most of its favorite sons of the last 30 years playing for Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Boston, Long Island, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, New York, Detroit, Chicago, and anywhere else but Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and Calgary.
Edmonton is the exception, but they had to break up their dynasty for financial reasons or they may have just ended their run of winning The Stanley Cup.
The Islander fans who have been watching Tavares' career the last little while know the truth. This kid is the real deal. While his stock is not that of Sydney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin or Ecgeni Malkin, would the stock of Vinny Lecavialer be that bad? How about the next Henrik Zetterberg or Pavel Datsuik?
As good as a prospect as Victor Hedman is, as he has been compared to Zdeno Chara in the media in reality he probably has more in common with Kenny Jonsson than Zdeno Chara.
Matt Duchene is a great prospect. The media has compared him to Bryan Trottier and get this.. Steve Yzerman.
All of the negative media that has headed John Tavares' way over the last 12 months is simply laughable and most can see right through it.
We want a guy we can go buy his jersey and not get laughed at.
We want a guy that people will pay to see play hockey.
We want a guy that every arena he plays in, people will watch him and be interested in him.
We want a guy that people will line up for his autograph, no matter where he is.
We want a guy that when you pull his hockey card out of a pack, you don't throw it in the common box.
The scout ranking, NHL GM's, TSN, The Hockey News, Don Cherry and just about everyone agrees that John Tavares should go number one.
If Garth Snow doesn't agree, the Coliseum may burn.
I have heard more fans tell me in comments, conversations, e mail, message boards, responses on this blog and others that if the Islanders do not select Tavares then they are finished with the Islanders.
This is not the "oh if they lose to the Rangers I am done" this is the real deal. I have heard them say they wont watch hockey again, throw their jerseys in the trash and wash their hands of this team once and for all.
This time I believe some of them.
Garth Snow can send 20 thousand of his fans home deliriously happy by simpky doing what he should, or he can burn them again trying to reinvent the wheel once more.
Time will tell and at 7:10 PM tonight, The 2009 Islanders Draft Party will either be just that.. a party or a nightmare.
FCT
The next words out of his mouth had better be -
"The New York Islanders are proud to select with the first overall selection.. From the London Knights of the OHL, John Tavares."
Or Else.
Unless you are an Islander fan you simply do not understand.
Way back on draft lottery day, every Islander fan expected some other team's logo to come out of the envelope that contained the owner of the first pick.
As fans, we all let out a collective YEAHH!! As the shock and happiness came over us like a late 3rd period tying goal.
We all thought in our heads were getting the next great player! A can't miss superstar sniper than the Canadian press and all hockey publications have been clamoring over since he was FOURTEEN.
Then reality came over us like a wave enveloping The Wizard on "Deadliest Catch."
What if they screw this up?
Non Islander fans reading this may wonder what it is that I am talking about. Non Islander fans have not been through what we have. As bad as it has ever been for the team you pull for, It is never as bad as being an Islander fan for the past 15 years.
Non Islander fans make the grave mistake that there are no Islander fans, the base isn't there because no one comes to the games.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The Islanders are expecting over 20,000 fans to come to the draft party at the coliseum ON A FRIDAY NIGHT!
Any time there has been a playoff series in the last 15 years, the Nassau Coliseum has rocked like the old days even if the odds were hopeless against heavily favored top seeds like Tampa Bay, Buffalo and Ottawa.
Anyone who witnessed the last sliver of success the Islanders had in the playoffs, the 2003 7 game series against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The place was electric - jammed full of Islander fans some think do not exist willing the team to victory in game number 6.
Now back to the "Or Else" I wrote above.
The Canadian media has more than done its part. They have managed to convince some people that John Tavares isn't all they said he was for the last 5 years.
They have even gone so far as to compare Tavares to Alexander Daigle.
Canada is sick of its superstars playing on what is conceived to be "their teams." Canada has seen most of its favorite sons of the last 30 years playing for Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Boston, Long Island, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, New York, Detroit, Chicago, and anywhere else but Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and Calgary.
Edmonton is the exception, but they had to break up their dynasty for financial reasons or they may have just ended their run of winning The Stanley Cup.
The Islander fans who have been watching Tavares' career the last little while know the truth. This kid is the real deal. While his stock is not that of Sydney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin or Ecgeni Malkin, would the stock of Vinny Lecavialer be that bad? How about the next Henrik Zetterberg or Pavel Datsuik?
As good as a prospect as Victor Hedman is, as he has been compared to Zdeno Chara in the media in reality he probably has more in common with Kenny Jonsson than Zdeno Chara.
Matt Duchene is a great prospect. The media has compared him to Bryan Trottier and get this.. Steve Yzerman.
All of the negative media that has headed John Tavares' way over the last 12 months is simply laughable and most can see right through it.
We want a guy we can go buy his jersey and not get laughed at.
We want a guy that people will pay to see play hockey.
We want a guy that every arena he plays in, people will watch him and be interested in him.
We want a guy that people will line up for his autograph, no matter where he is.
We want a guy that when you pull his hockey card out of a pack, you don't throw it in the common box.
The scout ranking, NHL GM's, TSN, The Hockey News, Don Cherry and just about everyone agrees that John Tavares should go number one.
If Garth Snow doesn't agree, the Coliseum may burn.
I have heard more fans tell me in comments, conversations, e mail, message boards, responses on this blog and others that if the Islanders do not select Tavares then they are finished with the Islanders.
This is not the "oh if they lose to the Rangers I am done" this is the real deal. I have heard them say they wont watch hockey again, throw their jerseys in the trash and wash their hands of this team once and for all.
This time I believe some of them.
Garth Snow can send 20 thousand of his fans home deliriously happy by simpky doing what he should, or he can burn them again trying to reinvent the wheel once more.
Time will tell and at 7:10 PM tonight, The 2009 Islanders Draft Party will either be just that.. a party or a nightmare.
FCT
Monday, June 22, 2009
The 2009 NHL Draft - Predictions.
I have had many fans ask me what the Islanders are going to do, thinking that us blog boxers may have an iota more inside information than the general public.
If we do have more information that the general public, it is just that - an iota.
That iota tells me that the Islanders will walk to the podium on Friday night and do the only thing they should and draft John Tavares with the first overall pick.
We have gone through all the reasons why it should be JT so lets direct our focus elsewhere.
The Islanders have another pick in the first round and its a bit better than where it should be because of the meltdown of the San Jose Sharks in the first round of this years playoffs.
Pick No 26 in the first round will in all likely hood be traded up with one of the Islanders 2 second round picks to try and gain a better position to draft a defenseman that Snow and Company has their eye on.
It would be an absolute dream scenario if Snow managed to net himself Chicago Steel Defenseman John Moore. His stock has rocketed him into the top 10 in some mock drafts, so that seems unlikely unless Snow wants to part with something more enticing to anyone drafting in the 10-15 position.
We can count out Winsor Defenseman Ryan Ellis, as he is not getting past the Edmonton Oilers.
One possibility may be Drummondville defenseman Dmitri Kulikov. He may be a bit of a project but he has already spent one year getting used to the North American game. He may again rise to far for the Islanders to reach.
Past the top 5-7 players, the draft rankings are all over the place so where players like this get drafted is anyones guess.
If I were asked who I would like to see the Islanders come away with on draft day?
I think its obvious that myself and probably 95% of Islanders fans want John Tavares to be pulling the Orange and Blue over his head this Friday.
16,000 tickets have been claimed for the draft party this year. 16,000. Even if half of the people who have tickets show up, thats 8,000 fans there. A large percentage of those people will leave Nassau Coliseum Friday Night swearing off this team if Snow doesn't pick Tavares.
On to the less obvious choices, I would love to see the Islanders come away with one of 5 players with their "other" first round pick. They are - John Moore, Dmitri Kulikov, Zack Kassian, Simon Despres or Carter Ashton.
Its going to be a fun night, but if Tavares is an Islander, it will be a VERY fun night.
FCT
If we do have more information that the general public, it is just that - an iota.
That iota tells me that the Islanders will walk to the podium on Friday night and do the only thing they should and draft John Tavares with the first overall pick.
We have gone through all the reasons why it should be JT so lets direct our focus elsewhere.
The Islanders have another pick in the first round and its a bit better than where it should be because of the meltdown of the San Jose Sharks in the first round of this years playoffs.
Pick No 26 in the first round will in all likely hood be traded up with one of the Islanders 2 second round picks to try and gain a better position to draft a defenseman that Snow and Company has their eye on.
It would be an absolute dream scenario if Snow managed to net himself Chicago Steel Defenseman John Moore. His stock has rocketed him into the top 10 in some mock drafts, so that seems unlikely unless Snow wants to part with something more enticing to anyone drafting in the 10-15 position.
We can count out Winsor Defenseman Ryan Ellis, as he is not getting past the Edmonton Oilers.
One possibility may be Drummondville defenseman Dmitri Kulikov. He may be a bit of a project but he has already spent one year getting used to the North American game. He may again rise to far for the Islanders to reach.
Past the top 5-7 players, the draft rankings are all over the place so where players like this get drafted is anyones guess.
If I were asked who I would like to see the Islanders come away with on draft day?
I think its obvious that myself and probably 95% of Islanders fans want John Tavares to be pulling the Orange and Blue over his head this Friday.
16,000 tickets have been claimed for the draft party this year. 16,000. Even if half of the people who have tickets show up, thats 8,000 fans there. A large percentage of those people will leave Nassau Coliseum Friday Night swearing off this team if Snow doesn't pick Tavares.
On to the less obvious choices, I would love to see the Islanders come away with one of 5 players with their "other" first round pick. They are - John Moore, Dmitri Kulikov, Zack Kassian, Simon Despres or Carter Ashton.
Its going to be a fun night, but if Tavares is an Islander, it will be a VERY fun night.
FCT
Monday, May 11, 2009
The New York Yankees, The New York Mets and the New York Islanders: Same market, different fortunes.
I went and took in a Yankee game on May 1st and could not help marvel at the new Yankee Stadium. The place is truely a sight to behold and a pleasure to watch a game in.
The Great Hall is truly something to behold, especially at night. I think it is safe to say that the New York Yankees are the richest, most successful franchise in baseball and arguable in all of sports worldwide with an estimated value of 1.5 billion dollars.
We all know there is no comparison with NHL teams and MLB teams with the economics of each sport. All of MLB's teams are worth an estimated 18 billion dollars combined. The NHL by comparison its teams are worth an estimated 5.6 billion.
That being said, the Islanders are in the same market than the Yankees. However it isn't fair to compare the two given the Yankees status in the NY sports landscape. After all the Islanders came into the NY sports market second decades after the NY Rangers.
That's eerily similar to the NY Mets. The Mets and the Islanders have a lot in common. They are viewed as the "secondary" NY franchises to the Yankees and Rangers.
The Mets are worth 900 Million dollars and are the 3rd most valuable franchise in baseball.
That's a pretty good 2nd fiddle there wouldnt you say?
The NY Rangers are the 2nd highest valued team at 414 million.
The NY Islanders the 29th most valuable franchise in the NHL.
So what gives?
The economics of the two sports aside the Islanders are a victim of two main problems and the biggest problems are not what you may think so lets rule the obvious out first.
As bad as the Nassau Coliseum is you can't blame the arena for the value of the team. While it certainly doesn't help it stands as far from the prime reason.
Take a look at the stadiums the Yankees and Mets have been playing in up until this season. Shea Stadium and Yankee Stadium were far past their primes 15 years ago and two facilities that both fans and the tenants viewed as far inferior to what was being built around the league over the last 10 years.
No one will say that Madison Square Garden is a great arena.
In spite of that, the Yankees, Mets and Rangers multiplied in value over the last 10 years.
Lets look at those two main reasons a little closer.
1 - Stable Ownership. Go ahead. Admit it. The Wilpons, Dolans and Stienbrenners are three of the best owners in sports. They spend money, the make money they sell tickets and players will play there.
But Shea and Yankee Stadiums as well as the Garden are such old decrepit places to play.
Do you think Carlos Beltran or Pedro Martinez cared about the Shea facilities when they signed those mammoth contracts? Players care about two things. Winning and Money and some not necessarily in that order.
Do you think Scott Gomez and Chris Drury cared about the arena when they signed with the Rangers?
How about A Rod? Giambi? Damon? Think they were worried about playing in that old ball park?
No its all about the money and winning people. Franchises have shown that they can win and build winners without spending like a drunken prom queen but there is always a few players of a high dollar amount kicking around on these winning franchises.
If the Islanders were so inclined, they could go out and offer Marian Hossa and Marian Gaborik a boatload of cash this summer and get both of them. The problem is they cant or a better word is - they wont.
This is not even considering the owners the Islander have had over the last 25 years
To sum it all up the Islanders have 3 past owners that are currently in prison.
That should be enough on that subject.
2 - Results. Plain and simple people. Winning sells. It sells more than anything else. If the Islanders turned around and won 45 games next season, won a couple of playoff series' and looked good doing it the building would be packed every night for the next 3 years minimum. Season tickets would multiply exponentially and merchandise would fly off the shelves.
Want Proof?
The Yankees come to mind. As much as Yankee Stadium was beloved lets face it. When the Yankees stunk, the place drew 15,000 people per game. They said they would never draw 3 million fans a season. They said the South Bronx could not be a successful venue for baseball any more. They said Traffic issues could not be solved.
All the Yankees had to prove all of the above wrong, was win the World Series in 1996. Then again in 1998, 1999 and 2000. 4 Championships in 5 years.
The Yankees are 9 years removed from their last World Series championship, and they drew 4 million fans last year in that same broken down old stadium with no parking and severly dated facilites.
Now they have an absolute palace to play in. Does anyone think that would have happened if not for the teams success on the field?
The Mets got their new 900 million dollar palace also this past season, probably due to the fact the city was not going to build the Yankees a palace, and let the Mets sit in that toilet Shea Stadium and risk losing the money machine the Mets are.
New York City, the biggest red tape producing, construction blocking city green lit not one, but two monstrous stadium projects totaling over 2.5 billion dollars, all in the same year.
That's not even mentioning the Giants and Jets new stadium which costs reportedly are spiraling up to 2 Billion dollars.
These teams all have one thing in common. They range from very successful to moderately successful on the field.
When they stank, there was no talk of any new stadiums, or it was laughed off by the masses and politicians.
The single most important thing the Islanders can do to speed up the process on their Lighthouse Project is win.
In this case its not "If you build it they will come," its "If you build a winner they will come."
FCT
The Great Hall is truly something to behold, especially at night. I think it is safe to say that the New York Yankees are the richest, most successful franchise in baseball and arguable in all of sports worldwide with an estimated value of 1.5 billion dollars.
We all know there is no comparison with NHL teams and MLB teams with the economics of each sport. All of MLB's teams are worth an estimated 18 billion dollars combined. The NHL by comparison its teams are worth an estimated 5.6 billion.
That being said, the Islanders are in the same market than the Yankees. However it isn't fair to compare the two given the Yankees status in the NY sports landscape. After all the Islanders came into the NY sports market second decades after the NY Rangers.
That's eerily similar to the NY Mets. The Mets and the Islanders have a lot in common. They are viewed as the "secondary" NY franchises to the Yankees and Rangers.
The Mets are worth 900 Million dollars and are the 3rd most valuable franchise in baseball.
That's a pretty good 2nd fiddle there wouldnt you say?
The NY Rangers are the 2nd highest valued team at 414 million.
The NY Islanders the 29th most valuable franchise in the NHL.
So what gives?
The economics of the two sports aside the Islanders are a victim of two main problems and the biggest problems are not what you may think so lets rule the obvious out first.
As bad as the Nassau Coliseum is you can't blame the arena for the value of the team. While it certainly doesn't help it stands as far from the prime reason.
Take a look at the stadiums the Yankees and Mets have been playing in up until this season. Shea Stadium and Yankee Stadium were far past their primes 15 years ago and two facilities that both fans and the tenants viewed as far inferior to what was being built around the league over the last 10 years.
No one will say that Madison Square Garden is a great arena.
In spite of that, the Yankees, Mets and Rangers multiplied in value over the last 10 years.
Lets look at those two main reasons a little closer.
1 - Stable Ownership. Go ahead. Admit it. The Wilpons, Dolans and Stienbrenners are three of the best owners in sports. They spend money, the make money they sell tickets and players will play there.
But Shea and Yankee Stadiums as well as the Garden are such old decrepit places to play.
Do you think Carlos Beltran or Pedro Martinez cared about the Shea facilities when they signed those mammoth contracts? Players care about two things. Winning and Money and some not necessarily in that order.
Do you think Scott Gomez and Chris Drury cared about the arena when they signed with the Rangers?
How about A Rod? Giambi? Damon? Think they were worried about playing in that old ball park?
No its all about the money and winning people. Franchises have shown that they can win and build winners without spending like a drunken prom queen but there is always a few players of a high dollar amount kicking around on these winning franchises.
If the Islanders were so inclined, they could go out and offer Marian Hossa and Marian Gaborik a boatload of cash this summer and get both of them. The problem is they cant or a better word is - they wont.
This is not even considering the owners the Islander have had over the last 25 years
To sum it all up the Islanders have 3 past owners that are currently in prison.
That should be enough on that subject.
2 - Results. Plain and simple people. Winning sells. It sells more than anything else. If the Islanders turned around and won 45 games next season, won a couple of playoff series' and looked good doing it the building would be packed every night for the next 3 years minimum. Season tickets would multiply exponentially and merchandise would fly off the shelves.
Want Proof?
The Yankees come to mind. As much as Yankee Stadium was beloved lets face it. When the Yankees stunk, the place drew 15,000 people per game. They said they would never draw 3 million fans a season. They said the South Bronx could not be a successful venue for baseball any more. They said Traffic issues could not be solved.
All the Yankees had to prove all of the above wrong, was win the World Series in 1996. Then again in 1998, 1999 and 2000. 4 Championships in 5 years.
The Yankees are 9 years removed from their last World Series championship, and they drew 4 million fans last year in that same broken down old stadium with no parking and severly dated facilites.
Now they have an absolute palace to play in. Does anyone think that would have happened if not for the teams success on the field?
The Mets got their new 900 million dollar palace also this past season, probably due to the fact the city was not going to build the Yankees a palace, and let the Mets sit in that toilet Shea Stadium and risk losing the money machine the Mets are.
New York City, the biggest red tape producing, construction blocking city green lit not one, but two monstrous stadium projects totaling over 2.5 billion dollars, all in the same year.
That's not even mentioning the Giants and Jets new stadium which costs reportedly are spiraling up to 2 Billion dollars.
These teams all have one thing in common. They range from very successful to moderately successful on the field.
When they stank, there was no talk of any new stadiums, or it was laughed off by the masses and politicians.
The single most important thing the Islanders can do to speed up the process on their Lighthouse Project is win.
In this case its not "If you build it they will come," its "If you build a winner they will come."
FCT
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
NY Islanders, John Tavares and Conspiracy Theories.
Oliver Stone will be proud of this article.
The Canadian Media is a funny bunch. While I am sure the vast majority or sports columnists in hockey mad Toronto are fine upstanding journalists.
Then there are the others.
The agenda pushing Canadian writers that are trying to sabotage what should be a celebration, a graduation of Canada's next hockey superstar graduating to the NHL level this time with the New York Islanders.
Let us look at this theory a little closer.
John Tavares is the best player not in the NHL right now. This is a fact that some would have debated back when he was just 16 years old and already a veteran in the OHL. John Tavares is still the top prospect in this years draft despite what some extreme viewpoints have been circling around the web in recent weeks have said especially since the Toronto Maple Leafs dumped their entire season in the laps of Jason Blake, Tomas Kaberle and Vesa Toskala trying tried to obtain the No. 1 Pick using the Pittsburgh Penguin method.
That plan failed and the Leafs wound up with the No. 7 pick.
Now the methods have turned more direct and more nefarious.
The Canadian Media knew long ago that Tavares would not likely go to the Leafs being the Islanders, Lightning and Avalanche were so far below them in the standings.
The efforts to sabotage whoever got that No. 1 Pick came early when a report on TSN stated that The Islanders did not deserve Tavares, and the source for that story tried to start a campaign to get to JT early and convince him not to sign with the Islanders if and when the Islanders select him.
That failed as Tavares has publicly stated that he will not "Eric Lindros" the team that selects him.
Across the board, Tavares has been regarded as the consensus No. 1 pick and it was a no brainer he was going No. 1.
This past season when it became apparent the Leafs had no shot at the No. 1 pick, some scouting reports all of a sudden were spotting holes in Tavares' game. Spotty reports had the gap between Tavares and the rest of the field was getting smaller. Reports abounded that Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman was all of a sudden challenging Tavares for that No. 1 spot and got the "Next Chris Pronger" label attached to him.
Chris Pronger? Seriously? This is coming from a group that said while yes Hedman's size and speed were remarkable for a guy his size he needed to step up the physical aspect of his game because he was to soft. I am not trying to deny Hedman is a fine prospect but the fact of the matter is he probably has more in common with Kenny Jonsson than he does with Chris Pronger.
Now we have to look at the "Red Line Report" which in my mind now has lost all credibility where is states in no uncertain terms that John Tavares is now the third top prospect in the 2009 draft. They called him one dimensional. They called him self entitled. They even called him spoiled.
Here is what else the Red Line Report had to say about the top 3 prospects in this draft, 6 weeks after a February 19th, 2009 USA Today article written by Woodlief had Tavares the No. 1 prospect.
The made the Hedman/Pronger comparison which in my mind is utterly ridiculous. I am surprised they didn't throw in Niklas Lidstrom as a comparative note to him also.
They went on to say that Matt Duchene was a better center prospect than Tavares and went so far as to say that he reminds him of Steve Yzerman, stating that Duchene was unselfish and had was a more complete player.
Excuse me?
I have seen interview upon interview. I have read articles dating back to when Tavares was 15. Not once was it written that any of the above was a concern. The only criticism of his game was his skating, which was remedied when he targeted that in off season work outs. John Tavares has the potential to be an offensive dynamo. 40-50 goals? 110 points? They should be within reach. Woodlief readily admits that even after bashing Tavares.
Now less than 2 months before the draft and 5 years after they changed the rules in the OHL to allow him to be drafted at 14, and a failed attempt to change the NHL rules in 2008 allowing him to be drafted last season he is number 3, according to the Red Line Report.
Sorry, but i can feel this agenda from a mile away. Certain media pundits are trying to drive Tavares' value down!
Why?
Because they know the only way the Islanders will either trade the pick, or allow him to go number 2 where Burke can trade a pack of draft picks and Tomas Kaberle to Tampa Bay for the number 2 pick where he can claim the prize he admitted was his target from the beginning.
How else can we explain the sudden decline in a small fraction of opinions in Tavares' value?
Greg Logan and Newsday should be ashamed of themselves by dignifying that report with a full page article and making it seem to the untrained eye that it contains even a iota of merit.
But who is Newsday owned by? Thats right they are owned by Cablevision which you guessed it, owns the New York Rangers.
Think Jim Dolan is above petty tactics? Maybe.. Maybe Not.
Brian Burke is a very smart man. He is going to do everything in his power to try and get John Tavares in the blue and white of the Toronto Maple Leafs this coming June 26th.
The Toronto fans are rabid for a winner. This is arguably the biggest hockey market in the world. The Leafs have been an embarrassment as an organization over the last 40 years. They have all the money any organization could need, they have a sparkling new arena, they have a tremendously passionate fan base and they have media attention that would make Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie feel bad for them.
The media drives the fans trying to sell papers and get web hits. In effect, the media takes advantage of fans in any market in order to "push their product."
Rarely have I seen a writer subject to blatant tampering of a player which make no mistake is what has been attempted.
The Toronto fans and the great city of Toronto are not to blame. I have been to Toronto 3 times on vacation and I will go back gladly. the people are hockey mad, friendly and will talk hockey at any time. Its the Toronto media and to a greater extent the media in general that is to blame.
Who knows, maybe the Toronto Sun has a nice cushy job laid out for Kyle Woodlief if Tavares somehow winds up in Toronto.
Maybe, Maybe Not.
FCT
The Canadian Media is a funny bunch. While I am sure the vast majority or sports columnists in hockey mad Toronto are fine upstanding journalists.
Then there are the others.
The agenda pushing Canadian writers that are trying to sabotage what should be a celebration, a graduation of Canada's next hockey superstar graduating to the NHL level this time with the New York Islanders.
Let us look at this theory a little closer.
John Tavares is the best player not in the NHL right now. This is a fact that some would have debated back when he was just 16 years old and already a veteran in the OHL. John Tavares is still the top prospect in this years draft despite what some extreme viewpoints have been circling around the web in recent weeks have said especially since the Toronto Maple Leafs dumped their entire season in the laps of Jason Blake, Tomas Kaberle and Vesa Toskala trying tried to obtain the No. 1 Pick using the Pittsburgh Penguin method.
That plan failed and the Leafs wound up with the No. 7 pick.
Now the methods have turned more direct and more nefarious.
The Canadian Media knew long ago that Tavares would not likely go to the Leafs being the Islanders, Lightning and Avalanche were so far below them in the standings.
The efforts to sabotage whoever got that No. 1 Pick came early when a report on TSN stated that The Islanders did not deserve Tavares, and the source for that story tried to start a campaign to get to JT early and convince him not to sign with the Islanders if and when the Islanders select him.
That failed as Tavares has publicly stated that he will not "Eric Lindros" the team that selects him.
Across the board, Tavares has been regarded as the consensus No. 1 pick and it was a no brainer he was going No. 1.
This past season when it became apparent the Leafs had no shot at the No. 1 pick, some scouting reports all of a sudden were spotting holes in Tavares' game. Spotty reports had the gap between Tavares and the rest of the field was getting smaller. Reports abounded that Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman was all of a sudden challenging Tavares for that No. 1 spot and got the "Next Chris Pronger" label attached to him.
Chris Pronger? Seriously? This is coming from a group that said while yes Hedman's size and speed were remarkable for a guy his size he needed to step up the physical aspect of his game because he was to soft. I am not trying to deny Hedman is a fine prospect but the fact of the matter is he probably has more in common with Kenny Jonsson than he does with Chris Pronger.
Now we have to look at the "Red Line Report" which in my mind now has lost all credibility where is states in no uncertain terms that John Tavares is now the third top prospect in the 2009 draft. They called him one dimensional. They called him self entitled. They even called him spoiled.
Here is what else the Red Line Report had to say about the top 3 prospects in this draft, 6 weeks after a February 19th, 2009 USA Today article written by Woodlief had Tavares the No. 1 prospect.
The made the Hedman/Pronger comparison which in my mind is utterly ridiculous. I am surprised they didn't throw in Niklas Lidstrom as a comparative note to him also.
They went on to say that Matt Duchene was a better center prospect than Tavares and went so far as to say that he reminds him of Steve Yzerman, stating that Duchene was unselfish and had was a more complete player.
Excuse me?
I have seen interview upon interview. I have read articles dating back to when Tavares was 15. Not once was it written that any of the above was a concern. The only criticism of his game was his skating, which was remedied when he targeted that in off season work outs. John Tavares has the potential to be an offensive dynamo. 40-50 goals? 110 points? They should be within reach. Woodlief readily admits that even after bashing Tavares.
Now less than 2 months before the draft and 5 years after they changed the rules in the OHL to allow him to be drafted at 14, and a failed attempt to change the NHL rules in 2008 allowing him to be drafted last season he is number 3, according to the Red Line Report.
Sorry, but i can feel this agenda from a mile away. Certain media pundits are trying to drive Tavares' value down!
Why?
Because they know the only way the Islanders will either trade the pick, or allow him to go number 2 where Burke can trade a pack of draft picks and Tomas Kaberle to Tampa Bay for the number 2 pick where he can claim the prize he admitted was his target from the beginning.
How else can we explain the sudden decline in a small fraction of opinions in Tavares' value?
Greg Logan and Newsday should be ashamed of themselves by dignifying that report with a full page article and making it seem to the untrained eye that it contains even a iota of merit.
But who is Newsday owned by? Thats right they are owned by Cablevision which you guessed it, owns the New York Rangers.
Think Jim Dolan is above petty tactics? Maybe.. Maybe Not.
Brian Burke is a very smart man. He is going to do everything in his power to try and get John Tavares in the blue and white of the Toronto Maple Leafs this coming June 26th.
The Toronto fans are rabid for a winner. This is arguably the biggest hockey market in the world. The Leafs have been an embarrassment as an organization over the last 40 years. They have all the money any organization could need, they have a sparkling new arena, they have a tremendously passionate fan base and they have media attention that would make Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie feel bad for them.
The media drives the fans trying to sell papers and get web hits. In effect, the media takes advantage of fans in any market in order to "push their product."
Rarely have I seen a writer subject to blatant tampering of a player which make no mistake is what has been attempted.
The Toronto fans and the great city of Toronto are not to blame. I have been to Toronto 3 times on vacation and I will go back gladly. the people are hockey mad, friendly and will talk hockey at any time. Its the Toronto media and to a greater extent the media in general that is to blame.
Who knows, maybe the Toronto Sun has a nice cushy job laid out for Kyle Woodlief if Tavares somehow winds up in Toronto.
Maybe, Maybe Not.
FCT
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