The Voice has Found our Voice.

It has been a while since I have posted here and this will be the "reboot" of sorts of this blog. Personal issues have prevented me from blogging these past months and I am finally getting to block some time to share the fans thoughts and people there are a lot of thoughts out there. So lets get started with on of the more popular columns in Random Thoughts.

I present 5 Random Thoughts that are being talked about in the world of the New York Islanders. Please use the comment section to voice your opinions on these or any other thoughts as it pertains to the New York Islanders.

1 - Lighthouse? What Lighthouse? They say no news is good news. Not in this case. No news is bad news. The Town oh Hempstead very quietly classified the rezoning of the Lighthouse site so they can point to something and tell Charles Wang what to do with his project. The new regulations limit the square footage of retail and residential space. The rezoning amounts to the Town of Hempstead seizing complete control over something they should have no control over, and thats private enterprise. Kate Murray and her little band of politicians have fired what could be the last salvo in the war over the Nassau Coliseum site.

What has Charles Wang said in response? Nothing. He has repeatedly asked for a yes or a no answer. The Town of Hempstead says maybe. They say change this. change that this is to big. This is to much.

The year is now 2010. The Islanders lease runs out at the end of the 2014-2015 season. That is not a lot of time. It take 2-3 years to move a franchise even after you declare your leaving unless your name is Jim Balsillie.

There are options out there, even local options that would allow the Islanders to keep their cable contract. Brooklyn, Queens and even Suffolk county all would welcome not only the team but Mr. Wang's project and if they are going to have an arena ready for the 2015-16 hockey season, they would have to start those preparations very soon.

2) Progress in Youth - On to the on ice issues. You have got to be impressed with the progress of the Islanders young crop of players. They are 3 games under .500, but only 5 points out of 8th place in the conference. Its March, and the Islanders have something to play for. They will play meaningful games into the spring one year after having the worst record in the NHL. That's progress.

3) John Tavares - Growing pains. We all knew they were coming but the kid has already shown that he belongs in the NHL. Don't compare him to Matt Duchene. John Tavares is playing with players just as wet behind the ears as he is. They will have to grow as a team as Tavares is not going to come into a situation where he has a 50 assist man or a 40 goal scorer on the team. He is doing just fine. I said before the season if he scores 20 goals this season, that is a great start. He has 17 goals to this point and the Islanders have 19 games left.

4 - Where did this guy come from? - There will be people that will say they new Andrew McDonald was going to be a good defenseman in this league. there are bloggers that i share seats with that will tell you he is the cat's meow and they knew all along.

But Come on, who was calling that he would be playing 23 minutes a game this season? He made Brendan Witt expendable and his growth allowed the team to get another draft pick for soon to be free agent Andy Sutton. here comes that word again - progress.

5 - Rick DiPietro - Finished? A lot of fans are saying that our "goalie for life" is finished. They are saying that he will never be the same. They are saying that his knee will never be able to take the rigors of the NHL grind.

Here is a clue for you - The Islanders did not trade Dwayne Roloson. The only way Garth Snow would trade Roloson is if he knew DiPietro were healthy. We all know he isn't. You cant leave the teams slim playoff hopes to a guy that has won 3 games this season and played 2 games in the last 2 months in Biron, and Roloson is signed through next season.

Here is another clue - DiPietro had two full weeks to rest during the Olympic break. He comes back and the first thing his knee does is blow up and swell up. I'm sorry but that is simply not a good sign for an elite athlete.

I have a hunch that if things do not work out in training camp next season that Rick will retire. I hope I am wrong because Rick is a great guy, and extremely talented goaltender and he loves being a part of the Islanders.

I look forward to reading every ones input on these or any other issues.

Its great to be back

FCT