The Islanders have the fifth overall pick in the draft, just good enough to risk not getting one of the top 4 offensive prospects in the draft. The Lightning, yeah the Tampa Bay Lightning who won the Stanley Cup 3 years ago have the Number One pick and will most certainly add phenom Steven Stamkos to their roster. What is wrong with this picture? The team has one of the most dynamic players in the NHL in Vinny Lecavalier and now they get to add this kid to their roster after they absolutely tanked the season. How do you think the LA Kings feel after dwelling in the basement all season only to have the pick pulled from them at the last second. It just sticks in my craw that Tampa wins the lottery after so blatantly tanking the season. I guess losing does pay sometimes.
Turning to the Islanders prospects, they still will have an excellent chance at getting one of the other top forwards in the draft. I would absolutely love to see them get Kyle Beach. Hes big, hes a great play maker and has an attitude. I can see Beach falling to the Islanders because if the baggage that supposedly comes with him. Then there is Corey Hodgson who many web sites are already predicting the Islanders will have on draft day. He is on the small side a 5'11", but he has all of the tools to become great player but he is more of a project along with Colin Wilson. The sleeper here is Nikita Filitov who has already drawn comparisons to Ilya Kovalchuck and it seems that most mock drafts out of Canada have him going to the Toronto Maple Leafs.... REALLY??!! I cant see him falling all the way to 8th but stranger things have happened. As it stands tight now the top 5 picks will probably go like this
1 - Tampa Bay - Steven Stamkos - C
2 - LA Kings - Drew Doughty - D
3 - St. Louis - Alex Pietrangelo - D
4 - Atlanta - Kyle Beach - C
5 - NY Islanders - Corey Hodgson - C
Now.. There is a slight chance that Tampa will swing a deal to swap picks with LA bu tthe thing is LA AND Tampa are in the market for defenseman. Is there a chance Stankos goes 3rd? I doubt it because of the monster year hes had but you never know. Like I said, I would love to see Beach fall to 5. If Beach and Stamkos are off the board I would go with Filitov as his upside is much highher than Hodgson and Wilson. We Shall see. Whatever happens it sure could be interesting. Maybe Garth can swing a trade to get the number one pick? How about - Radek Martinek and the fifth pick along with a 3rd round pick for the 1st pick?
FCT
Monday, April 7, 2008
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Random Thoughts - My Off season wish list.
We as Islander fans got our end of the year smile beating the Rangers and having some of the kids shine in doing so. Now the attention must turn to off season business. We can all whine and cry about how the team should send a rocket ship up to the moon and bring a chunk of it back for Marian Hossa but let us all be realistic people it simply isn't going to happen What will happen is a totally other thing. Here is my REALISTIC wish list for the off season.
1 - Big Draft Day - What the team has qualified for this off season will be answered tomorrow night at 8 PM on Versus. 8.1 %. That is the chance the Islanders have of winning the draft lottery and securing the number one overall pick virtually guaranteed to be Steven Stamkos. Stamkos is not the only jewel in this draft which is what makes this draft so monumental. Remember these names because if you see any one of them in an Islander cap on draft day we have scored, and scored big time.
1 - Steven Stamkos
2 - Kyle Beach
3 - Cody Hodgson
4 - Colin Wilson
SLEEPER - Nikita Filitov
The Islanders will have one of the 4 kids listed above on their roster after draft day, unless something catastrophic happens, like Snow picking one of the many defensive prospects projected to go in the top 10. There are a LOT of highly rated defense prospects which will only help the Islanders cause of picking one of the top 4 prospects and gives them a pretty good shot at Beach, even if they stay in the 5 spot. Past Stamkos, the number 2 offensive prospect is Kyle Beach, whom I believe is who the Islanders should select if he is on the board when their number is up on draft day with Hodgson, Wilson and Filitov as backups if they fall back in position.
2 - Bryan Mcabe. Yes I know the team needs scoring. The team also needs a stud on defense. Mcabe seems to want to leave Toronto, and Toronto would still love to unload his contract. Can they put together a trade? It was bandied about on deadline day but they couldn't come to an agreement. Now with the whole off season maybe the time needed to work out the particulars of a deal can be done and get the Islanders the defensive workhorse and power play point man every team needs.
3 - Free Agents - As was stated above, Marian Hossa is the jewel of the free agent market this season. It would be an absolute pipe dream to get him in the Orange and Blue but we can all dream and that is what it will likely stay, a dream. There are however other players out there who could help offensivley and come at a much cheaper price than Hossa, who will command a 6-8 year, 70-90 million dollar contract. Some of them are - Vaclav Prospal, Corey Stillman, Sergei Samsonov, Micheal Ryder, Pavol Dimetra, Brian Rolston and I may get some flack for saying this - Avery. Out of the names above I would put Micheal Ryder at the top of it because he is 27 and was absolutely buried in Montreal after his rocky contract negotiations with the Habs last off season. The free agents available on defense the team should pursue? Remember a guy named Wade Redden? Well lets be honest were not going to get him either. One name the Islanders could conceivably have a shot at.. how about John-Micheal Liles?
4 - New York Islanders 2008-09 Roster - The Voice of the Islander fan REALISTIC wish list -
LW - Blake Comeau, Jon Sim, Corey Stillman, Richard Park
RW - Bill Guerin, Kyle Okposo, Trent Hunter, Micheal Ryder
C - Kyle Beach, Mike Comrie, Jeremy Colliton, Mike Sillinger
Extra Forwards - Andy Hilbert, Jeff Tambelini, Sean Bergenhiem
Sprinkle in some more veteran presence and it could be a very nice mix. Some of you are thinking - No Vasicek? No people No Vasicek unless you want to send Mike Sillinger packing.
Defense - Brendan Witt, Chris Campoli, Bruno Gervais, Andy Sutton, Bryan MCabe, Radek Martinek.
Extra defenseman - Matt Spiller.
No Real surprises here I wouldn't trade anything but a middling prospect for Caber because of his bloated contract. I don't think you would have to given his status in Toronto these days. Hillen needs to prove himself in Bridgeport but he seems to have the tools.
Goaltenders - Rick DiPietro, Joey McDonald.
I would love to keep Doobie here but I have this feeling that he has impressed another team who needs a goaltender (LA, Chicago) to give him at least a shot at the number one spot, something he will never ever get here.
The road to next season is an exciting one my friends and it all begins tomorrow nights NHL Draft Lottery. Lets all hope as Islander fans that all of out bad karma with injuries comes back and nets us the number one overall pick. Sprinkle in a couple of free agents, a power play QB, and I will go into the 2008-09 season a happy blogger. In the mean time, everyone keep your fingers crossed and come on back to The Voice tomorrow for my thoughts on the draft lottery.
FCT
1 - Big Draft Day - What the team has qualified for this off season will be answered tomorrow night at 8 PM on Versus. 8.1 %. That is the chance the Islanders have of winning the draft lottery and securing the number one overall pick virtually guaranteed to be Steven Stamkos. Stamkos is not the only jewel in this draft which is what makes this draft so monumental. Remember these names because if you see any one of them in an Islander cap on draft day we have scored, and scored big time.
1 - Steven Stamkos
2 - Kyle Beach
3 - Cody Hodgson
4 - Colin Wilson
SLEEPER - Nikita Filitov
The Islanders will have one of the 4 kids listed above on their roster after draft day, unless something catastrophic happens, like Snow picking one of the many defensive prospects projected to go in the top 10. There are a LOT of highly rated defense prospects which will only help the Islanders cause of picking one of the top 4 prospects and gives them a pretty good shot at Beach, even if they stay in the 5 spot. Past Stamkos, the number 2 offensive prospect is Kyle Beach, whom I believe is who the Islanders should select if he is on the board when their number is up on draft day with Hodgson, Wilson and Filitov as backups if they fall back in position.
2 - Bryan Mcabe. Yes I know the team needs scoring. The team also needs a stud on defense. Mcabe seems to want to leave Toronto, and Toronto would still love to unload his contract. Can they put together a trade? It was bandied about on deadline day but they couldn't come to an agreement. Now with the whole off season maybe the time needed to work out the particulars of a deal can be done and get the Islanders the defensive workhorse and power play point man every team needs.
3 - Free Agents - As was stated above, Marian Hossa is the jewel of the free agent market this season. It would be an absolute pipe dream to get him in the Orange and Blue but we can all dream and that is what it will likely stay, a dream. There are however other players out there who could help offensivley and come at a much cheaper price than Hossa, who will command a 6-8 year, 70-90 million dollar contract. Some of them are - Vaclav Prospal, Corey Stillman, Sergei Samsonov, Micheal Ryder, Pavol Dimetra, Brian Rolston and I may get some flack for saying this - Avery. Out of the names above I would put Micheal Ryder at the top of it because he is 27 and was absolutely buried in Montreal after his rocky contract negotiations with the Habs last off season. The free agents available on defense the team should pursue? Remember a guy named Wade Redden? Well lets be honest were not going to get him either. One name the Islanders could conceivably have a shot at.. how about John-Micheal Liles?
4 - New York Islanders 2008-09 Roster - The Voice of the Islander fan REALISTIC wish list -
LW - Blake Comeau, Jon Sim, Corey Stillman, Richard Park
RW - Bill Guerin, Kyle Okposo, Trent Hunter, Micheal Ryder
C - Kyle Beach, Mike Comrie, Jeremy Colliton, Mike Sillinger
Extra Forwards - Andy Hilbert, Jeff Tambelini, Sean Bergenhiem
Sprinkle in some more veteran presence and it could be a very nice mix. Some of you are thinking - No Vasicek? No people No Vasicek unless you want to send Mike Sillinger packing.
Defense - Brendan Witt, Chris Campoli, Bruno Gervais, Andy Sutton, Bryan MCabe, Radek Martinek.
Extra defenseman - Matt Spiller.
No Real surprises here I wouldn't trade anything but a middling prospect for Caber because of his bloated contract. I don't think you would have to given his status in Toronto these days. Hillen needs to prove himself in Bridgeport but he seems to have the tools.
Goaltenders - Rick DiPietro, Joey McDonald.
I would love to keep Doobie here but I have this feeling that he has impressed another team who needs a goaltender (LA, Chicago) to give him at least a shot at the number one spot, something he will never ever get here.
The road to next season is an exciting one my friends and it all begins tomorrow nights NHL Draft Lottery. Lets all hope as Islander fans that all of out bad karma with injuries comes back and nets us the number one overall pick. Sprinkle in a couple of free agents, a power play QB, and I will go into the 2008-09 season a happy blogger. In the mean time, everyone keep your fingers crossed and come on back to The Voice tomorrow for my thoughts on the draft lottery.
FCT
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
The Good and the Bad Part X - A Season in Reflection
Hello fans. In this the next in the most popular recurring column on The Voice we will discuss this season as it is drawing to a close. For about 65 games this season, the Islanders were defying the odds. They were making the so called "experts" who picked the team to finish 15th in the conference, and 30th in the league look like fools. In what seems like a year ago the team was 5 points out of first in the conference with a game against the Devils to try and make it 3. Then the bottom fell out. DP was obviously hurting and was not playing up to his abilities. The defense became decimated by injury. The offense, always suspect, also touched by injury absolutely shut down. The Power Play with the trade of Bergeron lost whatever teeth it had, and the penalty killing, which had the team in the top 5 in the league in that regard absolutely went in the gutter. So here the team stands now at 75 points, 13th in the conference and out of the playoffs. Most of the promising kids in the organization are with the team right now as the Islanders will most certainly lose over 400 man games to injury and they seem to be making the most of their opportunity, playing very well over the last 3 games.
THE GOOD -
1 - SNOW IS CAPABLE - The Islanders showed that in their current state with their current personnel, you do not need that high priced superstar to be a competitive team. When healthy, Snow and Nolan put together a very competitive team that probably was not going to win a cup, you add a player here and there and maybe you have a contender.
2 - THE YOUNG PLAYERS EARNING SPOTS - Now that they are out of the race they are getting a very good look at the young players in the organization. Matt Spiller, Jeff Tambelini, Kyle Okposo, Jeremy Colliton, Blake Comeau, Steve Regier and Frans Nielson have all made great cases to stick with the team next season, and I think they all have played their way onto the Islanders roster for next season. Promoting these guys would enable the team to have more cap space available to pursue a solid blueliner and a scoring winger.
3 - COACH NOLAN IS THE MAN - The Islanders coach proved this season to his players that through hard work you can compete in the NHL. They followed Nolan's plan, and they were contenders for a bulk of the season before injuries took their hold on the team.
Time to switch to..
THE BAD
1 - NO EXCUSES - Since when are injuries an excuse for losing? It almost seemed as though the team was waiting for an excuse to fail and they got one through injury and seemed to shut down as a result.
2 - DP, THE WEAK LINK? - I this going to be a yearly occurrence? DP lights the world on fire and peters out with season ending injuries? Thats 2 hip surgeries in 2 seasons with 13 seasons to go. With his concussion history you cannot help but be concerned about DP as talented as he obviously is his sometimes reckless style of play exposes him to injury. You cannot tell him to reign it in because its one of the things that makes him the goaltender he is. He needs to be healthy for this team.
3 - COACH NOLAN IS A LAME DUCK - What kind of a message does this send to the players and the fans? The players all seem to love the guy and respond to his message that hard work can overcome the lack of talent. He needs a contract extension and needs one before the start of the next season.
There you have it, 3 for and 3 against. Let me know what points you agree or disagree with. There are three games to go and I will be blogging through the summer especially around what should be a huge draft day and should be a VERY interesting Free Agent period on July 1st so come on back to The Voice all summer!!
FCT
THE GOOD -
1 - SNOW IS CAPABLE - The Islanders showed that in their current state with their current personnel, you do not need that high priced superstar to be a competitive team. When healthy, Snow and Nolan put together a very competitive team that probably was not going to win a cup, you add a player here and there and maybe you have a contender.
2 - THE YOUNG PLAYERS EARNING SPOTS - Now that they are out of the race they are getting a very good look at the young players in the organization. Matt Spiller, Jeff Tambelini, Kyle Okposo, Jeremy Colliton, Blake Comeau, Steve Regier and Frans Nielson have all made great cases to stick with the team next season, and I think they all have played their way onto the Islanders roster for next season. Promoting these guys would enable the team to have more cap space available to pursue a solid blueliner and a scoring winger.
3 - COACH NOLAN IS THE MAN - The Islanders coach proved this season to his players that through hard work you can compete in the NHL. They followed Nolan's plan, and they were contenders for a bulk of the season before injuries took their hold on the team.
Time to switch to..
THE BAD
1 - NO EXCUSES - Since when are injuries an excuse for losing? It almost seemed as though the team was waiting for an excuse to fail and they got one through injury and seemed to shut down as a result.
2 - DP, THE WEAK LINK? - I this going to be a yearly occurrence? DP lights the world on fire and peters out with season ending injuries? Thats 2 hip surgeries in 2 seasons with 13 seasons to go. With his concussion history you cannot help but be concerned about DP as talented as he obviously is his sometimes reckless style of play exposes him to injury. You cannot tell him to reign it in because its one of the things that makes him the goaltender he is. He needs to be healthy for this team.
3 - COACH NOLAN IS A LAME DUCK - What kind of a message does this send to the players and the fans? The players all seem to love the guy and respond to his message that hard work can overcome the lack of talent. He needs a contract extension and needs one before the start of the next season.
There you have it, 3 for and 3 against. Let me know what points you agree or disagree with. There are three games to go and I will be blogging through the summer especially around what should be a huge draft day and should be a VERY interesting Free Agent period on July 1st so come on back to The Voice all summer!!
FCT
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
The Good and the Bad Part X - A Season in Reflection
Hello fans. In this the next in the most popular recurring column on The Voice we will discuss this season as it is drawing to a close. For about 65 games this season, the Islanders were defying the odds. They were making the so called "experts" who picked the team to finish 15th in the conference, and 30th in the league look like fools. In what seems like a year ago the team was 5 points out of first in the conference with a game against the Devils to try and make it 3. Then the bottom fell out. DP was obviously hurting and was not playing up to his abilities. The defense became decimated by injury. The offense, always suspect, also touched by injury absolutely shut down. The Power Play with the trade of Bergeron lost whatever teeth it had, and the penalty killing, which had the team in the top 5 in the league in that regard absolutely went in the gutter. So here the team stands now at 75 points, 13th in the conference and out of the playoffs. Most of the promising kids in the organization are with the team right now as the Islanders will most certainly lose over 400 man games to injury and they seem to be making the most of their opportunity, playing very well over the last 3 games.
THE GOOD -
1 - SNOW IS CAPABLE - The Islanders showed that in their current state with their current personnel, you do not need that high priced superstar to be a competitive team. When healthy, Snow and Nolan put together a very competitive team that probably was not going to win a cup, you add a player here and there and maybe you have a contender.
2 - THE YOUNG PLAYERS EARNING SPOTS - Now that they are out of the race they are getting a very good look at the young players in the organization. Matt Spiller, Jeff Tambelini, Kyle Okposo, Jeremy Colliton, Blake Comeau, Steve Regier and Frans Nielson have all made great cases to stick with the team next season, and I think they all have played their way onto the Islanders roster for next season. Promoting these guys would enable the team to have more cap space available to pursue a solid blueliner and a scoring winger.
3 - COACH NOLAN IS THE MAN - The Islanders coach proved this season to his players that through hard work you can compete in the NHL. They followed Nolan's plan, and they were contenders for a bulk of the season before injuries took their hold on the team.
Time to switch to..
THE BAD
1 - NO EXCUSES - Since when are injuries an excuse for losing? It almost seemed as though the team was waiting for an excuse to fail and they got one through injury and seemed to shut down as a result.
2 - DP, THE WEAK LINK? - I this going to be a yearly occurrence? DP lights the world on fire and peters out with season ending injuries? Thats 2 hip surgeries in 2 seasons with 13 seasons to go. With his concussion history you cannot help but be concerned about DP as talented as he obviously is his sometimes reckless style of play exposes him to injury. You cannot tell him to reign it in because its one of the things that makes him the goaltender he is. He needs to be healthy for this team.
3 - COACH NOLAN IS A LAME DUCK - What kind of a message does this send to the players and the fans? The players all seem to love the guy and respond to his message that hard work can overcome the lack of talent. He needs a contract extension and needs one before the start of the next season.
There you have it, 3 for and 3 against. Let me know what points you agree or disagree with. There are five games to go and I will be blogging through the summer especially around what should be a huge draft day and should be a VERY interesting Free Agent period on July 1st so come on back to The Voice all summer!!
FCT
THE GOOD -
1 - SNOW IS CAPABLE - The Islanders showed that in their current state with their current personnel, you do not need that high priced superstar to be a competitive team. When healthy, Snow and Nolan put together a very competitive team that probably was not going to win a cup, you add a player here and there and maybe you have a contender.
2 - THE YOUNG PLAYERS EARNING SPOTS - Now that they are out of the race they are getting a very good look at the young players in the organization. Matt Spiller, Jeff Tambelini, Kyle Okposo, Jeremy Colliton, Blake Comeau, Steve Regier and Frans Nielson have all made great cases to stick with the team next season, and I think they all have played their way onto the Islanders roster for next season. Promoting these guys would enable the team to have more cap space available to pursue a solid blueliner and a scoring winger.
3 - COACH NOLAN IS THE MAN - The Islanders coach proved this season to his players that through hard work you can compete in the NHL. They followed Nolan's plan, and they were contenders for a bulk of the season before injuries took their hold on the team.
Time to switch to..
THE BAD
1 - NO EXCUSES - Since when are injuries an excuse for losing? It almost seemed as though the team was waiting for an excuse to fail and they got one through injury and seemed to shut down as a result.
2 - DP, THE WEAK LINK? - I this going to be a yearly occurrence? DP lights the world on fire and peters out with season ending injuries? Thats 2 hip surgeries in 2 seasons with 13 seasons to go. With his concussion history you cannot help but be concerned about DP as talented as he obviously is his sometimes reckless style of play exposes him to injury. You cannot tell him to reign it in because its one of the things that makes him the goaltender he is. He needs to be healthy for this team.
3 - COACH NOLAN IS A LAME DUCK - What kind of a message does this send to the players and the fans? The players all seem to love the guy and respond to his message that hard work can overcome the lack of talent. He needs a contract extension and needs one before the start of the next season.
There you have it, 3 for and 3 against. Let me know what points you agree or disagree with. There are five games to go and I will be blogging through the summer especially around what should be a huge draft day and should be a VERY interesting Free Agent period on July 1st so come on back to The Voice all summer!!
FCT
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Looking Ahead - A Good Loss
Hello fans. I just got back from the Coliseum and witnessed the unthinkable. Rob Davison scored a goal? From 190 feet away? Shorthanded? The Leafs came away with the 3-1 victory after Davison's Hail Mary bounced over Toskala and into the net. Is the loss such a bad thing? The team is dead in the water when it comes to the playoffs but looking ahead you cannot help but get intrigued over the possibility of landing a lottery pick in this year's NHL Draft. There are 7 sure fire NHL players in this draft, and some experts say the top 30 players in this draft have a better than average shot of not only making it at the NHL level, but becoming impact players quickly. There are two forwards in Steven Stamkos and Nikita Filitov that probably would step right into any lineup in the NHL. If the Islanders could somehow manage to land either of them we would have the top notch can't miss player in the vein of Dany Heatley, Ilya Kovalchuk, Marian Hossa, Evegni Malkin, Sydney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin that we as Islander fans are so used to seeing go to other teams around us and light the world on fire. I am sick of it. The last time we landed the number one pick we drafted DP. I will not get into discussing the trades that Milbury made but some have said that choices crippled this franchise and it has not recovered from it. Landing one of these kids would be a MAJOR step in the right direction of landing that jewel of a player the Islanders can truly build around. I will and ould never openly root against the Islanders, but you gotta admit the thought of landing the number 1 or 2 overall pick in this year's draft is an appetizing one.
By the way, the St. Louis Blues and Columbus Blue Jackets won tonight. good for us, bad for them. Dont look now but the team is currently 27th in the league which would net us a lottery pick. All we need is the Thrashers and Lightning to pick up their play. The Islanders have a VERY tough schedule to close out the season with 2 games each against the Penguins, Devils, Flyers and Rangers. So anything is possible.
FCT
By the way, the St. Louis Blues and Columbus Blue Jackets won tonight. good for us, bad for them. Dont look now but the team is currently 27th in the league which would net us a lottery pick. All we need is the Thrashers and Lightning to pick up their play. The Islanders have a VERY tough schedule to close out the season with 2 games each against the Penguins, Devils, Flyers and Rangers. So anything is possible.
FCT
Monday, March 17, 2008
The Good and the Bad Part IX - Kyle Okposo is Here
Yes fans its true.... The Good and the Bad is Back. Well fans it is time for Kyle Okposo to make his debut with the New York Islanders against the hated Leafs tomorrow night at the Coliseum. The Islanders now dead and buried as far as the playoffs go have chopped 50% off he price of all tickets for the game so get on out there is you have the time. Lets get right to the Good and the Bad as it pertains to the hottest Islander prospect not a goaltender to debut since Bryan Berard.
THE GOOD -
1 - The NHL is getting younger Its about time the Islanders followed suit - Everyone knew this would be the date Okposo debut because of the way his contract is structured. He plays 9 games and his 3 year deal starts next season. He starts 10 games and his 3 year deal starts right now. More and more forwards that cannot legally especially are starting and sticking at the NHL level younger and younger. Look at the Penguins, Blackhawks, Oilers, Ducks, Coyotes etc etc. This may sound funny but aging veterans are a thing of the past. Pun intended.
2 - A Cup of Coffee before the real career begins - Any experience he can get on the ice with NHL players is a positive and ease his transition to the Islanders full time next season. Familiarizing himself with the speed and skill at this level will be a major positive to his game. The bottom line is if the kid is not ready to play at this level then he may never be.
3 - Maybe some people will came to see him play and geez.. help the offense? - We have heard his name since he was drafted. Okposo this, Okposo that he is the future he is the real deal he is the man. Maybe the lone fact that he will get to prove himself in this stint will get some people in the seats and inject a little life into a lifeless, starved for offense team.
THE BAD -
1 - Confidence - He better be ready. If he cannot be the focal point of the offense it could hurt his game. If he is outclassed and not ready then the team is risking long term damage to their prized prospect.
2 - Its a cheap ploy to sell tickets. - No one is coming to the games for the rest of the season unless they are Ranger fans. Do not use the kid to try and sell tickets.
3 - Whats the point? The rest of the team is dead in the water and bringing him into it can only be a bad influence. This kid should only be around a team that is playing for something. The Islanders stopped playing meaningful games 2 weeks ago.
Let me know what points above you agree or disagree with. I will be at the game Tuesday to hopefully see KO run over Blake on route to scoring his 1st NHL goal.
FCT
THE GOOD -
1 - The NHL is getting younger Its about time the Islanders followed suit - Everyone knew this would be the date Okposo debut because of the way his contract is structured. He plays 9 games and his 3 year deal starts next season. He starts 10 games and his 3 year deal starts right now. More and more forwards that cannot legally especially are starting and sticking at the NHL level younger and younger. Look at the Penguins, Blackhawks, Oilers, Ducks, Coyotes etc etc. This may sound funny but aging veterans are a thing of the past. Pun intended.
2 - A Cup of Coffee before the real career begins - Any experience he can get on the ice with NHL players is a positive and ease his transition to the Islanders full time next season. Familiarizing himself with the speed and skill at this level will be a major positive to his game. The bottom line is if the kid is not ready to play at this level then he may never be.
3 - Maybe some people will came to see him play and geez.. help the offense? - We have heard his name since he was drafted. Okposo this, Okposo that he is the future he is the real deal he is the man. Maybe the lone fact that he will get to prove himself in this stint will get some people in the seats and inject a little life into a lifeless, starved for offense team.
THE BAD -
1 - Confidence - He better be ready. If he cannot be the focal point of the offense it could hurt his game. If he is outclassed and not ready then the team is risking long term damage to their prized prospect.
2 - Its a cheap ploy to sell tickets. - No one is coming to the games for the rest of the season unless they are Ranger fans. Do not use the kid to try and sell tickets.
3 - Whats the point? The rest of the team is dead in the water and bringing him into it can only be a bad influence. This kid should only be around a team that is playing for something. The Islanders stopped playing meaningful games 2 weeks ago.
Let me know what points above you agree or disagree with. I will be at the game Tuesday to hopefully see KO run over Blake on route to scoring his 1st NHL goal.
FCT
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Random Thoughts Is BACK!!
Hello Fans. The voice returns to its roots and presents 5 random thoughts as it pertains to the New York Islanders. The playoffs have become a near impossibility after last nights pounding at the hands of the mighty Tampa Bay Lightning. (Yes that is sarcasm.) After being contenders for most of this season, the team is unraveling before our eyes and the possible implications and bad blood could be a serious problem for the team moving forward. These 5 points will examine this latest dive in performance and other "Random Thoughts"
1 - Nolan and DP at War? - Missing the playoffs is not the worst thing that can happen to the team. The worst thing for this team is for its Coach, who by all accounts is a quality coach and the man to run this team and its franchise goaltender who is signed for another 13 years to be sniping at each other after the team gets pounded by the Lightning. Bad Blood between DP and Nolan at this time could only result in bad news in the highest order. What is the team going to do if this escalates out of control? Fire Nolan? You certainly can't trade DP, his contract prohibits that. I would not be going out on a limb to say that DP would make himself not to popular with a lot of the players and fans that love Nolan if this escalates to the point where Nolan resigns or gets fired. You saw what happened when Yashin fell out of favor with the fans and organization. Tack on another 9 years and 38 million on top of that mistake if this goes to the bad place it is capable of. Lets hope it was frustration and does not turn to dislike and content between the Coach and the Goalie.
2 - The 6 Game winning streak has cost us. - The last horrid stretch that has seen the team go 8-16 with two stretches (0-7, and 2-9) around a 6 game winning streak probably cost the team in more ways than we can count. Snow said he held most of the team intact because the 6 game streak got them right back in the hunt. Now they will probably lose Satan, Vasicek, Fedotenko and God knows who else for nothing when they could have been turned into a couple of draft picks. Granted we will never know what this cost the team, but it cost us something. Damn that winning streak. Hopefully we will get shot at the 1st overall pick, because there are 2 or 3 gems out there that could help the team right now.
3 - Big Splash or small ripples? - What do we do in the off season? I happen to believe that maybe the proper approach will be to use what is left of the season to judge what we have within the organization. There are some kids that need to get top 6 ice time. Ben Walter, Jeff Tambelini, Jeremy Colliton, Mathew Spiller, Drew Fata, Blake Comeau, Franz Nielson (if he is healthy) and Kyle Okposo should all be brought up and given heavy ice time RIGHT NOW to see what they are capable of at this level so they can accurately judge what they have within the organization before they go out of it to bring in other talent at a great expense. There is no reason I can see anymore to have Satan, Fedotenko, Davison, Meyer and other vets in the lineup. Its totally pointless. Why bother developing and keeping young talent if they are not going to at least give them a real shot at this level. On bringing in players from other teams - we need a PP QB in the worst way. They are harder to come by than goal scorers which are a dime a dozen in comparison.
4 - Lighthouse Project covered on WFAN - Charles Wang represented himself in the best way possible on WFAN when Mike and the Mad Dog were in the Coliseum. Mr. Wang remains confident that they will have the deal done and construction will commence on the Coliseum as soon as June of 2009. The ball is still in The Town of Hempstead's court and I would suggest any person that if for the project to contact the office of Kate Murray and let your local politicians know that you want this project to go forward.
5 - "Core of the Four" - We are all proud of what this team accomplished during the amazing run it had in the 80's. That being said I have heard more fans express displeasure at yet another celebration surrounding the greats of the past. I personally do not have a problem with it, but it definitely feels a bit forced that the team keeps bringing the greatest team ever assembled back for another waving at the crowd moment. How about making these guys proud of the current product on the ice and elevating the team above mediocrity? How about getting that disgrace of a building and surrounding area rebuilt so that when these guys do come back to the Coliseum, they can be proud of the building instead of ashamed of the place they accomplished something that will never be repeated?
Let me know what your thoughts are on the latest version of Random Thoughts. Feel free to discuss these points or some of your own Random Thoughts. See you at the Coliseum.
FCT
1 - Nolan and DP at War? - Missing the playoffs is not the worst thing that can happen to the team. The worst thing for this team is for its Coach, who by all accounts is a quality coach and the man to run this team and its franchise goaltender who is signed for another 13 years to be sniping at each other after the team gets pounded by the Lightning. Bad Blood between DP and Nolan at this time could only result in bad news in the highest order. What is the team going to do if this escalates out of control? Fire Nolan? You certainly can't trade DP, his contract prohibits that. I would not be going out on a limb to say that DP would make himself not to popular with a lot of the players and fans that love Nolan if this escalates to the point where Nolan resigns or gets fired. You saw what happened when Yashin fell out of favor with the fans and organization. Tack on another 9 years and 38 million on top of that mistake if this goes to the bad place it is capable of. Lets hope it was frustration and does not turn to dislike and content between the Coach and the Goalie.
2 - The 6 Game winning streak has cost us. - The last horrid stretch that has seen the team go 8-16 with two stretches (0-7, and 2-9) around a 6 game winning streak probably cost the team in more ways than we can count. Snow said he held most of the team intact because the 6 game streak got them right back in the hunt. Now they will probably lose Satan, Vasicek, Fedotenko and God knows who else for nothing when they could have been turned into a couple of draft picks. Granted we will never know what this cost the team, but it cost us something. Damn that winning streak. Hopefully we will get shot at the 1st overall pick, because there are 2 or 3 gems out there that could help the team right now.
3 - Big Splash or small ripples? - What do we do in the off season? I happen to believe that maybe the proper approach will be to use what is left of the season to judge what we have within the organization. There are some kids that need to get top 6 ice time. Ben Walter, Jeff Tambelini, Jeremy Colliton, Mathew Spiller, Drew Fata, Blake Comeau, Franz Nielson (if he is healthy) and Kyle Okposo should all be brought up and given heavy ice time RIGHT NOW to see what they are capable of at this level so they can accurately judge what they have within the organization before they go out of it to bring in other talent at a great expense. There is no reason I can see anymore to have Satan, Fedotenko, Davison, Meyer and other vets in the lineup. Its totally pointless. Why bother developing and keeping young talent if they are not going to at least give them a real shot at this level. On bringing in players from other teams - we need a PP QB in the worst way. They are harder to come by than goal scorers which are a dime a dozen in comparison.
4 - Lighthouse Project covered on WFAN - Charles Wang represented himself in the best way possible on WFAN when Mike and the Mad Dog were in the Coliseum. Mr. Wang remains confident that they will have the deal done and construction will commence on the Coliseum as soon as June of 2009. The ball is still in The Town of Hempstead's court and I would suggest any person that if for the project to contact the office of Kate Murray and let your local politicians know that you want this project to go forward.
5 - "Core of the Four" - We are all proud of what this team accomplished during the amazing run it had in the 80's. That being said I have heard more fans express displeasure at yet another celebration surrounding the greats of the past. I personally do not have a problem with it, but it definitely feels a bit forced that the team keeps bringing the greatest team ever assembled back for another waving at the crowd moment. How about making these guys proud of the current product on the ice and elevating the team above mediocrity? How about getting that disgrace of a building and surrounding area rebuilt so that when these guys do come back to the Coliseum, they can be proud of the building instead of ashamed of the place they accomplished something that will never be repeated?
Let me know what your thoughts are on the latest version of Random Thoughts. Feel free to discuss these points or some of your own Random Thoughts. See you at the Coliseum.
FCT
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)