Mark Streit, the backbone of the Islanders defense and one of their top point producers is for all intense and purposes out for the season.
Matt Moulsen checked Streit in a scrimmage and put him out for the season as Streit fell awkwardly into the boards separating his shoulder that had to be popped back into place by medical professionals 20 minutes later.
You simply cannot write a worse way to kick off this season. Not much more needs to be said as the Islanders scramble for a way to try to deal with losing their most consistent performer in a season where a lot of people expected the team to take a big step forward.
Injuries have absolutely destroyed whatever hope the Islanders have had to compete over the last few years despite the fact that the team was not very good.
Now that pesky unforeseen factor, the injury, threatens to derail another season before It begins.
Fans at the Blue and Orange scrimmage watched Rick Dipietro play 3 periods in a game setting and look good doing it.
Things look good, hopeful, positive for a change.
Then it happens. The black cloud that has been hanging over the New York Islanders health is still there in full force.
You simply cannot compensate for the loss of a player like Streit to the Islanders. Sure, the team still may improve this season. They still may challenge for that playoff spot.
Unless the unthinkable happens and the Islanders win the Stanley Cup, there will always be that "imagine if we had Streit?" feeling.
Unfortunately the injury bug is not limited to Streit.
Franz Nielson is down with a leg injury and he will miss some time, and Kyle Okposo is also hurting from a shoulder issue and is going to see a shoulder specialist.
As far as Dipetro goes Islander fans will keep their fingers crossed as to how Rick's knees and hips and head respond to the rigors of NHL action.
It would be really easy to chalk this season up as lost and say "well they are still rebuilding."
I am not one of those people.
Injuries are a part of sports. Every team has to deal with them and if they are successful, overcome them.
The Islanders are in a position to overcome the injuries even to Streit because of the added depth at defense. The power play could not be any worse than it was last year and someone is going to have to step up to replace Streits power play presence.
Short of that the defensive aspect of the Islanders game should be largely unaffected or even improved from last year.
Successful teams in this league overcome adversity. Well this year the adversity came very early.
How do you think the injuries will effect the Islanders season?
Leave your comments below.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Friday, September 3, 2010
NY Islanders: Realistic Predictions
What can we expect from the NY Islanders this season..Really?
As everything NY Islanders these past few years there are an awful lot of "ifs."
Lets jump right in and examine:
A) Goaltending - More specifically Rick DiPietro. We can talk about the contract and the eleven years left on it until we are blue in the face and at the end of the day it really does not matter long term.
What does matter is if Rick can return at all. Once that question is answered it is followed by one more important question - can he approach the high level we all know he is capable of?
The guy is still young but all of those surgeries on knees and hips and lets not forget the multiple concussions that will take their toll on anyone.
There is always conjecture about Rick but as we are seeing right now there is no way anyone knows including Rick himself whether he will be able to shoulder the load of rigors of an NHL season.
The one thing that remains a constant is the Islanders have Dwayne Roloson. Roloson more than proved that he is still a very capable net minder and can still play at a high level.
Assuming that DiPietro cannot play, AHL standout goaltender Nathan Lawson will likely back up Roloson.
Depth Chart -
1 - Dwayne Roloson
2 - Rick DiPietro
3 - Nathan Lawson
B) Defense. I can say with a degree of certainty that this will be the best group of defenseman the Islanders will put on the ice in many years, possibly since 1997.
Mark Streit is at the head of the class. He will shoulder the power play minutes and be the Islanders number 1 guy on defense.
He isn't alone any more.
Garth Snow pulled a rabbit out of his hat trading for James Wisniewski. He is the perfect number 2 guy behind Streit. Islander fans will love this kid once they see him in action.
Mark Eaton is a dependable veteran via free agency.
Milan Jurcina is a nice depth player and adds much needed size at the blue line at 6' 4" and 235 pounds.
The Islanders will also bring back Jack Hillen, Andrew McDonald, oft injured Radek Martinek, Bruno Gervais, Dylan Reese and Dustin Kohn to round out the rest of the defense.
One thing that can be counted on this year. Whoever plays goal for the Islanders this year can expect to see less traffic in front of the net and a much more soundly defended zone in front of him.
Garth Snow and his crew have done an excellent job building the Islanders defensive unit this season and for once I am excited about the Islanders on that side of the puck.
Depth Chart -
1) Mark Streit
2) James Wisniewski
3) Mark Eaton
4) Milan Jurcina
5) Jack Hillen
6) Radek Martinek
7) Andrew McDonald
8) Bruno Gervais
C) Wingers - Here is an Islander weak spot. Traditionally this is where an awful of goals come from that a team scores and where the Islanders swill look to try and improve this season.
Kyle Okposo has got to take the bull by the horns this year and show everyone that he is ready to be a star player in the NHL. He simply cannot go large periods of time invisible like he did at points last season. Islander fans want to cheer for him and are waiting for him to show the rest of the league what we all believe about him.
He needs to add consistency to his game. In a league where 22 year old captains are winning Stanley Cups age is no longer an excuse for under achieving.
Another huge question is whether Matt Moulsen's 30 goal campaign was an apperition or the start of a late blooming career scoring goals in the NHL.
Trent Hunter will skate around hard, hit people, be dependable in his own end and score around 15 goals.
Blake Comeau has to also continue to improve and take that next step.
Rob Shremp showed flashes of brilliance last season after being exiled from Edmonton. This is one kid I can see special things from this season and could be the next breakout star If the Islanders are going to challenge for a playoff spot. At the very least he is a shootout specialist who will score more often than not.
After those guys, what else is there? Thats 5 winger positions out of 8 available spots on the Islanders opening night roster. Who will fill out the rest of the winger positions?
We have unproven talents in Jesse Joensuu and Matt Martin had cups of coffee with the Islanders who I would love to see get a long term shot with the Islanders.
Depth Players P.A. Parentau, Jon Sim, Andy Hilbert, Joel Rechlecz, and Zenon Konopka round out the group.
Make no mistake if the Islanders are to take the e next step this year and challenge for a playoff spot someone will have to step up in the winger department.
Could 2010 first round pick Nino Niederreiter make the team and contribute? How about ultra talented Russian draft pick Kirill Kabanov? Odds are they will not start the season on the club.
The Islanders are not in a position to add from the free agent pool. They are going to improve from within, or not improve at all.
Depth Chart -
1) Kyle Okposo
2) Matt Moulsen
3) Trent Hunter
4) Blake Comeau
5) Rob Schremp
6) Jon Sim
7) Jesse Joensuu
8) Andy Hilbert
9) Matt Martin
10) Zenon Konopka
D) Center - Here is another position that the Islanders are just about set at.
John Tavares was everything realisitic expectations could have hoped for. His sophmore season should give us more of a picture of the kind of player he will be.
People keep talking about Stephen Stamkos as a measuring stick for Tavares' encore season. This comparison is not fair for one reason - the talent around Stamkos dwarfs what is around Tavares.
If we have to put a number on how many goals that would label Tavares second season a success that number would be 35.
Doug Weight has resigned with the Islanders. We all know he is a very talented play maker. We also know that we simply cannot count on him playing more than 35 games.
Josh Bailey needs to improve. Yes he is only 20, but that is no longer an excuse one can use in the NHL. Bailey is entering his 3rd NHL season. 16 goals and 35 points are not totals that are going to wow anyone. If he is going to be the player Snow envisioned when he drafted him then he is going to show that this season.
Frans Neilson scored 12 goals and had 38 points last year and will also look to improve on those numbers.
Rob Schremp and Andy Hilbert will fill in at center if and when there are injuries.
Depth Chart -
1) John Tavares
2) Doug Weight
3) Josh Bailey
4) Frans Nielson
5) Rob Schremp
6) Andy Hilbert
Overall the Islanders are in a much better position this season than last and should look to improve on last seasons 79 point total.
Keys to a successful season -
1) Solid defense will get the team more wins on its own even without much improvement from the forward crew. Most importantly is the Islanders need to bring down the amount of goals allowed last season of 264. Only Edmonton (284) and Toronto (267) allowed more goals last season.
Roloson will do fine if he is shouldered with the goaltending load. The Islanders revamped defense will no doubt be a drastic improvement over last seasons and if the goals allowed total is in the 215-220 range then the Islanders should be in business to at least challenge for a playoff spot even without much improvement on the goals for side.
2) Young forwards must continue growth. Yes reliable defense is important. So is scoring goals. You may be shocked to know that the Islanders scored just as many goals as rivals NY Rangers and the NJ Devils with 222. If the Islanders can improve that total to 240 that would be a nice step in the development if the young core of forwards.
3) Special teams. The Islanders were near the bottom of the heap on power play percentage at 16%. An improvement to 18-19% is not to much to ask and is necessary for any successful NHL franchise. If goal totals on the season are to improve this is where the extra goals have to come from.
The Islanders were at the bottom of the heap in penalty killing at a horrid 76.3%, good for 29th in the NHL. That number needs to be at least 82-85% and with the Islanders revamped defense should be possible.
So many people think goal scoring is the Islanders number one problem. They would be wrong. This is why it was so important for Snow and Company to improve team defense. Increase you penalty killing efficiency to the mid 80% range and you will challenge for that playoff spot.
Post your thoughts in the comment section and voice your opinion on where the Islanders need to improve.
As everything NY Islanders these past few years there are an awful lot of "ifs."
Lets jump right in and examine:
A) Goaltending - More specifically Rick DiPietro. We can talk about the contract and the eleven years left on it until we are blue in the face and at the end of the day it really does not matter long term.
What does matter is if Rick can return at all. Once that question is answered it is followed by one more important question - can he approach the high level we all know he is capable of?
The guy is still young but all of those surgeries on knees and hips and lets not forget the multiple concussions that will take their toll on anyone.
There is always conjecture about Rick but as we are seeing right now there is no way anyone knows including Rick himself whether he will be able to shoulder the load of rigors of an NHL season.
The one thing that remains a constant is the Islanders have Dwayne Roloson. Roloson more than proved that he is still a very capable net minder and can still play at a high level.
Assuming that DiPietro cannot play, AHL standout goaltender Nathan Lawson will likely back up Roloson.
Depth Chart -
1 - Dwayne Roloson
2 - Rick DiPietro
3 - Nathan Lawson
B) Defense. I can say with a degree of certainty that this will be the best group of defenseman the Islanders will put on the ice in many years, possibly since 1997.
Mark Streit is at the head of the class. He will shoulder the power play minutes and be the Islanders number 1 guy on defense.
He isn't alone any more.
Garth Snow pulled a rabbit out of his hat trading for James Wisniewski. He is the perfect number 2 guy behind Streit. Islander fans will love this kid once they see him in action.
Mark Eaton is a dependable veteran via free agency.
Milan Jurcina is a nice depth player and adds much needed size at the blue line at 6' 4" and 235 pounds.
The Islanders will also bring back Jack Hillen, Andrew McDonald, oft injured Radek Martinek, Bruno Gervais, Dylan Reese and Dustin Kohn to round out the rest of the defense.
One thing that can be counted on this year. Whoever plays goal for the Islanders this year can expect to see less traffic in front of the net and a much more soundly defended zone in front of him.
Garth Snow and his crew have done an excellent job building the Islanders defensive unit this season and for once I am excited about the Islanders on that side of the puck.
Depth Chart -
1) Mark Streit
2) James Wisniewski
3) Mark Eaton
4) Milan Jurcina
5) Jack Hillen
6) Radek Martinek
7) Andrew McDonald
8) Bruno Gervais
C) Wingers - Here is an Islander weak spot. Traditionally this is where an awful of goals come from that a team scores and where the Islanders swill look to try and improve this season.
Kyle Okposo has got to take the bull by the horns this year and show everyone that he is ready to be a star player in the NHL. He simply cannot go large periods of time invisible like he did at points last season. Islander fans want to cheer for him and are waiting for him to show the rest of the league what we all believe about him.
He needs to add consistency to his game. In a league where 22 year old captains are winning Stanley Cups age is no longer an excuse for under achieving.
Another huge question is whether Matt Moulsen's 30 goal campaign was an apperition or the start of a late blooming career scoring goals in the NHL.
Trent Hunter will skate around hard, hit people, be dependable in his own end and score around 15 goals.
Blake Comeau has to also continue to improve and take that next step.
Rob Shremp showed flashes of brilliance last season after being exiled from Edmonton. This is one kid I can see special things from this season and could be the next breakout star If the Islanders are going to challenge for a playoff spot. At the very least he is a shootout specialist who will score more often than not.
After those guys, what else is there? Thats 5 winger positions out of 8 available spots on the Islanders opening night roster. Who will fill out the rest of the winger positions?
We have unproven talents in Jesse Joensuu and Matt Martin had cups of coffee with the Islanders who I would love to see get a long term shot with the Islanders.
Depth Players P.A. Parentau, Jon Sim, Andy Hilbert, Joel Rechlecz, and Zenon Konopka round out the group.
Make no mistake if the Islanders are to take the e next step this year and challenge for a playoff spot someone will have to step up in the winger department.
Could 2010 first round pick Nino Niederreiter make the team and contribute? How about ultra talented Russian draft pick Kirill Kabanov? Odds are they will not start the season on the club.
The Islanders are not in a position to add from the free agent pool. They are going to improve from within, or not improve at all.
Depth Chart -
1) Kyle Okposo
2) Matt Moulsen
3) Trent Hunter
4) Blake Comeau
5) Rob Schremp
6) Jon Sim
7) Jesse Joensuu
8) Andy Hilbert
9) Matt Martin
10) Zenon Konopka
D) Center - Here is another position that the Islanders are just about set at.
John Tavares was everything realisitic expectations could have hoped for. His sophmore season should give us more of a picture of the kind of player he will be.
People keep talking about Stephen Stamkos as a measuring stick for Tavares' encore season. This comparison is not fair for one reason - the talent around Stamkos dwarfs what is around Tavares.
If we have to put a number on how many goals that would label Tavares second season a success that number would be 35.
Doug Weight has resigned with the Islanders. We all know he is a very talented play maker. We also know that we simply cannot count on him playing more than 35 games.
Josh Bailey needs to improve. Yes he is only 20, but that is no longer an excuse one can use in the NHL. Bailey is entering his 3rd NHL season. 16 goals and 35 points are not totals that are going to wow anyone. If he is going to be the player Snow envisioned when he drafted him then he is going to show that this season.
Frans Neilson scored 12 goals and had 38 points last year and will also look to improve on those numbers.
Rob Schremp and Andy Hilbert will fill in at center if and when there are injuries.
Depth Chart -
1) John Tavares
2) Doug Weight
3) Josh Bailey
4) Frans Nielson
5) Rob Schremp
6) Andy Hilbert
Overall the Islanders are in a much better position this season than last and should look to improve on last seasons 79 point total.
Keys to a successful season -
1) Solid defense will get the team more wins on its own even without much improvement from the forward crew. Most importantly is the Islanders need to bring down the amount of goals allowed last season of 264. Only Edmonton (284) and Toronto (267) allowed more goals last season.
Roloson will do fine if he is shouldered with the goaltending load. The Islanders revamped defense will no doubt be a drastic improvement over last seasons and if the goals allowed total is in the 215-220 range then the Islanders should be in business to at least challenge for a playoff spot even without much improvement on the goals for side.
2) Young forwards must continue growth. Yes reliable defense is important. So is scoring goals. You may be shocked to know that the Islanders scored just as many goals as rivals NY Rangers and the NJ Devils with 222. If the Islanders can improve that total to 240 that would be a nice step in the development if the young core of forwards.
3) Special teams. The Islanders were near the bottom of the heap on power play percentage at 16%. An improvement to 18-19% is not to much to ask and is necessary for any successful NHL franchise. If goal totals on the season are to improve this is where the extra goals have to come from.
The Islanders were at the bottom of the heap in penalty killing at a horrid 76.3%, good for 29th in the NHL. That number needs to be at least 82-85% and with the Islanders revamped defense should be possible.
So many people think goal scoring is the Islanders number one problem. They would be wrong. This is why it was so important for Snow and Company to improve team defense. Increase you penalty killing efficiency to the mid 80% range and you will challenge for that playoff spot.
Post your thoughts in the comment section and voice your opinion on where the Islanders need to improve.
Friday, July 30, 2010
NHL Free Agency Sputters Along
This is a free agent frenzy?
In the free agent class of 2007, 27 contracts were negotiated and announced on the first day of free agency on July 1. Names like Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, Danny Briere, Ryan Smyth, Jason Blake and many many others went on the first day to huge contracts not only in terms of years but in overall value.
On the second day another 20 names were crossed off the list and when the first week was over another 57 were signed sealed and delivered, most to monster contracts.
This season although the number of players signed through the first week have actually been higher the dollar amount of the contracts handed out have been a mere fraction of what they were then even factoring in Kovalchuk's monster would be deal.
We all know the salary cap has played a major role in curtailing the amount of money thrown around but the reasons go a little beyond simply the cap itself.
Would Ilya Kovalchuck remained unsigned for as long as he was this year if he were a free agent in 2007?
Keep in mind that there was a salary cap in 2007 also. One that was much lower than it is today at around 59 million now to 40 million then.
So what are the other reasons for the huge step down in money commitment?
Could it be the talent available?
Could it be that General Managers are no longer willing to throw big money at players that are coming from other organiations?
Could it be that the big money teams that typically have the cash to throw around are at or near the salary cap?
Let us examine.
2010 has been no banner year when it comes to free agents. I would not be the first writer to say the class of 2010 is a weak one.
This being sead it is now July 30th and to see some of the players that are still available is simply mind boggling.
Some notable forwards are - Lee Stempniak, Paul Kariya, Teemu Selanne, Maxim Afinogenov, Bill Guerin, Brendan Morrison, Raffi Torres, John Madden, Mike Modano and Glen Metropolit.
Granted this is 2010 and not 2000 so Selanne, Kariya and Modano do not have nearly as much clout as they used to but any one of them could help a team.
Stempniak and Torres are still very young and personally I would love to see the Islanders sign one or both of them.
Morrison has had injuries derail his career at times but is a gifted playmaker.
On goaltenders and defense we have Kim Johnsson, Mike Mottau, Andy Sutton, Marc-Andre Bergeron, Marty Turco, Jose Theodore, Ray Emery and Aaron Ward.
Any one of these players can help a team considerably including former MVP of the league Theodore who had an amazing 30-7-7 record last year with the Capitals.
Turco may be past his prime but he is still a very solid netminder.
Looking at some of the names up there makes me wonder why after over 4 weeks of free agency they still remain unsigned.
Let us examine.
1 - The Salary Cap puts the usual big spenders on the sidelines. This is not a rumoror or a speculation it is a fact.
The Rangers, Toronto, Montreal, Chicago, Boston, Detroit, Philadelphia are the usual big spenders coem free agent time.
They are all for the most part dormant in July and it is because they simply cannot spend any more money due to the cap.
Maybe if the Maple Leafs weren't throwing around 16 million dollars to Jeff FInger they could have made a run at Kovalchuk and bring a face to their franchise.
With the big money teams out of the picture it lets the middle level teams have real shots at signing the big names. Would the New Jersey Devils despite their sparking new arena have a ghost of a chance of landing a guy like Kovalchuk if he could run to the millions of one of the big boys?
Its like taking the Yankees and Red Sox out of the picture in baseball.
2 - This years free agent class is sub par. There are lot of people who would disagree with this. Most of the top defenseman have been snapped up already some going for what some would say Jeff Finger money.
The forwards and goaltenders seem to be the ones lingering here. There are 3 bona fide number one goaltenders out there. One of them is a former MVP and the other has won The Stanley Cup.
There is talent there so I do not believe that talent is the main issue.
3 - Free Agency is not the way to build a franchise. If the leagues current top teams have taught us anything its that signing that flashy 40 goal scorer should be the final piece to the puzzle of building your team and not the starting point.
In the past big market teams have thrown obscene amounts of money at what is perceived to be the "top free agents" of any given year and it took hours, not weeks to complete multi year, multi million dollar mega deals.
Now it takes a proven, young 40 goal scorer 3 weeks to sign a contract after July 1?
That is something that was unheard of as recent at 2 years ago.
Needless to say the landscape has drastically changed.
The top dogs will always get their money. That free agent who is perceived to be the top guy, the corner-stone type player.
Gone are the days of multi year mega contracts to second and third tier players like Scott Gomez, Jason Blake and Chris Drury just to name a few.
In are the days of one year deals to players who would normally be getting this type deal.
Where else would a guy lead his team in goaldsand get only a one year deal? (Matt Moulson)
How about a guy who gets 58 points and 20 goals and only gets a one year deal (Vinny Prospal)?
The landscape has changed people. So many teams have abandoned the free agent fix and now favor building through youth. Especially now that 18 year olds making an impact for $375,000 per season over paying a free agent millions more for the same output.
Free agency will always be prevalant but it seems in order to cash in big time you have to actually BE big time.
It has turned into a way to tweak your team and teams have finally figured out it has never been a successul tool in the NHL to build a winning franchise.
Please post your thoughts below.
In the free agent class of 2007, 27 contracts were negotiated and announced on the first day of free agency on July 1. Names like Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, Danny Briere, Ryan Smyth, Jason Blake and many many others went on the first day to huge contracts not only in terms of years but in overall value.
On the second day another 20 names were crossed off the list and when the first week was over another 57 were signed sealed and delivered, most to monster contracts.
This season although the number of players signed through the first week have actually been higher the dollar amount of the contracts handed out have been a mere fraction of what they were then even factoring in Kovalchuk's monster would be deal.
We all know the salary cap has played a major role in curtailing the amount of money thrown around but the reasons go a little beyond simply the cap itself.
Would Ilya Kovalchuck remained unsigned for as long as he was this year if he were a free agent in 2007?
Keep in mind that there was a salary cap in 2007 also. One that was much lower than it is today at around 59 million now to 40 million then.
So what are the other reasons for the huge step down in money commitment?
Could it be the talent available?
Could it be that General Managers are no longer willing to throw big money at players that are coming from other organiations?
Could it be that the big money teams that typically have the cash to throw around are at or near the salary cap?
Let us examine.
2010 has been no banner year when it comes to free agents. I would not be the first writer to say the class of 2010 is a weak one.
This being sead it is now July 30th and to see some of the players that are still available is simply mind boggling.
Some notable forwards are - Lee Stempniak, Paul Kariya, Teemu Selanne, Maxim Afinogenov, Bill Guerin, Brendan Morrison, Raffi Torres, John Madden, Mike Modano and Glen Metropolit.
Granted this is 2010 and not 2000 so Selanne, Kariya and Modano do not have nearly as much clout as they used to but any one of them could help a team.
Stempniak and Torres are still very young and personally I would love to see the Islanders sign one or both of them.
Morrison has had injuries derail his career at times but is a gifted playmaker.
On goaltenders and defense we have Kim Johnsson, Mike Mottau, Andy Sutton, Marc-Andre Bergeron, Marty Turco, Jose Theodore, Ray Emery and Aaron Ward.
Any one of these players can help a team considerably including former MVP of the league Theodore who had an amazing 30-7-7 record last year with the Capitals.
Turco may be past his prime but he is still a very solid netminder.
Looking at some of the names up there makes me wonder why after over 4 weeks of free agency they still remain unsigned.
Let us examine.
1 - The Salary Cap puts the usual big spenders on the sidelines. This is not a rumoror or a speculation it is a fact.
The Rangers, Toronto, Montreal, Chicago, Boston, Detroit, Philadelphia are the usual big spenders coem free agent time.
They are all for the most part dormant in July and it is because they simply cannot spend any more money due to the cap.
Maybe if the Maple Leafs weren't throwing around 16 million dollars to Jeff FInger they could have made a run at Kovalchuk and bring a face to their franchise.
With the big money teams out of the picture it lets the middle level teams have real shots at signing the big names. Would the New Jersey Devils despite their sparking new arena have a ghost of a chance of landing a guy like Kovalchuk if he could run to the millions of one of the big boys?
Its like taking the Yankees and Red Sox out of the picture in baseball.
2 - This years free agent class is sub par. There are lot of people who would disagree with this. Most of the top defenseman have been snapped up already some going for what some would say Jeff Finger money.
The forwards and goaltenders seem to be the ones lingering here. There are 3 bona fide number one goaltenders out there. One of them is a former MVP and the other has won The Stanley Cup.
There is talent there so I do not believe that talent is the main issue.
3 - Free Agency is not the way to build a franchise. If the leagues current top teams have taught us anything its that signing that flashy 40 goal scorer should be the final piece to the puzzle of building your team and not the starting point.
In the past big market teams have thrown obscene amounts of money at what is perceived to be the "top free agents" of any given year and it took hours, not weeks to complete multi year, multi million dollar mega deals.
Now it takes a proven, young 40 goal scorer 3 weeks to sign a contract after July 1?
That is something that was unheard of as recent at 2 years ago.
Needless to say the landscape has drastically changed.
The top dogs will always get their money. That free agent who is perceived to be the top guy, the corner-stone type player.
Gone are the days of multi year mega contracts to second and third tier players like Scott Gomez, Jason Blake and Chris Drury just to name a few.
In are the days of one year deals to players who would normally be getting this type deal.
Where else would a guy lead his team in goaldsand get only a one year deal? (Matt Moulson)
How about a guy who gets 58 points and 20 goals and only gets a one year deal (Vinny Prospal)?
The landscape has changed people. So many teams have abandoned the free agent fix and now favor building through youth. Especially now that 18 year olds making an impact for $375,000 per season over paying a free agent millions more for the same output.
Free agency will always be prevalant but it seems in order to cash in big time you have to actually BE big time.
It has turned into a way to tweak your team and teams have finally figured out it has never been a successul tool in the NHL to build a winning franchise.
Please post your thoughts below.
Monday, July 12, 2010
NY Islanders: Murray Drops Bomb on Lighthouse
This may be the death knell of the Lighthouse project as envisioned by Charles Wang and Scott Rechler.
Charles Wang, owner of the New York Islanders and real estate magnate has yet to respond to the latest attack on his project.
Kate Murray, Town of Hempstead Supervisor and top opponent to the project has unveiled her new zoning of the 77 acre site that will result in The Lighthouse project either being scaled back to something not even resembling the plans we have seen.
The square footage of buildings being built would be severely cut down.
The building heights would be limited to 9 stories, down from Wang's proposed 35 stories.
The amount of housing units that can be built from over 2,300 proposed by Wang to just over 500.
This is what took Kate Murray and her Town cronies 5 years to come up with.
Charles Wang and Scott Rechler have spent more time and money on this project and sat around waiting for one bureaucrat and her silly Town Board to tell them yes or no.
Nassau County approved the plan. New York State is behind the plan. Long Islanders by a wide margin are behind the plan.
The Town of Hempstead? They know better than all of us.
What they did is next to criminal. They said maybe. They said everything to keep Mr. Wang and his 3 billion dollars from walking away from the table.
So where does this leave the project?
In its current form and location it is dead and buried.
So what is next for the project? What is next for the New York Islanders franchise?
That is any ones guess but I can take a stab at it.
Charles Wang will not bow to the wishes of the Town of Hempstead. He did not make himself a billionaire by mistake and will not just lay down and take whatever the Town gives him.
There are other options. The best and most attractive one right now would be to get behind Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano's plan to bring in the Shinnecock Nation to build a mixed use project that could resemble most of Wang's current plan with one notable addition, a casino.
The Shinnecock Nation have land out east on Long Island that they can offer in trade for the rights to build on the 77 acres around Nassau Coliseum.
All Charles Wang would have to do is get in bed with them and Mangano add a casino to his plans and he would be back in business.
Why would this make a difference when it comes to the Town of Hempstead?
Because with the Shinnecock Nation Mangano, New York State, Charles Wang all would NOT need Town of Hempstead approval to build whatever they want on the site.
The key is the Shinnecock Nation. Being a recognized American Indian tribe if they were granted the land to build on by New York State they would be outside the Town of Hempstead's jurisdiction.
Presto. The Lighthouse project is back albeit altered to include a Casino and lets not forget a nice brand new renovated home for the New York Islanders.
One thing people around Long Island are in agreement of is that Long Island needs a reason for people to stay here.
For some reason the Town of Hempstead and Charles Wang have not met in the middle. Wang presented his project and said this is it. Kate Murray has presented her zoning plan and said this is it.
Something has to give in this long strange saga of The Lighthouse project.
What do you think is next? Leave your comments below.
Charles Wang, owner of the New York Islanders and real estate magnate has yet to respond to the latest attack on his project.
Kate Murray, Town of Hempstead Supervisor and top opponent to the project has unveiled her new zoning of the 77 acre site that will result in The Lighthouse project either being scaled back to something not even resembling the plans we have seen.
The square footage of buildings being built would be severely cut down.
The building heights would be limited to 9 stories, down from Wang's proposed 35 stories.
The amount of housing units that can be built from over 2,300 proposed by Wang to just over 500.
This is what took Kate Murray and her Town cronies 5 years to come up with.
Charles Wang and Scott Rechler have spent more time and money on this project and sat around waiting for one bureaucrat and her silly Town Board to tell them yes or no.
Nassau County approved the plan. New York State is behind the plan. Long Islanders by a wide margin are behind the plan.
The Town of Hempstead? They know better than all of us.
What they did is next to criminal. They said maybe. They said everything to keep Mr. Wang and his 3 billion dollars from walking away from the table.
So where does this leave the project?
In its current form and location it is dead and buried.
So what is next for the project? What is next for the New York Islanders franchise?
That is any ones guess but I can take a stab at it.
Charles Wang will not bow to the wishes of the Town of Hempstead. He did not make himself a billionaire by mistake and will not just lay down and take whatever the Town gives him.
There are other options. The best and most attractive one right now would be to get behind Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano's plan to bring in the Shinnecock Nation to build a mixed use project that could resemble most of Wang's current plan with one notable addition, a casino.
The Shinnecock Nation have land out east on Long Island that they can offer in trade for the rights to build on the 77 acres around Nassau Coliseum.
All Charles Wang would have to do is get in bed with them and Mangano add a casino to his plans and he would be back in business.
Why would this make a difference when it comes to the Town of Hempstead?
Because with the Shinnecock Nation Mangano, New York State, Charles Wang all would NOT need Town of Hempstead approval to build whatever they want on the site.
The key is the Shinnecock Nation. Being a recognized American Indian tribe if they were granted the land to build on by New York State they would be outside the Town of Hempstead's jurisdiction.
Presto. The Lighthouse project is back albeit altered to include a Casino and lets not forget a nice brand new renovated home for the New York Islanders.
One thing people around Long Island are in agreement of is that Long Island needs a reason for people to stay here.
For some reason the Town of Hempstead and Charles Wang have not met in the middle. Wang presented his project and said this is it. Kate Murray has presented her zoning plan and said this is it.
Something has to give in this long strange saga of The Lighthouse project.
What do you think is next? Leave your comments below.
Friday, July 2, 2010
NHL Free Agency Begins: Defenseman are a Premium
The NHL free agency period has begun and defensemen are getting scooped up on day one and being paid handsomely.
One of the biggest winners so far is Paul Martin formerly of the New Jersey Devils scoring a 5 year 25 million dollar contract from the Penguins. The Devils quickly turned around and replaced Martin with Anton Volchenkov by coughing up $25.5 million over 6 years and 4 years and 13.5 million for Henrik Tallinder.
Sergei Gonchar did not let the door hit him on his way out of Pittsburgh by taking a 3 year 16.5 million dollar deal from Ottawa.
Toni Lydman managed to get someone to give him 3 years and 9 million continuing the free agent parade out of Buffalo that has been going on since Briere and Drury left.
In a bit of a head scratcher Pittsburgh also picked up former Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Zbynek Michalek and gave him $20 million over 5 years. Michalek is not going to wow you with his skills but he can eat minutes and dependable NHL defenseman are at a premium.
Also in the head scratcher category, Dan Hamhuis scored a $27 million dollar 6 year contract from Vancouver. $4.5 million per year for this guy? Really?
Other defenseman who are off the market are Derek Morris (4 years, 11 million) resigning with Phoenix, Sean O'Donnel (1 year, 1 million) with Philadelphia and Kurtis Foster (2 years, 3.6 million) with Tampa Bay.
While I am surprised the Devils did not push harder for the young, talented Paul Martin to resign it is obvious that defensemen scored some long, rich contracts on day 1.
Most of the more attractive free agent forwards are still out there including Mr. Kovalchuk who is sure to net well over 100 million dollars and the only question is - Who is going to give it to him?
On the Islanders front Martin Biron making the odd move of signing with the Rangers to back up Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist is going to play 70 games and unless the Rangers are going to reduce his work load Biron is going to spend a lot of the next two years on the bench.
I just figured that Marty after the frustrating season on the Island would want to play more games than he did a year ago and unless Lundqvist gets injured that is simply not going to happen.
Jeff Tambellini took a 1 year $500K deal from the Canucks so the bane of Ted Nolan is gone and if you ask me good riddance. It was way past the time for Jeff to produce on the Island and his spot can be taken by one of the Islanders prospects on the rise. I wish him well.
Jeremy Reich left the Island and signed with the Bruins. Yawn.
If I may be so bold to offer Garth Snow some advice, go sign Lee Stempniak.
Who do you think will land Kovalchuk? Who should the Islanders pursue if anyone? Who overpaid their free agent defensemen?
Leave your comments below.
One of the biggest winners so far is Paul Martin formerly of the New Jersey Devils scoring a 5 year 25 million dollar contract from the Penguins. The Devils quickly turned around and replaced Martin with Anton Volchenkov by coughing up $25.5 million over 6 years and 4 years and 13.5 million for Henrik Tallinder.
Sergei Gonchar did not let the door hit him on his way out of Pittsburgh by taking a 3 year 16.5 million dollar deal from Ottawa.
Toni Lydman managed to get someone to give him 3 years and 9 million continuing the free agent parade out of Buffalo that has been going on since Briere and Drury left.
In a bit of a head scratcher Pittsburgh also picked up former Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Zbynek Michalek and gave him $20 million over 5 years. Michalek is not going to wow you with his skills but he can eat minutes and dependable NHL defenseman are at a premium.
Also in the head scratcher category, Dan Hamhuis scored a $27 million dollar 6 year contract from Vancouver. $4.5 million per year for this guy? Really?
Other defenseman who are off the market are Derek Morris (4 years, 11 million) resigning with Phoenix, Sean O'Donnel (1 year, 1 million) with Philadelphia and Kurtis Foster (2 years, 3.6 million) with Tampa Bay.
While I am surprised the Devils did not push harder for the young, talented Paul Martin to resign it is obvious that defensemen scored some long, rich contracts on day 1.
Most of the more attractive free agent forwards are still out there including Mr. Kovalchuk who is sure to net well over 100 million dollars and the only question is - Who is going to give it to him?
On the Islanders front Martin Biron making the odd move of signing with the Rangers to back up Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist is going to play 70 games and unless the Rangers are going to reduce his work load Biron is going to spend a lot of the next two years on the bench.
I just figured that Marty after the frustrating season on the Island would want to play more games than he did a year ago and unless Lundqvist gets injured that is simply not going to happen.
Jeff Tambellini took a 1 year $500K deal from the Canucks so the bane of Ted Nolan is gone and if you ask me good riddance. It was way past the time for Jeff to produce on the Island and his spot can be taken by one of the Islanders prospects on the rise. I wish him well.
Jeremy Reich left the Island and signed with the Bruins. Yawn.
If I may be so bold to offer Garth Snow some advice, go sign Lee Stempniak.
Who do you think will land Kovalchuk? Who should the Islanders pursue if anyone? Who overpaid their free agent defensemen?
Leave your comments below.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
The Good and the Bad: The NY Islanders Draft
The 2010 draft has ended and the Islanders had another top 5 pick in the draft. Did they come away with another blue chip prospect or did they blow it not selecting the best player at their position in the draft?
I present 3 points for and 3 points against what the Islanders did this draft. Which side is correct?
Tou be the judge.
First we will get The Bad out of the way.
THE BAD
1 - Nino Who? No Cam Fowler? No Brandon Gormley? No Brett Connolly? They were all rated higher than Niederreiter and that means that Snow saw something different than the rest of the league. The rule is you take the best player at your position in the draft and The Islanders simply didn't do that.
Snow loves trading down so much, why didn't he try and trade down and get something for drafting this kid instead of someone rated higher?
2 - Trade two get one? Trading 2 second rounders to move up 5 spots? This Brock Nelson kid must be pretty good to give up the chance at 2 prospects down to get one. Snow and his staff usually add picks not give up picks and to move up only 5 spots and give up a second round pick? He had better be worth that.
3 - Win When? This Islanders team needs to start showing some results now. Tavares is in his second year and the team needs to show him and the rest of the team they are serious about winning and doing so now so as to not risk demoralizing the young players.
Lets switch it up now and present:
THE GOOD
1 - El Nino is the Man. Anyone who knows this kid knows the Islanders got a gem. If he makes the Islanders this season and that may be a long shot but if he does fans will love his style of play.
He is tough and has a big game mentality and is very comfortable in traffic. When he does make the Islanders there will be a sign in Nassau Coliseum (or wherever the Islanders are) that reads "EL NINO" Bank on it.
Consider this also - Gormley and Fowler went 12 and 13 so the Islanders were not alone in passing them up.
A poll on NHL.com shows that the fans think Niederreiter has the biggest up-side than any of the other forwards chosen in the first round.
2 - Win Soon, Very soon. - The Islanders need to stick to their plan. Draft smart and build within. The Islanders improved so much last season and the young core is only got better as the year wore on.
This season could be the breakout year for the young Islanders. Tavares Will know exactly what to expect from the NHL, Josh Bailey will be another year wiser and Kyle Okposo is due for the breakout season we all know he is capable of.
Stick to the plan. Build not just a winner, but a long time winner.
3 - You See Something You Like, You Take It - No one knows how good Brock Nelson is going to be. Snow and his team of scouts saw something they liked in Nelson and paid a steep price to get him.
This isn't a bad thing, its a good thing. Why? Because it shows Snow and Co. are willing to take a bit of a risk here and there to make the Islanders a winner.
A Lot of people passed on Kirill Kabanov because of off ice issues and concerns about his character.
I love this pick because the kid wants to prove the other 29 franchises wrong and the Islanders will be his means to do so. He said all the right things and he is still only 17. There is a lot of time for him to right himself and if he does? Look out. He has the talent to become a top six player.
There we have it. 3 points for and 3 points against what the Islanders have done in the 2010 NHL draft.
Where do you stand? Leave any comments you may have below.
I present 3 points for and 3 points against what the Islanders did this draft. Which side is correct?
Tou be the judge.
First we will get The Bad out of the way.
THE BAD
1 - Nino Who? No Cam Fowler? No Brandon Gormley? No Brett Connolly? They were all rated higher than Niederreiter and that means that Snow saw something different than the rest of the league. The rule is you take the best player at your position in the draft and The Islanders simply didn't do that.
Snow loves trading down so much, why didn't he try and trade down and get something for drafting this kid instead of someone rated higher?
2 - Trade two get one? Trading 2 second rounders to move up 5 spots? This Brock Nelson kid must be pretty good to give up the chance at 2 prospects down to get one. Snow and his staff usually add picks not give up picks and to move up only 5 spots and give up a second round pick? He had better be worth that.
3 - Win When? This Islanders team needs to start showing some results now. Tavares is in his second year and the team needs to show him and the rest of the team they are serious about winning and doing so now so as to not risk demoralizing the young players.
Lets switch it up now and present:
THE GOOD
1 - El Nino is the Man. Anyone who knows this kid knows the Islanders got a gem. If he makes the Islanders this season and that may be a long shot but if he does fans will love his style of play.
He is tough and has a big game mentality and is very comfortable in traffic. When he does make the Islanders there will be a sign in Nassau Coliseum (or wherever the Islanders are) that reads "EL NINO" Bank on it.
Consider this also - Gormley and Fowler went 12 and 13 so the Islanders were not alone in passing them up.
A poll on NHL.com shows that the fans think Niederreiter has the biggest up-side than any of the other forwards chosen in the first round.
2 - Win Soon, Very soon. - The Islanders need to stick to their plan. Draft smart and build within. The Islanders improved so much last season and the young core is only got better as the year wore on.
This season could be the breakout year for the young Islanders. Tavares Will know exactly what to expect from the NHL, Josh Bailey will be another year wiser and Kyle Okposo is due for the breakout season we all know he is capable of.
Stick to the plan. Build not just a winner, but a long time winner.
3 - You See Something You Like, You Take It - No one knows how good Brock Nelson is going to be. Snow and his team of scouts saw something they liked in Nelson and paid a steep price to get him.
This isn't a bad thing, its a good thing. Why? Because it shows Snow and Co. are willing to take a bit of a risk here and there to make the Islanders a winner.
A Lot of people passed on Kirill Kabanov because of off ice issues and concerns about his character.
I love this pick because the kid wants to prove the other 29 franchises wrong and the Islanders will be his means to do so. He said all the right things and he is still only 17. There is a lot of time for him to right himself and if he does? Look out. He has the talent to become a top six player.
There we have it. 3 points for and 3 points against what the Islanders have done in the 2010 NHL draft.
Where do you stand? Leave any comments you may have below.
Friday, June 25, 2010
The 2010 NHL Draft: NY Islanders Edition
It seems like yesterday we were all sitting around waiting and wondering whether The Islanders and their brain trust would do what we all wanted and expected them to do and that is draft John Tavares.
Now that JT has his first Islanders season and his first 24 goals under his belt the focus can be shifted to the very important question of "Whats Next?"
The Islanders hold the number 5 overall pick this season and should be able to net themselves another blue chip prospect. Who that will wind up being is any ones guess.
After top prospects Tyler Seguin and Taylor Hall the door is wide open to who will go third, fourth and fifth.
With all of the analyzing going on over trying to figure out who the Islanders will draft and all of the dealing the Islanders have done in past drafts that task is next to impossible to determine but that does not mean we cannot discuss it.
I would love to see the Islanders stick to their guns and draft 5th if they cannot move up into the top 2 which is a pipe dream. The Oilers and Bruins will draft 1 and 2 unless they switch positions which has been rumored.
Taylor Hall will likely go number one to the Oilers and Tyler Seguin will likely be drafted by the Bruins. The bottom line is this you take the best player available at your position in the draft and these two kids are the class of this years draft.
Toronto Maple Leaf nation is probably kicking itself in the rear again after its failed attempt to get John Tavares and now trading for Phil Kessel will cost them dearly again if Seguin turns into the player he is projected to.
After the big two, we could see a run of defenseman being drafted with top prospects Brandon Gormley, Erik Gundbranson and Cam Fowler project to go in the top 6 or 7.
The Big question will be which one of them will be left for the Islanders to take? Most mock drafts have Gormley and Fowler going 3 and 4. If that is the case I would love the Islander to select RW Brett Connoly. He always seems to be around the net and is not afraid to get in the thick of things and pick up the so called "ugly" goal.
He is not going to blow past defenders and roof the puck and be on TSNs highlight reel but he can score and that is what the Islanders need.
If Fowler falls to 5th then he should be the selection. although his stock has fallen a bit as he was originally projected to be in the top 3 with Hall and Seguin maybe that can be to the Islanders benefit.
The wild card in my eyes is Vladmir Taresenko who has a KHL contract that may scare away many GMs. The Islanders still have the rights to Kirill Petrov of the KHL and he is also under contract to the Russian league so it is doubtful Snow would want to repeat that situation at least this high in the draft.
If Teresenko was a sure bet to be in the NHL next year his talent alone would put him easily in the top 3 of the draft.
Is he worth a shot? Only Garth Snow and his staff knows for sure.
The only sure thing at this time is the Islanders stand to get themselves yet another blue chip prospect for their ongoing rebuilding process.
The process is working as evidenced by the teams improvements last season and if things break right the team should contend for a playoff spot this season.
That is a discussion for another day as the focus is on the NHL draft and the Islander adding to their fully stocked cupboard of prospects.
Once the draft is out of the way we can discuss free agency and more which the Islander will have to be more active in filling roles unless they intend to promote from within to fill the holes in the team.
Who from the Islander system is ready to make the jump to the NHL?
On the forward line I would love to see Jesse Joensuu get more than the cup of coffee he has received. Robin Figrin may be ready for a long time look as well as Matt Martin. Trevor Smith should be able to stick with the team also if they do not pursue free agent help he is a capable 4th line center.
Anyone want to see what David Toews is capable of? I sure do.
On defense, Calvin de Haan had some injury trouble last season which will probably derail his shot at the big club at least for the beginning of the season.
Dylan Reese played very well in his stint at the end of last season, Mark Flood did not embarrass himself and could prospect Aaron Ness be ready for a shot? Training camp should be very interesting to say the least.
If the Islanders stay true to the rebuild free agency will not be an issue. They will promote from within and sign one or two hole filling free agents.
At this point bringing in big free agents is a mistake and Snow and Company should stick to the plan and build from within. The fans of the team have seen what building a team the right way can do i.e. Chicago and Pittsburgh.
After the draft tonight I will post a "Good and the Bad" of the Islanders draft so stay tuned to what should be a very interesting draft and another chapter in the building of the NY Islanders.
Now that JT has his first Islanders season and his first 24 goals under his belt the focus can be shifted to the very important question of "Whats Next?"
The Islanders hold the number 5 overall pick this season and should be able to net themselves another blue chip prospect. Who that will wind up being is any ones guess.
After top prospects Tyler Seguin and Taylor Hall the door is wide open to who will go third, fourth and fifth.
With all of the analyzing going on over trying to figure out who the Islanders will draft and all of the dealing the Islanders have done in past drafts that task is next to impossible to determine but that does not mean we cannot discuss it.
I would love to see the Islanders stick to their guns and draft 5th if they cannot move up into the top 2 which is a pipe dream. The Oilers and Bruins will draft 1 and 2 unless they switch positions which has been rumored.
Taylor Hall will likely go number one to the Oilers and Tyler Seguin will likely be drafted by the Bruins. The bottom line is this you take the best player available at your position in the draft and these two kids are the class of this years draft.
Toronto Maple Leaf nation is probably kicking itself in the rear again after its failed attempt to get John Tavares and now trading for Phil Kessel will cost them dearly again if Seguin turns into the player he is projected to.
After the big two, we could see a run of defenseman being drafted with top prospects Brandon Gormley, Erik Gundbranson and Cam Fowler project to go in the top 6 or 7.
The Big question will be which one of them will be left for the Islanders to take? Most mock drafts have Gormley and Fowler going 3 and 4. If that is the case I would love the Islander to select RW Brett Connoly. He always seems to be around the net and is not afraid to get in the thick of things and pick up the so called "ugly" goal.
He is not going to blow past defenders and roof the puck and be on TSNs highlight reel but he can score and that is what the Islanders need.
If Fowler falls to 5th then he should be the selection. although his stock has fallen a bit as he was originally projected to be in the top 3 with Hall and Seguin maybe that can be to the Islanders benefit.
The wild card in my eyes is Vladmir Taresenko who has a KHL contract that may scare away many GMs. The Islanders still have the rights to Kirill Petrov of the KHL and he is also under contract to the Russian league so it is doubtful Snow would want to repeat that situation at least this high in the draft.
If Teresenko was a sure bet to be in the NHL next year his talent alone would put him easily in the top 3 of the draft.
Is he worth a shot? Only Garth Snow and his staff knows for sure.
The only sure thing at this time is the Islanders stand to get themselves yet another blue chip prospect for their ongoing rebuilding process.
The process is working as evidenced by the teams improvements last season and if things break right the team should contend for a playoff spot this season.
That is a discussion for another day as the focus is on the NHL draft and the Islander adding to their fully stocked cupboard of prospects.
Once the draft is out of the way we can discuss free agency and more which the Islander will have to be more active in filling roles unless they intend to promote from within to fill the holes in the team.
Who from the Islander system is ready to make the jump to the NHL?
On the forward line I would love to see Jesse Joensuu get more than the cup of coffee he has received. Robin Figrin may be ready for a long time look as well as Matt Martin. Trevor Smith should be able to stick with the team also if they do not pursue free agent help he is a capable 4th line center.
Anyone want to see what David Toews is capable of? I sure do.
On defense, Calvin de Haan had some injury trouble last season which will probably derail his shot at the big club at least for the beginning of the season.
Dylan Reese played very well in his stint at the end of last season, Mark Flood did not embarrass himself and could prospect Aaron Ness be ready for a shot? Training camp should be very interesting to say the least.
If the Islanders stay true to the rebuild free agency will not be an issue. They will promote from within and sign one or two hole filling free agents.
At this point bringing in big free agents is a mistake and Snow and Company should stick to the plan and build from within. The fans of the team have seen what building a team the right way can do i.e. Chicago and Pittsburgh.
After the draft tonight I will post a "Good and the Bad" of the Islanders draft so stay tuned to what should be a very interesting draft and another chapter in the building of the NY Islanders.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)