Details of the Islanders’ first complete training camp in Nassau County in a long time are starting to surface, and the news is good for the die-hards. The Islanders have turned the fiasco of their cancelled trip to China into a public relations positive.
The majority of 2010 training camp will be held at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. There are plans to have at least one weekend session per week opened to the public.
With “Sesame Street Live” booked at the Coliseum from Sept. 16-19, Scott Gordon’s team will work out at Islanders Iceworks in Syosset. Since no other major events are scheduled for the arena until Oct. 8 (Slayer and Megadeth with Anthrax!), the Islanders will be able to practice where they play their games. With the road trip shortened from China to Uniondale, media coverage will be a lot stronger. The fans will get the occasional peek, too.
Stay tuned to the official team site for final details and a schedule. Although most of the roster is already decided by guaranteed contracts, the Islanders’ prospect base has deepened considerably over the last three drafts. This figures to be the most intriguing training camp since the Islanders’ veteran-based mini-revival a decade ago.
Okay, back to hiatus.
5:00 pm: Point Blank has learned that Butch Goring has been hired by MSG Network and approved by the Islanders as the new color commentator on the team’s television broadcasts. Goring suceeds Billy Jaffe, whose four-year run in the job ended when the Islanders would not grant their approval to a contract negotiated between Jaffe’s agent and MSG Network, the employer.
Since joining the network in 2007, Goring has received increased responsibilities in the MSG studio and as a sideline analyst during select Islanders games. No word yet whom MSG Network will hire to take the four-time Stanley Cup winner’s place in the Islanders’ chair on “Hockey Night Live” and on game broadcasts. It does not appear that Denis Potvin, the Islanders’ dynasty captain who is now based out of Ottawa, is in the mix for a regular role.
Two weeks prior to the opening of training camp, the Islanders have yet to announce their plans for radio broadcasts. Last season, the team made a financial-based move to simulcasts. After criticism in the media and from their fan base, there has been some discussion about returning to a traditional radio broadcast. If they do, hopefully invaluable Islanders broadcast mainstay Chris King will have a central role.
Back to hiatus. Enjoy the rest of your summer.
Click here to follow vacationing/on-assignment Chris Botta for the next four weeks on Twitter
Kirill Petrov loved his visit to Long Island and his stay at Islanders prospect camp last month. He has a deep appreciation for Josh Bailey welcoming him into his Nassau home for a few days to show him around the community when camp was over. Petrov’s agent, Sasha Tynjynch, hopes his 20-year-old client will be part of the Islanders organization in 2010-11.
Over the next few weeks, we’re going to find out for sure.
The skilled and powerful Petrov remains under contract to the Kazan Ak Bars of the KHL for the next two seasons. Currently, Petrov is with Ak Bars’ top team in their training camp; he played primarily at the “B” level the last two seasons. His shoulder, which was surgically repaired two years ago and kept him out of the NYI intrasquad prospect scrimmage last month (merely as a precaution) is said to be 100%. Petrov will get a good test when Kazan plays exhibition games on Aug. 19 and 21 and takes part in a tournament at the end of the month.
Soon after, we’ll know what Ak Bars has in mind for him.
“The plan has always been for Kirill to attend Islanders training camp in September,” Tynjynch told Point Blank in a phone conversation this afternoon. “That plan has not changed. I would like to see Kirill with the Islanders. I know Kirill would like to be in the NHL, too. What we don’t know right now is whether Ak Bars wants to keep him. One thing I have learned in this business of dealing with top Russian players, the KHL and the NHL - you have to be prepared for anything.”
In the worst-case scenario, Kazan insists on keeping Petrov since he is contractually their asset. This would not, however, be the worst thing for the young player. To play consistently on one of the top lines for a KHL powerhouse like Kazan could benefit his development.
Of course, in the best-case scenario, Kazan lets Petrov go and he battles for a top-nine forward spot with the Islanders. At prospect camp, coach Scott Gordon hinted that he would be a contender.
“Kirill has good feelings about the Islanders - how they have treated him since they drafted him and how they have worked with him,” said Tynjynch. “He is very determined to show the Islanders what he can do and make the NHL soon. Before the Islanders prospect camp, Kirill went to Ottawa to work with a power skating coach for a few weeks. He has put in all the hard work and feels like he is ready.”
It’s just a matter of negotiating an Entry Level contract, and Kazan Ak Bars letting him go. We’ll know in a few weeks.
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Town of Hempstead attorney Joseph Ra has given up his Islanders season tickets, according to a well-placed source. As some of you may recall, the genial Mr. Ra is one of Kate Murray’s right-hand people in the battle over the Lighthouse Project. Through it all, he has always been public with his deep devotion to the hockey team.
We traded a series of phone messages over the last week, as I attempted to learn Ra’s reasons for ending his run as an Islanders season subscriber. If we connect, I’ll let you know. (The Islanders, citing customer confidentiality, would not confirm). Ra giving up his Islanders seats may not equal the $100 million-plus transaction of Scott Rechler selling the Marriott back to Charles Wang, but when it comes to the Lighthouse - as the guy says in the movie - “It’s a sign”!
At least the Islanders will be playing somewhere in New York in 2015. This is what I have consistently been told by impeccable sources for two years, and I believe them.
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For the last month, I’ve heard nothing but positivity about the health of Rick DiPietro. This is wonderful news for the Islanders, their fans and a 29-year-old man with several years potentially ahead of him to do what he loves best. This is also in stark contrast to what I was hearing at this time last year, when the Islanders jumped through hoops to deny my August, 2009 report that DiPietro still had a long way to go to get 100% healthy and play a lot of NHL games. He played 13 over the last two seasons.
Nevertheless - and no one needs to tell Rick this - the only way he could begin to say his knee injury is behind him is after he plays 40 games in an NHL season pain-free. All the rest - the team updates, the manicured Twitter Q & A - is noise. Let’s hope for the best for the talented and dedicated DiPietro.
There are many reasons why the Islanders have not added another major league goaltender to the roster, but two essential ones. For starters, management has no interest in having an encore of the Roloson-Biron-DiPietro show from last season. If DiPietro misses game action, Nathan Lawson will back up Roloson and get the occasional start. Should Lawson ever go weeks without playing, he could be sent to Bridgeport for action and Mikko Koskinen could join the Islanders.
On top of this, there is simply no urgency to sign one of the NHL goaltenders still available. Should the Islanders be faced with having to add an experienced goalie in November or January or whenever, they should be able to locate a fine one inexpensively. If the Islanders add one in the next month or two without trading Roloson, it will tell you a lot about DiPietro’s latest prognosis (none of it good). From the good reports I’m hearing about DiPietro’s knee, I doubt they’ll add another goalie before camp opens.
By the way, it says a lot about the respect DiPietro has around the league that in every NHL locker room I reported from last season, opponents asked about him. To a man - some who know DiPietro, some who don’t - they expressed concern, along with respect for his skills and dedication. They all know it could happen to them.
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Could Fred Wilpon have come off less interested in the Islanders-to-Queens story when he was asked about it last week? There was one obvious PR clue: he couldn’t even bring himself to mention Charles Wang - a man of stature in business and sports in New York - by name. It’s up to “the owner” and what “he” wants to do. Said that a few times. Pretty dismissive. On the other hand, it’s Wilpon’s son, Jeff, who is more hands-on in any possible move of the Islanders to Queens.
I get these kinds of emails a lot, but this one from Dominick D. made me laugh out loud when it arrived on the Blackberry just as we were walking out of church on Sunday:
Chris: Need some more updates on the arena situation. Everything else (camps, jobs in the organization, retread signings) are not important. Want to know what the latest plans are for Wang and his group to stick it up the Town of Hempstead’s ___. Thank you.
Sorry, Dom. There won’t be any news here on that subject for a few weeks. Unlike other places, I don’t invent this stuff. You need people to talk. This site was ahead of everywhere else on Hempstead’s Lighthouse pushback by more than 48 hours. You could ask the Islanders or the Lighthouse group, but as you know, they’ve hardly said a word since opening night of last season.
On Wednesday, Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano is hosting an open forum at the Long Island Marriott seeking the public’s “input to help plan for future transportation options to serve the Hub.” This event has been scheduled for weeks and Mangano has been a friend to the Islanders lately. Yet the team so far has not utilized its own resources like its Twitter account and website to promote the event. The event is from 6-8:30 pm.
Wild to think that about ten months ago, the Long Island Press reported that the Lighthouse Project office had been shut down and several staffers re-assigned. The story was written by Michael Martino, who now heads the press office of…Ed Mangano.
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More than two weeks after the news broke about the Islanders’ blocking of MSG Network’s new contract for Islanders analyst Billy Jaffe - Cablevision-owned Newsday confirmed PB’s report that it was the team’s call - a replacement has not been named. Keep in mind that when MSG acknowledged the Jaffe sacking on July 23, the network said in a statement that it would “announce a new Islanders TV analyst in the near future.” I still don’t understand why the network didn’t have its (likely) popular choice as a successor to announce simultaneously and minimize, if not completely stifle any Jaffe backlash.
I hope the ground rules for the new hire are being presented by the Islanders during the interview process. Before accepting the job, it’s only fair that the new commentator understands what he can and cannot say and whom he can and cannot speak with.
If you think this is just conjecture and not fact, watch the broadcasts during the 2010-11 season. Perhaps, in a twist on the drinking game, we can donate money to a charity for every discouraging word on the Islanders’ broadcast.
Another insider’s theory: the Islanders are pushing for a short-term deal for a new analyst so he could keep the seat warm for someone else who could be available in a year or two. Either way, MSG Network - which will pay the Islanders more than $20 million this season - was not pleased that the Islanders eliminated the popular and league-wide-respected Jaffe after they executed a multi-year contract with him.
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In other news (cough), still no contract announcement for Doug Weight? The captain still not listed with the other 11 forwards on the Islanders’ website?
It has been two months since Doug texted Pierre Lebrun to confirm he had reached an agreement with the team to play for another season. Hmmm…The Islanders don’t want to make it too obvious that their bonus-filled contract for the captain will get them to the salary cap floor, do they?
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When you look at the long list of acquisitions during the NHL offseason, Garth Snow’s trade of a conditional third round pick for defenseman James Wisniewski stacks up - value for value, or really value for crapola - as easily one of the top ten moves in the league this summer. Maybe top five.
More good news on the blueline as Radek Martinek has been 100% since the beginning of the summer. The veteran defenseman has had bad luck with injuries the last few years, but when healthy is a very capable No. 4 defenseman who can log 22 minutes.
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Funny thing happened when I had a lengthy interview with Rick Dudley for a three-part series on his overhaul of the Atlanta Thrashers. Prior to the draft, few scouts had future Islanders right wing Nino Niederreiter in their top five. However, when I asked Dudley about his selection of Alex Burmistrov with the eighth overall pick, he was kind enough to volunteer the identities of the other young players his staff was looking at.
“Right after the top two of Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin, who we knew we couldn’t touch even with a trade up, we had three forwards in what we considered the next group: Burmistrov, and the two kids with Portland (WHL) - Ryan Johansen and Nino Niederreiter. We loved Niederreiter’s skill and battle level. There’s no question in my mind that the Islanders got a good one there.”
For many years to come, it should be fun to follow the flock of forwards chosen around the El Nino pick. While they may have different styles of play, all are players with offensive ability:
4. Ryan Johansen, Columbus
5. Nino Niederreiter, Islanders
6. Brett Connolly, Tampa Bay
7. Jeff Skinner, Carolina
8. Alex Burmistrov, Atlanta
9. Mikael Granlund, Minnesota
That’s what makes the draft so fun.
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Garth Snow continues to tell his inner circle that his attempts to land a top-six forward for the Islanders are far from over. As you know from following the daily transactions around the league, business is still being conducted. Gone are the days when hockey operations departments went quiet from late July through most of August.
For all the die-hards hitting the official team site, Twitter and Katie Strang’s blog every hour, my hope is the Islanders make an acquisition of impact. Snow is rightfully proud of his team’s 18-point improvement last season, but has to know those last ten points to be a legit contender in the Eastern battle for 6-7-8 are the hardest. If Snow can pry a scorer loose at a price similar to what he paid for The Wiz, it would greatly enhance the Islanders’ chances of returning to the Stanley Cup playoffs.
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Anyone remember this quote?
I tend to agree that most people on the outside didn’t have much belief in us. But the guys in the room and the people in our management group believed in this team. We knew if we played to our capabilities we’d have a really good shot at being where we are now, if not even a little bit better.
That was Garth Snow to Mike Brophy of Sportsnet, as the Islanders went on a roll and climbed to three games over NHL .500 in mid-January at 23-20-8. The Islanders proceeded to go 3-12-1 in their next 16 games, but that’s not the point. The quote is proof that Snow wasn’t strategizing to see his team end up with a top-5 draft pick. The quote is proof that the general manager had much higher expectations.
Whether you agree with Snow’s assessment of his roster or not, for 2010-11, the pressure will be on Scott Gordon to get this team into the playoffs.
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Point Blank has learned that the Islanders are looking to have one of their second-half games serve as a tribute to Michael Mulhall.
The 22-year-old Michael - an Islanders fan, hockey player and Camp Anchor counselor - was killed in a car accident last month on the Meadowbrook Parkway along with Jamie and Paige Malone. We wrote about Michael here. Very, very good on the Islanders. Stay tuned for details, and let’s work together to make sure the game is sold out.
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Just like this time last year - but for completely different reasons - Point Blank will mostly disappear for the next four weeks. I ventured to provide August Islanders player profiles like the one on Kyle Okposo on FanHouse and here, but it was not meant to be. That’s understandable (you can’t please all the bloggers), and fact is I could use the break. Instead, it’s time for some vacation, an oblication, to conduct some business and take up AOL FanHouse on their invitation to cover the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadow. As a longtime tennis player and follower, I’m really looking forward to that experience.
If the Islanders do something big, either I’ll pop on if near a computer or perhaps a guest writer will provide a recap and his or her insight. To talk about it with fellow fans, the few of you who haven’t already should sign up for Islandermania. Although it is no longer the official message board of the Islanders, I’m not aware of a better place for fans to congregate on the internet. I also hope that I have not failed in my mission to encourage all Islanders fans to read and comment daily at Lighthouse Hockey, Dominick’s invaluable blog about the team on SB Nation.
When Point Blank starts up again in earnest about a week before the opening of NHL training camps, I should have an additional sponsor. I’ll do my best to provide some different stories out of Islanders camp in New York. During the season, you may see some changes in how I approach the blog - hopefully, all for the better.
I’d like to thank my family, friends, colleagues, the AOL FanHouse staff and especially Point Blank readers for putting up with me during my true rookie year on a different side of the business. For those of you who may have understandably given up, maybe someday I’ll figure it out and win your respect back. Thanks also to the 90% of PB readers who religiously do not waste any of our time with rumors from blogs with uzz in the title.
While I’d like to go back and fix my mistakes, I wouldn’t change a thing about the opportunity I have been provided. The reason I have the opportunity is you, so thanks again from the bottom of my heart. Enjoy the rest of the summer and I’ll see you soon…CB
Comments relevant to this post are invited. Here are the Comment Guidelines. The forum will be shut down by Wednesday night. Thank you.
FanHouse: Modano deserves to go out on top, on his own terms
For information on this youth hockey outreach or to sign up for the next session that begins in October, email michelle.winter@newyorkislanders.com or call 516.501.6764
Looking for a way to get the children in your life into ice hockey, and do it in a fun, safe and cost-effective way? The Islanders Hockey Academy is a very innovative, family-friendly Islanders youth hockey initiative launched by the team 18 months ago. The next semester starts in October, so now would be the time to make arrangements for your child.
Here are the basics of the Islanders Hockey Academy, providing children ages 6-14 with their first exposure to the game of ice hockey.
Your child receives an estimated $750 worth of instruction and equipment and no out-of-pocket cost to you.
Your youth hockey player gets eight weekly, one-hour ice hockey sessions - up from six in the program’s first two years - focused on fundamentals. But of equal importance and even greater value, you receive a complete set of hockey equipment: Skates, helmet, jersey, socks, pants, stick, all pads (elbow, shin and shoulder). Having purchased before for my three sons, I would cautiously estimate the value of the equipment at $400. At some of the sessions in the past, an Islanders coach or player made a surprise visit.
For the first time, the Islanders are offering a Level 2 of the Academy. Players that have already participated can sign up for eight weekly one-hour hockey sessions.
This year’s program will take place at Iceworks in Syosset, Newbridge, the Rinx in Hauppauge and Port Washington with more locations to be confirmed over the next month.
You pay by selling discounted Islanders tickets.
In the Islanders’ version of Girl Scout Cookies, you are asked to sell 20 vouchers for Islanders tickets at $32.50 each. Considering each $32.50 voucher gets you the equivalent of one $50 ticket, that’s not just a reasonable commitment, that’s a great deal for the people buying from your personal version of Stub Hub. Applicable games are Monday-Thursday, including matinees, excluding games against the Rangers).
By introducing kids to the game and putting more fans in the seats - and perhaps winning new ones - the Islanders have devised a youth hockey outreach that is generous and smart. That’s good community relations and marketing. Everyone, especially the children, benefits.
If you are interested in signing up your childing for the next session in the spring, contact Islanders amateur hockey development manager Michelle Winter at the email address below. A percentage of the tickets sold goes to underwrite and expand the program and services for next season.
If you are new to the youth hockey game, as the parent of a player I can tell you I’m not aware of a better deal in New York than this.
For information on this youth hockey outreach or to sign up for the next session that begins in October, email michelle.winter@newyorkislanders.com or call 516.501.6764
CB at FanHouse: Rick Dudley on
Since word got out earlier last month that the contract for his services as a player development coach for the Islanders would not be renewed, Bryan Trottier disappeared for a while. He got away from the phone and spent the last few weeks visiting with his mom in Saskatchewan.
In typical Trottier fashion, he expressed only positive sentiments about the organization and optimism for many of the team’s prospects when contactd by PB, simply confirming that he currently did not have a role with the team. General manager Garth Snow told a newspaper the team was finding a new position for him. Trottier had nothing to report on that front, but asked for the opportunity to speak directly to Islanders fans. He spoke while I took notes.
“I’m very grateful that I had the chance to re-connect with the Islanders, Long Island and New York. I had the player development position for the last four years, but the re-connection to the franchise really began in 2001 when Charles (Wang) and I started dealing with each other one-on-one, going back to my number being retired. I consider Charles a friend. I’m pretty sure he knows I’ll be there for the Islanders if he needs anything, no matter what role I have with the team.
“I loved working with our young players. The best part was the personal time spent with them. I’d go to Denver and see Rhett Rakhshani for a few days. I’d spend a lot of time in Bridgeport. I’d go out West and watch Travis Hamonic play and spend some time speaking with him. I’d speak with the players’ coaches. I really have a soft spot for Casey Cizikas. He’s just a good person and we had a great time getting to know each other and working on his game. I’ll be rooting hard for him, like I will all the prospects. I guess I always had a strong connection with Blake Comeau because we’re both Saskatchewan boys. I like the way Blake plays the game.
“We have a good crew of prospects. If given the time to mature, they should do well and hopefully grow together as important parts of a winning team. I feel good about many of the players’ futures.
“If I’m going to work for a team, I want it to be on the hockey side. That’s where I feel I have everything to give. I’m proud of my record working with Washington’s young players when I was coach in Portland, and of my work in Colorado as an assistant helping develop their players. I’m very happy with how far many of our prospects with the Islanders have come.
“It’s not necessary for me to have any official kind of ambassador-type role with the Islanders. The bottom line is that I’m one of the biggest ambassadors for the New York Islanders you’ll ever find. I’ll do that for nothing for the rest of my life. My family’s home is in Pittsburgh, I was part of Cup teams with the Penguins, but even when they introduce me here they say, ‘Bryan Trottier of the New York Islanders.’
“I’m always going to be a New York Islander. I’m always going to be a supporter of Charles and the franchise. My relationship with the team and the fans there is second only to family. The opportunity to be part of it again these last four years was really special for me. All I have are positive feelings and a lot of appreciation for the people I had the opportunity to work with. Please thank the fans for me. I’m sure I’ll be seeing them at some point down the road.”
Comments on Bryan Trottier.
Not bad for depth, as they say.
More than a few readers got a chuckle (at the writer’s expense) when I gave my Islanders’ free agency forecast on June 29 the sub-head:
“Taking his time, Cool Hand Snow will get his men”
I ended my piece with…
The Islanders will get the men they need in this market. My only advice: while some of the perceived best available free agents are coming off the board on July 1 and 2, stay cool. The season does not start for another three months. Whether it’s free agency or salary cap-relief trades, Snow has plenty of avenues to explore.
On the second-to-last day in July, Snow found an ideal man for his beleaguered defense corps in James Wisniewski, the former Duck and Blackhawk who hits, blocks shots, can produce 30-40 points on offense and will play like he cares.
On the last year of his contract, Wisniewski - and this should not be viewed as an insult - clearly believes he is a better player than Chicago and Anaheim thought he was. This is a very good thing; Wisniewski may well be right, and he came to the right place. Just as the Islanders provided Mark Streit with a chance to showcase his talents, Wisniewski is going to get every opportunity to prove he’s a $4 million defenseman as he enters his prime.
Everybody wins. By having Wisniewski for this season (and maybe many more), Snow also buys time to evaluate his prospect defensemen and allow them to develop properly.
Will James Wisniewski be the next great thing in Islanders Country? Probably not. No matter the circumstances, good hockey people like Bob Murray do not get in the habit of giving away brilliant players for third round picks. Wisniewski was not only offered to the Islanders. The Ducks were clearly not alone in believing he was not worth $3.2 million-plus. But was he the perfect get for the Islanders in their current climate? You better believe it.
Bravo, Mr. Snow. Bravo.
The general manager has acquired his difference-making defenseman in Wisniewski, who upgrades the current blueline lineup from poor to average. The question now is, can Snow complete a similar deal for a forward who can make the Islanders a legitimate contender for one of the Eastern Conference’s eight playoff spots?
Time to review the forwards.
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As of August 2, with the signings of free agent Zenon Konopka and P. A. Parenteau, the Islanders appear to have the following eleven forwards set for the opening of the 2010-11 season:
1. John Tavares
2. Kyle Okposo
3. Matt Moulson
4. Josh Bailey
5. Frans Nielsen
6. Blake Comeau
7. Trent Hunter
8. Rob Schremp
9. Doug Weight
10. P. A. Parenteau
11. Zenon Konopka
Tavares, Okposo and Bailey are still on their Entry level contracts. Weight’s signing has yet to be finalized, but Snow is on record from late June saying the captain would be back. After agreeing to a one-year deal before an arbitration hearing, Moulson is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July 1. Parenteau and Konopka are on one-way contracts.
The Islanders have one heavyweight forward on a one-year, two-way contract for the upcoming season:
Trevor Gillies
Gillies should be with the big club for parts, if not the entirety, of the season. Snow is on record as saying he sees Gillies playing on the fourth line with Konopka.
The roster has a handful of prospects fighting for an NHL roster spot:
Matt Martin
Jesse Joensuu
David Ullstrom
With eleven players fairly locked in, it will be a battle for the youngsters. While Martin will play in the NHL at some point this season, whether he makes the team out of camp will be a stiff challenge he’ll have to prove he’s ready for.
Most intriguing of all, the Islanders have a trio of high-end talents who could make a push in training camp:
Kirill Petrov
Nino Niederreiter
Kirill Kabanov
At age 20, Petrov is the most ready. Scott Gordon’s glowing comments at prospect camp opened the door for Petrov starting the season with the Islanders (he needs to be signed to his ELC). If Niederreiter and Kabanov are not rushed into the NHL, they have to play junior hockey this season - Niederreiter in Portland (WHL) and Kabanov in Moncton (QMJHL). A return to junior is the smartest course of action for both, although you better believe the Islanders will give Niederreiter a long look. They put Josh Bailey directly into the NHL, and Niederreiter is a bigger boy.
The team also has some capable young forwards with varying roles who did not sparkle last year in Bridgeport, but should improve with more experience in the AHL and provide depth for the Islanders this season:
Justin DiBenedetto
Robin Figren
Tomas Marcinko
Rhett Rakhshani
Micheal Haley
Of course, we must give a category of his own to…
Jeremy Yablonski
Gone from the 26th-place Islanders of last season are Sean Bergenheim, Jeff Tambellini (signed with Vancouver), Richard Park and Jon Sim.
In that June 29 free agency preview on Point Blank, I wrote the following:
The Islanders’ shopping list is expected to include the following:
- One potential top-six forward
One reliable, experienced, rugged, penalty-killing, bottom-six foward
Not unexpectedly, the Islanders so far have only gone the “potential” route with that top-six forward. Pierre-Alexander Parenteau is 27 years old. In 29 career NHL games, he has three goals and six assists (3-5-8 in 22 games with the Rangers last season. He has hands, excels in the shootout and is a dynamo in the AHL. The Islanders hope he becomes their latest Moulson, not Tambellini. Parenteau got a one-year, one-way, $600,000 deal from Snow.
The bottom-six forward slot was filled by Konopka, who fights more often and slightly better than Nate Thompson, is better than him at faceoffs, is not as efficient a forechecker and scores about as often (they each had two goals in 70-plus games last season). Konopka comes from Tampa Bay, where Thompson was re-signed by Steve Yzerman.
It’s fun to note that the Islanders, who a year ago insisted they didn’t need players who primarily fought a lot, this summer signed Gillies, who averaged 3:24 of ice with the NYI last season, Jablonski, with one career NHL game at age 30, and Konopka, who averaged only eight minutes a game with the Lightning. All that said, there is no question Konopka will be a fan favorite this season.
From June 29:
Do not - repeat, do not - expect Garth Snow to have all of his shopping done by the Fourth of July. As he has wisely done in the past, Snow will wait as several good players slip through the cracks and begin to get nervous after the first ten days of July. For the kind of players Snow wants and needs out of this year’s crop, there is no rush.
Nothing has changed. While few quality scoring forwards remain in the free agent market, some will be available via trade. So far, Snow has passed on or missed out on deals for producers like Kris Versteeg, but there is still plenty of time to acquire his forward version of Wisniewski. The Islanders will be more than $15 million under the salary cap - and still have a little room to play with if they wish to stay close to the CBA-mandated salary cap floor.
Snow said his team’s failure to make the playoffs last season was a “disappointment” and his goal for 2010-11 was to qualify for the postseason. Even with the excellent addition of Wisniewski, the Islanders may still be asking Scott Gordon to be a Jack Adams finalist to get this lineup into the playoffs. The coach is capable, but why not give him a little more ammunition?
The Islanders need a top-six forward. The regular season is still two months away, and Snow continues to prove what he is capable of. The general manager shouldn’t stop now.
We’re inching towards our summer Point Blank hiatus, so let’s all finish strong.
8:30 pm: Garth Snow made a great trade Friday evening, acquiring James Wisniewski from the Anaheim Ducks for a conditional third round draft choice in 2011. Wisniewski, signed by Anaheim this afternoon to a one-year, $3.2 million contract, makes up for the loss of physicality in Andy Sutton and at a much younger age.
The 5-11, 200-pound defenseman is 26 and averaged more than 24 minutes of icetime with Anaheim last season. The Ducks have several young defenseman ready to make their club, while the Islanders had the need and the salary cap space. Wisniewski could become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.
Read the last two paragraphs from this post of a week ago. Tonight, the Islanders are a much better hockey team because of Snow’s acquisition of Wisniewski.
Your comments on the Wisniewski acquistion are welcomed.
Garth Snow said last season they would not put Brendan Witt on waivers to make him available at half-price to teams. But even at $1.5 million, based on the market this summer for depth players, it’s unlikely a team would have taken the veteran defenseman’s tab. He was placed today on unconditional waivers.
A buyout is probably in his future. The Islanders still carry seven defensemen on one-way contracts for the 2010-11 season. If they buy out this last season of his contract, the Islanders could add the cost as they reach the salary cap floor.
Best of luck to Brendan, as tough and as passionate a player as the franchise has seen in the Charles Wang era.
Comments only on Brendan Witt.
FanHouse: Kyle Okposo’s offseason training with Parise, Stafford and pals
While writing my offseason piece for FanHouse on Kyle Okposo, I held back a few of his quotes I knew would be of particular interest to Point Blank readers.
Is there added excitement for the upcoming decision because Garth Snow is giving you and the rest of the young core an opportunity to grow together?
That’s exactly what it is. I don’t know if you’ve talked to John (Tavares) recently, but I have to tell you - he sounds like a different person. I mean it all in a positive way. I’ve talked with him a lot since the end of the season. It’s only natural that he’s grown a lot over the last year, when you think about everything that he’s gone through. John is so excited about the season and sounds so confident, in a good way. He expects big things from himself, as I’m sure everyone else does. He’s a great player.
Then you think about Bails (Josh Bailey). Look at the strides he has made. Have you seen him lately? He’s bigger, stronger. That guy has worked his tail off to become better. He’s going to take another step this season. So you put together all these young players and see that almost everyone is returning next season and we have some great veterans leading us…yes, I’m very excited.
You’re entering the last year of your Entry Level contract. Any thoughts on working on a new deal before this one runs out?
There hasn’t been any discussion as far as I know, and that’s not where my focus is. I haven’t thought about it. My approach is to just play hockey and let’s see how everything plays out. I love Long Island, I love New York, I love being part of this team and the support we get from our fans. The Islanders know that. I don’t have any thoughts on playing anywhere else, so the rest should take care of itself.
As much as I know you like spending the offseason in Minnesota, do you know when you’ll head back to the Island to get ready for camp?
Yeah. I’ll be there at least a few weeks before camp opens. I want to start skating and working out with the guys. I’m sure a lot of players will be in early. There’s also always personal stuff you want to take care of and get out of the way so all you have to think about is hockey when camp opens. I want to get my own place. Now that it’s almost August, I can’t wait for the season to start.
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