ROSTER REVIEW – GOALTENDING
Danis, DiPietro, MacDonald
Let’s be real: as much as we await the arrival of Thomas Pock, wonder if Josh Bailey will go 9 and are intrigued by Scotty’s Beam-Speed, there really is only one major story of camp - whether Rick DiPietro will be ready for Opening Weekend, November or worse.
Not to blow to much smoke up the all-star, but any Islanders success this season hinges on it. If The Franchise isn’t back there, the Islanders are in big trouble - unless they have, pardon the pun, a backup plan.
Understand this about Joey MacDonald’s ascension to the job as Islanders backup goalie: he won the gig in July of 2007 when he was signed to a two-year contract with a one-way provision for 2008-09. If DiPietro makes a full recovery early in the season, still no reason to think MacDonald would start anymore than 15 games.
The Islanders have two goaltenders with one-way contracts. This means camp is not a competition, but simply a showcase for the backups to show what they can do. If DiPietro or MacDonald goes down with an injury, Yann Danis gets the call.
Here’s a look at the only three goaltenders likely to play for the Islanders this season, barring a major roster move. We know of one great goaltender on waivers (that happens, and this Roster Review thing gets outdated real quickly!). An NHL team goalie consultant provides a scouting report on each.
YANN DANIS
6-0, 185 pounds, 27 years old
Rating: 1.0
Contract: signed one-year, two-way deal on July 2, 2008
Consultant’s Take: “He won’t push MacDonald for the job yet, but he’s a good project and should be able to carry the load in Bridgeport…Getting out of the Montreal system may be good for him. He has plenty of talent and should be motivated knowing he has a chance to get to the NHL.”
Point Blank: Danis will primarily be under the tutelage of Mike Dunham in Bridgeport. This is a big opportunity for him.
RICK DiPIETRO
6-1, 210 pounds, 27 years old
Rating: 4.5
Coaching Change Effect: A major TBD. A former goalie-turned-NHL head coach directing the team’s most important player? Should be a fun watch.
Contract: third year of a 15-year contract signed in 2006
2008-09 salary: $4.5 million, now and forever
Consultant’s Take: “Skill-wise, a top-5 NHL goalie, but you can’t put him there yet in terms of accomplishments. He’s knocking on the door of the top-10 and he’s never had the greatest defense in front of him. If his hip and knee injuries are behind him, this could be the year he cracks the top 10 and stays there for a long time…Plays the puck better than anyone in the league…I don’t know what his shootout record is, but on breakaways in-game he’s as good as anyone…His only weakness is he could be better seeing the puck through traffic. He’s gotten better at it and his defense needs to help him out there.”
Point Blank: The years of being regarded as the cocky kid are behind him, although unsourced reports of DiPietro’s influence on management decisions – the latest being the sacking of Ted Nolan – are absurd. Besides his health, the thing to monitor with Rick during this season is his attitude should the Islanders struggle early on in this first season committed to a youth movement. DiPietro’s desire to win is immense and he cannot let his frustration level rise if the Islanders sink. He may be the most respected leader on the team, especially with the kids Campoli’s age and younger. With that comes monumental responsibility during a rebuilding period.
JOEY MacDONALD
6-0, 195 pounds, 28 years old
Rating: 1.5
CCE: Plus. Couldn’t hurt!
Contract: second year of 2-year deal signed in July, 2007
2008-09 salary: $500,000
Consultant’s Take: “He’s a competitor with skill who’s been good the last few years in the American League and hasn’t shown much yet at the NHL level…His best years were with Grand Rapids his first few seasons of pro, but last year with Bridgeport he was just average…This is where Sudsie (Islanders goalie coach Sudarshan Maharaj) comes in. He’s a great coach and MacDonald has ability, so I guess we’ll see.”
Point Blank: The NHL’s history is filled with goaltenders who get a chance later in their careers and take off. The consultant is right: Maharaj is a heckuva goalie coach, and this is going to be a major project for him. The big story will be not just how MacDonald plays, but how much he plays.
Have any thoughts on the Islanders’ perilous goaltending situation? Comments, please.
11 Responses to “ROSTER REVIEW – GOALTENDING
Danis, DiPietro, MacDonald”
Please Wait
This is a rebuilding year for the Islanders. We have to find out who can play in this league. I’m hoping DP will be ready sooner rather than later, but now would be a good time to see if MacDonald can handle a small work load to start the season. If he can’t then we move on.
Any chance that the Islanders look at picking up Nikolai Khabibulin off of waivers?
why get a solid goaltender with a cup ring on his finger and years of contending experiance when you have… rick dipietro?…-sigh-
we’re doomed.
According to the new CBA, it would be dumb for us to get him. Many think it would have been wise to pick him up now, use him for some games, and then come deadline trade him for a first rounder and a propsect, or some sort of package when he is more affordable, and teams are looking for a new goalie to go to the playoffs with. However, the new CBA states that if a player is picked up on waivers, he must clear waivers again before being traded anytime again during that season. Essentially, one team would pick him up when we are trying to waive him. This would leave us with nothing, and we would have spent almost $6.75 Million just to have a solid back up.
You don’t want to pick up Khabibulin now. If he gets unclaimed by noon today, and then Hawks put him on a recall waiver, then you only have to deal with half his salary. If nobody wants to pick him up after that, then you talk trade and have Chicago pick up a part of that 3.4 million contract.
I still think Dubie was a fine backup who proved valuable last year. I am a still a little confused why macdonald was brought in over him. He was also a crowd favourite which the islanders only need more of.
I’m a huge fan of DP’s, I love his drive to want to play every game, however we need him healthy! I think if he’s not 100%? he shouldn’t start, why risk anything early in the season. Plus we need a good back-up goalie, and the only way to get better is to be in it, they have got to get play time. Why not start one of the new guys.
same^^^^^^^^
Thanks for the goaltending review. Do you see the Islanders picking up a veteran goalie on waivers after all the teams make their final cuts just in case Rickie can’t make opening day?
thanks for all the comments. Doug: from the info I could gather at today’s practice, looks like there are no plans at this point to add a veteran…CB
You’ve got to be kidding me! Plays the puck MORE than any other ‘tender in the League, maybe, but nowhere NEAR “better” than anybody. The guy is a moron with the puck. He was top 5 in the League in give-aways last year, just as he is every year. Take the DP goggles off.