Comments on: OKPOSO, COMRIE READY TO GOIslanders getting healthier, but roster moves ahead

By: SIR WILLIAM

SIR WILLIAM — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 05:37:44 +0000

This is a season of hard decisions for Snow. He has to take a good, long, realistic look at the talent on this team and cut accordingly.

Yes, the really young kids have to be given time. But the players that are hitting 24 or so need to be judged once and for all.

This team has paid for drafting too many of the same player. Players with “Character” who can’t ever seem to score. They all turn into 3 rd and 4 th line checkers at best.

Last year Snow took skill players and he has to continue down the same path in this years draft.

Talent, and only talent, is what will lift this team out of the fog that it’s been in for the last 15 years….Sir William

By: Spinner9

Spinner9 — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 00:03:25 +0000

I’m glad to finally read some cautious optimism instead of the normal criticism of everything around this team (I’m speaking about the posters not Mr. Botta). Its way too early to see if Gordon has the chops to make it at this level. Its way too early to write off Okposo and Bailey and its way too early to say the rebuilding process is doomed to fail. Its also tiresome to read complaints that this isn’t really a commitment to rebuild with youth since there are several older vets in the everyday line-up. As has been said previously, these guys are placeholders while prospects are acquired and developed. No one rebuilds the system with home-grown talent in one off-season and a third or the regular season. My advice, look for progression on this team and thoughout the farm system (and juniors and colleges). If things aren’t markedly different in 2-3 years then we’ve been sold a bill of goods but until then I’m willing to go along for the sometimes bumpy ride. Let’s go Islanders (and Bridgeport Sound Tigers and Utah Grizzlies and……..)

By: 19 ISLE in NJ 22

19 ISLE in NJ 22 — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 00:02:50 +0000

Guerin 2 goals from 400 …. Weight 3 points from 1,000 … hymmmmmm … what happens if Weight gets his 1000th point assisting on Guerin’s 400th goal? It is highly probable that can happen.

By: kevin

kevin — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 23:37:12 +0000

dman i was just about to report that

By: Islanders1984

Islanders1984 — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 23:31:40 +0000

At least sundin signed with the Canucks

By: 19 ISLE in NJ 22

19 ISLE in NJ 22 — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 23:15:06 +0000

JP … sorry to take up your Gigabyte … but good point on Fritz … the question is … are those 2 reasons to keep up Fritz more beneficial then the other 10+ reasons not to have him up? In other words … if Gordo used Fritzie more … does he hurt the team? Or does playing him less but yet inhibiting his ability to roll four lines work better? Is it a quality over quantity issue?

Players have still been getting run with Fritz on the bench .. as you said … he must be present to be effective. At this point as much as I like Fritz … and was a very strong supporter of keeping him up … I think he’s become more of the junk yard dog barking behind the fence and not really a threat if he’s not unleashed … and I think a lot of teams know that now. Thoughts?

By: JPinVA

JPinVA — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 22:33:58 +0000

There are two reasons to have fritz in the lineup, and admittedly, 10+ not to. As 19 has already posted a gigabyte, I’ll just say that as long as Gordon is the coach of this team the 10+ far outweigh the 2. But the 2 are pretty important.
1. fritz is an imposing presence, but he has to be present. 3+ minutes of ice time (1-3 shifts per period) would be enough to create space for the other three lines. That is written on the two tablets passed down from Moses.
2. Fritzie is no brian boytano(I’m sure that’s spelled incorrectly, but I’m afraid to google the name because I’m sure it will have links to gay porn) but if you stick him in front of the net he creates a huge screen [door] and should be TAUGHT to manhandle defensemen the way other teams push freddy and campoli around.
Instead of managing our expectations, our “management” should MANAGE their ASSETS a little better. that’s all I’m saying. If we’re gonna do this, at least do it RIGHT!

By: Marc

Marc — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 22:21:42 +0000

UIF… It’s already happened. Without checking out that TSN report, which may be re: a different player, I know for a fact that Matt Murley bolted the AHL’s Albany River Rats (my hometown AHL team) a day before their season opener to go to Russia, despite his contract with the Carolina Hurricanes being in full effect. Murley got an offer from KHL which would be for more than his 2-way NHL/AHL contract, and asked the ‘Canes to release him from that contract. They wouldn’t, and he took off anyway. Not sure what happens next, but you can be damn well sure that Murley’s name is mud over here, and that he better make some coin over there because I’m not sure he gets another NHL/AHL job any time soon.

I’ve been a fan of Matt’s since college, since we share an alma mater (RPI), but I thought it was a bad idea at the time, and the things I’m now hearing about KHL make me feel even worse about it now.

By: UIF

UIF — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 21:59:01 +0000

Saw on TSN that a marginal AHL/NHL player may be defecting to the KHL despite being under contract. If that happens, I don’t see any reason the Isles can’t pull Petrov at any time if he wants to make the jump. The KHL at least had some excuse (lame as it was) about the timing of the agreement in the Radulov case. Not so here.

By: Johnny Islander

Johnny Islander — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 21:42:15 +0000

The Fritz as a “deterrent” argument is pretty weak. Motteau destroyed The Great Dane when Fritz was on the bench. Having a big goons on the bench as a “deterrent” became moot when bench clearing brawls were outlawed back in the stone age. A player is not going to care about a mountain man being on the bench when he decides to run someone especially when it is a guy that he won’t get into a fight with anyway because he’s a foot taller and a 100 pounds heavier.

By: Dan

Dan — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 21:14:08 +0000

I agree Marc, especially with Campoli and Gervais. It is said that D-men take the longest to develop. I think Tambs is better than what he has produced which is nothing. We do need to be patient but I understand why people are getting frustrated. It’s one thing to lose with young players growing but with the injuries and contracts we still had on guys we are watching a veteran team for the most part lose and that is very frustrating when we are rebuilding.

By: Marc

Marc — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 20:41:33 +0000

For what it’s worth, I wasn’t saying that guys like Bailey and Okposo are definitely going to be star players. They might, they might not. The point was that it’s WAY too early to be making judgments about them which include either hinting or flat-out stating that they are “failures” or won’t be anything better than 3rd liners. Anyone with even an ounce of common sense perspective should be able to understand that.

So who does have potential? I think both Bailey and Okposo have great potential, and others like Neilsen, Comeau, Bergenheim, an Campoli still have plenty more to go before they hit their peaks. Go ahead and cue the wise-ass remarks, but I also happen to think we haven’t yet seen the best out of guys like Tambellini, Gervais, and DiPietro, either.

This is obviously a team in transition (the very early stages of such), but by no means is the cupboard as bare as many here like to say.