Monthly Archives: January 2009
Saturday, 3:45 pm: Islanders all-star defenseman Mark Streit, as told to Point Blank:
“This has been an unbelievable experience so far. I arrived in Montreal on Thursday night so I could enjoy the atmosphere for the longest amount of time. On Friday morning, there was a hospitality breakfast for the arriving players and I spent a few hours with Swiss TV. I gave them a tour of the city and showed them where I used to live when I was with the Canadiens.
“This is a big deal for the people back home, and it’s an honor for me to represent them and, of course, the Islanders. I want to say hello to everyone in Switzerland and all of the Islanders fans who have given me such great support since I joined the team.
“On Friday afternoon there was a Players Association meeting and another one where we went over the details for the Skills Competition. I’m in the Hardest Shot group against so many great players and I’m really looking forward to that. Mid-day there was the first media availability. I guess because I played for the Canadiens, I was a pretty popular interview. I did interviews in English, French and German!
“My parents arrived yesterday from Switzerland. I hadn’t seen them in three months so this is really special. They played such a big part in my making it to the NHL and now the All-Star Game. I caught up with some of my old teammates like Alex Kovalev and Andrei Markov. Great guys. I’m sure I’ll see Price and all the guys later on.
“Last night I went out for a quick drink with Bruno Gervais and met up with some of the other players. It was a blast. The city of Montreal is so into it. Everywhere you go, everywhere you look, there’s something about All-Star Weekend. I am so proud to be a part of it.”
Comments.
When “New York Hockey This Week” begins at 1:00 pm, expect an Islanders rant at the top from substitute co-host Bob Galerstein. Bob is a native Long Islander, loves his hockey and was even the longtime PA announcer at Madison Square Garden.
Bob tells me he has a lot on his mind about the Islanders and a potential move. I might not even get a word in, but that’s okay. We’re taking your calls between 1 and 2 pm at 1.800.919.3776. Don La Greca joins us from Montreal in the second half of the show…CB
UPDATED Saturday morning: The conversation continues in Comments in a few places with my reaction to your reaction. We’ll keep this going until the afternoon, when Mark Streit sends a postcard…CB
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Larry Brooks of the Post wrote Friday of how good Bill Guerin would look to the right of Scott Gomez. Larry points out that the Islanders’ captain will not drop his no-move clause if it means leaving the area (he’s probably right, although I would not rule out Boston). While the captain has done everything he can for the Islanders, Guerin is not so emotionally linked to the franchise that a trade to the rival Rangers would be heresy.
So here’s our proposal for a deal close to the March 4 deadline:
Rangers receive:
- Bill Guerin and his pro-rated $4.5 million
Islanders receive:
- Petr Prucha and his pro-rated $1.6 million
- A 2009 third round pick that becomes a second round pick if the Rangers advance to the Eastern Conference Final
My take: Guerin could give the Blueshirts the kick they need, but I’m fairly confident that’s as much as the Rangers would offer. Highly doubtful the Islanders are getting a conditional first round pick from any team for Guerin. The Rangers have some leverage knowing Guerin determines his fate with the no-move.
Prucha has energy, hands and at age 26 would be a willing student under Scott Gordon. Give him a try and then decide if you want to re-sign him as a restricted free agent in the summer. If Prucha doesn’t pass the test, you can add all this saved salary to the Komisarek Pool. The third (maybe second) round draft pick is more than the Islanders will get for Guerin when he bolts in the summer.
If I’m Garth Snow, I make the trade. Glen Sather, too.
ETC: “New York Hockey This Week” is on at 1:00 pm on Saturday on 1050 ESPN Radio. We will be taking your phone calls for most of the hour.
Reaction.
The frontrunner at the All-Star break for most constructive reader Comment of the Year was a throw-away line in the middle of a long sermon. It was Comment No. 56 after the story on Kevin Gorman, the Democratic nominee for Town of Hempstead Supervisor in 2007.
Nick Classic, an Islanders fan who has dedicated a big portion of his spare time to the Lighthouse cause, had this little piece of gold in his 100-word Comment.
“I don’t think the ‘Meet Me at the Lighthouse” commercial most accurately conveys their message.”
By Nick, I’ve think you’ve got it!
If you’ve been to an Islanders game or have cable television, you’ve seen the “Meet Me at the Lighthouse” ad. (Here’s one version). Although the singer gets so over-heated he sounds like the faux rocker in the “Real Men of Genius” spots, it’s a catchy, effective tune. It accompanies exciting visuals of really good looking people having the time of their lives shopping, drinking, eating and cheering at this mythical spot called the Lighthouse at Long Island. I’m telling you, the place looks amazing!
It’s like saying “Meet Me at Foxwoods.” Except for the minor detail that Foxwoods, you know, actually exists.
The “Meet Me at the Lighthouse” jingle, like Clay, Ruben and Taylor, had its run. But now the message has run its course. The message needs to change. It’s time to get tougher.
It’s gotten to the point where if the Lighthouse developers have to play dirty like a politician, they should go for it. Here’s one: compare the economics of the Lighthouse deal to the public pillaging by the Yankees.
All Charles Wang and Scott Rechler want to do is pave a parking lot and put up paradise. Yet our “community leaders” want to test their patience. The geniuses at the Town of Hempstead made another big push-back in Newsday today. But this time they brought to the table something different…oh, no that’s wrong. They’re still trying to sell the scam that Wang and Rechler should “rapidly” procede with renovating the Coliseum. It’s official: the leaders of the Town of Hempstead are in over their heads.
This isn’t the time for happy tunes. Metallica is playing the barn next week. Maybe the Lighthouse can commission some angry speed metal from Hetfield and the boys.
Nick Classic is right about “Meet Me at the Lighthouse.” There’s no point in a shiny, hopeful diddy about Oz when there isn’t even a shovel in the ground. We’re not in Kansas City yet, Toto.
Build the frickin’ Lighthouse
Oh, it’s been a long, long while
Build the frickin’ Lighthouse
Or it’s time to get off this isle
Comments.
Aaron Ness was selected in the second round by the Islanders with the 40th overall pick in the 2008 NHL Draft. In the last month he has twice been named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week. Not bad for a freshman. Last year he was named Minnesota’s Mr. Hockey by a panel of NHL scouts and NCAA coaches.
Here are eight tales of Ness, who if you don’t know…
…may have leap-frogged Kirill Petrov as the Islanders’ best prospect.
Two months ago Point Blank ranked Ness second behind Russian forward Kirill Petrov on our list of the Islanders’ best prospects. The combination of Petrov’s uninspired play at the World Junior Championships – in fairness, he was returning from injury – and the outstanding work of Ness over the last month has resulted in a shift. While Petrov has enormous upside if he can figure it out, at the NHL All-Star break we are rating Aaron Ness as the Islanders’ No. 1 prospect.
…thought he took an easy college course.
“My major is undecided for now, so I’m getting a bunch of pre-requisites out of the way,” Ness told us by phone from campus.
“Check this out: I took Oceanography. I’m thinking it’s going to be real easy and fun and, as a bonus, there’s a Lab so I also get one of those out of the way. Thought it was a real smart move by me. You know, a big help to the GPA.
“Nope. Couldn’t have been more wrong. I figured we’d just be having fun looking at shells and water and stuff. The class was totally serious. The class was hard. Brutal. We studied Plate Tectonics. Never heard of it? Exactly!
“I learned I have to do my homework before signing up for a class.”
…is committed to attending the Islanders’ volunteer, non-mandatory prospect camp in the summer.
“No way am I going to miss that. That’s an important step, to see how I match up against some of the other Islanders’ prospects. The organization has been real good to me, and I want to show them that I’m doing everything possible to make it to the NHL.”
…is rooming with a top-ten pick in the 2009 NHL Draft who thinks he’s a slob.
“I share a dorm room with (freshman forward) Jordan Schroeder. He’s an awesome player and a great kid. Such a smart offensive player and he can score from anywhere. I know him as well as anyone around here. He’s so down-to-earth. He’ll be great in the NHL.
“Jordan’s a total neat freak. It’s not like I’m a slob or anything, but he’s always telling me to pick up after myself. I mean, I’m really not that bad.
“The dorm’s okay. Kinda small. When I first got here, I thought it was great. I was so excited. Now I guess reality is setting in. When I got back from the holidays, I walked in to our room and was like, ‘Well, here we go again.’ We’re thinking about other options for next year.”
…has a brilliant feel for the game, according to an expert U. of Minn. watcher.
Doug Woog is a former head coach at the University of Minnesota and is now a color commentator on television broadcasts. Reached via email for his analysis of the freshman defenseman, Woog wrote back:
“Aaron has had a real nice first season. Power play, penalty killing. Regular shifts. Plays against the other teams’ top groups.
“Strength = time. Size could be a pro concern, but he is only 18.
“Brilliant feel for the game. Needs to grow and improve shot to be an NHLer. Great poise.”
…knows the lack-of-size thing will stick with him for a while.
“I totally get it. I know I’m not the biggest guy (5-10, 170), but I’m working on it and there are ways to compensate. At Minnesota, we have world-class strength coaches. I’m working with Cal Dietz, who’s phenomenal.
“I’m at the University of Minnesota, playing in the WCHA, where the play is hard and fast. As the season has progressed, Coach (Don Lucia) is giving me more and more icetime and I’m getting to play against the best lines. With the development I’m getting in Minnesota, and with the Islanders staying on top of my progress, I’m going to be fine.
“I’ve been hearing about my size since I started playing hockey. You don’t have to be 6-4 to be a good hockey player.”
…hears from the Islanders on a regular basis.
“Oh yeah, they check in with me…Cairnsy (Eric Cairns), Ryan Jankowski, Trent Klatt, Denny Scanlon. No pressure or anything like that, just support. It’s not like they’re bugging me or anything. I’m following the Islanders and the NHL a lot more than I ever had before. I’m on the web a lot, NHL.com, places like that, getting as much info as I can on the team.”
….retains no bitterness from slipping to the second round and has no idea when he’s turning pro.
“I thought I’d go somewhere in the first, but I was over it the moment the Islanders took me. I really feel like it was meant to be. The team has been so good to me and it looks like I’m a solid fit for their rebuilding and the way they want to play. I feel like I couldn’t be in a better situation than I am with the Islanders.
“Right now, there is no plan to turn pro and I couldn’t give you a timetable because there isn’t one. When the Islanders think I’m ready, and when I’m confident I’m ready for them, it will happen. For now it’s a year at a time.”
…saw Gran Torino the other day (SPOILER ALERT!), likes Lil Wayne, AC/DC, Rafalski and a certain Italian food from a specific place.
“Man, that was a good movie. I really thought Clint was gonna take ‘em down at the end. I give it four stars.”
Music: “Pretty varied. I like everything. Everything except country, which I can’t stand. On the iPod now I have some old-school like AC/DC and Aerosmith and I also have good new stuff like Lil Wayne.”
Hockey Players: “Scott Niedermayer…Brian Rafalski, he knows how to play the game. I really like watching him and Nicklas Lidstrom play.”
Food: “Oh, man…lately they’ve been bringing us this chicken parm for our team meals. It’s from some place around here. I have to get you the name of the restaurant. I’m telling you, I’m in love with this chicken parm.”
Reaction to this story and your questions to address over the long All-Star break, in Comments.
One possibility for the Islanders as they re-tool their goaltending depth chart in the off-season is the signing of Stefan Ridderwall.
A sixth-round draft pick in 2006, the 6-2, 195-pound Ridderwall is the best netminding prospect in the organization. The Swede is having a solid season with Djurgardens in the SEL, playing 29 games with a 2.81 GAA and .900 save percentage. He has – if you can believe it, Islanders fans – battled a recent hamstring injury. (Check out his profile on Elite Prospects here).
Although there is some debate in the NHL scouting community whether Ridderwall tops out in the NHL as a “possible No. 1″ or “strictly a high-quality backup,” there is no argument that his upside potential is greater than current backstops Joey MacDonald and Yann Danis.
Point Blank recently acquired an independent scouting report on a Djurgardens game with this view on Ridderwall: “Very impressive making the big stops…excellent rebound control…competitive…will probably need some time in the AHL as he makes transition to North American game, but has NHL potential.”
Sources report that the Islanders have extended contract offers to Ridderwall in the past and the player is very receptive to beginning his pro career in North America. While it remains to be seen if that will be next season, the case to take a long look at Ridderwall only got stronger with the uncertainty of Rick DiPietro’s status.
Q & A quickie: The question came up yesterday whether Point Blank is still in “timeout.” The answer is no. I enjoyed every second of the punishment and I appreciate the many folks who continued to talk to me.
But over the last week there were a couple of profane air-clearing conversations where we agreed to disagree and agreed to move on. Since it was a hockey ops issue, I doubt my two radio and two TV appearances promoting the Lighthouse cause had anything to do with the peace treaty.
I’ve decided that should I get in timeout again – and you know I will! – I will not make it a story. I did this time because I’ve always felt my relationship with the club and transition to this gig was one of the reasons this venture was unique. Now that I’ve gone there once, you don’t need to hear the wah-wahing again.
ETC: Nothing official from the Islanders yet, but over NHL All-Star Weekend it’s commonplace for young depth players to return to help out the AHL club. Expect players from last night’s lineup such as Kurtis McLean, Jack Hillen and Peter Mannino to re-join Bridgeport. After winning in Albany last night – great game for Jason Pitton – the Sound Tigers play in Portland on Friday and Saturday.
Your reaction to this story and your questions for me to address over All-Star Weekend in Comments.
Five minutes in and Scott Gordon already had the dry-erase board out. It wasn’t even a TV timeout. The coach has been in all-out teacher mode on the homestand, and tonight it paid off in the first period as the Ducks often looked like they didn’t have any answers for the pre-pinch. They also couldn’t solve Frans Nielsen (two assists), or Yann Danis, who responded to Gordon’s encouraging words today with his best performance in the NHL.
And then the Islanders sustained nothing for the next two periods while holding on for the 2-1 win and ending an 8-game losing streak. Is there really any need for our further incompetent analysis of that subject?
When Anaheim pulled their goalie in the final minute-plus, it was Tim Jackman and Nate Thompson doing all the heavy lifting. After the Ducks’ timeout with 30 seconds left, it was Jackman, Thompson and Richard Park.
Jackman, Thompson and Park – three ball-breakers earning their places for next season.
The one thing you couldn’t miss was when the teams came out for warmups at 6:30. The difference in size between the Ducks (large) and the Islanders (not large) was remarkable. One of many areas the Islanders have to address as they rebuild the roster.
The sheer joy of the first NHL goal by a guy like Kurtis McLean who worked his tail off to get here will never get old. A goal by Kyle Okposo and McLean’s first NHL goal chased J.S. Giguere and gave the Islanders a 2-0 lead with five minutes left in the first period.
In a stunner, Chris Pronger did not try to decapitate anyone in the final seconds.
Scouts: Nashville, Detroit, Atlanta, Phoenix. Upgrading the Thrashers’ roster would seem like a good idea for the Islanders, eh? (I know, probably just a pre-scout for next week’s game).
Official Attendance: 11,853
Life Story of the Night: Brendan Mikkelson of the Ducks playing in front of his dad, original Islander Bill Mikkelson – who hadn’t been in the Coliseum since his playing days. Bill toured the arena and visited the team offices, where he posed for a photo in front of a shot of the 1972-73 Islanders. The barn hasn’t changed a bit.
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Q & A
Getting to some of your questions posted today for the long All-Star break…
MT wants to know how it’s determined which players talk to the press after a game?
The media asks and the PR staff does its best to make sure everyone is available. You can usually count on the following. After a win, everyone wants to talk to the goalie, the game-winning goal scorer and anyone with two or more points. After a loss, everyone wants to talk to the goalie, the captain, and a veteran with an excellent perspective (like Richard Park). After a really bad loss, you want to talk to Brendan Witt – because he’ll give it to you straight.
C. Felix wants to know if it’s true the former owners kept Roberto Luongo in the minors to avoid paying him a bonus and if Luongo said back then that he’d never play for the team again.
Yes, it’s true they did it to get out of paying a very substantial bonus. (This was in the days of huge bonus clauses for entry-level players). However, Roberto – and his agent, Gilles Lupien – handled it like true professionals. They did not complain, saying it was merely business. Roberto made no threats.
SteveNYC asked about Ed Jovo turning down a trade to the Islanders last season and wanted to know which players the Islanders were sending to Phoenix.
It never came even close to that point. Ed, with a growing, young family and new home in Arizona, made it clear to Coyotes management he was not giving up his no-trade to LI or anywhere else. Trade assets were not discussed.
DallyMac wants to know if you’ll see Jesse Joensuu in an Islanders game this season.
Depending on how much the roster is ripped up at the trade deadline, you cannot completely rule out an appearance by Joensuu. But my understanding is the Islanders want JJ developing in Bridgeport this season (and likely most of next) before consideration for regular duty in the NHL. That said, you could see a cameo if needed, and also to give the Finnish kid a taste of how much more he needs to improve his quickness.
Dan from Westchester asks if there was any chippiness in negotiations with Jason Blake.
No, it was pretty straight-forward. The Islanders wanted to sign Jason for three years at their number (figure around $10 mill). Jason wanted five years at his number. He got it from Toronto. I’ve talked to Jason over these two seasons. He loves the Islanders and the community.
mtrico asks if John Tavares is important enough to the Islanders that, if they got the No. 2 pick in the lottery, they would package it with something big to get the first pick.
I don’t know at this point, but let me answer it another way. If the team that gets the No. 1 pick believes in Tavares over Hedman, there won’t be anything you could give them that would make them relinquish the top pick. If the Islanders pick second and Tavares is gone, they will take Hedman.
JT wonders if the Islanders have talked to the New Jersey Nets about being a partner in the Lighthouse.
Not yet, but I’ll say it again: there’s a better chance of the Lighthouse getting done than the Nets moving to Brooklyn.
I got to meet Dr. J twice. Once as a kid when I won a sporting goods store contest to be Nets ballboy for one game, and once when my Flyers colleagues introduced him to me when I interned in Philly.
Matt asks for an update on free agent college prizes Matt Gilroy (of North Bellmore) and Tyler Bozak.
My hunch is you won’t hear anything for a while. In fact, the next update could be the sudden news of where they signed. I believe the Islanders are very much in play for Gilroy, but Bozak is a longshot. Tyler did suffer a torn meniscus and is out until mid-March, so the Islanders do have that going for them.
Pete DeBenedetto gets nostalgic and brings up WBAB’s “Deep Cuts” and requests tales of former Islanders.
When I was a teenager and my brother worked at the radio station at SUNY-Farmingdale, I got a prime gig. In return for dodging cars and handing out BAB bumper stickers in the freezing cold of the parking lot, I got floor seats for a split bill of Blue Oyster Cult and Foghat at the Coliseum.
If the blog makes it to the offseason, I promise plenty of tales of former players. There’s so much going on in-season that it’s tough to get to many. I’ve talked to the ex-Isles but haven’t had the time to write the stories yet.
Coach B asks if the Islanders could take a goalie with one of their projected 17 second round picks in 2009.
Yes, I would think so – especially if a high-value kid was still on their board.
Doug F inquires about Islanders prospect Jason Gregoire.
The team’s third round pick in 2007, Gregoire is a freshman forward at the University of North Dakota. With each game, icetime and responsibility have increased for the Winnipeg native and he is 9-9-18 in 26 games this season. Although he didn’t land a spot in our early-season list of the top ten NYI prospects not in Bridgeport, Gregoire’s stock is rising.
Fauxrumors asks if the next Lighthouse “maneuver” will be Charles Wang visiting Kansas City and wonders why the Islanders don’t just come out and announce a drop-dead date. Faux says there must be one.
I disagree, Faux. I don’t think they’re anywhere close to a drop-dead date. As for Charles visiting K.C. in the next few months, I doubt it. But if there continues to be little progress on the project, I would recommend that Charles get to the exhibition game there in September. Shoot, Newsday would have to send Logie and a photographer!
Looks like I’ve already addressed the majority of questions that I can. Thank you also for the story ideas. Ridderwall tomorrow. If you’d like, feel free to keep the questions coming from now through Sunday.
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