YANN DANIS: NHL GOALTENDER
Also: roster notes from today’s practice
As far as Yann Danis is concerned, the calendar year 2009 can take its time. His first child, a son named Jayden, was recently born. Jayden’s dad has just as recently established himself as a National Hockey League goaltender. And to top it all off, a new Islanders contract appears to be in his future.
“2009 has been very good to me,” Danis said after practice today. “I tell everyone that Jayden has been my lucky charm.”
In so many ways, this season has worked out even better than the former Montreal Canadiens prospect had planned. When the Islanders were the first team to call him last July 1, he was flattered. Just as crucially, Danis knew that the uncertainty of Rick DiPietro’s availability at the start meant there was a good chance the Islanders might utilize their third goaltender.
A one-year contract was signed, while Danis hoped he would get about 10 games of NHL action. In five years in the Canadiens system, the goalie only played six games.
“I always knew I was capable of playing at this level,” Danis said. “I was just looking for a chance.”
With 10 games remaining in the Islanders’ schedule, Danis has already played 24. He could get to 30 by the end of year. He is 9-12-2 with a 2.51 GAA and a .921 save percentage. He has proven, at the very least, that he is an NHL backup - and maybe something more.
“What’s impressed me about Yann is just how solid, how reliable he has been,” Islanders coach Scott Gordon said today. “He hasn’t had to be that 40, 50-save guy the last several weeks. He has developed a level of consistency. There isn’t any panic. Now he knows in his mind that he can do it. His numbers look good, and he’s kept our team in every game he’s played.”
The 27-year old Danis, who played four years at Brown University, said the key to his consistency was a stretch in January in which he started eight consecutive games. “That made me feel comfortable and gave me confidence,” he said.
Danis also cited the tutelage of goalie coach Mike Dunham and consultant Sudarshan Maharaj. “Sudsie brought me to Toronto for a full week before training camp, which was a big boost for me,” said Danis. “He is outstanding with technique. Dunny knows the league as well as any goalie coach and knows what it takes to play and to stay at this level. They’re a perfect complement to each other because they bring so much to the table in different areas.”
The next step for Danis is a new Islanders contract. A one-way deal - as opposed to this season’s NHL-AHL model - is a no-brainer. A one-year deal at around $700,000 seems logical and fair. For starters, Danis would be locked into his first full-time NHL job. If DiPietro is not ready for 60 games and Danis carries the Islanders for a long stretch and when the playoffs are on the line, the Quebec native would have a strong case for No. 1 goalie money next summer.
In the Islanders locker room at Iceworks this afternoon, Danis said contract negotiations are not his focus.
“There hasn’t been much serious talk about a deal from either side yet,” he said. “My preference is to just concentrate on finishing this season strong and see what happens. I’d definitely love to come back. The Islanders gave me my first real chance in the NHL and we’re growing as a team. The business stuff will work itself out.”
PRACTICE NOTES
The lineup at today’s 75-minute practice at Iceworks:
Tambellini - Nielsen - Okposo
Comeau - Bailey - Park
Hilbert - Thompson - Jackman
Doug Weight, hoping to be back in the lineup by the start of April, took the full practice in a jersey color of his own. Sean Bergenheim particpated in a few drills, but will not play Wednesday. Dean McAmmond was rewarded for his leadership and play with extra family time in Ottawa. Mike Iggulden and Joel Rechlicz are back with the Sound Tigers, who host Worcester tomorrow night.
On D: there was Witt, Martinek, Gervais, Hillen and Pock. Andy Sutton skated. Gordon said he is waiting for a green light for Sutton from the team’s medical staff. Mark Streit, getting plenty of rest on non-game days from the coaching staff recently, participated in half the practice.
In goal, Joey MacDonald was cleared to play and practiced today. He could get a start this week. Peter Mannino is with the Sound Tigers, leading them to victory yesterday over Portland.
Comments. The Queens/Lighthouse conversation continues in the next thread.
47 Responses to “YANN DANIS: NHL GOALTENDER
Also: roster notes from today’s practice”
Please Wait
Danis earned a 1 year deal and I would feel ok giving him 20-30 starts with DP taking the rest.
Great story.
Hopefully next year we will have a healthy Dipietro, and if Danis signs, we know we have a capable back-up. I also hope that the team USES Danis (or whoever the backup is) more than they have in the past. There is no doubt in my mind that the number of games Rick was playing had an impact on all of his injuries.
I really wish there was a way to vote Rick off the Island and sign a real #1 goalie.
Good for the kid! He has played some solid games considering the shots he faced.
CB - You say an Islander contract seems to be in Danis’ future. Do you know if there is a real interest by the team to sign him to a fair one way deal or is it just an assumption given his solid play? I for one wouldn’t mind having him signed for next year.
danis has done everything the islanders have asked of him this yr. he knew coming in he was 3rd in line, and didnt expect many games. what he did was get an opportunity and jumped all over it. even when we heard all that talk about dubie coming back, danis kept his head up and let his performance on the ice do the talking. its time for him to get rewarded for all his hard work.
I think we got good backup goaltending this season- and even some outstanding performances from Danis, BigMac, and even a great one from Mannino. Mannino and Lawson will be great in Bpt this and next season. As far as next year goes in the NHL, after seeing their play this year, Id honestly be happy with Danis, MacDonald, or Dubie as backup (in that order.) I think that all three of them are respectable backups. But I think Yann Danis is the one who could best handle a tandem type role with DiPietro- which at this point be the tentative plan for next season as far as Im concerned. The fact that he was willing to give up his # and let Dubie come on in and compete for his job, plus how willing he is to credit others when things go well, speaks a lot about his character. The fact that he stayed healthy all season (!) is also worth noting. The Isles need all the health they can flippin get lol.
Danis has really turned me around. He looked atrocious when he got in there but he proved it was really just a matter of getting more playing time and adjusting to the NHL pace. I prefer Danis to JMac as the goalie for next year.
Danis backing up a Healthy DP has us competing for a playoff spot next year if we have ANY offense.
I like the proposal that you lay out for a contract, but let’s see if Garth bites. I think the last time an Islanders backup made more than half a million, his name was…Garth.
It appears to me that Danis is in the drivers seat here. He has proven to the NHL that he is a quality goaltender.
So why would he sign a one year deal with the Islanders?
This is probably his one chance to cash in and get a multi year deal elsewhere.
He would be nuts to sign here without exploring his options. Knowing the history of this franchise don’t be surprised to see him wearing a different sweater next year. See Dubie, Wade….SW
Love the job this kid did and he deserves a contract. I want a healthy DP however, his puck handling skills would be interesting to see with this up tempo system they are playing with the speed of the kids.
Danis is probably the only other must sign players on islanders that is UFA this year. Jackman was the other.
Dont be down on DP, if he comes back healthy, i think you limit the games he plays and give Danis some starts. Them together could be great Tandem.
Hilbert whom i do like, is totally expendable. Alot of people can do what he does. IF he cheap i woudl resign him.
If we do draft Tavares, then i say resign McCammond to one more year.
If we dont get Tvares and get Hedman, I said resign Weight one more year and let McCammond go.
Either way, Danis resigning should be a priority.
We’ve got a young keep here. No pun intended. Let’s keep, I mean, ensure he is happy here.
Commodore returns to the Coli saturday night to neutralize battle buses full of philly fans.
After a brutal debut, Danis has really grown a lot this year.
Isles should make resigning him a priority. As a 25 game complement to DP - would be a great piece.
there is plenty room to utilize to goaltenders. it also creates some great competition which is great for team.
Look at thomas/fernandez in boston, Huet/Bulin in Chicago.
Danis provide much added insurance to having a great #1 in event that DP goes down again.
Isles can easily be a playoff team next year.
why punish Hillen for having 2 way contract. just healthy scratch Pock when sutton back in lineup. Pock is useless. He definately should not be resigned.
Hillen, Grevais, Martinek, and Streit are great at carrying puck thru neutral zone.
Would be a good idea to lock this guy up before July 1. There are other teams more desperate then the Isles at the Goalie position.
Very intersested to see hows this folds out considering he could possibly go to another team and fight for a #1 spot.
Not too sure that DP’s health could play a factor in his decision.Considering he has already played the same ammount of games he proably would next year.So he has nothing more to gain by signing a 1 year as a backup.
IMO Danis will be somewhere else next year.
Amazing how time can change all things…wasn’t it Joey-Mac whose name we were chanting earlier in the year? Good for Danis. Joey Mac, while a good guy, never sold me.
SirWilliam (11): Danis’ interviews show that he’s loyal, perhaps even to a fault. He attended Brown because they were the first college to accept him and he took the Islanders’ offer because they were the first team to come calling. If the Isles offer him a fair contract, he’ll take it rather than test the FA market.
Ryan #20, if that is all the case… Yann is perfect for us. Loyalty is a rare commodity nowadays.
i am not completely sold on Danis over McDonald, i like both equally at this point. Lets see a little bit more of McDonald at the end of the season before making Danis the backup for next year.
Gordon, please, I beg you to remove Thompson from the line up. He offers nothing but a decent faceoff percentage. We all are on to the reason why he is here.
Danis would make a great backup to DP!
However like we have been hearing from Snow and Wang for years, why would anybody want to sign here and play in the NVMC that is the problem right! Maybe they will sign if they know the lighthouse will be built, LOL !
I love all this “definite playoffs next year” talk.
We are tied for least goals scored and bottom 4 for goals against. In other words, we have the worst offense and 4th worst defense.
We dont have any saviors in the pipeline. The kids not only need more time to jell, but they need support as well. Odds of us signing any impact free agents? Almost zero.
Wake up and smell the coffee. Be realistic. At best we improve slightly on this year. Playoffs? Stop smoking dope, it’s killing whatever brain cells you have left.
As an Islander fan from inception I can see young Yann play around 30-35 games next year and resting Ricky on back to back nights. Then maybe we make the challenge for the Cup. Lets Go Islanders.
danis is the best backup we’ve had since our current gm. i hope that danis is back and it sounds like he will. he very well could turn out to be a starter in the nhl but we need a bigger sample size to determine that. next season should determine that. a (fully healthy) dp/danis combo would be awesome.
Spartiarti … he was a player of the week and although had some rebound control many issues can be worked out. I think Danis has puck handling issues, but do we say Danis as a package isnt a good goalie. If we take the rebound issue and get rid of it, is McDonald a better goalie than Danis? I dont know this answer, right now they are both deserving in my view.
Valentino, I have to disagree the kids are gelling. I know they are playing for nothing but there is some definite chemistry which I am shocked you haven’t seen? Gordon’s system is also starting to click with the players as well which is quite evident. I’m not saying they are definitely going to make it but there is a chance. We will have a better idea after July 1st!
I believe between Snow and Gordon you cannot ask for better evaluators of goaltending!!! I have very little concern in whatever their decsion is on this. Could you imagine what our record would be without our solid goalending this year?
I would love to have Danis back next year. Seems like a solid backup for Ricky and an all-around solid guy. His performance should see him get a one year deal at around 750K. If he performs next year as well as he did this year we definitely should consider a multi year deal to keep him around for a while. He is only 27. And goalies mature later than any other position in hockey. Congrats YANN!
Last post. You guys are making it out to sound like Snow was Roy or something. The guy wore illegal shoulder pads and is a large man to begin with. He is the reason why all the goalie rules for pads were applied. Danis is clearly the better choice. Better positionally better rebound control, just a better goaltender from what I’ve seen. I don’t need Gordon or Snow or any of you for that matter to tell me that.
DP being healthy, signing Danis and getting Tavares doesn’t even make us a playoff team next year.
Another top 5 pick next season. Playoffs the year after.
I want no part of the playoffs since we’d lose in the first round and miss out on another good draft pick next season.
Post # 36 - I think Wang agrees with you - evidently Season ticket holders got letters today about upping their commitment beyond next year! Meet me at the Lighthouse !
Yeah… why would we want to make the playoffs next year just to lose in the first round?
Please people. Can you imagine the excitement of watching this team compete for the playoffs next year… 7th or 8th position… and what if they got on a roll and competed for the 5th or 6th position. I know it’s looking optimistically at things… but it happens in sports all the time.
The Islanders in 1978 “LEARNED” a lot about winning when they lost to the Maple Leafs… a team they should have beat!!!
DOC
I think eventually we have to start cheering for the present, and not cheering for the future, meaning we need a playoff push next year. Maybe we fall short, but it sure beats cheering for losses as a fan.
I hate looking for the Islander score every day HOPING they lost.
There are more reasons than a poor building as to why the team cannot attract free agents. Who wants to play for a team who looks like a non playoff team in October?
I think one thing we’re all forgetting is what Yann himself said in CB’s post. The turning point for him was whne he got to play 8 straight and get comfortable. Point is, a good goalie doesn’t necessarily make a good BACKUP goalie. The best backups the Isles have had in recent memory are Dubie and Snow, and they both excelled at going into a game they started as a cold goaltender, and nonetheless being able to put in a quality performance. Not clear that Yann will be able to do the same…
I can see the Islanders making the playoffs next year. They have beat alot of playoff teams recently. These kids are all over the place and in your face and no body in the NHL jokeying for a playoff spot wants to play them.
Danis has earned himself the backup role and taken it away from Mcdonald–If/when ricky returns, Danis should spell him 20-30 games–yes, rickys going to have his hissy fit when he doesnt get his way as usual but considering his health record the past 3 seasons, its all about the team, not the individual–I hope the coach makes him realize this
I agree Akeem. That is the only question I have with Danis. He doesn’t seem to play well after taking a couple games off.
Hey CB,
Where do you get those pictures? Is there any way to find them in decent size on the net? Or you want to keep it exclusive?
Akeem - I agree also however it seems likely that any backup we have will play long stretches of games next year. A healthy DP is probably a pipedream.
offer him a 1 year ,one way 600 k type deal
thats pretty good coin that can come in handy for a guy with a young family
I keep hearing good things about Nate Lawson too .
I think Yan deserves a one-way next year … Both J-Mac and Yan had ran some good streaks … but they also struggled mightily at times … Hard to see how either one of ‘em would of played behind a healthy team.
That said J-Mac deserves a look now that he’s healthy down the stretch.
Danis has earned a one-year contract and I wouldn’t have a problem if he was the back-up next year (as if I have a say in the matter).
My one criticism of him is his apparent loss of focus from time to time (thus allowing the occasional weak goal), but with experience I think he’ll work through that.
lol you guys know yann is in top 5 right now for Sv% he’s #5
Sign Yann, and say bye bye to J Mac. I say he has arned more than 1 year, possibly a two year one way deal. I wouldn’t hold out much hope for a healthy DP. I feel comfortable, and confident with Yann in goal. Do the right thing- 2 years, 1 way contract. Rick who???