Archive for April, 2009
As most of you know, I feel strongly that the Islanders should select John Tavares with the first overall pick. One Islandermania member thought my coverage of Tavares was so one-sided, he wrote you’d think I was JT’s dad. Not at all. As in my allegiance to Paul Maurice last summer, there is no personal [...]
Rick DiPietro, the only goaltender under contract for the Islanders in 2009-10, missed almost all of this season and has to be considered a question mark for the next one. The Islanders must sign a goalie who’s more than just a quality backup. For purposes of this discussion, let’s call this netminder a 1-B.
They also need goaltenders for [...]
Apparently, I’m the only person in New York who has not recently seen Rick DiPietro on crutches.
In 2009, it’s impossible for just about anyone to go unnoticed. When you’re Rick DiPietro of the New York Islanders and the U.S. Olympic Team, forget about it. It used to be everyone on Long Island knew someone who [...]
Let the down-grading, the paralysis by over-analysis of John Tavares continue. Just remember his performance - especially in the historic comeback against USA - on the world’s biggest stage for 18-year old hockey players.
This vid of the 2009 World Junior Championships is not a valentine to Tavares, merely a summary of Team Canada’s gold medal accomplishment. But watch [...]
1:05 am - Thanks to the Anaheim Ducks’ defeat of the Presidents’ Trophy-winning San Jose Sharks, the Islanders now own the 26th overall selection in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
The pick was acquired by Garth Snow in a trade with Ottawa for Chris Campoli. Future UFAs Mike Comrie and Dean McAmmond were also swapped.
The draft seeding [...]
University of Denver head coach George Gwozdecky just returned our call and shared the news that Islanders prospect Rhett Rakhshani has been officially named captain of the Pioneers.
“After Rhett said he was returning for his senior year, I talked it over with my staff,” Gwozdecky told Point Blank over the phone from Florida, where he is attending [...]
Islanders prospect Rhett Rakhshani has decided to return to Denver University for his senior year instead of turning pro, sources tell Point Blank.
The Islanders fourth round draft pick in 2006 was faced with a tough but enviable decision, one we outlined in this post in early April. The 21-year old right wing opted for the [...]
I’ve been invited to be the guest speaker at the next gathering of the New York Islanders Booster Club. The event is next Tuesday, May 5 at 7:30 pm at the Long Island Marriott in the downstairs Ampitheatre. Instead of the $5 admission usually charged if you are not a member of the NYIBC, the club [...]
“You CAN draft skill in the later rounds - look where the Red Wings got Zetterberg and Datsyuk.”
An oft-repeated Reader Comment
Respectfully, it’s time to retire that one.
The Detroit organization has been exceptional at drafting and developing talent from a wide range of sources. There’s a reason assistant GM Jim Nill is interviewed for GM jobs and [...]
The Islanders have traded Bill Guerin to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a third round pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
The captain gave the Islanders a season and three-quarters of solid leadership and play, but struggled to score goals in his final months with the team and saw his icetime cut by about four minutes [...]
If Jonas Hiller and the Anaheim Ducks defeat the San Jose Sharks tonight or in Game 6 or Game 7, the Islanders’ second first round pick in June will be the 26th overall selection.
This is official, set in stone, gospel according to the National Hockey League. The draft seeding works like this, as per an [...]
9:25 pm - Further proof the NYI prospect pool needs more development and more talented youngsters to develop. Jesse Joensuu and Justin DiBenedetto get the goals tonight, a good thing. What isn’t is the fact that - NHLer Blake Comeau aside - not one Sound Tiger is close to a sure thing to jump into the Islanders’ [...]
