EXCLUSIVE: Islanders Sign Mark Katic to 3-year deal
A Point Blank scoop via the Social Media
12:20 pm - The Islanders have signed defense prospect Mark Katic to a three-year, entry level contract, Point Blank has learned through a variety of social media sources.
Katic will likely join the Bridgeport Sound Tigers for the remainder of this season on an amateur tryout agreement.
A third round pick in 2007, Katic was 13-41-54 in 63 games this season with Sarnia of the Ontario Hockey League. The 6-0, 190-pound two-way defenseman particularly impressed Islanders management with an outstanding second half of the season. According to Sting staffers, Islanders scouts Eric Cairns and Tim MacLean were regular visitors to Sarnia to monitor Katic’s development.
We wrote about Katic and his Sarnia teammates/fellow NYI draft picks Matt Martin and Justin DiBenedetto here and here. Two weeks ago, we ranked Katic No. 6 on our list of the Islanders’ top 10 prospects in junior, college or Europe.
Call it the power of Facebook. A few hours after we learned the Islanders were deep in negotiations with the agent for Katic, PB reader Sab commented on the blog that he heard through a reliable Facebook friend that a Katic deal was done. (It should be noted Sab lives in Ontario and – unrelated to this scoop or not – is related to a hockey legend). We confirmed a few moments ago that a deal was done with Katic.
So 2009.
ETC: The team has also finalized an intriguing signing for Bridgeport. Signed to an ATO and practicing with the Sound Tigers today is Ryan Duncan, who just completed his fourth season at the University of North Dakota with 20-19-39 in 43 games.
The asterisk with Duncan is that he is listed as 5-6, 150 pounds. But the 24-year old can play hockey. Good idea to see what he can do in the AHL down the stretch while the Islanders make a decision on him. Size has not hurt his durability so far; he never missed a game in four years of college.
With Kurtis McLean done for the year and Jeremy Colliton on the shelf, Jack Capuano needed a center.
Comments.
75 Responses to EXCLUSIVE: Islanders Sign Mark Katic to 3-year deal
A Point Blank scoop via the Social Media
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Coach B says:
Always exciting to see prospects come into the fold. Katic is a great skater and made good progress with Sarnia this year.
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Schultz39 says:
Looks like we’re building some nice depth at defense in our organization. Let’s keep it going. As per the game last night….boy, do we need help on defense.
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cgs878 says:
There ya go. We have Katic… no need for Hedman. Tavares! Tavares!
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Islesphan25 says:
great signing…Garth is doing the right thing…
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the bomber says:
no gilroy! save the dough and get komisarek or boumeister plus tavares
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isles72 says:
I have a feeling Katic is going to slowly but surely work his way on to the isles roster and become a mainstay for several years
first up -couple of season at the Bridge
congrats Mark -from a fellow Timmins resident
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Priest says:
How does this work with a contract AND an amateur tryout? I’m just curious, not doubting. As I understand it, an amateur tryout is for guys in the CHL (or similar) who are essentially given a tryout after they are knocked out of the playoffs. They are paid (~$300/week) but no contract is signed or implied. If he signs this contact, by definition he is no longer an amateur. I’m sure CB or someone out there know more, so hopefully you can set me straight (if not, I’ll try to ask an aquantence of mine tonight — on facebook. He’ll know for sure, since he is on one right now)
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Smokey says:
HUZZAH!!!
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bergie20 says:
welcome to the islanders mark! 1 sarnia player down, 2 to go.
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thepolishprince says:
Glad to hear katic is in the fold and on his way to BPort. I’m curious to see how he does at that level. Also nice to heat he’s bulked up to acceptable NHL size. Anyone who has seen him at any of the prospect camps care to comment on our newly signed dman?
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Matt says:
congrats on the contract Mark! keep adding our draft picks into our system Garth!
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maybe itll be the kansas city sting if we sign all 3 sarnia boys!!
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Daniel says:
Congrats to Mark and I wish him all the best in an Islanders jersey in the future. Hopefully his success in the OHL will carry over into the pro levels.
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Word says:
Good signing.
Can anyone give me a Katic vs. Ness side-by-side comparison? Are they virtually the same player in terms of skillset?
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admin says:
Updated with note of U-N. Dakota center Ryan Duncan getting an ATO to play in Bridgeport…CB
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dack1972 says:
Wow that’s really funny #13. Some people always have to turn positive moves into a negative comment. Good Job Garth!
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Joey303 says:
Duncan is 5’6″ ? Is this a misprint?
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Duncan is 5’6″ 150?!? It’s pretty impressive that he hasn’t missed a game with an injury playing at that size. Good luck in BPort guys.
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Jim says:
Duncan is small, but he’s very fast and a good playmaker. He played with TJ Oshie and Jonathan Toews a couple years ago. He won the Hobey Baker in 2007 and was the WCHA player of the year the same year. It should be interesting to see how he fares in the AHL.
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Brian G says:
Snow should sign a few more college players – including Gilroy….the Isles have no shot at Bouwmeester & a 10% chance of signing Komisarek, how many defenseman can one team have.
CB – Compared to the 2008 draft, Are you being told the 2009 Draft is as deep?
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Duncan is a hell of a hockey player…I don’t know if he’ll be an effective pro given his size, but he had a fine career at UND.
Congrats Katic! Snowy’s first draft pick is in the fold.
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beatlebailey says:
st.louis is awfully small too! Good Luck little one!!
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Pete M says:
#22 what about Bailey?
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Coral Springs Isle Fan says:
Alright, got Katic now lets see about getting the other two Sarnia Sting players signed (Martin & Dbo). I’m not sure what Billy Jaffe knows about Martin and what the Isles think of him but I have heard him make a number of references to this kid. The last one being in last nights game. 5″ 6″ and a buck fifty, sounds like the guys at Bridgeport have their “most likely to get a wedgy” candidate!
Good job Snow, keep that pen busy!
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(24) I meant that was Snowy’s first pick as GM…since he traded his 1st and 2nd rounders in 07.
You are correct in saying that Bailey is the first Snow pick to play for the Isles.
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Look at guys like Theo Fleury, Marty St. Louis, Brian Gionta, etc. You don’t need to be tall to be an effective NHL’er. You need skill, be tough on your skates, and have some toughness and you can make it. Hoping Duncan has all three of these and it could be a great signing.
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RobsIsles says:
Positive things taking place for the Isles. garth is making me a believer. Don’t stop there Garth, keep on signing the talent. This is a good first step for the future of the Islanders. The Long Islanders that is #13.
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jonw says:
Good job by Snow continuing to build the farm up. From what I’ve seen and read of Katic it sounds like another Jack Hillen.Smooth skater,good vision,good hockey sense and needs to improve on positioning and strength.He is also younger then Hillen so time will tell what type of player he can be.
Ryan Duncan is a very exciting hockey player to watch. -
(29) Dead on.
Katic is a player similar to Hillen in that they can move the puck and are mobile but not necessarily dynamic offensively. In their own end they will have to rely on positioning and smarts.
Duncan is a pocket rocket. If anything the Isles scouts saw plenty of him while watching Gregoire and Toews.
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Jon says:
CB any news on the other Sarnia boys???
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jaf10 says:
Did we sign Max Grachev and that goalie Poulin from last years draft to a 3 year entry deal also? They are on the Bport Roster. Any word on Rahkshani, Martin, DiBenedetto, Ridderwall, Niemi, Harmonic, Petrov and Ullstrom.
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Healy says:
I get the dark humor used by post #13 but he’s right. All the moves we make, great as they may seem, are colored by the potential that the team won’t be here when these seeds bear fruit.
I am not trying to be a negative nancy as I think the franchise is headed in the right direction for the first time in a while, but to me it all becomes meaningless if the team is no longer ours. I am sure many others experience the same thoughts with each tidbit of news that comes out about this team.
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Dan says:
Nothing wrong with giving someone a shot right. Take a look at anyone whats the worst that can happen…
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exactly healy….
last night was rock bottom for us. a 9-0 shellacking by an average team. i truly feel from here our next loss gets us a top two pick, and the bounce back to respectability is underway. we may bounce back faster than any of us initially thought. garth has re-stocked a depleted organization quickly, and with a potential superstar and many other picks this year, we wont be a laughing stock much longer…but it hurts to think that as soon as we get back to respectability, we may not have a home in NY. it makes me sick to think of.
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UIF says:
Hey, it’s rare, but look at Nathan Gerbe…5’5″ and what, 165 or so, and he’s already played in some games for the Sabres. Of course, that kid is a little tank out there, and definitely the exception rather than the rule, but it is possible for a smaller guy to succeed.
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Defense is really getting stocked in B-Port. McDonald, Katic, Kohn, are all draftees of the Islanders playing now. Let them continue playing and maturing. Resign Callahan, and let’s see what else Snow can do.
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(32) They got ATO’s for Bridge.
From my understanding.
Poulin can go back to junior next year but has played four years of junior so if the Isles sign him he can play B’Port next season.
Grachev I believe needs to be signed by this years draft or we lose his rights.
I could be wrong but I know they were not signed by the Isles yet but signed by Bridgeport to amateur tryouts.
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We really need to retool this Defense. We need Quicker New NHL type Dmen to go along with our system. I’d keep Streit, Gervais, Witt, Hillen. The rest dan move on. We should add Gilroy if we can, Hedman if we dont get Tavares and Komi if we could sign him. Plus we dont know what we have in these young Dmen could be somethign good.
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Matt Brosseau says:
Very, very good things are in store for this team on the ice. I am not worried about that…whether or not this improvement will be on the Island is a major concern.
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I would keep Sutton. He dropped all that weight and for the first half of the season was the only player with a plus 3. He can move in this system, and he’s extra muscle that’s needed.
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FIsles says:
Good hockey sense with bad positioning is an oxymoron.
In an OHL coaches poll, Katic was rated as the 2nd best skater in OHL west after Taylor Hall, and 2nd best offensive D after Ryan Ellis.
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admin says:
(32) Poulin and Gratchev are on ATOs. They are not signed by the Islanders. As for the rest, as soon as I learn anything…CB
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Thank you
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I noticed Ullstrom was a free agent in Sweden. I’m guessing he signs over there for 1-2 more seasons.
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Macch says:
(37) Stocked? I guess if you are talking about guys who might never make it to the NHL than yea they are stocked
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lovin lethbridge says:
Being 5’6″ never hurt a fellow from Manitoba. maybe you herd of him. Last name of Fleury…
If only an undrafted collegian can have half the career of Theoren Fleury! O to dream -
Duncan sounds similar in stature and skillset to Smithtown’s own James Marcou who I believe was at prospects camp last summer. I think Marcou is having a good year at the college level though I forget where he is playing. Hopefully each of these guys can translate thier game to the next level (especially Duncan!).
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isles316 says:
Good job by Garth. I hope people stop knocking Snow. He is doing right by us.
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Hoser14 says:
Whoopie! Just what the Islanders need, another smurf on the defense.
Didn’t anyone see the oversized Eric Staal run over the undersized Jack Hillen on his way the net during last night’s beat down?
Enough! There two things you can’t teach in hockey: size and speed, and the Islanders best skaters aren’t big and their biggest players can’t skate.
Sign Michael Komisarek (6’4″ 245) and Matt Gilroy (6’2″ 190)!
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#47 – except for the crackpipe hits, of course!
Fleury did have an OUTSTANDING career in the NHL, besides some of his shenanigans and personal demons that kept him down. -
HilbertSnipe says:
Wes Welker, Dustin Pedroia, Brian Gionta.
It is possible for small guys to REALLY succeed. Garth is doing the right thing… Katic should be a good fit and had a hell of a second half of the season.
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THEPOLISHPRINCE(48) :
Both Marcou brothers play for UMass Amherst. I have had the opportunity to go to every home game and a few road games to see both of them, considering I go to UM as well. James is smaller than his younger brother Mike, but had a hell of a season on a sub-par team this year. Smaller guys really can do well in the collegiate level because there is less open ice than the NHL… but it is their transition to the NHL through the American Hockey League that can make or break their career, if they get that far. I have also talked to James before and he said that playing with Okposo in prospects camp was awesome. I hope someone gives him a chance… great guy and hockey player.
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#53 – Thanks for the information! It’s always nice to hear about a local boy doing well even if it is just at the college level.
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Yeah, absolutely. His younger brother Mike plays defense and is a freshman, I think James just finished his senior season… so I suppose it is sign-now or bust.
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Isles4cups says:
the bomber (35) A team that is 36pts ahead of the Islanders in the standings and has gone 9-0-1 in their last 10 games is hardly average in my opinion. Let’s remember, some people want the Islanders to lose…and lose they did last night! For those that wanted the losses to rack up…hope you enjoyed last nights game. Good to hear they signed the young Katic, hope he is able to raise his game at the Bridge and then bring it to the big show in a few years.
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DPS says:
This is a meaningless story. I understand you are doing you best to keep us entertained in this debacle of a season CB, but honestly who cares? If we dont bring in some quality NHL caliber hockey players, it will be another year of being the laughing stock of the league. We need between 3-5 quality NHLers. Not the current hodge podge of minor league jokers that we currently have up.
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Does anyone know what the deal is with how many people the Isles can sign? I vaguely remember a discussion here about being selective with which draft picks we sign because you can only have so many players. Which players do we have to sign this year, and which can we wait a year or two on? I hope they give DiBo a shot. Even if he doesn’t pan out, he’s certainly earned a chance to prove himself in the AHL.
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Big Dally says:
This is a fun time of year. This is where we see where the prospects we drafted are gonna end up and if some college kids are coming in to join them that were once unsigned. We are gonna have a boat load of prospects very soon. And where will we put them all. Nice problem to have eh?
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UIF – you can only have 50 players under contract, which I think is why Grachev and Poulin are on ATO’s. It gives the Islanders time figure out if they are worth signing and counting towards the 50.
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(46) yes that is what I’m saying. Three players who may not be regulars yet, but could play a few games in a short span, who know the system, and two of them (MacDonald and Callahan) have shown, at least for the short term could replace an injured d-man. Snow is not done yet, so let’s see what else he comes up with.
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hockeynut says:
James Marcou just finished his sophmore season at Umass finished tied for first in Hockey East in scoring with Colin Wilson he had 47 points in 39 games.I hear there are some teams looking at him now so he might leave school early or next year for sure some team will take a shot with him he produced at every level so far.Would be nice if isle to give him a shot local kid from Smithtown
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Poulin does not have to be signed this year, Gratchev does before June 1.
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Spartiarti - RVC says:
i wouldnt even get involved with Gilroy. I heard soemthing about 3MM getting tossed at him. I are kidding me. You going to compare College Hockey to the NHL. The worst OHL teams can spank a College hockey team.
Sign a NHL free agent. If we get John Tavares use you late first rounder or the second round pick to draft more Dman.
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Ari from Long Island says:
Sign Gratchev! He is going to be a very good player!
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19 ISLE in NJ 22 says:
Congrats Katic!!!
Mark has improved year over year every season before and since being drafted. I look forward to seeing him progress.
****
How do you think this signing impacts the chance of signing Gilroy. -
Brother Rat says:
Hm, intriguing sign with Duncan. Pair him with Juniuor Lessard and we can have two former Hobey Baker Award winners on the same line! Now get Gilroy.
Let’s develop these kids, and see what these kids can do….
What does that mean, # 64, that 3MM was thrown at him? I don’t get the reference.
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geduffer says:
the bomber (#35) – Yeah, we lost 9-0 to Carolina and I’m not minimizing the depth of the stinker that the guys laid last night, but don’t insult the Hurricanes by calling them an “average” team. They are the hottest team in the league and fighting for the 4th seed. They have as good a chance as anyone to come out of the east.
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(57) You just don’t get it. This current “Hodge podge” of minor leaguers make up part of our future. If you knew anything, you would know that signing Katic is a big deal, not meaningless.
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3mm as he was going to get big entry level contract. Not sure if it was few yrs. If that per year then its really absurd.
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Eye on the island says:
why not over pay for jaybo- I’m talking about 1.5 mil more then the next team- it’s not like it’ll hurt out cap
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Yeah lets hurry up and bring in “quality” NHL’ers right away! Katic is meaningless! To heck with signing our promising young picks! After all we all remember what a fantastic decision it was to bring in Yashin at the expense of potential and sign him to a huge contract.
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Very honest and open discussion from Logan today on the Newsday Blog about Kate Murray and the LH project. He more or less stated if Kate wins the election say goodbye to the team. He also believes Queens is highly unlikely. If she loses the election, Wang will be in the new TOH Supervisor’s office the next day revitalizing the LH project with the new TOH Sup and the team will more or less stay. So based on this very upfront, no sugar coated outlook from Logan, do you know who is running against Murray in November?? There is alot on the line here!
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JT says:
Chris, any word on Katic’s Sarnia teammates Matt Martin and Justin DiBenedetto?
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BTWOFOUR says:
I played with mark a few years back. Amazing skating, intense vision. He sees the play before it happens, unreal. Congrats man, giver.
Awesome move! Can’t wait to see what this kid has!