2005 - 2008 ISLANDERS DRAFT PICKS: Status update
Contracts, rights, Bona Fide offers
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A black-and-white look at the status of recent Islanders draft picks. Something worth noting: NHL teams can only have 50 players under contract.
2008 NHL DRAFT
1. (9) Josh Bailey: Signed by the Islanders to a standard three-year entry-level contract. Was not eligible for the American Hockey League this past season, but technically eligible to play for Bridgeport next season. Expect him to be a full-time Islander in 2009-10.
2. (36) Corey Trivino: Will play sophomore season at defending NCAA champion Boston University. As a college player, the Islanders retain his exclusive rights for three more years. If he stays in school all four years, Islanders have until August 15 after his final season to sign him.
2. (40) Aaron Ness: Enters second year on the blue line at the University of MInnesota. His signing rights fall under the same rules as Trivino.
2. (53) Travis Hamonic: Headed for another season with Moose Jaw of the Western Hockey League. Will receive, as per the CBA, a “Bona Fide” offer by June 1. This locks in his exclusive rights for the Islanders until next June 1. Expect the Islanders to sign the defenseman next summer.
3. (66) David Toews: Enters sophomore season at the University of North Dakota. Same rights status as aforementioned college players.
3. (72) Jyri Niemi: Islanders will extend a Bona Fide offer before June 1, retaining his rights for another year. Enters third season with Saskatoon of the Western Hockey League in 2009-10.
3. (73) Kirill Petrov: As a draft pick playing in Russia while there is no transfer agreement between the NHL and the International Ice Hockey Federation, Petrov has “defected player” status. This means, for now, that the Islanders have Petrov’s exclusive NHL negotiating rights until he signs with them. As we reported this week, Petrov enters the second year of a four-year contract with Ak Bars in the Kontinental Hockey League.
4. (96) Matt Donovan: Freshman season at the University of Denver begins this fall. Islanders hold the rights to the defenseman for the next four years.
4. (102) David Ullstrom: Same “defected player” status as Petrov. Forward likely to play another season in the Swedish Elite League.
5. (126) Kevin Poulin: Goaltender will receive a Bona Fide offer by June 1 and play another season in the Quebec League.
5. (148) Matt Martin: As of this weekend, the Islanders have not reached a contract agreement with Martin’s agent. He does not have to be signed until June 1, 2010. If he is signed this summer, he could begin his pro development in Bridgeport. Without a deal, he’ll be back in Sarnia of the Ontario League for one more season.
6. (156) Jared Spurgeon: Will receive a Bona Fide offer from the Islanders and play one final season with Spokane of the Western League.
6. (175) Justin DiBenedetto: Signed three-year Entry Level contract with Islanders in April and likely ticketed for a full season in Bridgeport in 2009-10.
2007 DRAFT
3. (62) Mark Katic: Signed to three-year Entry Level contract in April. Will most likely play in Bridgeport next season.
3. (76) Jason Gregoire: Entering sophomore season at the University of North Dakota. The Islanders hold his rights until August 15 after the left wing’s senior year.
4. (106) Max Gratchev: The 20-year old left wing completed his final season in the Quebec League and would need to be signed by June 1. Expect the Islanders to decline to sign him.
6. (166) Blake Kessel: Defenseman entering sophomore year at the University of New Hampshire. As a college player, Islanders retain his rights just like Gregoire.
7. (196) Simon Lacroix: 20-year old defenseman played his third year in the Quebec League and would need to be signed by June 1. Expect the Islanders to decline to sign him.
2006 UPDATE: The Islanders have signed 5 players from the successful draft of 2006: Kyle Okposo (first round), Jesse Joensuu (2nd), Robin Figren (3rd), Tomas Marcinko (4th) and Andrew MacDonald (6th). Still high on the club’s radar is Rhett Rakhshani (4th), playing his senior season as the captain at the University of Denver.
The team is still monitoring the development of goaltender Stefan Ridderwall (6th), playing in the Swedish Elite League. As a defected player, the Islanders retain Ridderwall’s rights. Also worth a look but long-shots: Jase Weslosky (4th), Doug Rogers (4th) and Brian Day (6th). Rogers is entering his senior year at Harvard and needs to have a great one.
2005 UPDATE: The Islanders need to make decisions this summer on two players who just played their fourth years at Clarkson University: forward Shea Guthrie (3rd) and defenseman Tyrell Mason (6th). Guthrie is the more difficult call. He needs to be signed by August 15, or the Islanders could trade his rights.
Comments.
55 Responses to “2005 - 2008 ISLANDERS DRAFT PICKS: Status update
Contracts, rights, Bona Fide offers”
Please Wait
Good point about Josh Bailey, he could very well see some time in Brideport which I think is a fabulous idea. I am not talkng a majority of games down there (or up there if you look at a map) but rather 10-15 games to get some extra work and confidence.
Bring up Martin and sign him. He is a natural leader. Get him in Bridgeport in Sept. Also, my money is on Ness leaving college in his Jr. year to pursue an NHL career.Ironic that he plays for U Minnesota!
CB, why would the Islanders likely decline to sign Simon Lacroix?? He has proved a lot for a 7th round pick, he had 50 pts in 62 games. I’d like to mention that his Shawnigan club he captains is 2 wins away from advancing to the memorial cup.
i would like to see martin in bridgeport next year. i like him.
Not sure if I am overly impressed with these picks. Hope that it is early in their prospective careers and that they are not the final product. Are any of these guys top 6 or top 4? I believe in Bailey, maybe Ness.Also wish some of them were closer to being nhl ready…..Patience, repeat patience.
I am genuinely psyched about some of these guys- Travis Hamonic, Kevin Poulin, Matt Martin, Cory Trivino, etc. Its great to see that there are some solid looking upcoming players in this organiztion.
As far as why they may devcline to sign Lacroix (Erik 3) I thought the same thing- but Im guessing it has to do with only being able to hold 50 players under contract.
I go to clarkson University where Shea Guthrie plays. I have seen him play dozens of times over the last few years. Let me just tell you that this kid plays hard every game. He may not be the biggest scorer but he seems like he is always around the puck and on the ice when the team scores. He also hits like a man on a mission. It would be awesome to see the Islanders keep and eventually see him in the Islanders uniform in a couple of years!
Great read, CB. Also, http://www.hockeysfuture.com has a nice write-up today on every Islander prospect in the system. For anyone who is unfamiliar with many of the Isles prospects, HockeysFuture does a really nice write up on all of them.
In my opinion, Gregoire is the diamond in the rough of this group. As a freshmen, he was clearly one of there best player down the stretch, particularly in their ncaa OT loss in playoffs. The kid looks good and he is playing for an NCAA powerhouse.
Martin needs to be signed and needs to play in Bridgeport.
Other than that, let the kids keep growing.
DRAFT TAVARES or HEDMAN ONLY!
Didnt like to hear Lacroix and Guthrie are expected not to be signed.
If it turns out the way forecasted, too bad about Lacroix and Gratchev.
I agree with Eric. Also do not forget some of these players may be signed to either Utah or Bport as Free Agents to help circumvent the 50 contract rule
CB, coming from one of the very loyal fans to this franchise, I would like to thank you for all of your work on this blog! We all appreciate it very much!
How come we are not signing Max or Lacroix????
I can’t wait to see DiBenedetto. Kid can flat-out play.
Please sign Martin before June. Thank you Garth!
I’m a huge fan of Martin and wouldn’t mind him playing an OA year in Sarnia as their captain. Let the kid finish his OHL career and then make the jump. No need to rush him when the 50 man rule is looming.
Snow’s first draft was 2007, and w/o a first (Smyth) and 2nd (Zednik) rounder we couldnt expect any stars. If it takes 4-5 years to judge a draft, it’s hard to see if either the ‘07 or ‘08 drafts were a success. As for the 2006 draft, I have heard Neil Smith on various media outlets patting himself on the back for the job he did (even though he was only the GM for a month or so when draft was conducted). I kinda agree with him; KO is teh real deal, JJ looks to have potential, and I liked what I saw from McDonald the short time we saw him.
this is all nice for subject of discussion, yet what awaits the future of this organization….
#5… Not impressed? Just curious, based on what?
I can’t believe that still somehow… the name Neil Smith comes up in connection with drafting Kyle Okposo.
I think that it has been made abundantly clear by CB on several occasions that he really had NOTHING to do with that draft.
Maybe Neil Smith is “FISHING” for a job… by attaching himself to that pick???
Well done CB.
This is why this blog is the best, hands down! Thanks, Chris.
we still need more vets. free agents…
Does any one else think that Sean Bentivoglio is going to be a Jason Blake type of player?
Also I think JJ can be a real good player, hopefully he has a good camp
Another great read CB! Keep up the good work!
I’m slightly confused as to why you would even speculate that Josh Bailey would spend
I’m slightly confused as to why you would even speculate that Josh Bailey would spend any time in BP next season. After lasy year…wouldn’t that be a tremendous step backwards? Personally, I would be furious if this kid ever saw another game with the Soundtigers, forget about a whole season. I think he more than showed that he 100% belongs on the big club. Is there really a decent chance that he might play in the minors?
The way I took it I think what CB was saying was that Josh COULD (as in he would technically be allowed to) play for Bpt- he did not say that he actually WOULD. In fact, he said that we should expect him to be an Islander.
Very informative CB. I’d like more detail on each player and how they are progressing. Guthrie has nice size to him so he might be worth signing and developing. I think he was a 3rd rounder and may be an excellent 4th line center.
Martin is another piece of the puzzle! Get his John Hancock on paper. Isles need to get developing for a run in two yrs.
Chris @ 30 - Yep, that’s how I read it also. Bailey could play in BPort next year but likely will not.
Thanks CB, for a great site and for reminding us to keep up on the prospects. Thanks Justin for posting the hockeysfuture link. Great stuff!
Now we just have to draft Tavares and we take another big step.
CB - Just curious as to why you label Weslosky a longshot? This kid has some pretty good numbers He’ll be in his senior year next season.
I think these guys provide a decent base for our prospect pool, a lot more decent than hockeysfuture seems to think. If Snow and Jankowski can pull out another good draft with the plethora of picks we have this year, we won’t only have future Islanders in our system, but we’ll have important pieces to trade for some veterans in a couple years
#21: Sorry that no one seems to like Neil Smith. He gets credit for the 2006 Draft, good or bad — he was the GM and had to sign off on it, even if that meant letting the scouts have their way.
I’ve known Neil casually and professionally for 20 years. Lest everyone forget, he built the only Stanley Cup winner a certain Original Six franchise has had in my lifetime (mid-50s). He did a brilliant job in six weeks here — dumping him was among Wang’s worst moves (Snow may be a good GM; Smith already was, and he wanted to run the Isles very badly. It was his dream job).
As for prospects, there’s not a lot of sentiment that the Isles have this big wave of talent coming. Okposo looks like an excellent player. Bailey, if the Isles are lucky, could be Nicklas Backstrom. The fact that Hockey’s Future rates a Russian kid who won’t be here for a couple of years, if ever, as this team’s best prospect says a lot.
Thanks, Mike.
No. 9 - I’m going to be a bit more of a stickler than you… DRAFT TAVARES ONLY!!
Other than that, by design or not, I’m glad that the Islanders drafted a lot of college players where they can bide a little bit of time.
CB, Can you provide some details on why you think some won’t be offered contracts? Not progressing or what?
Bailey going to be better than Nik backstrom. I expect Bailey will be one of the more improved players next year.
He will not play a game in bridgeport.
Cant wait till the draft.
DonK you dont give Neil smith credit for the 2006 isles draft because you may have a “casual relationship” with him, or because he “signed off on paperwork”
when the reports CLEARLY indicate, from islanders scouting down and smith HIMSElf directly following the draft of 06, including botta, that he had no role in the picking of the kids.
Now, 3 years later we are supposed to believe he had an impact when everything both he and the club said at the time of the actual draft was the contrary?
Is this what common sense dictates? I believe not.
No way Bailey will be better than Nik Backstrom. That kid is seriously good already and well on his way to being great. However good you think he is now, multiply it a few times over and you’re a lot closer. Watching the Caps makes me excited and jealous and disappointed all at once.
On topic, I’m hopeful that at least a few of these guys pan out, but man would it be nice to have a few in the back pocket that we didn’t have to hope about? It seems like thats all we do anymore and you know what they say…. “Hope in one hand, you know what in the other. See which one fills up first.”
Unless Bailey has a disastrous training camp I cannot see him starting the season in Bridgeport. Hopefully he will spend the off season bulking up with Okposo.
CB-
Any chance that Snow uses Bailey as a trade chip to get up to a second top 5 pick?
I feel we made a huge mistake taking an average skater, averge centerman last year when we could have added qulaity and speed in Filatov or Boedker.
CB ~ Thanks for that run down. It seems that the Isles have some thinking to do, and need to carefully manage their assets.
I was wondering if the Bridgeport Sound Tigers can sign an Isles prospect to a minor league deal without it counting against the Isles’ 50 player quota.
The only problem I have with the NHL’s rights term limitations is the fact that MOST players aren’t worthy of consideration of an NHL contract at the age of 20. Clubs should be able to sign a not ready for prime-time player to a short term (2 years?) ECHL development contract if they can’t cut the mustard in the AHL or NHL … some players are late bloomers and quite frankley … teams spend a lot of money scouting and developing these players.
I think Bailey will end up being a much better than “average” centerman. He’s only 19, let’s give him some time. Also, I think Botta made a good point in another entry - why trade away Bailey who will presumably develop into a very solid #2 center if you take Tavaras as your #1 centerman this June.
(41) I think you’re confusing speed with ability. There is more to hockey than foot speed. Bailey is definitely not an average center in terms of playmaking skill. I would not be shocked if he eventually became one of the league’s best playmaking centermen.
With the likely decline of signing Shea, Max and Lacroix, I wonder if this will lead to the islanders actually giving Micheal Haley and Tyler Haskins NHL contracts for next season. Both have definitely earned it, Haley even showed a scoring touch later in the season. I have a feeling that Max will get an AHL deal similar to what Haskins and Haley had.
to post 40…easy lets not get carried away with josh…backstrom has ovechkin on the powerplay which is good for 50 points right there…backstrom has franchise center upside and reminds me of forsberg in many ways…i think josh will be very good and its too early to tell but he reminds me of a doug weight or ales hemsky…again nothing wrong with that
#8: Thank you for the link to HF. It was an interesting read.
However, I do not believe their scouts are actually watching the games (and as I say about Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus, it’s hard to actually do that anyway because of the sheer volume of games you’d need to watch, so I don’t blame them).
Their rankings are a little out of wack. For instance, anyone who has watched Matt Martin this season would tell you that he does not belong at #20 on that list. I watched Kessel, Trivino, Gregoire, and Sims in the NCAAs this year, and they all looked good.
For reference and consideration, from my own uneducated and amateur eye, I would put good money on Shane Sims making the League. Solid positional skills, wicked slapshot, pretty good wrist shot, good skater, suitable NHL size. He just needs a mean streak.
Everyone who went/goes to school with a particular player is calling for him to be signed. Also, everyone who has seen, knows someone who knows someone, or has just plain taken a liking to some draft picks name is calling for them to be a part of the Isles.
Give it a rest. We have to hope that the hockey professionals on staff can separate true potential for just college or lower level competencies.
If Matt Martin can be our Milan Lucic, well hopefully he will be signed. We completely lack that type forward, a big, fast, mean forechecker.
The real story is not the draft the odds are on Tavares and if there is a suprise some combinations of picks and hedman plus someone else. The real story for next season are UFAS and trades. The main reason is that the ISLES need a fast start and a playoff spot next season if they are to stay on the Island. The Oct. deadline is not fixed in stone and a great start with Tavares in the lineup will contribute more than anything else to a positive outcome!
@51’s “We completely lack that type forward, a big, fast, mean forechecker.”
KO’s a great forechecker, led the team in steals, and most of that was from forechecking and being relentless in his pursuit of opponents, BUT, we need more players that do that as well…
What exactly are the Bona Fide offers? It it’s not be an NHL deal even at the league minimum is it? If so I would think a lot more of the late round picks would take it at the first chance. For instance, we had to give Lacroix a Bona Fide offer last summer to retain his rights, I would think if it was a NHL contract he would have signed it last year.
wait a minute… the Islanders draft Toews’ little bro and Kessel’s little bro? Thats some good hockey pedigree right there