Comments on: 2005 - 2008 ISLANDERS DRAFT PICKS: Status updateContracts, rights, Bona Fide offers

By: NYGiantsin09

NYGiantsin09 — Thu, 14 May 2009 01:59:35 +0000

wait a minute… the Islanders draft Toews’ little bro and Kessel’s little bro? Thats some good hockey pedigree right there

By: sketchykg

sketchykg — Tue, 12 May 2009 02:16:49 +0000

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.

By: bob l

bob l — Mon, 11 May 2009 15:20:05 +0000

@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…

By: art

art — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:27:08 +0000

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!

By: Billy-no-not-Jaffe

Billy-no-not-Jaffe — Mon, 11 May 2009 12:50:40 +0000

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.

By: Smokey

Smokey — Mon, 11 May 2009 00:47:55 +0000

#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.

By: hale

hale — Sun, 10 May 2009 15:53:20 +0000

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

By: Erik

Erik — Sun, 10 May 2009 14:45:42 +0000

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.

By: FIsles

FIsles — Sun, 10 May 2009 14:28:38 +0000

(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.

By: The PolishPrince

The PolishPrince — Sun, 10 May 2009 13:00:58 +0000

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.

By: 19 Isle in NJ 22

19 Isle in NJ 22 — Sun, 10 May 2009 11:26:38 +0000

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.

By: Billy-no-not-Jaffe

Billy-no-not-Jaffe — Sun, 10 May 2009 11:23:09 +0000

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.