Monthly Archives: August 2009
With not much news other than rants in Newsday about ticket issues, let’s lighten the mood a little. Here’s a list of personal favorites from my time with the team along with a few tales.
1987-88: Steve Konroyd and Bob Bassen - Just about everyone on the team was cooperative with this rookie Islanders News editor, but these two gentlemen seemed to go out of their way to make me feel comfortable. I’ll never forget them for that. Islanders lost to the Devils in the first round. Even to this novice, it was easy to see New Jersey was building something.
1988-89: Pat LaFontaine - A remarkable player, a compassionate and giving person. Sadly, the insanity of the 40-day Neil Smith era led to hurt feelings and a fracture in the Islanders-LaFontaine relationship. (Contrary to how it may have played out, no one disrespected LaFontaine more than Smith). In my view, it’s been too long without healing. Pat does wonderful work with his Companions in Courage foundation. Still, Pat and the Islanders are much better off together.
(thx, Dominick of Lighthouse Hockey)
1989-90: Ken Baumgartner - GMs, media and fans love to say, “You don’t make a trade just for the sake of making a trade.” Nonsense. His team in need of shock therapy, Bill Torrey traded Mikko Makela to LA for the “Bomber” and Hubie McDonough – a pair of fourth-liners. The Islanders woke up, went on a huge winning streak and their regular season was saved.
I thought we were getting a wild man in Kenny. Instead, after his first practice on Long Island he asked me to take him across the street to Hofstra and help him get enrolled in some business classes.
1990-91: Richard Pilon - Nasty SOB on the ice, fearless, relentless. Off the ice, a shy teddy bear. At charity and team functions early on, he used to sit next to me so I could be the ice-breaker with the guests at his table.
Years later, the Islanders rewarded him with a contract extention on the eve of the trade deadline. Trouble was, no one could find him to sign it. I called every establishment in Vancouver trying to track him down before one of his teammates gave me a solid tip. I described Richie to the bouncer at the door. Richie called my hotel room a few minutes later. Freaked out, Pilon yelled in his high-pitched voice, “Botts, where did that _________ trade me”? I said, “Relax, Richie. If you’d get your ass back to the hotel, that ___________ wants to give you a few million dollars.”
1991-92: Benoit Hogue - A secondary part of the LaFontaine-Turgeon blockbuster with Buffalo, Hogue turned into another Bill Torrey steal. How much would 30 goals and 78 points pay Benny now? More than enough to have two summer homes on the Island, I bet. (He has one, and is here all the time).
Hogue was so fast and so talented – and yes, often distracted and wildly inconsistent – teams like Phoenix, Tampa Bay and Dallas gave him contracts even when it was clear his best days were behind him. They loved him so much in Dallas, they made him a Star three times.
About 90 minutes before his first game as an Islander, Hogue and I spoke briefly. In his thick French Canadian accent, he told me he was thrilled to be an Islander. That was nice to hear. I asked him if it was because he had friends in New York. He said no. I asked if he really hated his coach or the surroundings in Buffalo. Negative. He looked at me right in the face, put his arm around me and said, “Chreeece, it’s just good to be on an NHL team where there’s someone with a nose as beeeeg as mine.”
I’ll have the next 5 down the road. Your faves from 1987-92, and other thoughts on this story, in Comments. Talk about the current NYI in the next thread.
I’m daring Garth Snow and Scott Gordon. If a challenger out-works and out-plays an incumbent and therefore earns his position, I want to see the GM and coach of the Islanders give a player with a two-way contract an opening night roster spot over a player on a one-way deal.
For example, if Trevor Smith, Jesse Joensuu, Andrew MacDonald or veterans like Greg Moore or Matt Moulson have a superior training camp over – just throwing out some names here – Jeff Tambellini or Blake Comeau or Freddy Meyer, reward them with an NHL job. Send the NHL-signed player to the minors.
Doesn’t happen very often in the NHL.
Don’t confuse the battles currently raging in National Football League camps with job competition in the NHL. In the NFL, if someone gets out-worked and out-played – or doesn’t come to camp in shape – he doesn’t get paid. He gets cut. His non-guaranteed contract is worthless.
In the NHL, the cash is guaranteed. The Islanders have some young players with one-way deals – they get paid their NHL salary even if sent to the minors – despite failing to prove they are everyday NHL contributors. Tambellini is the obvious case. The Islanders also have veteran Jon Sim, entering the final year of his one-way deal.
With Sim, the Islanders have demonstrated they will waive and demote a player on a one-way, but the Sim case was about a player not committing to a coach’s program. I want to see what happens if a player truly earns a spot in camp over a player on an NHL-only deal.
It would be quite a victory for an Islanders prospect or determined AHL veteran. It would be quite a statement for Snow and Gordon to make.
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Imagine being told in your career search that you’re one of 55 people in the running for 22 jobs. However, at least 18 of those contenders already have contracts for positions and the other spots are pretty much nailed down. That’s kind of what life is like at an NHL training camp. Hard knocks? Not really.
More than 55 players will travel to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan next month for Islanders camp. Only 21 or 22 will make the Islanders’ lineup. Based on one-way contracts and other matters, the team is essentially pre-picked.
Don’t worry: between his world class skill level, box office drawing power and his maximum Entry Level contract that puts the Islanders above the cap floor, John Tavares will make the big club. Fellow entry levelers Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey will also make the club. So the NHL roster is all but finalized.
Of course, training camp is another chance to look at Travis Hamonic, Calvin de Haan and other prospects. The Saskatoon camp will also have the subplot of tough forward Matt Martin trying to prove he’s worth what his agent is asking for, not what the Islanders are offering.
But the Martin drama at camp is as rare as it is unfortunate. With the advent of prospect camps, there isn’t as compelling a reason to “look at all the kids” at traditional September training camps. The process is overrated. Scott Gordon is an honorable gentleman who has time for all of his players. But in the short-term life of an NHL coach, it’s human nature for Gordon to focus more on this season’s roster than project where a Hamonic or a Casey Cizikas might fit in his system in a few years.
Some teams – as the Islanders have done in the past – conduct pre-camp workouts to look at their prospects and farmhands before assigning them back to junior or the AHL. These “rookie camps” enable the coaching staff to get to more manageable numbers before the main show begins. The last I heard, the Islanders are not having a rookie camp on Long Island before leaving for Saskatoon. There will be some rookie games out west.
The Islanders are also not involved in any pre-season rookie tournaments, a great way to learn what your prospects can do against real competition. Boston, Toronto, Ottawa and Pittsburgh are having their kids hit each other in Kitchener from Sept. 6-10. Eight teams – the Rangers, Carolina, Atlanta, Detroit, Columbus, Dallas, Minnesota and St. Louis – will watch their prospects battle in a tournament in Traverse City.
One assumes the Islanders are satisfied with their July prospect camps’ effectiveness in the development process.
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The uphill battle can be a source of frustration for AHL players on two-way contracts who often believe – some with good reason - that they could get a goal a game in the preseason and skate through a wall and still not make the club. This reminds me of a funny scene a few years ago in training camp in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.
I was out one night at the one good bar in town. They had this band that did incredible covers of Creedence Clearwater Revival. Easily more than half of the 50 players in camp were there, and it was getting close to their 11:00 pm curfew. The first intrasquad scrimmage was the next morning. For some players, that was their best opportunity to bid for a job.
The Islanders GM and coaches decided they wanted to come out for a drink and play a few games of pool, so they called me and my colleague to let us know. It was their way of extending a courtesy to the players; since it was going to be after 11:00 pm by the time they arrived via taxi, the players might want to take our hint and get the heck out of the bar.
Just about all of the players appreciated the gesture and headed for the team hotel. A few waited until the honchos showed up, bolting for a pre-arranged back door.
One player, a strong AHLer young enough to still dream of the NHL, decided he wasn’t going to leave. Bitter that he had no realistic shot to make the team (that was his view), he decided he was going to finish his drink. I couldn’t believe it. This guy had a game in the morning, a chance to make his mark.
But he didn’t see it that way. He was one of those AHLers who felt there wasn’t anything he could do to make the Islanders. So he stayed for a while past curfew, in full view of management. Before he finally staggered out, he said something that had us spitting up our beers. Told once again that he should really get out of the bar, he said, “What are the Islanders gonna do – cut me twice“?
We still joke about that line. The player was complete horsebleep in the scrimmage and now makes a nice living as a point-a-game player in Europe. I’m told there aren’t any curfews, and the beer is especially good there.
Comments.
According to the newly-Tweeting Katie Strang – I told you she’d kick butt on the web – there wasn’t a whole lot doing when a trio of young kinda-Islanders signed autographs as individual game tickets went on sale at the team store. “Not too big of a turnout for ticket sales event at NYI team store,” Tweeted the Uniondale Strangler. “Guess a nice-weather summer Saturday is a tough time to draw a crowd…”
An August 15 on-sale event a month after the John Tavares hype subsided and a month before the training camp coverage begins may not have been the way to go. As Katie said, Long Islanders have other priorities if they’re going to get in the car in the summer. Still, I’m sure sales on the internet were solid and the Islanders will report strong business during the week.
But there was another major Islanders event today. You know what I’m talking about…Ice Girls auditions!
No official word on the results, but my kids and I overheard a scoop during Sean Kingston’s set at the Power 105 Mega-Jam in Medford tonight. Looks like two new Women of Islanders Ice have been selected.
As for these pictures, yeah…they’re not going to win any Pulitzers. This video from newsday.com of the tryouts may. (It’s worth it just to hear my dear buddy Tim Beach of the Islanders talk about the Ice Girls’ responsibilities like they were joining the Peace Corps). Still, these rare photos are just our way of trying to keep you posted on all the crucial stuff in Islanders Country. It’s what we do.
Tasteful Comments. Some of that wacky nonsense I had to weed through after Katie got the Islanders’ beat is not going to last long. Thanks. The hockey talk continues in the next thread.
When I wrote earlier this week about the Islanders’ lineup, it received a lot of reaction like, “You didn’t leave space for a late free agency pickup or two,” “Don’t forget about the fighter we’re going to add,” “Hey, you said there would be a training camp invitee” and many retorts of “Yeah, but they’re not done.”
I may not have been clear enough. For all intents and purposes, the Islanders are done. They may add a player to the roster, but it’s not going to be anyone that tips the balance of power in the Eastern Conference. There could be a camp invitee, but it’s a stretch to hope it will be anyone with the character, leadership and third-line ability of Richard Park.
So again, don’t read too much into my lines, but here’s the 2009-10 opening lineup. Barring a shocker, this is the squad.
Tavares – Weight – Okposo
Bergenheim – Nielsen – Hunter
Comeau – Bailey – Park
Tambellini – Thompson – Jackman
(Realistic competitors: Sim, Moore, Rechlicz, Joensuu, Smith)
Streit – Gervais
Witt – Martinek
Sutton – Meyer/Hillen
(Realistic competitor, if there are injuries: MacDonald)
Roloson
Biron
NOTES
The Fight Game: I have never been Mr. Hockey Fights Dot Com, but I will say this to the many fans out there who believe the Islanders should not waste their time or money adding a legitimate enforcer. When the Islanders get down 3-0 some night in the first period, and either no one drops the gloves – a la NHL tradition for about 100 years – or an Islander barely holds on against a heavyweight, I want to be sitting in the Coliseum stands next to you.
It’s okay for a rebuilding team to lose some games. It’s not okay to field a team that thinks they can’t compete in a fight. Look, I don’t love a lot of the fighting in the NHL either. I find some of it really embarassing. But I didn’t make the rules. As much as I kid Brian Burke, there’s a reason he loaded up in Anaheim, a reason he beefed up in Toronto. The man understands how to build the collective psyche of a team.
Satan’s Deal: I think Miroslav Satan is going about it the wrong way. Miro needs to accept that he is in career revitalization mode. Make that career resuscitation. Telling Katie Strang of Newsday, “I’m not saying no to anything right now” makes it apparent no one is asking anything of Satan. Instead of trying to pretend that he’s looking at the Islanders as one of several options as if he is a desired commodity, Miro should consider the honest, humble approach.
“I’m here in Iceworks in August because I’m determined to get my career back on track,” Satan could say. “I was a good player for a long time but I’ve had some setbacks. From being sent to the minors to playing in the Stanley Cup-winning game, I learned a lot last season. I know I can contribute. I will do whatever it takes to show a team l’m a good role model and still a very good player. My wife and I made a home on Long Island because we love it here. The Islanders were very good to us. If they gave me the chance, I would be appreciative and I wouldn’t let them or the fans down.”
And if he was fortunate enough for the Islanders to offer a one-way contract for a smidge above the league minimum, Miro could show his sincerity and commitment by accepting it. Or he can return to Europe. Either way, I don’t see why the Islanders would make him part of their program.
The First Big Game of the Year: If I could sit in the stands with my sons for one event in a New York-area arena or stadium between now and the end of the calendar year, it would not be to see my Yankees play the freakin’ Angels of Whatever in the playoffs. It would not be to see the beginning of the Mark Sanchez era with the Jets or Giants-Cowboys. It would not even be Springsteen “closing” Giants Stadium as if it were an iconic hall like Radio City for cripes sake.
Nope, it would be for Penguins at Islanders on October 3. Although I have been labeled Debbie Downer in some parts of the Country for my realistic take on where the Islanders should finish this season, there should be plenty of nights of exhilaration. The Islanders can have a successful season if most of their important young players develop at a proper rate. There are also nights on the schedule when the Islanders have to put on a grand show.
The old barn on Hempstead Turnpike will be jammed for the season opener. It’s already a very hot ticket. The game will mean little to Sidney Crosby and the Penguins. It should mean everything to Scott Gordon’s Islanders. They may not win – there’s a wee bit of a talent discrepancy – but it will be unforgiveable if they don’t leave blood and sweat all over the ice.
Like the Capitals in the year before and after Ovechkin, the Islanders must be absolute PIAs to play against. Opponents may get two points off them, but they should have to limp back to their locker room after doing so. Most of you will agree that, on paper, the Islanders do not appear to be that kind of bruising team. To see what they are made of, it starts on October 3.
Reader of the Week: Islanders fan Michael R. was in Egypt recently and sent over these photos. Now that’s dedication.
Comments. Comment Guidelines.
You can add another talented young professional to Islanders Country. Katie Strang has been named the new Islanders beat writer for Newsday.
Katie is a 20-something, Tavares-level prospect who has been a reporter at Long Island’s newspaper the last two years after graduating from Michigan State. She knows the game of hockey well and has already established strong contacts and a good working relationship with the Islanders.
Actually, she’s more than a prospect. She’s a thorough and relentless reporter. There’s no question in my mind that Katie will do an outstanding job on this beat and Islanders fans are going to like her coverage. While every writer is limited by the space they are given in the print edition of the paper, Katie will blog religiously. Count on it.
If Newsday‘s goal is to provide readers with the best coverage of the Islanders anywhere, then the paper’s editors should make Greg Logan the Doug Weight to Strang’s Tavares.
Greg took a tremendous amount of pride in his work on the Islanders and had countless exclusive stories to show for it on his four years on the beat. His cell phone has the numbers of every crucial contact in and around the organization and he enjoyed a professional working relationship with general manager Garth Snow. Greg loved being on the Islanders beat, and so many of us blogger types learned a lot from being around him. Logan must stay.
With Newsday increasing its hockey coverage in the Cablevision era – and likely to step it up on the Island as Tavares starts to play some games – the inclusion of an experienced, insightful journalist like Logan is essential. I’m sure there are plenty of things Logie would like to cover, now that he is off the grind of an NHL beat. But it would be a disappointment for me and a loss for hockey fans if Greg Logan is not around the Islanders in the big spots.
Comments on this story and Islanders coverage here. Hockey talk continues in the next thread.
“There’s got to be something better than in the middle.”
Jakob Dylan, The Wallflowers’ “One Headlight” (1996)
There may be no better explanation of Garth Snow’s approach to his rebuilding program. Fearful of finishing between 14th and 24th in the NHL – and forever being consigned to the middle of the first round of the draft – the Islanders are rolling the dice.
By staying at the salary cap floor and not taking short cuts with the addition of a few skilled young veterans via free agency or trade, the Islanders are counting on the development of their young players – and the patience of their fanbase.
The process could be very rewarding at the end, but trying times are ahead – at least for one more season.
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Tavares – Weight – Okposo
Bergenheim – Nielsen – Hunter
Comeau – Bailey – Park
Tambellini/Sim – Thompson – Jackman
Rechlicz
Streit – Gervais
Witt – Martinek
Sutton – Meyer/Hillen
Roloson
Biron
Who knows if I got even a single line right? Who knows if Tavares will play the wing or pivot? Not the point. These are your 2009-10 New York Islanders. Love them for who they are, and what they could turn out to be. But keep your expectations realistic, and don’t worry about having to save up for playoff tickets.
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It’s that time of the summer when the season predictions start to roll in. The Hockey News kicked things off by forecasting that the Islanders will finish dead last in the Eastern Conference.
Predictions like these are usually followed by rants ripping on the credibility of the media outlet. These rants from the faithful are usually followed by similar predictions on blogs and message boards by those same fans.
Last season, less than 20% of fans on the team’s own official message board Islandermania thought the Islanders were going to make the playoffs. A large majority had their favorite team finishing somewhere between 12th and 15th. (Cockeyed optimist that I am, Point Blank picked the Islanders for 11th. Oops.) I suspect the predictions will sit between 13th and 15th this season – by the media and most fans.
Right now, I would pick them 13th in the Eastern Conference. I have no idea which teams they will finish in front of. Since the goalies and the kids will help them win some late-season games, 13th just sounded right.
Yep, Dwayne Roloson and Martin Biron are an improvement over last year’s goaltenders, but it would be a miscalculation to make too big a deal of that.
John Tavares will make them better, but a teenager without any acquired veteran offensive assistance can only do so much. Tavares will never be touted as a player like Alexander Ovechkin who can generate scoring chances by himself. A victory for the Islanders this season is Tavares scoring 25 goals.
And yes, the lineup should not experience the injury trainwreck of a year ago. Then again, wishing for at least 75 games from Radek Martinek and others who haven’t played a full season in a while may not be a good use of your hockey god wishes.
A lot of folks in the Country are saying that between improved health, Tavares and the goaltending upgrade, the Islanders have to be better. Yes, they will. That’s all well and good. The bigger problem is, just about every team in the Eastern Conference will be better.
As for those pointing to anticipated growth from Kyle Okposo, Josh Bailey and Frans Nielsen, the Islanders are not the only team in the NHL with young players. Okposo, Bailey and Nielsen will be better…whoop de darn do. So will Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan, Artem Anisimov and Marc Staal. So will Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal.
Point is, everyone has talented young players. The Islanders have some very good ones in Tavares and Okposo. What they don’t have are any top-6 forwards and top-4 defensemen banging on the door in Bridgeport.
The Islanders are in a rebuild, and they are sticking to it. The inability to acquire toughness, at least as of today, is a mistake. Whether it was wise not to add young veterans up front (Alex Tanguay) or on D (Francois Beauchemin), I guess we’re going to find out.
But those decisions are why the Islanders again will not be in the playoffs. They are why, if you’re an Islanders fan, you would likely sign up right now just for the chance of “meaningful” games after the Olympic break.
It is why it will be fascinating to see if the same fans – and everyone else around the team – who gave their blessings to not adding talent will be able to keep their cool when the losses pile up.
Are you in it for the long haul? The Islanders seem to be.
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Islanders prospects Aaron Ness and Matt Donovan remain in the running for Team USA at the World Junior Championships after the team cut its roster to 29 players. Ness (2nd round, 2008) is a sophomore at Minnesota, Donovan (4th round, 2008) is a freshman at Denver.
We asked a veteran NHL scout – not affiliated with the Islanders – for his notes on the first weekend of WJC evaluation camp for Team USA in Lake Placid over the weekend. Our scout was one of more than a dozen NHL personnel in Lake Placid, which included Islanders scouting director Ryan Jankowski, Maple Leafs VP Dave Poulin and Atlanta bosses Don Waddell and Rick Dudley.
“I think Ness will make the team,” said the scout, who requested anonymity. “That seems to be the feeling of people I’ve spoken with, and I feel he deserves it. He didn’t play his best over the weekend, but the U.S. development program knows what he can do.
“He’s an excellent puck-mover, joins the rush, great first pass, great hands and vision. Time will tell in a few years if he can play defense against the bigger guys in the NHL, but I would bet on him. He has the mobility and the smarts. You look at a guy like Mark Streit, who’s not the biggest defender. I think Ness can look at Streit as a model for what he can be in this league.”
We asked the scout about a few other Team USA topics from the weekend.
On Matt Donovan: “He was a long shot coming in and could end up being one of the final cuts, but he has done himself proud with his camp so far. He has good poise, good vision. Like a lot of kids at this stage of their development, he needs to work on his feet. Donovan’s a good prospect, especially from the fourth round.”
Most impressive players in camp so far: “Tops for me was John Carlson, Washington’s first round pick. “Great size (6-3, 200), ability in both ends, strong right-hand shot. He’ll be a good NHL defenseman, I don’t think there’s any question.
“Jordan Schroeder, Vancouver’s first pick this year, showed why some people thought he slipped too far. He had 8 points in the 3 games. A lot of offensive ability with that kid. (Schroeder, like Ness, is a generous 5-10 and a sophomore at Minnesota). I also was impressed by Derek Stepan from Wisconsin (Rangers’ 2nd round, 2008). Really good hands and instincts. He has the ability to develop into a strong NHL center.”
Team USA plays four exhibition games this week in Lake Placid against the campers from the Russian National Team. Team Russia includes Islanders’ 2009 late round pick Anton Klementyev.
By the way, top Islanders prospects Calvin de Haan and Travis Hamonic are said to be doing okay, not spectacularly, in camp this week for Team Canada. Said one observer in Saskatoon, “They need to play within themselves.”
And finally, did I mention likely 2010 top-5 pick Cam Fowler is still in the Team USA lineup in Lake Placid?
Your prediction for the 2009-10 Islanders, and anything else related to this story, in Comments.
So what’s next for the Lighthouse Project?
The Public Comment period on the Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement (DGEIS) ends August 17. That’s when the lead agency, aka the Town of Hempstead, has to turn the DGEIS into a Final EIS. Although Tuesday’s hearing was a clear victory for the Lighthouse developers, the Town will likely hear over the next ten days from many groups, including:
- The Department of Transportation
- The Department of Environmental Conservation
- The Department of of Public Works
- The Department of Health
and more!
The developers should also hear from the ToH staff in the next few weeks about a date for – wait for it – a “zoning” hearing. Oh, brother. If they’re not going to have it on a Saturday in September so students and the working world can participate, no one should expect another jam-packed auditorium.
The hosting of more than 200 community outreaches by the LDC is probably the biggest reason for the shocking lack of public opposition on Tuesday. That said, there is still time – and Garden City is the one village in the Town of Hempstead to hire outside attorneys to examine what the project means to them.
“This is why the pressure on the politicians cannot cease,” said one observer. “Just because the hearing is over, that doesn’t mean the developers and supporters of the project should feel the work is done. It’s not.”
This is why I continue to believe October 3 will pass without Charles Wang getting “certainty” from the Town of Hempstead. This is why I continue to believe the Lighthouse Development Corporation will be accepting calls on October 4 from outside the 516 area code.
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NIX ZHERDEV
Nik Zherdev an Islander? Tough to see the point, or it happening.
The argument for the Islanders’ acquisition of the Rangers’ walk-away is that he’s very gifted offensively and he’s only 25 in November. Got it.
Then you have to question if this is a player you want as a cornerstone of your rebuild. No matter how you want to view his four-year career, two teams have already decided they could do without him. Believe me: if Cup-winning head coach John Tortorella really wanted the Russian wing, the Rangers would have found a way to keep him. As for the Blue Jackets, Scott Howson could not get rid of him fast enough.
Yes, Zherdev is young, but if the Islanders chose not to make big offers to free agents between the ages of 26-31, I find it hard to believe they will dig down for $3-4 million a year for Zherdev. This isn’t about the Islanders being stingy, just sticking to a plan. Does an enigmatic (there’s that word again) young man who takes the long way to the net, has trouble putting a good week together and has one eye on the KHL sound like a part of this plan?
Of all the moves the Islanders can potentially make to bring in top young talent, Nikolai Zherdev should be far, far down the list.
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HOME OF THE FREE AGENTS?
I disagree with Garth Snow’s statement that the Lighthouse Project will be a lure for free agents. No, the Lighthouse Project will enable the Islanders to simply compete with the rest of the league.
Still, the project must be approved for the Islanders to have any chance to flourish as a major league operation. An all-star player with plenty of options is not going to commit the prime of his career to the depressing parking lot on Hempstead Turnpike. You wouldn’t.
And oh by the way, this doesn’t just relate to other teams’ unrestricted free agents. This is as much about keeping Kyle Okposo here. This is about keeping John Tavares…assuming he’s any good.
(Settle. Just some August humor with those last four words).
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NYI ON…JESSE JOENSUU
Jesse Joensuu is one of the top 5 young Islanders to watch when training camp opens in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan next month. (Boy, it would be so much better on many levels if the team, you know, set up Camp Tavares a few thousand miles closer to home. But I digress, again).
If Joensuu has a first-rate September, an NHL lineup spot is available to him – no matter how many forwards the Islanders have on one-way contracts.
“I’m definitely going to camp with the intention of making the Islanders,” said Joensuu, who said he now lists at 6-4, 215 pounds. “I have that motivation. I believe in myself. Last season I learned a lot with the Sound Tigers. There were ups and downs, but I felt like everything was working for me in the second half.”
Joensuu, who turns 22 during the NHL’s opening weekend, also earned seven games last season with the Islanders – more than he or the team planned for his rookie year in North America. The native of Finland scored his first NHL goal, was credited with a pair of assists and learned a whole bunch.
“Best thing that could have happened for me,” said Joensuu, who must prove his modest totals of 20 goals and 19 assists in the AHL were the results of those ups and downs. “I saw that I could keep up, that I belonged. There is a lot I need to improve, but the experience last season with the Islanders was enough to put in my mind that I can make the team this year.
“If I don’t make it out of camp, it will be a disappointment but it won’t be the end of the world. I’ll go to Bridgeport believing that my chance with the Islanders will come if I do my part.”
JJ’s Improvement Needed: Joenssu’s commitment to his personal development is such that he has hired three-time Olympic speed skater Janne Hanninen as his personal skating coach. I asked Joensuu what he feels he has to work on to be an everyday NHLer.
“Maintaining my speed and tempo. I have the skating. A big thing I worked on with the coaches in Bridgeport was keeping the legs moving. Because of all the work they put in with me, I feel I’m an even better athlete than before I came to the United States.
“I have to use my legs to make a hit. And if I’m hit, I have to find a way to keep driving. It is a physical skill and a mental one.”
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AARON NESS IN NEW YORK
Lake Placid, that is. The Islanders’ 2008 second round pick and – according to this blog anyway – a major prospect, will be at the evaluation camp for Team USA at the World Junior Championships.
Joining Ness will be fellow Islanders draft pick Matt Donovan (4th round, 2008). Other notables at the camp include potential 2010 top-3 pick Cam Fowler (joining the Windsor Spitfies this season) and 2009 Team USA returnee Jordan Schroeder. Many members of the gold medal-winning Under 18 team will be there, including Drew Shore, Ryan Bourque and Jeremy Morin.
Ah, Lake Placid. I could get at least two book chapters out of my memories of Islander training camps there. Maybe even a complete chapter alone on the story behind the writing of Peter Botte and Alan Hahn’s classic “Fishsticks” and how I almost lost their manuscript. (Speaking of which, there are rumors there could be a shakeup on the Islanders’ beat).
For a few years, one of the best times of the year was going to the site of the “Miracle on Ice” for training camp in September and loving every minute of the sunny-and-70 weather. A few tips: bring your bikes, a camera and, if you can do it, stay at the gorgeously rustic Mirror Lake Inn. Saskatoon has a lot to measure up to.
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TOP 10 JUNIOR, COLLEGE OR EUROPEAN PROSPECTS
August, 2009 edition
1. Calvin de Haan: Could make it to the end of training camp. Could make it to the middle of October.
2. Aaron Ness: Minnesota sophomore probably can’t wait to get to the NHL. This way at least he’ll get paid to answer questions about his size.
3. Corey Trivino: The most intriguing prospect from this group, because now he gets his chance at the BU second line under the legendary Jack Parker.
4. Travis Hamonic: Probably the most likely bet among the ten to have a long NHL career.
5. Kirill Petrov: Oh, just trade his friggin’ rights already! Kidding.
6. David Ullstrom: You’ll him him in Bridgeport in 2010, maybe even April of 2010.
7. Rhett Rakhshani: Passes up the cash to be the captain of the U. of Denver Pioneers. Makes you realize how much you miss the college days.
8. Matt Martin: As of this publication, no news to report.
9. Kevin Poulin: They like him. They really like him.
10. Anders Nilsson: One last time – goalies with the first picks of the second and third rounds?
Worth a Mention: Blake Kessel, Jason Gregoire, Matt Donovan, Casey Cizikas
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TOP PROSPECTS IN BRIDGEPORT
1. Mikko Koskinen: Not saying he should, but it’s possible the 2009 second rounder could play some games in the ECHL this season.
2. Jesse Joensuu: It’s a long way from 39 points in 71 AHL games to a regular job in the NHL, but the Finn has a chance.
3. Trevor Smith: All he needs is consistent intensity and he’ll be an Islander.
4. Mark Katic: Requires at least one full season in the AHL, and probably more, before he’s under consideration for the bigs.
5. Justin DiBenedetto: Coach Gordon certainly seemed to go out his way to show some Dibo love.
6. Robin Figren: The most intriguing Sound Tigers case study this year.
7. Andrew MacDonald: Teddy’s boy is now a man with a chance.
8. Joel Rechlicz: A fascinating combination of Sound Tigers healthy scratch and Lighthouse rally leader, the Wrecker has as good a chance of making the big club as any of the above.
Worth a Mention: Dustin Kohn, Tomas Marcinko, Tony Romano, Mark Flood, Matt Moulson
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IMPACT FREE AGENTS STILL AVAILABLE (2 1)
Between now and the opening of Islanders training camp, the Islanders will sign a few players and invite one or two other veterans to training camp. Some may even incite some cheers from the faithful. Count on none being worthy of the chatter. The reality is, the unrestricted free agent list is down to very few players who could a) make the Islanders a better team in 2009-10 or b) at least give the young players some talent to work with. Here’s the list:
1. Alex Tanguay
2. Jason Williams (signed today with Detroit)
Nope, didn’t leave anyone off. That includes Afinogenev, Prospal, Sykora, Bertuzzi (sure, let’s have him before and after he was really good), Satan, Pyatt, Seidenberg for the defense. None of those players improve the Islanders enough to make it worth even a minimal salary.
Prediction: if the Islanders go back to the well for some veteran power play help, it won’t be for Satan. It will be for 32-year old Mark Parrish. For not much more than the league minimum salary they can trust him to be a leader for the kids, plus he could maybe pop in 15-20 goals again. He made it to the Island for the recent Nickelback scrimmage at Iceworks, so he’s obviously still part of the family. I would pass. Love the guy, but if you’re not going to sign a difference-maker, then there really is no point.
As for a legitimate tough guy, the Islanders would have to add one via waivers or a trade. No one in that category of value left on the UFA list either.
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LEFTOVER Q & As
Found a few of these from when we last did some Q & A…
Jared: Hey Chris, with the Isles not expected to contend next season either, assuming we get another top 5 pick is there anyone eligible for next year’s draft that we should keep an eye on?
Point Blank: Respectfully, Jared, with the Islanders being out of the playoff race last season before Christmas and the subsequent non-stop Tavheduch discussion, I can’t even think that way right now. Let’s see how Scott Gordon’s 2009-10 Islanders look 30 games in. For next summer’s draft, all I know is what you know: Taylor Hall, Cam Fowler, Kirill Kabanov, etc.
#13: CB, any good tales of Battlin’ Billy Smith?
Point Blank: Legend has it that the wife of an Islanders doctor put her hand on his shoulder when she saw him in the hallway an hour before a big playoff game during the dynasty. As you know, Smitty was known for not wanting any human communication on game days. Without even looking to see who was there, Billy whipped around and whacked her hand with his goalie stick. Merely a flesh wound.
Smitty was a good guy when I got to know him at the end of his playing career, but the DiPietro character assassination by comparison is amusing. Billy didn’t have much time for anyone. DiPietro would stay an hour past the end of the season ticketholders party to make sure everyone got an autograph, after the rest of his teammates left. Smitty won big. Rick hasn’t won anything. In the end, that’s what it’s all about.
Jason: What was your first reaction when you were shown the Fisherman logo? Any interesting stories to tell about trying to pitch that to the writers?
Point Blank: Here’s my story from the early days of PB on the subject.
Hextall72: Hey CB, any Ron Hextall stories that come to mind? How was he in the locker room? On the road?
Point Blank: If you ask anyone who’s ever worked with Ron as a player or now during his front office career, they’ll tell you there’s isn’t a better person or professional. I had the privilege of getting to know him when I was with the Flyers and he helped carry the team to the Stanley Cup Final as a rookie and won the Conn Smythe Trophy. Another nut on the ice who was completely different out of uniform.
It’s really unfortunate that he’s known around Islanders Country for his poor play in the first round sweep by the Rangers in 1994, but that’s hockey. As I said at the Lighthouse hearing, it’s a humbling game. Fact is, the Islanders were out of their league in that series and didn’t have a chance even if Smitty was in net. If the LA Kings successfully complete their rebuild, Hextall – their VP/assistant GM – will get a GM job. He has that level of credibility and respect around the game.
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KENNY KILLING ME SOFTLY
Must be something about the grace, intelligence and skill of world-class athletes from the beautiful country of Sweden.
Reading “Strokes of Genius,” L. Jon Wertheim’s wonderful book about Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, I started to day-dream. How much would I pay to be transported back to watch Bjorn Borg play tennis in Queens again?
And then that led to another daydream. Oh, how I wish I could watch Kenny Jonsson play a few more games in the National Hockey League.
Yeah, I know. Borg won 11 Grand Slam tournaments, Jonsson played for the Islanders and Maple Leafs. Borg retired prematurely to a world of excess, Jonsson left the NHL and big money early to play more great hockey back home.
I can try to explain Kenny’s brilliance when he was healthy and at the top of his game. I can mention that he won the gold medal with Team Sweden at the 1994 and 2006 Winter Olympics. I can point out how he was named Best Defender in the latter. I can write that the recently-retired Jonsson was such a winner, in the last competitive hockey game he ever played he captained Sweden in May to the title at the World Championships.
Or I can just accept the fact that you are either in the cult of Kenny, or you are not.
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BOARD-UM
At 3:20 pm on Tuesday at the Lighthouse hearing, Charles Wang was given the floor to make a final statement after five hours of speakers. As Wang spoke with intensity about the next steps, he looked up and saw – as I and many other speakers did that day - ToH supervisor Kate Murray not listening. Waiting for Murray’s aide to stop whispering in her ear, the Islanders owner stopped and said, “It’s okay, I’ll wait” without a trace of bitterness. Murray looked up like a kid in second grade and said, “I’m listening.” Wang continued. Murray’s aide went right back to chattering.
The Hempstead Town board and staff have done some outstanding, hard work over the last few months. However, they are going to have to live with the fact that in maybe the most significant hearing they will ever host, hundreds of people came away with the memory of many of them playing on their Blackberrys or looking like they had something else to do.
One board member reacted angrily to the accusation of indifference, using the defense that they have to rule on the Lighthouse. Another said they were there only to listen to environmental concerns, although they pre-approved a long list of speakers. What a cop-out, what an utter crock of BS.
And faced with the only heckling of the day, one Town Board member cracked. Dorothy Goosby defended the honor of the panel by sharing a scoop with the 50 audience members still around. Goosby broke the news that the hearing was supposed to be August 11, but Charles Wang could not make the date so they all changed their schedules around. Look how cooperative they are! Cue Artie Lange yelling, “Wah-wah-wah”!
Confidence in Town of Hempstead leadership took a hit.
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WRISTERS
Individual game tickets for the entire 2009-10 season will go on sale next Saturday, August 15. The sale begins with an exclusive two-hour window from 10 am – noon at the Team Stores in the Sunrise Mall and Broadway Mall. The Islanders will have players at both stores. At 1:00 pm, tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster outlets…
Fair column by Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News wondering if John Tavares has enough help…
Hey, I thought Tanguay signed with someone weeks ago!
This just in for the die-hards: Calvin de Haan and Travis Hamonic have been paired on D for parts of practice at Team Canada WJC evaluation camp…
You won’t get a more thorough review of Tuesday’s hearing than this piece by Nick of Let There Be Lighthouse…
The Islanders Business Club is hosting its second annual golf outing benefitting the Islanders Children’s Foundation. All golfers are put in a foursome with an Islanders player, coach or distinguished alum. It’s at Tam O’Shanter Country Club, now famous for being the place where Garth Snow took John Tavares out for 18 holes. Call 516.501.6764 to book your spot.
If I could add one more thing to that spirited dialogue with Seth Everett of 1050 ESPN Radio about the viability of the Islanders, it would be this: “Just because baseball-loving sports editors don’t think hockey is worthy of a lot of coverage doesn’t mean the Islanders are not the world to a lot of people.” And then I would add, “You dope,” because I know Seth does care…
I stand by my Rick DiPietro projection of Thanksgiving at the earliest for his 100% return to regular action. As I said on XM Radio, with the acquisitions of Dwayne Roloson and Martin Biron, there is no urgency to DiPietro’s return, no big whoop to any “setbacks” in his rehabilitation. All the Islanders have to do is tell the truth and communicate with their fanbase in a timely and accurate manner. The only way the Islanders mess this up is by being loose with the updates and the facts. I’m sure that will not happen.
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PICTURE WORTH A THOUSAND PIMs
On December 15, 2007 Islanders enforcer Chris Simon came off the ice after the pre-game warmup. Spotting my twin sons Luke and Cole (the first two heads), he took off his right glove, wished them a happy 7th birthday and warmly shook their hands.
A little more than an hour later, Simon slew-footed and then stomped on Jarkko Ruutu. You know the rest.
Troubled man. Not a bad man. There’s a difference.
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(The 4 people I live with got a dog. Cavalier King Charles spaniel named Molly.)
In my Emmy-winning video from the weekend, aka “The You Tube Panic on the Pier,” I said the following:
“Give me a month to find a home for Islanders Point Blank. Give me a month. It’s on me. It’s not on the team. As I wrote, the team offered to sponsor me. The team offered to support me in making it my own business. Step away from the team and put this on me.”
I’m proud of the work the readers and this blog did for Tuesday’s Lighthouse hearing, from the promos in the media to the Comment-tators keeping the focus where it belonged. Now I ask for that month.
Thanks to the incredible support this blog has received from its readers, there may be some opportunities out there. I will continue to touch on this on Twitter if and when it’s appropriate. I’m also knocking on a few doors to see if there are any other options for the next act of my career.
I promise to keep you posted and to keep it honest. If Islanders news breaks in August, I don’t know if I’ll be around to immediately write about it. There’s no way I can do thrice-daily updates until I figure something out, but hopefully a long-form post like this is a good read for you. I’m going to at least try to do what’s right for as long as I can.
I appreciate the support and understanding and thank you for everything. Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated ranked you No. 10 in his Media Power Rankings for July. Please stay tuned and stick by me, at least for a little while. See you down the road…CB
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