Monthly Archives: December 2010
POINT BLANK HOLIDAY PARTY, Dec. 23
When the hockey team is 5-18-5 and 21 points out of eighth place on Dec. 14, there are few places left to go in the piling on of the 2010-11 New York Islanders. There’s Kyle Okposo’s return in a few weeks. There’s the suspense of whether they can win a few games over the holidays. There’s…there’s…yeah.
Look, this really happened – losing 20 of 21 games in a hard salary cap era, the dysfunctional training camp, the deJaffeinization, the scrimmage injuries, coaching change, Kate’s Lighthouse chop, the raised ticket prices in down market and economy, the “country club,” the pitiful showing at MSG, whatever the frick that was last night in Nashville, all of it – and no one should ever forget it.
It also doesn’t mean the Islanders are still not in potential position to be very good again in a few years, if they function like a major league sports franchise should. Let Charles Wang and the real estate people handle the real estate. Stop with the self-fulfilling prophecy of, “No free agent will sign here” while trying to sign free agents.
Plenty of teams have managed to contend while waiting for a new arena. Plenty of teams have won in outdated barns. Plenty of teams have competed with low payrolls. Then there are the Phoenix Coyotes. Despite horrible economics and a low budget, there are the consistently professional and committed managers, coaches and players with the Nashville Predators.
The prelude over, this post is about prospects. When the Islanders’ scouts gather around the table for the 2011 NHL Draft, Mike Milbury’s last draft will have been six years ago. Between the Islanders’ likely top-five (top-two?) overall selection and every other kid they bring home, their prospect pool will be re-stocked.
So, as Carl in Caddyshack would say, they’ve got that going for them…which is nice.
The Islanders losing 20 of their last 21 games (really now, holy crap) doesn’t change this. Whether you want to believe or not want to believe is strictly an individual choice. Like the wonder of Santa Claus, it might depend on how long you’ve been at this. No one has the right to try to change your mind one way or the other.
Add scoring forward John Tavares (20 years old), potential second line center Josh Bailey (21) and a top-three pick in the 2011 NHL Draft to the seven or eight young men from this list who should have solid-or-better careers, and there should still be plenty of reasons to watch Islanders games in the future. It’s on Garth Snow and his staff to do the rest. No excuses.
So here we go with the end-of-2010 Prospect Rankings.
Polled: Eight NHL scouts not affiliated with the Islanders.
Criteria: All levels of hockey, limited to 25 games or fewer played in the NHL.
Upside: Included after each ranking is the player’s maximum upside should he reach the NHL. Repeat: maximum upside in the NHL.
Disclaimer (!): Realistically speaking, as with any NHL team’s prospect charts, at least half of these players will never establish long-term NHL careers. It’s the best hockey league in the world, and a very tough business. If a prospect is not on this list, it’s not in error. He likely is facing an uphill battle to get a serious look in the NHL.
Maybe not goosebump-inducing, but a better-than-average group to build with.
1. Nino Niederreiter, Portland (WHL) - first line wing. Playing a little bit better each week in Portland, where he is 11-12-23 in 22 games. Not dominant, but give him time. In a few years, Niederreiter should be on the Islanders’ first line and first unit power play. Just don’t rush him.
2. Calvin de Haan, Oshawa (OHL) – top-pair defenseman. Super-smart, super kid. Will play leading role for Canada at the WJC. Again, he’s going to need time to fill out physically and hit his ceiling, but he’s a top-50 NHL prospect.
3. Travis Hamonic, Islanders – shut-down defenseman. Says a lot about the young man that he hasn’t shied away from anything in his first NHL action. A huge part of the rebuild with his talent and character.
4. Kevin Poulin, Bridgeport (AHL) – No. 1 goaltender. One of the most impressive little-known prospects in all of hockey. What a find for the scouting staff. Already showing his capabilities in the AHL at such a young age.
5. Kirill Petrov, Yugra (KHL) – second line wing. Slowing down after a hot start soon after his trade from Kazan to Yugra, Petrov still has the size, strength and tools to be a top-six forward for the Islanders in a few years. He’s going to need plenty of good coaching and leadership from his peers when he gets here.
6. Brock Nelson, North Dakota (NCAA) – No. 2 center. A long-term project – at least three years away from the NHL – but a worthwhile one. Good pick, E. (kidding!)
7. Kirill Kabanov, Maine (QMJHL) – second line wing. Playing better (and more) since trade to the appropriately-named Maineiacs. If he stays around a point-a-game in Lewiston and then behaves impeccably at next year’s Islanders training camp, consider it a big step forward.
8. Mikko Koskinen, Bridgeport (AHL) – No. 1 goaltender. Needs time to get comfortable in the North American game; keep in mind, he missed most of last season with a hip injury. Still, the big Finn could be special if Sudarshan Maharaj successfully helps him with his education.
9. Matt Donovan, Denver (NCAA) – second pair defenseman. Also a few years away, but arguably the most pleasant surprise mid-round pick of this regime. Said one scout of Donovan, 5-9-14 in 20 games this season: “Easily one of the five best puck-moving defensemen in college hockey, and he’s just a sophomore.”
10. David Ullstrom, Bridgeport (AHL) – second line forward. More likely a third-liner, but Ullstrom may be more capable in the offensive zone than advertised when taken in the fourth round of 2008.
11. Rhett Rakhshani, Bridgeport (AHL) - third line forward + power play. Made his NHL debut for the Islanders on Monday in Nashville after a terrific first quarter in Bridgeport.
12. Casey Cizikas, Mississaugua-St. Michael’s (OHL) - third line center. An uplifting personal story, Cizikas survived another round of cuts this morning for a roster spot on Team Canada at the World Junior Championships. He is 16-20-36 in 28 games in the OHL this season.
13. Anders Nilsson, Lulea (Sweden) – No. 2 goaltender. Twenty-year-old goalie is another worthwhile project. He could join Bridgeport sometime in the next two seasons. Nilsson could also be used down the road as a trade chip.
14. Anders Lee, Notre Dame (NCAA) - third line forward. While still learning the game as a freshman in Notre Dame, the former high school quarterback is having an outstanding season. Raw ability, impeccable dedication.
15. Jesse Joensuu, Bridgeport (AHL) – third line forward. Needs more consistent giddyup and passion in his game. Much more.
16. Mark Katic, Bridgeport (AHL) – third pair defenseman. Good skater, good student, works hard. Could make it if he continues to push himself and listens to Pat Bingham, his very good coach in Bridgeport.
17. Jason Clark, Wisconsin (NCAA) – third line forward
18. Blake Kessel, New Hampshire (NCAA) – third pair defenseman
19. Aaron Ness, Minnesota (NCAA) – third pair defenseman
20. Jason Gregoire, North Dakota (NCAA) – third line forward
21. Robin Figren, Bridgeport (AHL) – fourth line forward
22. Corey Trivino, Boston University (NCAA) - fourth line forward
23. Shane Sims, Ohio State (NCAA) – depth defenseman
24. Dustin Kohn, Bridgeport (AHL) – depth defenseman
CB at New York Times: the Monday Morning Skate
CB (and Gretz) at FanHouse: The NHL Cycle
RSVP AT THIS LINK: PB HOLIDAY PARTY
Peter Botte (Twitter), the former Islanders’ beat writer for the Post during some of the gory days and co-author (with Alan Hahn) of “Fish Sticks,” currently writes about the Islanders’ for the Daily News. Excuse the informality of the discussion. Just two old friends sittin’ around last week talking about Ziggy, Kaspar, Spano, Milbury, the ongoing drama and hopefully better days ahead for Islanders Country.
CB at New York Times: the Monday Morning Skate
CB (and Gretz) at FanHouse: The NHL Cycle
RSVP AT THIS LINK: PB HOLIDAY PARTY
As someone who loves hockey, the NFL and theatre, this is going to be a privilege. So if you happen to be near midtown on Tuesday night, I hope you’ll join me.
After the 7:00 pm performance of the play “Lombardi” on Tuesday, New Jersey Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello is the guest for a special Talkback session. Representing AOL FanHouse, The New York Times hockey blog Slap Shot and, of course, Point Blank, I’m moderating the event.
“Lombardi,” at the Circle in the Square theatre on 50th and Broadway, is a very good play about a sportswriter who travels to Green Bay to write a feature story on the legendary Packers coach. The one-act play is 90 minutes, and then the talk with Lamoriello will run for about 20 minutes. He will speak about the major impact Lombardi’s ideals had on his career.
Broadway show tickets are expensive, but I’m told you can get tickets for $40 by going to www.broadwayoffers.com and using the code Vince40. Per reader Cheryl, student tickets are also available for $29 at the Circle in the Square box office on the day of the show.
If you have any questions or want to let me know you’re attending, please send an email to cb@islanderspointblank.com. My role is not much more than a walk-on, but I’m very excited about stepping on a Broadway stage and speaking with the Hall of Famer and architect of three Stanley Cup championship teams.
FanHouse: Little scores off faceoff, past DiPietro
FanHouse with video and story on Quebec visit
NY Times hockey blog from the Coliseum
CB at FanHouse: on the “Country club”
RSVP AT THIS LINK: Point Blank Holiday Party
Leading 2-0 mid-way through the game, playing a team that played last night and with Jack Capuano instilling a Devilish neutral zone trap, the Islanders blew the lead and lost to Atlanta 5-4.
With the game tied at 3-3, Bryan Little scored directly off a faceoff while Rick DiPietro was looking down at the ice.
Down 5-3 with 1:16 to play, the Islanders scored their first power goal goal after 46 unsuccessful tries that spanned 13 games. Blake Comeau scored with DiPietro pulled and the Islanders on a 6-on-4. In the first period, they failed to convert on a four-minute power play that included time up 5-on-3.
The game was played before an estimated 8,000 fans, including more than 1,000 from Quebec. In the final minutes, the Quebecois marched down and filled the lower rows of the Coliseum and roared. Islanders fans raved about the atmosphere.
No team in the last 16 seasons has ever overcome more than a 13-point deficit in the regular season to make the playoffs. Two weeks before Christmas, the Islanders are 19 points out of eighth place.
After losing ten in a row under Scott Gordon, the Islanders have won one of ten games under Jack Capuano. They are 1-16-3 in their last 20.
Rick DiPietro to reporters after the game: “The effort is there. The leadership is there. I feel like I want to throw up right now. That’s how I feel. That’s how the locker room feels.”
RSVP AT THIS LINK: Point Blank Holiday Party
Chris Botta’s weekly column at AOL FanHouse
CB at The New York Times on Gary Bettman and the latest on penalties for hits to the head
RSVP: the Point Blank Holiday Party
Jack Capuano has led the Islanders to one win in his first nine games. Next up: a home game Saturday against the Atlanta Thrashers, who host Colorado on Friday. Tonight, it was another no-show first period against a good Bruins team that didn’t play particularly well. Maybe the Islanders will try to tell themselves otherwise, but little to build on here. Comments section: mercy-closing one hour after final buzzer.
Point Blank Holiday Party: details and RSVP
Brendan was kind enough to send me a few emails recently, especially nice since he’d been very low-key these last nine months. So I asked if he’d get on the SNY hotline with me. Yowza. I thought Brendan might go easy. Instead, he stood up for his reputation. Nothing wrong with candor. My respect for Scott Gordon’s ability is well-documented. This is the opinion of one player who famously collided with him.
Comments on this interview are welcomed.
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