Nick from Let There Be Lighthouse with a good read on the latest between Wang and Hempstead

12:35 pm - Losers of seven straight in regulation, the Islanders did what they had to do: call up young and big bodies. They need to make something of this week - win a game or three, lift themselves out of the woe-is-us before the Olympic break, give the fanbase a reason to show up in March.

It’s highly doubtful anyone in Islanders hockey operations is under any illusions about what Jesse Joensuu and Matt Martin are. Joensuu is on pace for 20 goals in the minor leagues this season, just his second as a pro in North America. Martin, who gets to the net, hits and fights - holy crap! - is not being rushed into the lineup so much as being handed a harmless tryout before he returns to Bridgeport during the Olympics. If he plays well enough, he’ll be back.

Garth Snow is not being kept up nights deciding if he should be a buyer or a seller before the March 3 deadline. (The deadline, in the eyes of many general managers, is really this week).

Truth is, Snow was never going to be a buyer, and he doesn’t have much to sell. If the Islanders lose a little more ground in the East this week, Andy Sutton becomes even more available. Point Blank has learned that several contending teams over the last week have inquired about Sutton’s availability in a trade. The big defenseman could be an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

With the exception of Sutton and Dwayne Roloson, there isn’t a player over 28 on this roster that a team would give up a high draft pick or decent prospect for. You could combine two or three of them and it wouldn’t matter.

So the Islanders forge on, with home games this week against Nashville (Tuesday), Tampa Bay (Saturday at 2) and Ottawa (Sunday at 5) before the break. There’s also a matchup in Pittsburgh on Wednesday. The size and young legs of Martin and Joensuu could help, and certainly won’t hurt.

Snow made the right call. He has several more to make. If bleh, almost 35-year-old defenseman Niclas Wallin and a fifth round pick fetched Carolina a second round pick, Sutton has to be worth more.

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Your line and color combinations for today’s 75-minute practice at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum:

Blue: Bergenheim - Nielsen - Okposo

White: Moulson - Tavares - Comeau

Gray: Schemp, Hunter, Sim, Joensuu, Martin

Orange: Park, Weight, Tambellini, Jackman (in cage)

Six defensemen, three goalies. As I tweeted (the obvious) yesterday, since the Islanders went to three goaltenders, none of them have played smashingly. This has hardly ever worked out in the history of hockey, so it’s a wonder anyone thought it would this time. Dwayne Roloson’s comment early this season - the more he plays, the better he plays - continues to ring in the ears.

After practice, Scott Gordon showed Doug Weight the respect of deflecting a question about the on-ice ineffectiveness of the captain since he returned from injury. “He’s playing between 12-16 minutes a night. That is not going to change,” said Gordon. “He is playing banged up. If anything it should be an inspiration to the team.” The coach said that if he was ever going to give Weight a night off, he’d discuss it with his captain before the media.

On the team, Gordon’s most telling line: “We’re not making the opposition pay for their mistakes.”

Perhaps to lighten the atmosphere, a ping-pong table was moved into the middle of the Islanders’ lcoker room.

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Matt Martin said he “wasn’t really expecting” a call-up by the Islanders, pointing out that he hadn’t scored in 14 straight games. But he continued to work at his game, including “hitting everything.”

Martin agreed with Scott Gordon’s assessment of his improved skating. “I don’t take criticsim of my game lightly,” said the big forward. “I worked hard on my skating.”

Asked which players have served as his mentor in Bridgeport, Martin cited Trevor Gillies. “Trevor has been the biggest influence on me,” said Martin, who added that the 30-year-old enforcer has helped in in every aspect of the game, including fighting. “I hope someday to be as good a fighter as he is,” said Martin.

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During the holidays of 2008, the Lighthouse Development Corp. celebrated a year of honest transparency by inviting several reporters and bloggers to Rexcorp Plaza for a little lunch and some Christmas cookies. Have no fear, no inappropriate bribery here - no Pinot Noir and fliet mignon with a side of cash and Springsteen tickets. Just first-class professionalism.

During the final quarter of 2009, most couldn’t even get a courtesy return phone call from the LDC. And this was on the heels of fans giving up work days to show up in large numbers to support the Lighthouse Project at Town meetings and zoning hearings.

Kate Murray and the Town of Hempstead said what they had to say today, and nobody can blame them. They have given Charles Wang an answer. He can decide to live with it, negotiate, take his team to Brooklyn or Queens, or try and sell the Islanders to someone - anyone - and whatever happens, happens.

Wang had a misstep with his awkward and disingenuous TV appearance on MSG Plus 147 on Saturday night, but it’s not too late. History has proven that if you help let fans, mainstream journalists and bloggers understand why you feel strongly about something, they can be a forgiving lot. I would not expect it to be in this space, but Wang and Rechler should start telling their side of the story soon.

Nick from Let There Be Lighthouse with a good read on the latest between Wang and Hempstead

Comments on any of the above.

As we forecasted on Sunday morning, the Town of Hempstead is ready to push back. Kate Murray explains it all to the LI Herald. She wants the Lighthouse Project scaled down and she’s keeping her consultants. The supervisor tells the paper that the LDC has “shut down their operations and gone silent.” I’m not sure it was a good idea by Charles Wang to tell his staff to share no information with his team’s fans and the project’s supporters for the last four months. Any positive momentum is long gone. Wang wanted an answer, and now he has it. Hempstead is saying, “No.” Time to move on. Comments on the Lighthouse.

Still searching for ways to put together a complete team, the Islanders have reached out for size and toughness. “The new boys,” Jesse Joensuu (size) and Matt Martin (toughness), arrive on Monday and will play Tuesday when the Islanders host Nashville. Jeff Tambellini (benched Saturday) is a leading candidate to sit, as are a host of others. Comments related to these callups are welcomed.

Chris Botta on Twitter

Charles Wang’s on-the-fly TV appearance on Saturday was not without an agenda. Point Blank has learned from political operatives and media insiders that the Town of Hempstead is preparing to release unflattering details about Lighthouse negotiations to some of its media favorites.

Wang may have acted surprised and faux-annoyed when Howie Rose asked him about the Lighthouse Project, but something must be understood. A major league sports team owner does not hastily request an interview on his team’s broadcast, and then go on live TV without knowing what will be asked. (Worth noting: Wang did not speak with any other reporters in the press box - those he does not have some control over - just his friendly broadcast rightsholder).

Wang knew the interview would be about the state of his team’s rebuilding project and the Lighthouse Project. For anyone to pretend otherwise - even as Wang told Rose, “I thought we weren’t talking about this” and “You shouldn’t be asking me this” - is foolish.

(Another mistake: the Islanders’ telecast was not shown on MSG, MSG Plus or even MSG Plus 2. Buried on a channel so deep that even a former team PR director took a half-hour to find it, the broadcast featuring Wang was probably seen by the team’s smallest television audience of the season).

In the interview, the Islanders owner said there have been no discussions with the Town of Hempstead since a public hearing in September. He also said he did not know if Ed Mangano supports the project because there haven’t been any talks with the new Nassau County Executive.

As documented by reporters and bloggers since September, the Lighthouse has not paid Town consultant FP Clark and communication has been primarily non-existent between the developers and the Town.

Since I’m not on the Christmas card list of Hempstead honchos Kate Murray, Joe Ra or Mike Deery, I will not get their talking points and will gladly sit out the Hempstead affair.

I spoke with a high-ranking County official late Saturday night who argued that Wang is misleading Islanders fans by saying he hasn’t heard from Nassau. “The County Executive has reached out to Wang and has not had his calls returned,” said the source. Following Wang’s edict for a media blackout on the future of the Islanders in Nassau or anywhere else, Lighthouse officials did not return my calls seeking comment.

If the Town of Hempstead was looking for a wise PR time to fire back, it has arrived now that the Islanders’ recent positive momentum has been derailed by a depressing seven-game losing streak. The life of an Islanders fan is never easy.

If there’s any good news in all of this, the darts expected to be thrown by Hempstead - and possibly returned by the LDC - sure beat the silence. Although the pacifist Islanders have engaged in as many on-ice fights in the last two months as Brandon Prust did last night (two), the gloves are coming off in the battle for the Lighthouse Project.

Even to the most casual observer it has been apparent for a long time that the developers are not going to get close to 100% of their massive project. They have their options - Queens, Brooklyn - but have been curiously hesitant to pursue them. To be sure, and with no pun intended, the next move is Wang’s.

Comments on Charles Wang, arena politics, the Lighthouse Project and the future of the Islanders here. Talk about the hockey team continues below.

Charles Wang Interview Recap

Chris Botta on Twitter

A short Plus/Minus tonight, with Charles Wang’s non-interview on MSG Network sharing the stage with the hockey game. Interview recap below, more coming above.

Minus: In their seven-game losing streak, the Islanders have scored nine goals.

Minus: With so much to play for, playing before their home crowd and against a team that went from Edmonton to Calgary and then Buffalo 24 hours earlier, the Islanders came up small.

Minus: Whatever the reasons for doing the interview - and we’re learning more tonight - this was not a good time for Charles Wang to declare that the rebuild is ahead of schedule.

Minus: The Islanders’ defensive zone coverage and Rick DiPietro’s touch pass on Jussi Jokinen’s goal to make it 1-0.

Minus: Jeff Tambellini feels the wrath again, gets just 5:44 of ice. Dustin Kohn, the talented young man the team waived Brendan Witt for, plays under 11 minutes. Andrew MacDonald is now over 28 minutes, which is too much no matter how solid he has been.

Minus: In addition to everything else they need, the Islanders could use another young player who combines moderate skill and maximum sandpaper like Brandon Sutter.

Minus: After his assist to give Carolina a 2-1 lead, Sutter - the son of former Islanders captain and Cup-winner Brent Sutter - hears his name pronounced over the Coliseum PA as “Suter.”

Plus: An excellent, reality-based television broadcast, with Howie Rose and Billy Jaffe frankly discussing the Islanders’ scoring slump and losing slide throughout.

Minus: The image on Channel 79 on Cablevision was worse than when my folks first got cable TV in the early 1970s.

Plus: At the last moment, I opted to make it a Centre Ice and Bass Ale night.

Minus: Sean Bergenheim with no points in his last ten games. Trent Hunter with one goal in his last 15 games. Richard Park and Doug Weight (just 11:54 of ice) among the veterans playing ineffectively.

Minus: Defense prospect Mark Katic out tonight for Bridgeport with a shoulder injury suffered Friday night during the overtime loss in Springfield. The team says Katic is day-to-day.

Minus: If Rick DiPietro is going to come out 20 feet to play the puck and then turn his back to box out an opponent chasing the puck, he’s going to get hit.

Minus: Despite talk from the coach and his players, the Islanders have not stepped up their physical play.

?: The Islanders are not out of the Eastern Conference playoff hunt. Carolina and Toronto tonight pulled to just five points behind the Islanders for 27th place in the NHL.

Comments on the game.

8:00 pm - Charles Wang said tonight what this blog and many others have reported for months: there has been no communication between the Lighthouse Development Corp. and Hempstead officials since the last public hearing in September. There also have been no discussions with Nassau County since the election.

“October 3rd, I said that was the date,” Wang told Howie Rose on MSG Network during the first intermission. “There has been communication with Town, County or anyone else. We’ll look at all our options. Our hope and our love is Nassau County, Long Island.”

Wang added for the umpteenth time, “I have an application to the Town. Tell me yes or tell me know.” Asked if there has been any change with new County Executive Ed Mangano in charge, Wang said, “How would I know? We haven’t spoken with anyone.”

While he refused to discuss the arena or potential for re-location any further, the Islanders owner was bullish on the state of his hockey team’s rebuilding program.

“I think it’s been wonderful,” he said, naming the club’s recent top draft picks and pickups Rob Schremp and Matt Moulson. “The kids have added a new kind of energy to the team. I think we’re a little bit ahead. There’s a great chemistry there.”

Asked if the Islanders could add salary to improve the current team and get them into the playoffs, Wang said, “Yes. That’s a decision Garth will make. We’re very supportive of Garth.” Then he said he wouldn’t want to see the Islanders make a trade that negatively affects the building of the team. “It takes time,” Wang said.

Discuss Charles Wang’s comments in this thread.

Chris Botta on Twitter

Another night of NHL action, another night when Eastern teams ahead of the Islanders lose. Last night, it was Atlanta dropping one to Washington, and the Panthers - who never make it easy on themselves - losing to Calgary at home.

Tonight it’s Rick DiPietro vs. Justin Peters for the Hurricanes. Cam Ward has an injury related to his back. Carolina had an impressive come-from-behind win last night in Buffalo.

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Expect a strong game tonight from John Tavares, who looked more confident and created more in the loss in Tampa Bay on Thursday than he had in a while. Scott Gordon said of the 19-year-old this morning, “As much I’d like to see the goals and assists, I’m not going to beat him up about it because it’s the little things that will lead to the opportunities.”

On the team, the coach said, “There’s a false sense of where we are,” referring to the Islanders’ relative youth compared to teams like the Lecavalier and St. Louis-led Lightning.

I understand where Scott is coming from, but no one around the team was talking about any false senses when the Islanders were on a tear before this six-game losing streak. There was plenty of confidence, playoff talk and even some thoughts about how the team could be even better.

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Andy Sutton on the challenges of facing Hurricanes captain Eric Staal: “He’s big, fast and he sees the play. He’s so dynamic and can hurt you in so many ways. There’s a reason he’s deservedly one of the top paid players in the game. Stopping Staal is a six-man effort. You have to clog the areas because he sees everything.”

The Islanders had their morning skate at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum with 19 players. Doug Weight had the workout off. Expect the line combinations to continue to be juggled, as they were on the back end of the road trip. Maybe leading goal scorer Matt Moulson will see a little more time on the power play.

Islanders goaltending consultant Sudarshan “Sudsie” Maharaj is back in town to work with Dwayne Roloson and No. 1 client Rick DiPietro. Although he’s not ready to return to game action, Tim Jackman (broken orbital bone from New Year’s Eve) skated this morning.

Martin Biron made 38 saves last night in Bridgeport’s 3-2 overtime loss to Springfield, a game which also featured the Sound Tigers’ debut of Brendan Witt. Ryan O’Marra scored the overtime goal for Edmonton’s AHL squad.

Happy 47th birthday to Scott Gordon, who may be about 57 in Islanders-coach-years, but doesn’t show it.

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My pal Seth Everett of 1050 ESPN Radio is a local hockey media hero. How nice it was to hear him passionately talk hockey on the drive in this morning, comparing his Devils’ acquisition of Ilya Kovalchuk to the Blue Jays’ trade for David Cone. Everett pointed out how John Tavares could benefit from the break and had a funny line about how the Rangers will benefit from some time away from John Tortorella.

Seth also said, “I’m not even going to try and pretend that the NBA season is more compelling than the NHL.” That kind of talk could get a broadcaster in trouble, so good luck, Seth. And thanks.

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Rest in peace, Brendan Burke. Our condolences to Brian Burke and his family at this very sorrowful time. When Brian was GM in Hartford, he used to bring young Brendan with him to the Coliseum for Whalers games and on scouting trips. Such a sweet boy who became a courageous young man.

Comments on tonight’s game.

Chris Botta on Twitter

After five days in Florida, the Islanders were given today off. Their next workout will be the morning skate at the Coliseum on Saturday in preparation for the Hurricanes. With that in mind, and considering our “24 Hours at Point Blank” Q & A marathon became a bit of a wild scramble, I’m presenting a collection of the best and the worst. There should be plenty here to chew on for the day. Forgive me if some of the answers were more poorly written than even the norm. It was a challenge. Although the Q & A is over, you’re welcome to respond in Comments to any of the 4,000 words below.

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Alex Smith: Do you think Matt Moulson will be more than just a one year wonder? Could he actually be a long-term 20 goal plus scorer?

CB: Alex, since you were reasonable enough to set the bar at 20 goals, yes, I do think Matt Moulson can be a 20-goal scorer for this team for the next few years. It’s a good sign that he continues to get chances and some goals no matter what line he’s on. (Again, in Tampa Bay: Trent Hunter gets five minutes on the power play, Moulson gets two).

PattyB94: Do you think the Isles will be going into the trade deadline as buyers or sellers?

CB: Technically, they will not be buyers or sellers, PattyB. In less than two weeks, they’ll know where they are in the playoff race on March 1. They will not be out of it. (Hey, look at that: the Bruins and Rangers lost again). They will not be pro-active in search of a major impact player. They will consider offers for the few available players they have of value - Andy Sutton leads that list. Garth Snow will decide in the hours leading up to the March 3 deadline whether it’s worth accepting a good offer for Sutton.

mm30: Was there ever a time when the GM had you prepare a press release for a trade that was then pulled for one reason or another?

CB: There’s one un-needed press release I remember best, because it wasn’t so long ago. A few hours before Garth made the deal for Ryan Smyth, I completed a first draft for a release with the headline, “Islanders Stand Pat.” I brought down a copy for him. He and Kenny Morrow told me about the deal he was close to completing and I threw the release in the garbage and said, “Okay, keep me posted”!

NickyL: CB, I know it’s a long time before JT can be a FA, but do you think he would seriously consider staying or bolt first chance he got? Maybe to his hometown Leafs?

CB: I’ve spoken at length about this subject with Tavares, Nicky. Just haven’t gotten around to writing about it, so I’ll just blow the story here and others can write it. I have absolutely no concern whatsoever that Tavares will be with any team other than the Islanders during his restricted free agent days. (What happens in seven years when any player is UFA is impossible to predict. That’s too far down the road for all of us). He’s very on board with Long Island and the team. You won’t have to sweat it out when he gets to his “Kessel” year. It’s just a matter of whether he signs for another 3 or 13 years. Good thing is, it’s a real long shot this blog will be around for a long time. If I’m wrong about this, maybe you can hunt me down on Twitter.

Mike Olivo: Chris, I’m seeing the same signs of problems as previous seasons: lack of depth on defense, lack of scoring punch, awful special teams. So, as presently constructed, do you think the Islanders can grab a playoff spot?

CB: The Islanders are one of several mediocre teams going for two, maybe three spots. (You have to think Lavi’s Flyers could join the present pack in the top six). If they get their act together, play well with so many games left at home and make a roster adjustment or two, why can’t they compete?

Andrew: Any updates on the uniform change for next season?

CB: The Islanders will wear their classic royal blues at home next season and are working on matching whites for 2010-11.

MLem: This one is very hypothetical. The Islanders add a top goal scorer via trade or free agency sometime between this trade deadline and trade deadline 2012. Keeping it realistic (obviously no Ovie, Sid, Gino) who do you think they add or look to add?

CB: Matt, you’re asking me to predict what goal scorer the Islanders add to their roster by March 2012? Sorry, bud. That’s just too mind-blowing for me. Let me see if I still have one of my Yes or Emerson, Lake & Palmer LPs from the old Titus Oaks in Hicksville.

KevinFitz: Have any good Rich Pilon stories? Always loved good old rugged Rich. I know so many of the tough guys on the ice tend to be the nicest guys off the ice. Was he that way? Thanks CB!

CB: For some reason, Rich Pilon and I hit it off well. I think he was shy at big charity events and would seek me out (not that I’m Mr. social). When the NYI and his agent agreed on his last contract extension with the team, it took me a long time one night in Vancouver to track Rich down and tell him to come back to the team hotel to sign his contract. When he finally returned my calls, he yelled in his high voice, “Botts, have I been traded”?

Extra ButterRVC: Excluding DeHaan and Hamonic, which two players in the Islanders system do you see having a legitimate chance at making the Islanders line up as a regular next year?

CB: Excluding your choices de Haan and Hamonic (who should develop and not be on the Islanders out of camp), you’d hope Jesse Jonesuu has progressed enough to push for a spot. Maybe they’ll give Matt Martin a long look.

Devon: Be completely honest: do you think top tier free agents won’t come to Long Island? Is it really about money, or about coming to a contender? In other words, is there even a 1% chance of us adding a huge piece (like Kovalchuk) in free agency?

CB: If recruited effectively and offered the best contract, sure, there is a chance a top free agent would come to the Islanders eventually. A more secure arena situation and franchie future would certainly help. It is probably a moot point because the Islanders have not wooed any major FAs since 2007 and I don’t think they will in 2010.

Craiggers: Do Garth Snow and the Isles really think Matt Martin is the future answer as a “Tavares Protector” for this team, or will they be looking elsewhere this offseason/trade deadline?

CB: I doubt Snow has Matt Martin on his dry-erase board as future John Tavares protector. He likely has him pegged as a potential third-liner with some muscle who might be able to score 15 goals in a season. I doubt Martin’s job is locked in for the NHL next season. Not at all.

Larry: Chris, over the summer (if my memory serves me right) you may have made comments stating that Streit was the leading candidate to lead the Islanders as their captain, also noting Okposo and Weight as worthy candidates. In the last few weeks you have said Okposo is the future captain. We can see his leadership on the ice, but what can you tell us about his leadership off the ice in the locker room?

CB: I thought last summer that Streit would be the best choice for captain. Weight is good, but my opinion has not changed. Kyle Okposo will be the captain in the next year or two, deservedly so. I think the press and the fans have both seen enough of Kyle to know the reasons why.

Bergie20: Will the Islanders be bigger players in free agency now that Wang has increased his revenue streams from the Coliseum?

CB: If the Islanders are big players in free agency in the next year or two, it won’t be because the Islanders are making some extra dough on parking and concessions. It will be because they decided to spend on a quality player to make the team better.

Beachchica: A question for you CB - why do you love doing this so much? Just to let you know, we are soooooooooo happy you do!!!!!

CB: Thanks, beachchica. I cover professional ice hockey. I have season credentials for 3 NHL rinks within an hour of my home. In my brief time away from the Islanders, I worked the All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium, the Winter Classic at Fenway and wrote about the drafting of John Tavares for months (!). And the best is yet to come. I’ve been blessed with great contacts and even better friends. I still get to hang with my three sons. There’s nothing not to love.

DeHaamonic: CB, Great job as always. If the Isles drop out of it, why wouldn’t you trade Dwayne Roloson? A 40 year old goaltender who would appear to have some value. Then just re-sign Biron for another year. For a developing team what is wrong with having Biron and 2nd round pick instead of Roloson and a 4th round pick going forward?

CB: I don’t think you can rule out the Islanders doing something like that, but that sure seems like a whole lot of nothing just to get a second round pick for Dwayne Roloson. The Martin Biron signing did not turn out to be the wonderful thing the Islanders thought it would be. Not sure why they’d want to cash out on Roloson, unless they were blown away. And I doubt they’ll be blown away.

Stephen: What do you think is best for the organization? Sell, sell, sell or stick with what we’ve got and maybe sneak into the 8th spot?

CB: I think Garth should just make the smart, small move or two to give the current squad a better chance. If he gets a knee-weakening offer for Sutton, he has to consider it. And then Garth should just ride it out and see where Gordon and the boys take it.

Eastonhockey: Asuming the Isles miss the playoffs this year, come back with lowest payroll next season and miss the playoffs will Wang be holding Snow and Gordon accountable by firing them or will Wang just focus on his city and China hockey dreams rather then be concerned with wins and losses?

CB: You’re a beaut, easton. To answer your question, Charles Wang is not going to fire Garth Snow under any circumstances for a very long time. Snow will determine Gordon’s future. I expect Scott will be back next season no matter what. As a close observer of this team, you probably knew the answer to your question. Wang is able to focus on a lot of things at once. He wants to win.

MJS: Even though Islanders Country clearly believes he’s messing everything up, can we expect to see Scott Gordon extended, say over the summer, or is the last year of his contract where he really gets to earn the big bucks?

CB: The big bucks, eh? Messing everything up? Scott Gordon will be the coach when camp opens in China. If his contract is extended before the season, it will probably be done quietly. If I’m Scott’s agent, I’m not pushing for it or waiting by the phone for an extension. Not the NYI way.

James: Training camp in China: good idea or bad? Having been to China and back more than a few times and having seen how long it can take to recover from jet lag…Uh, I have an opinion on the matter. Yours?

CB: Two thoughts on training camp in China. I’ve said since I was a teenager that if I ever owned a sports team, I would be involved and do whatever I wanted. Charles Wang does not have to explain himself for this. As for the physical toll, what - will it cause them to start next season winless in ten games?

Examiner: If you had to grade the job of Garth Snow and company since the beginning of the rebuilding project (2008 Draft more specifically), what would that grade be?

CB: As I wrote a week or so ago, Garth Snow has had a good year. Many of his decisions this year have worked out really nicely. But let’s hold off on glowing about his work on the rebuild until the end of this season. If the Islanders tail off this year, it would be awkward giving a good grade to the GM of a team that finished 30th last season and around 25th this season.

Squarejaw: Do you feel that because Martin Biron has been sent to Bridgeport on conditioning it’s a sign that no trade is close to happening? And, at this point, can we expect anything more than a 3rd rounder?

CB: The Islanders have not had any offers yet. Let me ask you: if you were a GM, would you give up more than a third round pick for a goalie who struggled for a half-season to win, didn’t play for a month and now is in the minors? Would you trade a fourth round pick? Hopefully for Biron’s sake, a solid showing in the AHL will lead to finding him a new team.

JPinVA: With all the positive things that have occured, (Schremp, Hillen, MacDonald, Sutton…), great games under “the system” and bright prospects emerging. Do you think this has been a successful season already?

CB: You can make the case that if the team is playing meaningful games in March - they only have five to go - the franchise will look at it as a successful season no matter how it ends up. They sold some tickets, got the fans interested, earned more points in the first half than many expected, saw some young players improve, got Moulson and Schremp for free, watched prospects have a good year of development. And no bad apples!

Ted S: Do you think they are marketing Tavares correctly and do you think Tavares will be as good as advertised?

CB: The Islanders have had the perfect balance in their marketing of Tavares. I don’t know your view of how he came advertised, but in my view he’ll eventually be the 40-goal scorer we thought before the draft.

Djmc: With Andy Sutton playing the way he has been playing, do you think he has won an extension on his contract? I am a big fan of having his hard-hitting presence back there.

CB: Sutton has won over the coach. He has the mobility to fit in this system. He has the size the Islanders lack. The team should, and I’m sure will, consider bringing Sutton back. Since they still have a long way to go, they will also have to listen to rental offers for him before March 3.

Eric R: Who would you choose in the draft now if you were the GM having seen Tavares and Duchene play?

CB: I don’t know how many times that’s been asked, just because Tavares is in a bad slump. Any team with the first pick could not have gone wrong taking any of the Tavheduch guys. The Islanders made the right choice for them.

Dr. Generosity: Bob Bourne once said, “History is our seventh man.” (He said it after we crawled back to beat the Caps in the ‘85 playoffs.) Are we going to see any more Islander HOF inductees? 18’s not getting any younger, and many would like to see him honored.

CB: The Islanders appear to have ditched the team Hall of Fame concept. There was only one inductee, Bob Bourne, and that was so long ago, Justin was still in college. I do not know their reasons why. My speculation is the decision, like everything, comes from Charles Wang. My speculation is also that, knowing the team would struggle in this rebuild, he put talking about the past on hold. That’s only a semi-educated guess.

Bill Scanlon: You have some great stories about the players and Al Arbour during the dynasty years. I was wondering if you had much contact with Bill Torrey and what kind of success he may have had in this free agent salary cap environment today.

CB: I’m fortunate enough to speak with Bill Torrey regularly. A brilliant man, obsessive worker and class act like Mr. Torrey would have success in any era. Okay, maybe not four in a row, but you know what I mean.

Tony F: I still think about the old days at the NVMC. Whatever happened to the air horns people would bring and cow bells leading the ‘Lets go Islanders” chant?

CB: I don’t know about the airhorns, but I think the cowbells of the 80s went the way of Blue Oyster Cult. On New Year’s Eve a long time ago, I helped my brother - then an intern at WBAB - give out bumper stickers in the Coliseum lot before a BOC and Foghat show. In return, we got seats on the floor. I was about 15 and nearly got run over a dozen times. I almost didn’t make it to write about John and Josh on a daily basis.

Josh: In my opinion, the fact that Mr. Wang is taking this team to China for training camp is a sign that things will eventually work themselves out in terms of the Lighthouse. I mean, why would the PA or the NHL approve such a move if the team was to be shopped? Thoughts, comments, ridicule?

CB: Charles taking the team to China in September is merely a sign he’ll be owning the team next season. And that was never in doubt anyway. Other than that, it doesn’t mean diddly in terms of his ownership and the Lighthouse Project.

Derek: Snow was known for being a chippy, aggressive, team player (with big shoulder pads), at times a hothead even. What happened to that guy? Has the suit made him soft? Why hasn’t he come out and defended his team against Colin Campbell and the disciplinarians of the NHL. There have been several occasions where he should’ve stood up for his team. Can you shed any light on this CB?

CB: If you look at Garth’s management record the last three years, he has done little to make waves at any level. No big trades, no big signings, no media rants. He rarely goes on the TV game broadcasts. I can’t remember the last time he was quoted in a newspaper article saying anything of substance. Personally, I am not surprised. He wants to lay low during the challenging times and build slowly. If the team ever gets really good, I’m sure he’ll drop his guard once in a while and either push back on a league matter or say something worth quoting in the press. It looks like he has wisely positioned himself as the anti-Mike Milbury. When you consider Garth’s team came in last in the league in ‘08-09 and is now three games under NHL .500, and yet most fans seem overjoyed with his performance and “vision,” I’d say he’s done quite well for himself.

Bri on LI: Is it in the Isles’ long-term plans to keep Howie and The Jaff together? I love Jaffe, I repect the heck out of Mr. Rose, but I know Jaffe’s coveted as an analyst actoss the NHL.

CB: To be clear, MSG does the hiring and paying but the Islanders have the ability to give (or not give) their blessings. Howie Rose will continue to be the NYI play-by-play man for MSG for a while. As I’ve written, The Jaff’s deal is up at the end of this season. I would think MSG would want to keep him around. If not, The Jaff would not be without work for long.

Sheppy: Any chance the Islanders sign Derek Boogaard?

CB: I would think if Boogaard turned UFA on July 1, the Islanders would make a call. If Shawn Thornton is a UFA on July 1, I’d bet big money the Islanders will make a call.

mt275: Did you ever get to take the Stanley Cup home?

CB: Yes, I took the Stanley Cup home. Once. In the early-90s, the NYI hosted “Stanley Cup weekend.” This was before the days of the Cup needing an escort from Toronto everywhere it went. True story. I went to Laguardia to pick up not my mom or my brother, but the friggin Stanley Cup. There it was, on the Air Canada luggage thing, just like everyone else’s bags. I wheeled it to my car and put it in the hatch. As I’m driving back to the Coliseum, I started thinking, “Why do I need to lock this up in the Coliseum storage closet? Isn’t it safer, like, in my own bedroom”? So I drove to my folks’ house in Hicksville and called my friends and some co-workers, and we had one helluva party.

bionicman: In the time you were working for the Isles, did you keep any mementos or memorabilia? Any prized Islanders possessions?

FanHouse: The Low Cost of Acquiring a 40-Goal Scorer

Thank you, Islanders radio voice Chris King. As always, thanks to the fans for your participation in the Comments space…CB

CB on the Maple Leafs’ Moves

Live Kovalchuk Trade Blog

Chris Botta on Twitter

12:13 pm - As expected, Brendan Witt has cleared waivers and will be sent to Bridgeport of the American Hockey League.

Witt, who was signed to a three-year, $9 million contract extension a few days before Ted Nolan was fired and replaced by Scott Gordon, has never thrived in the coach’s system. Now he goes to the minors for the first time in 13 years. In his pro career, Witt had only played 30 games in the AHL.

If a contender needs a defenseman before the trade deadline, perhaps they will scoop up Witt on re-entry waivers. For little money in March and just $1.5 million next season, Witt would be an outstanding asset in the right situation. Given the chance on a contender to prove he’s still got something left, you know Witt would go to the wall for that team.

The Islanders have told Katie Strang of Newsday that they don’t plan on putting Witt on re-entry waivers. That’s their way of sending a message to the other 29 teams that they’ll have to trade for him. Good luck with that.

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Six games left for the Islanders until the Olympic break, and now all of them are crucial because of the current five-game losing streak. The Islanders need wins over the next ten days to carry the good feelings of a fairly-decent season into March. Allowing this slide to get much worse would take some buzz away from the team post-Olympics.

Before facing the exhausted (this week in Edmonton, Calgary, Buffalo on Friday) and possibly Cam Ward-less Hurricanes at the Coliseum on Saturday, the Islanders will need to find a way to get at least a point tonight in Tampa Bay. Since the Lightning are in the Logjam of Mediocrity in the East, a rare regulation victory would be more like it.

The Islanders get another look tonight at 2009 first overall pick Steven Stamkos, who continues his ascent as a star. He has 29 goals in 55 games this season. In his first 15 games of 2010, Stamkos is 8-12-20. Quite a challenge for Andy Sutton and the blue line boys.

Look out for Steve Downie (11 goals, 155 penalty minutes) to agitate and Ryan Malone (21 goals) in front of the net on the power play. 2009 second overall pick Victor Hedman is -4 and averaging just under 22 minutes a game. For a rookie defenseman who just turned 19, Hedman has shown enough over his first 52 NHL games to prove he’ll be what scouts forecasted.

Nate Thompson - have the Islanders won since he left for free? (just funnin’, folks) - has won 26 of 39 faceoffs and is averaging 13:07 of ice with the Lightning. On the other hand, the grinder doesn’t have a point in his five games with his new team, so the Hate Down With Nate crowd have that going for them…which is nice.

The Lightning do have some distractions. They are in the process of being sold again.

Jeff Tambellini returns to the lineup for the Islanders after playing twice in the last two months. Despite scoring 7 goals in 24 games - Ovechkinesque numbers on this squad - Tambellini last played on Jan. 2. Tambellini is playing, of course, because there in no one left to play. Josh Bailey is out until the Olympic break with an upper-body injury.

If Tambellini or any other forwards falter, don’t be surprised if Jesse Joensuu is called up. After tonight, the Islanders are at the Coliseum for four of five games before the Olympics. The 6-4 Finn is 10-19-29 in 44 AHL games this season - two points behind leading scorer Sean Bentivoglio despite playing in seven fewer games.

With Witt gone, the Islanders’ defense remains Mark Streit, Andy Sutton, Andrew MacDonald, Bruno Gervais, Freddy Meyer and Dustin Kohn. Mark Katic is the best prospect in Bridgeport, but even his biggest supporters know he’s not ideally ready for prime time. Rushing defense prospects to the NHL is not part of the Islanders’ plan. If they need to recall a defenseman, their best option is Brendan Witt, but they’d have to put him through re-entry waivers.

The U.S. Olympic team is hosting a media conference call to announce the two injury replacements on defense for Paul Martin and Mike Komisarek. The selections are Ryan Whitney of Anaheim and Tim Gleason of Carolina.

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Biron in Bridgeport: Making it a combined $4.4 million in a pair of NHLers in Bridgeport, goaltender Martin Biron will play for the Sound Tigers this weekend. Sounds like the conditioning stint was Biron’s idea.

“We talked to Garth about getting into game shape,” said Biron, who has not played in a game since Dec. 27. Biron said he had the option of staying with the Islanders in Florida until Thursday, but “I wanted to get in a few practices and get ready for the games.

“You have to play games on a consistent basis to get your rhythm back. With the Islanders’ schedule, many of the practices are short so I would try to get in whatever work I could before and after. This will help a lot.”

Biron said he was excited driving New York to Bridgeport on Tuesday night because he cherished his memories leading Rochester to a Calder Cup final a decade ago and the AHL was very good to him for two years. “I also like spending time with the young players,” said Biron. “If I can help them in any way, I will.”

The Sound Tigers are in Springfield on Friday and host Manchester on Saturday. Count on at least a half-dozen scouts at the game in Bridgeport. A good showing by Biron could result in a roster spot with another NHL team this month and a mid-round draft pick for the Islanders.

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Most Valuable Blog: I wrote about this earlier in the season, but it merits another mention. For the few of you left who do not read Lighthouse Hockey every day, it’s time you  bookmarked it. Dominik, whose site is more about Islanders hockey than the arena project, has only stepped up his game over the last few months.

He’s not even based in New York, but Dominik works his tail off and comes up with the stuff I was only able to do last year in my full-time daze days. He speaks with Travis Hamonic. He provides heady statistical analysis. He has fun with bad rumors (Brendan Witt for two draft picks…gotcha). The site also has a message board area, called FanPost, where readers can bring up any Islanders topics they want to discuss.

Don’t make me say it again. Lighthouse Hockey - go there before ever thinking of coming here.

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A Valentine from Brooklyn: Here is Brooklyn borough president Marty Markowitz yesterday in his State of the Borough Address:

Of course, in 2009 confident investors also rushed to buy bonds for Atlantic Yards - meaning they believe Brooklyn is the future. Soon we will have affordable housing, union jobs, and the downtown cultural center that the fourth-largest city in America deserves - with a state-of-the-art arena hosting everything from music and theater to pro basketball. And maybe even a hockey team called the “Brooklyn Islanders!”

Okay, so the crowd did not exactly go nuts when Markowitz yelled “Brooklyn Islanders!” but it’s still nice to know he was thinking of the hockey team.

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One last thing. To the conspiracy theorists and the Garth’s-Got-Something crowd:

Brendan Witt was injured. He was playing with a bad knee for over a month.

Josh Bailey is injured. When an Islander suffers a serious injury on the road, the doctors don’t go to the team - the player goes to New York.

Even if the Islanders wanted to be mischievous, the punishment for going against the CBA does not make it worth the gamble.

In the last few weeks, the Islanders have gotten nothing for or out of Nate Thompson, Jeff Tambellini, Martin Biron and Brendan Witt. Call it a “team in transition” if you’d like, but it would be nice to start seeing some real action…or results.

Comments on tonight’s game and this post.

“Upper-body injury” for Bailey, as reported by Katie Strang. Witt handles his waiving like a pro, telling Point Blank, “No worries. All good. Just the nature of the beast.” He has next year left on his contract at $3 million and has little value in the trade market. He will be assigned to Bridgeport when he clears. Only way I see Brendan being moved is if the Islanders take the sizable salary of an okay-at-best player back. Ilya Kovalchuk? No. Comments.

Chris Botta on Twitter

Since the team is off on Friday, I’ll write a recap post with some of the best of your Qs and worst of my answers.

Thanks for participating…CB