With head coach Scott Gordon teaching his overspeed technique and the Islanders being successful against Boston two nights ago – you wonder if we will see increased production from the back end. You know there are defensemen on the team who can pot some goals, but will we see production from unlikely sources?

Looking over the Islanders lineup, who are our clear cut offensive d-men?

Mark Streit: Signed to a five year deal in the offseason, Streit was the power play points leader last season with Montreal, clearly he is the front runner for offensive d-men on the Islanders this year.

Chris Campoli: Streit’s potential linemate (although they are both left handed shots), it has been said that Campoli is the up and coming young offensive d-man the Islanders are hoping he would be. Campoli’s confidence and point totals have grown significantly in his time with the Islanders – a positive indeed. Unfortunately, his season last year was cut short due to a shoulder injury and he has gone down with an unspecified injury in the first pre-season game. The outcome of this is important, because if Campoli is lost for a significant period – Snow will likely look to acquire the New York born and ex-Islander Mathieu Schneider who is clearly available from Anaheim.

Jack Hillen: Up for a pair of Rangers games at the end of last season, Hillen surprised many who didn’t know the type of game he possessed. He notched his first NHL point during his stint with the Isles and even had a savvy breakaway on Lundqvist that showcased his speed and offensive awareness. According to Greg Logan (and this goes back to our discussion at the draft and my subsequent agreement) that Hillen is making the case for an NHL roster spot out of camp. Of course, this downplays any real “need” to acquire Schneider – but you get a finished product with the latter.

Honorable mention - Bruno Gervais: Bruno seems to be somewhat of an odd-man out this year, based only on the fact that there are so many defensemen on one-way contracts while he is on a two-way. However, Gervais is a smooth skating and puck moving d-man who can certainly show offensive upside – so he deserves to be included.

Update 10:27 PM! Coincidentally Greg Logan speaks about Bruno Gervais and his ability to be an offensive player in tomorrow’s Newsday!

In the opening paragraph I mentioned seeing offense from the unlikeliest of places. Who, is likely the first question that comes to mind. Allow me to explain.

Greg Logan had some interesting quotes out of Gordon yesterday in his blog, Gordon was speaking about a specific defensemen joining the rush, the player; Brendan Witt. Witt’s goal scoring is predictable and somewhat inspiring – he scores what I have come to call “Witt’s annual goal”. Brendan Witt is the antithesis of an offensive defenseman, he is the shut down man – the guy who gets in your face and knocks you off your game.

Per Greg Logan’s Blog:

Gordon also expressed pleasure with how well the Islanders executed his high-tempo system first time out of the box. They outshot the Bruins, 38-19, and the defense did a good job of joining the rush and generating quality shots. Even Brendan Witt, who has 23 goals in 12 NHL seasons, jumped into the play once and drilled a shot that handcuffed Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask and almost bounced in off his glove.

“Yeah, he joined at the right time,” Gordon said of Witt. “It wasn’t reckless; it was calculated. There was good coverage by the forward, and had Witt not joined, it’s a two-on-two, and we don’t get the shot.”

The above quoted text makes an interesting reference to Witt making a “Calculated” offensive decision – something our defense did not do enough under Ted Nolan. While one preseason game is not enough to really get an idea on how the team is working with Scott Gordon at the helm, it already appears to be on the rebound. Another game or two and we should really know where we stand, which I have to admit – this blogger likes what he is seeing.

If anything, I can make one bold prediction about this years season: the Islanders defense will likely DOUBLE their offensive output of the 2007/2008 campaign.

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I know, I know.

Never, no chance, he will never choose Long Island and it goes against everything we have been told in “The Plan”.

Dreger is credible however and Eklund made mention of this weeks ago. If times were different, say two years ago – I would certainly hope for a shot at Sundin.

Check it out on TSN

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Speculation (read: rumors) has been running rampant the past several days that the Tampa Bay Lightning are looking to purge themselves of Dan Boyle’s six-year $40-million dollar contact in order to reach a self imposed spending limit. The problem with this grand master plan is that Boyle was given a no trade clause in his extension prior to last years trade deadline. There have been numerous teams rumored asking about the services of Boyle, you guessed it – the Islanders are said to be in the mix.

Normally, I would take whatever I read on the various message boards or rumor websites with a grain of salt – but the websites and writers I respect most are all reporting the same things. Greg Logan from Newsday wrote about it in a story for Friday’s paper and in his blog, Spector mentions the Islanders in his Boyle updates, and Kuklas Korner also mentions the Islanders with Boyle. What makes things even more interesting, is that the Islanders are even mentioned in a local Tampa newspaper blog as well. All signs point to this being a confirmed interest in Boyle.

While Boyle may not fit into what the Islanders are trying to accomplish perfectly, he is another offensive defenseman – and a fairly solid defender. Tampa is looking to shed salary, so this is another example of how the Islanders cap-space has become even more valuable. The Lightning are trading from a position of weakness, so the Islanders could snatch Boyle up for a mid-level prospect and a 2nd or 3rd round draft pick. To me, this would be a no brainer because it would solidify the defensive corps and you can then shift your focus on adding a top-six forward to jump start the offense. Boyle doesn’t make the Isles any more of a contender than they would be without him, but he definately makes them a solid team defensively. This is something that needs to be watched closely over the next coming days, that is for sure.

July 4th Update

Apparently San Jose has traded for Dan Boyle and completely overpayed in my eyes: Dan Boyle and Brad Lukowich to San Jose for Matt Carle, Ty Wishart, a 1st and a 4th

Chris Botta claims that the Islanders did more than just “kick the tires” in his blog – they very much wanted Boyle – but I bet the first round pick made Snow cringe and terminate any talks of a trade. Good on ya Garth!

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It’s Eklund, so take it for what it’s worth:

“Source: Isles putting together “mega offer for Hossa”"
- Eklund

This Isles fan wouldn’t be surprised if Hossa was part of the plan all along and Charles gave the go ahead on one of his INSANE contract offers.

More IF it develops.

Apparently Eklund made a mistake in the time it took me to get where I was going. Offer is to Rolston.

Thanks to Joe for reminding me to update!

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Alright, excuse my attempt at a witty title.

I try to avoid posting crazy rumors and speculation, but I will always post something when I feel it it has somewhat of a credible substance. Why post anything about Doug Weight however, especially if we are supposedly in a rebuild?

That is an easy question to answer.

Doug Weight is a 37 year old center and big-bodied forward, born from the same class of current Islanders players such as Bill Guerin and Mike Sillinger. I have said on numerous occasions that you need gritty veterans around to show the youngsters the ropes and pass on all the knowledge they have gathered during their long NHL careers. Doug Weight fills numerous roles, he can pot some goals, he is a centerman, he fits the above criteria on teaching the Islanders youth of tomorrow and most importantly – is a very close friend of the aforementioned Bill Guerin.

Some of Weight’s stats from the past two seasons:

Season Team League Games Goals Assists PTS PIM
2006–07 St. Louis Blues NHL 82 16 43 59 56
2007-08 St. Louis Blues NHL 29 4 7 11 12
2007-08 Anaheim Ducks NHL 38 6 8 14 20

While Weight had a decline in production last season, this was mostly due to playing on a sniper depleted team in the Blues and in new territory after being traded to Anaheim at last years trade deadline. He is only one season removed from a 59 point output – which he should be able to get back to if lined up with some potential stars in Okposo and Bergenheim.

Do I think Doug Weight is a savior or a means to an end? No, but I think he will serve the perfect veteran role on the Islanders and provide them with secondary scoring they so sorely lack. Chris Botta really hits a home run with his post tonight on Weight, which is the real inspiration to expand on the notion of his addition.

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Well, can’t really say I am surprised by this denial. I am somewhat relieved that the madness surrounding McCabe has been stomped out once again because I really want the Islanders to draft Nikita Filatov.

At least for now the Islanders are standing pat with that #5 pick!

Per Sportsnet.ca:

Bryan McCabe’s agent Ian Pulver offered a quick response to a story in the Toronto Sun that suggested the Maple Leafs would try to move the defenceman to the Islanders in a draft-day deal and would not cosnsider a buy-out.

“We continue to hear that the Leafs want to trade Bryan McCabe. Bryan has a no-move clause in his contract that was negotiated with and agreed to by the Leafs. Bryan is not inclined to waive the no-move clause,” Pulver told Sportsnet.ca. “He enjoys living and playing in Toronto and the team is a first-class organization. Bryan has logged more minutes than any other Leafs player in the past seven years and given his heart and soul to this franchise. If the Leafs want to move forward without Bryan they should buy out the remaining years on his contract.”

The report suggested that McCabe might be willing to accept a trade to Long Island, where he and his wife reside during the off-season.

McCabe still has three years remaining on a six-year deal that pays the defenceman around $5.75 million per season.

Until the next episode of “As the McCabe Rumor turns!”

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Another hot rumor this morning!

OTTAWA — If often-criticized defenceman Bryan McCabe is a potential victim of the imminent Maple Leafs housecleaning as is expected, it likely will not come via the buyout route.

That was the word yesterday from Maple Leafs general manager Cliff Fletcher, who is aware that McCabe’s average salary of $5.75 million US translates to a hefty cap hit (almost $3-million per season for six years) in the event the Leafs attempted to buy him out.

The more logical way to go is to trade the veteran defenceman, the belief being that McCabe might waive the no-movement clause in his contract in order to go to a preferable destination such as the New York Islanders. The McCabes spend their off-seasons on Long Island, where Bryan’s wife, Roberta, grew up.

One theory making the rounds here leading up to tomorrow’s 2008 entry draft was that the Leafs might attempt to include McCabe and their No. 7 overall pick to the Islanders for a package that includes the No. 5 selection. By moving up two spots, the Leafs likely would land either Niagara defenceman Alex Pietrangelo or Russian forward Nikita Filatov, two players they covet.

But rather than make a knee-jerk reaction deal, the Leafs are thinking that it might be more prudent to wait until August when McCabe’s value on the market could swell slighty. With only two blue-chip free-agent blue liners — Brian Campbell and Wade Redden — available in free agency, McCabe, who has struggled the past couple of seasons, might fetch more interest by teams desperate to augment their back end.

Toronto Sun Article

Not sure I like this as it goes against two statements from Garth. Why lose the fifth overall and absorb cap space and age?

The only way I like this deal is if we get McCabe, the #7 pick, and one of Kyle Wellwood or Alexei Ponikarovsky. We get a top pairing d-man, retain a great first round pick and get a young veteran to retain the “youth movement” feeling.

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From the Ottawa Sun, it’s Bruce Garrioch so take that for what its worth!

Olli Jokinen has packed his bags.

League sources told Sun Media yesterday that the Panthers centre has told GM Jacques Martin he wants out and the club will try to grant his wish during this weekend’s NHL draft in Ottawa.

While Jokinen’s agent, Mark Gandler, wouldn’t confirm the trade demand, indications are the relationship between Jokinen and Martin is so strained that incoming coach Peter DeBoer won’t be able to help soothe things over.

“The player’s job is to play. The manager’s job is to manage,” said Gandler.

It’s believed the Flames have made a pitch for Jokinen, who played for current Calgary coach Mike Keenan in Florida.

The Panthers, however, are going to want more than forward Alex Tanguay from the Flames if they’re going to make a deal.

The Flames aren’t alone in their pursuit of Jokinen. Sources say the Coyotes, Blues, Canucks, Wild and Islanders have all shown an interest in Jokinen.

Ottawa Sun Article on Jokinen

This is one rumor that makes my eyebrow raise a bit. Jokinen is a guy who has been rumored on the move for quite some time. He is a true first line center, a player the Islanders sorely lack and he is at the ripe old age of 29. He fits into the mold of a rebuild and like I mentioned legitimizes the Islanders first line ten-fold.

What would go back the other way? Picks and prospects I imagine – Comeau, Tambellini?

Interesting though that this way the first rumor I heard this morning of what would be a “reunion” of Islanders alumni. Would Snow try to tempt fate and reverse all the ill-dealings of the Milbury era?

Interesting.

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It’s not everyday that you hear the entire fan base of an organization spew forth an expletive laden rant when reading “news” on an old player.

No, strike that from the record.

When you are a fan of the New York Islanders you have an unfortunate level of expectation this time of year. You also learn that the organization can be somewhat like a crazy relative in their decision making. You love the relative no doubt, but you may not understand the way they think or agree with their decisions all the time.

When I received an email on Greg Logan’s Yashin article Saturday night, I was out to dinner with my fiancé. I literally laughed out loud and she asked what was wrong. I told her about the story behind Yashin and the laughter spread across the table. Even casual hockey fans know a good joke when they hear one.

Fortunately, Logan’s story doesn’t mean the return of Yashin is set in stone. If you read it carefully you can see the ploy of Yashin’s agent – in the dark, without a flashlight. This is clearly an attempt to get his client attention, all the while making the Islanders look foolish (they need little help there Marc).

The two sides are said to have had talks, hopefully the talks involved abrupt laughter from Garth Snow and a dial tone. Gandler claims his player received big offers from Russian teams, but makes no mention of NHL interest. Chris Botta brings this to light and breaks things down in his blog yesterday. He also mentions the Newsday editors lack of reading articles before they title them – great stuff.

I will expand on this later, I am posting from my phone and wanted to get my feelings on this out there while it was fresh in my mind.

To reiterate, no matter the level of desperation by the Isles – just say no to Yashin.

Thank you!

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Not since the likes of one Zigmund Palffy have I been more excited or intrigued by a player like Filatov. It’s not because he is the next Russian sensation – (although it helps), but it’s because of the way he makes skating and other hockey skills appear natural and free-flowing. Everything I have heard of Filatov, I have liked. He is well versed in English, has a desire for the game and appears to be successful at being a well rounded player. The most important part, he wants to play in North America.

Past Russian picks have slipped (See; Cherepanov last season) due in part because of a lack of a Russian transfer-agreement. One doesn’t have to look far at what the lack of a transfer agreement can cause – Alex Ovechkin and what the Capitals went through to get him into the states is one such case. Filatov’s openness about wanting to come to North America helps ease these fears.

There is a real possibility that Filatov will still be available when the Islanders are set to pick in the first round at the fifth position. The top ten picks are mostly made up of big, franchise type defensemen who teams are just drooling over (Isles included), but my hope is that Garth Snow uses his pick on Filatov because of the severe lack of offense.

Something that makes me feel the Islanders are leaning that way, apparently Nikita Filatov has been blogging about his experiences at the NHL Draft Combine in Toronto. The Islanders are listed as one of the main teams interested in him. He actually goes on to speak very highly of the organization and how he thinks it will be his fastest route to the NHL now that the Islanders are in full rebuild mode.

Here is an excerpt from the website (with full credit going to HFBoards member Belarus for translating and posting a link to the blog):

Perhaps the Islanders

The last day in Canada has passed in the company of Toronto’s representatives. I spoke to their scouts, which was a good talk, informal, the way I like.

Seems like the quartet of the clubs where I may wind up has been set. They are the Islanders, Columbus, Toronto and Phoenix. I have mentioned before to me there is no difference where I wind up in the NHL. It’s a privilege to play for any of these teams. Why I’ve determined that these franchises have the best chances of landing me? I’ve heard others were looking for defensemen, and these clubs would be fighting for forwards.

I would not regret if I am picked at 8 by Coyotes or at 5 by the Islanders. Though I’m ready for anything, as draft is unpredictable thing, and you may be traded right during the ceremony.

You may be surprised that I’ll be glad to go to a team that will not be a contender in the nearest future. The thing is it is easier to crack the line up on the team without superstars. For instance the Islanders are considered as underdog, but everything can change. Look at the Washington or Pittsburgh.

Overall, the Islanders is not a bad option. As far as I know there are no problems with the owner, the coach stays and they probably will play youngsters more as they let some veterans go. And to play in New York is better that to play in the city where hockey is not the main thing. Always full house, always interest for the game of hockey. It is possible I’ll spend one season in the minors. I’m not afraid of it. I know my shortcomings and will be working on them to be able to play for the main team in the next season.

Here is a link to the Russian website, for the non-believers – complete with a picture of Sparky skating across center ice at the Coliseum!

It is the small stuff like this that really makes me excited, especially knowing that I will be inside the very building (with press access to boot) as the Islanders make their selection. I really believe Garth Snow has a plan and will execute it the best he can come draft day. I know there are naysayers, but you know what – the table is set and we need to see how everything is played out.

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I don’t know how this rumor got started, but it was posted on two separate message boards today. It basically said that Mike Comrie would be missing the remainder of the season due to a hip injury requiring surgery.

This rumor is not entirely true.

From what I gathered, Mike Comrie does have an injury to the hip and will indeed miss the game tomorrow – what happens after that depends on how fast whatever the injury is heals. As a hockey player, I can give my personal opinion on a hip injury, when they are minor. As I type this, I am nursing a hip pointer suffered tonight in my own game. If I had a game in the next night or so (I have a playoff game Sunday), I would likely sit out depending on how aggravating it is because it makes it harder to skate with such a nagging injury.

Also just wanted to throw some kudos to Isleschick at Islandermania, she actually confirmed the hip injury first.

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Howdy ya’ll! You know it’s funny sometimes, I was just talking with Tom Liodice on AIM on how tonight was going to be a night off from posting – yet here I am feverishly typing away. I will make this one quick though because it’s got my brain working overtime (while trying to relax).

There was a bunch of discussion yesterday after the deadline about a deal that almost happened. Speculation ran rampant on who this player was. Garth Snow spoke of this deal in an interview on the Islanders Website. When asked the following question – The biggest story for some is that you didn’t make what would be classified as big moves. Did you come close? Garth answered:

Yes. To be honest, there was one pretty big deal that was close but just didn’t get done on either side. Things happen and don’t happen for a reason. It’s always something we can look into again down the road.

Greg Logan had tried to squeeze Snow for whatever he could on this non-move, what he did manage to get was interesting and he posted it in today’s story in Newsday:

Snow said he considered trading for an impact player who was not part of any other deal yesterday but decided against it because it would have required him to break up this team for the playoff run. The GM added that he never asked Satan to waive his no-trade clause.

For anyone wondering how the relationship between blogger and mainstream media is – I can tell you that it is good. Greg Logan has been one of the most welcoming voices around and he isn’t afraid to share or give his opinion to us. Just last night we happened to be speaking of this very subject. I pressed Greg for anything he had and he seemed to believe that the team involved was in the Western Conference. I spent the better part of today thinking about WHO this player could be because of the statement from Garth that it could happen again “down the road”.

Thinking back to yesterday’s moves – we dealt primarily with Western Conference teams – Anaheim, San Jose and a mid-western team in Minnesota. I don’t really see Anaheim dealing any impact players as they are pretty much a lock for the post season but they could move Doug Weight. Would they move Getzlav though? Minnesota I don’t know all that much about – but I sincerely doubt that they move Gaborik or Demitra. Do the Wild have any other impact players? This brings us to the Sharks – right off the bat everyone would say names like Roenick, Marleau and Grier. One name that jumps off the page at me is Jonathan Cheechoo.

Cheechoo is a player who has been holding his own for some time; he plays hard, hits hard and is a gritty player. One would say that he is a “Ted Nolan” type player – coincidentally he is the quintessential Nolan type player. Cheechoo was influenced by Ted Nolan growing up and Ted Nolan has helped Cheechoo throughout his career. Cheechoo and Nolan are both members of different First Nations’ tribes – Nolan has been a calming voice, father figure and role model for numerous players throughout the years, including the recently traded Chris Simon.

We may never find out who this deal was originally for, or we may find out if it ever does wind up happening it could go either way. Something that does gives this “almost move” merit is the fact that Garth had been working the phones and obviously dealt with San Jose during the day. Did discussions with the Sharks continue down to the zero hour of the deadline? The only thing that doesn’t change is Cheechoo’s connection and respect for Ted Nolan and this could lead to Jonathan finding himself in an Islanders sweater someday soon.

I think it’s time for another poll!!!

Let’s Vote!

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