News is filtering in from all over now that the announcement was made at the press conference. The Islanders have signed 2008 first round draft pick Josh Bailey to a three year entry level deal - on his 19th birthday.

Congratulations to Josh and happy birthday!

There were rumors that this signing would be occuring sometime before the season started, and even more rumors (speculation really) that Bailey will play nine games to start the season. There are always two sides to this argument, those who can’t wait to see the infusion of future star players and those who feel there is too much pressure to perform at 19 years old. I happen to think Bailey is ready to shine in this league based on what I have seen first hand in interacting with him and everything I have read.

There is no speculating that Bailey is part of the future crop of Islanders, there is also no speculating that he will be on a line with that other guy named Okposo on the wing, as Bailey was drafted to be the top center for the Islanders.

The future is bright fir the Islanders and the crop of younger players they have been steadily drafting, Josh Bailey will be part of a potent 1-2 punch for years to come.

It appears that early injuries to the defense are already worse than speculated. Chris Campoli and Andy Sutton whom both underwent surgery last season are apparently set to miss significant time. The Islanders claimed Thomas Pock off waivers from the Rangers today, filling a hole and adding that another important body to the Islanders now fragile defensive corps.

Per the official team release:

The New York Islanders have claimed defenseman Thomas Pock off waivers from the New York Rangers. Pock has played in 59 career NHL games and has scored seven goals with seven assists for 14 points.

Last season, Pock played in one game with the Rangers and went scoreless. He also played in 74 games with the Hartford Wolfpack of the American Hockey League and scored seven goals with 37 assists for 44 points. Pock finished tied for 11th among AHL defensemen in assists last season.

Pock has played in a total of 195 AHL games during his career, all with Hartford. He has scored 23 goals and 89 assists for 112 points and a plus/minus rating of +40. In 2005-06, Pock was named to the AHL’s Second All-Star Team.

A native of Klagenfurt, Austria, Pock was originally signed by the Rangers as an undrafted free agent after playing four seasons at the University of Massachusetts. Over the course of four seasons with Massachusetts, Pock played in 130 games and scored 44 goals and 58 assists for 102 points. He was named to the 2002-03 Hockey East Second All-Star Team, the 2003-04 Hockey East First All-Star Team and the NCAA All-Tournament teams in 2003 and 2004.

This just in, the Islanders have named AHL Coach of the year Scott Gordon as head coach!

Per Greg Logan of Newsday:

It took more than four weeks, but Islanders general manager Garth Snow finally identified the coach he hopes will become a close partner for many seasons to come. Scott Gordon, who was AHL coach of the year last season in Providence, has been named as the replacement for Ted Nolan, Newsday has learned.

Gordon, 45, was chosen following an exhaustive search that began on July 14, when Nolan and the Isles agreed to part company, and included interviews with more than the eight candidates who were known to be on Snow’s list of possibilities. The key consideration in finding a new coach was his commitment to the program outlined by Snow to rebuild the franchise through the draft and development of young prospects.

“For me, the bottom line was finding the right coach for our organization at this time,” Snow said of the coach search. “It was a rigorous interview process, extremely thorough. I don’t want any perception the other candidates weren’t qualified or weren’t good people because they were. I just found the candidate that’s the right coach for our organization. Scott Gordon really stood out.”

Gordon, who agreed this evening to a multi-year contract, was the only coach on the list of eight known candidates without any experience behind an NHL bench. In a sense, he’ll have to grow along with the players and Snow, who is set to begin his third season as GM. Like Snow, who played college hockey at Maine, Gordon is a goaltender from New England. The Easton, Mass. native, who played at Boston College, was a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic team.

There are a great deal of fans out there who may very well be angered by taking in a rookie NHL coach, I am also a little nervous about the whole ordeal truth-be-told. The only Islanders coach who came off of AHL coach of the year and went on to be successful was Peter Laviolette - and he did so after the Islanders gave him his walking papers. Steve Stirling was another Islanders coach who won AHL coach of the year honors, but the only thing that poor old Stirling won was a headache and an eventual coaching position in Germany.

Am I blasting this move? Not in the least, because you never know how his style of coaching can turn out in the NHL. Gordon appears to be a great coach and he likely said the right things when interviewed. As Logan points out in his article, the coach has a chance to grow and learn with his young players. What’s important about that is the players will gain the trust of the coach and coach the trust of the players. His next trick, gaining the trust of the fragile Islanders fanbase - can you do it Gordo?

The last bit remains to be seen, but with a record of 55-18-3 last season with Providence Scott Gordon needs to first prove he can translate that success into the NHL.

Thanks to a poster over on Islandermania, there is an article that speaks very highly about Gordon - and even goes on to proclaim he will be a successful NHL coach. Here are a few bits and pieces:

There were questions, however, if Gordon could be a successful head coach in the AHL.

He’s proved his critics wrong and, entering tonight’s game, he carries a 153-116-13-10-15 record with the P-Bruins. Now, it’s unanimous around the hockey world that he could coach at the NHL level. “Absolutely,” was the resounding response from numerous players, coaches and front-office personnel.

“He’s as knowledgeable of a guy in hockey that I know,” said Boston Bruins assistant general manager Jeff Gorton. “He’s prepared and has good communication skills with the players. There isn’t a week that goes by where I don’t talk to an agent or player who says how much they like playing for Scott. In the NHL, you have to know the game, work hard like Scott does, and you have to be able to relate to the players. He’s able to do all that.”

“He’s done a good job developing players and winning at the same time,” said Gorton. “He’s done a real good job of that. He’s kind of gone under the radar a little bit, but people are starting to realize how good of a coach he really is.

It will take some time to know if Snow has hit a home run with Gordon, but the more and more I read about him - the more I like.

As far as the status of assistants Gerard Gallant, John Chabot and Dan Lacroix - at this point they all appear to be staying on as of right now. If anything, news trickling out of the press during Nolan’s dismissal claimed he wouldn’t listen to his assistants when it came to changing his game plan, so maybe Gordon gives them a shot and if he feels he needs to find replacements does so next season? Lots of stories to watch out of this latest development.

Update: Seems they will be retained - per an update on Logan’s Newsday story:

Asked to describe Gordon’s coaching style, Snow said, “System-wise, he’s adamant about playing a tight defensive system. He’s going to make a difference, starting with our defensive zone. The neutral-zone forecheck will be different, too. It’s going to be a great fit for our players.”

Current Islanders assistant coaches Gallant, John Chabot and Dan Lacroix all are expected to be retained.

In what has quickly become a trend, Garth Snow has locked up yet another young cog in the youth movement machine. This time, Defenseman Bruno Gervais has been locked up for the next 3 years at a basement bargain rate (total) of $2.2-Million! According to Greg Logan’s blog, the deal is a one-way contract, which leads me to beleive that UFA Bryan Berard will not be returning next season.

More from Logan’s blog:

Gervais has gone without a goal for two straight regular seasons, although he got one in the playoffs last year at Buffalo. But when healthy, he has been a steady defender with some puck-moving skill.

Injuries limited Gervais to 60 games last season, but he averaged exactly 20 minutes of ice time per game. With the addition of free-agent Mark Streit, there is some question about how Gervais’ role on the third pairing might be affected. At the moment, it appears he might be the seventh defenseman, which could mean some time in the press box. But as the Islanders learned last season, you can’t have enough defensemen. They used 12 different defensemen last season because of injuries.

Under the circumstances, the deal Gervais received looks fair for everyone concerned. His first-year salary equals the qualifying offer of $522,500. He will earn $800,000 and $900,000 in the next two seasons.

Gervais turns 24 a week before the regular season begins on Oct. 10, and when this contract is up, he will have one more year until he reaches unrestricted free agency. His signing means that Snow most likely is done adding players to the NHL roster at least until training camp. All that’s left now is the choice of a coach

And from the Islanders official statement:

The New York Islanders and defenseman Bruno Gervais have agreed to terms on a three-year, one-way contract worth $2.2225 million. The deal will keep him under contract through the 2010-11 season. The Islanders now have all of their potential restricted free agents under contract for the upcoming 2008-09 season.

In 60 games last season with the Islanders, Gervais recorded 13 assists and points while averaging 20:00 minutes of ice time. The 23-year-old Quebec native was also honored this past spring as the Long Island Professional Athlete of the Year by the Nassau County Sports Commission.

“Bruno is a homegrown talent and has been developing in our system for a few years,” said Islanders General Manager Garth Snow. “He’s a high character player and person and is someone who is great in the Long Island community. We’re very excited to have him on board for the next three years.”

Gervais has played in 138 career NHL games over the course of three seasons with the Islanders and has scored three goals with 23 assists for 26 points. In five playoff games in 2007, Gervais scored a goal with an assist for two points in an Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series against Buffalo.

Gervais also played for the Islanders’ American Hockey League affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers in 2004-05 and parts of 2005-06. Despite playing in only 55 games with Bridgeport in 2005-06, Gervais finished second among league defensemen in goals scored with 16.

Gervais was originally drafted by the Islanders in the sixth round (182nd overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

Garth Snow on the signing of Gervais with iTV

In other news, a story in tomorrow’s Newsday claims that former Tampa Bay Lightning coach John Tortorella will be interviewing for the Islanders head coaching position on Sunday.

Lastly, I have made some site optimizations that have dramatically increased the way the site loads and performs. This should make the viewing experience a bit better and cut down on page load times. If anyone notices anything out of the ordinary (aside from the random image being temporarily broken the past several days - fixed it tonight) please contact me and I will get it fixed straight away.

The Islanders have signed Franz Nielsen to a four year deal worth $2.1-Million, per Greg Logan’s blog.

This is another great move by Garth in locking up yet another young forward. Nielsen should help in all offensive situations as he is a smart and creative player, he has shown he can be used during the shootout and help at the center position.

With expanded time on the ice, Nielsen could be a steal at the contract given.

Per the Islanders release (Hey, a week later is better than never at all - in reference to this post being made almost a week ago):

The New York Islanders have agreed to a four-year contract with center Frans Nielsen worth $2.1 million. The one-way contract will average $525,000 per year. Nielsen became the first Danish-born and raised citizen to play in the NHL during the 2006-07 season.

“We’re excited to have Frans locked up for the next four years,” said Islanders General Manager Garth Snow. “We know he is going to come to training camp in great shape and ready to compete for his spot on the team.”

Nielsen split last season between the Islanders and the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League. In 16 games with the Islanders, Nielsen scored two goals with one assist for three points. With Bridgeport, Nielsen was the team’s fourth leading scorer despite playing in only 48 games. He scored ten goals with 28 assists for 38 points.

Nielsen made his NHL debut on January 6, 2007. In 31 career NHL games, Nielsen has scored three goals with two assists for five points. Nielsen was originally drafted by the Islanders in the third round (87th overall) of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.

Islanders forward Sean Bergenheim has singed a two year deal according to Greg Logan’s Blog.

One might think that this is simply Garth Snow tidying up some lose ends, but isn’t it a little bit suspect that he locks up two important pieces in terms of the “youth movement” and rebuild days after Nolan’s departure? What’s also great is that Bergenheim and his new agent progressed quickly in talks with the Islanders. Both contracts are great values and the length allows both players the chance to show the club, should they improve - they could be worth much more in the long term.

Per the Islanders release:

The New York Islanders and forward Sean Bergenheim have agreed to a two-year contract worth $1.725 million. The energetic forward will earn $800,000 in 2008-09 and $925,000 in 2009-10. Bergenheim has also voluntarily made a large donation to the Islanders Inspire.

“We’re very happy to have Sean locked up for two years,” said Islanders General Manager Garth Snow. “He’s another young player who we’re excited to see at training camp and competing.”

Last season, Bergenheim played in 78 games with the Islanders and scored ten goals with 12 assists for 22 points. Bergenheim scored eight of his ten goals in the final 34 games of the season. He also finished second on the Islanders in hits with 138. Bergenheim has played in 124 career NHL games over the course of three seasons and in that time has scored 15 goals with 18 assists for 33 points.

Bergenheim was originally drafted by the Islanders in the first round (22nd overall) of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.

This on the heals of Jeff Tambellini being locked up two more years, taking less than his qualifiying offer in exchange for a one-way contract.

Per the Islanders release on Tambellini:

The New York Islanders and forward Jeff Tambellini have agreed to a two-year, one-way contract worth a total of $1.175 million. The contract will pay him $550,000 in 2008-09 and $625,000 in 2009-10.

Tambellini split his season between the Islanders and the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League last season.

“We’re extremely happy that we have Jeff as a member of the Islanders organization for the next two years,” said Islanders General Manager Garth Snow. “We know that Jeff will come to training camp in shape and ready to compete in September and we look forward to it.”

In 31 games with the Islanders in 2007-08, Tambellini scored a goal with three assists for four points. With Bridgeport, Tambellini led the Sound Tigers with 38 goals and 38 assists for 76 points in 57 games and set a new team record for points scored. The two-time AHL All-Star, who finished tied for second in goals scored in the AHL last season, has played in a total of 79 NHL games and has scored four goals with 13 assists for 17 points.

Also signed were forwards Jeremy Colliton and Ben Walter who each agreed to their two-way qualifying offers.