Our comrade Evgeni decided he didn’t like his “raw deal”, so he can now sit comfortably on his duff in his lavish California home pondering what his next move could be – until at least July, when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. The option to “toll” his contract still exists for Garth Snow and the Islanders, so he may eventually wind up on Long Island even of he’d prefer not to.

The catch with tolling a contract, it would have to get through both the NHL and the Players Union (NHLPA) first. If it does, dear Evgeni would be on the hook for the majority of NEXT season instead of the remainder of THIS season.

You wanted to play the game, check – your move Evgeni.

Speaking of games, an interesting theory to rise out of this debacle – what if Garth Snow played this situation the exact way he wanted? For arguments sake, let’s say that he heard rumblings that Nabokov was on the verge of signing and knew he’d have to clear waivers. By filing a claim, we know it prevented other teams (even KEY teams in the Western Conference playoff race) from acquiring the goaltender. But what if he flat out knew he’d refuse to report. Is Garth Snow savvy enough to parlay a holdout for a bargain basement price into a contract for 2011/12? What’s more, what if he was savvy enough to get 4 months of good hockey out of Nabokov next season and then flip that sweet contract to a contender for a cap clearing player or players and picks?

These are certainly things that make me go hmm.

Nabokov, who recently signed a one year deal with the Detroit Red Wings had to clear waivers before he could report due to playing in Europe. The Islanders suddenly found themselves in need of a goaltender due to the injury to Nathan Lawson last night in Buffalo. The extent of his injury is undetermined at this time.

Nabokov’s contract is a one year deal, prorated for the rest of the season at a cool $570,000 dollars. The contract also has a no movement clause, and he cannot report to the AHL as he is ineligible because he played in Europe. What’s more, the goaltender cannot be traded without passing through waivers once again, and ANY move would need his consent.

Nabokov played in the Russian KHL for SKA St. Petersburg, before being released from his contract.

In 22 games this season with St. Petersburg, Nabokov posted an 8-8-5 record with a 3.02 goals against average (GAA) and a .888 save percentage (sv%). The Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan native was drafted in the ninth round, 219th overall, of the 1994 NHL Entry Draft by the San Jose Sharks. In nine NHL seasons with San Jose, Nabokov appeared in 563 games, posting a 293-178-29-37 (W-L-T-OT) record with a 2.39 GAA and a .912 sv%. He also played in 80 NHL playoff games with San Jose, posting a 40-38 record with a 2.29 GAA and a .913 sv%.

Now, Evgeni has very few options should he decide not to report. He can play a decent amount of games for the Islanders, or he can sit home and sulk the rest of the season.

Good for Garth Snow for staking a claim and upgrading his goaltending, he shot himself in the foot earlier this season by trading away pending UFA Dwayne Roloson and forcing Lawson and Poulin to step it in a little too early.

I guess time will tell how this plays out, but my guess is he’ll report.

The Islanders have also placed Andy Hilbert on waivers.

Grabner, who was drafted 14th overall in 2006 by the Vancouver Canucks, played 20 games in 09-10 for the Canucks and finished with 5 goals and 6 assists for 11 points.

Grabber was traded during the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, along with Steve Bernier and the Canucks first round choice in the draft, the twenty-fifth selection to the Florida Panthers for Keith Ballard and Victor Oreskovich.

This should be a pretty good pickup by Snow, being we gave up nothing to get him. Hopefully he will be another one of those great steals we have come to expect!

Yesterday, the New York Islanders placed forward Joel Rechlicz, a player those of us in the Blog Box have grown to know (and in some cases love) the last year, on waivers. Unfortunately, he has found himself the odd man out of the enforcer situation, a position the Islanders appeared they felt they didn’t need the way Rechlicz and Trevor Gillies bounced back and forth between Bridgeport and Long Island.

Gillies, who was signed to a one year extension back in April and Zenon Konopka who signed as a free agent on July 2nd make getting a call for enforcer duty next to impossible for Rechlicz. Great young player, but a victim of circumstance none-the-less. It was announced today that he has cleared waivers, so he will most likely remain in Bridgeport next season and help out the new crop of talent debuting there this season.

The Islanders have announced today, 07/16/10 that Rechlicz’s contract has been terminated and he is now a unrestricted free agent.

Now, what about these cupcakes?

Ok, so earlier you may or may not remember reading something about cupcakes. Maybe that’s the only reason why you’re still reading – I don’t know. However, there is now an official Islanders cupcake vendor. Yes, cupcake enthusiasts rejoice!

Per the Islanders Press Release:

The New York Islanders announced today the addition of a new corporate partner in the unique sponsorship category of cupcakes. The Islanders have signed an agreement to designate Cupcake Gourmet, Inc. as the official cupcake supplier of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum and the New York Islanders Hockey Club.

“To be the official cupcake supplier of the Islanders and Nassau Coliseum is huge to me,” Amy Brady, Owner of Cupcake Gourmet, Inc. said. “I fell in love with the team when I moved to Long Island 15 years ago and to be a part of their world feels great.”

Justin Johnson, Senior Vice President of Corporate Partnerships & Marketing for the Islanders said: “We are thrilled to launch this partnership with Amy and Cupcake Gourmet as we continually enhance the everyday menu board for our fans.”

The Huntington, N.Y.-based Cupcake Gourmet company will sell cupcakes designed with the Islanders’ logo and traditional orange, white and blue colors during all 2010-11 home games. The cupcakes will become available at all entertainment events at the Coliseum, beginning August 18 with The Wiggles: Wiggly Circus.

You can read some more over on the Islanders website, however I must disappoint as you won’t be eating a cupcake with Joel Rechlicz’s image on it anytime soon….

Brendan Witt who has been tough as nails for the New York Islanders the last few years (including a run in with a Chevy Tahoe in Philly this season) has found himself activated from the IR and right onto the waiver wire.

Newsday’s Katie Strang has some great stuff on her blog today regarding this development.

In 42 games this season, Witt has 2 goals and 3 assists for 5 PTS and is a -18. Witt’s play this season has fallen off to what we have seen in recent years – likely attributed to the knee that has bothered him for the last few weeks (he also played through the injury for an unknown amount of time).

Witt has one year and $3-Million left on his contract and was apparently shopped around by Garth Snow for some time. Should Witt clear waivers, he will join Martin Biron in Bridgeport who was recently sent down for conditioning. When and if Witt is recalled, he will be exposed to re-entry waivers where a team could pick him back up at half the price of his contract.

According to Chris Botta of Islanderspointblank, the Islanders could eventually wind up trading Witt at his bargain basement cost of half price.

Something that bothers me a little, is what Snow explained to Katie Strang today:

Snow said the move is less of a knock on Witt’s play and more of an indication of how far along some of the Islanders young defenseman have come and the organization’s confidence in their play

As I said in the Nick Boynton post earlier this week, while the play of MacDonald has been outstanding, giving Dustin Kohn MORE time now isn’t the best option for this club. The team needs help and they need EXPERIENCED HELP.

What do I know though.

Odds are that we will see some moves made with our Islanders before the Olympic break, stay tuned.

Such is the case that Islanders GM Garth Snow will find himself in should he opt to claim Nick Boynton off of waivers before 12 o’clock tomorrow afternoon.

Why should Snow put in a claim?

Let’s see, the team has now lost five straight and is still on the playoff bubble stalled at 54 points. The Islanders defensive corps is battered and bruised, having to resort to calling up two stop gaps in Dustin Kohn and Andrew MacDonald (MacDonald is playing over 21 minutes a game and has been impressive, but I digress). Jack Hillen was felled to a broken jaw thanks to Alex Ovechkin’s slapshot last week and will be out 6-8 weeks. Veteran tough guy d-man Brendan Witt has a leg injury and will be out for another 2-3 weeks at best. Lastly on the injury front, Radek Martinek (aka Glass Man) was lost to a knee injury earlier this season and will be out indefinitely.

Looking further into the depth of the Islanders d-corps depth chart:

Bruno Gervais, is just not cutting it and seems to finding himself in the red in the plus/minus column more often than not. His recent pairing with Mark Streit has allowed him better play, thankfully.

Freddy Meyer (FMIV) bounces in and out of the lineup and has been decent, but he is not a top four d-man.

You’re current top four – Andy Sutton, Mark Streit, Bruno Gervais and Andrew MacDonald. The Islanders need defensive help and they need it now.

Boynton is set to make $700,000 for the rest of this season and is a pending UFA, so it’s not really a high risk move by any means. Should Boynton clear waivers, he will be sent down to the Ducks AHL affiliate and if summoned back to the NHL will be exposed to re-entry waivers and only costing a team $350,000 at that point.

To me, shaking up your team and giving them depth by adding a waiver wire claim seems like a good move. Pundits can claim that Boynton has played for three teams in two seasons, he has had his struggles in Anaheim and doesn’t fit the Islanders system. However, the failed experiment this weekend in Philly with Trevor Gillies should point out the need for toughness in the lineup – which Boynton can bring. Looking over his fight card this season (3 fights in his limited playing time) he has fought some tough opponents.

I say give him a shot Garth, but that’s just my opinion – if he doesn’t work out, no harm no foul and you have given up NOTHING.

What do you all think? Discuss in the comments section.

I am going to record the call with my fancy device that allows me to do so with my digital recorder. I will either transcribe it or post the clip in it’s entirety.

More in a few!

Update: Well there were technical difficulties in the call. I think I heard Garth Snow say three of four barely audible words. Guess I have to wait for the press release – nothing went the Islanders way today, clearly.

Update #2 Per the Islanders official press release:

The New York Islanders have traded Bill Guerin to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a conditional 2009 fifth round draft selection. The team has also activated defenseman Thomas Pock and center Nate Thompson from the Injured Reserve while reassigning winger Jon Sim to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League.

The conditions of the Guerin/Pittsburgh trade are as follows: If Pittsburgh reaches the playoffs, the draft pick is upgraded to a fourth round selection. If Pittsburgh advances past the first round and Guerin plays in 50 percent of those first round games, the draft pick gets further upgraded to a third round selection. The fifth round selection originally belonged to Tampa Bay.

“The entire Islanders organization has the utmost respect for Bill Guerin and we sincerely thank him for his time on Long Island and as the team’s captain,” said Islanders General Manager Garth Snow.

Guerin recorded 16 goals and 20 assists for 36 points in 61 games with the Islanders this season. Since signing with the team as a free agent on July 5, 2007, he played in 142 games and recorded 39 goals and 41 assists for 80 points. Guerin was the 11th captain in franchise history.

Pock has played in 41 games this season and has scored one goal with two assists for three points. He missed the Islanders’ last 13 games with a hand injury. Pock was claimed off waivers from the New York Rangers on September 29, 2008. In 100 career NHL games, Pock has scored eight goals with nine assists for 17 points and 51 penalty minutes.

Thompson has played in 28 games this season and has scored two goals. He missed the Islanders’ last 12 games with a shoulder injury. Thompson was claimed off waivers from Boston on October 8, 2008. In 32 career NHL games, Thompson has scored two goals and registered 42 penalty minutes.

Sim, who cleared waivers earlier today, has played in 49 games with the Islanders this season and scored nine goals and six assists for 15 points. In 51 career games with the Islanders he has scored nine goals with seven assists for 16 points and 44 penalty minutes. Sim was signed by the Islanders as a free agent on July 1, 2007.

Well, there is nothing really huge to report for the Islanders here this afternoon. I have been glued to my computer constantly refreshing the typical trade deadline sources that have been awesome in the past. I am lucky enough to have dual monitors so I can have an internet browser open on the left, and AIM, TSN’s streaming coverage in a small window and their live tracker next to that.

What we do know:

• Jon Sim has cleared waivers – I know Big Jayy (a loyal commenter) will be mad if he stays, but he has been producing for us as of late. If he doesn’t move – hopefully he continues to contribute. Not much there except for he may get sent down to Bridgeport for all we know.
• Miroslav Satan cleared waivers as well – check out the piece I did for Lighthouse Hockey on that.
• Still no word on Bill Guerin – the boys on TSN spoke about him earlier but even they don’t know whats going on. They did say there shouldn’t be a problem with him remaining an Islander for the rest of the year. Couple that tidbit with what Greg Logan got out of Doug Weight the other night.
• Still no word on other Islanders on the market such as Radek Martinek, Andy Hilbert, Doug Weight, Dean MacAmmond or Brendan Witt – time will tell.

More, if and when it happens.

Last year, my first with Islesblogger and as a member of the Islanders Blog Box – I spent the entire day at Nassau Coliseum live blogging the events of the day. We were interviewed by Jim Baumbach of Newsday – whom live blogged our live blogging and even had a run in with several Pittsburgh players asking if we knew if any of them had been traded. However, because this year the Islanders do not have a game, it is impossible to be allowed access to the Blog Box for something similar. Obviously this is dissapointing – but I pledge to carry on from the comfort of my own home with access to the same Canadian television, the internet and hopefully better food then what will be available to the media and Islanders Point Blank who will be crammed into Room Six.

What’s even more exciting, is now that I have access to everything on SB Nation – I will be part of their deadline day special through Lighthouse Hockey! I will have a running post of any and all the large trades made by the Islanders and may do something similar for the division rivals. I will also have a few opinion peices in addition to updating everyone here on Islesblogger – it will be a lot of work, but Dom and I promise to bring to some great stuff tomorrow later today.

Stay tuned for the fun stuff! Remember, you can subscribe to my RSS FEED or EMAIL UPDATES as well as follow along on TWITTER if you will be stuck at work without constant access to the internet!

As I wrote earlier today, veteran winger Jon Sim has found himself exposed to the waiver wire for the second time this season. This, despite the fact that he has been on somewhat of a tear as of late – Sim has seven points in the last six games (4g-3a-7pts).

Greg Logan writes:

Coming one day ahead of Wednesday’s 3 p.m. NHL trade deadline, the move is like an invitation to any team in need of a hard-working winger with some grit and scoring touch to add it without giving up anything but salary.

Despite 14 healthy scratches and ice time limited to just over 12 minutes a game, Sim has nine goals to rank eighth on the team. Some might read the move as symptomatic of an attempt to purge the locker room of unhappy veterans.

Talking to Jon Sim two times in the last week – I really did not see that Sim was unhappy having heard him say things like “Thinking positively”, “Positive energy”, “Fun to play here right now”, and “Being patient and professional”. More sensationalism? Perhaps, it really wouldn’t be as fun to read how Jon Sim seems to have turned his game around as of late, likes the Islanders and yet somehow finds himself on the outside looking in on an Islanders rebuild. Here is what Sim told me about his recent pickup in play when I asked him what he has done different with his game (pertaining to scoring 3 times in four games) after the home shutout of New Jersey last Saturday:

I think I’m just playing hard ya know? Playing the way that I can play and playing harder. Not trying to make the big plays, but looking to make the smart little plays instead.

Looking back to early last season, the first in his three year contract paying him $1-million in each year – it really shows that a knee injury can have an effect on a player far beyond the projected period of healing and rehabilitation suggested (prognosis not good on DiPietro – eh?). I asked Sim if at this point of the season, he felt that he was physically back at the top of his game like he was prior to the season ending knee injury early last season. Sim paused and then told me:

Yea, I thought I was pretty much all year. I have been working hard and trying to play hard. Obviously the year off wasn’t the best – but I have been trying to work hard and improve [my game] every day.

It was really beginning to show too, chalk it up to playing with fresh, young faces in the NHL the likes of Kyle Okposo, Josh Bailey, Franz Nielsen and last night Jesse Joensuu whom Sim assisted on his first NHL goal. As Michael Jackson’s Billy Jean blared in the background of the Islanders locker room (An ode to their Captain Billy, perhaps?) following another home win, this time over Ryan Smyth’s Colorado Avalanche, I got to speak with Sim again – but this time asked him about the chemistry he and new Islander forward Dean MacAmmond seem to have and if playing with a new teammate and veteran like Dean has helped with his inspired play. Sim smiled and laughed then told me:

Yea, I mean I was working hard when Dean-o came in, we kind of play off each other. He’s fun to play with – he works really hard and that’s a big thing.

I wanted to follow up with some positives on MacAmmond so I asked Sim if his game made it easier to be effective out on the ice. I mentioned that Dean is such a strong skater and gets into the zone relatively quickly and unimpeded that it was sure to do exactly that. With another laugh Sim told us that “Yea, he’s got young lets and a young face”. We all shared a laugh and Greg Logan said he thought MacAmmond looked like Matt Damon. After another round of laughter – Sim looked at us and said “He looks more like Mcauley Culkin!”

Really Jon, really? Hopefully Dean doesn’t read blogs – but I may have to mention this to him on Thursday, that is – if either of these players are still around.

Note: For those wondering the origins of this very strange photo of Jon Sim holding what appears to be Jon Sim chocolate lolipops…. please head over to Chocoversity. Apparently this company can print any image on chocolate and they recently hooked up with the NHL. For more images, check out their gallery – apparently Mike Sillinger was there too!

Sim, who had three assists last night and three goals in four games before last nights three point outburst, has one year remaining on his contract at an affordable $1 million dollars.

I have two games worth of quotes from Jon Sim that I have yet to post – I guess today is the day. Look for those a bit later tonight.

More as it develops, I’m almost positive someone was interested in acquiring Sim without giving up anything in return.

Seems that the Blue Jackets out there in Columbus wanted to change all that when they claimed recently signed netminder Wade Dubielewicz off waivers. Everyone and their mother rightly assumed that their wouldn’t be a problem with Dubie clearing waivers. Nope, that all changed in a flash – Flash Gordon style.

Greg Logan, Chris Botta, Newsday, all of the rest of the media and blogs are all reporting pretty much incorrect news in tonight’s game notes. It’s a bit crazy to read through.

Word on the street is that Peter Mannino is once again serving as backup to Danis, that is if he was able to make it back to the Coliseum in time (he was in Binghamton).

Such is life in the day of an Islanders management employee, beat writer, blogger and most importantly fan.

E tu Columbus, e tu?

This entire situation begs the question, when a team is in dead last in the league, in desperate need of goaltending help due to an already crazy amount of injuries, is it neccessary to stake a waiver claim when there was a better, equally affordable goaltender in Curtis Sanford available days if not hours prior?

One just has to shake their head at this situation, grin off the pain and soldier on.

I guess a new “Dubie on board” sign is in order, eh?

• Chasing the puck. The entire team was guilty of bunching up and all going after the puck carrier. This type of coverage leaves the rest of the opposing team open and leads to goals, lots of them
• Penalties, penalties and more penalties. Sure, some of the penalties called on the Islanders in Pittsburgh were questionable at best – but when you take three or four consecutive penalties on the same shift, things need to be addressed. You don’t skate, you are bound to take penalties – correlation 100%.
• No back checking. It seemed as if the team were spectating their own game, there was no sense of urgency and almost no energy.
• Passes. Once again passes were to areas where there wasn’t a player or too far ahead of behind. I don’t know how many giveaway’s the Islanders had the other night, but it sure did seem like a lot.
• Shots. Sure the team started to shoot more, but when you have prime scoring chances put the shot on net for once. I don’t know how many times someone would shoot and it would be high, wide or hi and wide. I was getting sick of Howie Rose sounding like he was announcing a baseball game – “Just a bit outside”.
• Forecheck. Comes from a lack of skating, for a system that purportedly benefits from a forecheck – it’s not really a surprise that they failed miserably.

What I like about this

I know it’s hard to like anything about the past several days, but I am digging how Scott Gordon is responding to the teams dismal performance. In the past the Islanders coaches would not push the team hard in practice following a nasty loss – but I was hoping Gordon would give them a bag skate and he totally did. The critics all say that the practice before a game day should never be as tough as it would be during a bag skate – but I disagree. If your team is not playing as they should, they should know that a practice so tough it makes you puke is about to be thrown down.

Greg Logan had a great interview with Scott Gordon about the practice:

“You say, ‘I don’t want to kill them in practice and not get it in the game,’” Gordon said. “Well, now I’m at the point where it doesn’t really matter. This needs to be addressed, and it probably should have been addressed three games ago. The goals that are going in are because of our lack of awareness and our lack of effort without the puck coming back into our zone. There’s not a system in the world that’s going to cover your rear end if you don’t have awareness and you don’t have a commitment to get back to your zone.”

“It’s been an ongoing situation where we have not backchecked with awareness and purpose,” Gordon said. “We have to play with more desperation and more purpose all the time. When you’re not doing that, you become easier to play against. That’s not what we want our team identity to be.”

In his blog, Chris Botta talks a bit about the bag skate as well, and has this to say about the two quotes from Gordon to Logan:

That’s completely fair on the coach’s part. But if the Islanders get out-skated tonight, Logie has his angle (and most of his story written) by the end of the second intermission. From what I’ve heard, that skate in Columbus was no moderate bag skate, but Hefty baggy.

If they get out skated. The entire hockey world is one big IF, I am sure Gordon isn’t the first coach to put his team through a rigorous practice the day before a game, I just hope they learned something about not showing up for a game because of it. I don’t even care if they seem tired, a tired team playing the system is better than prepared team not playing the system any day – history has already proven this in past losses.

Sillinger out, Sim back in

Greg Logan also has a blog entry today that claims Mike Sillinger has tweaked his groin and will sit out until he is 100% to avoid the risk of hurting his surgically repaired hip. In his place, Jon Sim who was recently placed on waivers (only to go unclaimed) will find himself getting another look and an opportunity to show the team he can contribute. However, at this point Sim appears to reach his previous point totals if he finishes the season with the Islanders – but there is obviously a log-jam of similar type players (Thompson, Bergenheim, Jackman, Fritz).

Not really sure what to expect exactly tonight, but I know it should be a better effort. We will soon find out.

Thompson was drafted in the 6th round 183rd overall in the 2003 draft, he plays center and had 19 goals and 20 assists for 39 points in 75 games with the P-Bruins last season.

Not a bad pickup, obviously this is a Gordon choice with all his experience in the Bruins organization.

Apparently, Thompson is quite the scrapper – as evident in the video below:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Greg Logan also had an interesting update in his blog this evening, seems as if Brett Skinner was returned to Bridgeport and Thompson will take Skinners place in the pressbox. He also claims that this move will not affect Bailey’s playing time and had some good quotes from Gordon.

It’s uncertain how quickly Thompson will fit into the lineup, but for the moment, the Islanders are carrying 14 forwards and only seven defensemen since Brett Skinner got sent down to Bridgeport to make room for Thompson. If Thompson performs well, it wouldn’t be surprising if general manager Garth Snow looks to trade a spare forward.

Emphasis added in the last sentence of the quote, but it appears that Garth Snow has really grown comfortable in the GM role and had set the Islanders up in good position should the need arise to ship players out or form a package deal for scoring.

Does anyone else think Friday, Saturday and Monday cannot come soon enough?