There are going to be games where the Islanders put in a phenomenal effort but come up on the short end of the score. Saturday night against the Sabres was one of those days.
Showing posts with label David Ullstrom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label David Ullstrom. Show all posts
February 10, 2013
January 28, 2013
Jets Storm Back to Defeat Isles in OT
Those who giveth, taketh away.
This was the story line of the Islanders top performers in their 5-4 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday night.
This was the story line of the Islanders top performers in their 5-4 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday night.
January 26, 2013
Bruins Edge Isles, 4-2
Although the Islanders fought valiantly for the better part of two periods, they showed that they were clearly gassed from playing the second of a back-to-back, their first one of this season.
January 21, 2013
Islanders Hold Off Lightning for First Win
From the moment the puck dropped you knew this game was going to have a bit of a different feel to it than the home opener. Any game that has two fights go on one second after the puck is dropped will be different.
January 19, 2013
Isles Finalize Roster, Claim Strait & Suspend Visnovsky; Prepare for Devils
Continuing the week of the waiver claim, the Islanders added defenseman Brian Strait from the Pittsburgh Penguins. The move marks the fourth consecutive day the Islanders have added a player via the waiver wire.
March 28, 2012
Isles Win on Secondary Scoring, Strong Goaltending
All season long one of the Islanders' biggest issues had been getting offensive support from players not named John Tavares, Matt Moulson or P.A. Parenteau. Over the last couple of weeks that's slowly gotten better. On Tuesday night in Pittsburgh, it was the best we had seen it in quite some time.
March 4, 2012
Isles Stop Skid in Boston; NYI FYI Show Sunday
The Islanders hadn't fared well against the Bruins this season, and haven't done particularly well on the road as of late. Set to return home for a Sunday matinee against the New Jersey Devils, the Islanders were looking for any positives they could take back to Long Island with them. They were able to get a few.
March 3, 2012
Isles Prepare for Tough Boston Matchup
When the Islanders fell to the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night, one of the key reasons why they did was due to the size of the Flyers. The Islanders got off to a quick start, but once the Flyers began using their big bodies things went South.
February 25, 2012
Isles Win Over Rangers; Rolston Waived; NYI FYI on Sunday
The Islanders latest test came from one of the NHL's top teams and their division rivals, the New York Rangers. On the surface, this game had the makings of a very tough match-up.
But the Islanders got some good news a day before the game when it was announced that both Travis Hamonic and Evgeni Nabokov would be returning to the lineup. Both were integral parts in helping the Islanders to a 4-3 shootout win over their rivals.
But the Islanders got some good news a day before the game when it was announced that both Travis Hamonic and Evgeni Nabokov would be returning to the lineup. Both were integral parts in helping the Islanders to a 4-3 shootout win over their rivals.
January 11, 2012
Isles Dominate Red Wings
They may have taken a couple of steps back with their two road efforts in Anaheim and Phoenix, but the Islanders were able to take one step forward on Tuesday night against the Detroit Red Wings.
November 22, 2011
Sid Puts on a Show Against Isles
The Islanders held Sidney Crosby off as long as they could: Five minutes and twenty-four seconds.
Crosby opened the scoring of the game, slaloming through Marty Reasoner, Jay Pandolfo and Travis Hamonic and driving around Andrew MacDonald with ease before lifting a backhand shot over a sprawled out Anders Nilsson.
Crosby opened the scoring of the game, slaloming through Marty Reasoner, Jay Pandolfo and Travis Hamonic and driving around Andrew MacDonald with ease before lifting a backhand shot over a sprawled out Anders Nilsson.
January 14, 2011
Isles Prepare to Release Sim; Other Notes
The Islanders announced today that they have put Jon Sim on unconditional waivers, effectively ending the wingers tumultuous four-year career with the team.
Sim explained to Katie Strang of Newsday that he is trying to get a spot with a team over in Europe. On Monday, Sim was waived for the fourth time this season. He had one goal and four points with the Isles this season, while putting up 7-2-9 in just eight games with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
There are some fans who are unhappy with the way this has played out, with many expressing distaste for the fact that he didn't fulfill the contract he signed.
In all honesty, I have never been a big supporter of Sim, not even when the Islanders originally signed him back in 2007. But I do not have any issues with what happened here. Sim had the right to reject an assignment to the AHL and the Islanders in turn had the right to go through with the process of terminating that contract if it came to this. This is all in the rules and legal.
Sim really liked this organization, and for the better part of four years did what the Islanders told him to do. He never complained and just did his job - played hockey.
Sure, Sim knew that signing the two-way contract that he did for this season meant that he could go up and down as much as the Isles pleased. But he seemed fine with that. It isn't common for players to refuse assignments to the AHL, but it does happen a couple of times a year.
Besides, for all we know this arrangement is something Sim and Garth Snow could have talked about a while back.
In the meantime, Sim will get to go do what really is best for the 33-year-old's family and career at this point in time. As far as sports are concerned, there isn't as much money in the NHL as there is in other sports - not even close. If I were a professional hockey player and was presented with the opportunity to make more money, I would take that deal.
I think part of the reasons the fans are so upset with Sim is because in general, it has been the thing to do ever since he got that three-year, $3 million contract after the exodus of Ryan Smyth and company. Jon Sim isn't a very skilled hockey player, and unfortunately due to various other factors more often than not found himself playing on lines he really had no business being on. So in that sense, some of the vitriol is misguided. For many, Sim will always be a symbol of what some feel is wrong with the franchise.
Having said that, I agree with the sentiments that Strang expressed that Sim was a great guy who had an awesome sense of humor. He was always upbeat and would give you some time to talk if you needed it. It's definitely a little bit of a loss of character for the organization to suffer.
This now changes the roster equation a bit now when it comes to who the future call-ups will be when other forwards get hurt. We have already seen guys like Rhett Rakhshani and Jeremy Colliton come up. Perhaps now we will see David Ullstrom at some point.
Best of luck in Europe, Jon.
Wishart Soon? The Islanders also announced that defenseman Dylan Reese was put on waivers and will presumably clear and head down to Bridgeport.
While it probably really isn't newsworthy as the Isles have been carrying seven defensemen around and need to get Frans Nielsen back on the roster soon (but not for tomorrow), I'm wondering if it's a precursor move to seeing newcomer Ty Wishart come up soon. It would make sense seeing as Wishart has laced up in four games for the Sound Tigers as of right now, so he could be down there just to get acclimated to the system for a handful of games.
DiPietro Appears Ready: Rick DiPietro manned one of the nets by himself Friday at practice, leading many to believe that he will be well enough to get the start tomorrow night against the Buffalo Sabres. In fact, both he and Jack Capuano seemed very optimistic and the goalie said that he felt great after the practice. Who his back-up would be is another story, but the right move here would be to send Kevin Poulin down to get more starts and continue on a steady development plan.
-CH
nyifyi@gmail.com
Sim explained to Katie Strang of Newsday that he is trying to get a spot with a team over in Europe. On Monday, Sim was waived for the fourth time this season. He had one goal and four points with the Isles this season, while putting up 7-2-9 in just eight games with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
 |
| Jon Sim leaves the Islanders after four years. Photo by C. Hessel |
In all honesty, I have never been a big supporter of Sim, not even when the Islanders originally signed him back in 2007. But I do not have any issues with what happened here. Sim had the right to reject an assignment to the AHL and the Islanders in turn had the right to go through with the process of terminating that contract if it came to this. This is all in the rules and legal.
Sim really liked this organization, and for the better part of four years did what the Islanders told him to do. He never complained and just did his job - played hockey.
Sure, Sim knew that signing the two-way contract that he did for this season meant that he could go up and down as much as the Isles pleased. But he seemed fine with that. It isn't common for players to refuse assignments to the AHL, but it does happen a couple of times a year.
Besides, for all we know this arrangement is something Sim and Garth Snow could have talked about a while back.
In the meantime, Sim will get to go do what really is best for the 33-year-old's family and career at this point in time. As far as sports are concerned, there isn't as much money in the NHL as there is in other sports - not even close. If I were a professional hockey player and was presented with the opportunity to make more money, I would take that deal.
I think part of the reasons the fans are so upset with Sim is because in general, it has been the thing to do ever since he got that three-year, $3 million contract after the exodus of Ryan Smyth and company. Jon Sim isn't a very skilled hockey player, and unfortunately due to various other factors more often than not found himself playing on lines he really had no business being on. So in that sense, some of the vitriol is misguided. For many, Sim will always be a symbol of what some feel is wrong with the franchise.
Having said that, I agree with the sentiments that Strang expressed that Sim was a great guy who had an awesome sense of humor. He was always upbeat and would give you some time to talk if you needed it. It's definitely a little bit of a loss of character for the organization to suffer.
This now changes the roster equation a bit now when it comes to who the future call-ups will be when other forwards get hurt. We have already seen guys like Rhett Rakhshani and Jeremy Colliton come up. Perhaps now we will see David Ullstrom at some point.
Best of luck in Europe, Jon.
Wishart Soon? The Islanders also announced that defenseman Dylan Reese was put on waivers and will presumably clear and head down to Bridgeport.
While it probably really isn't newsworthy as the Isles have been carrying seven defensemen around and need to get Frans Nielsen back on the roster soon (but not for tomorrow), I'm wondering if it's a precursor move to seeing newcomer Ty Wishart come up soon. It would make sense seeing as Wishart has laced up in four games for the Sound Tigers as of right now, so he could be down there just to get acclimated to the system for a handful of games.
DiPietro Appears Ready: Rick DiPietro manned one of the nets by himself Friday at practice, leading many to believe that he will be well enough to get the start tomorrow night against the Buffalo Sabres. In fact, both he and Jack Capuano seemed very optimistic and the goalie said that he felt great after the practice. Who his back-up would be is another story, but the right move here would be to send Kevin Poulin down to get more starts and continue on a steady development plan.
-CH
nyifyi@gmail.com
September 16, 2010
Rookie Game 2: Boston 2, Isles 1 (OT)
The Islanders dropped the 2nd and final rookie game to the Bruins in overtime by a score of 2-1. Ryan Spooner scored both goals for the Bruins, while Tony Romano scored the lone goal for the Isles.
Tonight's effort was much better than the one we saw on Wednesday. Kevin Poulin was in net, and looked very strong. Just like Mikko Koskinen, Poulin has some very quick reaction time. He looked a little quicker with his lateral movement and had the ability to go into the butterfly stance a little quicker that Koskinen, but we could probably chalk that up to Koskinen being five inches taller and very thin. Poulin is at 6'2" and 205 lbs, so he has good size for a goalie. He is very quick with the glove saves, and that seems to be what he is most comfortable with.
Calvin de Haan had a better game, but there were still some bumps here and there. The fact that his play improved leads one to think that it is just rust from the lack of playing time, but he is getting there. The Islanders had a lot of powerplay opportunities tonight, and de Haan saw a lot of time from that. It seems like he is very hesitant to shoot the puck. There were a couple of times you could see how much space he was being given from the overhead camera the Bruins were using for the live feed. A good offensive defenseman has to shoot when given that much time and space. He will learn with time, but again you can clearly see he is still trying to shake off some rust. At this point, I'm not expecting de Haan to make the Islanders despite being one of the final cuts last season. He really should spend another year down in juniors to get all of the kinks worked out.
Travis Hamonic had a much better game, but was knocked out fairly early after getting into a fight, his 2nd of the tournament which meant a game misconduct. He definitely likes to scrap, and that was good to see. I'm glad he came around and was having a better go at it than he did on Wednesday. I'm very interested to see what he does in the real camp now.
For some reason, my recap of game one failed to mention David Ullstrom. I have been pretty impressed with what I have seen from him. This isn't a guy who's going to score a ton, but he has some talent, good speed and a huge frame. A number of times tonight, he could be found screening the opposing net on the powerplay. When he had the puck behind the net, he seemed to be able to cylce back and forth a couple of times and pass it up to create some scoring chances. He's got some really good tools to become a very effective top-9 forward, maybe a top-6 with some luck. I've been excited to see Ullstrom for a little while, and these two games left me even more curious with what we have here. Keep your eyes on him closely during camp in the battle for the open forward spot.
Justin DiBennedetto has some good skills as well. He's not the most skilled guy, and the probability that the skill he has shown translates into a regular top-6 in the NHL is slim, but he looked a lot better than what I saw last year. He's faster, smarter and much more "chippy." I like what he is trying to do with his game and how he is trying to change is. That could go a long way in making him an effective player and a contributor at the pro level.
Nino Niederreiter is a very strong kid. He has an excellent ability to be able to turn his back to a defender when he's carrying the puck, which enabled the Isles to set up shop in the offensive zone a few times tonight. He got knocked down a couple of times, but he's still trying to get his "NHL legs." He'll be in camp, and an obvious favorite to make the club for at least the first nine games of the season. If Niederreiter sticks to the game we saw him play in these two, he should have no problems. What will be interesting to see now is how he fares going up against even bigger, faster and stronger opponents in the NHL camp. If he doesn't have the same success, he won't take long to adjust. He has the size which gives him an advantage over many other young players, and the hockey sense to be able to make some adjustments on the fly.
Kirill Kabanov was doing much of the same as he did last night. The kid can be an offensive dynamo one day. It's a shame that he is so light, because he could really do a lot more if he were only about 10-15 pounds heavier. Perhaps after another season in junior he can become a contributor with the Isles, but he is on the right track skill wise. Hopefully he matures so that we can be sure that we'll definitely have the skill here, in North America.
Finally, Mark Katic had a very strong series. I didn't mention him Wednesday night either, but he showed quickness and a good offensive game. He has definitely gotten significantly bigger since the Islanders took him in the 3rd round in 2007, and playing in Bridgeport last season seems to have taught him a lot. He likes to jump in on offense, but he's very smart with knowing when to pick his spots. Twice I saw him get himself into trouble on pinches, and both times he was able to use his speed to get back. Both times he didn't put himself totally out of position either though, and that surely played a factor. Good to see that we could possibly have a little more offense coming up the ranks on the blueline.
These are only a few of the guys who had strong games, but they are the ones that people had the most interest in given their skill level and draft positions. It was nice to see some generally good performances from some of the Isles top young talent, and now we get to see how some of it will translate in the NHL camp.
Tonight's effort was much better than the one we saw on Wednesday. Kevin Poulin was in net, and looked very strong. Just like Mikko Koskinen, Poulin has some very quick reaction time. He looked a little quicker with his lateral movement and had the ability to go into the butterfly stance a little quicker that Koskinen, but we could probably chalk that up to Koskinen being five inches taller and very thin. Poulin is at 6'2" and 205 lbs, so he has good size for a goalie. He is very quick with the glove saves, and that seems to be what he is most comfortable with.
Calvin de Haan had a better game, but there were still some bumps here and there. The fact that his play improved leads one to think that it is just rust from the lack of playing time, but he is getting there. The Islanders had a lot of powerplay opportunities tonight, and de Haan saw a lot of time from that. It seems like he is very hesitant to shoot the puck. There were a couple of times you could see how much space he was being given from the overhead camera the Bruins were using for the live feed. A good offensive defenseman has to shoot when given that much time and space. He will learn with time, but again you can clearly see he is still trying to shake off some rust. At this point, I'm not expecting de Haan to make the Islanders despite being one of the final cuts last season. He really should spend another year down in juniors to get all of the kinks worked out.
Travis Hamonic had a much better game, but was knocked out fairly early after getting into a fight, his 2nd of the tournament which meant a game misconduct. He definitely likes to scrap, and that was good to see. I'm glad he came around and was having a better go at it than he did on Wednesday. I'm very interested to see what he does in the real camp now.
For some reason, my recap of game one failed to mention David Ullstrom. I have been pretty impressed with what I have seen from him. This isn't a guy who's going to score a ton, but he has some talent, good speed and a huge frame. A number of times tonight, he could be found screening the opposing net on the powerplay. When he had the puck behind the net, he seemed to be able to cylce back and forth a couple of times and pass it up to create some scoring chances. He's got some really good tools to become a very effective top-9 forward, maybe a top-6 with some luck. I've been excited to see Ullstrom for a little while, and these two games left me even more curious with what we have here. Keep your eyes on him closely during camp in the battle for the open forward spot.
Justin DiBennedetto has some good skills as well. He's not the most skilled guy, and the probability that the skill he has shown translates into a regular top-6 in the NHL is slim, but he looked a lot better than what I saw last year. He's faster, smarter and much more "chippy." I like what he is trying to do with his game and how he is trying to change is. That could go a long way in making him an effective player and a contributor at the pro level.
Nino Niederreiter is a very strong kid. He has an excellent ability to be able to turn his back to a defender when he's carrying the puck, which enabled the Isles to set up shop in the offensive zone a few times tonight. He got knocked down a couple of times, but he's still trying to get his "NHL legs." He'll be in camp, and an obvious favorite to make the club for at least the first nine games of the season. If Niederreiter sticks to the game we saw him play in these two, he should have no problems. What will be interesting to see now is how he fares going up against even bigger, faster and stronger opponents in the NHL camp. If he doesn't have the same success, he won't take long to adjust. He has the size which gives him an advantage over many other young players, and the hockey sense to be able to make some adjustments on the fly.
Kirill Kabanov was doing much of the same as he did last night. The kid can be an offensive dynamo one day. It's a shame that he is so light, because he could really do a lot more if he were only about 10-15 pounds heavier. Perhaps after another season in junior he can become a contributor with the Isles, but he is on the right track skill wise. Hopefully he matures so that we can be sure that we'll definitely have the skill here, in North America.
Finally, Mark Katic had a very strong series. I didn't mention him Wednesday night either, but he showed quickness and a good offensive game. He has definitely gotten significantly bigger since the Islanders took him in the 3rd round in 2007, and playing in Bridgeport last season seems to have taught him a lot. He likes to jump in on offense, but he's very smart with knowing when to pick his spots. Twice I saw him get himself into trouble on pinches, and both times he was able to use his speed to get back. Both times he didn't put himself totally out of position either though, and that surely played a factor. Good to see that we could possibly have a little more offense coming up the ranks on the blueline.
These are only a few of the guys who had strong games, but they are the ones that people had the most interest in given their skill level and draft positions. It was nice to see some generally good performances from some of the Isles top young talent, and now we get to see how some of it will translate in the NHL camp.
September 13, 2010
Rookie Camp Day 1: Kabanov Does Not Skate
Correction: Ullstrom last played for HV71, not Linkoping. Thanks to reader Magnus for the tip.
When the Islanders took Kirill Kabanov in the 3rd round back in June at the entry draft, everyone knew the risks. They understood why the kid fell from a sure fire top-three pick in the preseason rankings. I even described all the trials and tribulations the young Kabanov went through over the past couple of seasons.
Despite talking about how much he has to change, and how he will work his hardest to make the Islanders as soon as possible to show how much he appreciates that they took a chance on him, Kabanov has gotten off on the wrong foot.
Kabanov was not allowed to participate in the on-ice drills in day one due to disciplinary actions handed down by the team after he showed up late for team physicals.
I give the Islanders a lot of credit here. They could have very easily looked at this situation and swept it under the rug, but they know exactly what they are dealing with. Punishing Kabanov is exactly what should happen given his history. The hope obviously is that by doing that, you show how serious you are and let him know that just because he is as skilled as the top players in the draft, he will not be handed anything.
I feel one of the best quotes regarding the situation came from Scott Gordon. When asked by Newsday's Mike Rose if he was disappointed about Kabanov not participating, Gordon simply replied "not as disappointed as he's going to be." He would go on to say that this was something that the Isles "talked to him about and he's got to learn to follow the rules."
One thing the fans have learned about Gordon in his two years here is that he doesn't put up with things like this. He isn't afraid to mix lines up to get others going or bench guys who are struggling mightily. Some people have disagreed with the way the Isles handled this today, but in my eyes they did exactly what they had to do. Kabanov has to step up and show he wants it if he truly wants to prove everyone wrong.
While we have to wait another day to see Kabanov, the other prospects took part in the long practice. There was a lot of coaching from Gordon, and by all accounts it had the feel of a clinic. Some of these young players will be with the big club next week, including 5th overall pick Nino Niederreiter.
Niederreiter admitted that he had some trouble early on, but by the end of the practice felt more comfortable. It's good that he picked up on the system rather quickly because as Chris Botta says in his interview with Gordon, Nino's chances of making this team for at least the first nine games is very good.
Niederreiter, who just turned 18 last week and was one of the youngest players available in the draft, is already a big kid at 6'3" and 202 pounds, so he absolutely has the size needed to be able to go through the rigors of the NHL season. The only concern there would be conditioning and skill level. It is best not to rush prospects along, but the Islanders have enough developing young players, many of whom are poised for breakout seasons, where they can play Niederreiter in a 3rd line/power play role to start off and not have to worry about putting too much pressure on him immediately.
Time will tell what will happen, but it is best for all parties if Niederreiter gets through the camp and impresses. It will put a great deal of confidence in him and the coaching staff, and things could only go up from there.
Another prospect that I was looking forward to hearing from was forward David Ullstrom. After the two-hour practice, he said that he felt content with the way he performed. Ullstrom is a guy I have been intrigued with since the Islanders took him in the 4th round of 2008. He's a big kid with some good skills to boot. Last season in Sweden, he was able to put up 5-11-16 in 47 games for Linkoping, which are actually good numbers for a 20 year old. For many of the leagues overseas, developing prospects is not anywhere near the top of their list. For him to be able to stick with the big club all year, and put up those points in very limited minutes is really promising. I think that he is somewhat of a diamond in the rough, and I feel there is a very good shot we'll see him by seasons end. The Islanders have been looking to add a forward, but seeing as they have not up until this point, they will look at some of these young players. Size is something they are always in need of, so even if it's later in the season, we will get a look at Ullstrom at some point.
The team will return on the ice for the 2nd day tomorrow. Hopefully we'll have some updates on some of the other players. A few that are of interest are Kabanov, Calvin de Haan, Travis Hamonic and Casey Cizikas.
-Chris
nyifyi@gmail.com
When the Islanders took Kirill Kabanov in the 3rd round back in June at the entry draft, everyone knew the risks. They understood why the kid fell from a sure fire top-three pick in the preseason rankings. I even described all the trials and tribulations the young Kabanov went through over the past couple of seasons.
Despite talking about how much he has to change, and how he will work his hardest to make the Islanders as soon as possible to show how much he appreciates that they took a chance on him, Kabanov has gotten off on the wrong foot.
Kabanov was not allowed to participate in the on-ice drills in day one due to disciplinary actions handed down by the team after he showed up late for team physicals.
I give the Islanders a lot of credit here. They could have very easily looked at this situation and swept it under the rug, but they know exactly what they are dealing with. Punishing Kabanov is exactly what should happen given his history. The hope obviously is that by doing that, you show how serious you are and let him know that just because he is as skilled as the top players in the draft, he will not be handed anything.
I feel one of the best quotes regarding the situation came from Scott Gordon. When asked by Newsday's Mike Rose if he was disappointed about Kabanov not participating, Gordon simply replied "not as disappointed as he's going to be." He would go on to say that this was something that the Isles "talked to him about and he's got to learn to follow the rules."
One thing the fans have learned about Gordon in his two years here is that he doesn't put up with things like this. He isn't afraid to mix lines up to get others going or bench guys who are struggling mightily. Some people have disagreed with the way the Isles handled this today, but in my eyes they did exactly what they had to do. Kabanov has to step up and show he wants it if he truly wants to prove everyone wrong.
While we have to wait another day to see Kabanov, the other prospects took part in the long practice. There was a lot of coaching from Gordon, and by all accounts it had the feel of a clinic. Some of these young players will be with the big club next week, including 5th overall pick Nino Niederreiter.
Niederreiter admitted that he had some trouble early on, but by the end of the practice felt more comfortable. It's good that he picked up on the system rather quickly because as Chris Botta says in his interview with Gordon, Nino's chances of making this team for at least the first nine games is very good.
Niederreiter, who just turned 18 last week and was one of the youngest players available in the draft, is already a big kid at 6'3" and 202 pounds, so he absolutely has the size needed to be able to go through the rigors of the NHL season. The only concern there would be conditioning and skill level. It is best not to rush prospects along, but the Islanders have enough developing young players, many of whom are poised for breakout seasons, where they can play Niederreiter in a 3rd line/power play role to start off and not have to worry about putting too much pressure on him immediately.
Time will tell what will happen, but it is best for all parties if Niederreiter gets through the camp and impresses. It will put a great deal of confidence in him and the coaching staff, and things could only go up from there.
Another prospect that I was looking forward to hearing from was forward David Ullstrom. After the two-hour practice, he said that he felt content with the way he performed. Ullstrom is a guy I have been intrigued with since the Islanders took him in the 4th round of 2008. He's a big kid with some good skills to boot. Last season in Sweden, he was able to put up 5-11-16 in 47 games for Linkoping, which are actually good numbers for a 20 year old. For many of the leagues overseas, developing prospects is not anywhere near the top of their list. For him to be able to stick with the big club all year, and put up those points in very limited minutes is really promising. I think that he is somewhat of a diamond in the rough, and I feel there is a very good shot we'll see him by seasons end. The Islanders have been looking to add a forward, but seeing as they have not up until this point, they will look at some of these young players. Size is something they are always in need of, so even if it's later in the season, we will get a look at Ullstrom at some point.
The team will return on the ice for the 2nd day tomorrow. Hopefully we'll have some updates on some of the other players. A few that are of interest are Kabanov, Calvin de Haan, Travis Hamonic and Casey Cizikas.
-Chris
nyifyi@gmail.com
June 26, 2008
Islanders Draft Recap
OK, so we’re all aware of what the Islanders did on Friday night. While many fans were thinking Filatov, the scouting staff saw something different. What transpired is something that was met with all sorts of reactions to Islander fans, and mainly because no one really knew anything about Josh Bailey. You see, everyone was more concerned with the top 6 prospects because that’s where the team was slated to pick. However, Garth Snow and the Islanders have become notorious for being very tight lipped these days, so any fan who was paying attention should have known that anything was possible. Naturally, at first glance, people didn’t know what to think, myself included. Sean and I even made a post draft podcast where we jumped to conclusions that weren't really warranted because we didn't know too much about what we really had here. We've learned our lesson though. I have to admit, that after reading over a bunch of things since Friday night, I think the teams draft was a success. Here’s a breakdown of the selections.
1st round, Pick #9: Josh Bailey, Center, 6’1”, 188 lbs.
Rank: TSN- 12; CSB- 14 (NAS); ISS- 10; RLR- 15; McK- 11; THN- 14
Scouting Report:
NHL Director of Central Scouting, E.J. McGuire:
*Strengths: "Josh is the quarterback on the power-play, from down low, for the Windsor Spitfires and I think he is going to continue to be that. He is a good play-making centerman with the ability to feed his linemates when he needs to and shoot the puck when the play requires that."
*Areas to improve: "He needs to add a little bit more grit to his game, he is a tireless worker and if he can get in there and grind it out with some of the other players that he currently plays against in the OHL, that will be good experience for when he reaches the NHL."
*Outlook: "He is a skilled centerman who is going to be on your power-play, if not the first power-play, certainly part of a good second power-play unit. He is going to be a skilled play-making player in the NHL and good things are going to happen for him at the next level due to his hard work."
NHL Central Scouting's Chris Edwards: "Josh is a really hard working up and down guy who has great puck skill and play-making ability. He has the ability to pass through any type of traffic and is an energy guy for Windsor. He's not a fighter but he's not one to be afraid of anyone or back down and he doesn't get knocked around. The biggest component of his game that needs improvement was his competitiveness, but he stepped it up down the stretch and really showed that next level."
Windsor Spitfires head coach Bob Boughner: "Joshua is a highly skilled player who can play on both ends of the ice as well as on the penalty kill and power-play units. He has the unique ability to make players around him better."
TSN: “Regarded as a skilled playmaker, the Windsor Spitfire centre is a good, solid two-way player who is conscientious in his effort at all times although scouts would like to see a little more grit to his game.”
Some good stuff right there. Sure, every fan was expecting Filatov or Schenn at first, but like I said, once people read up on Josh they liked him more and more. A playmaking center, who makes his wingers better, defensively responsible, and is a leader. The Islanders really need centers like that in the system, not to mention on the team as well. This was the prospect the Islanders had ranked 5th on their chart after Steve Stamkos, Drew Doughty, Zach Bogosian and Alex Pietrangelo. When those guys went one through four respectively, Snow and his scouts made the decision to get their man in Bailey. Since the new revamped scouting staff has been put in place, they have made some really nice selections, which is a welcome sight after what went on around here in the 1990’s and early 2000’s. Now, these kids are just 18 or 19 years old, so it’s hard to judge right now who should have gone where, and it’s impossible to project where they will be at. We’ll just have to see. But based on recent track record, I trust the scouting staff.
Lost in those scouting reports is how when things get tough, Josh doesn’t back down. The Spitfires organization and the OHL suffered a huge loss when captain Mickey Renauld collapsed and passed away this passed winter. He was the team’s captain. Bailey was very close to Mickey, and took his spot as a leader on the team. Bailey played with a heavy heart, like most of the team, but it didn’t show on the ice. In 67 games, Bailey had 96 points (29-67) which included a stretch to end the year of 23 points in the final 9 games. It is difficult to perform at a high level when you suddenly lose a close friend; but it is more difficult to battle that kind of adversity at 18 years of age.
It isn’t so farfetched to think that Bailey could make the Islanders out of training camp this September. Bailey said he’s going to move to Long Island in the summer, and will be at prospect camp July 14-19. I think he has a very good shot, depending on what the team does in free agency. If it goes like last year, Bailey will be here. If not, well then he’ll go back to juniors, and possibly will be the new captain for the Spitfires.
2nd Round, Pick #36: Corey Trivino, Center, 6’1”, 170 lbs.
Rank: TSN- 36; CSB- 49 NAS; ISS- 26; RLR- 40; McK- 24; THN- 36
Scouting Report:
NHL Central Scouting's Chris Edwards: "He has the ability to see the ice well and to move the puck. He needs to get stronger – he's willing to battle, but isn't always winning the puck. He's got a good goal-scoring touch and he's good on face-offs with good skating ability, not necessarily high-end skating, but good."
TSN: “The Jr. A player from Ontario stepped up his play at the Under-18 tourney in April and scouts are confident he's on the right development track as he prepares to head off to Boston University next season. While there is a little talk he could sneak into the bottom end of the first round, the consensus is that he's a solid second round pick.”
This was a great pick at 36. I was excited to grab him as he was on my wish list for these later rounds. While Trivino didn’t go in the first round, the Islanders were glad to grab him at 36. Snow wanted to trade two of his 2nd rounders to get back into the first round, and it was believed that be for Trivino. It all ended up working out well as the Islanders made some great selections with their 2nd rounders this year. Trivino is a very skilled center, who is more on the playmaking side. He had 69 points (19-50) in only 39 games last year for Stouffville of the OPJHL. Trivino will turn into a solid NHL player one day, but we won’t have to worry about that for another 3-4 years down the road.
2nd Round, Pick #40: Aaron Ness, Defenseman, 5’10”, 157 lbs.
Rank: TSN- 40; CSB- 27 NAS; ISS- 29; RLR- 23; McK- 45; THN- 43
Scouting Report:
NHL Central Scouting's Jack Barzee: "Aaron is flamboyant and colorful. He is very quick, everything about him is quick – his hands are quick, his feet are quick. He is a very good skater and he is gritty and physical. He'll step right in to you without fear – he picks his spot when he does it. He's a little more polished than some of the other high school defensemen with his passing and playmaking. When I look at him he is quicker than Brian Leetch was at this age and he's as fast as John-Michael Liles was at the same age."
Roseau head coach Scott Oliver: "I think he's in the top 10 all-time (in the state). He sees the ice and moves the puck better than any player I've ever seen. He reminds me of (former NHL great) Phil Housley. I kept him on the ice as much as I could. He's a dynamic player and has got a real good gas tank. Even when he was tired, he probably wouldn't tell me. He's very passionate about the game and a real pleasure to coach."
TSN: “So good, so small. That's what the scouts say about the diminutive defenseman from Minnesota. He has speed and skill and is fast-tracking his way to the University of Minnesota. It would take a team with multiple first round picks and/or a great deal of faith in the undersized blueliner to choose him in the first round.”
This was another guy I had on my wish list. I was so happy when I saw that we were able to grab him at this spot. Small guy right now, but he’s still growing and has some excellent talent for an offensive defenseman. He doesn’t back down from being physical, despite his small size. I love everything about his game. The NHL is heading more towards speed, and Ness will fit in perfectly one day.
2nd Round, Pick #53: Travis Hamonic, Defenseman, 6’, 192 lbs.
Rank: TSN- Hon. Mention; CSB- 75 NAS; ISS- 86; RLR- 155; McK- 64
Scouting Report:
NHL Director of Central Scouting E.J. McGuire: "Travis at times is a human pinching machine, regardless of the zone, he seems to come up with the puck. He plays an energetic game and has a long legged-type skating style to go along with the willingness to play physical. He needs to improve on his playmaking ability in order to be more of a contributor in the offensive zone."
This pick seems to be a bit of a reach for the Isles at 53. However, Hamonic seems to be more of a defensive defenseman who has some offense to his game as well. He is a very intense guy who plays the game at a high level. He played last season for Moose Jaw of the WHL, where he had 5 goals and 17 assists in 61 games. We’ll have to track his progress to see if he turns into anything in 4 or 5 years.
3rd Round, Pick #66: David Toews, Center, 5’10”, 175 lbs.
Rank: CSB- 79 NAS; ISS- 27; RLR- 102; McK- 65; THN- 40
Scouting Report:
NHL Central Scouting's Jack Barzee: "Has a good shot with a quick release – moves the puck and sees the ice very well. A good skater, uses his speed to create scoring chances for himself and his linemates – has excellent hands."
Another guy who was on my wish list for after the 1st round. Toews isn’t his brother Jonathan, that Chicago Blackhawks star, but that’s all right. David is skilled, and has great hockey sense. His speed is OK for a guy his size, but it could certainly be better. He has also had some injury issues this past season, and that seems to have become a concern. However, he is a good 2-way player and for some reason still fell down pretty far, probably because of the injuries. This was an excellent pick here, and Toews will make it to the NHL one day.
3rd Round, Pick #72: Jyri Niemi, Defenseman, 6’2”, 192 lbs.
Rank: TSN- 49; CSB- 25 NAS; ISS- 65; RLR- 73; McK- 54; THN- 44
Scouting Report:
NHL Director of Central Scouting, E.J. McGuire:
*Strengths: "Jyri is adjusting well to the North American game. He has good poise and stickhandling ability from the back end. He quarterbacks the power-play, with a heavy shot from the point. He has an offensive flare to his game and is an entertaining player to watch."
*Areas to improve: "More dependability in the defensive zone will guarantee that he projects into a number three or four defenseman in the League, with the potential to be a one-two defenseman."
TSN: “Some scouts question his hockey sense and/or ability to play a team game, but he's got one of the hardest shots of any player in this year's draft. And he had 14 goals in 49 games for Saskatoon to prove it.”
You should know what I’m going to say here. The Isles thus far had done excellent with their draft, and this was par for the course. A guy who many Isles fans wanted to pick up in the second round, no one thought he was going to be there for sure. When the Isles got this pick from Chicago, they were sure to grab Niemi before he fell any further. This guy was a second rounder for sure. The whole issue with the hockey sense is a bit overblown, and should not have caused him to drop this far. But, that is the Islanders gain for now. A Finnish kid who already has good size, he only turned 18 just 10 days ago. In the prospects competition a few months back, he was 2nd in the hardest shot competition – at 97 MPH (at 17 years old? wow). He moved to North America for last season and has already been learning the North American game. I am very excited about his development.
3rd Round, Pick #73: Kirill Petrov, Right Wing, 6’3”, 198 lbs.
Rank: TSN- 43; CSB- 2 ES; ISS- 17; RLR- 8; McK- 36; THN- 100
Scouting Report:
Director of European Scouting Goran Stubb: "I'm impressed with Kirill's excellent skating and mobility as well as his work ethic playing on Russia's (Under-18) top line. He displays toughness in one-on-one situations and delivers smart passes creating a lot of scoring chances. He is also very physically strong; he was successful in one-on-one situations along the boards and in the corners."
TSN: “The Russian forward is touted as having first-round talent, but his work ethic fluctuates wildly and there is some real concern about when or if he's interested in playing in the NHL. A regular with Kazan in the Russian Super League, many scouts believe he is too comfortable, financially and otherwise, to expend a first-round pick so he could slide a long way. But if a team thought there's a realistic chance at getting him out at some point, there's no denying he's a first-round talent.”
Aside from Bailey, this was perhaps the Islanders most intriguing pickup of the draft. You can see the ratings are all over the place. That is not because he isn’t a good player. The rankings based in skill are the ones that have him high. However, the ones that are lower take his contract status in Russia into consideration. Petrov has two years remaining on a deal with Kazan. With the expiration of the IIHF transfer agreement, players can sign wherever they wish, however it seems like a buyout would have to be negotiated and a player could get compensated. I’m not completely sure on whole the whole thing works yet. Either way, Petrov did plan on staying in Russia until the combine about a month ago, when he realized just how hard he worked to become one of the top prospects in the draft. He said that he had changed his mind and plans to take his game to the NHL. It is only a matter of when now. The Islanders say they will try to bring Petrov in sooner rather than later. Now, they are trying to get him to come to the prospect camp, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see them try to keep him. Petrov is a very skilled power forward, who seems to battle more often than not for position and for the puck along the boards. There has been some questions about his drive, but if anyone can get it out of his system its Ted Nolan. This is a situation worth watching for the team as it could be the steal of the draft.
4th Round, Pick #96: Matt Donovan, Defenseman, 6’, 190 lbs.
Rank: ISS- 160; RLR- 179
There isn’t much on Donovan. He has good size for a defenseman and plays an all-around game. He is little known, but some feel that he might be able to one day turn into an NHL player. He has been playing in the USHL and will go to the University of Denver in 2009.
4th Round, Pick #102: David Ullstrom, Winger, 6’3”, 198 lbs.
Rank: CSB- 17 ES; ISS- 91; RLR- 219; McK- 101;
Scouting Report:
International Scouting Service: “Classic late-bloomer! Ullstrom went undrafted in the 07 NHL Draft, however he will get serious consideration at the 08 Draft after a spectacular season in the Swedish junior league. A good skater looks effortless when skating up the ice. Battles hard - gets involved physically and is more than willing to stand up for himself and for his teammates. His defensive game is sufficient, he will need to continue to develop this area of his game.”
Nice scouting report. A Swede who is a late bloomer, and taken late in the draft? Can we think Zetterberg with this? Well, I wouldn’t go that far just yet but it is encouraging that Ullstrom put it together, even if it was a bit late. This pick seems like it was OK, in the 100’s when he was ranked anywhere from 91 to 211. The Isles have found some good European players over the last few years in guys like Figren, Joensuu and Marcinko, so maybe they got a good one in Ullstrom.
5th Round, Pick #126: Kevin Poulin, Goalie, 6’2”, 210 lbs.
Rank: CSB- 7 NAG; RLR- 78; McK- 70
Scouting Report:
Red Line Report: “Maddeningly inconsistent; a world beater one night, and an absolute wreck on other occasions. Has all the tools to be a good one. Big and technically sound. Excellent reflexes and goes post-to-post in a flash; gets great push off either foot. Tall enough to cover top corners while on his knees in the butterfly. Has the potential to steal games when he's hot. Squares up to shooters well and, with his size, doesn't leave them much to shoot at. But has shown a propensity to lose his angles this season. Anticipates plays around the crease very well. Maintains focus and finds puck through traffic. Shakey with the glove hand - has a tendency not to catch cleanly. Lacks mental toughness when things are not going his way. Ended season on a down note with a horrific playoff performance.”
OK, no star goalie here, but something the Islanders did need in the system. Poulin had 1st round status at the beginning of the year, but a bad season cause him to drop to 4th in mid term rankings and then to 7th in the final rankings. This kid is a bit of a project, but with some work he could be a backup in the league down the road it seems.
5th Round, Pick #148: Matthew Martin
Rank: Not ranked anywhere
Martin was a teammate and line mate of Stamkos’ in Sarnia last season. He was more of an enforcer. He had 25 goals in 67 games. He’s a guy who sticks up for his teammates. It seems the Islanders hope that he can turn into a David Clarkson, Brian McGratton type of player. We shall see.
6th Round, Pick #156: Jared Spurgeon, Defenseman, 5’8”, 175lbs.
Rank: CSS- 198 NAS
Very small guy. Obviously an offensive defenseman. However, he does play with Spokane up in the WHL, and they preach some really good defense up there. It's said he positions himself well, but he obviously won’t lay down a huge hit. Looking at it right now, a long shot to make the NHL.
6th round, Pick #175: Justin DiBenedetto, Center, 5’11”, 194 lbs.
Rank: Not ranked anywhere
The other Stamkos line mate. DiBenedetto put up 93 points in 58 games last year, but you really have to factor in how much of that is from Stamkos. He went undrafted last year, and was selected as the Islanders final selection in this year’s draft. He is already 20, so they may be able to give him a shot already in the ECHL or the AHL. I won’t have hopes to high.
So there you have it, maybe a bit long winded but 13 picks is a lot, and the most amount of picks in the draft. The Islanders got some excellent players in the later rounds, guys who the fans knew about because they were at one time considered 1st round talents, some of which still were depending on the publication. The Isles would not have been able to select all these players if not for trading down twice and stockpiling the picks. They were also able to make a risky pick with Petrov, one that looks like it may pay off. It will take a few years before we can really see how this draft went, but in the early going it looks like it went better than we all thought at first.
1st round, Pick #9: Josh Bailey, Center, 6’1”, 188 lbs.
Rank: TSN- 12; CSB- 14 (NAS); ISS- 10; RLR- 15; McK- 11; THN- 14
Scouting Report:
NHL Director of Central Scouting, E.J. McGuire:
*Strengths: "Josh is the quarterback on the power-play, from down low, for the Windsor Spitfires and I think he is going to continue to be that. He is a good play-making centerman with the ability to feed his linemates when he needs to and shoot the puck when the play requires that."
*Areas to improve: "He needs to add a little bit more grit to his game, he is a tireless worker and if he can get in there and grind it out with some of the other players that he currently plays against in the OHL, that will be good experience for when he reaches the NHL."
*Outlook: "He is a skilled centerman who is going to be on your power-play, if not the first power-play, certainly part of a good second power-play unit. He is going to be a skilled play-making player in the NHL and good things are going to happen for him at the next level due to his hard work."
NHL Central Scouting's Chris Edwards: "Josh is a really hard working up and down guy who has great puck skill and play-making ability. He has the ability to pass through any type of traffic and is an energy guy for Windsor. He's not a fighter but he's not one to be afraid of anyone or back down and he doesn't get knocked around. The biggest component of his game that needs improvement was his competitiveness, but he stepped it up down the stretch and really showed that next level."
Windsor Spitfires head coach Bob Boughner: "Joshua is a highly skilled player who can play on both ends of the ice as well as on the penalty kill and power-play units. He has the unique ability to make players around him better."
TSN: “Regarded as a skilled playmaker, the Windsor Spitfire centre is a good, solid two-way player who is conscientious in his effort at all times although scouts would like to see a little more grit to his game.”
Some good stuff right there. Sure, every fan was expecting Filatov or Schenn at first, but like I said, once people read up on Josh they liked him more and more. A playmaking center, who makes his wingers better, defensively responsible, and is a leader. The Islanders really need centers like that in the system, not to mention on the team as well. This was the prospect the Islanders had ranked 5th on their chart after Steve Stamkos, Drew Doughty, Zach Bogosian and Alex Pietrangelo. When those guys went one through four respectively, Snow and his scouts made the decision to get their man in Bailey. Since the new revamped scouting staff has been put in place, they have made some really nice selections, which is a welcome sight after what went on around here in the 1990’s and early 2000’s. Now, these kids are just 18 or 19 years old, so it’s hard to judge right now who should have gone where, and it’s impossible to project where they will be at. We’ll just have to see. But based on recent track record, I trust the scouting staff.
Lost in those scouting reports is how when things get tough, Josh doesn’t back down. The Spitfires organization and the OHL suffered a huge loss when captain Mickey Renauld collapsed and passed away this passed winter. He was the team’s captain. Bailey was very close to Mickey, and took his spot as a leader on the team. Bailey played with a heavy heart, like most of the team, but it didn’t show on the ice. In 67 games, Bailey had 96 points (29-67) which included a stretch to end the year of 23 points in the final 9 games. It is difficult to perform at a high level when you suddenly lose a close friend; but it is more difficult to battle that kind of adversity at 18 years of age.
It isn’t so farfetched to think that Bailey could make the Islanders out of training camp this September. Bailey said he’s going to move to Long Island in the summer, and will be at prospect camp July 14-19. I think he has a very good shot, depending on what the team does in free agency. If it goes like last year, Bailey will be here. If not, well then he’ll go back to juniors, and possibly will be the new captain for the Spitfires.
2nd Round, Pick #36: Corey Trivino, Center, 6’1”, 170 lbs.
Rank: TSN- 36; CSB- 49 NAS; ISS- 26; RLR- 40; McK- 24; THN- 36
Scouting Report:
NHL Central Scouting's Chris Edwards: "He has the ability to see the ice well and to move the puck. He needs to get stronger – he's willing to battle, but isn't always winning the puck. He's got a good goal-scoring touch and he's good on face-offs with good skating ability, not necessarily high-end skating, but good."
TSN: “The Jr. A player from Ontario stepped up his play at the Under-18 tourney in April and scouts are confident he's on the right development track as he prepares to head off to Boston University next season. While there is a little talk he could sneak into the bottom end of the first round, the consensus is that he's a solid second round pick.”
This was a great pick at 36. I was excited to grab him as he was on my wish list for these later rounds. While Trivino didn’t go in the first round, the Islanders were glad to grab him at 36. Snow wanted to trade two of his 2nd rounders to get back into the first round, and it was believed that be for Trivino. It all ended up working out well as the Islanders made some great selections with their 2nd rounders this year. Trivino is a very skilled center, who is more on the playmaking side. He had 69 points (19-50) in only 39 games last year for Stouffville of the OPJHL. Trivino will turn into a solid NHL player one day, but we won’t have to worry about that for another 3-4 years down the road.
2nd Round, Pick #40: Aaron Ness, Defenseman, 5’10”, 157 lbs.
Rank: TSN- 40; CSB- 27 NAS; ISS- 29; RLR- 23; McK- 45; THN- 43
Scouting Report:
NHL Central Scouting's Jack Barzee: "Aaron is flamboyant and colorful. He is very quick, everything about him is quick – his hands are quick, his feet are quick. He is a very good skater and he is gritty and physical. He'll step right in to you without fear – he picks his spot when he does it. He's a little more polished than some of the other high school defensemen with his passing and playmaking. When I look at him he is quicker than Brian Leetch was at this age and he's as fast as John-Michael Liles was at the same age."
Roseau head coach Scott Oliver: "I think he's in the top 10 all-time (in the state). He sees the ice and moves the puck better than any player I've ever seen. He reminds me of (former NHL great) Phil Housley. I kept him on the ice as much as I could. He's a dynamic player and has got a real good gas tank. Even when he was tired, he probably wouldn't tell me. He's very passionate about the game and a real pleasure to coach."
TSN: “So good, so small. That's what the scouts say about the diminutive defenseman from Minnesota. He has speed and skill and is fast-tracking his way to the University of Minnesota. It would take a team with multiple first round picks and/or a great deal of faith in the undersized blueliner to choose him in the first round.”
This was another guy I had on my wish list. I was so happy when I saw that we were able to grab him at this spot. Small guy right now, but he’s still growing and has some excellent talent for an offensive defenseman. He doesn’t back down from being physical, despite his small size. I love everything about his game. The NHL is heading more towards speed, and Ness will fit in perfectly one day.
2nd Round, Pick #53: Travis Hamonic, Defenseman, 6’, 192 lbs.
Rank: TSN- Hon. Mention; CSB- 75 NAS; ISS- 86; RLR- 155; McK- 64
Scouting Report:
NHL Director of Central Scouting E.J. McGuire: "Travis at times is a human pinching machine, regardless of the zone, he seems to come up with the puck. He plays an energetic game and has a long legged-type skating style to go along with the willingness to play physical. He needs to improve on his playmaking ability in order to be more of a contributor in the offensive zone."
This pick seems to be a bit of a reach for the Isles at 53. However, Hamonic seems to be more of a defensive defenseman who has some offense to his game as well. He is a very intense guy who plays the game at a high level. He played last season for Moose Jaw of the WHL, where he had 5 goals and 17 assists in 61 games. We’ll have to track his progress to see if he turns into anything in 4 or 5 years.
3rd Round, Pick #66: David Toews, Center, 5’10”, 175 lbs.
Rank: CSB- 79 NAS; ISS- 27; RLR- 102; McK- 65; THN- 40
Scouting Report:
NHL Central Scouting's Jack Barzee: "Has a good shot with a quick release – moves the puck and sees the ice very well. A good skater, uses his speed to create scoring chances for himself and his linemates – has excellent hands."
Another guy who was on my wish list for after the 1st round. Toews isn’t his brother Jonathan, that Chicago Blackhawks star, but that’s all right. David is skilled, and has great hockey sense. His speed is OK for a guy his size, but it could certainly be better. He has also had some injury issues this past season, and that seems to have become a concern. However, he is a good 2-way player and for some reason still fell down pretty far, probably because of the injuries. This was an excellent pick here, and Toews will make it to the NHL one day.
3rd Round, Pick #72: Jyri Niemi, Defenseman, 6’2”, 192 lbs.
Rank: TSN- 49; CSB- 25 NAS; ISS- 65; RLR- 73; McK- 54; THN- 44
Scouting Report:
NHL Director of Central Scouting, E.J. McGuire:
*Strengths: "Jyri is adjusting well to the North American game. He has good poise and stickhandling ability from the back end. He quarterbacks the power-play, with a heavy shot from the point. He has an offensive flare to his game and is an entertaining player to watch."
*Areas to improve: "More dependability in the defensive zone will guarantee that he projects into a number three or four defenseman in the League, with the potential to be a one-two defenseman."
TSN: “Some scouts question his hockey sense and/or ability to play a team game, but he's got one of the hardest shots of any player in this year's draft. And he had 14 goals in 49 games for Saskatoon to prove it.”
You should know what I’m going to say here. The Isles thus far had done excellent with their draft, and this was par for the course. A guy who many Isles fans wanted to pick up in the second round, no one thought he was going to be there for sure. When the Isles got this pick from Chicago, they were sure to grab Niemi before he fell any further. This guy was a second rounder for sure. The whole issue with the hockey sense is a bit overblown, and should not have caused him to drop this far. But, that is the Islanders gain for now. A Finnish kid who already has good size, he only turned 18 just 10 days ago. In the prospects competition a few months back, he was 2nd in the hardest shot competition – at 97 MPH (at 17 years old? wow). He moved to North America for last season and has already been learning the North American game. I am very excited about his development.
3rd Round, Pick #73: Kirill Petrov, Right Wing, 6’3”, 198 lbs.
Rank: TSN- 43; CSB- 2 ES; ISS- 17; RLR- 8; McK- 36; THN- 100
Scouting Report:
Director of European Scouting Goran Stubb: "I'm impressed with Kirill's excellent skating and mobility as well as his work ethic playing on Russia's (Under-18) top line. He displays toughness in one-on-one situations and delivers smart passes creating a lot of scoring chances. He is also very physically strong; he was successful in one-on-one situations along the boards and in the corners."
TSN: “The Russian forward is touted as having first-round talent, but his work ethic fluctuates wildly and there is some real concern about when or if he's interested in playing in the NHL. A regular with Kazan in the Russian Super League, many scouts believe he is too comfortable, financially and otherwise, to expend a first-round pick so he could slide a long way. But if a team thought there's a realistic chance at getting him out at some point, there's no denying he's a first-round talent.”
Aside from Bailey, this was perhaps the Islanders most intriguing pickup of the draft. You can see the ratings are all over the place. That is not because he isn’t a good player. The rankings based in skill are the ones that have him high. However, the ones that are lower take his contract status in Russia into consideration. Petrov has two years remaining on a deal with Kazan. With the expiration of the IIHF transfer agreement, players can sign wherever they wish, however it seems like a buyout would have to be negotiated and a player could get compensated. I’m not completely sure on whole the whole thing works yet. Either way, Petrov did plan on staying in Russia until the combine about a month ago, when he realized just how hard he worked to become one of the top prospects in the draft. He said that he had changed his mind and plans to take his game to the NHL. It is only a matter of when now. The Islanders say they will try to bring Petrov in sooner rather than later. Now, they are trying to get him to come to the prospect camp, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see them try to keep him. Petrov is a very skilled power forward, who seems to battle more often than not for position and for the puck along the boards. There has been some questions about his drive, but if anyone can get it out of his system its Ted Nolan. This is a situation worth watching for the team as it could be the steal of the draft.
4th Round, Pick #96: Matt Donovan, Defenseman, 6’, 190 lbs.
Rank: ISS- 160; RLR- 179
There isn’t much on Donovan. He has good size for a defenseman and plays an all-around game. He is little known, but some feel that he might be able to one day turn into an NHL player. He has been playing in the USHL and will go to the University of Denver in 2009.
4th Round, Pick #102: David Ullstrom, Winger, 6’3”, 198 lbs.
Rank: CSB- 17 ES; ISS- 91; RLR- 219; McK- 101;
Scouting Report:
International Scouting Service: “Classic late-bloomer! Ullstrom went undrafted in the 07 NHL Draft, however he will get serious consideration at the 08 Draft after a spectacular season in the Swedish junior league. A good skater looks effortless when skating up the ice. Battles hard - gets involved physically and is more than willing to stand up for himself and for his teammates. His defensive game is sufficient, he will need to continue to develop this area of his game.”
Nice scouting report. A Swede who is a late bloomer, and taken late in the draft? Can we think Zetterberg with this? Well, I wouldn’t go that far just yet but it is encouraging that Ullstrom put it together, even if it was a bit late. This pick seems like it was OK, in the 100’s when he was ranked anywhere from 91 to 211. The Isles have found some good European players over the last few years in guys like Figren, Joensuu and Marcinko, so maybe they got a good one in Ullstrom.
5th Round, Pick #126: Kevin Poulin, Goalie, 6’2”, 210 lbs.
Rank: CSB- 7 NAG; RLR- 78; McK- 70
Scouting Report:
Red Line Report: “Maddeningly inconsistent; a world beater one night, and an absolute wreck on other occasions. Has all the tools to be a good one. Big and technically sound. Excellent reflexes and goes post-to-post in a flash; gets great push off either foot. Tall enough to cover top corners while on his knees in the butterfly. Has the potential to steal games when he's hot. Squares up to shooters well and, with his size, doesn't leave them much to shoot at. But has shown a propensity to lose his angles this season. Anticipates plays around the crease very well. Maintains focus and finds puck through traffic. Shakey with the glove hand - has a tendency not to catch cleanly. Lacks mental toughness when things are not going his way. Ended season on a down note with a horrific playoff performance.”
OK, no star goalie here, but something the Islanders did need in the system. Poulin had 1st round status at the beginning of the year, but a bad season cause him to drop to 4th in mid term rankings and then to 7th in the final rankings. This kid is a bit of a project, but with some work he could be a backup in the league down the road it seems.
5th Round, Pick #148: Matthew Martin
Rank: Not ranked anywhere
Martin was a teammate and line mate of Stamkos’ in Sarnia last season. He was more of an enforcer. He had 25 goals in 67 games. He’s a guy who sticks up for his teammates. It seems the Islanders hope that he can turn into a David Clarkson, Brian McGratton type of player. We shall see.
6th Round, Pick #156: Jared Spurgeon, Defenseman, 5’8”, 175lbs.
Rank: CSS- 198 NAS
Very small guy. Obviously an offensive defenseman. However, he does play with Spokane up in the WHL, and they preach some really good defense up there. It's said he positions himself well, but he obviously won’t lay down a huge hit. Looking at it right now, a long shot to make the NHL.
6th round, Pick #175: Justin DiBenedetto, Center, 5’11”, 194 lbs.
Rank: Not ranked anywhere
The other Stamkos line mate. DiBenedetto put up 93 points in 58 games last year, but you really have to factor in how much of that is from Stamkos. He went undrafted last year, and was selected as the Islanders final selection in this year’s draft. He is already 20, so they may be able to give him a shot already in the ECHL or the AHL. I won’t have hopes to high.
So there you have it, maybe a bit long winded but 13 picks is a lot, and the most amount of picks in the draft. The Islanders got some excellent players in the later rounds, guys who the fans knew about because they were at one time considered 1st round talents, some of which still were depending on the publication. The Isles would not have been able to select all these players if not for trading down twice and stockpiling the picks. They were also able to make a risky pick with Petrov, one that looks like it may pay off. It will take a few years before we can really see how this draft went, but in the early going it looks like it went better than we all thought at first.
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