Coming off the heals of yesterday's announcement that Nino Niederreiter is heading back to Portland of the WHL, the Islanders prepare to take on the Montreal Canadiens at the Coliseum for the 2nd part of a home and home.
Sending Niederreiter down was the right move for various reasons, some of which I discussed here yesterday. Now he'll get solid playing time, be a leader on his team, and perhaps make the Portland Winterhawks one of the powerhouses in all of junior hockey. Niederreiter is a great player and a good kid who is taking it all in stride.
Matt Martin will stay up and take Niederreiter's place for now. I felt Martin had a solid game on Wednesday night, so we'll see if any of that carries over to tonight. I thought he was going to make the final roster of Niederreiter originally, but as Scott Gordon said the injury he sustained during camp hindered his chances near the end.
Michael Grabner remains out, and will probably not play Saturday against the Flyers either. Trent Hunter is playing tonight. The Islanders are making a change at forward, however, in the form of Bruno Gervais. Yes, that is not a typo. The Islanders, who have used Gervais as a forward in practice, are going with a little experiment for at least tonight. It is a bit odd, but one would suspect that perhaps Trevor Gillies is out of the lineup tonight. He was supposed to be scratched Wednesday, but ended up playing with Hunter out and logged a whopping 55 seconds of ice time. The Islanders can't do that against a fast team like this, so it appears they just decided at the last minute to go with Gervais rather than call someone up. Will be interesting to see how this works out.
Dwayne Roloson gets the start again. He looked sharp to me on Wednesday, and the result was more of a product of those in front of him. If they are not going to skate, and are going to stand around, then expect a similar result to Wednesday. I do not anticipate this happening. Gordon most likely let them hear it after that performance.
SCHREMP TO BRIDGEPORT: If you caught it on his Twitter account last night before the comment got deleted, Rob Schremp is in fact heading to Bridgeport for a conditioning stint. He seemed to jump the gun with reporting the news, but myself and a few others saw it. The Isles made the news official today, and he is playing tonight against Manchester. He had been skating with the team a little this week, so you knew he was close to returning to action. It'll be good to get his creativity and improved skating into the lineup within the next week or two.
KABANOV TRADED IN QMJHL: As I had re-tweeted yesterday, Kirill Kabanov was traded to the Lewiston MAINEiacs from Danny Flynn's Moncton Wildcats. The deal had been rumored for about a week, which covers a good chunk of the time where Kabanov was in Russia for a "personal issue." Kabanov spend about two weeks back home.
It's not right to jump to conclusions at all, but one has to wonder if these things are related. When he left, it seemed very odd to say the least. usually when players head home for personal reason's you hear about why. There have been only some theories on why he returned to Russia, nothing concrete though.
At any rate, Lewiston gave up quite the package for the talented winger, sending away goalie Jordan Kennedy, a second round draft pick in 2011, a fourth round draft pick in 2011, a first round pick in the 2011 CHL Import Draft, and a fourth round draft pick in 2012. Problems aside, there is a reason why the kid was at one time regarded as a top three pick. We'll see what this change does for him.
-CH
nyifyi@gmail.com
Showing posts with label Kirill Kabanov. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kirill Kabanov. Show all posts
October 29, 2010
October 28, 2010
Attention Turns to Niederreiter as Habs Down Isles
3:10 PM: Kirill Kabanov has been traded by the Moncton Wildcats to the Lewiston Maniacs. Detials on this coming later as well.
11:46 AM: As I expected, the Islanders are sending Niederreiter back down to Portland. This means that he still has all three years of his entry level deal still remaining.
More to come later.
8:45 AM: The Islanders lost to the Habs 5-3 in a game where they definitely did not bring their "A" game. There were often times where they were found standing around rather than playing their up tempo style of hockey. This isn't a team that is overly skilled, and has to learn to constantly move their feet in order to be successful.
The Canadiens are a very fast and skilled team, and they showed that last night. Of course, the Isles made them look much faster because of the lack of skating. It was not a banner game for Mark Eaton, who made a couple of weak passes, including one that lead to a penalty shot attempt for Benoit Pouliot.
I felt that Dwayne Roloson player pretty well, and did the best he could with what he had to work with, which quite frankly was not enough. There were many lackluster players, on both sides of the puck. Roloson was one of the few who didn't disappoint.
Matt Martin had a pretty good season debut, mixing it up at times and parking himself in front of the net for the 3rd Islander goal. After following him in preseason, and being very impressed with the changes in his game, I can't say I'm surprised with how he played. He needs to get his head up though a little more, for example on the break he had that P.K. Subban broke up.
Speaking of Subban, I need to apologize to those who told me to look out for him as a potential Calder winner this season. I dismissed any thought of that, and he has been quite impressive this season. The kid is some defenseman.
Doug Weight had some problems in this game too. I'm noticing more and more this season that he seems to cough up pucks at the blueline on the power-play. He's still an asset there, and is probably the closest thing we have to a power-play quarterback, but he needs to be a little more careful with that.
Speaking of assets at the blueline, James Wisniewski had yet another outstanding offensive performance. He had a couple of hard shots that created Islander goals as he notched a goal and two assists. His defensive play was decent, aside from the play on Montreal's second goal, but that was slightly awkward and everyone was scrambling there to cover the 2-on-1 breakout.
These are things that have to be improved upon if the Islanders are to walk out of Friday night's game with any points.
The attention now will be on Nino Niederreiter as we await his fate. Will he stay with the Islanders and play Friday, starting the countdown on his entry-level contract, or does he go back to play more junior hockey with Portland of the WHL?
Niederreiter played just over 14 minutes last night, and in keeping up with the rest of the team appeared sloppy at times. Obviously, a decision will not be made based on one game, but I would agree with Chris Botta's statements. Don't think that the decision was made overnight.
As far as my opinion, after originally thinking he would stay, I've thought differently over the last week or so.
Niederreiter certainly hasn't played bad, and if he stays it would be deserved. Physically, he can handle the NHL and has not been over matched on too many occasions. But, the NHL is a faster, tougher game than juniors. While Niederreiter has been trying to adjust to the NHL, the league has been trying to adjust to him. It isn't often where young, recently turned 18 year olds come in, not shy away from contact and cut to the net to create scoring chances.
When the league figures out his style, his game - how will Niederreiter play? Will he be as effective as he is now? I'm not sure anyone can confidently say yes, when you factor in taking the beatings for a much longer period of time.
Don't discount Scott Gordon's thought process in any of this either. Despite the comments he made yesterday, he is going to do what he thinks is best to make the team win right now. He finds himself in the very unusual situation of fighting for his Islander life as coach. If he feels that his chances of success are better with having Martin, Rob Schremp, Michael Grabner or even prospects David Ullstrom or Jesse Joensuu in the lineup, he will let it be known. I don't think that this team is better off with Ullstrom or Joensuu over Niederreiter, but with the other guys I think the team will be fine.
Niederreiter will be a better player than all of those guys in the long run, but right now the others are so much further ahead in terms of development, obviously. Martin still has some developing of his own to do, but I liked a lot of what I saw out of him last night, and some of it is similar to what Niederreiter provides, with Martin adding some more aggression and slightly better skating.
I know some people talk about injuries as playing a factor in the decision, but I don't see that being the case here. As I mentioned just before, if Gordon thinks this team is better off with one guy over another, he'll say so. Schremp is going to get back in the lineup once he comes back. The Islanders need someone with his creativity, not to mention his improved skating. Kyle Okposo is a non factor essentially since his return can be anywhere from December to February, but that is still murky. Jon Sim and Trent Hunter have been filling bottom line roles, and that is not something Niederreiter should be doing at this stage. He needs to consistently be playing 14, 15 minutes a night if he's going to stick.
We'll find out most likely today the fate of Niederreiter, but I wouldn't bank on him staying here. Don't discount the impact Gordon has, and don't read too much into those quotes from yesterday. Expect Matt Martin's stay to last a little longer until Schremp/Hunter/Grabner are ready to go.
When news breaks, I'll try and have something for you. Until then, we play the waiting game.
-CH
nyifyi@gmail.com
11:46 AM: As I expected, the Islanders are sending Niederreiter back down to Portland. This means that he still has all three years of his entry level deal still remaining.
More to come later.
8:45 AM: The Islanders lost to the Habs 5-3 in a game where they definitely did not bring their "A" game. There were often times where they were found standing around rather than playing their up tempo style of hockey. This isn't a team that is overly skilled, and has to learn to constantly move their feet in order to be successful.
The Canadiens are a very fast and skilled team, and they showed that last night. Of course, the Isles made them look much faster because of the lack of skating. It was not a banner game for Mark Eaton, who made a couple of weak passes, including one that lead to a penalty shot attempt for Benoit Pouliot.
I felt that Dwayne Roloson player pretty well, and did the best he could with what he had to work with, which quite frankly was not enough. There were many lackluster players, on both sides of the puck. Roloson was one of the few who didn't disappoint.
Matt Martin had a pretty good season debut, mixing it up at times and parking himself in front of the net for the 3rd Islander goal. After following him in preseason, and being very impressed with the changes in his game, I can't say I'm surprised with how he played. He needs to get his head up though a little more, for example on the break he had that P.K. Subban broke up.
Speaking of Subban, I need to apologize to those who told me to look out for him as a potential Calder winner this season. I dismissed any thought of that, and he has been quite impressive this season. The kid is some defenseman.
Doug Weight had some problems in this game too. I'm noticing more and more this season that he seems to cough up pucks at the blueline on the power-play. He's still an asset there, and is probably the closest thing we have to a power-play quarterback, but he needs to be a little more careful with that.
Speaking of assets at the blueline, James Wisniewski had yet another outstanding offensive performance. He had a couple of hard shots that created Islander goals as he notched a goal and two assists. His defensive play was decent, aside from the play on Montreal's second goal, but that was slightly awkward and everyone was scrambling there to cover the 2-on-1 breakout.
These are things that have to be improved upon if the Islanders are to walk out of Friday night's game with any points.
The attention now will be on Nino Niederreiter as we await his fate. Will he stay with the Islanders and play Friday, starting the countdown on his entry-level contract, or does he go back to play more junior hockey with Portland of the WHL?
Niederreiter played just over 14 minutes last night, and in keeping up with the rest of the team appeared sloppy at times. Obviously, a decision will not be made based on one game, but I would agree with Chris Botta's statements. Don't think that the decision was made overnight.
As far as my opinion, after originally thinking he would stay, I've thought differently over the last week or so.
When the league figures out his style, his game - how will Niederreiter play? Will he be as effective as he is now? I'm not sure anyone can confidently say yes, when you factor in taking the beatings for a much longer period of time.
Don't discount Scott Gordon's thought process in any of this either. Despite the comments he made yesterday, he is going to do what he thinks is best to make the team win right now. He finds himself in the very unusual situation of fighting for his Islander life as coach. If he feels that his chances of success are better with having Martin, Rob Schremp, Michael Grabner or even prospects David Ullstrom or Jesse Joensuu in the lineup, he will let it be known. I don't think that this team is better off with Ullstrom or Joensuu over Niederreiter, but with the other guys I think the team will be fine.
Niederreiter will be a better player than all of those guys in the long run, but right now the others are so much further ahead in terms of development, obviously. Martin still has some developing of his own to do, but I liked a lot of what I saw out of him last night, and some of it is similar to what Niederreiter provides, with Martin adding some more aggression and slightly better skating.
I know some people talk about injuries as playing a factor in the decision, but I don't see that being the case here. As I mentioned just before, if Gordon thinks this team is better off with one guy over another, he'll say so. Schremp is going to get back in the lineup once he comes back. The Islanders need someone with his creativity, not to mention his improved skating. Kyle Okposo is a non factor essentially since his return can be anywhere from December to February, but that is still murky. Jon Sim and Trent Hunter have been filling bottom line roles, and that is not something Niederreiter should be doing at this stage. He needs to consistently be playing 14, 15 minutes a night if he's going to stick.
We'll find out most likely today the fate of Niederreiter, but I wouldn't bank on him staying here. Don't discount the impact Gordon has, and don't read too much into those quotes from yesterday. Expect Matt Martin's stay to last a little longer until Schremp/Hunter/Grabner are ready to go.
When news breaks, I'll try and have something for you. Until then, we play the waiting game.
-CH
nyifyi@gmail.com
September 28, 2010
Isles add Ortmeyer to Camp, Kabanov to Juniors; No Okposo Update
While everyone waited for updates on the injured Mark Streit and Kyle Okposo, the Islanders made a couple of other roster moves.
The team announced that they are bringing Jed Ortmeyer to camp. Ortmeyer had a pretty good year for the San Jose Sharks last season, with 8 goals and 11 assists in 76 games. Ortmeyer has always been known as one of the better penalty killers in the league, as many Islanders fans will remember from his time with the Rangers a few seasons ago. With Richard park gone, that is something the Islanders need.
Both Ortmeyer and Dean McAmmond are good pick ups for training camp invites, and many people are hoping they stick on two-way contracts and aren't only here just to fulfill roster requirements. The Islanders improved their 4th line with the addition of Zenon Konopka already, however the amount of quality defensive forwards was still lacking. While it is nice to think about how much toughness the team has added, they can't really afford to play Trevor Gillies and Konopka every night. Some teams will require you to be able to match a good defensive forward against them, and if you bring one or both of Ortmeyer and McAmmond in on two-way deals you can mix and match them along with Andy Hilbert and Jon Sim.
The team also announced that they were sending Krill Kabanov back to Moncton. This was clearly the best move for him at this time. Although his chances of making this team were obviously very slim, he ruined those small chances by being late for practice twice in two weeks. The Islanders worked him hard as punishment, and now he will not get to see any preseason action either.
I really hope this kid gets act together. The amount of problems that he has had is alarming, but that's the risk you take on. If he does, it's a heck of a 3rd round pick. Hopefully current Moncton head coach and former Islanders assistant coach Danny Flynn can help bring Kabanov along.
As of right now, there has been no update as far as Kyle Okposo's second opinion on his shoulder. Once there is an update, I'll be sure to post it here. So be sure to check back for that and any other news, such as other possible invites, as we get closer to finally playing in some exhibition games.
-Chris
nyifyi@gmail.com
The team announced that they are bringing Jed Ortmeyer to camp. Ortmeyer had a pretty good year for the San Jose Sharks last season, with 8 goals and 11 assists in 76 games. Ortmeyer has always been known as one of the better penalty killers in the league, as many Islanders fans will remember from his time with the Rangers a few seasons ago. With Richard park gone, that is something the Islanders need.
Both Ortmeyer and Dean McAmmond are good pick ups for training camp invites, and many people are hoping they stick on two-way contracts and aren't only here just to fulfill roster requirements. The Islanders improved their 4th line with the addition of Zenon Konopka already, however the amount of quality defensive forwards was still lacking. While it is nice to think about how much toughness the team has added, they can't really afford to play Trevor Gillies and Konopka every night. Some teams will require you to be able to match a good defensive forward against them, and if you bring one or both of Ortmeyer and McAmmond in on two-way deals you can mix and match them along with Andy Hilbert and Jon Sim.
The team also announced that they were sending Krill Kabanov back to Moncton. This was clearly the best move for him at this time. Although his chances of making this team were obviously very slim, he ruined those small chances by being late for practice twice in two weeks. The Islanders worked him hard as punishment, and now he will not get to see any preseason action either.
I really hope this kid gets act together. The amount of problems that he has had is alarming, but that's the risk you take on. If he does, it's a heck of a 3rd round pick. Hopefully current Moncton head coach and former Islanders assistant coach Danny Flynn can help bring Kabanov along.
As of right now, there has been no update as far as Kyle Okposo's second opinion on his shoulder. Once there is an update, I'll be sure to post it here. So be sure to check back for that and any other news, such as other possible invites, as we get closer to finally playing in some exhibition games.
-Chris
nyifyi@gmail.com
September 22, 2010
Niederreiter signs, Media Day and Kabanov
The Islanders had a pretty eventful day for their media extravaganza. According to Chris Botta, there were a number of people there and the Islanders put on a good event. I join him in giving a congrats to Kimber Auerbach, Katrina Doell and the rest of the staff.
The biggest news of the day was the announcement that the team had signed Nino Niederreiter to his entry-level contract. This is not a surprising move. Many of the top-10 picks had already signed their entry-level deals, but that doesn't mean they have to be in their team's lineups. However, for all the guys that have signed this offseason, it appears as though they will all be given a chance, or at least for nine games to showcase their stuff. For example, it appears as though the Carolina Hurricanes, who signed their own 1st round pick Brett Skinner to his contract as well yesterday, will give him the chance to stick with their club.
I'm not sold on the idea that this means that Niederreiter should make the club. He has the size for it, so that is not the issue. Like I said in the post yesterday, he has played OK so far, and there is still a lot more preseason left. Matt Martin has looked really good to me, so on my own personal list I have him penciled in as the guy who's got the early edge.
Obviously, we'll have to see what the next couple of weeks bring. My gut tells me to expect Niederreiter here for at least a nine game try-out, which might not necessarily be a bad thing. My only fear is that since he was one of the youngest players in the draft, that it could screw around with his head a bit. The Islanders have not been afraid to put their 1st round picks into the lineup as we saw with Josh Bailey in 2008, and almost saw with Calvin deHaan last season.
After practice on Sunday, I had asked Bailey if he talked to Niederreiter, as a fellow first rounder who may not have been a top-two talent but made the jump right away, about his own personal experiences. He had said he only talked to him a little here and there, but not really too much. I would wonder now, with this out of the way, if he does talk a little bit more to Niederreiter.
Aside from that, there were some interesting tidbits from the press conference. I'll start with something that I don't plan to talk about much - The Lighthouse Project. Charles Wang stated that he wants to keep the team here, and continues to look for options, but will not leave earlier than 2015. This we sort of knew, however some people speculated that if he were to move the team, then he would do so sooner rather than later. Not the case.
While the team may be here until at least 2015, a decision would most likely come within the next three or four years. There needs to be a point where they have to decide in order to give themselves plenty of opportunity to explore and go through with an eventual option.
Personally, that's all I have to say on it. I feel that at some point, cooler heads will prevail and this team stays in Nassau. It's been very taxing emotionally to talk about this subject. I know Sean likes to talk about it a lot, and for me I just don't have the heart for it. I'm doing the same thing I've always tried to do, and that's enjoy Islanders hockey. I get to see this team for at least five more years, and that's all I can do. After the meetings, rallies and all the other stuff that I and many other fans took part of, there's not much else we can do, and it is out of our control. I am glad that Wang said that he doesn't plan to be as silent on the subject anymore. Maybe, when something more comes out, I can provide better analysis for you guys. But this is all we really know right now.
Scott Gordon is entering his final season as the head coach. It is generally unusual in sports for teams to let coaches go into a final year of a contract, as players can view the coach as a lame duck. I truly feel that this collection of players has the ability to ignore that and still work as hard for Gordon as they always have. The team is talking about taking that next step, and I don't think the coaches contract is in the forefront of any of their minds right now. Gordon doesn't seem phased by any of it, and I have to give him a lot of credit for that. I don't think I would be able to go through with something like that.
From what I have seen, there is no reason why Gordon should not be extended. I understand that everyone on this team is talking playoffs, and I am really glad to see it. Obviously, a playoff berth gets him an automatic extension. But some people feel that if they don't make it, Gordon is gone. I don't necessarily agree with that idea, however it really depends on how the year goes.
Lets say the Isles have a slightly better year than last year, which shows improvement. Bailey, Kyle Okposo and John Tavares all show improvements. I would think you have to extend him, playoff berth or not. If you don't then you are making a big mistake here. If the team tanks, then sure, that could be another story. This scenario, of course, is based on players staying generally healthy. If any of the key guys go down for extended periods of time, then all of this goes out the window, and it would be a travesty to dump him then.
Some people think money is going to play a huge factor in this. To be honest, I don't think it matters. The Islanders hired a coach that, at the time, was the candidate to hire. Other teams that were in the same situation hired excellent coaches from the AHL. Heck, even the Pittsburgh Penguins fired Michel Therrien and replaced him with AHL coach Dan Bylsma. It's just the trend these days. Sure, it's not something that should be overlooked, but despite some things that may (or may not) have happened in the past, I highly doubt a coaching decision will be made based on pay grade. If he provides results (last season was good given what Gordon had to work with) and the players respond and like him (the have and do), then the team would be absolutely insane to not bring him back, and deserve any criticism they would get.
Garth Snow said that he has all the resources he needs to be able to still make moves, and he will continue to look for top players if it makes sense for them to do in the long-run. Some people take that to mean that it would have to be someone under contract for a few seasons. But that may not be true. James Wisniewski arrived here with only this season left on his contract. It is very possible, that with Wang's blessing, Snow could add a player, perhaps to help out the offense.
Many fans, including this one, have looked towards the Boston Bruins and their situation with Michael Ryder. Ryder had a bit of a sub par year last season for the Bruins (18 goals) but has shown the ability to frequently net 20-25. That is not a bad option for this team, and he has this season at $4 million left. I'm sure there are some other names out there, but I only bring up this one because he seems like the most likely candidate to move elsewhere, and the one who happens to make a lot of sense.
KABANOV LATE AGAIN: Kirill Kabanov showed up late for practice again, and an irate Gordon let him hear it in front of everyone. I say, good. This is how he will have to be handled. The Islanders realize this, and have not tried to hide any of it and sweep it under the carpet.
It is no secret that Kabanov has had a tumultuous last couple of seasons. While I understand how young he still is, it is disappointing when I see many kids the same age act much more mature. I remember at the draft, him telling us that he was "good like an angel." He looked for cameras to tell everyone how he was going to try his best, and prove to the Islanders how grateful he was that they are giving him a chance.
Deb Placey hinted on her Twitter account that Kabanov has one strike left. I don't see it that way. The Islanders wouldn't put him on that short of a leash. Not with that talent. After he was late last week, Snow said that he refused to go into a pitch count for him because they weren't handling it like that.
I'm hoping that Kirill gets his head straight, obviously. I don't think this is anywhere near the end for him. He's got a couple of years to develop, and the Islanders will hope that the maturity comes along in those couple of years as well.
I'm glad that he's taking all of this in stride, and agrees that he should be getting punished. As he admits, he doesn't have any excuses other than he just screwed up and slept late again. It's all part of the project that is Kirill Kabanov.
-Chris
nyifyi@gmail.com
The biggest news of the day was the announcement that the team had signed Nino Niederreiter to his entry-level contract. This is not a surprising move. Many of the top-10 picks had already signed their entry-level deals, but that doesn't mean they have to be in their team's lineups. However, for all the guys that have signed this offseason, it appears as though they will all be given a chance, or at least for nine games to showcase their stuff. For example, it appears as though the Carolina Hurricanes, who signed their own 1st round pick Brett Skinner to his contract as well yesterday, will give him the chance to stick with their club.
I'm not sold on the idea that this means that Niederreiter should make the club. He has the size for it, so that is not the issue. Like I said in the post yesterday, he has played OK so far, and there is still a lot more preseason left. Matt Martin has looked really good to me, so on my own personal list I have him penciled in as the guy who's got the early edge.
Obviously, we'll have to see what the next couple of weeks bring. My gut tells me to expect Niederreiter here for at least a nine game try-out, which might not necessarily be a bad thing. My only fear is that since he was one of the youngest players in the draft, that it could screw around with his head a bit. The Islanders have not been afraid to put their 1st round picks into the lineup as we saw with Josh Bailey in 2008, and almost saw with Calvin deHaan last season.
After practice on Sunday, I had asked Bailey if he talked to Niederreiter, as a fellow first rounder who may not have been a top-two talent but made the jump right away, about his own personal experiences. He had said he only talked to him a little here and there, but not really too much. I would wonder now, with this out of the way, if he does talk a little bit more to Niederreiter.
Aside from that, there were some interesting tidbits from the press conference. I'll start with something that I don't plan to talk about much - The Lighthouse Project. Charles Wang stated that he wants to keep the team here, and continues to look for options, but will not leave earlier than 2015. This we sort of knew, however some people speculated that if he were to move the team, then he would do so sooner rather than later. Not the case.
While the team may be here until at least 2015, a decision would most likely come within the next three or four years. There needs to be a point where they have to decide in order to give themselves plenty of opportunity to explore and go through with an eventual option.
Personally, that's all I have to say on it. I feel that at some point, cooler heads will prevail and this team stays in Nassau. It's been very taxing emotionally to talk about this subject. I know Sean likes to talk about it a lot, and for me I just don't have the heart for it. I'm doing the same thing I've always tried to do, and that's enjoy Islanders hockey. I get to see this team for at least five more years, and that's all I can do. After the meetings, rallies and all the other stuff that I and many other fans took part of, there's not much else we can do, and it is out of our control. I am glad that Wang said that he doesn't plan to be as silent on the subject anymore. Maybe, when something more comes out, I can provide better analysis for you guys. But this is all we really know right now.
Scott Gordon is entering his final season as the head coach. It is generally unusual in sports for teams to let coaches go into a final year of a contract, as players can view the coach as a lame duck. I truly feel that this collection of players has the ability to ignore that and still work as hard for Gordon as they always have. The team is talking about taking that next step, and I don't think the coaches contract is in the forefront of any of their minds right now. Gordon doesn't seem phased by any of it, and I have to give him a lot of credit for that. I don't think I would be able to go through with something like that.
From what I have seen, there is no reason why Gordon should not be extended. I understand that everyone on this team is talking playoffs, and I am really glad to see it. Obviously, a playoff berth gets him an automatic extension. But some people feel that if they don't make it, Gordon is gone. I don't necessarily agree with that idea, however it really depends on how the year goes.
Lets say the Isles have a slightly better year than last year, which shows improvement. Bailey, Kyle Okposo and John Tavares all show improvements. I would think you have to extend him, playoff berth or not. If you don't then you are making a big mistake here. If the team tanks, then sure, that could be another story. This scenario, of course, is based on players staying generally healthy. If any of the key guys go down for extended periods of time, then all of this goes out the window, and it would be a travesty to dump him then.
Some people think money is going to play a huge factor in this. To be honest, I don't think it matters. The Islanders hired a coach that, at the time, was the candidate to hire. Other teams that were in the same situation hired excellent coaches from the AHL. Heck, even the Pittsburgh Penguins fired Michel Therrien and replaced him with AHL coach Dan Bylsma. It's just the trend these days. Sure, it's not something that should be overlooked, but despite some things that may (or may not) have happened in the past, I highly doubt a coaching decision will be made based on pay grade. If he provides results (last season was good given what Gordon had to work with) and the players respond and like him (the have and do), then the team would be absolutely insane to not bring him back, and deserve any criticism they would get.
Garth Snow said that he has all the resources he needs to be able to still make moves, and he will continue to look for top players if it makes sense for them to do in the long-run. Some people take that to mean that it would have to be someone under contract for a few seasons. But that may not be true. James Wisniewski arrived here with only this season left on his contract. It is very possible, that with Wang's blessing, Snow could add a player, perhaps to help out the offense.
Many fans, including this one, have looked towards the Boston Bruins and their situation with Michael Ryder. Ryder had a bit of a sub par year last season for the Bruins (18 goals) but has shown the ability to frequently net 20-25. That is not a bad option for this team, and he has this season at $4 million left. I'm sure there are some other names out there, but I only bring up this one because he seems like the most likely candidate to move elsewhere, and the one who happens to make a lot of sense.
KABANOV LATE AGAIN: Kirill Kabanov showed up late for practice again, and an irate Gordon let him hear it in front of everyone. I say, good. This is how he will have to be handled. The Islanders realize this, and have not tried to hide any of it and sweep it under the carpet.
It is no secret that Kabanov has had a tumultuous last couple of seasons. While I understand how young he still is, it is disappointing when I see many kids the same age act much more mature. I remember at the draft, him telling us that he was "good like an angel." He looked for cameras to tell everyone how he was going to try his best, and prove to the Islanders how grateful he was that they are giving him a chance.
Deb Placey hinted on her Twitter account that Kabanov has one strike left. I don't see it that way. The Islanders wouldn't put him on that short of a leash. Not with that talent. After he was late last week, Snow said that he refused to go into a pitch count for him because they weren't handling it like that.
I'm hoping that Kirill gets his head straight, obviously. I don't think this is anywhere near the end for him. He's got a couple of years to develop, and the Islanders will hope that the maturity comes along in those couple of years as well.
I'm glad that he's taking all of this in stride, and agrees that he should be getting punished. As he admits, he doesn't have any excuses other than he just screwed up and slept late again. It's all part of the project that is Kirill Kabanov.
-Chris
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 15, 2010
Rookie Game 1: Boston 5, Isles 2
The Islanders Rookies dropped the first of the two meetings against the Bruins Rookies on Wednesday, losing 5-2.
The Isles got their goals from Nino Niederreiter and Robin Figren.
The team looked very shaky for much of the game. Some of you who were tracking the analysis on Twitter tonight may have already seen some of my comments. Specifically, I called out Calvin de Haan for his performance tonight. One has to remember, though, that this was essentially his first game in a number of months after suffering a season ending should injury which required surgery in January. When you take a step back and think about that, it was sure nice to see him back on the ice. He is a very good defenseman, which one can see from his selection to represent Canada at the World Juniors. However, there were at least two instances tonight where he tried going for the poke check only to have a Bruins forward easily skate around him. Once he gets his feel for the game back, this will hopefully be a much rarer occurrence.
Mikko Koskinen was a standout for the Isles for much of the night. He looked strong early on, and despite issues controlling rebounds, was able to keep things close thanks to his quickness. He playes a stand-up style and does not seem to flop around much, which is probably best for a 6'7" netminder. Koskinen is still returning from a lengthy injury of his own that he suffered last season, when he had to have surgery on his hip, and miss most of the AHL season. Upon his return, he played a handful of games down in the ECHL before returning to Bridgeport for the playoffs. What I saw from Koskinen tonight left me confident considering how little hockey he's played in the past year. I think a lot of the things that a goalie usually lacks after a layoff like that, such as the quickness, were there. The rebound control is something that a player with his skill can work on and rectify quickly, so I'm not too worried there.
Kirill Kabanov has a ton of skill, and it showed on the powerplay. While there wasn't much to show on offense for the Isles tonight, Kabanov made some nifty moves and was very slick. He has an amazing ability to keep the puck on his stick for stretches, and is very fast with his decision making. Some of his defensive plays weren't anything to write home about, and I know some people were pointing that out. In all honesty, he's billed as a kid who oozes offense - that's his game. There are a ton of players in this organization who are great two-way players. There aren't many, however, who posses the offensive ability that Kabanov does. We can splurge a little. After his little mishap on the first day of camp, he worked extra hard on day two and even stayed after for some "punishment sprints." The hard work showed tonight, and I hope that's the only message the Isles have to send him. If he gets his head in order (keep in mind how young he still is), then we will be in for a treat.
Travis Hamonic was OK, but nothing special. This is a guy billed as an excellent shut-down defenseman, but tonight he seemed a bit hesitant. He did get into one fight, which quickly turned into a wrestling match with both players stumbling to the ice. We hear so much of Hamonic laying out big hits and I personally didn't see him play the body as much as I would have liked.
When taking a look at everyone, I tried to keep in mind a couple of factors. The injuries that some of the players we're battling was one of them. aside from that, the rookies practiced for two days then jumped on the bus to get to Boston. Also, there were a couple of players on the Boston squad who spent time in the pro's last season, more than many of the Isles prospects. I think all of that played a factor as well.
At the very least, it was good to watch hockey again. I was hoping for a better effort, but these guys are all so young and still trying to get back into the swing of things. The guys that people are paying close attention to all did some good things, with some mixing in some not so good things. But that's what this is for. The hope is that this is a tune up for them for the big camp starting Friday.
The Isles and Bruins go at it again Thursday night. Just like Wednesday, expect there to be a feed on the Bruins and Isles web site. Expect a different lineup as well.
-Chris
nyifyi@gmail.com
The Isles got their goals from Nino Niederreiter and Robin Figren.
The team looked very shaky for much of the game. Some of you who were tracking the analysis on Twitter tonight may have already seen some of my comments. Specifically, I called out Calvin de Haan for his performance tonight. One has to remember, though, that this was essentially his first game in a number of months after suffering a season ending should injury which required surgery in January. When you take a step back and think about that, it was sure nice to see him back on the ice. He is a very good defenseman, which one can see from his selection to represent Canada at the World Juniors. However, there were at least two instances tonight where he tried going for the poke check only to have a Bruins forward easily skate around him. Once he gets his feel for the game back, this will hopefully be a much rarer occurrence.
Mikko Koskinen was a standout for the Isles for much of the night. He looked strong early on, and despite issues controlling rebounds, was able to keep things close thanks to his quickness. He playes a stand-up style and does not seem to flop around much, which is probably best for a 6'7" netminder. Koskinen is still returning from a lengthy injury of his own that he suffered last season, when he had to have surgery on his hip, and miss most of the AHL season. Upon his return, he played a handful of games down in the ECHL before returning to Bridgeport for the playoffs. What I saw from Koskinen tonight left me confident considering how little hockey he's played in the past year. I think a lot of the things that a goalie usually lacks after a layoff like that, such as the quickness, were there. The rebound control is something that a player with his skill can work on and rectify quickly, so I'm not too worried there.
Kirill Kabanov has a ton of skill, and it showed on the powerplay. While there wasn't much to show on offense for the Isles tonight, Kabanov made some nifty moves and was very slick. He has an amazing ability to keep the puck on his stick for stretches, and is very fast with his decision making. Some of his defensive plays weren't anything to write home about, and I know some people were pointing that out. In all honesty, he's billed as a kid who oozes offense - that's his game. There are a ton of players in this organization who are great two-way players. There aren't many, however, who posses the offensive ability that Kabanov does. We can splurge a little. After his little mishap on the first day of camp, he worked extra hard on day two and even stayed after for some "punishment sprints." The hard work showed tonight, and I hope that's the only message the Isles have to send him. If he gets his head in order (keep in mind how young he still is), then we will be in for a treat.
Travis Hamonic was OK, but nothing special. This is a guy billed as an excellent shut-down defenseman, but tonight he seemed a bit hesitant. He did get into one fight, which quickly turned into a wrestling match with both players stumbling to the ice. We hear so much of Hamonic laying out big hits and I personally didn't see him play the body as much as I would have liked.
When taking a look at everyone, I tried to keep in mind a couple of factors. The injuries that some of the players we're battling was one of them. aside from that, the rookies practiced for two days then jumped on the bus to get to Boston. Also, there were a couple of players on the Boston squad who spent time in the pro's last season, more than many of the Isles prospects. I think all of that played a factor as well.
At the very least, it was good to watch hockey again. I was hoping for a better effort, but these guys are all so young and still trying to get back into the swing of things. The guys that people are paying close attention to all did some good things, with some mixing in some not so good things. But that's what this is for. The hope is that this is a tune up for them for the big camp starting Friday.
The Isles and Bruins go at it again Thursday night. Just like Wednesday, expect there to be a feed on the Bruins and Isles web site. Expect a different lineup as well.
-Chris
nyifyi@gmail.com
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
July 10, 2010
Organizational Changes and Prospect Camp
Hello all! I know its been a couple of days since our last post, but there has indeed been a lot of noise coming out of Islanders Country over the past week. Off-season? What off-season?
As many of you probably already know, the Islanders announced that they are not renewing the contract of Assistant General Manager and Director of Amateur Scouting Ryan Jankowski, and are also finding a new position in the organization for Bryan Trottier, who was the Executive Director of Player Development.
Both these moves have come as a little bit of a shock to the fanbase, since Jankowski is responsible for a number of the Islanders draft picks since 2007. With the team rebuilding, solid drafting is important and Jankowski was the huge reason for the recent success the Isles have had in that department. With the team close to being done with the rebuild and looking to make the next step, perhaps they realized that it was a good time to make the change. Kati Strang of Newsday reported that the move was not money related, and we will probably never learn the reason. At any rate, we obviously thank Jankowski for his services and the great players he has helped bring into the organization. If he stays in the NHL, someone is going to get one heck of a hockey mind.
What concerns me the most here is that Garth Snow will be taking on Jankowski's responsibilities moving forward. I like Snow a lot, and think that he is a good GM. But that is a little too much work for one man to handle. It's hard enough to keep track of the inner workings of your NHL team, but to have to look out for an AHL team in Connecticut and keep an eye on scouting, well that's a lot to have on your plate. Here's hoping Snow can manage it.
Trottier worked with a lot of the Isles younger players, often going to Bridgeport and was seen taking notes and sometimes standing on the bench during games. Josh Bailey in the past talked about how much of an influence Trottier had on helping him with his game. It seems that the Islanders don't have plans to replace this position either, but it is good that they plan to keep a guy like Trottier in the organization. The Islanders of the past such as Trottier and Eric Cairns seem to have some influence on the young players as each one has talked glowingly about them in the past. We of course wish Trotts the best in his new endeavor for the team, whatever that may be.
While some have a bitter taste in their mouth from these two moves and feel that the team is in fact cutting costs, organizational changes are not uncommon, This week the Vancouver Canucks are going through their own major changes, it has been reported. We'll see what those are as we move along.
The Islanders prospect camp began this week, and we finally get to see what we have in Kirill Petrov, Nino Niederreiter and Kirill Kabanov among others. Petrov made the biggest impression in the fist days of camp it seems. I'm excited to see what the Blue and Orange scrimmage gives us. Many expect that Petrov could be coming over the the team this year, and I feel that is going to be based on how great he does here at this camp. The Islanders would then have to negotiate a contract with Petrov and a buyout from his contractual ties in Russia. He has expressed interest in coming over the North America this year, so we'll see how this goes. You can check back for reports and links to the Islanders prospect camp as we'll hopefully have some good information available later.
-Chris
nyifyi@gmail.com
As many of you probably already know, the Islanders announced that they are not renewing the contract of Assistant General Manager and Director of Amateur Scouting Ryan Jankowski, and are also finding a new position in the organization for Bryan Trottier, who was the Executive Director of Player Development.
Both these moves have come as a little bit of a shock to the fanbase, since Jankowski is responsible for a number of the Islanders draft picks since 2007. With the team rebuilding, solid drafting is important and Jankowski was the huge reason for the recent success the Isles have had in that department. With the team close to being done with the rebuild and looking to make the next step, perhaps they realized that it was a good time to make the change. Kati Strang of Newsday reported that the move was not money related, and we will probably never learn the reason. At any rate, we obviously thank Jankowski for his services and the great players he has helped bring into the organization. If he stays in the NHL, someone is going to get one heck of a hockey mind.
What concerns me the most here is that Garth Snow will be taking on Jankowski's responsibilities moving forward. I like Snow a lot, and think that he is a good GM. But that is a little too much work for one man to handle. It's hard enough to keep track of the inner workings of your NHL team, but to have to look out for an AHL team in Connecticut and keep an eye on scouting, well that's a lot to have on your plate. Here's hoping Snow can manage it.
Trottier worked with a lot of the Isles younger players, often going to Bridgeport and was seen taking notes and sometimes standing on the bench during games. Josh Bailey in the past talked about how much of an influence Trottier had on helping him with his game. It seems that the Islanders don't have plans to replace this position either, but it is good that they plan to keep a guy like Trottier in the organization. The Islanders of the past such as Trottier and Eric Cairns seem to have some influence on the young players as each one has talked glowingly about them in the past. We of course wish Trotts the best in his new endeavor for the team, whatever that may be.
While some have a bitter taste in their mouth from these two moves and feel that the team is in fact cutting costs, organizational changes are not uncommon, This week the Vancouver Canucks are going through their own major changes, it has been reported. We'll see what those are as we move along.
The Islanders prospect camp began this week, and we finally get to see what we have in Kirill Petrov, Nino Niederreiter and Kirill Kabanov among others. Petrov made the biggest impression in the fist days of camp it seems. I'm excited to see what the Blue and Orange scrimmage gives us. Many expect that Petrov could be coming over the the team this year, and I feel that is going to be based on how great he does here at this camp. The Islanders would then have to negotiate a contract with Petrov and a buyout from his contractual ties in Russia. He has expressed interest in coming over the North America this year, so we'll see how this goes. You can check back for reports and links to the Islanders prospect camp as we'll hopefully have some good information available later.
-Chris
nyifyi@gmail.com
June 28, 2010
NYI FYI's 2010 Islanders Draft Review
Draft weekend has come and gone and teams, fans and analysts all begin to assess which teams made out well and which teams did not. You may even see some people give out grades for the draft. I have never been a fan of doing that, and I won’t be doing that here. It is impossible to grade a draft a few days after the fact when a small percentage of the players could be contributing within the next year or two.
What I will tell you, however, is that looking at it right now based on talent – which is all you can go by at this point – the Islanders had one of the strongest drafts, and are on many lists under the “draft winner” category.
Friday night started with the Islanders landing their guy at 5 as they made Nino Niederreiter the highest drafted Swiss player ever. Niederreiter was seen as a definite top-10 guy after his performance at the World Junior Championships, which included single handedly leading his Swiss team over the Russians. At 17 years old, he was one of the youngest players in the draft and is already listed at 6-2 and 201 lbs. After the pick was made, the boys on TSN praised the Islanders and Garth Snow for how they are rebuilding the team.
As of right now, I would say there is a decent shot that Niederreiter makes the Islanders roster next season. He has an NHL-ready body as of this point, and his well-rounded style of play is one that can be easily integrated on any of the lines, especially with the way the Islanders roll their offensive lines. However, another year playing for the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL would not be a bad thing. Niederreiter will only turn 18 in September and despite his big size, could use a little more seasoning playing against players who are overall slightly older than he is. The Islanders certainly made a good pick here, and it will be interesting to see how they proceed with him and how he would fit in with any potential free agent deals or trades the Islanders could make over the summer.
The Islanders had made it clear in the first round that size and high-end skill up front was a key weakness that they wanted to address in this draft. The Islanders had two picks in the 2nd round; 35th and 58th overall. They packaged both picks and moved them to the Chicago Blackhawks for the 30th and final pick in the 1st round and took big center Brock Nelson. Nelson, at 6-3 and 205 lbs, was one of the top high school players in the country last year, playing at Warrod High School in Minnesota. Nelson certainly looked a little lighter than 205 lbs, but there is no doubt that he has some filling out to do and can potentially be a big shutdown center in the future.
The Islanders have slightly higher hopes for Nelson and believe that he is a top 6 talent. The general consensus out there is that he could be a sleeper pick, and it appears to be good value for the end of the 1st round. There were a number of teams interested in Nelson at the beginning of the second round, so the Islanders felt he would not be there at 35 and jumped up to grab him. Nelson was ranked as the 25th best North American skater by NHL Central Scouting, and 26th by the International Scouting Service.
Nelson will attend the University of North Dakota in the fall.
Many fans were happy to see the Islanders move back into the first round, but had hopes that the team would take a chance on the very talented yet very troubled winger Kirill Kabanov. With no picks in the 2nd round, it appeared that another team would benefit from this talented player falling so far.
Kabanov fell, and fell and just when you thought his time had come, he fell some more. The Islanders turn came up and Kabanov was still sitting there. They selected him with the 65th overall pick, and captured the headlines for day two.
When people have asked me what I thought about the Islanders draft, I tell them how much I loved it and rave about this pick. I usually get the question “Why are you so excited about a 3rd round pick?”
For those of you who don’t already know, let me explain to you the riddle wrapped in a mystery wrapped in an enigma that is Kirill Kabanov.
In the summer of 2009, Kabanov was said to be a top-3 pick, only behind Taylor Hall (who did stay at the top) and Cam Fowler (who was still ranked in the top 5 but fell to 12th for whatever reason). By the time mid-term rankings came out, Central Scouting had him as the 15th North American skater, and by the finals rankings Kabanov dropped all the way to 31st. ISS had him at 4th in November, only to see him fall all the way to 45 by their final rankings.
So what’s the deal? Many people look at his name and say “ah, Russian factor.” But it’s slightly different and much more complex than that.
Kabanov played only 22 games this season with the Moncton Wildcats, having injured his wrist early in the season. One rumor going around was that with his time off, he was constantly getting tattoos. Another rumor going around is that his teammates in Moncton didn't care for him too much. After he came back from his injury, he saw his ice time dwindle, and when he was a healthy scratch in the playoffs he requested to be transferred back to Russia for the U-18 World Championships. Shortly after that, he was kicked off the team because of “behavioral issues.” Kabanov couldn’t play in the KHL, since he is currently banned from the league stemming from a contract dispute there.
Now, after all of that, two different teams and four different agents, Kabanov is an Islander. One of those former agents said that Kabanov’s father sticks his nose where it doesn’t belong, and is a big reason why the youngster is the way he is.
He showed us a different side during his press conferences after getting picked, and reiterated his stance that he does not want to return to Russia. He went as far as to seek out a TSN camera that was filming his presser, looked into the lens and told Islanders fans that he wanted to tear out pages from his passport and send it to them to show them he was serious about not going back, if that’s what it took. He did this same thing at the NHL draft combine in late May during his interview with Chris Botta.
Kabanov tried to dispel all of the other rumors surrounding him as well. “That I’m drinking, that I'm a rock-and-roller, that all my body is covered in tattoos. That’s not true, just a couple. People say I'm bad like the devil, but I'm good like an angel.”
It remains to be seen what happens, but the Islanders got a top 5 talent in the draft here at this spot. There is a slight chance he can make the big club, depending on what happens in training camp. He has said he is open to returning to Moncton, but no one knows for sure if they would welcome him back. Moncton’s head coach, Danny Flynn, was one of Ted Nolan’s assistants during the playoff season of 2006-2007 before he left to take that head coaching job. So there is a connection there which could make it easy for Moncton to welcome him back. Garth Snow has made it clear that they are going to talk to Kabanov about rules and guidelines of being an Islander, so here’s hoping that he can turn it around and start a new book rather than a new chapter, as Kabanov himself put it.
The Islanders picked another physical forward, Jason Clark with their other 3rd rounder, 82nd overall. Clark spent last season at Shattuck-St. Mary’s High School, an excellent one for hockey. There he scored 23 goals and 23 assists for 46 points. I immediately liked this pick as soon as I saw he had attended that school. Upon further review, he seems to have the makeup as someone who can be another physical forward on one of the checking lines. He has decent size at 6-1, 180 lbs, but obviously needs to and will put on weight as he continues to develop.
Clark has committed to the University of Wisconsin.
The Islanders traded away their 4th round pick, but with their 5th pick, 125th overall, they selected defenseman Tony DeHart. This pick is a bit interesting, as DeHart is viewed as an over-ager. He turned 20 in March, and even played in the AHL this past season, albeit for two games with the Springfield Falcons.
DeHart started the year with the Oshawa Generals. There, the 6-2, 187 pound blueliner was partnered with 2009 Islanders 1st round draft pick Calvin de Haan up until de Haan suffered a shoulder injury. From that point, DeHart elevated his game and really proved to be a force. He finished with 10 goals and 30 assists, and provided some excellent defensive play all year round for the Generals.
Since it was the 5th round, I like the fact the Islanders targeted someone who looks like he is a late bloomer. The fact that he has playing experience with one of the Islanders top defensive prospects factored into this decision a bit as I’m sure the Islanders had a good look at him while scouting de Haan. The fact he played in the AHL on a tryout last season helped his cause as well.
The Islanders will most likely extend a contract to DeHart to play for Bridgeport for the upcoming season, just as they did with defenseman Anton Klementyev last season, who they also selected in the 5th round. Klementyev eventually got into one game with the Isles last season.
The Islanders finished off their draft by selecting small, yet quick goalie Cody Rosen in the 7th round, 185th overall. Rosen was a freshman at Clarkson University last season, and has not played much. For a 7th round pick, it’s not that big of a deal. He will continue to develop at school and the Islanders will see where he is three years from now. Perhaps he turns into a decent prospect and a fallback should one of Poulin or Koskinen fail. Other than that, there’s not much out there on this guy. We’ll see down the road what the Islanders found, or didn’t find here.
The Islanders have said that this is the last time they hope they will have a high draft pick. It appears that as of this moment, the prospect cupboard is deep and has some good talent mixed in as well.
In just a few short days, the free agency period will open. If the team mixes in a couple of solid free agents, they can easily make the playoffs at the very least next season. As I mentioned earlier, it remains to be seen if any of the players from this draft will be on the roster, but they certainly shouldn’t be holding a spot for any of them. It should be a wild next couple of days as rumors heat up.
nyifyi@gmail.com
What I will tell you, however, is that looking at it right now based on talent – which is all you can go by at this point – the Islanders had one of the strongest drafts, and are on many lists under the “draft winner” category.
Friday night started with the Islanders landing their guy at 5 as they made Nino Niederreiter the highest drafted Swiss player ever. Niederreiter was seen as a definite top-10 guy after his performance at the World Junior Championships, which included single handedly leading his Swiss team over the Russians. At 17 years old, he was one of the youngest players in the draft and is already listed at 6-2 and 201 lbs. After the pick was made, the boys on TSN praised the Islanders and Garth Snow for how they are rebuilding the team.
As of right now, I would say there is a decent shot that Niederreiter makes the Islanders roster next season. He has an NHL-ready body as of this point, and his well-rounded style of play is one that can be easily integrated on any of the lines, especially with the way the Islanders roll their offensive lines. However, another year playing for the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL would not be a bad thing. Niederreiter will only turn 18 in September and despite his big size, could use a little more seasoning playing against players who are overall slightly older than he is. The Islanders certainly made a good pick here, and it will be interesting to see how they proceed with him and how he would fit in with any potential free agent deals or trades the Islanders could make over the summer.
The Islanders had made it clear in the first round that size and high-end skill up front was a key weakness that they wanted to address in this draft. The Islanders had two picks in the 2nd round; 35th and 58th overall. They packaged both picks and moved them to the Chicago Blackhawks for the 30th and final pick in the 1st round and took big center Brock Nelson. Nelson, at 6-3 and 205 lbs, was one of the top high school players in the country last year, playing at Warrod High School in Minnesota. Nelson certainly looked a little lighter than 205 lbs, but there is no doubt that he has some filling out to do and can potentially be a big shutdown center in the future.
The Islanders have slightly higher hopes for Nelson and believe that he is a top 6 talent. The general consensus out there is that he could be a sleeper pick, and it appears to be good value for the end of the 1st round. There were a number of teams interested in Nelson at the beginning of the second round, so the Islanders felt he would not be there at 35 and jumped up to grab him. Nelson was ranked as the 25th best North American skater by NHL Central Scouting, and 26th by the International Scouting Service.
Nelson will attend the University of North Dakota in the fall.
Many fans were happy to see the Islanders move back into the first round, but had hopes that the team would take a chance on the very talented yet very troubled winger Kirill Kabanov. With no picks in the 2nd round, it appeared that another team would benefit from this talented player falling so far.
Kabanov fell, and fell and just when you thought his time had come, he fell some more. The Islanders turn came up and Kabanov was still sitting there. They selected him with the 65th overall pick, and captured the headlines for day two.
When people have asked me what I thought about the Islanders draft, I tell them how much I loved it and rave about this pick. I usually get the question “Why are you so excited about a 3rd round pick?”
For those of you who don’t already know, let me explain to you the riddle wrapped in a mystery wrapped in an enigma that is Kirill Kabanov.
In the summer of 2009, Kabanov was said to be a top-3 pick, only behind Taylor Hall (who did stay at the top) and Cam Fowler (who was still ranked in the top 5 but fell to 12th for whatever reason). By the time mid-term rankings came out, Central Scouting had him as the 15th North American skater, and by the finals rankings Kabanov dropped all the way to 31st. ISS had him at 4th in November, only to see him fall all the way to 45 by their final rankings.
So what’s the deal? Many people look at his name and say “ah, Russian factor.” But it’s slightly different and much more complex than that.
Kabanov played only 22 games this season with the Moncton Wildcats, having injured his wrist early in the season. One rumor going around was that with his time off, he was constantly getting tattoos. Another rumor going around is that his teammates in Moncton didn't care for him too much. After he came back from his injury, he saw his ice time dwindle, and when he was a healthy scratch in the playoffs he requested to be transferred back to Russia for the U-18 World Championships. Shortly after that, he was kicked off the team because of “behavioral issues.” Kabanov couldn’t play in the KHL, since he is currently banned from the league stemming from a contract dispute there.
Now, after all of that, two different teams and four different agents, Kabanov is an Islander. One of those former agents said that Kabanov’s father sticks his nose where it doesn’t belong, and is a big reason why the youngster is the way he is.
He showed us a different side during his press conferences after getting picked, and reiterated his stance that he does not want to return to Russia. He went as far as to seek out a TSN camera that was filming his presser, looked into the lens and told Islanders fans that he wanted to tear out pages from his passport and send it to them to show them he was serious about not going back, if that’s what it took. He did this same thing at the NHL draft combine in late May during his interview with Chris Botta.
Kabanov tried to dispel all of the other rumors surrounding him as well. “That I’m drinking, that I'm a rock-and-roller, that all my body is covered in tattoos. That’s not true, just a couple. People say I'm bad like the devil, but I'm good like an angel.”
It remains to be seen what happens, but the Islanders got a top 5 talent in the draft here at this spot. There is a slight chance he can make the big club, depending on what happens in training camp. He has said he is open to returning to Moncton, but no one knows for sure if they would welcome him back. Moncton’s head coach, Danny Flynn, was one of Ted Nolan’s assistants during the playoff season of 2006-2007 before he left to take that head coaching job. So there is a connection there which could make it easy for Moncton to welcome him back. Garth Snow has made it clear that they are going to talk to Kabanov about rules and guidelines of being an Islander, so here’s hoping that he can turn it around and start a new book rather than a new chapter, as Kabanov himself put it.
The Islanders picked another physical forward, Jason Clark with their other 3rd rounder, 82nd overall. Clark spent last season at Shattuck-St. Mary’s High School, an excellent one for hockey. There he scored 23 goals and 23 assists for 46 points. I immediately liked this pick as soon as I saw he had attended that school. Upon further review, he seems to have the makeup as someone who can be another physical forward on one of the checking lines. He has decent size at 6-1, 180 lbs, but obviously needs to and will put on weight as he continues to develop.
Clark has committed to the University of Wisconsin.
The Islanders traded away their 4th round pick, but with their 5th pick, 125th overall, they selected defenseman Tony DeHart. This pick is a bit interesting, as DeHart is viewed as an over-ager. He turned 20 in March, and even played in the AHL this past season, albeit for two games with the Springfield Falcons.
DeHart started the year with the Oshawa Generals. There, the 6-2, 187 pound blueliner was partnered with 2009 Islanders 1st round draft pick Calvin de Haan up until de Haan suffered a shoulder injury. From that point, DeHart elevated his game and really proved to be a force. He finished with 10 goals and 30 assists, and provided some excellent defensive play all year round for the Generals.
Since it was the 5th round, I like the fact the Islanders targeted someone who looks like he is a late bloomer. The fact that he has playing experience with one of the Islanders top defensive prospects factored into this decision a bit as I’m sure the Islanders had a good look at him while scouting de Haan. The fact he played in the AHL on a tryout last season helped his cause as well.
The Islanders will most likely extend a contract to DeHart to play for Bridgeport for the upcoming season, just as they did with defenseman Anton Klementyev last season, who they also selected in the 5th round. Klementyev eventually got into one game with the Isles last season.
The Islanders finished off their draft by selecting small, yet quick goalie Cody Rosen in the 7th round, 185th overall. Rosen was a freshman at Clarkson University last season, and has not played much. For a 7th round pick, it’s not that big of a deal. He will continue to develop at school and the Islanders will see where he is three years from now. Perhaps he turns into a decent prospect and a fallback should one of Poulin or Koskinen fail. Other than that, there’s not much out there on this guy. We’ll see down the road what the Islanders found, or didn’t find here.
The Islanders have said that this is the last time they hope they will have a high draft pick. It appears that as of this moment, the prospect cupboard is deep and has some good talent mixed in as well.
In just a few short days, the free agency period will open. If the team mixes in a couple of solid free agents, they can easily make the playoffs at the very least next season. As I mentioned earlier, it remains to be seen if any of the players from this draft will be on the roster, but they certainly shouldn’t be holding a spot for any of them. It should be a wild next couple of days as rumors heat up.
nyifyi@gmail.com
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