New York Islander Fan Central growing fast

Let me start by expressing my thanks to all the folks who have contacted me or have been viewing this very new blog.

I'm not one for counters or views or things like that, but I added some just to get an idea how things were going and for the first time this month took a look at the bottom of the page to go with the increasing e-mails and was shocked.

I have added a new message board for all those wanting to talk hockey. I'm hoping for a small die-hard group of Islander fans who want to have some insightful discussion where the content and quality are first class.

All I ask of anyone posting is that the content is respectful. I'm going for quality, not quantity.

When I started this only a few weeks ago on 7/24 I was a little skeptical as to the response it would receive with so many Islander websites to say nothing of the club's new blog box. Outside of a post or two on my old Islanders-Sound Tigers yahoo forum and adding in feeders, I have done no advertising at all for this blog. I get so caught up in the hockey I forget to go do any advertising because that aspect is boring to me.

Once again all I can do is thank everyone for such great early support and promise if you visit this site on a regular basis you will get a blog you will look forward to reading packed with quality information. Those who are familiar with my work over the years know I would not have it any other way for New York Islander fans.

From time to time I will discuss some hockey cyber-space items over the years that folks may (or may not) be interested in from the sites I have owned, moderated or written for.

Please check out all the features which are always being updated and improved. With the new uniform design released I finally settled on a color scheme for the blog a little less hard on the eyes but can always go back to the seventies look at any time. Feel free to offer suggestions and I'll see what can be done.

The news sections of the page at the bottom automatically update so even if I'm not around, there is always something going on.

I feel I have picked out the best automated Islander news sources. Logan's blog is not RSS accessible nor is TSN for hockey only but there is something here for everyone and I'm always adding things and subracting others. If your a Sound Tiger fan we have several updates on them as well and links to Michael Fornabaio's outstanding blog. Ct Post does not currently have RSS for Sound Tigers.

All prospect profiles from the club are also accessible here with any Islander website updated.

When the pre-season starts I'm going to post every update from Moncton to New York and in-between I can find.

Thanks again everyone.
NYIsles1/IslesTigers

UFA Notables and Islander summer scorecard

I thought today would be a good time to list the UFA name players/former Islanders and Sound Tigers still available in Free Agency and where some of our former players have signed and when.

Call it our summer scorecard for those who have not followed much Islander hockey this summer.

Sorry if I miss anyone recently signed, feel free to submit corrections and I will make changes.

Enjoy..

UFA:
Teemu Selanne, (III)
Tony Amonte, (III)
Jeff Friesen, (III)
Darren McCarty, (III)
Anson Carter, (III)
David Tanabe, (III)
Peter Bondra, (III)
Bryan Berard, (III)
Eric Lindros, (III)
Patrik Stefan, (III)
Danny Markov, (III)
Wyatt Smith, (III)
Mike Johnson, (III)
Janne Niinimaa, (III)
Peter Forsberg, (III)
Dan McGillis, (III)
Erik Rasmussen, (III)
Jason Wiemer, (III)
Sandis Ozolinsh, (III)
Dave Scatchard, (UFA)
Jeremy Roenick, (III)
John LeClair, (UFA)
Eric Cairns, (III)
Vladimir Orszagh, (III)
Glen Metropolit, (III)
Travis Green, (III)
Tyson Nash, (III)
Jeff O'Neill, (III)
Mike Peca, (III)
Trevor Linden, (III)
Brent Sopel, (III)

Islander signings:
Wade Dubielwicz, (III) May 8
Sean Bergenheim, (II) June 18
Jon Sim, (III) July 1
Tim Jackman, (VI) July 4
Ruslan Fedotenko, July 4
Kip Brennan July 4
Mike Comrie July 5
Matt Spiller July 5
Bill Guerin, (III) July 5
Darryl Bootland, (VI) July 6
Chris Campoli, (II) July 10
Aaron Johnson, (UFA) July 12
Andy Hilbert, (UFA) July 12
Drew Fata, (II) July 15
Chris Simon, (III) July 22
Trent Hunter, (II) August 6
Andy Sutton, (III) August 10
Josef Vasicek, (III) August 15
Steve Regier, (II) Resigned per NHLPA.com

Islander UFA:
Mike Dunham, (III)
Deron Quint, (III)

SoundTiger (or former Sound Tiger) UFA:
Billy Thompson, (UFA)
Rick Berry, (III)
Joel Bouchard, (III)
Peter Ferraro, (III)
Evgeny Korolev, (III)
Todd Simpson, (III)
Dimitri Upper, (III)
Daniel Tkaczuk, (III)

Former Islander/Sound Tigers:
Mattias Weinhandl, (UFA) Linkoping, SWE April 21
Tomas Malec, (VI) Trinec, CZE May 1
Randy Robitaille, (III) Yaroslavl, RUS May 18
Ben Guite, (VI) Colorado June 15
Justin Papineau, (VI) Basel, SWI June 21
Eric Boguniecki, (III) Ingolstadt, GER June 29
Ryan Smyth, (III) Colorado July 1
Richard Zednik, (III) Florida July 1
Jeff Hamilton, (III) Carolina July 1
Jason Blake, (III) Toronto July 1
Viktor Kozlov, (III) Washington July 1
Tom Poti, (III) Washington July 1
Roman Hamrlik, (III) Montreal July 2
Bryan Smolinski, (III) Montreal July 2
Johan Halvardsson, (UFA) HV-71, SWE July 3
Jamie Rivers, (III) Montreal July 5
Sean Hill, (III) Minnesota July 6
Wade Flaherty, (III) Chicago July 11
Alexei Yashin, (UFA) Yaroslavl, RUS July 20
Jamie McLennan, (III) Metallurg, RUS July 25
Josh Green, (III) Salzburg, AUS August 6
Aaron Asham, (III) New Jersey August 7
Matt Koalska, (UFA) Bolzano, ITA August 9
Justin Mapletoft Ottawa August 10

Former Islanders who are unsigned restricted free agents at present:
John Erskine, (II) Washington.

A loud rant on a quiet Saturday....

For those who know me from Islanders-Sound Tigers or HF, you know I'm not the kind of fan who pulls punches on hockey issues. Some things will interest me while others will not.

On this kind of blog I don't really care who Mike Comrie is dating or even what just was reported about former Sound Tiger Brandon Nolan (Ted's oldest son) as he tried to cross the border into Canada. Of course I have thoughts on what happened with Nolan's son but to me it's not really a hockey issue and not what I want to discuss on this blog because it's not a political blog for me beyond our club getting a new or upgraded arena for it's long-term survival.

But today on this quiet Saturday I get a story that just is right up my alley in terms of the kind of hypocrisy that is all about hockey and the media.

Most folks know the story with Rick Tocchet. He received probation yesterday for his gambling related actions and was given two years probation according to this Globe and Mail article.

edited-was informed the Globe and Mail is more a Western Canadian Paper, not a Toronto publication. That said as a hockey fan it seems they focus more on Toronto than any team in Canada.

ERIC DUHATSCHEK of the Globe and Mail makes his points on Tocchet not being reinstated by the league and writes the following:

Given the current climate and the desperate need for integrity in the world of professional sport, it is hard to imagine any circumstances under which the NHL would accede to Tocchet's plea for reinstatement.

The NHL has enough trouble becoming a more important presence on the U.S. sporting scene. At a time when its reputation needs to remain as squeaky clean as possible, to be viewed as condoning gambling would do far more harm than good. The path of least resistance — imposing further sanctions beyond Tocchet's current indefinite leave — will almost certainly be the one it takes.

ERIC DUHATSCHEK makes his point and is entitled, but how come the writer does not feel the same way about new Maple Leafs Wing Mark Bell, who pleaded no contest to a hit and run accident this week while intoxicated here and is going to jail AFTER next season while be permitted to play?

If the integrity of the league will be questioned by allowing Tocchet to be reinstated is allowing a player who is going to jail for six months to play next season the right statement to make? More like the Globe and Mail writer wants the Toronto Maple Leafs to have a serviceable player and the hell with the integrity of the league?

To me this comes off as a blatant double-standard by Duhatschek. We all have our own concept of what's good for the integrity of the league, from my perspective if your going to claim Tocchet to stay out for integrity sake, how can Bell be allowed to play when he's headed to prison?

If Bell were still in San Jose or in New York they will be lobbying for his suspension for conduct detrimental to the league and asking how can he be allowed to play which is becoming the norm in other sports? But Bell now plays in Toronto and the Globe and Mail has a vested financial interest in promoting the club so they receive more exposure. Of course there already is a p.r feature for Bell in the Toronto Star.

This also makes Leaf management look incompetent by adding a player they had to know could be sentenced to jail time when they traded for him earlier this summer. Yes, the media in Toronto has no problem beating up Leaf management for mistakes but they are not going to lobby for a member of the club to be suspended for the league's integrity because they want the club they cover to have the best chance of winning on the ice. Even today Sundin's girlfriend/wife? is on the back or front page of a Toronto publication.

Imagine if Garth Snow traded for Mark Bell? Think the media in Toronto would have no problem with him playing this season after all the complaining about Hill from Leaf management last year?

Please don't get any impression my rant is about Bell's alcohol-related issues, that's not what this is about at all. If necessary the league can help Bell with any substance abuse program in that regard. This is of course not personal about Bell but about the double-standard of tying to keep one person out of the league for integrity issues but not another.

I'm not a fan or Rick Tocchet but where's the positive p.r for all the things Rick Tocchet has done through his career for the NHL?

I simply hate double-standards. If Tocchet were still a player and was a member of the Leafs would the Globe and Mail lobby for his re-instatement?

End of rant. Your thoughts?

Islanders Fifteen to Remember Friday 8pm

This weeks Islanders Fifteen to Remember is throwback night against the Buffalo Sabres from 1/27/2007.

Game is repeated after midnight and on Saturday afternoon.

More on Vasicek signing

More coverage on Vasicek today from Newsday Post Neverson does a Ranger-centric article with Vasick the lead and for the second time in two weeks the Daily News and Times does not even list the AP report of the Isles signing a player but Ranger shill Dellapina is making calls at 10pm running down Peca updates for his blog while Peter Botte as usual is AWOL.

The two Carolina papers did not have an article on Vasicek's departure nor did the NY Sun.

Former Isles Post Beatwriter, Evan Grossman did an excellent feature on Sutton here.

Islanders show us new uniforms

Newsday/NYI.com released photo's of the new Islander uniforms today here with an article.

Several quotes from management, people behind the design, players, Nolan..ect.

Isles website has three updates ISLANDERS UNVEIL NEW RBK EDGE JERSEYS .DiP PUMPED ABOUT NEW NYI SWEATER
WITT, NOLAN, CAMPOLI, TAMBELLINI PRAISE RBK EDGE JERSEYS
NEW UNIFORM A TRUE TEAM EFFORT


NYI Fan Central Comments:
Was it that hard to just re-release the throwback jersey's they wore last season for one game because no doubt they were a hit with the fans? I'm a traditional fan who feels the origional jersey's are the only ones this team should ever wear as the championship traditional team in New York Hockey.

I'm not a fashion critic but to me this seems like a uniform made to cater to kids that looks more like pajamas than a hockey uniform. I never needed numbers on the front of the sweater. Was it necessary to keep featuring the stripes that Howard Milstein brought in with the 98 redesign?

I understand Smg takes the parking, concessions and part of the gate and releasing a new look uniform makes money for the club that they need and there is no doubt management is trying to bring in the younger fans. There is no doubt going back to an older design that many fans may own could hold down sales.

Overall, in a word. Yuck.
DiPietro at least he's healthy by the pictures.

Television Schedule released

Versus released it's television schedule today here.

Islanders are featured five times on Versus.

Wed. Oct. 10 N.Y. Rangers at N.Y. Islanders 7:00 PM
Tue. Nov. 6* N.Y. Rangers at N.Y. Islanders 7:00 PM
Tue. Jan. 15 Montreal at N.Y. Islanders 7:00 PM
Tue. Feb. 12 Philadelphia at N.Y. Islanders 7:00 PM
Mon. March 24* Pittsburgh at N.Y. Islanders 7:00 PM

NBC is doing a flex schedule for nine weeks beginning January 20th and does not include a single Islander game among the three weekly choices and has eight Ranger games despite horrible ratings in last seasons playoffs despite the fact one team can only be shown four times.

NHL.com issued a press release here involving the NHL kicking off in London and the All-Star game in Atlanta.

Anaheim is featured only once on NBC.

Hockey Night in Canada has it's schedule on cbc as well as
TSN schedule for our Islander fans from Canada or who have those stations.

Adam Proteau of the Hockey News has Isles last.

Let's see, it's overtly negative about the Islanders, does not mention DiPietro at all and has the Islanders dead last in the Atlantic next season? It's either Adam Proteau of the Hockey News or Scott Burnside of Espn.

Behind door number two here is Proteau's Atlantic Division preview.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
It is a fair comment that the forward unit is comprised of other teams' castoffs and mid-tier veterans. That said players like Fedotenko and Vasicek are Stanley Cup winners at a point where we could see the best from them while Guerin and Comrie at legitimate top six players. This is also a far more balanced club in terms of speed and skill from a year ago. How Proteau does not mention DiPietro at all is beyond comical and reflects someone writing a paragraph per team which means sloppy overview at best.

As for pulling a rabbit out of the hat again, last year this team was in sixth with injuries before the Smyth trade with Yashin injured for a large part of the second half and people like Proteau picked us 30th so he has not learned his lesson.

Isles sign Vasicek, one year 750k...

Islanders have come to terms with UFA Josef Vasicek according toNewsday and NYI.com

"You look at Vasicek's career so far and he's been to two Stanley Cup Finals with Carolina, winning one Cup (in 2006), so he has seen what it takes to win," said Islanders head coach Ted Nolan. "That's invaluable experience for a player this talented and who is still so young. As a staff we like his character, so we know he's a player we can work with to maximize his potential." His most productive season was 2003-04, when he was 19-26-45 in 82 games for Carolina.

“Josef is an extremely talented center who’s 6-4, strong in his own zone, been in winning situations and, at age 26, just entering his prime,” said Islanders general manager Garth Snow. “What makes this an important signing for us is that no one questions his work ethic and determination. I remember when I was playing giving him a shot because he was too close to my net. He went right back at me and let it be known that just because I was a veteran and he was a kid, he wasn’t going to take it. We’re really looking forward to giving him an opportunity to take his game to the next level.”

From his home in Havlickuv Brod, Slovakia, Vasicek shared the reasons for his excitement over signing with the Islanders.

“From the beginning, I thought the Islanders were the right team for me and I really wanted to come to Long Island,” said Vasicek. “Ted Nolan is known for being a great players’ coach and I feel I can learn a lot from him. I’m also really happy to be on the same team as my buddy Radek Martinek. There are only about 25,000 people in the town of Havlickuv Brod, and now we are going to have two players from here on the Islanders. Radek and I have been working out together in the summer for the last seven years and it’s going to be so great to be his teammate.”

Projecting the Islander forward lines at this point

Of course a topic like this will absolutely mean the Islanders make a big trade today to alter everything...lol

Updated 12:50pm
Edited for Vasicek signing.

A lot of this even with who they have signed is likely up in the air until training camp when we see who Nolan pairs together. With one standout first line talent it's more about making sure you have scoring depth on at least two lines with a good checking line. Not just a depth chart.

For today, I will take a few guesses. No doubt between here and opening night a lot of things can happen to change this.

1.Fedotenko-Comrie-Guerin
This seems like the best first line the club can put out on paper. No one on the roster at this time has more scoring skill at the center position than Comrie and Guerin is the only pure first line talent on the roster.

Ruslan Fedotenko has the speed and skill and the circumstances are set up here for him to produce. On paper right now he stands out as the best chance to produce as a first line left wing, even if he's not a proven first line talent. No doubt after his minutes were reduced in Tampa he will be hungry to prove the critics wrong, he will be pushed by Simon and Sim if he's not productive.

The checking line goes second on my list because it's the easiest to project out.

3.Hilbert-Sillinger-Hunter
This was 2/3's of last year's checking line and for a good twenty games they carried the club. Hilbert has a new two-year contract and could move to center for Sim or another player but until he produces more his best fit is with Hunter and Sillinger.

Hunter is in his UFA year and will be under the gun to produce more on a nightly basis. Sillinger will likely outproduce the second line center and could even outproduce Comrie.

2. Bergenheim-XXXX-Satan
I think the second line left wing spot comes down to Bergenheim or Tambellini. I also see Bergenheim's overall game more ready for the NHL because he produced in an elite league in Europe and did not look out of place at all here in 05-06. That short stretch with Yashin (and Robert Nilsson) he was all over the place and looked like a top six forward. I have no doubt he will quickly win over Ted Nolan in camp as he has done with many fans. That written what he did in Europe and in 05-06 means nothing to Ted Nolan entering 07-08, he has a one year contract and has to earn his spot.

For Tambellini this is his time to step up or you have to ask can he play in this league? Los Angeles decided to move him and even though he has offensive skills it's show time for this player. Cannot see him on a fourth line as a left wing over Simon once his suspension is up and that's where he's going if Bergenheim is the second line left wing.

Who's the center? Could be a lot of players. Put down Hilbert as my darkhorse because he played center in Pittsburgh. As per my review of Vasicek he cannot play on a club's two lines as a six goal scorer when you don't have a proven first line center in Comrie.

Maybe Bergenheim or a long-shot like Nokelainen or Nielsen come in and take the second line center's spot too but on August 15th my depth chart says it's Hilbert's spot to lose today.

Clearly in Satan's UFA year he's the second line right wing from day one, unlikely he takes Guerin's spot on the first line.

4. Simon-Bates-Vasicek-Park-Tambellini-Nielsen-prospects

Simon will be on the fourth line once his suspension is up and likely will be spotted on the other lines depending on how he does. Is Bates healthy? All I know is he has two more years on his contract and was not bought out. Park has one more year left and did a very solid job. Frans Nielsen looked very solid in his callups also. Hard to find a balance here but we do know three players (Simon-Park-Bates) all have NHL contracts so a spot has to be found for them if they are healthy.

With all the rumors and reports of other forward signings it's almost impossible not to see a trade or two because clearly the club has a surplus of players and options.

One month until camp begins...

Is ESPN Killing the National Hockey League?

Negative Press: Is ESPN Killing the National Hockey League by Influencing Public Attitudes?

I'm presenting this here and now because Espn is doing the exact opposite and trying to set the fan agenda with a sport they do own the rights to, MLS soccer here.

Good set of articles back in July on Espn and how they only serve to promote the sports they own while doing all they can to ruin hockey because the league signed with versus here.

ESPN ombudsman Le Anne Schreiber here claims during the NHL's regular season, the only time hockey came up was when there was "some egregious brawl" or it was being "dissed" by some on-air talent. "It was dissed for its invisibility — because it's no longer on ESPN."

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Good reading. The soccer article specifically mentions in 2002 New York,
Spanish-language radio broadcasts of the New York Mets were already getting better ratings than the Devils and the Islanders, what it fails to mention is Msg controls the Islanders content and exposure and that's why the ratings are low.

Islander rating in 2002 was 0.31, Devils 0.18. Last season Islander ratings were around 0.12 for anyone wanting reference.

Espn plays it's games to influence the public, Dolan and Msg are infamous for it and now that they own the Islanders television rights they will never allow our club top billing over Msg teams because they hate competition so they pay to control it.

Of course what Dolan has not figured out is by limiting hockey, he limited his own teams exposure to a point they are irrelevant even in the playoffs with television ratings similar to the Islanders in 2002.

NYI PROSPECTS CONCLUDE EXCELLENT CAMPS

Isles website checks in with a final review of the clubs prospects challenging for spots on the 2008 U.S. National Junior Team that will compete at the 2008 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship Dec. 26, 2007-Jan. 5, 2008 in Pardubice and Liberec, Czech Republic here

Okposo and Rakhshani lead tournament in scoring; Rogers and Day excel at first camps

To say Islanders prospects Kyle Okposo, Rhett Rakhshani, Doug Rogers and Brian Day performed well at last week’s US National Team Evaluation Camp would be an understatement. Okposo and Rakhshani led the tournament with eight points apiece playing against Junior Finnish and Swedish teams. Rogers finished the tournament with a goal and three assists in four games, while Day chipped in with a goal and an assist, including a dramatic penalty shot goal on the final day.

“All four of our prospects had excellent camps,” said Assistant GM/Director of Amateur Scouting, Ryan Jankowski. “This experience should give them all confidence heading into the 2007-08 season.”

Final selections will be made in early December.

Viktor Kozlov talks Islanders

Viktor Kozlov speaks out on how Yashin was treated by the club and the Islanders direction this summer (among other things) in an article from sovsport.com that has been translated here.

But maybe Alexei Yashin is right that he came back to Lokomotiv?

I am absolutely sure that Yashin’s career will take off in the Superleague. I remember the way he was treated by the Islanders. I was present at all those scuffles myself. I saw how they treated him when he was playing through the pain with injured knees.

Did Yashin become a hostage of his mega-contract?

If he was making not seven, but three million dollars a year, no one would expect miracles from him. Moreover, Alexei still provided miracles, when his health permitted him! And everyone was happy with him. But as soon as Yashin got injured, he came under pressure: “Go out there and play.” But how is it possible if you can’t stand on your own two feet?

Why did the coach bench him in the playoffs?

Because he expected a lot of him, but didn’t give him a lot of minutes. Nevertheless, all blame was placed on Yashin, who was considered the star of the Islanders… it is sad to see what is happening to the Islanders. I don’t understand why they strengthened the team last year if all quality players were given away this off season. Nothing has been gained! Ryan Smyth came over via trade from Edmonton, but he was allowed to leave for Colorado this summer. They couldn't’t keep Blake, bought out Yashin’s contract, Poti and Hill left… But we were in the playoffs; there was bright future ahead of us.

So what happened? The players are running away from the Islanders?

A lot of players wanted to stay. Blake, for example, didn’t even think about changing teams. But how can it be done when a good contract is not offered? I was promised a small raise over the last contract [Kozlov was making $865,000 while he scored 25+26=51 points in 81 games]. But it did not correspond to my stats at all. In the end I left for Washington, the club offered me great terms [2 years, $5M]. I like that the team is young and hungry for success. I don’t want to make predictions, but I think that Washington will have a great season.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Too bad we never read anything from Kozlov in his only year with the club. Kozlov was in the room and around the team so he knows better than a fan with a blog like myself. I have to respect his comments and fair criticism of how his friend was treated by management and the club's direction this summer as he notes the players did not want to leave. All I can add is that no doubt years of expectations on Yashin likely played into some of the unfair treatment Yashin received and no doubt he was playing hurt.

I also tend to think that making the playoffs is not all this management wants to gain and that was behind a lot of players not being overpaid to stay.

Kumar not headed to White Castle.

For those who have not been following, former Islander co-owner Sanjay Kumar reports to prison Tuesday to begin serving a twelve year sentence according to Newsday.

The attachment order also included a $9 million settlement he made with former CA chairman and co-founder Charles Wang over their dissolved partnership in the New York Islanders hockey team and real estate investments.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
CA's board is still considering civil action against Charles Wang for stock money he was paid as chairman. Would be interesting to see if CA or Rechler wound up taking the hockey club if Wang had to give back his stock money but this is year's away if it were to happen and some at CA just want to move on.

Another former Islander owner in jail, he will be out before DiPietro's contract is up. Say what you want today but back in 2000 he stepped up and helped save this club from the Milstein nightmare.

Thrashers beatwriter talks about Sutton's departure

Atlanta Journal Consitution today gave their thoughts on the departure of Andy Sutton from the club.

I was waiting for this because the team a player is leaving usually gives the best perspective as to why the player was not retained. He does nothing here but tell us the Islanders seemed to overpay.

By now the Andy Sutton signing in New York is old news, but you have to give Sutts and his agent credit. Three years for $9 million is good money. Especially considering he was a second-pair defenseman once the Thrashers got Alexei Zhitnik. I know some fans were frustrated with Sutton, but he’s a big body who isn’t afraid to block shots. I think for the right price, he could have stayed in Atlanta, but not for $3 million per season. From my perspective, he was great to deal with, so I wish him the best in New York.

Islanders Pre-season Schedule Released.

NHL.comMonday released the entire pre-season schedule for all teams.

9/17:Atlanta vs. NY Islanders, at North Bay, Ont. (Memorial Gardens), 7 p.m.
9/18:Boston vs. NY Islanders, at St. John's, Nfld. (Mile One Stadium), 5:30 p.m.
9/19:Montreal vs. NY Islanders, at Moncton, N.B. (Moncton Coliseum), 6 p.m.
9/21:NY Islanders at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
9/24:NY Rangers at NY Islanders, 7 p.m.
9/26:NY Islanders vs. New Jersey, at Lowell, Mass. (Paul Tsongas Arena), 7 p.m.
9/28:NY Islanders at NY Rangers, 7 p.m.
9/29:New Jersey vs. NY Islanders at Bridgeport, Conn. (Arena at Harbor Yard), 7 p.m.
9/30:NY Islanders at Boston, 4 p.m.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
So much for the days of four games in five days and only five total pre-season games that really hurt any prospects chances beyond practice and scrimmage. Isles set themselves up for a lot of games and a lot more opportunity to give prospects a chance. Do not recall any Montreal or Atlanta pre-season games in the past.

Hey Garth, sign Markov and add him to Sutton..

It's possible Snow signed Sutton first.

I know that's highly unlikely now that Charles Wang just handed over three years and nine million dollars of his money to Andy Sutton but if you cannot sign franchise forwards, load up in other area's.

Between Witt, Sutton and Markov on the back line no one is going to push this club around in it's own end of the ice and all three will feed off one another which also becomes contagious with Hunter, Bergenheim, Fedotenko and Sim and others feeding off that which is Ted Nolan hockey at it's best.

A player like Dany Markov will always be worth something on the trade market for the same reasons teams want Sillinger and he brings championship level experience if it does not work out. This also allows the club to move Brendan Witt at the trade deadline if it's not in contention with a year left on his contract.

Is this realistic? Perhaps not. All the reports claim the Isles were signing Markov or Sutton and that's all. But Markov seems to be looking for top salary in Russia according to reports or overplayed his hand with Snow, but nothing is etched in stone here and if the Isles step up and meet his price it's likely he will sign here and the Isles will have a player who's considered a prime UFA defender.

Aaron Johnson played sixty one games for the Blue Jackets a year ago. Freddy Meyer has a friendly contract (pending UFA) and could turn out to be a good two-way defender as he was in Philadelphia as a rookie. The Matt Spiller's of the organization have some NHL experience as well so there are cheaper and less talented alternatives.

Markov will help the younger defenders improve quicker and provides depth if Radek Martinek again is injured in his final year before UFA. It does not replace Poti's puck moving ability but if you cannot load up on top forwards, load up on defenders who can run them over.

In my opinion Garth Snow should meet Markov's price and add him to Sutton, Witt.

Josef Vasicek vs Jason Allison

The other day I did a commentary on Forsberg signing with the Islanders based on his agents comment he's looking for one more big payday.

The rumor mill is bringing the names of Josef Vasicek and Jason Allison as the two players Garth Snow is targeting and could sign as early as today. I don't know too much about Vasicek beyond the numbers. Allison I do know a lot more about, hopefully folks will comment on both either here or on the message so I can learn a little more about both players.

Vasicek profile in the hockey forecaster.

C/LW
Josef Vasicek
Age: 26
Date of birth: Friday, September 12, 1980
Place of Birth: Havlickuv Brod, Czech. (now Czech Republic)
Country: CZE
HT: 6-5 WT: 214
Shoots/Catches: L
Salary:
NHL Seasons: 6
Drafted by Carolina in 1998 (4/91).

ASSETS: Has great size and athleticism. Is tough, intelligent and displays a strong work ethic. Plays a sound two-way game.
FLAWS: Needs to maximize his size and strength in the corners. Must continue to work on his coordination.
CAREER POTENTIAL: Third line forward.

Allison
profile in the hockey forecaster.

C
Jason Allison
Age: 32
Date of birth: Thursday, May 29, 1975
Place of Birth: North York, Ont., Canada
Country: CAN
HT: 6-3 WT: 215
Shoots/Catches: R
NHL Seasons: 11
Drafted by Washington in 1993 (1/17).

ASSETS: Has tremendous offensive instincts. Is at his best when setting up his wingers. Owns good face-off skills, and plays with an abundance of patience.
FLAWS: Has always been a below-average skater. Could stand to shoot more and play a little more selfishly. May never be the player he was pre-migraine issues.
CAREER POTENTIAL: Second line center.


NYI Fan Central Comments:
Not a great choice either way but I'm looking at this as Vasicek or Allison because that's where the club could be right now. It may not turn out this way but I'm going by the rumor mill.

Vasicek:
For a team looking at proven scoring Vasicek's best years were with his first stint in Carolina, he was traded back there last season and still did not produce even though he was injured. His career numbers do not point to any sign of a breakout season even though he has some potential to do so. I see his signing more about Bates time ending here and cannot see him on the club's top two lines. How many players who have not had produced consistently can we count on between Fedotenko, Sim, Park, Hilbert, Bates and the prospects to step up. Is Bates even able to play after his chronic groin problems because he never made it back despite rumors he was close to returning playoff time?

Logic says most of these players will post their career avg numbers and that leaves the Islanders very short in the scoring dept, even if Comrie, Guerin, Satan produce.

Allison:
We all know he missed an entire season and was a very slow player before that and he's not kid. He has to prove to Snow-Nolan that he's ready to play, produce and stay healthy and be at least a second line center. It's asking a lot but he has done that and more in the past and has the talent to improve the club if all things fall into place. He's also very good on the pp which this team has been in the middle or lower of the pack with for a long time.

Were not talking done like dinner players like Lindros, Roenick or Mogilny and no doubt Allison's going to want to get paid based on his past productions.

Conclusion: I'm going to take the easy way out and ask why not sign both? If Vasicek produces that only helps more and if Allison does not produce he can play on a lower line. You can bet Guerin, Comrie, Sillinger and Satan want another veteran.

HOTSHOT ROOKIES...ICE COLD RESEARCH.

Sloppy work here by the Hockey Forecaster on this feature posted on August 10th. How can they include Bergenheim, but not Tambellini, Frans Nielsen, who saw significant stretches with the club last year?

To say nothing about, Blake Comeau, Petteri Nokelainen or Jeremy Colliton?

Anyway here is their article.

More often than not, NHL clubs introduce at least one rookie into their lineup every year. And a pretty decent crop, led by a few sure-fire freshmen, is next in line this season. We take an team-by-team look at which of these players may have cracked their respective squads' lineups by the end of September...

ISLANDERS
Sean Bergenheim has 46 NHL games under his belt so he's not Calder eligible, but by no means is he a veteran. Playing last season in Russia and Sweden because of a contract dispute, the talented winger is signed now and will have every opportunity to fill a top-six role with the club.

NYI Fan Central Off to a Great Start

Over a thousand views in a few short weeks.

My thanks to everyone for visiting as this has been a very active blog with several topics and seems to be getting great response. Please feel free to respond in the comments sections and post your own Islander Hockey related topics on our message board which I would love to see grow into a core group of die-hard Islander fans who love quality hockey discussion.

Meanwhile, I'll do my best to post tons of undates and articles. Even on days I'm busy our new article sections have been set up to provide automatic updates from the club's website and several news sources so please view the entire site so you don't miss anything..

I have added several ways to access updates for folks visiting and will continue to keep adding things to make this one of the best Islander blogs in cyberspace.

SUTTON: "TIME TO START COMPETING FOR THE CUP"

Andy Sutton's comments on joining the Islanders were posted atNYI.com

SI had an article on Sutton's value here.

“The Islanders are obviously a great organization,” said Sutton on Saturday in a phone conversation. “I’ve turned the corner and it’s time to start competing for the Stanley Cup. There have been some great acquisitions by the Islanders this summer to go along with a first-class coaching staff and management.”

“You can expect me to play my hardest every night,” said Sutton. “I always sacrifice my body for the good of the team and will do everything in my power to keep the puck out of our net.”

“It’s always good to have people that you know when you come to a new team,” said Sutton. “But all the guys in this league are very welcoming and willing to embrace the new players. When you walk into a new locker room it’s like 20 new friends, instantly. The NHL is a very tight-knit group.”

“I’ve been told Ted is a players’ coach who gets the most out of his players,” said Sutton. “I’ve heard he’s firm but fair and appreciates hard work, grit and determination. Those are all the main ingredients of a winning team.”

“Coming to Long Island is an exciting new opportunity,” said Sutton. “The Islanders are an established team. This is a great chance to be a part of a winning team.”

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Sounds nice, reads well, but this is not a very mobile player. He's injury prone and we signed him for three years at age thirty two and was swept in his only playoff series in an eight year career. His minutes were reduced to around eleven per game with Zhitnik's trade from Philadelpha to Atlanta.

That's why you pay Markov's price if it came down to money.

Ok, enough criticism, he's also been praised by a lot of NHL writers for his shot blocking, physical and improved defensive play.

Greg Logan's Newsday Blog Updated

Greg Logan updated his blog with basically a state of the Islanders
here and a review of the summer that's a must read and goes into several subjects as well as who the Islanders tried to sign.

Logan also looks ahead to what the Islanders may still do in free agency. Curiously, he reports the Islanders offered Drury more money but fails to note the front-loaded contract he received and the sixth year was only four million?

Sorry folks, Logan's blog is not available in Rss Feeds from Newsday, only the team articles on the main page which we have.

With Sutton on board, Snow should move fairly quickly in the next week toward adding a center with some offensive ability. Last year, Snow took a chance on a one-year deal at a bargain price for Kozlov, and Carolina free agent Joself Vasicek, who only has shown flashes of his offensive potential, might fit that same mold. Veteran Jason Allison also has been checked out by Snow and his staff, but he has played only one of the past four seasons thanks to injuries, the lockout and a messy divorce that sidelined him last year.

Islander notables for Sunday

NHL.com checks in with a feature that says Justin Bourne was given an invite to Islanders camp next month in Moncton, New Brunswick.

“Just the prospect camp was cool, just looking down at the logo,” the younger Bourne said. “This summer, I’ve just committed myself to making sure I give myself the best opportunity. I don’t want to cheat myself. My work ethic has to be huge. I’m in the gym every day I can be.”

New Islander assistant coach Gerard Gallant had a comment on Doug McLean's new ownership group in Tampa.

Will look to add more to this thread as Sunday progresses unless a major Islander news event happens.

Bridgeport Sound Tiger Notables..

Michael Fornabaio in his Sound Tigers blog reports Bridgeport has scheduled an extra exhibition game at Lowell the same day the Isles play at Bridgeport vs Devils.Matt Koalska has signed with Bolzano in Italy here.

I highly suggest anyone who is an Islander or Sound Tiger fan follow Mr Fornabaio's blog because he reports many things well in advance of both clubs and is very knowledgable and a good read.

Nassau Coliseum overhaul is far off

Newsday did an update on the new baseball stadium's being constructed and updated the Islanders situation today.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
The Old Gulotta, D'Amato, Certilman regime still has it's hard-liners in the town of Hempstead and in Nassau County government, to say nothing of those who have a vested personal interest in Smg who manages the Coliseum will never approve anything, they see that land as money for their interest and perfer it sit empty than allow development.

These people want the Coliseum gone and the Islanders out because they see that property for what makes them money, that's why even with Wang-Rechler paying they want no part of it because they gain nothing. Many have called it the most corrupt government in the country, I don't know about that but I do know Smg takes everything from the Coliseum and even a portion of the Islanders gate receipts thanks to Nassau County who gave them this lease.

The politicians have no pride in the hockey team or any pro team in Nassau and will not do a thing for Wang-Rechler as the city has done for the baseball teams as this has been discussed since the early nineties.

Judy Jacobs will surface occasionally and provide nothing more than lip-service for the project and the Islander fan vote. Suozzi has not talked about it in a long time, except to force Wang-Rechler to put in a minor-league baseball stadium.

These are the people who should be pushing hard to get this project approved so
Wang-Rechler can begin Coliseum renovations. 2012? Coliseum and Smg lease expire in 2014.

300m for the Coliseum renovation. Why not just start from scratch?