Streit Out Indefinitely...Tryout Agreements For Several Players

New York Islander Fan Central | 9/26/2010 05:59:00 PM |


Islanders website: Report Islander defender Mark Streit is out indefinitely with a shoulder injury.

Tsn.ca: Reports Cablevision owned Newsday is reporting " via sources ", that the All-Star defenceman will be out six months with a torn labrum and torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder, the Islanders told TSN that Streit is out indefinitely until he can see a specialist.

Islanders website: Also announced Dean McAmmond, Manny Legace, Anders Eriksson, Krys Kolanos and Joel Martin have all accepted invitations to Training Camp on Professional Tryouts.

NYIFC Comments:
Obviously the worst case scenario for Streit, to speculate how long would be pointless now because the source game writers do that as quickly as they did for Pat Burns. He may never return the same player at his age, and a loss for the entire NHL to lose a player of his ability regardless of club.

With three opportunities to play the opening night lineup together over the five games, these PTO agreements may have been in the works with split-squad games, or this is an opportunity to replace some of the players in these games who were out with general soreness, or Okposo who also has a shoulder issue.

The fact only three goaltenders dressed for a team scrimmage, with no Lawson, Poulin or that Roloson did not finish Saturday's game where he was scheduled to go the entire game, and DiPietro working his way back may have necessitated these moves in goal.

Four goaltenders must dress for those split squad games plus there is Bridgeport's camp which is opening.

Kolanos, McAmmond indicate there could be concern over Doug Weight/Frans Nielsen or the club sees this as an AHL alternative or they don't want to rush Ullstrom into a checking center role. Legace could be an option for a goalie who did not dress Saturday. Ericksson could be temporary depth but hardly a replacement for Streit, with deHaan, Hamonic, Katic, Reese, Kohn all waiting for an opportunity, that even can include DeHart and signed Anton Klementyev.

This also means Garth Snow will likely be working the phones with several clubs needing to drop salary. I would not want Souray/Bergeron or any of these short term failures to replace Streit, MacDonald, Hillen, deHaan, Hamonic are far better alternatives.

Souray had four goals, played thirty seven games and was deep in red for an injured Oilers club, he cleared waivers for obvious reasons, and the Oilers did not even allow him in their camp. Unless Taylor Hall is coming with Souray, Andrew MacDonald was doing quite well over twenty five minutes last season to step into this spot.

This calls for some patience from the general manager and is a test of his ability to find the right fit and somewhat offset the loss, not make a panic move and add a player with more downside that complicates the situation.

Bottom line we have to see how this plays out, but the loss of Mark Streit for any length of time is devastating. PTO does not mean anyone is signed, it could be to buy players time, but this does not help a team fine tune to open a season, it turns an already limited exhibition schedule into surviving games.

Can you imagine if Cablevision owned Newsday contradicted a release regarding one of the teams they own? It's so bad the Islanders actually had to contact TSN to issue what are being called conflicting reports.

Someone needs to give me some help on this, Buffalo's 12th overall selection in the 2008 draft was defenseman, Tyler Myers. New York's 12th overall selection in the 2009 draft was Calvin deHaan.

Folks want to say his injury sets him back, fair enough. Seems if Myers can make the jump, no reason deHaan cannot if he is anywhere near the fluid-skater he was a year ago in camp after time off.

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