New York Roster Breakdown Entering UFA

Free Agency opens at noon 7/1 Est.

How many real job openings are here for Garth Snow to target free agents/trades?

For this entries purposes anyone entering UFA is not coming back. 

Final Words On Islanders Likely Departing UFA

Virtually nothing out there on Islanders soon to be likely departing unrestricted free agents, so why not a few words/thanks, best of luck for them moving forward in the hope their NHL careers continue in some cases.

Qualified RFA Tomas Marcinko May Play In Europe

sport.aktuality.sk Has a full interview with qualified Islander free agent, Tomas Marcinko, who has decided to remain in Europe, but at this time has not signed with any team.

NYIFC Comments:
I'm using the term " may " because last summer Marcinko signed a two-way contract that included a European assignment clause, despite being placed on NHL waivers after being cut in camp, he still reported and played for Bridgeport.

Bottom line Marcinko is not obligated to report to the Islanders unless he accepts his qualifying offer by 7/15 which would give him a contract. If wishes to file for arbitration the deadline for that is July 5th.

If he does not accept his offer the Isles retain his rights.

  Tomas Marcinko: "I'll go to Europe!"

Today | 13:25 BRATISLAVA - Last season, when carried forward Tomas Marcinko in waiting for an invitation to first-team New York Islanders. The farm at Bridgeport Sound Tigers is played four years, but despite not look into the NHL.

  Keeping New York Islanders, they offered a qualifying contract. He waited on the side of such a move?
- Basically we are together in contact through my agent and I knew what was about to do. But even if not definitive.

You're determined to take their proposal, if you wait for arbitration?
- At the moment, so I decided to remain in Europe and just wait as the situation develops regarding my future..

Can you be more specific?
- This case is currently in the hands of my agent, so I hope that soon I'll know where I'll work on next season.

Do you have any offers on the table from European clubs or overseas?
- In Europe, also found, but in terms of overseas and less. Nonetheless, the right to include me Islanders, so there's just I can deal with them.

Since you plan to stay in Europe, do you think is the right decision?
- So I decided, so I hope that later I can say that was correct. But if I do not even someone with a signed contract, and can become anything more.

New York's Plan For Free Agency on 7/1/12

On Thursday, the New York Islander prospects played a game on ITV at Iceworks.

It's almost fair to ask are the players developing here a better choice than who will make up a very weak UFA market again that opens at noon on Sunday?

But let's take an outsiders look at how the New York Islanders likely will operate when the market opens.

2008 NYIFC Exclusive E-Mail Exchange With John Rolfe of SI.com

SI.com: New York Islander Fan Central exchanged several e-mails with John Rolfe in July 2008 where we discussed the club's coverage at this publication.

 The Islander Follies gallery, by the way, was the idea of a fellow Isles fan in our photo department who has known only the struggle and the handful of modest successes like the recent playoff appearances.

 From time to time, our writers have looked at other franchises -- Jim Kelley frequently takes the Maple Leafs to task for their incompetence and Al Muir has gotten after the Blackhawks and Bruins, although not to the extent of putting a photo gallery together.

         -John Rolfe SI.com July 2008

NYIFC Comments:
SI.com had their unknown person in their photo department update their page for the first time since 2008, so I re-released my blog entry so you understand what's behind this according to John Rolfe of SI.com

Given that SI.com is not budgeted for exclusive full-time New York Islander coverage and operates at the John Spano level in terms of New York Islander spending, this is all they can apparently afford in 2012.

More like SI.com follies. 

Brent Thompson Named Assistant/Notables

 Islanders website: announced today that Brent Thompson has officially been named an assistant coach.

 “Brent did a great job in Bridgeport last year molding our young prospects into a division-winning team,” said Islanders General Manager Garth Snow. “With his coaching experience and defensive expertise, we’re excited for him to join our coaching staff.” 

Thompson did an ITV interview.

 Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio reports Bridgeport is also losing Matt Bertani to the Islanders, he will be the team’s new video coach, and that Eric Boguniecki is expected back. 

NYIFC Comments:
You can go in ten different directions with this because many organizations keep assistant coaches through several coaching changes, while others do not.

Is this another potential successor for Jack Capuano if the club does not start well, should he have had the right to pick his own head coaches as many NHL organizations do permit, even thought his experience since 2005 has only been with this organization?

Capuano was sent down to Bridgeport after Steve Stirling's dismissal.  

Bottom line does a rookie AHL coach in 29th place at the end of the calendar year 2011, that takes a team to fifteen games over five hundered/first place deserve a promotion or do you want him teaching prospects in what will largely be a different Bridgeport team?

Is this coach who was a successful ECHL hire a year ago ready to be an NHL assistant? 

Despite what happens with the NHL CBA, Bridgeport will need a head coach at some future point.

Unless something changes the Islanders bench will carry one less assistant, but three assistants in many cases were one extra.

On a related note, former assistant, Dean Chynoweth has been named head coach of the Lake Erie Monsters an affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche AHL.com

NYIFC Comments:  
Thrilled for Dean Chynoweth, now let's see if Scott Allen can land a head coaching job. 
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Griffin Reinhart did his first interview since draft night.

NYIFC Comments:
Outside of the ITV interview draft night beyond Tsn entertainment interview, we never got to see him get a formal interview on stage during the draft.
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Tsn.ca: Report Blake Comeau (not qualified) was resigned by the Flames which was no surprise given management's comments they wanted him back.

New York Mini Camp Roster Announced

Islanders website: Released their official mini-camp roster with profiles/background.

Invited Forwards:
Adam Berkle, Andrew Calof, Remy Giftopoulos, Dmitri Goldenkov, Josh Holmstrom, Beau Lardner, Max MacKay, Johnny McGuire, Michael Pereira, Hiromichi Terao, KJ Tiefenworth.

Jason Clark, Mitchell Theoret are the unsigned drafted prospects participating.

Invited Defenseman: 
Sean Escobedo, Patrick MacGregor, Joe Marciano, Bennett Schneider, Oleg Yevenko.

Andrey Pedan, Robbie Russo, Scott Mayfield, Brenden Kichton are the unsigned drafted prospects participating.

Invited Goaltenders:
Kevin Boyle, Ken Reiter, Alex Vazzano.
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All seven defenders drafted on Saturday are in camp.
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* NCAA players may attend NHL summer development camps, or prospect camps, but must pay their own way (transportation, lodging, food, etc for those wondering about Anders Lee, who attended last year's camp.

New York Blue-White Game On ITV

Islanders website: Report 6/28/12 Blue-White game at Iceworks is a sellout and will be on ITV.

ITV broadcast will be a live stream on NewYorkIslanders.com beginning with warm-ups at 6 p.m. for a 6:30 puck drop.

Blue team members include Kirill Kabanov, Scott Mayfield, Brock Nelson, Griffin Reinhart, Ryan Strome and Johan Sundstrom, while some of the top prospects suiting up in white jerseys this year are Casey Cizikas, Nino Niederreiter, John Persson, Mike Halmo and Ville Pokka.

NYIFC Comments:
It should be noted many of the prospects from Bridgeport (Ness, Donovan, Ullstrom, Persson) are part of this camp also. Isles did a terrible job advertising a prospect camp for 2011-12, even if possible CBA issues forced some changes, many teams announced their camp. 

The Nassau Coliseum is not available this week for those wondering why Thursday's game was not scheduled there.

The mystery for me would be who's playing goal in the Blue-White game (or any on-ice workouts) unless Nilsson, Koskinen flew in from Europe with the later highly unlikely because he only has a qualifying offer, and played for a team in Finland last season after leaving Bridgeport?

Kevin Poulin was at the draft party, he is shown participating in workouts.

Cody Rosen played one game for Clarkson last season.

To my knowledge veteran NHL players are not permitted to participate in prospect camps.

Likely the Isles are bringing in some walk on tryout goaltenders.

New York Qualifies Eight Players

Islanders website reported the team has tendered qualifying offers to Sean Backman, Justin DiBenedetto, Mark Katic, Mikko Koskinen, Tomas Marcinko, Matt Martin, Rhett Rakhshani and Ty Wishart.

NYIFC Comments:
The Islanders retain NHL rights to all qualified players who signed with teams in Europe for 2012-13. 


About what I expected, a team selects no forward prospects at the draft, the future forward depth must be retained along with Wishart, who is capable of playing in the NHL.

Based upon this Yuri Alexandrov, Sean Backman, Tyler McNeely, Yannick Riendeau,, Tony Romano were not qualified, this does not mean the Islanders cannot revisit signing these players at some future date, simply they were not give a raise.

Alexandrov is an NHL-level player from dead line trades with Boston playing in the KHL, it's likely he was not qualified but perhaps not included in today's update.

Calgary Herald reports Blake Comeau was not qualified by the Flames.
Nashville Tennessean reports former Islander, Jack Hillen, who play the entire season for the Predators was not qualified.

Petteri Nokelainen was also not qualified. 

6/28 Qualifying Offers Deadline 5pm...EVEN MORE VISNOVSKY

Not much to write about this beyond sidebar link with the Qualifying Offer Rules Per CBA to explain where things go if a player is qualified..

The Deadline is 5pm on Monday.

This applies only to the Group II free agents, who can all be qualified, even those who signed in Europe so the Islanders retain NHL rights, which is how Jeremy Colliton came back to the team along with Jesse Joensuu. 

With Mark Katic signed in Germany a group II player it could mean Ty Wishart receives an offer, both Katic/Wishart can both be qualified. 

Isles put a lot of time/expense/top picks into Mikko Koskinen, who found playing time in Europe but was still the first goaltender selected in his draft class.
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Four more articles from Visnovsky, including the primary paper that interviewed him Saturday, a mixed bag of information that's far from a lock he's coming, and likely playing his last NHL season.


I translated the links on Sulia and went right to most the important items, these were again all direct quotes and included the links for everyone.

Mentioned Jurcina, perhaps calling Satan, still has to decide on KHL, will not come until later in summer for place to live.
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Some minor blog changes:
Islanders website/ITV/Transactions/Social media picture links moved to toolbar.
Improved news readers for faster page loading.

Sunday Visnovsky Update

Some items I now have to add to my 6/23 entry on Lubomir Visnovsky:

The interview on the Slovak site  Hokejportal.net. was not before Visnovsky was traded.

Other sites in Slovakia/Europe also referenced this article. I included all three sites that reported on this to be as clear as possible for my readers, only using Visnovsky's direct quotes. 

There is no doubt Visnovsky received his offer from the KHL, and had discussions with Slovakia while he was still a member of the Anaheim Ducks at some earlier point before he was traded. 

Having written that all the articles I translated and referenced on Saturday, were printed in those papers on June 23rd, with specific questions he responded to about the New York Islanders after he was traded.

He is directly quoted about how he learned of the trade, to discussing whether he would play here, and considering his KHL offer. Visnovsky's quoted comments say the Islanders would likely be disappointed if he decided his accept an offer to play in the KHL, but he has to make his decision, as was asked about the percentages of what he would decide to do. 

Matt Moulson's post-trade comments from the Islander website about Visnovski were included in those articles.

Visnovski also made very clear he was not disappointed to learn of being traded to New York. 

Bottom line Visnovsky can say what he wishes today. James Dolan's Ranger centric beatwriter can finally pick up a telephone, and do a twitter update, however Visnovsky absolutely said these things after he was traded to the New York Islanders. 

As anyone who regularly follows New York Islander Fan Central know, this blog does not play source card on anything, my entries concerning information like this only uses direct quotes.

Visnovsky was directly quoted after the trade, this is why a blog entry was written here for others to read/reference.

Regarding his Sunday comments if  it's Visnovsky's first choice to really come to the Isles (of course I hope it is) he does not need a second choice or to consider any KHL offer as he said on 6/23, he should have told Staple he is coming to camp with the Islanders which ends all discussion.......Staple's work was lazy and obviously never referenced his post trade comments or pushed harder on these points.

Of course if Visnovsky's ultimate choice to play in the KHL (or play at home in Slovakia if a lockout) I wish him the best of luck.