Islanders website: Announced the 2008-09 roster that will begin the season in New York which will include Josh Bailey at the start.
Sillinger, Campoli, Sutton start on injured reserve.
If you had Skinner on your list to stay for now, you win the poll. MacDonald wins the backup spot to start. Welcome to the NHL Jack Hillen for now.
Chris Lee was cleared to fly back to New York this morning after staying overnight at Broward General Hospital where he underwent a series of tests which turned out negative.
NYI Fan Central Comments:
Great news on Lee, biggest shock today was the club actually put the word New York into a release. No enforcer kept as expected, Islanders are going to give Bailey more of a look for now instead of Jeremy Colliton who frankly is the biggest loser of the day.
It will be interesting to see where Scott Gordon slots Bailey who said he has to stick in the top three lines.
When Sillinger is ready to play a choice has to be made. I would guess Skinner inherits the Aaron Johnson watch and wait role from early last season, I'm not sure who joins that list up front but it's going to be very interesting.
Looks like everyone is doing that poll we did last summer trying to fit the four left wingers into a spot because no one knows who starts on the fourth line.
A lot of depth where someone who belongs in a top three forward line slotted on your fourth line, that's a good problem to have folks and one they have not had in a long time and for a roster injury prone it's necessary.
Newsday: Greg Logan's blog update has Josh Bailey's comments about staying with the club for a little longer to start the season with the Newsday beatwriter also releasing the final roster here.
NYI Fan Central Comments:
Let me get this straight, according to Greg Logan who was not in Florida or wrote a word on the Panther game about how Josh Bailey played is asking some fair questions about whether he stays but on the other hand wrote Nikita Filatov looks look like an NHL player right now because he scored a goal on Sunday?
Did Johnette Howard help Greg Logan write that because Filatov played his first game Thursday after missing all of camp with a leg injury and had only one shot against Buffalo in that one. But Filatov looks NHL ready right now based on two preseason games while Bailey might be best served to go back down to Windsor?
Perhaps so but not by Greg Logan's logic here.
Time to get those conspiracy theories going to get folks jumping all over management.
For those wondering Filatov is more than a fair bet to go down when Columbus announces it's roster if the paperwork can be done here according to Bob McKenzie of Tsn today for those following at home.
Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio has the Bridgeport practices lines and the Islander roster cuts.