NHL.com: Brian Compton's in depth interview with Doug Weight, pulled no punches on his resigning, the prospects, the teams lack of media respect at times, and goaltender Rick DiPietro among several subjects.
NYIFC Comments:
One local paper owned by another NHL team used the work "weak" in describing the Islander offense, but did not use the exact same term to describe the team owned by the paper or the Devils despite all three locak teams scoring 222 goals last season.
The Comcast Flyers, packed with front-loaded contracts scored fourteen more goals than the 250 man games lost by New York last season.
The respect factor in some cases has nothing to do with the New York Islanders, but respecting the fans intelligence to not see through this selective reporting.
Brian Compton of NHL.com also noted this indirection.
Having written that no one cares or wants to write about how many man games to injury a team losses.
I'm guilty of pushing that point here often because so few media have reported it.
Edmonton had same problem last season, while Colorado lost second most games to injury here but qualified for 2010 playoffs.
After a while writing about all those one goal losses (via special teams games NY lost to Philadelphia) Weight is correct that if you want respect you have to win.
Weight also said in January, (paraphrasing) you have to have players who can finish the hard work when describing the Islanders offensive struggles. That obviously has not been answered to this point on paper about the 21st ranked offense in the NHL.
Mildly interesting Weight mentioned it was tough to make contact with Rick DiPietro, but in the end he will practice/play and that will give us our answer if to if he can hold up.
Mikko Koskinen, Kevin Poulin, Nate Lawson, and likely Anders Nilsson future contract offer depends on it.
As for Weight himself can he take a lesser role, or a seat in the stands if Andrew MacDonald or another defender is the better second pp point option? It's one thing to play hurt, but for his minutes he must produce in whatever role his is given or he was not the right signing if he cannot take a seat for a player who brings more to a specific game.
The Post Dan Martin (part time Islander beatwriter) was assigned to do some fluff on Henrik Lundvist for print edition, while Weight got a brief blog entry from Martin's editor.
The New York Islanders regardless of record will have the worst newspaper coverage out of all thirty teams.
In the end as I have written more and more, Islander fans are going to have to see through reporting standards or lack of them in many cases. Out of town NHL media or National outlets like TSN are also influenced by what they read when they do write/discuss a specific club due to their own lack of knowledge.
I suggest watch the games and make up your own minds based on how the team plays, what players/management are quoted as saying.
For myself, any one of the fifteen clubs in the East can finish first based on a year ago. All have some on-paper weaknesses at this time. No reason if the Islanders last year could compete with top teams in the East & West they cannot compete now.
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James Wisniewski is in Detroit with David Booth and some Red Wings practicing, no local reports on players skating, despite usually many players/prospects at Ice Works.
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Kovalchuk decision due Wednesday again by 5pm, I suspect another rejection means another NHLPA filing and arbitration hearing.
Updated-Now extended mutually per NHL/PA until Friday.
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The Lee Stempniak/Raffi Torres signings still leaves some players available along with many forwards from the 2008-09 Islanders. I see some invites coming for camp but that will not necessarily mean a player will be signed.
With so few preseason games including split-squad, spots will most likely be decided at practices because veterans have to participate in games.
I will keep writing this roster will likely go right to the opener as teams up against the cap will have to make trades and let players go.
Will a Niederreiter, Kabanov, Petrov make the club/sign? We have a long way to go before those questions are answered.
All I will maintain is my guess Garth Snow will have a trade before the opener. Can only have x number of one-way contracts.
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