As expected, Blake Comeau filed for arbitration. Not necessarily a bad thing, most of those negotiations do not make the arbitrators table.....rarely do teams walk away from an award. The comparative for a twenty goal player can get expensive depending on how an arbitrator rules.
If a player does have a hearing, the only recourse the team has is to reject the award, meaning the player becomes an UFA. There is no lose an arbitration hearing, then trade the player option.
There could be a one year contract, or a long term contract announced before. What's certain is filing means another team cannot sign him to an offer sheet.
The larger potential problem may be Josh Bailey. Bailey and his agent likely want the same commitment/perhaps not back-loaded, that Kyle Okposo received after getting hurt, and struggling most of last season.
Bailey/agent have a good argument not to be thrilled with being moved from center to wing and back. Butch Goring noted this several times last year before Schremp was traded, and after he was recalled from Bridgeport.
As for the rest of the Islanders RFA players, we'll see who accepted their qualifying offers vs who did not.
An article was posted on twitter from Wishart yesterday at a charity event, that he was very happy to be qualified.
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Mark Streit, Milan Jurcina, Mark Eaton, Mike Mottau.
This team cannot afford another veteran signing along the lines of the later three, which includes Kaberle to Carolina or whatever happens to McCabe.
Not unless one of the those three are traded.
Best move here is patience, if the market remains the same, you go into the season with the back-line you have.
I will be shocked if Martinek is an UFA much longer, unless his WC injury has other teams/Islanders concerned.
Updated:
Radek Martinek has signed a one year contract with Columbus.
NYIFC Comments:
Congratulations and the best of luck to Radek Martinek, he will be greatly missed.
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PA Parenteau is not a first line right wing? Ok fair enough.
Explain why Kyle Okposo will not be the first line right wing, as he likely would have been from day one a year ago if he was not hurt? He was used there for the bulk of his NHL career.
There is also Niederreiter, as a natural right wing.
No law Parenteau cannot slide down next to Nielsen as his right wing.
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Keith Yandle got an excellent deal for the NHL/himself and the Coyotes, easily the most sensible long-term contract this summer.
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Regarding Trevor Frischmon, I'm having a hard time seeing how this signing helps, however management has singled out some players that fit this organization. On paper it does not seem to add up for New York or Bridgeport.
Andy Hilbert (failed as that turned out) with Jon Sim presented viable veteran scoring options for Bridgeport last summer.
I have to give management the benefit of the doubt on this one for now.
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All I'm going to write about Zenon Konopka (beyond wishing him the best of luck with Ottawa) is anyone who writes whether he was good in the lockeroom or not, has to be in the room daily to make such a statement.
That goes for every single NHL player.
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Very sad day to see Nate Lawson leave, the three goalie system makes thing very rough but with so many goaltenders injured, there is little alternative. He is expected to start for his new AHL team.
Lawson, Koskinen, Montoya, DiPietro, Nabokov, Poulin all were injured at points of last season or had spring/summer surgery.
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Vacation is coming here, with a return to the twitter box format.
New York Islander Fan Central Twitter Page New York Islander Fan Central RSS/not Twitter.
CONTACT:NYIFANCENTRAL@YAHOO.COM