Spots Open On 2011-12 New York Islanders? Few/None

New York Islander Fan Central | 8/22/2011 10:05:00 AM |


Very easy to speculate on job openings, however reality is until opening night, perhaps beyond, some spots will not be certain.

Having written that many spots on the 2011-12 New York Islanders are locked up barring injury.


1. For certain barring injury, Moulson, Tavares, Okposo/Grabner, Nielsen, Parenteau and Comeau, Rolston, Reasoner, Gillies, Haley will make up the forwards.

Yes, the clock is ticking a bit louder on Josh Bailey.

Of course, Snow should continue his plan with Tavares/Nielsen both RFA/UFA next summer and Bailey a core member of his plan if a contract can be done.

I do not see Strome in that mix this year.

Matt Martin would need a terrible camp to lose his spot, however with Moulson, Grabner and Comeau all left wings he has an uphill fight to move to a higher line.

It may be time to ask, if Martin's better served being a top line forward in the AHL because this player needs opportunities to produce more?

Someone needs to bring up if Grabner has his usual slow start here also?

Nino Niederreiter was almost a year younger than Tavares when he was selected, to win a spot now is asking him to make the same breakthrough first overall pick Tavares did as a lower round pick.

Rhett Rakhshani is one of this teams best prospects in years and is a right winger, he may be better suited for NHL spot over Niederreiter in 2011-12, who again is Portland or New York, not Bridgeport.

Never underestimate any of the AHL players signed, or even a prospect (Kabanov) we saw this formula with Parenteau, Moulson.

On defense it's Streit, MacDonald, Hamonic, Mottau, Eaton, Jurcina, Wishart, with deHaan, Katic, Donovan, Ness/others in that mix.

Of course trades/waivers/signings are possible, the injuries are always something that have to be taken into consideration, especially here.

Someone's going to need to explain why Kyle Okposo cannot play next to Moulson/Tavares next season from day one?