On 1/9 Jack Combs and Chad Costello, former teammates were reunited in separate signings for the remainder of the 2012-13 season with Bridgeport. Combs came in on a tryout earlier.
Jack Combs was traded in the AHL on Thursday to San Antonio for future considerations, leaving Bridgeport likely a forward short for a very important three game weekend with John Persson still hurting, and Kirill Kabanov in and out of the lineup frequently.
AHL trades of players signed for a full season traded like this for future considerations at this stage of the schedule is unusual.
Both are now gone, with ECHL league leading scorer Costello, being very critical of how he was used. Articles were posted (via twitter) with Scott Pellerin's Ct Post response.
Bottom line here a team that has had allowed this many goals, that has struggled at franchise record levels to score one goal on the powerplay, with two seven game losing streaks, now with an ECHL player asking out, and another being given away shorting your roster reflects very poorly on, Scott Pellerin, who has had the benefit of very few NHL call-ups taking his depth.
This did not happen in the Dan Marshall era at Bridgeport, along with some other very poor seasons.
It's the kind of thing that can take a team getting some marginal traction defensively, with a modest streak going, and sink it for good.
The New York Islanders do not have an official ECHL affiliate.
How Does This Play Out?
I'm not really sure given the new CBA. Jason Clark can be recalled from the ECHL but has not played for close to a month, and struggled statistically here.
Max McKay can be returned from his loan to Wheeling.
Perhaps someone signs an ATO from the college free agent ranks?
The new CBA seems to allow the chance of a player who was qualified by the Islanders (Justin DiBenedetto, Rhett Rakhshani IE) to sign upon conclusion of their respective season in Europe, but these were players who turned down staying in Bridgeport despite the qualifying offer.
Mitchell Theoret was traded to Barrie, his team's regular season concludes on 3/16, but they are division champions. He must be signed by 6/1 by New York or his rights are forfeit so the answer will not be an ATO as we have seen with past Islander prospects.
All I do know is there is no hiding from the limited depth at the forward position or the points behind in the standings.