New York Notables

New York Islander Fan Central | 10/30/2013 05:28:00 AM | | | | | |
When the National Hockey League (not Tsn/Espn personalities) make a trade call that the New York Islanders have options with regard to the first round pick in the Vanek trade there is something to write about here. 

This is one trade call, dozens are made at the deadline so it should not be a very tough job to release all details if that's the case. When the Devils were penalized by the NHL for the Kovalchuk contract,  it was made very clear by the league the team would have a choice of when they forfeit their first rounder.  


New Jersey Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello told reporters Monday that the organization has decided to retain its first-round pick for the 2013 NHL Draft, which the Devils are hosting, on June 30.

The Devils forfeited a 2011 third-round pick, and also were told they needed to forfeit a first-rounder at some point over the next four years following the penalty.


So What's The Worst That Can Happen For New York?

New York Islander Fan Central | 10/29/2013 05:22:00 AM | | |
The odds of  Thomas Vanek resigning here are very long, he declined to be the one of highest paid players in the league to resign with Buffalo to be part of a youth movement.

Vanek's going to have to wait for Donovan, Ness, deHaan, Reinhart, Pullock to develop, along with the rest of Garth Snow's long list of prospects.

Let's also look at the history of these signings (now limited to eight years) how many of them end with a winning team/Stanley Cup long-term vs the Brad Richards, Elias, Yashin, Kovalchuk, Bryzgalov, Wisniewski, Jeff Carter/Mike Richards, Robert Luongo, Dany Heatley, Chris Drury, Wade Redden contracts?

DiPietro was not front-loaded, but he absolutely goes on that list. 

Snow Speaks To Media On Vanek Trade

New York Islander Fan Central | 10/28/2013 11:06:00 AM | | | | |
 

Updated 12:50: Video of Snow's press conference now working 8:49.
ITV usually posts full video hours later which likely include Vanek/players/Capuano


Islanders twitter account had nothing new from comments on Sunday by Garth Snow.

New York Trades Matt Moulson (2014/1st 2015/2nd) For Thomas Vanek

New York Islander Fan Central | 10/27/2013 10:48:00 PM | | | | |






Islanders website: Announced that they have acquired Thomas Vanek from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Matt Moulson, a first round selection in the 2014 National Hockey League Draft and a second round selection in 2015. Vanek, 29, joins the Islanders after playing in 13 games with Buffalo this season, accumulating nine points (four goals and five assists). 

Even Bigger Cracks Appearing In New York's Weaknesses

New York Islander Fan Central | 10/27/2013 05:45:00 PM | | | | | | | | | | |
No one wants to write about it, however it cannot be hidden any more than the thousands of empty seats when this franchise is listed at the official home team.

This is simply not a good hockey team overall who's goals allowed is at the bottom of whatever this division is called, and struggle badly at five on five.

It's beyond Jack Capuano/or any head coaches ability, although he's doing Nelson/Donovan no favors. 

It's likely to only get much worse as the special teams start to even out.

Expecting New York To Go Into Free Fall Losing Streak

New York Islander Fan Central | 10/20/2013 12:22:00 PM | | | |
10.20.13: Updated 6:15pm. Brock Nelson was recalled to New York after playing one game for Bridgeport.

There are simply too many holes. Visnovsky's likely extended loss to injury just created another big one. Nabokov has been very solid.

What I see is a team doing it's absolutely best, not a question of effort. 

NYIFC Update/Spano/Kevin Connolly's Worthless ESPN Documentary

New York Islander Fan Central | 10/19/2013 11:36:00 AM | | | |

After months of no audio for items posted on left sidebar, everything has been restored via a free file hosting service, however it also plays everything when you click that link if you let it continue running.  

Islanders-Sound Tigers mailing list from 2000-2006 on the right sidebar is again accessible  for archive reference reading only with some files/images/articles readers should enjoy.  No members will be accepted, no new entries posted.


Yahoo changed to a neo groups format that frankly made the list not accessible to current active owners much less an inactive group with no updates since May 2006.

Full articles with original wording are good reference information, along with laughing at how many things I got wrong over the years.

Prospect website page updated with more changes.

Also finally attempting to keep a long broken promise requested by many to tag entries, it's been lazy/inexcusable on my part. 

Blogger's link issues continue but adding items.
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Twitter:
The only reason the twitter account for this website is not protected is so everyone can read entries here at the top left of this website.

I'm officially cracking down on my twitter followers, there has always been a zero tolerance on profanity of any kind for my followers since day one. Anyone who reads this, then would like to follow via twitter that's the one thing I insist upon. You will receive a direct message about this subject now upon joining. 

Agree/disagree respectfully also asked of all followers---a little common courtesy. 

Anyone who cannot conduct themselves along those very simple guidelines will be immediately blocked.
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Give Me Something Hockey Related?
Ok, I could care less about John Spano or some documentary, who in his brief twitter time responded to me, and apologized for his conduct, it was very sincere from my viewpoint.

The media too cheap to cover our games should save money on this non-sense, and go interview John Tavares instead.

Kevin Connolly should have demanded a 30/30 documentary about the greatest American US hockey team of all time, the only professional sports team ever to win nineteen straight playoff series, arguable the best professional sports franchise ever that made it as far as semi-finals from 1975-1984 every single year but one in it's most established division/conference at the height of the NHL's popularity in New York City year round. 

How many professional sports teams have won four straight championships since? Zero.
How many have won nineteen playoff series in a row ever? Zero. 

Mr Connolly did enough interviews where said he met Espn resistance who wanted the great teams omitted for the controversy instead. How many Espn Ranger die-hard fans/self-serving former team media was he forced to interview/include?

Connolly wanted Tonelli goals vs Pittsburgh, Espn wanted downside, he should have taken his project elsewhere or cancelled it. 

Bottom line John Spano would have done the exact same thing to Dallas, Florida which he previously almost bought or any other NHL franchise. It was never a New York Islander issue beyond the league's failure to vet a potential owner's finances properly.

When Fleet Bank found out, John/Brett Pickett took back the team. 

What's amazing, and the true enduring legacy here is Spano's deal to extend the cable rights will stand until 2030-2031 for future New York Islander owners as long as this franchise remains in this television market.  

That increased the teams resale value from Pickett, to Howard Milsten by thirty million dollars.

Charles/James Dolan signed a television deal with Spano that gave the New York Islanders a television contract which runs through 2030 that gave any New York Islander hockey owner eighteen percent of all Msg revenue.

Charles/James Dolan upon learning of this in the agreement at some future point in 1998 immediate pulled games off television (invoking a phony competition clause) until the Islanders agreed on a flat fee, but the Dolan's never simply sued to break the deal because it was made with an owner who was never legitimate in John Spano.

Don't expect the documentary to tell you that. 


Wall Street Journal Cuts LaFontaine Hit Job Writer Mike Sielski Out Of Their Picture...Told "Get Lost" By Flyers New Coach

New York Islander Fan Central | 10/18/2013 12:04:00 PM | | | | |
Wall Street Journal Cuts Mike Sielski Out Of Their Picture, Flyers Coach Tells Him " Get Lost."


Apparently the April 2012 Lafontaine hit job writer, Mike Sielski ( The Questions LaFontaine WSJ Writer Mike Sielski Could Not Answer About His 4/2/12 Article.... ) has quietly left the Wall Street Journal without explanation but had a parting shot for the editor/fellow employees, and has returned to Philadelphia, where he immediately got into trouble with the Flyers new coach, Craig Berube, after writing about the Flyers culture in a press conference with Flyers owner Ed Snider, which he never did about the franchise with one Stanley Cup since 1940 at the Journal, who's owner never even gave a single interview in seven years.

Note-The Wall Street Journal started covering sports in 2009.
For those wondering:
Sam Walker is the Sports editor of The Wall Street Journal.
The second individual is, Geoff Foster, the editor of podcasts at WSJ sports.
The third is, Rachel Bachman, who covers college football, basketball, and other eccentricities for the journal.
No folks, that was not a friendly/funny re tweets from any of those individuals, who never wrote a word about it.

New York Struggling...Capuano Looks Desperate For Answers

New York Islander Fan Central | 10/17/2013 10:03:00 AM | |
Six games, one regulation win against a Phoenix team that self-imploded.

Wait until the schedule get's tough. 

Chemistry with a team working well as a unit is a fun thing to watch as we saw for about three weeks in 2013. That looks completely gone now despite most of the same roster returning. 

Yes, for this franchise it seems Mark Streit was that valuable in terms of moving the puck from defense to offense, quarterbacking the powerplay, and hitting open players with passes in spots they could finish.

Jack Capuano after the Buffalo game seemed very pleased his club just lost another late lead, and without Nabokov making the tougher saves would have lost in regulation to a win-less team on Tuesday, that had played on Monday in front of 18,000 actual people. (triple pathetic true Coliseum turnout?) 

Buffalo was terrible on Tuesday. That's why the Islanders finally got some zone time on offense. I guess Capuano cannot call out the passengers (or employ the word battle level) after every game or he losses the room.

Again expecting Frans Nielsen goals (eight straight shootout misses)  is not his resume, same for Matt Martin, who scored off nice work from Cizikas, Boulton.

Bouchard looked slightly better, his open net crossbar could have turned this into a Phoenix game against a team waiting to get beat.

A powerplay goal from an outside shot deflected off Matt Moulson is not the goal Vanek scored on a perfect setup. (Hamonic lost Vanek)

Bottom line this is not a sustainable formula for winning, expect a lot more games like Chicago/Nashville if this continues against established teams that can play as a unit.

Nashville is not a good team either. 

Many of those games the Islanders will be pinned in their own zone with little sustained time unless something dramatically changes. 

Capuano Deperate? 
He already seems to know a line of Moulson-Tavares-Okposo is too slow.

It was too slow come playoff time with Brad Boyes there, so again Moulson is off that line in October. Grabner could not escape the third line in the forty eight games, now he's a top six player.

Yes it seems Capuano is pushing the panic button because he knows this is not working.

Donovan has looked no worse (even better) than Brian Strait. No one should ever be sitting for Matt Carkner.

Brock Nelson needs games, and a chance to show his 1st round draft pick offensive skills this roster desperately needs, not a seat in the stands. Nelson should never be sitting for Peter Regin, Cal Clutterbuck, Colin McDonald, Eric Boulton or Casey Cizikas. 

A Defense That Cannot Score: 
Diehard hockey fans, who have played will understand this point, others will not.

To quote Al Arbour on Mike Bossy: " I can teach anyone to play defense, I cannot teach scoring."

There are offensive defenders who know how to get a shot through traffic in a way where it will go in the net, leave a big rebound, or be redirected.

Then there are defenders who just want to get their shot off  hitting the logo of the opposing goalie.

There are defenders who produce points vs those who do not.

Mark Streit had that ability which produced a lot of points.

Garth Snow saw this when he replaced  Drew Fata, and Allan Rourke's shot with Marc-Andre Bergeron, which produced 21 points/23 games in late 2006-07 with six important goals.

Yes, we all know Bergeron needed a map to play defense here, and everywhere he went afterward, but teams took a chance because he can produce points. 


Moving forward Hamonic, MacDonald could produce points. At this level so far they don't have the time, space in a much faster game for their developing skills. Hickey, Strait have not demonstrated this ability.

Visnovsky has this ability, but a lot of mileage, and seems more of a perimeter player at this stage of his career.

The fact Radek Martinek is skating suggests management feels that defender is not Aaron Ness, Calvin deHaan or anyone else in Bridgeport at this time. Perhaps management was a bit gun shy about Reinhart, but a lot of young players his age can play in this league.

The Devils kept Adam Larsson.

Reinhart's preseason goal in Calgary off a rush was the best goal scored by a defender on this roster all season.

Is that going to be his Calvin deHaan most memorable moment years from now? 

For our fans using the Niederreiter example that's misguided judgement. Nino was a almost a full year young than Tavares when he began here, and got hurt from the last week of preseason into December, so the club never got a chance to see him with healthy/productive forwards around him which were clearly never Jay Pandolfo, or Marty Reasoner.

Nino was second on that team in hitting for a part of that season. 

Did sending back Calvin deHaan to juniors ever help him between injuries?

Snow has himself locked in with Brian Streit, Thomas Hickey, they have demonstrated the ability to play strong defense at this level.

Answers?
There are no easy answers. This team is trying, and still being pinned in or pushed back in most games.

If it continues to look like the team even worse than the sub-five hundred team in late March 2013, it's going to become a long year quickly. 

They may get past Edmonton/Carolina's many weaknesses, or implode to their offensive skills. If the goaltender has to be the Islanders best player that's not a formula for anything to build a winning team on.

Nielsen's giving them production that likely cannot be counted on. Bailey at his age should not be expected to produce sustained numbers as he keeps moving around on the Blake Comeau plan.

Collectively they miss Mark Streit's ability to move the puck in all three zones, and the powerplay. The club looks collectively slow in reading/reacting to plays. Yes for a good forty minutes of games Mark Streit was not on the ice in 2013 all of the same defenders who skated on this team are back. (less Martinek/Finley)

Hamonic had a nice rush against Buffalo in the second period, took the puck right up the middle, and shot at Miller, was that Hamonic or Buffalo's poor team play? 

Someone has to develop into Streit's role, or the Islanders must become a six man defensive unit that does not score much anymore, and produce by committee which seems to be a trend in the league.

That was why Roman Hamrlik, Adrian Aucoin kept getting signed by someone.

More younger players have to give the club sustained scoring, and an offensive push that pins in the opposing team.

So far we have seen the opposite.

This may play out ok for two more games with Edmonton, Carolina. By 10/22 against Vancouver, there is no more hiding.

Either they become the team that was 11-1-2 from around March 23, 2013 to end of schedule, or they are a lesser version of the sub five hundred team for most of those forty eight games. 

Garth Snow Out Of Right Wing Depth

New York Islander Fan Central | 10/13/2013 08:29:00 PM | | | | |
Unfortunately my projection of this team out of right wing depth is holding. Jack Capuano from day one of camp has sounded like a coach who knows he does not have enough talent.

It shows in games.

The New York Islanders are lumbering around the ice, unable to sustain any fore-check as a unit.  Only thing close in games is the scoreboard, this team is getting outworked win or lose in all three zones.

Brad Boyes/Nino Niederreiter are making Garth Snow look very bad right now. One off to an excellent start, Niederreiter already past his fifty game production here as a rookie. 

Kyle Okposo as a first line right wing is getting some points, but his line is very slow collectively. Josh Bailey has been on the second line with some results, but again he's moved around too much.

Wait until Nielsen stops producing which will be soon given his career trends.

Bouchard does not look to have a clue, Nelson was first to be benched. 

Clutterbuck does not seem close to game shape, nor is he likely to produce when he is in shape.

The answer is not coming from Bridgeport. 

Alan Quine was Bridgeport's first line right wing on Sunday, after he was a third line right wing, then fourth line center. Joey Diamond went from first line right wing to third line left wing.

Scott Pellerin's touch of getting less out of more seems to be working fine from last year, albeit with a very young AHL roster this time.

Record Does Not Reflect New York's Struggles In Games

New York Islander Fan Central | 10/11/2013 08:47:00 AM | | | | | |
Please understand everyone wants the team to win, and you take October points, however Jack Capuano's comments say it all in how this team has struggled.

I will not do cheer-leading here, it's about getting back to the team in April 2013, during those four weeks that limited chances/shots around twenty five, with the other team pinned in by skating/hard work, and a different line creating quality goals every game.

That team wore down it's opposition by skating/board work. 

This team is nowhere close to that right now.

Instead Jack Capuano's team has largely been outplayed, outskated, outworked in games. The scoreboard has not reflected the play beyond Nabokov carrying the club which is likely not to last.

This team should be 1-2. If Phoenix did not implode that 6-1 result is likely far different. 

The power-play needs a calendar to set up a quality chance, usually from the perimeter. Visnovsky is not a player who drives the net. What can I write about Nielsen/Okposo from the outside I have not written before? They are trying their hardest.

Sure, everyone's happy Matt Donovan scored, it was a poor goal allowed by Mike Smith, the three pass goal by Bailey was amazing, more Coyote struggles.


The rest is watching Nabokov carry the club, and them being pressured in their own end of the ice. They absolutely miss Mark Streit's ability to move the puck, find skaters cutting to net, and quarterbacking the powerplay.   

The past decision making suggests Brock Nelson takes a seat for Cal Clutterbuck, but it could be Bouchard, maybe Cizikas. We'll know soon enough.  

Ok, we'll see. Hoping for the best version of this team, but don't expect this level of play to be any kind of answer, maybe they are simply not ready yet.

Understandable for October if ugly points keep coming, many teams are finding themselves, but this club will be losing 5-1 games soon if these trends persists. 
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Notables:
* Nielsen is now 0-7 in shootout attempts, his last goal coming 3/2/13.

*Mikko Koskinen (listed as prospect by Islanders website despite not being qualified) left SEL where he's signed  through 2014-15, and now is in KHL.

*Griffin Reinhart was not happy at all upon arrival in Edmonton, or not getting a chance here in a game. I posted his comments on twitter with article link.

*Once again Msg Network is acting as if  Brooklyn does not exist or never happened.

*If this team continues to draw an announced 10,000 (which looks like 7,000) Wang/Picker should ask Dolan to black home all home games unless 14,000 seats sold forty eight hours in advance.

People showed up with only road coverage on channel 9 long ago, perhaps that's what it takes? 

Most ignored the thousands of empty seats Tuesday which is inexcusable. This website was very hard on the fan base all summer over this issue.

The NHL is not going to permit this to continue when this team moves to Barclay's center.

* NIFA's meeting portal for live meetings now working, they met Sept 9th at Charles Wang's hotel with NEC Ratner agreement on menu, apparently because it's a full financed deal it does not require their approval which contradicts Mangano's comments, and it being listed in their meeting packet page 30-34 pdf.

The full October 9th meeting now can be viewed here.

* No local professional newspaper coverage links will be part of New York Islander Fan Central, that ended long ago.

* The NY Post sending a part-time writer to a regular season game in Chicago, outside NY area since Evan Grossman was beat-writer many years ago does not change anything here until all 82 games are covered with complete quoted articles.

* Espn again insults our fans intelligence holding onto interviews for six days or longer as was done with Tavares/Mark Streit a year ago. Matt Moulson was interviewed a week ago on 10/4 in Newark.

It was finally posted on 10/10.

Espn sent Katie Strang to Philadelphia to cover the Flyers over the Islanders at home on 10/8, she wrote three quick paragraphs (more than usual) with no quotes on the win against Phoenix, a long article on the Rangers latest loss with no quotes on 10/17.

Now Espn permanently goes off our radar here, that's not professional or worth our time.
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NYIFC:
* Minor tweaks to pages/prospect blog, more prospect  newspaper coverage added. Blogger having link issues so currently limited in what can be done. Added Stockton radio links.

New York Sends Reinhart To Juniors/Seven Defenders Remain

New York Islander Fan Central | 10/09/2013 12:35:00 PM |
Islanders website: announced that defenseman Griffin Reinhart has been returned to his junior club, the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League.

NYIFC Comments:
That leaves New York with one extra defender in Matt Carkner before having to recall someone from Bridgeport whether it be Joe Finley, Aaron Ness, Calvin deHaan or one of the rookies on that roster.

Joe Finley cleared waivers, he would not require waivers again to be recalled. 

A trade or another contract to Radek Martinek can always become a possibility.

Kabanov Sent To ECHL Stockton

New York Islander Fan Central | 10/09/2013 04:50:00 AM |
Sound Tigers website: Announced Kirill Kabanov has been sent to Stockton of ECHL

Ct Post had article on move. 

Ct Post Michael Fornabaio had following:
 They’re framing it as a hockey decision; get him more minutes, work on his game in both ends, and so forth, sing along, and playing on the third line, he probably could use some more time. His “personal-reasons” absence this morning suggested more, and a source said Kabanov was late for a meeting and it wasn’t the first time.
NYIFC Comments:
No issue if conduct related. Having written that Kabanov (who scored) was the third line right wing Sunday, with no prospect on the top two lines at right wing.

Bridgeport had Joey Diamond as the first line right wing, Chris Bruton the second right winger. 

This is another reason you don't trade a franchise pick RW Niederreiter for Clutterbuck.

With Ullstrom in KHL, Joensuu in Edmonton, Niederreiter in Minnesota, and Nelson in New York the top drafted prospect depth has gone down significantly with Strome, Lee, Persson, Sundstrom, Quine.

Jason Clark was in the ECHL last season, he was on the same line as Kabanov Sunday.

Projection For New York 2013-14: A Step Back

New York Islander Fan Central | 10/02/2013 01:12:00 PM |
On 9/7/13: An entry was written here titled " Anything Can Happen, But Expect New York To Take Step Back Out Of Playoffs "

Nothing that happened during the preseason has changed this viewpoint. Bouchard did not even make it out of camp before he was off Tavares line.

It's going to take some very unexpected offensive steps forward from Kyle Okposo, Josh Bailey, and a huge step forward from a defense with few offensive players for this franchise to make a jump that only was an 11-2-1 stretch during a short season that lasted for a few weeks where the club was sub five-hundred in late March.

The weakness and downgrades made during the summer hurt, I do not mean Brad Boyes or Keith Aucoin.

No one is going to convince me Peter Regin, Bouchard are better offensive (or physical/size options/potential) than Nino Niederreiter, Jesse Joensuu, and David Ullstrom.

Clutterbuck can play physical hockey, and has an element teams want that will help this franchise, however he'll never have potential to produce as Niederreiter which is why you never trade young offensive potential, unless the return is the same.

Matt Martin so far has proven for all the hit numbers if you cannot produce, it only has a limited value which changes as fast as Boulton will dress (to play less than five minutes) for someone on his line.

How fast would some of you trade Matt Martin to have Niederreiter or a comparable prospect back? Exactly. 

Niederreiter was not Nikita Filatov, he left Bridgeport an AHL All-Star, with a solid World Championship which followed that, he was a player who came to New York a month early to make this team as a rookie before he kept getting hurt.

His agent wrote a tweet last January demanding a trade? Who cares.

Where was Niederreiter going again besides home with a signed contract, and the Islanders holding his NHL rights for years?  It's not like Garth Snow had to negotiate a contract last summer, nor did Niederreiter say one quoted negative word.

Bouchard's two million dollars is comparable to what Niederreiter would have received.

Anyone who watched a healthy Jesse Joensuu the last few years could see his game dramatically improved which did not happen when he reported here injured after the lockout, and the Isles made him a healthy scratch short a few games of retaining his rights automatically so Marty Reasoner could dress? 

Nothing's been done to replace Frans Nielsen's lack of scoring as a center whether it be Bailey, Nelson or Casey Cizikas.

Matt Donovan, Brock Nelson could surprise, (Reinhart could be a huge surprise) but expecting those players to be the answer at this point in their young careers is not realistic.

No four man forward unit replaces Mark Streit on the powerplay or his passing ability on a rush. Nielsen's not beating goaltenders from the point with his shot on a powerplay, everyone knows he is there to pass the puck.

Now we get to see Josh Bailey/Kyle Okposo move around as they did under Scott Gordon in 2009. Both are capable of being first line players, however the sustained production is not there to merit this.

You can bet all NHL coaches will start their meetings with the following when the New York Islanders are on the menu. Give John Tavares zero room to work with, never miss a chance to put a body on him, and don't let him beat us. 

I get some writing about the 2013-14 team likely only watched a few games in April 2013, and did not bother noticing the rest. Most write worthless previews about thirty teams when they barely know anything about one team.

Perhaps those forty plus games the 2013 team led or was tired entering the third period is something the majority of the returning roster can repeat.

Again anything can happen, however what's likely to happen is a step back to the sub five hundred club this franchise was in late March 2013.

I believe Garth Snow is as bullet proof as George McPhee is in Washington, he's already been general manager for Charles Wang longer than Mike Milbury, but a losing year means there is nowhere for Snow to hide.

Only management knows how long Jack Capuano was extended for last summer.
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Ed Mangano responded via twitter, writing he will speak with Charles Wang about releasing the letter he gave the legislature on the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

I also asked Mangano if he could provide a date for a NIFA/TOH meeting decision on Ratner Coliseum agreement, he responded today, that he is awaiting that information.

NIFA has not met since July.

Tom Suozzi if back in office could not overturn this decision (see Wang/Smg Dec 2009 sublease) if all approved by end of calendar year. 

Nassau Coliseum will close under Ratner plan from August 2015 (when Smg officially out) through Sept 2017.