*Could go either way in standings.
*Roster discussion.
*Lease negotiations undercurrent after 2016-17 concludes will be close to surface.
*No holding back on lack of video/ITV/media.
*New York Islander Fan Central Update.
I don't have a lot to write on the current roster beyond many have amnesia on where Parenteau usually played here last time beyond power-plays. (third line) Alan Quine played very well and signed a two year-one way contract, and will be in the lineup, so will Shane Prince. They have enough centers playing wing with or without Grabovski, and who knows if Ho-Sang/Dal Colle get a call from Bridgeport or push someone out of a job?
Expect injuries, that's always a given here.
Barzal is not going to win a spot here based on a year ago, there are too many drafted centers under contract with Strome, Nelson & Quine natural centers with Cizikas.
Halak looks great at the folly tournament, but far too much work for a player who missed 16 weeks with surgery, and has two years left on his contract. If I were Garth Snow I would not be thrilled with their coach, Ralph Kruger, who could have started Greiss (who needs work) against Canada in a game where they were going to advance win or lose.
For those wondering Halak is getting very close to the amount of games Berube started last season if Europe does go to the finals.
If Berube's claimed so be it. The fact he needed to go on waivers a year ago, only screams he needs waivers again even more now after a year with less work then the Kings gave him.
Christopher Gibson knows the goaltending math, he could be pushed out of the starters job in Bridgeport, no doubt he looked around after he did not accept his qualifying offer, he should not be happy nor should Williams who mostly played for Bridgeport last year.
What I can write is the last two years it took 17-15 games over five hundred to qualify for the playoffs, you have to be a very good team to get in.
The worst team in the NHL usually wins around 30 games.
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Ok, so the team that has prospect games/media day mostly on snap chat, that has not released any video of Mr Ledecky's appearances besides amateur video/audio from fans (while the owner is desperately asking for customers to purchase tickets) opens camp at Northwell.
So now it's so bad Dolan's Msg is giving away New York Islander season tickets in a contest, with their ads, and Msg channel on Northwell screens for all our prospects to see?
Are the New York Islanders sponsoring a season ticket giveaway for Ranger fans at Chase Garden, are the Islanders advertised on hockey boards inside their rink in Manhattan & Greenberg?
Personally I loved Neulion's ITV days back to 2006 where we got daily interviews, pregame, postgame, all on the Islanders website (like other NHL teams) produced by the team, not the canned crumbs slowly moved from Msg network website to the Islanders website last season or audio only which I gave a pass on last season only because of the teams first year at Barclay's, and purchase of Northwell with the teams offices still inside the Coliseum.
Sorry if it bothers folks (not really) but the things available in 2006 Wang paid for should be a given in 2016.
The prospect game in June was advertised as being live streamed on the Islanders website, same as it was at Barclay's a year earlier. On game day, fans asked what happened with no response from the Islanders to the customers.
Time is up on my patience regarding this subject.
No one should be happy Al Arbour's 8/29/16 full memorial service quietly was posted on the Islanders website on 9/8/16 when it should have been live. Absolutely it was was wonderful the owners did that for the Arbour family.
Going to that canned MLB website format for all the teams looks awful, they slapped it on NHL.com last January, now every team is stuck with this template. No, that has nothing to do with the Islanders, the league decided that.
Neulion was far superior, and not because Wang was chairman until June 2016 with his wife in that role now.
You get the impression Dolan will not even allow streaming live video from the teams new practice facility which the Islanders are now contractually obligated to hold practices at through 2026 for Wang to receive Lighthouse escrow money from Nassau.
Mr Ledecky, simply put, every chance this team can be seen live on it's website is an opportunity to sell more tickets as a New York team like the other the eleven other teams in NY/NJ not marketed by Mr Yormark.
If you (primary governor Malkin ) want any hope (unlikely) of Mr Prokhorov keeping your team as a tenant where he pays you 53 million/increasing, the team has to be seen so folks want to go to games so everyone can make more money.
That does not happen with no daily ITV, snapchat, and not being seen/covered. We all know Pat Dolan's Newsday writer Staple will be as negative as possible, and provide the bare minimum while Zipay will outwork him badly selling their team.
We all know those other fan bloggers who are selling themselves or some podcast want a career/business so their resume comes first which means they don't criticize the Islanders, and especially the Garden/Dolan's, who own the professional writers chapter.
None of this is a criticism of the employees who never stop writing on the Islanders website, some retained from before Barclay's taking over business operations (the second time) who write for both the Islanders & Nets, and do a great job for our fans.
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New York Islander Fan Central will continue for the 2016-17 season. What can be written is I do not wish to take every winning streak or losing streak and write about the parade in June, or everyone's being fired or traded any longer. It's boring/predictable.
Not sure how often I will write or use twitter beyond it will be less but I seem to post this disclaimer every year.