Un-official New York Training Camp Roster

In what may be the final entry here is as much of the training camp roster as I could put together.

For those scoring at home it appears Nate Thompson changed uniform numbers to Wayne Merrick's old number eleven.

Not a sign he's about to be sent down with his two-way contract?

I'm not sure when this was written/posted by Islanders website or how updated because the article I linked yesterday has comments from London Knights general manager Mark Hunter that Islander draft pick Anton Klementyev will be attending training camp but in the ad for the Devils Coliseum game the Islanders website added in a training camp roster some players apparently invited are not listed yet.

For comparisons to the 2008 Training Camp roster which included Jared Spurgeon currently coming off shoulder surgery as of 8/31/09 and Jyri Niemi here in Moncton last season.

Jyri Niemi plays for the Saskatoon Blades which is where the Islanders will hold camp.

The Western Hockey League also released a full list of all the players attending NHL training camps on Tuesday 9/8.

Travis Hamonic, Niemi are listed as attending Islanders training camp and Hamonic is also listed in another article as leaving his team for camp this weekend here.

The OHL AND QMJHL websites at this time do not have a list but for what this is worth the Islanders prospect site has assigned numbers here for Calvin DeHaan (3), Casey Cizikas (53), Hamonic (36), Niemi (49), Klementyev (48), Jared Spurgeon (61) and goaltender Kevin Poulin. (60)

deHaan wore #24 with Oshawa so obviously these updates are not old despite 2002 pick Alexei Stonkus still on the prospect list.

This is the list off the Islanders ad for the Devils Coliseum game where it's listed as training camp roster.

12 Josh Bailey
67 Sean Bentivoglio
20 Sean Bergenheim
57 Blake Comeau
81 Justin DiBenedetto
41 Robin Figren
59 Micheal Haley
68 Bobby Hughes
7 Trent Hunter
28 Tim Jackman
58 Jesse Joensuu
50 Tomas Marcinko
46 Matt Martin
62 Greg Mauldin
27 Greg Moore
26 Matt Moulson
51 Frans Nielsen
21 Kyle Okposo
10 Richard Park "A"
40 Joel Rechlicz
17 Jeremy Reich
54 Tony Romano
16 Jon Sim
77 Trevor Smith
15 Jeff Tambellini
91 John Tavares
11 Nate Thompson
93 Doug Weight

Defensemen
4 Mark Flood
8 Bruno Gervais
38 Jack Hillen
71 Mark Katic
56 Dustin Kohn
47 Andrew MacDonald
24 Radek Martinek
44 Freddy Meyer
2 Mark Streit
25 Andy Sutton
42 Brett Westgarth
32 Brendan Witt "A"

Goalies
43 Martin Biron
39 Rick DiPietro
1 Mikko Koskinen
52 Nathan Lawson
33 Scott Munroe
30 Dwayne Roloson

For those who wonder how you divide five into four Utah signed two goaltenders over the summer so a home has to be found for Mikko Koskinen or someone out of Lawson/Munroe who both just signed or resigned and carried the bulk of their AHL teams games last season have to find another team.

Michael Fornabaio in the Ct Post Sound Tigers blog also has his updated roster of signings and invites with both Utah goaltenders.

At this time unsigned former prospect Max Gratchev is not with Lewiston for their preseason, is not on any Islander or European transfer list (or KHL) nor is he listed as invited to any teams camp or at least one that made a large newspaper. If you recall he signed a late season ATO contract with Bridgeport and played in one game but the June deadline came and went so he could re-enter the draft but to my knowledge was not selected a second time.

Not the first time Maxim Gratchev has been lost according to 2007 Boston Globe pre-draft feature but this time hopefully only in terms of hockey status temporarily.

New York Islander Fan Central Twitter Page

New York Islander Fan Central Audio-Podcast Homepage

Tavares natural position and the depth chart

Simply put you do not draft a franchise talent first overall, bring him from junior hockey all the way to the NHL with no veteran first line (or second line) players in terms of age/production and change that players position.

John Tavares is a center, that's where he should be playing if he's going to be in the NHL this season.

I have read some of Scott Gordon's comments about Tavares perhaps playing wing and the question is why?

So Doug Weight or Richard Park can be his center?

On my depth chart down the middle it's Tavares, Bailey, Nielsen for better or worse.

It appears the only opening is for Doug Weight to slide to the right side (Guerin's spot) to be his winger because Bergenheim, Comeau and Tambellini are all left wings but that means Okposo does not skate on his line because he is a right wing.

Let me set the NHL on paper depth chart and no I'm not including prospect signings.

Bergenheim-Tavares-Weight
Comeau-Bailey-Okposo
Tambellini-Nielsen-Hunter
Thompson/Sim-Park-Jackman

Streit-Martinek-Witt-Sutton-Meyer-Gervais-Hillen.

DiPietro-Roloson-Biron

Only Nate Thompson has a two way contract and he likely has to clear waivers, all seven defenders have one-way contracts.

I can blog about Joensuu, Figren, Smith, Bentivoglio, some of the AHL signings and the Sarnia connection in Bridgeport with Kohn, Katic and MacDonald all week and even talk about deHaan winning a job but this is where things stand right now regardless if Garth Snow invites someone or signs a fighter or a Satan/whoever or makes a trade.

How many times this summer did I say in audio blogs if you want to add you have to subtract?

Why change Tavares position when it's going to be all he can do to play his natural position at this level?

New York Islander Fan Central Twitter Page

New York Islander Fan Central Audio-Podcast Homepage

Anything possible for New York in 09-10

I have to see this group play some games healthy before I can dismiss anything, including the New York Islanders winning the Atlantic given some of the weaknesses of the other clubs in the division.

I'm not expecting any answers in preseason which for the most part is get together for a quick skate or two, fly to camp and than start playing games beginning on 9/14 or a day or two after gathering at Iceworks.

That six day stretch between the Coliseum preseason game and the Prudential center game is really the place Scott Gordon will have the most time to work with his players.

No one should really care what media still talking 90's and Milbury project because they can't name five current Islanders. Those same people had the Canes at the bottom of the league coming out of the lockout and they won the cup.

A brief review of the last two seasons and more importantly last year suggest the Isles can compete in this division based on head to head games.

I know the Isles and Pens are a lot different today but two years ago the Isles opened 9-0 against the Rangers-Devils, they played Pittsburgh eight times, won three lost the Simon stomp game by a pp goal, the bounce off Witt for a one goal loss, a 53 shot game for a loss and I think Joey MacDonald lost a late season game in Pittsburgh.

I did not see a team that was outclassed on the ice aside from the Flyers special teams.
*********************************************************
I saw nothing in 24 games against the Rangers, Devils, Flyers or Pens last season that told me they absolutely could not compete with them aside from the keystone cops game in Pittsburgh which was a lot more about the Isles.

Isles played three Coliseum games against Pittsburgh last year. They led 4-1 before over speed and the Pens talent won the game, next time the Isles climbed to within a period of five hundred and again just collapsed with a big lead in the third before losing a shootout and won in Dan Bylsma's debut in the final game.

That, to me is not a team with no chance that is over matched.

That seven goal game against the Devils tells me they can compete with them and the Isles for the most part outplayed the Rangers in games with a lot of callups in the lineup even in games the Ranger trap prevailed where even some media reported the Islanders outplayed the Rangers. MacDonald blew that game at the Garden they lost 5-4 with some terrible third period goals against which was the exception.

Flyers powerplay and shorthanded teams have just killed the Isles the last two years, even in that series the Isles got games to overtime and played them close. It seemed like a a Darroll Powe or someone not expected to score did the biggest damage in some games.

I know that second Carolina game stands out but less than two weeks earlier in the same building the Isles scored four second period goals and the Canes looked horrible before the LaRose show took over and the Isles gave it right back along with two points.

I absolutely think anything is possible for the 2009-10 New York Islanders.

New York Islander Fan Central Twitter Page

New York Islander Fan Central Audio-Podcast Homepage

Isles can't compete in Atlantic, say's who?

I know I did an entry like this a year ago.......

Someone has to explain to me how Pittsburgh is better with it's chemistry altered on the backline with the changes they made plus Crosby expected to post incredible numbers over eighty two games with Guerin and Chris Kunitz?

Malkin I expect will have another incredible season (Staal needs to step it up big time) with mediocre talents like Fedotenko while not resigning Sykora or Satan to date and I'm well aware Malkin may be the Pens best player and can carry that team for long stretches and will see time on a line with Crosby.

It's possible with everyone a year older and in some cases better with help from their younger players in the system, but having written that signing Mike Rupp, Jay McKee and Brent Johnson do not exactly impress me and Gill will never be better than he was for Pittsburgh and there is the loss of Scuderi who was this teams second best defender in the playoffs.

On paper in August this team seems weaker than the one that was in tenth at the trade deadline last year but Crosby, Malkin and Staal a year older compensate for that to a degree and make everyone better around them.

Can Bill Guerin play eighty two games at a level he played down the stretch for Pittsburgh? I'm skeptical because he had a lot of no-show games here and the honeymoon will be ending for Dan Bylsma.

Michel Terrien could not have been completely wrong last year but I Sergei Gonchar will not be out half the season either this time to open the year.

M.A Fleury is a goaltender selected first over who has now been to two straight finals, winning a game seven on the road. What happens if he does take the next step in his progression?
****************************************************
Flyers in goal right now hardly scare me with Ray Emery an explosion waiting to happen, Paul Holmgren really dumped Martin Biron and Antero Nittymaki for Brian Boucher?

Chris Pronger is a great player but this is his first time in the East (since Hartford) with some significant mileage and they paid a ton to get him. He had some great support in Anaheim he will not have with the Flyers despite how good Timonen and Coburn are but the rest of that group is not impressive with choices between Randy Jones, Matt Carle, Ryan Parent or Ole-Kristian Tollefsen who they signed.

Flyers have still have not replaced Knuble and Asham-Ian Laperriere are not going to score but they have a deep offensive club when healthy which is not a given. How long before Daniel Briere breaks down?

I see the same club that looks unbeatable for stretches or helpless for others with John Stevens seemingly always on the hot seat during a losing streak. Why the Flyers never make a big push for a franchise goaltender I will never understand.
**********************************************************
Devils losing Gionta, Rupp and Madden with Holik's retirement and only resigning Shanahan plus adding Yann Danis hardly look vastly improved but you never under estimate the Devils system or their management.

I'm not intimidated by a defense led by Johnny Oduya, Paul Martin, Andy Greene, Mike Mottau but going from Sutter back to Lamoriello is asking a great deal even for New Jersey because that's a big philosophy change.

The Devils also landed former Islander Rob Davison to shoot at Toskala and Cory Murphy from Florida.

Will Brian Rolston be happy to see his former coach from Minnesota? The numbers say yes.

Absolutely expect Parise, Zajac to be a year better and for Lamoriello to have prospects ready to step in and produce, that's what New Jersey does and why they are always a top level regular season team.

Elias is coming off his best season in years and remains durable.

For those counting the Devils out, you simply have not learned this organization has always been about more than one or two players, last season proved that better than any other.
*******************************************************
Are the Rangers better? On paper it seems everyone they brought in is coming off a down season no matter how it's packaged as improvement. It could work but there are a few trends that do standout.

This could be a much more injury prone group changing systems.

Derek Morris and Paul Mara gone for Matt Gilroy on a team that will change it's trap defense under the latest coach that scored only nine more goals than the Isles a year ago? That's going to force Henrik Lundqvist to face thirty shots and not allow for his four goal on fourteen shot stretches and the kind of nightly pressure he failed to handle against Washington.

Tick, tick, tick goes Avery, Brashear and Tortorlla, who will explode first in that room?

I like their late round prospects in Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubuinsky better than their early picks but with a forty point total the later is not a rising star until he produces as such.

Marian Gaborik in the rougher Eastern Conference might work but he's going to pay a physical price here he did not pay in Minnesota. At some point he will be given a prime veteran center to take the burden off him.

This could work but again the players brought in all come off injured or seasons where they regressed, some will improve, others will not.
*************************************************************
Bottom line:
All these teams could be a great deal better or worse but in August at this time there is nothing that stands out and says anyone will absolutely will be better.

Someone by default will be better.

Next up I'm going to do an entry on the Isles recent record against Atlantic Division teams and why they should be able to compete with them.

New York Islander Fan Central Twitter Page

New York Islander Fan Central Audio-Podcast Homepage

2009-10 Islanders Can Make Playoffs......IF

For all that went wrong it was one heck of a struggle to finish dead last a year ago.

The way some folks write about the team they finished 30th by twenty points and it was clinched by November 15th.

When you add in the injuries, one-goal losses and the early blown leads in the end it took a horrible December & January and even that was not enough to guarantee anything until the final games.

Colorado went from a playoff spot to almost finishing 30th very quickly in a dramatic free fall.

If the man games lost to injury got the play the Coliseum did more folks would understand that this season is different from a year ago.

That's the good news which any semblance of health should help fix to a degree.

Bad news is this is not the same team with veteran scorers like Comrie, Guerin, or Sillinger that kept them in contention until injuries caught up with them in March 2008.

It's also not Ted Nolan's team who had them in contention both seasons.

There is really no place to hide for Bergenheim, Nielsen, Tambellini and Comeau at this point in their career. Being here and having good games will not be enough anymore, the production also has to follow from those players that were drafted in 02,03,04.

That's not even counting on absolutely needing production from Bailey, Tavares, or Okposo at a point we are asking a great deal from them and Okposo not scoring off his natural right wing side last season.

Without any doubt Hunter and Weight have to produce offensively or both should be moved. I know Garth Snow praised Hunter recently on the NHLPA website but he has had two poor offensive years in a row despite all the other things he does and has not been the same player since 2004 with his knee on knee with Sean Brown.

Doug Weight has to score at even strength or he is not the right player for this roster.

If these players do not score it leads right back to the same trap which is counting on Richard Park to score. Park has been everything and more as an Islander but expecting him to lead the team and score on a regular basis is asking for too much.

Then you start looking around at the kids plus Tim Jackman and everyone is wondering where the next goal is coming from?

I'm not concerned with the physical department as so many are and there is always another Andrew Peters to be signed as the UFA told the Buffalo News Monday.

Between Jackman, Rechlicz, Sutton, Witt this roster has a few players who can win a fight or two.

Snow could sign anyone among a bunch of players for the fight by appointment.

Bottom line John Tavares is not skating on a line with Joel Rechlicz and will take his hits just like Crosby did not skate on a line with Eric Godard. This is all part of the process and no fight by appointment is going to fix this and there are no more Clark Gillies in this league to score thirty, fight and play on the top line.

It's also fair to lay it on the line with the defenders and the head coach.

If Andy Sutton, Freddy Meyer and maybe even Radek Martinek cannot stay healthy it's time to give the job to someone who can.

Career trends do not lie for some of these players. Brendan Witt did stay in the lineup and got his mobility back around December after his third knee injury in the calendar year.

Individually they are good defenders when healthy, we have to see some chemistry develop and with the farm system changes will be coming. Andrew MacDonald, Mark Katic and even Dustin Kohn could get a look before another veteran depth signing plus Hillen is on a one-way contract so he will beat out someone or wait for an injury with the Islanders.

Mark Streit needs a repeat season and will need to do it hopefully in a playoff race under real pressure.

A huge question remains if Scott Gordon's system works at this level.

How Witt reacted and how Gordon changed system last year was notable and begs the question if the coach is not doing what he does best what can he do because a big reason he was hired is now compromised? A lot of good AHL coaches systems and tactics simply do not work at this level. Gordon also seemed to react poorly on Danis or other players at times and his I like goalies to finish what they start comment did not match the record in Providence.

Plus if any of these coaches were Gordon's hirings the Isles website or the media did not indicate that. Snow was the only one who commented and hiring a coach-gm from another organization is never a good sign.

Hopefully Gordon had input or a part of the hiring process because year one he had someone else's staff.

Still the two-year trend goes all the way back to Al Arbour, coaches do not last three years here that's something this coach has to be thinkng about too.

You got another blog entry. I got a new flash player, sidebar backgrounds, I'm quietly getting a lot done here. I only wish I had learned these things when the blog was still going daily but I will put up a little hockey content to test the changes.

New York Islander Fan Central Twitter Page

New York Islander Fan Central Audio-Podcast Homepage