Point Blank: Mr Botta has an interview with Brandon Sugden and his efforts in trying to get reinstated as Mr Botta gives his opinion on how he would help the Islanders if he were allowed to attend camp.
NYI Fan Central Comments:Classy work from Mr Botta, not sure if it's going to mean he will be reinstated but hopefully something can be done regardless of what franchise he plays for. I'm a little surprised Mr Botta did not mention Tim Jackman who is a right wing with a two year contract who should also be ahead of Sugden on the depth chart if he were signed here to an AHL contract.
Newsday: Mark Herrmann has a few words about the NHL off-season with Bill Guerin and Doug Weight taking batting practice at Shea Stadium this afternoon.
NYI Fan Central Comments:Classy stuff from Mr Herrmann on Chris Botta and Ted Nolan, the rest read like his usual pro Ranger/negative Islander infomercial that makes his viewpoint virtually worthless for all hockey fans and reflects a writer with an agenda against the club which is disappointing but the kind of shock jock coverage he does as he jumps from sport to sport at the paper.
Among the low lights: Markus Naslund is still in his prime at age thirty five? I guess that means a lot of veteran Islanders have one more good year in them?
Funny he did not think Martin Brodeur at thirty six was in his prime, must be the uniform?
Wade Redden despite his poor performance and decline the last two seasons according to Mr Herrmann is the kind of solid, skilled defenseman the team has craved but forgot to mention the absurd price paid for his services which would have been front and center if Mr Wang paid that kind of money. Hockey writers all over North American questioned (which would be the kind take) giving Redden that kind of contract, Mr Herrmann ignored it like someone officially on the Cablevision payroll.
I guess Mark Streit did not make the cut for this article and the lower contract he signed with New York.
Worst of all Mr Herrmann waves his new Cablevision-Newsday Ranger pom poms big time and declares it's very cool to announce Cablevision management is retiring the numbers of Andy Bathgate, Adam Graves and Harry Howell as he does a great
Al Trautwig impersonation of declaring it's not a cheesy, showy, trendy grab for attention (which I would guess is his implied slam at the Islanders) for only honoring players who are far more deserving that Graves, Howell or Bathgate and have far more championship rings than all three combined.
Maybe it's time for the Islanders to announce an Ed Westphal night who is far more deserving than Bathgate or Graves who only had a twenty year career in New York as the club's first captain and long-time broadcaster.
No shock at all here Mr Herrmann had to write something negative about Rick DiPietro implying Scott Gordon will have to get along with the goaltender and brings up his contract.
Of course what's an article from Mark Herrmann without something on the Isles future viability and his personal speculation on them moving to Kansas City which he only brings up every other article if they do not get the Lighthouse, despite the club's cable contract and for now binding leases with Nassau County and Smg nor ownership never mentioning a word along those lines.
Makes you want to run right out and purchase tickets.
Mark Herrmann updates on the New York Islanders: Loss for all New York area hockey fans. Would not be a bad thing for our fans if Mr Herrmann was the next one to move on from any coverage of our club, twenty years is more than enough for this fan.
Chris Botta would be perfect in this spot.
Carolina News Observer/Insurancenewsnet: Had an update on Canes forward Eric Staal's long-term contract negotiations which led to a few words on Rick DiPietro's long-term contract from 2006 and the local insurance firm that handles such negotiations, the Isles did not comment.
Salt Lake Tribune : Announced former Sound Tiger Jeff Dwyer announced his retirement to become Kevin Colley's new assistant coach in Utah.
NYI Fan Central Comments:This was not the same Dwyer last year who went to Europe after attending Islander training camp where he was a late cut, that was Gordie Dwyer. Jeff Dwyer played for Bridgeport and Utah.
If that's not enough for you there is referee Gord Dwyer.
Good luck to Jeff Dwyer and Kevin Colley in Utah.
Globe & Mail: William Houston in an NHL update reports long time CP writer Pierre LeBrun is now a writer for Espn which was first announced back in early August.
NYI Fan Central Comments:I kind of feel Mr LeBrun's quality work will get lost in the community that is Espn with insider updates and a lot of worthless content from shock jocks Scott Burnside and Teri Frei as the coverage seems to center around Espn-zone market clubs and pre-packaged articles.
E.J Hradek's updates I do not get a lot out of and whatever John Buccigross does on hockey never had any real value or information.
Seems like the quality went into a free fall when Al Morganti stopped writing at Espn.
I guess someone had to take Barry Melrose spot, a blank screen would have done the job for me.
