Season Preview: Josh Bailey

Josh Bailey

Position: Center
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 187 lbs
Birthdate: October 2, 1989 (21 Years Old)
Birthplace: Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
Acquired: Draft - 1st Round, 9th Overall, 2008 NHL Entry Draft

2010-2011 Team: New York Islanders/Bridgeport Sound Tigers
2010-2011 Stats (NYI): 70 GP - 11 G - 17 A - 28 P - 37 PIM
2010-2011 Stats (BPT): 11 GP - 6 G - 11 A - 17 P - 4 PIM
2011-2012 Team: New York Islanders
Team Role: Third Line Center

Last year: Bailey entered the third year of his entry level contract with a lot to prove. He started out on fire, with a huge first few weeks of the season. However, after suffering a hip flexor in Toronto in late October, Bailey completely regressed. He was sent to Bridgeport for 11 games and performed phenomenally down there, but it was status quo for him once he was called back up to the NHL. To be fair, Bailey played with a revolving door of linemates along with switching positions during the course of the season. That said, the season was extremely disappointing for a guy who had a lot to prove - especially given his great start.

Expectations: This is really a make-or-break year for Bailey. Even though he accepted a two year contract, the team will not continue to play him if he is not progressing at the same rate the team is. Bailey will have no excuse to not perform this year, even though he is currently slated to play on the third line. Instead of Jon Sim, Rob Schremp, Jeremy Colliton, and Jesse Joensuu on the other side of him and Blake Comeau, Bailey will have guys like Brian Rolston and Nino Niederreiter. This increase of talent complements Bailey's game well and should put him in a position to succeed. At this point, it's on Bailey to do just that.

Projections: GP 71 - 12 G - 19 A - 31 P

Thoughts:

CH: Bailey may be one of the biggest individual question marks on this year's Islanders. Yes, there is no question the Islanders rushed him, but four years later the onus needs to be put on the player. Bailey is not progressing at the same rate that other Islanders are, which makes puts him on the hot seat in regards to the team's future - even with a two year contract. Bailey's best skill right now is his defensive game, which is certainly a valuable skill to have. There's certainly plenty of time for a soon-to-be 22 year old center to develop into a good two-way center. But the fact is he is running out of time to make that impact here, because the Isles just don't have time to wait around for him anymore. With the potential that he has, it's not fair to write him off just yet. But the window is certainly closing.

AT: This is without a doubt a major year for Bailey to show where he belongs on this team, if at all. With centers such as Casey Cizikas, David Ullstrom, Ryan Strome and Brock Nelson all within a year or two of the NHL, this is Bailey's time to prove that he's the man for the job. Unless the chemistry that formed between Nielsen, Okposo and Grabner last year magically dissolves, Bailey will almost certainly find himself on a constant 3rd line center role with some combination of Brian Rolston, Blake Comeau and possibly Nino Niederreiter or perhaps another player, and that's fine. Having two two-way centers in Nielsen and Bailey down the middle would be great for this team. However, Bailey needs to produce offensively and give it 110% every single game, as he did neither last season. His stats suffered because of it and he was sent down to Bridgeport for a while, so hopefully for this year that was a bit of a wakeup call. In the beginning of last season for the first 8-10 games or so, Bailey was an absolute beast on the ice and was really showing his potential should he give it his all every game. That tapered off quickly and Bailey went through major stretches looking lethargic and producing absolutely nothing. That is not going to fly with a team that is so filled with depth at center, and it's not going to fly with a team trying to make the playoffs this year. It's your time and your opportunity, Josh. Make the most of it.