Opinion: Time for a coaching change?

In what seemed like the 30th time this season, the Islanders came into a big game - a game where their own star player admitted was a must win in order to keep playoff hopes alive - and completely squandered both their own hopes and the hopes of the 15.5K fans at the Coliseum today. The Islanders lost a big one against the Senators and dropped another one to continue wobbling around the .500 mark. This wasn't a game where the Islanders fought valiantly and were simply outplayed. This was a game where the Islanders flat out had no desire and no drive to win from the get go, and it was seen all game long. My question is - is the coach the biggest problem here?

Everyone adored Capuano last season for finally putting together some synchronicity with the team and not allowing the team to be beat up upon anymore. I as well as Carey was a fan of bringing him back to give him another shot. However, in more times than one can count, the team has come out simply not ready to play. The Isles gave up 2 goals within 2 minutes to start a huge game which is, needless to say, disconcerting. There doesn't seem to be a plan on the ice other than the very basic notion of defensive trapping that was famously deployed by the Devils during their heyday. Teams in the new NHL have figured out how to work around this however, and when you're playing against a team that has Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek, naturally when your best defenseman is Andrew MacDonald, the trap isn't going to do much. There was no urgency today, no care, no sense of direction... and we've seen it all before.

I do not deny that some of this lies on the players, but a good coach can do wonders in changing mindset of a team and putting them on the correct path forward. You look at what Ken Hitchcock has done for a Blues team that began the year extremely lackluster. He's changed the mindset of the team, implemented his system which has a record of winning, and now has the Blues as the #4 seed in the Western Conference. Similarly, after being fired by the Washington Capitals after a few years of speculation, Bruce Boudreau quickly took over the job from Randy Carlyle and now has them over .500 and 5 points out of a playoff spot with 23 games to play. Anaheim looked like a lottery team earlier in the year and now looks like a playoff team, and everything changed when the coaching staff did.

It's also impossible to deny that Capuano was given a very poor team this year. Besides Tavares, Okposo, Moulson, Nielsen and Parenteau, there really isn't much to work with offensively. In terms of defense, he was forced to put out a journeyman who was on the edge of retirement as his #2 defenseman and work with only 2 true top 4 d-men. However, that does not excuse his inability to use what he has to their fullest capability. For one, putting Nielsen, Grabner and Parenteau on a line together makes absolutely no sense. Grabner's outbreak last year was in big part due to being slotted with Okposo, who used his physical capabilities to allow Grabner to get open for the breakaway. Having a playmaker, a 2 way forward and a forward whose only attribute is his speed and defense on the same line makes absolutely no sense. Recently, the Grabner-Nielsen-Okposo line has been reunited, but it then leaves the first line without a physical presence. Again, part of that blame undoubtedly falls on Snow for not acquiring a strong forward like Erik Cole last season, but Capuano simply has not done enough and simply doesn't seem to have the hockey intelligence to change his ways.

So what do you do? If Snow wanted to show the fanbase he was serious going forward, he would fire Capuano tomorrow after yet another lackluster showing in a big game and hire Randy Carlyle or Michel Therrien, two coaches who have a lot of experience with young teams and can get them in game shape. Do I expect this to happen? Absolutely not, but the Islanders are coming upon a very serious spot in more ways than one. It's time to make a statement and show not only the fans but the players themselves that they're ready and willing to do what it takes to change the mindset of this organization.

Speculation: Islanders Targeting A Defenseman?

Bloggers Note: Alex is having issues with his cable and Internet after Hurricane Irene, but will be back as soon as it is rectified. On behalf of him, we hope everyone got through the weekend safely and securely. Thanks.

Recently, we have heard four instances of speculation that the Islanders may be involved in targeting a defenseman this week. The team continues to look for a player that can solidify the top-4 and can play while guys like Calvin de Haan and Matt Donovan continue to develop in Bridgeport. The team currently has seven defensemen signed: Mark Streit, Andrew MacDonald, Travis Hamonic, Mark Eaton, Milan Jurcina, Ty Wishart, and Mike Mottau.

The first wave of speculation came from Chris Botta's Islanders Point Blank last week, where he claimed that an unnamed veteran defenseman declined an invite to training camp from the team...for now. It's widely believed this defenseman is former Islander captain Bryan McCabe. McCabe, 36, spent last season with the Florida Panthers and New York Rangers, playing 67 games and accumulating 28 points with a +2 rating.

McCabe, who has always been an offensive defenseman, is nowhere near an ideal option. In fact, if the rumor is true, it's because the Islanders want McCabe to earn a spot on the team by outplaying Ty Wishart and Mike Mottau as opposed to just giving him one. Regardless, he is not the improvement the team needs, but is still valuable enough NHL depth that the team can manage. Unfortunately, a McCabe/Streit powerplay combination does not work as both players shoot left-handed, so you would really be acquiring him to play with Travis Hamonic on the second unit. On the whole, McCabe really would fit in through his leadership. He is a long time veteran of the league, has respect for the Islanders organization, and could help refine the offensive games of Andrew MacDonald and Travis Hamonic. But is that enough to give him a shot to earn a spot? Sure, if you acquire a true top-4 defenseman. But on his own, it would be a marginal improvement at best.

Another name that has recently come up is former Islander Adrian Aucoin. While he has not come up in any legitimate rumor, there has been message board speculation regarding his trade availability. Aucoin is now 38 years old. While he has played 157 games over the past two season with Phoenix, it's important to remember that he is aging. He would be a fine stopgap for the Isles, but not at the expense of anything with value. The names we have been hearing as trade bait - Josh Bailey, Blake Comeau - are not worth Aucoin at this point. But for a mid-round pick or mid-level prospect, should the Islanders pull the trigger on a player like him? He has the same experience level and respect for the Islanders as McCabe. So in a situation like that, absolutely.

On Saturday, an article in the Edmonton Journal came out where the agent of Steve Staios, Pat Morris, mentions the Islanders as a potential suitor for the 38-year old defenseman. Like Aucoin, Staios can still play and could be a decent option for the Isles, even though he does not have the ties that Aucoin does. The main issue with Staios is his durability - he's only played 97 games over the past two seasons with the Oilers and the Flames. Which begs the question: if the Islanders wanted an oft-injured aging defenseman, why not keep Radek Martinek? Staios is a decent option, but his inability to stay healthy at this point in his career is a major negative.

Finally, a rumor has come out through the Ottawa Citizen that the Senators may try to unload 34-year old Filip Kuba, due $3.7 next season, on the Islanders. Kuba, who had 16 points in 64 games but finished with a deplorable -26 rating, is well past his prime. With the aforementioned options, the Islanders should not be desperate enough to have to take a flyer on Kuba at this point. At this point, he is a bottom pairing defenseman and would most likely be less of an improvement than McCabe.

It will certainly be interesting if Garth Snow decides to pull the trigger on a deal or signing for a defenseman, regardless of if it is one of the above guys or not. Quite frankly, it is imperative for the Isles to solidify their defense corps, even if it is a bottom pairing guy. The last thing the team needs is to play Mark Katic and Dylan Reese for an extended period of time. So far this off-season, the Islanders have let go of Jack Hillen and Radek Martinek without getting anything in return. With two weeks until training camp, time is running short to complete a deal. But one has to be on the way, or else the Isles' defense heads into the season with a lot of question marks.

Article: Islanders Not Looking To Add Vet Forward

Quick Stick-tap to our friends at Islandermania for this:

The New York Post reports Garth Snow and the Islanders will not be looking to add another veteran forward after the Brian Rolston trade. Speculation started because former Islanders Alexei Yashin and Miroslav Satan have recently been skating at Iceworks. 

"Right now, I don't have any plans to add another forward to our group," Snow told The Post. "As much as we'd like to add quality veterans, we're not going to box out our young guys."

Snow also stated they want to give young players such as Nino Niederreiter a chance to make the team out of training camp.

CH: There was a lot of speculation a few weeks back the Islanders were planning on bringing back former captain Alexei Yashin. Lately, it's somewhat died down a little but the fact that Josh Bailey has not been re-signed yet has been curious to some who think the two are related (I don't believe they are). When news broke that Miro Satan was skating at Iceworks, the speculation returned, which is why I assume Snow gave this interview. The fact is that neither of these guys are coming back barring a slew of injuries, and even in that case it would somewhat surprise me to see them back. Both players are slow, getting up there in age, and though a guy like Yashin may still be able to put points on the board, the other aspects of his game are lacking.

The key to this article was that Snow specifically stated he wasn't looking to add any forwards, but said nothing about trying to add a defenseman. It's common knowledge that the Islanders need a top-4 defenseman, and the inability to do so could classify this off-season as a failure. While we are still in wait-and-see mode, time is starting to run short. If Snow is determined to get a defenseman, he could still make it happen before training camp, most likely in early September. But as far as the news of the forward core being mostly set, well, that's certainly nothing else but expected.

Speculation: Re-Visiting Alexei Yashin and the Implications of Signing Him

Well, here we are again. We posted a piece on Yashin a few days back when it first came out that Alexei was talking with a few teams: some KHL, one NHL. Obviously, it was easy to put the pieces together. The former Islanders captain still has a relationship with owner Charles Wang, he has a history on Long Island with a team that doesn't get much interest to begin with, and he's a free agent. The worst kept secret in hockey the other day was that the Islanders were the team Yashin was negotiating with.

Fast forward to today, and Katie Strang confirms all of this (and more) on her blog on Newsday (complete with quotes from Snow and Yashin's agent Marc Gandler). Islandermania and Islanders Point Blank go up in a frenzy, so where does this leave us?

As I posted today on Twitter, this is a Charles Wang executive decision. While Garth Snow is going to get the scrutiny here, he is just doing what he is told. If you want to criticize Snow for that, go ahead. But let's focus on the real problem here. By even announcing that they are negotiating with the biggest fan pariah outside Kirk Muller in Islander history, they are showing they are more concerned about friendships than accountability. Yes, Charles Wang is a very loyal man - we've seen it on a few occasions - trying to make it work in Nassau County, the Rick DiPietro contract, and now this. A line needs to be drawn, however, and they are crossing that line.

There is a point of ridiculousness where the Islanders will be paying a player to play - the same player who they are currently paying NOT to play for them. You can call a buyout what you want, but it's essentially a firing with the severance package being the sum of money the player gets over the course of the term. The Islanders are actually contemplating bringing back a 37-year old Alexei Yashin after "firing" a 32-year old Alexei Yashin five years ago.

Of course, there are some pretty important cap implications when you take a closer look at it. The Islanders will be somewhere in the ballpark of $5 million under the floor after Blake Comeau's arbitration case. Yashin is 37 years old, which means he is eligible for 35+ bonuses, or the Doug Weight clause, if you will. The Isles can give him as many unattainable bonuses as they like, all of which will count on his cap hit. If they want to give him $500K for each playoff round won, they can do that. That's an extra $2 million right there. They may not even have to make a move for the defenseman everyone wants if they do this,

But before we get ahead of ourselves, this is still a hockey blog and not a PR blog. In this case, the two things certainly mix. From a hockey perspective, Yashin can help. He will not be brought in to be anything more than a support player, and one that could produce approximately 45 points and could fill in on a one-year term if a guy like Comeau is traded. That's not the point. You have to look at the whole package. Yashin, who is one of the nicest players in the business, carries too much "Islander baggage" for this thought to be at all tolerable. Yashin's problem has always been his killer instinct - he is not lazy and he does care about winning. He just won't go the extra mile to do so, and that is what has always kept him from being elite.

Obviously, there is no question this report comes at the worst possible time for the New York Islanders. With just ten days before the referendum vote, the Islanders need every fan's unconditional support. The problem is, bringing back Alexei Yashin was one of those conditions that will turn away a lot of people. The buzz from the fans just melted, and whether they sign him or not, the damage is essentially already done. It is clueless and without thought to the customers that have helped this franchise so much over the past few years. There really is just no other way to put it.

That said, anyone who is going to Vote NO because of this needs their head checked. We can argue forever about Yashin, but Charles Wang will not be here forever. It is up to us to make sure the Islanders are here for the foreseeable future. If that means a year of Alexei Yashin and more of Charles Wang's meddling ways, that's the trade-off. Do not sacrifice NHL hockey, jobs, an arena, Nassau County's future because the Islanders are thinking of doing the unthinkable. You will just be as shortsighted, if not more, than those who are voting no for the sake of voting no. It looks terrible, but hockey operations are different than the arena campaign. This needs to be a time when things are separated.

We will see how things play out over the next few days, but it's clear that a Yashin return is possible, if not even probable at this point.

-CH

Speculation: Free Agent Preview - The Defenseman

So the Christian Ehrhoff risk didn't work out. It happens, but now it's time to move on. Continuing our free agency preview, here are 16 defenseman the Islanders may take a chance on come July 1.

Top 4 Offensive Defenseman

Christian Ehrhoff - 14 G 36 A 50 P +19 - Could (Still) Be A Target
What, you think I'd leave him out? In all seriousness, Garth has said the door is shut and I believe him. But if Ehrhoff comes crawling back asking for the Isles offer, you think they'd say no? I doubt it. Chances are at about 0%, and the Isles won't take initiative. But you never know what happens on July 1.

Tomas Kaberle - 4 G 43 A 47 P +4 - Could Be A Target
Kaberle is declining, and he wouldn't be my first choice. But he is a "name" and someone that can come in to help Travis Hamonic. However, he doesn't really fill a need so I think they go in another direction.

Roman Hamrlik - 5 G 29 A 34 P +6 - Isles Target
If the Isles want a short-term option, a reunion with Roman Hamrlik could be in the cards. Hammer liked playing here, and played with front office members Garth Snow and Eric Cairns. He's still physical and can play a top-4 role, but anything more than 2 years (and that's pushing it) is excessive.

Ian White - 4 G 22 A 26 P +3 - Isles Target
White is only 27 years old and coming off a very good year in San Jose. This is the guy the Isles should be going after on July 1. It's not really fair to call him "offensive" since he's more of a two-way guy. He's a good "new" NHL defenseman and will fit right in.

Top 4 Defensive Defensemen

Steve Montador - 5 G 21 A 26 P +16 - Isles Target
Had a great year with the Sabres last year. If he makes it to FA tomorrow, the Isles should be all over his cell phone. Could come in and fill exactly what the team is looking for.

Andy Greene - 4 G 19 A 23 P -23 - Isles Target
Greene had a terrible year with New Jersey last year, which will lower his stock. Could be a perfect candidate for the Isles to swoop in for on July 1. Their type of defenseman as well.

Jan Hejda - 5 G 15 A 20 P -6 - Isles Target
One of the most underrated in the game, and should be one of the Isles top choices come July 1. Plenty of teams will be calling this guy.

Ed Jovanovski - 5 G 9 A 14 P +4 - Isles Target
He's getting up there in age, but can still really help the team. My personal #1 choice for the Isles, but it will really come down to if he wants to play on the East Coast. At this stage in his career, he may not have a choice.

Scott Hannan - 1 G 10 A 11 P +4 - Isles Target
Hannan, still somewhat young at 32, could come in on a short 2-way deal to help out. Depends what he wants - still hasn't won a Cup, and still may have some looks from contenders.

Bottom Pairing Offensive Defensemen

Anton Babchuk - 11 G 24 A 35 P +14 - Could Be A Target
This is a guy the Isles could look at as someone with untapped potential. He won't work on anything more than a 1 year deal, and I'm not sure they want to have 4 potential D UFA next year, so they are better off going elsewhere.

Bryan McCabe - 7 G 21 A 28 P +2 - Isles Target (But Shouldn't Be)
McCabe wants to be here, so if the Isles want him back he will be. His only role will be the shooter on the PP to Mark Streit's QB. Really though, stay away. This would not be an improvement.

Bottom Pairing Defensive Defensemen

Jonathan Ericsson - 3 G 12 A 15 P +8 - Isles Target
Misplaced on a stacked Detroit defense, Ericsson hasn't really had the chance to show what he can do. In a Mark Streit type fashion, the Isles may give him that chance.

Jim Vandermeer - 2 G 12 A 14 P -15 - Could Be A Target
In the "if the market runs dry" category of the day, Vandermeer would come in as a stopgap, but really wouldn't be much better than the Isles already have.

Jeff Woywitka - 2 G 9 A 11 P +5 - Could Be A Target
Like Vandermeer (and some guys under him), Woywitka is a Plan B if the Isles can't improve on the top four. All these guys would be fine on a one-year deal, but anything more is pushing it.

Kent Huskins - 2 G 8 A 10 P +8 - Could Be A Target
You can pretty much exactly copy what is written for Woywitka and place it here.

Shane O'Brien - 2 G 7 A 9 P +1 - Isles Target
O'Brien is very interesting. Still young, he has time to further improve his game. A mean, tough, physical defenseman, he may be a guy the Isles turn to if the market is not going their way.

AT: My top 3 choices for D-men would be Scott Hannan, Roman Hamrlik and Jan Hejda. All are getting up there in age, but the Islanders only need a 2-3 year stopgap until some of our prospects such as Mayfield, Donovan and Pedan can make it up the ranks. Hannan fills a role as a Brendan Witt type player who can throw big hits, put up a lot of ice time and be the defensive D-man the Isles so desperately need for the top 4 right now. Hamrlik, while 37, is a former Islander who I'm sure would be willing to come back to a team he has ties with for 2-3 years to finish up his career. He still contributes offensively, has a monster shot and plays a very efficient D game. Jan Hejda, as Carey said, is very underrated and could be the big winner for the Isles. Playing on Columbus will do that to you. Either one of these three would be a perfect fit for the top 4. I can only hope and pray the Isles do not go for Bryan McCabe. He is exactly what the Islanders DON'T need defensively and his skills have been on the decline. Same with Kaberle. We have Streit returning and a continuously improving Andrew MacDonald. They are not necessary as stopgaps. 

News: Talks Break Down Between Christian Ehrhoff, Islanders

Katie Strang has reported that contract negotiations between impending free agent defenseman Christian Ehrhoff and the New York Islanders have broken down this afternoon. 

The Islanders traded for Ehrhoff for a fourth-round pick in 2012 yesterday. 

CH: Lots to take in here. The fact is while this was a long shot, it was still worth a shot. Not enough details have come out to really analyze the situation, but this still has to be seen as a failure for the team in a way. Yes, Snow deserves a ton of credit for going out there and making a bold move for the best free agent defenseman on the market. Yes, Ehrhoff has the right and should test the free agent waters. And yes, the Islanders get shunned again.

Now, the team needs a Plan B, and not just a stopgap bottom-pairing defenseman like when they signed Andy Sutton in 2007. They need a true top-4 guy, whether it is through trade or FA, to make up for the potential they just lost in Ehrhoff. The team showed signs that failure is not acceptable, and now that theoretically they failed, the team isn't any better. Granted, they aren't worse either. But status quo got them 27th place in the NHL last season. We've talked about the improvements they needed to make, and Ehrhoff was the posterboy for that advancement.

There could be a multitude of reasons why Ehrhoff is not signing with the Islanders: money, situation, uncertainty, just wants to test UFA. Doesn't matter. The Isles should keep the offer on the table until July 1. Remember, he is still their property for another day. Things happen very quickly in these situations (I mentioned on Twitter James Wisniewski traded to Columbus would not help). If Ehrhoff feels tomorrow the Islanders will have a deal unmatched, maybe he changes his mind. But the chances of that happening are about 0%. Once noon on Friday hits, both sides should walk away. But the Islanders can't settle for status quo either.

Ehrhoff is a talented player and will certainly get a nice paycheck from a contending team, but I guarantee it won't be as much as the Islanders offered him. That's life as a perennial loser. Hard to judge Ehrhoff for potentially taking less to win, but at the same time being part of the solution makes a player's reputation soar. It's his decision, and we should respect that. Don't boo Ehrhoff because he didn't sign with the 27th place team when he comes to the Coliseum next year. It was an admirable shot in the dark, but that's all it was.

But again, the Isles have made an open attempt to improve the team. It didn't work. There has to be another try. If not, the summer of good feelings becomes excruciatingly underwhelming, which is exactly what the Islanders don't need with the biggest off-ice day in the franchise's history coming up just 32 days from now.

AT: This is a big PR hit. Maybe not as much as some have made it out to be, but it is. While I think most of his has to do with the fact that Ehrhoff did not want to play with a team that's in a 4 year playoff drought, it's going to make the team look poor. Word was that the Isles offered $6m a year to Ehrhoff - about $500k more than he's worth at this point. A decent overpayment to get a player of his caliber to play with the Isles. For him to turn it down hurts, but was also not unexpected at this point. This team has a stigma around it that is not a positive one and it's going to take success to break that. It's great that we have players like Grabner and now assistant coach Doug Weight professing their love for Long Island, but not everyone sees it like that. Hopefully Garth can still land a solid #2 (I'm on a full on Scott Hannan mode right now) in the free agency period and it appears that he will certainly try, but this hurts.

At the same time, we have to look at it from Ehrhoff's point of view. This ISN'T a team with a lot of success and he's coming from a team that came within a win of the Stanley Cup last year. He wants to compete, and that's good. I always feel that that's what separates the NHL from other leagues. It's really not about money for most players. We saw Dan Hamuis take a discount to play with Vancouver in order to win, and the same with Paul Martin signing for less with Pittsburgh. There's no Jayson Werths who sign for whichever team gives them a blank check. At least, it's not very common. I beg Islander fans not to go on an "I Hate Christian Ehrhoff" campaign. If you were in his position, you would probably test the market as well.

Draft: Reviewing the picks and the job Garth Snow did

Well, the fun of draft day is over once again. We look towards prospect camp and training camp in late Summer and hope all of our prospects can pan out. While most fans seem to be very pleased with this draft, we thought we'd give the Islanders grades on each prospect and a grade on the job the Islanders did as a whole. So let's begin.

Ryan Strome, C, 1st round, 5th overall
Islanders Central Draft Ranking: 7

AT: Couldn't have been happier with this pick. It was either Couturier, Strome or Hamilton in my eyes and we got one of them. A background with Tavares and Moulson, electric playmaker, blazing (although not quite Grabner like) speed, incredible hockey vision, incredible work ethic, and most importantly he seems to love the thought of playing on Long Island. While offense wasn't a huge problem last season, Strome will help the Islanders take the next step in getting to and succeeding in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

CH: There's nothing to be upset about regarding this pick. I know a lot of people wanted Dougie Hamilton here, but the potential for a top-end forward at #5 was too good to pass up. This was a clear winner with either Couturier or Strome. They went with Ryan Strome, who has a much higher boom potential. He works out with John Tavares and Matt Moulson, so he already knew a little bit about the organization. He's a righty shot, which will complement Tavares great - either on his wing or on the 2nd line, which means that the coaching still will be able to mix and match where they'd like. Not only that, but he's absolutely ecstatic to be an Islander. Great pick.

Alex's grade: A+
Carey's grade: A

Scott Mayfield, D, 2nd round, 34th overall
Islanders Central Draft Ranking: 33

AT: Big, mean defenseman who played for Youngstown of the USHL last year. Mayfield was originally slated to go in the late first round but with the draft being such a crapshoot, he fell. I was ecstatic with this pick as I originally hoped the Islanders would trade up to the late first in order to nab him. He fills the exact role that the Islanders are missing.

CH: Perfect pick at this spot. This was a BPA pick, and an organizational need pick. Mayfield is a bit of a project, in the sense that it will be a good 4-5 years before we see him on the team. That said, his potential from a defensive standpoint is great. He's a huge body who plays physical coming from a great league in the USHL to a great program in Denver. If all things go well, he will be a HUGE boom for this team. Even if they don't, he could still easily make the NHL at that size.

Alex's grade: A
Carey's grade: A

Johan Sundstrom, C/RW, 2nd round, 50th overall
Islanders Central Draft Ranking: 95

AT: An interesting pick by Garth. A center/RW who will inevitably be placed in a checking role, Sundstrom will be able to really show himself off with an upgraded role this coming season in the SEL. I'm not really sure if he was the best choice for the Isles as we are loaded down with centers, but it's always good to have depth. He will certainly be fighting for a spot when his time comes.

CH: A little bit of a reach here, but there are positives to look at as he is a top-100 prospect. Sundstrom played in the SEL last year at 17 years old, which is outstanding. He was great while playing with players in his age group, so he should be primed for a big WJC-20 in December. The most interesting thing about this pick is that he is a center, which gives the Isles an influx of centers in the organization. While he does have limited offensive upside, he does have the potential to fight for a spot on the bottom-6.

Alex's grade: B-
Carey's grade: C+

Andrei Pedan, D, 3rd round, 63rd overall
Islanders Central Draft Ranking: 82

AT: Another pick I absolutely love. Another big, strong D-man who we so desperately need. And he is big. Mayfield big. He and Mayfield could prove to be absolute bruisers on the Isles blueline in the future. Can not wait to see these two develop. He'll go back to Guelph in the OHL and work on his skills.

CH: Exactly what the Islanders need. If either he or Mayfield work out, the Islanders will be in great shape for years to come. He really picked his game up in the OHL playoffs last year, so if he can capitalize on that at the WJC for Russia and into the season for Guelph, the Isles may have a big sleeper on their hands. For a third round pick, there is much to like here.

Alex's grade: A
Carey's grade: B+

Robbie Russo, D, 4th round, 95th overall
Islanders Central Draft Ranking: 50

AT: He slipped quite a bit, but that happens in the later rounds. A smaller, puck moving defenseman, very similar to Matt Donovan who plays in the AHL right now. He'll never see top 4 minutes, but he could end up being a nice puck rushing D-man in the future.

CH: I had this guy pegged at 50, so to get him at 95 was good value. He's going to Notre Dame, so he'll play with Anders Lee there. He had a great WC-18 for the Americans. He has decent offensive upside, and he needs to work on his defensive game - but he has four more years to do that. I like this pick here, even if it's a little different from what the "theme" of the draft was.

Alex's grade: B
Carey's grade: B+

John Persson, RW, 5th round, 125th overall
Islanders Central Draft Ranking: NR

AT: Big, strong winger who likes to fight. Matt Martin-esque in style in that he's tough, but he can produce offensively. Don't really know how his game will translate to the NHL, so we'll just have to see.

CH: This was very interesting. I don't know that he was on anyone's radar, so maybe they could have waited on him. That said, the Isles took an overager in Tony DeHart last year (opted not to sign him) and it didn't work out. Persson had a very good second season for Red Deer, may see time with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins this year. Very low risk, most likely medium reward type of pick, but he'll get a year to show what he can do. A top-50 pick in Seth Ambroz was still on the board here, so tough to call this pick great or terrible.

Alex's grade: B-
Carey's grade: C

Brendan Kichton, D, 5th round, 127th overall
Islanders Central Draft Ranking: NR

AT: Played very well with Spokane in the regular season as well as in the playoffs. Another puck moving D-man (similar to De Haan), but is on the smaller side. Not sure if he'll ever make it to the Islanders or the NHL.

CH: Smaller defenseman who put up huge offensive numbers for Spokane last year. The Islanders drafted a similar type in Jared Spurgeon in 2008, who made the Minnesota Wild this past year. Very high reward here, as he is also an overager, so this year will determine a lot for him as well.

Alex's grade: C
Carey's grade: C

Mitchell Theoret, C, 7th round, 185th overall
Islanders Central Draft Ranking: NR

AT: Seems to have an offensive upside but it's yet to be seen after being limited in his role with Niagara. Very hard to rate this one right now. Did play with Strome, so hopefully he can help him turn into something great.

CH: Like Alex said, hard to rate. They say he does have some offensive upside, but more likely if he gets to the NHL it will be as an enforcer type role (had six fights last year). A teammate of Ryan Strome, the Isles saw a lot of him and I'm sure Strome was very happy to see his teammate drafted. No rating here - at this point, they were playing with house money.

Overall grade:

AT: This was a great draft for Snow. While it hurts to miss out on a franchise D-man like Larsson who would have been ours had the Devils not fixed won the draft lottery, I'm very happy with Strome and the rest of the picks, especially Mayfield. Garth restocked the D corps as was much needed and added dynamic offensive talent to the already stocked prospect pool. This was a successful draft that addressed the needs of a talent pool that was not too long ago quite empty. Good job, Garth.

CH: Very good draft here, maybe the best since 2008. They drafted 3 C, 4 D, and 1 LW, so it's an even spread across the board. Not only that, they also separated the signing deadlines for these players. Strome, Pedan, and Theoret have two years to be signed. Kichton and Persson must be signed by next June. They also have Mayfield and Russo going to college, which means they have four years to sign them. It means they will have ample time to realize what they have.

Alex's grade: A-
Carey's grade: B+

Speculation: Martinek Won't Be Back Next Season

New York Islanders

According to Chris Botta at Islanders Point Blank, the Islanders will most likely not bring defenseman Radek Martienk back to Long Island next season. Martinek has been an Islander his entire career, since 2001-02 and has played 453 games for the team. Botta implies that Snow may be looking for an upgrade on the defensive corps in free agency, which begins July 1.

CH: To me, this is the most prudent move by Snow and the Islanders. There is no question Martinek was a very good Islander - he played here for a long time at a high level. But he is getting up there in age, and he's always had questions about his durability. The Islanders already have 6 defensemen under contract for next season: Mark Streit, Mark Eaton, Milan Jurcina, Andrew MacDonald, Travis Hamonic, and Mike Mottau. They also have three restricted free agents in Ty Wishart (will be back), Jack Hillen (debatable), and Bruno Gervais (extremely unlikely), not to mention prospects such as Calvin de Haan and Matt Donovan, who are just a little Bridgeport seasoning away from potentially making an NHL impact.

The Islanders, without question, need to upgrade their defense. The team finished 27th in goals against last season, which is not good enough. With Martinek as a free agent, he is the easiest to let go, as he is a fringe top-4 guy, but more likely a 3rd pairing guy on good teams. So while guys like de Haan and Donovan develop, the team needs to bring in a top-4 guy like Eric Brewer (reportedly close to an extension with Tampa Bay), who will be here for the next few years as the team transitions from lottery team to playoff contender. Martinek does not fit that profile. That said, keeping the door open is also smart. If the Islanders happen to strike out in free agency on the back end, bringing in Martinek for one more year will make sense. Either way, the team cannot go into next season with the same D-corps as this season. Martinek will land on his feet either in the NHL or in Europe, and I wish him the absolute best.

AT: While Martinek was, quite amazingly, the most healthy D-man last year, it's time for the Isles to move on. He's a solid D-man but the Isles NEED to get better, and with the possibility of a top 4 d-man coming in and a bottom pairing of Eaton and Jurcina with Hillen and Mottau as the 7 and 8, there's just very little room for Martinek. I see Garth going hard for someone like Scott Hannan if he fails to draft Hamilton with the 5th pick. Martinek was a great guy and nothing but nice and I wish him the best, but it's time for the Isles to push this rebuild into 2nd gear.

Speculation: What Will The Islanders Do With Pick #5?

According to both Katie Strang and Chris Botta, the Islanders are considering moving the #5 pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, either for another draft slot in the first round (before or after #5) or for a legitimate high-end NHL player. 

The 2011 NHL Entry Draft is next Friday, June 24 at 8 PM and continues on Saturday, June 25 in St. Paul, Minnesota.

CH: Major props to Brian Compton, who has been saying the Islanders should consider this route for months on Islanders Interactive, his online show with Chris Botta. The Islanders have a few options here, as both Strang and Botta mention. First, let's look at moving the pick for a player. Botta goes into mentioning Jeff Carter in his piece. There's little question the Flyers have to move a piece if they want to sign Ilya Bryzgalov, but reports have come out that they won't move Carter. Carter, 26, is signed for 11 more years at a cap hit over $5 million. Aside from that, no names have spurred up yet which is unsurprising. Things happen at the draft ever year that no one sees coming. From Chris Pronger to Philadelphia to last year's trade between Vancouver/Florida, it's clear sometimes these things develop on the floor that night.

AT: I've seen reports of Carter to Columbus for their 1st round pick and Jakub Voracek. I've also seen reports saying Philly will not under any circumstances move Carter. If they want Ilya, they're going to have to move a player or two.

CH: I'm very cautious about moving a top 5 pick for a veteran, but it really depends on the deal itself. For me there's a few guidelines. First, the player must be signed for an additional 3-5 years - at least. We all know how hard it is to get people to sign on Long Island, for reasons will documented by both the team and its fans (not just the arena). It makes little sense to trade for a player like Alex Semin (who I don't want anyway), who is under contract for just one more season. He also needs to be a high character player - we don't need another Kirk Muller situation. Even if they aren't thrilled to come to a rebuilding team or even to Long Island, they need to be cheerful about it and they need to be ready to play. Just like Ryan Smyth was during his short Islander tenure. Finally, the trade needs to make sense. They don't need to make a splash to make a splash. For example, trading for Alex Semin won't help the team that much. Sure, his 40 goals are nice but he is not a three-zone player and I'm not so sure he is the type of player to propel this team to the playoffs.

AT: An extension past 1 year MUST come with this deal should it happen. Giving up the 5th spot that becomes a player that will be in the organization for many years should come with equal amount of years in the player that's being traded for. I don't want Semin for a year, I want a solid winger or D-man who will help this franchise for 3+ years.

CH: Secondly, regarding moving up and down in the draft. I'm not opposed to this, but quite frankly I think they are best suited to stay at 5. They are going to get a top prospect there as long as they pick one of the consensus top 8. They have two second round picks and two third round picks. The team picks 5 times in the first 65 and 6 times in the first 100. If they want to trade pick 50 or 63/65 to move back a few spots and get another pick in that range, that's okay, but they should stand pat at 5. Since there is not much of a tiered structure to this draft, I don't think it's necessary to get back in the first round UNLESS they can get back in the top 15. A trade like that may include a roster player. I definitely do not want to see this team move any 2012 picks. There's no guarantee they will make the playoffs, and there's no guarantee they won't be in the lottery. There is zero reason to take any chances just yet, and doing so would be irresponsible.

AT: IMO, the prime situation for the Isles is to trade up to get another 1st round pick in addition to the 5th spot, much like they did in 2009 to get Calvin De Haan (though I believe they already had a 1st round pick) at the 12th spot. Draft a forward like Huberdeau, Couturier, Zibanejad or Landeskog at the 5th spot and then a solid looking D-Man like Klefbom, Siemens or Beaulieu should they fall far enough.

Overall, the Islanders certainly have options, but unless some incredible deal comes along, they are best suited at picking at the number 5 slot next Friday.

Opinion: Fourth Line Scrappers

Today on Islanders Point Blank, Chris Botta writes about how the Islanders are looking to bring back Trevor Gillies and Micheal Haley, but let Zenon Konopka go. Let's go down the line, one-by-one:

Trevor Gillies - 39 GP, 2 G, 0 A, -3, 165 PIM

Big 2010-11 Moments: Scoring vs. NYR, Eric Tangradi Hit, Scrap vs. Eric Godard


CH: Let's start with Gillies. I don't like this decision at all. By all accounts Trevor is a great guy and a great teammate, but he just doesn't bring enough to the table. Forget the fact that his hit on Eric Tangradi was the one deplorable Islander decision during that game. Forget the fact that he was suspended for 19 out of 20 games on two separate incidents. The fact of the matter is that there are about 50 other guys that can provide the same aspects to the team, on the ice and off it, that Gillies can. From a PR perspective, this makes no sense. Public relations and perception shouldn't matter, but we aren't talking about buying out Alexei Yashin here. This player is a minor role player, so it can be taken into account. This summer has widely been considered a major coup for the Islanders. Why ruin that by signing a goon?

AT: I think the major part of this was the fact that he was a huge locker room guy and very "in" with management. The difference between him and Z even though they both hold those traits is that Gillies knows he's a #13 and two-way player and will be his entire career. I don't think Z would be very happy with that, so the decision to bring back Gillies seemed logical. Again, as a #13 and on a two-way, I have absolutely no problem with this. Just don't pull a Sim on us, Trevor.

Micheal Haley - 27 GP, 2 G, 1 A, -4, 85 PIM

Big 2010-11 Moments: Goal vs. Pittsburgh, Fighting Max Talbot and Brent Johnson in the same game, Fighting Sean Avery

AP

CH: Bringing back Haley should be an absolute no-brainer. I don't necessarily think he should be a full-time NHL player, but he certainly is capable of playing at the level when he needs to. For division games, he is a major asset to have on the fourth line. He can scrap and he can play. Haley provides organizational depth where he can produce at Bridgeport and produce on Long Island in different roles. I still would look to upgrade the fourth line as far as point total and defensive play goes, but if the bottom-6 needs a fill-in, this is your guy for 2011-12. Love this idea, as long as it is two-way and he doesn't play every game.

AT: Haley is one of my favorite Islanders of recent years. He brought back that "snarl" so to speak that the Islanders were missing. He sticks up for his teammates without being stupid about it, he's not afraid to drop the gloves and does so quite efficiently, and he has a scoring touch. He did have 12 goals on the Sound Tigers. A two way deal is the best option and I'm really hoping he gets it. He'll be at the draft party and Botta indicated it shall be done soon, so we should see it happen soon.

Zenon Konopka - 82 GP, 2 G, 7 A, -14, 307 PIM

Big 2010-2011 Moments - Changing the culture of the Islanders, Teaching Max Talbot a lesson, "We are not a doormat"

CH: I liked Konopka a lot, but fact is letting him go is not the end of the world. The Islanders finished 27th place in the NHL last year, which means no spots are safe - especially that of the fourth line center. Konopka is a face-off whiz, but after that his play leaves a lot to be desired. He isn't good defensively or offensively, and sometimes lets his mouth run a little more than he should. He did so much for this team this year, as far the locker room goes. I do believe Konopka was the driving force behind the belief the Islanders now have in themselves. If the Islanders can go out and get a guy like Craig Adams (signed with PIT today) to play on their fourth line, they will be in a much better position for 2011-12. Fact is they have guys who can fight in that role already (Martin), which is what Konopka is really good for. Now, they need a defensive minded player who can take face-offs. If he has a mean streak, all the better.

AT: I originally wanted Z back, but honestly he doesn't bring much to the table once he takes the faceoff. He's not really a "good" hockey player. Great guy, great locker room presence, but big locker room guys are a dime a dozen in this league. I thank Konopka for being part of that re-ignition of snarl that the Islanders seem to have back, but his time here is up. The Islanders need to improve. Z's not going on a two-way. It's time to part ways.

Draft: NHL Draft Combine Held This Past Week

Getty Images

Last week, the NHL Draft Combine took place in Toronto. The prospects come in for the week and interview with whichever NHL organizations want to talk to them, complete fitness testing, and get to know the other draft prospects. This post will be the first of many dialoguing our thoughts on the June 24 draft. 

If you want to read more about the Draft Combine, please visit TSN for videos and articles on the process.


CH: The draft is probably my favorite part of the hockey year other than the games. I have gotten very into the process even before the Islanders rebuild started, as it is always fun to see how happy these players become when they hear their names called. This year, the draft could go in 100 different directions, and that's just being mild. From an Islander standpoint, all we know is Garth Snow will choose the player he feels best fits the Islanders. The top 8 projected picks are listed on the right sidebar, but we've now heard that Mika Zibenajad, a Swedish center is rising fast much like Ryan Johansen did last year. We will be profiling each of the top 10 prospects before the draft as well as giving a composite, which will serve as our rankings, of a few different rankings before the draft.