Season Preview: Matt Moulson

Matt Moulson

Position: Left Wing

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 209 lbs

Birthdate: November 1, 1983 (27 years old)

Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Acquired: Signed Free Agent from Los Angeles Kings (2009)

2010-2011 Teams: New York Islanders

2010-2011 Stats (NYI): 82 GP - 31 G - 22 A - 53 P - 24 PIM

2011-2012 Team: New York Islanders

Team Role: Top Line Wing

Last year: Though he finished his first full NHL season with 30 goals, Matt Moulson came into training camp for the 2010-11 season with something to prove. That he could do it again. And do it again he did, scoring 31 goals for the Isles playing in all 82 games alongside top line center John Tavares. Through his two years as an Islander, Moulson has not missed one game. He has scored 61 goals and has established himself as a legitimate top-6 NHL left wing. He has found a home on Long Island and recently signed a new three year extension that keeps him with the team until 2014, bypassing the chance at unrestricted free agency. Moulson joins Tavares, Michael Grabner, and Kyle Okposo as recent Islanders to be extended long-term. He's definitely come a long way since being drafted by Pittsburgh.

Expectations: Quite simply, Moulson is essentially a proven goal scorer in the league now. With two 30 goal seasons under his belt, it's fair to say he should score around that many again, even if he does fall a little short of 30. As he enters the prime of his career with a guy like John Tavares ready to break out, it's possible he gets to 35. Either way, if Moulson keeps doing what he's been doing, he will have another very productive year from the Islanders, and will be a key cog as the team tries to push for the playoffs this upcoming season.

Projections: 80 GP - 31 G - 24 A - 55 P

Thoughts:

CH: What was once a simple depth signing for Bridgeport has turned into an absolute coup for the Islanders. Whether he was signed because of Tavares' presence in the organization or not, Moulson has proven to be a key part of the Islanders' transition from bottom-feeders to potential playoff team. Moulson does all the little things well - he works hard, goes into the dirty areas, and has a knack for getting the puck where it needs to be. In a sentence, he plays a similar style to Mark Parrish in his prime. Maybe that will eventually take a toll on his body like it did Parrish, but at his age (28 in November), there's no reason to think he'll slow down any time over the next 5 or so seasons. Moulson is here to stay, here to contribute, and here to help the Islanders win games.

AT: Moulson's going into his prime about now, and his 30 goal mark should be achieved once again playing with a playmaker in PA Parenteau and an all around superstar in John Tavares. He's playing on the top line getting top line minutes and he certainly has the accuracy you'd expect out of a top line left winger. Moulson was originally brought in as a favor to John Tavares, but he has exceeded even the most optimistic of people's expectations of him. He was an experiment that ended up producing a player with 61 goals in 2 years of play. Nothing short of impressive. Look for Moulson to have a great season once again. I mean, how could you not when you're rocking the coolest last name in the NHL. 

Signing: Isles Sign F Sean Backman

The Islanders announced today that they have signed AHL depth forward Sean Backman to a one year, two way deal. Backman played 4 years with the Yale Bulldogs and played a year with the Dallas Stars' affiliate last year, racking up a little over 20 points. Most notably is that Backman happens to be Matt Moulson's brother in law.

AT: As I've always said, after Bridgeport's abysmal season last year, I'll take any improvement on the team, regardless of where. Backman had some decent stats playing for Yale and played okay for his first year at the minor league level, so he should be able to slot in about 30-40 points playing on the bottom 6 forward slot at Bridgeport, and unless he shocks the world with his play will not be called up to the Islanders any time soon.

He happens to be Matt Moulson's brother in law (and at this point I question if Moulson has any brother in laws who don't play hockey... his other is Jonathan Quick of the Kings) which clearly had a lot to do with this signing. While some might see giving favors to players in the form of signing their relatives is a sort of hockey spoils system, we need to remember that Moulson himself was invited to the Islanders training camp in 2009 because of his relationship with John Tavares. Sometimes, these things work out, and again, there is no way Backman sees any NHL time unless he performs at an elite level in camp or he outshines everyone at Bridgeport. With new forwards Casey Cizikas (most likely), Tim Wallace and Tyler McNeely as well as the returning Jeremy Colliton, Rhett Rakhshani and David Ullstrom, it's hard to see Backman outshining anyone right out of the gate.

CH: Nothing wrong with adding a bit of depth here. Backman reminds me of a Sean Bentivoglio type player - undersized, speedy, can fill in on a top-9 role in the AHL. The Islanders need these types of players to hold down the fort, especially if they have guys like Tim Wallace and Rhett Rakhshani coming up every so often. It's obvious that Moulson's connection is a reason this signing was made, but who cares? The fact is, as Alex pointed out, that Moulson was partly brought in because of his relationship with John Tavares. It's good to keep these connections in-house. It makes the organization come together as it shows a sense of loyalty to the players. Maybe Backman won't make an impact, but this is still a worthwhile signing. Organizationally, the Islanders are better off with Backman today, a guy who can maybe score 30 points in the AHL.

Draft: Islanders Select Ryan Strome With 5th Overall Pick

Tonight at the NHL Draft, the New York Islanders selected Niagara IceDogs center Ryan Strome with the 5th overall pick. Strome is a 6'0" 175 pound center, who shoots right, and had 31 goals and 106 points for Niagara in the Ontario Hockey League last season. 

Strome joins Nino Niederreiter, Brock Nelson, John Tavares, Calvin de Haan, Josh Bailey, and Kyle Okposo as first round picks made by the Islanders since 2006.

New York Islanders

CH: I predicted this pick, and I absolutely love it. Strome is a very talented center who has outstanding skills, speed, and shot. He is more of a playmaker than center, and should slide in as the second line center for years to come unless the Islanders move him to right wing. If they move him to the wing, he will be a perfect complement to John Tavares, as not only to their styles complement each other well, but they shoot on opposite sides meaning set-ups will come fairly easy for these two.

Strome knows John Tavares and Matt Moulson from their training in the Mississauga/Oakdale area in Ontario. General Manager Garth Snow said that Tavares gave Strome a great scouting report, which helped his cause. Strome seemed genuinely excited to be picked by the Islanders in his interview with James Duthie, which leads me to believe that Tavares and Moulson told him great things about the organization.

As far as the future goes, Strome is not physically ready for the NHL. I believe the Islanders learned their lesson with Josh Bailey, so I would be absolutely shocked to see Strome in the NHL next season. It's possible that we may not even see him until 2013-14. That said, his potential is outstanding because of his skillset, so it will absolutely be worth the wait. The only downside on Strome is his physicality, but he will have time to grow into his body to make a seamless transition to the NHL.

Next year, Strome will be a leader on the IceDogs and should be an absolute lock for the Canadian World Junior Championship U-20 team. He does have things to work on, but given the amount of character this player has, I'm confident he will improve on the assets that he's lacking a little in.

The Islanders now have one of the top-5 prospect pools in the NHL, and that's not being a homer. Corey Pronman from Hockey Prospectus even suggested the Islanders may have the best prospect line in the NHL. This was an outstanding pick by the New York Islanders as the rebuild is finally ready to take the next step.

AT: I wanted one of Strome, Couturier or Hamilton. I got one. Extremely pleased with this pick. Strome will either be the 2nd line center (imagine the speed of him + Grabner) behind Tavares or will slot in on right wing to feed JT and Matt Moulson. He fits right into organizational need of a playmaker and a sniper and will definitely go back to an already stacked Niagara team. I see little reason that he could or should make the NHL next year. He needs to add some weight and refine his skills a bit and ensure us that this year was not a fluke. With everything we've seen, I can definitely say it was not.

Strome joins an abundance of centers in the Isles organization. Tavares, Bailey, Nielsen, Nelson, Cizikas, Lee, Ullstrom and Strome create a huge influx of organizational depth that should last for years. One of which (most likely Ullstrom or Nelson) can always be expendable as well.

The Islanders will have four more picks in the top 100 tomorrow, including two second round picks (34 and 50), one third round pick (63), and one fourth round pick (94).