Prospect Update: BU Star Corey Trivino arrested on attempted rape charges

Isles 2008 2nd round pick Corey Trivino, who was evolving into a major prospect for the Islanders after a frustrating first three years at Boston University, was dismissed from the team earlier today. Trivino allegedly forced his way into the room of a Resident Assistant on three separate occasions throughout the night and groped/kissed the RA against her will. Trivino was arrested and may have charges brought up against him if the RA decides to go down that path.

AT: Very disappointing. Leading the Hockey East in goals this year after 3 disappointing years at BU, Trivino was really looking like a special player. Smart defensively, a nice release on his wrist shot, and a very Frans Nielsen-lite style of play. This is inexcusable, however. Trivino has had alcohol related problems in the past, where he was found to be drinking underage and subsequently showed up late to a disciplinary bike ride that the team had assigned him. I'm a realist, and I know college kids drink underage. I am a college student myself after all and so is Carey. We both know it's commonplace. Yet when you're a senior and it's your last season of college hockey, you need to straighten your act up and start acting like an adult. It's clear that Trivino has not done so yet. It's always possible he'll still be signed to an ELC by the Islanders, although the chances of that occurring seem quite lower now. There have been other players in the league who have come back from terrible incidents caused by their own will - Dany Heatley after his accident and Patrick Kane after the cabbie incident, to name a few - but it should be interesting to see what path the Islanders take with him.

Prospects: Kabanov still having trouble playing

In further obstruction to Kabanov playing in juniors this season, IslandersCentral has learned that forward Kirill Kabanov, who was recently traded to the Shawinigan Cataractes, must receive a release from the Ice Hockey Federation of Russia in order to play in a game.

We had all been hoping that this trade would be the end of Kabanov's issues for playing time, but as we know considering his history, nothing's ever drama free even when you think it is. This is by no means Kabanov's fault, but is certainly another roadblock in his final year of juniors.

When questioned about Kabanov, Cataractes coach Vellieux responded that Kabanov has been practicing since arriving in Shawinigan and his practice time is a reflection of what's to come: "He's smart with the puck. He's got great vision and he can put the puck right on your tape even if he's got someone on his back. I also liked his compete-level, as he was really intense during the practices. He's a young kid who really wanna learn and who asks a lot of questions. He's brought some fresh air to the group". 

While it may take up to 14 days to gain his release, the fact that Kabanov is at least training and working hard while not able to play is a positive sign. Even if he only gets to play in 40 or so games this year, it's better than nothing. He's just learning the ways of Shawinigan's chemistry right now and bonding with his teammates, so it's not a total loss as of right now. The sooner he can get into a game the better, but right now he just has to face one more roadblock before finishing up his junior career. 


- AT

Prospects: Kirill Kabanov traded to Shawinigan Cataractes

After accepting a 1 month tryout with SEL team Farjestad, Kirill Kabanov was traded from QMJHL team Blainville-Broisband Armada to the Shawinigan Cataractes, as so to give him a spot on a roster and the ability to play.

AT: Finally, this situation has been resolved. Of course, Kabanov will have to find chemistry with his new linemates once again, but being a 19 year old in a junior league he should find his way on to the top 6 in the depth chart and considering his skill should have no problem producing. According to his Facebook, he seems ecstatic to just have a place to play. Though the Cataractes have already played a solid amount of games, there is no doubt Kabanov will still have a solid chunk of the season to play through and hopefully help guide the Cataractes to the playoffs.

Prospects: Kabanov Unhappy with North America/NHL?

Journalist Dmitry Chesnokov reported that Islanders prospect Kirill Kabanov, in an interview with Sports.ru, spoke on his current situation with Blainville-Boisbriand of the QMJHL. The team has two international players on their roster already, and due to QMJHL stipulations, must either sit out or play in Europe. Kabanov expressed his frustration, although has recently refuted his statements via social media.

AT: This is such a shame. After developing such a solid chemistry with his linemates on Lewiston last year, Kabanov had to suffer one heartbreak when his team was dissolved and he was drafted to Blainville-Boisbriand (then the Montreal Juniors) in a special draft. Now, he's unable to even play hockey, and it's up to the Islanders and Kabanov to figure out a situation as to where he can play. Right now, it's looking like the most likely situation for Kabanov would be playing for a team in the Swedish Elite League or going back to the Kontinental Hockey League in Russia. Kabanov can technically still play in the QMJHL if Viktor Hertzberg, another international player playing with the Armada, leaves the team. That does seem likely seeing as how he's had a lot of injuries and may not even be able to continue playing hockey, but as of right now everything is still up in the air.

That leaves the two most likely options: He can be loaned out to either the SEL or the KHL. Neither league is known for giving young prospects much playing time, and Kabanov, even with his talent, will be no exception. It would be wise to loan him out to a team like Frolunda (SEL) or Ak Bars (KHL) so he can play with other Isles prospects Johan Sundstrom and Kirill Petrov, respectively. He'll be playing 4th line minutes, but he'll be playing, and that's the most important thing right now. Better to play 5 minutes a game than to dwell on Long Island losing over a year of development time.

As for Kabanov's comments, I wouldn't be too concerned about them. Kabanov has come a long way since his days of immaturity as a 16 and 17 year old teenager, and has shown massive progress in his desire to be a better person and player. He is clearly upset that he's not playing right now and at the instability in his life, and as a fellow 19 year old I can understand how such major instability at an age like this can cause an incredible amount of stress. He has some extra kinks to work out in his career, but I have faith that he'll be able to. It will only create an even better story for when he develops into the player we know he can be.

CH: I do agree that Kabanov's comments were taken out of context and that there was a translation error in talking about his happiness in North America. After looking fully into this situation, I expect Kabanov to end up in Sweden, though it's still too early to say. After all of the disparaging remarks he made towards the KHL, it seems unlikely that he will be able to go back there even if he currently has a standing offer. Obviously, Kabanov has a lot of talent so getting him a place to play is the first priority. The rest will all take care of itself as he will most likely be in Bridgeport to start next season.

The Isles made the correct decision in not keeping him in the NHL, as he is not ready to play at that level. At 19 years old, Bridgeport unfortunately is not an option due to the NHL/CHL agreement. While it would be nice to make an exception in this rare case, there is no loophole in the rule regarding a team's overabundance of European players. So that leaves a teenager with no place to play as we works on his fourth team in the last three seasons. Some of that is his fault, but the poor kid can't catch a break. All the Isles can do is hope that this is not a wasted year for Kabanov.

Prospect Report: September 17, 2011

September 17, 2011

SEL - Frolunda - 2, Lulea - 1
Johan Sundstrom - 0 G, 1 A, 0 PIM
Season: 3 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 2 PIM

Prospect Report: September 15, 2011

September 15, 2011

SEL: Frolunda - 4, MODO - 1
Johan Sundstrom - 0 G, 0 A, 0 PIM
Season: 2 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 2 PIM

Prospect Report: September 13, 2011

This daily post will detail the results of all the prospects - how they and their team are doing. It will be posted at approximately 10:30 AM EST every morning.

September 13, 2011

SEL: Frolunda - 2, Vaxjo - 0
Johan Sundstrom - 0 G, 0 A, 2 PIM
Season: 1 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 2 PIM

KHL: Ak Bars - 5, Dinamo Riga - 2
Kirill Petrov - 2 G, 0 A, +1, 0 PIM
Season: 1 GP, 2 G, 0 A, +1, 0 PIM

Prospects: Recap - Blue wins Scrimmage 9-8

The Islanders held their annual Blue and White Scrimmage on Saturday, July 19th at Nassau Coliseum. The game included two 25 minute periods and a skills competition that ended with a Blue victory, coming from behind to win it in the breakaway competition on a shot by Nino Niederreiter. 

AT: What a great game. In the main game we saw some fantastic play from UND's Brock Nelson, incredibly strong play from Notre Dame's Anders Lee who scored 2 goals and was going hard all night and very strong goaltending from Sweden's Anders Nilsson. The most notable for me was Ryan Strome. Strome scored 2, one on a penalty shot and another later in the game on an incredible slapshot from the right. He has truly shown why he deserved to be picked 5th overall and is going to be a major part of this organization's core for years to come. Not to mention his dazzling highlight reel goal in the breakaway competition which I will get to in a second.

The game was also rife with "Vote YES" advertisements, one of which was from Clark Gillies, another from Boomer Esiason as well as a general commercial on why losing the Coliseum would be a terrible thing for Long Island. There were also statements from Wang and Snow during the game on why we need to invest in order to grow. Great job by the Isles to be stepping up their PR campaign.

Lastly, there was the skills competition. Matt Donovan showed why he is on a quick pace to be in the NHL next year with his 95MPH slapshot. Strome had a ridiculous spin around goal in the breakaway competition and Anders Nilsson stopped 6/6 shots in the relay. All in all, all of our prospects showed their talent off beautifully and we saw some lesser thought of players show why they deserved to be picked by the team. A great game, a great job by the Isles media crew to stream the game for free, and a great night.

CH: I was at the game and was able to stay in the season ticket holder's lounge (thanks to my cousin), so I was able to watch the game right up against the glass. Obviously, from that angle it is very hard to see plays develop, but with players right in front of your face, it was very easy to see skill sets of certain players, so just going to go down the list here (mostly on the blue team, with some white):

Calvin de Haan looks incredibly more refined as a player now than he did when he was drafted. His skating was outstanding, he looks filled out, made smart defensive plays, played physical in front of the net and the boards. Though he was offensively hesitant, towards the end of the game he seemed more confident with the puck and scored a goal. Definitely needs a year (or a half year) in Bridgeport, but he's got the potential to be a very good defenseman.

Brock Nelson and Anders Lee were dominant for the white team. Both of these players have outstanding hands and an outstanding nose for the net. Every shift it seemed like they were cycling behind the net or whacking away at rebounds in front of the goalie. They really had great chemistry. This was the first time I saw Lee play, and came away very impressed by him. Nelson looked ten times better this year than last year - way more confident, more filled out. Given his size, another year or two at North Dakota and he will be able to make an impact at the NHL.

Ryan Strome has an outstanding skillset. He's skating, stickhandling, shot (as we saw on that blister), vision, and hockey sense are all high-end. He did not dominate, but rarely do we see a first round talent dominate these - Tavares and Niederreiter did not. Obviously, his move in the shootout sticks out move, but his overall skillset is top level. He needs another year in junior to fill out and get stronger, but he should be ready to go next season.

Nino Niederreiter looked decent this year, but really did not have a lot of chemistry with Ryan Strome and Kirill Kabanov. His skating improved somewhat, but he certainly is not fast. Nino is going to have to get a little stronger as well, as being knocked down on the boards by Rhett Rakhshani was really not good and against stronger NHL players, he will suffer as well. This is only a one game scrimmage, so not much to take away from Nino other than that he has great skills, but it just wasn't his night. The same really goes for Kirill Kabanov, who is a very good skater but really didn't put it all together last night.

Of the goalies, Anders Nilsson was absolutely outstanding. People have been touting this guy up for a year, and you can see why. He is big, both tall and filled out. He is extremely mobile in net, and showed it in the skills competition stopping all 6 shots from close range. You could even see Casey Cizikas skate by and say "It's impossible!" Nilsson has a very bright future ahead of him, and the combination of him and Kevin Poulin in Bridgeport next year will do wonders for that team - who sorely needs quality goaltending.

Obviously, that is just a glimpse of what we saw last night. It was a fun night that really gets you excited about the future of this team.

Prospects: Mayfield To USA Camp; Strome Contract? Not Yet

Kevin Allen has reported that Scott Mayfield has been invited to the USA Junior Evaluation Camp, which is the first step to being on the roster of the 2012 United States WJC-20 team in December.

CH: Mayfield is a top American talent, so it was surprising in itself that he was not on the original roster for the camp, but the fact is he is there now, and he'll have plenty of opportunity to showcase his skills. If USA Hockey needs his type of defenseman on the backline, they may go for him but with other options like Derek Forbort available, it may not be his time yet. And that's okay. He is clearly on the radar of USA Hockey and could be a shoe-in for the 2013 team as long as his play keeps up. For now, this is a great first step to showcase his skills.

AT: High hopes for Mr. Mayfield. He's still very young and Forbort, as Carey mentioned, is available. As he progresses in terms of skill and age, he will get the time he needs.

In other news, Katie Strang is reporting that Ryan Strome's camp and Garth Snow have not started discussions on an entry level deal. She did say, however, that the two sides will "touch base after camp."

CH: Deals have already been signed for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Mika Zibanejad, among others, but this is far from a big deal. Last year, Nino Niederreiter did not receive an ELC until training camp, and I expect the same for Strome. The Islanders are not in any rush to get this done, as they hold his rights until June 2013. It's obvious that Strome wants to be an Islander, and it's obvious the Islanders want him, so when they do sit down and talk, it should be a relatively smooth negotiation. Of course, if they want to do a deal this summer, his contract would not start until his 10th NHL game (in a single season), so the Islanders would have the option to slide the contract back a few years, much like they have done with Calvin de Haan. Regardless, signing Strome will have zero bearing on his chances to make the NHL squad. It's just something the team can do sooner rather than later, which

AT: Strome was wearing his Isles jersey even on the 2nd day of the draft. A deal will get done. Unlike Nino, I doubt he even gets the 9 game tryout after it is signed though. Strome is still fairly small and needs to bulk up. Nino at least had a body that was ready for NHL play. He will receive his contract soon and be developed properly. As it should be.

Prospects: From Lemons To Lemonade - An Organization Transformation

CH: Those who read this blog know I am far from a kool-aid drinker. But there is a lot to be said about the transformation of the Islanders prospect pool from the day Mike Milbury left to today. It wouldn't be fair to give all the credit to Garth Snow, as former Isles GM Neil Smith led the 2006 Draft. That was a watershed draft for the Islanders, as they have had three graduates from that draft, with two playing in prominent roles for the Isles. They are of course, Kyle Okposo (first round), Andrew MacDonald (sixth round), and Jesse Joensuu (second round).

They joined, at the time, a decent enough prospect pool with future NHLers Blake Comeau, Frans Nielsen, Sean Bergenheim, Jeff Tambellini, and Bruno Gervais. Headlined by Ryan O'Marra, Robert Nilsson, and Petteri Nokelainen, it was clear while there was average NHL depth in the system, there wasn't enough to compete. Isles fans used to get excited over Igor Volkov and Dustin Kohn. After that draft and a dominant WJC, Robin Figren became that guy.

After a playoff appearance in 2007, and a major trade, the Isles were not left with much in the 2007 draft. They picked up solid depth in Mark Katic, Jason Gregoire, and Blake Kessel. However, it looks like only Katic will play games for the organization.

Then, after one last try at mediocrity, the Islanders decided it was time to rebuild from the ground up. With that, the 2008 draft became the first step in the redefinition of the New York Islanders. With their first round pick, the Islanders shocked the NHL by picking Windsor center Josh Bailey. While he has not nearly panned out as expected, he has shown flashes of excellence. Now entering his fourth season, it's time for Bailey to take the next step. In the later rounds, the team took current Isles Travis Hamonic, Matt Martin, and Kevin Poulin. They took a chance on a first round talent in Kirill Petrov. Aaron Ness, Justin DiBenedetto, and up-and-comer Matt Donovan have or will play games for the Islanders organization.

That draft is nothing short of a success with at least 4 every-day NHL players. The Islanders were rising amongst the ranks but were not in the top half of the league yet. Then came 2009, a watershed draft for this team. The Isles finished last in 2008-2009, and had the right to choose first overall. After a laborious month or two of anticipation, the Isles selected their franchise player: John Tavares. After finally getting a top-end talent, the Isles complemented him with stud D Calvin de Haan. They selected another top end goalie prospect in Anders Nilsson, the Isles took another chance on Casey Cizikas - now a top 7 prospect with the Islanders. A sleeper in Anders Lee was chosen, and draftees Mikko Koskinen and Anton Klementyev have both played games in the NHL.

Now on the verge of a top 10 system, the Isles were to select fifth in the 2010 draft. In a bit of a surprise, they chose a dominant Swiss forward, Nino Niederreiter. They finished the first round by selecting a raw, but very promising center in Brock Nelson. And then they took a misguided wonder in the third round. A player who was predicted to be a top 10 (or better) talent in Kirill Kabnov. Finally, the Islanders had a top 10 system.

The Isles had the opportunity to select fifth one more time in 2011. They chose a skilled leader in Ryan Strome - a perfect complement to John Tavares. Couple that with a pair of bruising defensemen in Scott Mayfield and Andrei Pedan. Johan Sundstrom and Robbie Russo put the cap on a very solid draft class, putting the Isles organizational system in the top-5.

Now, it's time to use these assets. Develop, trade, whatever they have to do to ensure a winning team. The Isles fans are tired of losing. They have the talent to win - management needs to just help them get there. But from Evgeny Tunik to Scott Mayfield, it's certainly been quite the transformation. And that is something to be proud of.

AT: It's been quite the change in management style since the days of Mad Mike. We've come a long way since Justin Mapletoft and Justin Papineau were considered high end prospects. Garth Snow and the scouting crew have done a magnificent job in finding players with talent and stocking the pool with players with gigantic potential.

The 2007 draft is excusable as Gregoire and Kessel - both talented players - used a loophole to sign elsewhere, and Katic is in the system and looks to be a Jack Hillen replacement as a 7-8 defenseman. The 2008 draft, as much as some hated the choice to trade down, brought in major pieces of the core today as well as our current prospect pool. Those who wanted Nikita Filatov, who was just traded for a lowly 3rd round pick, should be ecstatic with how that draft panned out. While yes, Bailey still has yet to come into his full potential, the rest of the prospects gathered in the '08 draft such as Ness, Donovan, Hamonic, Martin and Poulin make me think of the '08 draft as a major success. The '09 draft brought in the franchise center we so desperately needed and his potential has been entirely shown so far. In addition, we have a top pairing D-man potential in Calvin De Haan, two major goaltending prospects in Koskinen and Nilsson, as well as Casey Cizikas who should find himself as being part of the "core" very shortly.  The 2010 draft was very good as well, and we saw Garth go for a big power forward in Niederreiter as well as a player with top 10 potential in Kabanov. And finally, the 2011 draft had the Islanders draft someone who I believe should be the final piece of the youth core, Ryan Strome.

We know it's extremely difficult to attract high end free agents to Long Island. We've known that for a long time. Drafting correctly and with intelligence is absolutely essential to the future success of this team. Chicago did it and so did Pittsburgh, and I'd like to say it worked out pretty well for them. Let's not forget how many times Chicago and Pittsburgh were considered "jokes". The Pittsburgh team that once had Dick Tarnstrom as its leading scorer a few years leader had it's #1 draft pick raising the Stanley Cup. Let's hope we can see the same here. Garth has done a good job. Yes, not all prospects pan out as planned (Corey Trivino anyone?) but if developed properly, we almost certainly will see success on Long Island with almost all homegrown talent.

Another knack Garth has is his ability to scout out potential in players who have been cast off by other teams. We saw it with Moulson, a perennial AHL'er, becoming a 2 time 30 goal scorer on a line with John Tavares. We saw it with Michael Grabner, a 2006 first round draft pick who was let go by the Canucks, cut by the Panthers and then finally made it to the Islanders with a rookie of the year nomination by year's end. And while some will argue this, he also found it in P.A. Parenteau, who with all of his flaws still managed to put up a very respectable 53 points last season. He has added to both the prospect pool and roster both via drafting and through close watch of players who have been let go by other organizations.

Sometimes, you have to give credit where credit is due. In terms of his scouts and drafting so far, Garth receives outstanding grades.

Signing: Isles sign Kirill Kabanov to entry level deal

Brian Compton reported today that the Isles have signed Russian winger Kirill Kabanov to an entry level deal. Financials are not yet known.

AT: Great for Kirill. He's come a long way and showed major progress with Lewiston last year. Now he'll be going back to his new juniors team in Montreal after the dissolution of Lewiston. He should fit in well on a very strong Montreal team. He is probably one of the most gifted talents we have in our organization and it will be exciting to see him grow over the next few years. I met him at the draft party and he was one of the nicest players I'd ever met. Good luck, Kirill... all the best to you!

CH: Very interesting timing on this signing. Not exactly sure why, but announcing this signing on July 1 at 12 PM is odd. That said, this was a no brainer here. They obviously like the direction Kabanov is heading in, so this makes sense. As far as raw skill goes, Kabanov is a top-5 Islander prospect. He'll have one more year down in the QMJHL before most likely heading to Bridgeport in 2012. This contract assures Kabanov will be part of the organization for the next three seasons. Good way to start the day.

Prospects: Kirill Petrov Doubtful for Prospect Camp

Dmitry Chesnokov announced over this over his Twitter earlier today:

Prospect Kirill Petrov said the #Islanders are inviting him to NA. He said he can't make a decision now due to "serious family problems."

No word on when exactly the Islanders are holding prospect camp yet.

Getty Images

CH:  Chris Botta reported that Petrov's mother is seriously ill, which is the reason Petrov won't be able to attend the camp. Family always comes first, so there is no reason to question Petrov's commitment to the Islanders or coming to the NHL. The time for that would be after next season, when he will be a KHL free agent and eligible to sign a contract anywhere in the world. The Islanders hold Petrov's rights in perpetuity, which means there won't be any "Wheeler/Gregoire/Kessel" situation for Petrov to become a free agent.

As Botta alluded to in his article, the Islanders don't regret picking Petrov. They shouldn't. Petrov was a great gamble in that spot, and at age 21 still has all the time in the world to come to North America to play in the NHL. He was very impressive at last year's prospect camp and showed serious signs that his game would translate to the North American style. Keep an eye out this year for updates on Petrov's progress in Kazan (he was loaned back from Yugra recently).

AT: It's always seemed as if Petrov wants to come to the NHL. If he does, great. If he doesn't, it's not like he was a first round bust. Hoping for the best with Petrov's mother and hoping he can get everything worked out and put his life on the track he wants it to be. Good luck this year, Kirill. 

Prospects: Kirill Kabanov Selected By Montreal in QMJHL Dispersal Draft

Per Chris Botta's Twitter and the QMJHL's Twitter, Islander prospect Kirill Kabanov was selected by Montreal in the Lewiston dispersal draft. Montreal selected Kabanov with the 16th overall pick. Last season, the team finished with a 46-15-5-5 record, which was second overall in the QMJHL. They lost to Lewiston in the second round in the playoffs, 4-2. Kabanov was drafted by the Islanders in the 3rd Round of the 2010 Draft.

CH: It's extremely unfortunate that Lewiston disbanded as Kabanov seemed to really find himself there in the second half of last year and during the QMJHL playoffs. Looking forward, this move could really go either way for Kabanov. It's possible he struggles in the huge market of Montreal, but at the same time he is joining one of the best teams in the league. This is going to be an extremely important year for Kabanov. He needs to be signed by the Islanders by June 1, 2012, and having a disappointing year may make the Islanders more cautious to sign him. His talent is obvious, and his maturation process seems to be on the right track. This move is part of that, and he needs to show he can put it all together as an older junior player in 2011-12.

Prospects: Cizikas Happy To Join Islanders

Arthur Staple tweeted this morning linking to an interview he had with recently signed Islanders prospect Casey Cizikas. Cizikas talks about his hectic year and his excitement for the 2011 training camp with the Islanders. 



The signing went down to the wire due to Cizikas' participation in the Memorial Cup with Mississauga. Both sides clearly wanted to get this done, which was great. The Islanders locked up a top prospect of theirs for three years, and now Cizikas will get a chance to battle for the 4th line center spot in camp, though it's more likely if the Islanders stay internally they will go with one of their free agents (Konopka/Haley) or a Bridgeport center such as David Ullstrom. No doubt Cizikas will be in the battle, as he will make it very hard to send him down given his style of play.

External links to article: Islandermania