News: Strome Sent Back, Kabanov, Injury Updates

The Islanders announced that 2011 first round pick Ryan Strome has been sent back to Niagara of the Ontario Hockey League. In a somewhat unusual circumstance, Strome was kept on the roster for the team's first two games but did not play. 

CH: This is the correct and obvious move here. Like we said, Strome is not physically ready for the NHL, and having him play games would have been a mistake. He will go back to a Niagara team that has stumbled a bit out of the gate and be a main contributor for a team that should be in the playoffs. While this week may have been a waste from a fans' standpoint, Strome claims he learned a lot, which in the grand scheme of things is important.

AT: The only positive to having Strome up for the two games was that he was able to take part in NHL practices, but this is obviously the right move. Niagara is going to be a force in the OHL this year and compete heavily for the Memorial Cup, so this was the best possible option for all parties. Strome gets to develop further, and Islander fans get to see a well developed Strome in a few years.

Kirill Kabanov has found a home for the time being as he will play for Farjestad of the Swedish Elite League on a one month tryout. Kabanov has recently stayed on Long Island as he continues to try and find a place to play.

CH: It's only a month but this is exactly the league that Kabanov should be playing in. We knew the KHL would not take him back, and given the amount of talent that has come through the SEL, he is at the right level. The nature of the league is somewhat defensive, so even if Kabanov only plays fourth line minutes, he will learn a lot of valuable lessons there. We can worry about the future when it comes, but for now this is a relatively good situation for Kabanov given the circumstances.

AT: Even if it's 4th line minutes, playing time is playing time. The SEL is a professional league where many other prospects as well as veterans play, so Kabanov will have an interesting time finding a chemistry with both the younger and older players of the game. While everyone including myself still prefers him to be in the Q, sometimes extenuating circumstances force other action to be taken.


Rick DiPietro continues to be re-evaluated after getting hit in the head by a Brian Rolston snapshot in Wednesday's practice. Doctors have not ruled a concussion out just yet, according to Katie Strang. DiPietro will not dress for Thursday's game against Tampa Bay. Evgeni Nabokov will back-up Al Montoya.

 

CH: DiPietro cannot seem to catch a break. I know that he is a very polarizing figure in Islander country these days, but you have to feel bad for him. This is a freak incident that may have been brought on by previous concussions, so there is nothing anyone could have done.

AT: Really is a shame. He seemed to be fully healthy coming into this year, but everyone was so focused on his knees that his concussion problems in the past weren't really on anyone's radar. Hopefully the situation is monitored properly and DiPietro can return to back up Montoya and put up a few solid games here and there. 

Finally, Trevor Gillies comes off IR today and replaces Ryan Strome on the active roster.

AT: Fear the 'stash.

Op-Ed: Three Goalie Rotation?

As it seems right now, the Islanders are looking like they'll be putting up a 3 goalie rotation. The three will be seemingly healthy Rick DiPietro, gem in the rough Al Montoya and Evgeni Nabokov who decided to report to the Islanders after all. Some would say this is a great problem to have on our hands, and all 3 goalies seem to be gunning to take the #1 spot at this point. Here's a dissection of the 3 players who are fighting it out for the top spot in the rotation.

Rick DiPietro

It's seeming as if Rick DiPietro at this point is the most likely choice for the #1 spot. This has been his first completely healthy span in almost 3 years, and the first camp in 3 years that he's participated in fully and been able to compete at a regular NHL level. While everyone was ready to write DiPietro off into the buyout box, the performances he put up against the Devils and Bruins showed he's ready to jump back into the NHL on a regular level, allowing only 2 goals in 5 periods of pre-season play. This was also playing without a full defense against mostly full Devils and Bruins teams. 

The biggest factor with DiPietro is of course his contract. He still has 10 years left on his 15 year deal, and it'd be highly unlikely that the Islanders would put a goaltender with a $4.5m caphit and 10 years left on his deal as the backup or even stow him in Bridgeport and take away time from developing players like Mikko Koskinen, Anders Nilsson and Kevin Poulin. We know the type of player he was last season after coming back with a very heavy amount of rust, but his quickness has improved greatly over this offseason and he truly does look like he'll be ready to go as the #1 when the Islanders play the Panthers on the 8th. This may be his last chance to truly show that he's capable of performing at the NHL level and healthy enough to be a #1 goaltender.

Al Montoya

The case for Al Montoya all hinges on only 21 games played. However, those 21 games played through the end of last season proved a lot in terms of Montoya's ability. We knew he was a 6th overall pick in the 2004 entry draft, so clearly the skill and potential has always been there. What we saw however was unprecedented. Montoya really helped this team save face at the end of the season and put up spectacular stats with such a depleted defense. Though not a flashy goalie, Montoya was able to get the job done, and truly earned high marks in the mind of this fan.

One would imagine with a healthy defense, Montoya would continue to shine and put up the same numbers as last year. If chosen as the team's #1 goaltender, it's completely plausible to think that Montoya would reach the same numbers he did last year with 50 or more games played. He's older and has done enough conditioning and strength training throughout his career where even though he's never done it before, should be able to make it through a big chunk of games without any major fatigue.

Evgeni Nabokov

After refusing to report last year, Nabokov joined the Islanders for training camp this year. On the whole, he has had a mediocre pre-season. He played okay against the Flames, but after taking over for Al Montoya's shutout against the Bruins the other night, he allowed 3 goals in to let the Bruins take the lead and win the game. If this is how he is performing with 5 days to go until the home opener, consider me worried. Yes, we know the type of goaltender Nabokov used to be, but it doesn't look as if that skill level exists in Mr. Nabokov anymore. If anything, he should be given a shot with at least one game further on down the road, but at the current moment is is the lowest on the totem pole. Both DiPietro and Montoya have outplayed Nabokov by a country mile.

Conclusion

The question at this point is - who starts on opening night? All things considered, including last year's stats, performance in the pre-season and general abilities, in my mind it does seem as if the most logical choice would be Al Montoya. The abilities he was showing last year were impeccable and on par with a #1 goaltender. With seemingly no health issues besides a relatively minor surgery this off season that he's fully recovered from and with two strong performances in the pre-season, Montoya seems like the most viable option. Yes, DiPietro is supposedly completely healthy and ready to go and with his contract is the most likely option, but after last season's debacle, I think it would be wise to keep him on the bench and have him play 30 or so games for the season unless Montoya's skills and play drop off rapidly, which seems unlikely. Montoya has done everything in his power to prove that he's capable of handling the starting job and should be trusted to do so. If the Islanders' goal is to win games, they need to suck up their pride and allow Montoya to carry them. Even if it's just to start. I originally would have preferred Nabokov based on the goalie he used to be, but at this point it's very clear that he is no longer on that level of play. This decision lies with Jack Capuano in the end, and hopefully he makes the correct decision. He's claimed that he's ignoring salaries and contract structures, but when one player has truly shined above the rest for the past year and continues to do so, the answer seems logical.

- Alex Tessler