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.

Signing: Isles Sign Ryan Strome to Entry Level Contract

Earlier today, Ryan Strome and the New York Islanders agreed on a 3 year entry level contract (ELC). Strome was the 5th overall pick in this year's draft and is still with the Islanders in training camp. Financial details have not yet been released. 

AT: All of the obvious comments aside, at this point the only thing I'm hoping is that Strome does NOT get the 9 game tryout certain draft picks are given. He has the skills, and I would much prefer him go back to Niagara and spend the entire season there instead of potentially injuring himself playing against players much more physically mature than he. Having Strome go back to the OHL and light it up all season long would be a much wiser decision. Other than that, congrats to Ryan Strome on his ELC and let's hope we see him in the big leagues in a few years time.

CH: Like Alex said, Strome is not ready to see NHL ice just yet. His skills, like Kirill Kabanov, are extremely noticeable, but as an 18-year old he is not physically ready to handle defensemen who are much bigger than him. He should get the chance to lead Niagara (alongside Boston prospect Dougie Hamilton) through the OHL Playoffs, along with a probable spot on the Canadian World Junior team in December. Strome has a lot of big things ahead of him, but neither he nor Kabanov should play a game for the Islanders this season. That said, this was imperative to get done sooner rather than later, and it is great to see Strome officially part of the Islanders organization.

Season Preview: Ryan Strome

Ryan Strome

Position: Center
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 176 lbs
Birthdate: July 11th, 1993
Birthplace: Mississauga, ON, CAN
Acquired: Draft, Round 1, 5th overall, 2011 NHL Entry Draft

2010-2011 Team: Niagara IceDogs (OHL)
2010-2011 Stats: 65 GP - 33 G - 73 A - 106 P - 82 PIM
2010-2011 Playoffs: 14 GP - 6 G - 6 A - 12 P 19 PIM
2011-2012 Team: Niagara IceDogs
Team Role: #1 Center/Top Line Forward

Last year: Strome absolutely exploded in the production department last year after getting accustomed to his teammates on Niagara. Strome only had 2 less points than Jason Akeson and Tyler Toffoli, of whom he is younger than. His absolutely outstanding skating ability, insane accuracy, magnificent stickhandling and uncanny ability to set his teammates up led Niagara into the playoffs, although ultimately falling short in the Eastern Conference finals. Strome proved he was a legitimate talent in every way possible, and after once being projected to be a late 1st round pick, his meteoric rise in production cemented him in the top 10.

Expectations: Strome is still a smaller player who needs to pack on some muscle and grow into his body, so he will almost definitely be sent back to Niagara for another season with the Ice Dogs, along with fellow high scoring teammates Alex Friesen and Freddie Hamilton. If Strome plays all 68 games, the sky is the limit. We could see an offensive outburst of at least 115 points or more, unless Strome is given his 9 game NHL tryout much like Nino Niederreiter was last year. If Dougie Hamilton is returned to Niagara by the Bruins, Strome should be leading the IceDogs back to the playoffs as well. He will need to work on his two way play and learn to be a bit more consistent, but those are to be expected of such a young player and will come with more experience this year. He should also be improving his statistics in the goal category, as after what we saw in the rookie game and blue and white scrimmage, Strome packs an absolute laser of a wrist shot. This is ebgoing to be a big season for Strome to prove he was worth the 5th pick.

Projections: GP 66 - 39 G - 79 A - 118 P

Thoughts:

AT: I was very pleased with the Islanders choosing Strome with their 5th pick, and with everything I've seen in scrimmages and games since, I'm even more ecstatic. I do however do not believe it would be wise to keep Strome in the NHL this season, as we saw what happened with Josh Bailey being rushed into the NHL before he was fully developed. We know the talent that is there with Strome, it's just not likely that it's mature enough for the NHL just yet. It should be interesting to see if he's given his 9 game tryout like Niederreiter was, as he's much smaller and could be thrown around in the NHL. Strome has the tools to create an absolute force down the middle with Tavares and Nielsen, and if properly developed will give the Islanders one of the best top 9 sets in the NHL. If all things go accordingly, we've got a hell of a player to wait for.

CH: This kid is an absolute stud. He does everything well, and most things extremely well. His shot is blistering, his vision is astounding, his speed is blazing, and his effort is like a workhorse. Strome put forth the best rookie camp (including the rookie games) of any Islanders first round pick since before Kyle Okposo, and that includes John Tavares. Now, those scrimmages are far from indicative of Strome's NHL future, but it certainly makes me excited for his future. Alex is right - Strome should be nowhere near the NHL this season, and my gut says he won't be. The Islanders are very crowded at forward, and barring some catastrophic injuries, there is plenty of depth to compensate. Let Strome develop this year. He'll come back stronger, tougher, and faster next year. And then - watch out.

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.

Draft: Islanders Select Mitchell Theoret With The 184th Overall Pick

The New York Islanders have selected forward Mitchell Theoret from the Niagara IceDogs. A teammate of Ryan Strome, Theoret is a 6'1" center who only had 20 points in 66 games last season.

CH: We're talking about a 7th round pick here, so it's no big deal whatsoever, but this pick is a little confusing. Plenty of talent left on the board the team could have taken a shot on, including Myles Bell and Jeremy Boyce-Rotevall. That said, I'm sure the Isles have their reasoning so it is what it is. Overall, this was a fantastic draft as far as potential for the New York Islanders.

We will have a complete 2011 Draft rundown coming this weekend as well as on our weekly podcast next Wednesday.

UPDATE: 11:50 PM - After reading more on Theoret, it sounds like he does have decent upside. More likely, this is more the Islanders doing their new #1 pick, Ryan Strome, a "favor," so to speak - as I'm sure Strome pumped him up at the draft table. If it makes him happy, I'm happy.

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).

Draft: Countdown #9 - Ryan Strome

9. Ryan Strome

Position: Center
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 170 lbs
Shoots: R
DOB: July 11th, 1993
Nationality: Canadian
2010-2011 Team: Niagara IceDogs
League: Ontario Hockey League
Stats: 65 GP - 33 G - 73 A - 106 P - 82 PIM
Playoffs: 14 GP - 6 G - 6 A - 12 P - 19 PIM

CH: Strome is one of my favorite prospects in the top 10 of the draft this year. To start, he is a righty shot, which will complement Tavares well on the second line. It means there would be more flexibility to put other guys on the wings depending on their preference. It also would allow them to play the same PP line on opposite sides. Strome is a very creative player who has been on the rise for quite some time now. After 14 points and 27 points respectively in his first two years playing for Barrie and Niagara in the OHL, he burst on the scene with 106 points this year and just under a PPG in the playoffs.

Strome, who just turned 18, would absolutely need another year of seasoning in the OHL. Niagara was a good team this year and they should be again next year. This situation reminds me a bit of the Josh Bailey situation in 2008. Bailey was an up-and-coming riser for the Windsor Spitfires who was rushed into the NHL. Obviously, we all know he has struggled in the NHL since then. Strome, who is only 5'11" and 170 pounds has room and time to grow. He'll need to fill out more before he reaches the NHL level full time, but his skill and talent are undeniable. He should be a top 6 player for a very long time.

As far as the Islanders go, he is certainly on their radar. Strome was brought onto Long Island over the weekend for a visit with the team. He did an interview with Chris Botta where you can listen to here. He seems like a high character guy who would fit right into the current locker room, especially because he is friendly with John Tavares. If the Islanders decide they want to go with a center, he certainly is a viable option at 5. If they think he'll be around at 7-8, it's possible he'll be around there too, but not much after that. Still, if developed correctly (and he will be if the Isles take him after the Bailey fiasco), the Islanders will end up very happy with Ryan Strome in their organization.

AT: Strome is one who I would be completely happy with being taken at 5. A dynamic talent and very skilled playmaker, Strome would create a magnificent 1-2 punch down the center for the Isles. The wings can be filled out, but having Strome and JT down the center could and most likely would create a huge offensive outburst in a year's time after another year in juniors. As mentioned, putting him back in juniors is the wisest route after the Bailey experiment went so wrong. He had a huge jump in points (much like Huberdeau) and there's no harm for sending him back to the O for another year. One scout commented that Strome seemed tired out by the end of Niagara's run. That doesn't worry me too much. Stamina is something that gets better over time and can be increased. I would be ecstatic seeing a dynamic talent like Strome in our organization.

Most likely to be drafted: 4-9