Setbacks and Opportunities

The Islanders haven't even played a pre-season game yet, and they already have injury problems.

Mark Streit: Shoulder surgery, out for 6 months.

Kyle Okposo: Shoulder surgery, out for 2 months.

That's 100-120 man games lost to injury, and the season is still two weeks away. Feel free to insert your own joke about how Rick DiPietro's inevitable injury will cause those numbers to skyrocket.

If you're the Islanders, you might think about ratcheting expectations down a little bit. But you can you do that when your ticket prices are at an all-time high? Like it or not, injuries to your two best players don't make it okay to miss the playoffs again. Instead, the Islanders will need players - both the big names and the unknown ones - to step up.

These injuries to Streit and Okposo are devastating, but they also provide a tremendous opportunity to guys like Calvin de Haan, Nino Niederreiter, Travis Hamonic and countless others, including the newly-acquired Mike Mottau. These players now have the chance to step up and make a significant impact on the big club. It's also an opportunity for players like John Tavares and Josh Bailey to take a more active role in the leadership of this club.

Feel free to wallow a bit - after all, a 2010 without Mark Streit and Kyle Okposo is hardly what you expected. But life goes on, and so do the Islanders' playoff chances - and the expectations that they'll be significantly better than the draft lottery. The lost production and leadership of Streit and Okposo has to come from somewhere, and it'll be very interesting and exciting to see who steps up.

NYI Top Post-Lockout Moments #10-6

Back with moments 10 through 6 of the Isles' post-lockout countdown. Isn't it funny how Zach's Rangers list is full of games, whereas the Islanders list is all stuff that happened off the ice? This is what happens when your team has won one playoff game in the past six years.

10) Snow Job

July 18, 2006

That the hiring of Garth Snow even qualifies for this list is a testament to the job Snow has done as Islanders' GM. For a very long time, July 18, 2006 was a very dark day in Islanders history.

I can still remember the day like it was yesterday. I remember seeing the headline on TSN... my head hitting my desk shortly after... thinking it was an April Fool's joke in the middle of July... none of my friends believing me when I told them... Mike and the Mad Dog tearing Charles Wang apart during an interview... being teased incessantly by pretty much everyone. It wasn't fun. I even wrote this blog on my MySpace page from back in the day.

Thankfully, things have improved since then. The way the Islanders handled the move still doesn't make sense four years later, but time has proved that Snow was the right hire. At a time when general managers were still trying to figure out the "new NHL", the Islanders brought in someone who actually played under the revised rules. They hired someone who was completely reared on the new CBA and therefore had no preconceived notions about what he was "supposed" to do.

The results have been pretty spectacular. Snow managed to get into the playoffs in his first year, but saw that he couldn't rely on giving veterans one-year contracts forever. His ability to blow up the Islanders and rebuild them in his likeness shows that he has the support of Charles Wang and will be here for the foreseeable future. Of all the moves Snow has made, the only move that would be classified as bad is the Rick DiPietro contract, and that was Wang's call. So, while the move initially drew ire from the Islanders faithful, it's hard to argue that the move didn't pay dividends.

9) Islanders Sign Mark Streit

July 1, 2008

As the Islanders entered the start of free agency in 2008, nobody was quite sure what they'd do. They had made mention of their desire to rebuild and go with young players, but they didn't actually have any young assets outside of Kyle Okposo to build around. They had plenty of cap room to make any number of signings, but we all knew better than that. Most Islanders fans assumed that Snow wouldn't do anything on July 1; I joked on this site that Snow didn't even bother to show up for work that day.

Turns out he did.

As is customary, the big names flew off the board in exchange for big-money contracts. One of the biggest names, Brian Campbell, took seven years and $56 million to sign with Chicago. Wade Redden, as we all know, received $39 million over six years from the Rangers. At the time of these two deals, Mark Streit was still available. He was the one guy I thought the Islanders should throw big money at and, much to my surprise, they did.

Five years and $20 million later, Streit was a New York Islander. Zach, our Rangers writer, was furious that the Rangers had dumped so much money into an aging Redden while the Islanders got Streit - who had only played three NHL seasons - for far less. When asked why he signed with the Islanders, Streit replied that he wanted to be a true #1 defenseman, something that was never going to happen in Montreal. Streit did not disappoint in his first season on the Island, netting 56 points and earning some legitimate Norris Trophy consideration. His numbers have dipped a bit this year, but Streit remains one of the team's leaders and a potential future captain of the Islanders.

8) Islanders Hire Scott Gordon

August 12, 2008

After the shock firing/resignation of Ted Nolan, the future of the Islanders in terms of their next coach was unclear. It was a very important hire - the Islanders would be rebuilding and needed someone who would stay over the long haul. The big-name veterans like Joel Quenneville and John Tortorella weren't interested and passed on the Islanders' overtures, which came as no surprise to any real Islanders fan. As is the Islanders' custom, they went the road less traveled and brought in an unknown coach.

Scott Gordon, much like Peter Laviolette seven years earlier, came to the Islanders from the AHL's Providence Bruins. Like Laviolette, Gordon had turned the fortunes of the Bruins completely, taking a losing team and turning them into one of the league's best. Gordon had youth on his side, not to mention a reputation for mentoring young players, and his "overspeed" philosophy won over fans right away.

More than anything else, though, the Gordon hire was further proof that the Islanders were serious about rebuilding. Garth Snow easily could have brought in a big-name retread coach, but that would have been the safe maneuver. By bringing in Gordon, the Islanders effectively told their fanbase that the team wouldn't be good for a while, but they could get used to this core group because it'd be there for years to come. Fans have criticized Gordon's system, particularly when it has helped contribute to blown third-period leads, but when they're firing at all cylinders, the Islanders are one of the NHL's most exciting teams. This is one call Garth Snow knocked out of the park.

7) Al Arbour Night

Nassau Coliseum - November 3, 2007

I'll be the first to admit that I was a bit skeptical when Al Arbour Night was first announced. Did Ted Nolan really want to round off Al Arbour's career total, or did Islanders brass coerce Nolan into stepping aside for one night? Was this just another gimmick to bring Islanders alumni back and get a cheap sellout? Given the history of the Islanders, I was right to have my doubts. But on this night, they didn't really matter.

Prior to November 3, 2007, Al Arbour hadn't coached a NHL game since 1994. However, whatever he had lost in terms of X's and O's was more than compensated for by the desire of the Islanders to win the game for Arbour, the only coach of the Islanders that has won a playoff series. In many ways, the game itself was typical of the Islanders at that point in time insofar as the Islanders came from behind to win, Miroslav Satan scored the tying and game-winning goals, and Wade Dubielewicz came up huge in relief of the injured Rick DiPietro.

As good as the game was, it was almost secondary to the postgame celebration, which saw many Islanders legends paying their respects to their former coach. And it wasn't just the usual guys, either. The Islanders brought back some real fan favorites, including Benoit Hogue, Pat LaFontaine, and Steve Webb. I have to say, I was bawling while watching a replay of the ceremony. (Full disclosure - I was pretty hammered.) It was a great night and a great sendoff for Arbour, who doesn't get nearly enough credit for his work with the Islanders.

There's only one thing that bothered me about Al Arbour Night. The original Arbour banner read "739", referring to his number of career wins. When they replaced it with a new banner that night, it wasn't a "740" banner. Instead, it simply read "1500". As in, the Islanders had such little faith in Arbour's ability to produce a victory that they only had a banner made to commemorate his number of games, not his number of wins. The Islanders said they'd get a new banner made; nearly two and a half years later, "1500", not "740", hangs from the Coliseum rafters.

6) Islanders Win 2009 Draft Lottery

April 14, 2009

As the Islanders sucked their way through the 2008-09 season, we all hoped it'd be for a reason. In fact, the only way the 2008-09 season would have been successful would have been if they landed the first overall draft pick. After all, while there was a chance Tampa Bay or Colorado would have passed on John Tavares, there were no guarantees.

The Islanders clinched the league's worst record in late March, a distinction that brought with it a 48 percent chance that the Islanders would win the draft lottery. As the date of the draft lottery neared, Islanders fans feared the worst. Everyone figured that they'd get screwed out of the chance to draft a generational talent like John Tavares or Victor Hedman. Why should the Islanders get the chance to be successful, right? Besides, since the lockout, the team with the worst record had lost the draft lottery more often than not.

Thankfully, this was not one of those times. The Islanders won the draft lottery, and Islander Country breathed the world's largest sigh of relief. For the Islanders faithful, as sad as it is to admit, it was almost like winning the Stanley Cup. Finally, the focus was going to be on our team, even if only for the week between the Stanley Cup Final and the NHL Draft, and we were going to make the most of this extra attention.

Unfortunately, Garth Snow felt the same way. When asked who he was leaning towards on the draft lottery show, he admitted nothing, something that would become a trend over the next two months. While we were ecstatic about winning the draft lottery, little did we know that these two months would become some of the most stressful times Islanders fans have had in recent memory.

Defensive Help...

Once again, as for the past 2 years, rumors of Phoenix Coyotes D Ed Jovanovski going to the Rangers will not die.

First off, the Rangers don't have cap space for his $6.5M contract. Second off, don't the Rangers already have a crappy D taking up $6.5M this year (and for the next 5)?

Yes, he has a cool nickname, but I railed against trading for Jovo last year - and the year before, when we didn't even have this URL. His stats last year were atrocious, and this year they are even worse!

As fans, we are saddled with Wade Redden's contract until the year after Barack Obama's term is up. Jovo has two more years after this one on his contract, undoubtedly with a No-Trade Clause. Can you imagine Redden, Jovanovski, and Michal Rozsival (total of $18M cap hit, about 1/3 of the salary cap) stinking up the backline until 2011?

Get real.

* * *

So who is available? I'm going to paraphrase this post (and expand on it, as well) I wrote on January 23rd of this year.

3) Ville Koistinen, Nashville - Young (26), going to be a UFA on July 1, and a good player who doesn't fit into the Predators future plans (they already have a real young, very good blueline). He isn't the ideal player, but he is definitely good as a 4th, 5th, or 6th D and is better than Dmitri Kalinin (who is also a UFA after this season). He could be picked up cheaply like Christian Backman was last year (he cost a 4th round pick).

2) Filip Kuba, Ottawa - Definitely on the trading block in Ottawa, especially now that former Islander Chris Campoli is getting a ton of power play time. Kuba is probably not going to be back in Ottawa next year, and they will be looking to get something for him before he walks, if only to justify trading Andrej Meszaros. He shouldn't be a part of the Rangers future plans, but if he is traded for a late pick and/or Kalinin, they will be improved for the playoff run.

1) Cory Murphy, Tampa Bay - This is the guy. Like Mark Streit, he came here in his mid-to-late 20s from Europe and can man a power play with the best of them. However, in Florida, he competed with Bryan McCabe and Jay Bouwmeester for time, so he didn't play much. In 2007-08, he was an even +/- rating, while Olli Jokinen was a -19 and Bouwmeester was a -5, all on the same team.

Murphy is the guy they should be targeting, and unlike Kuba, he could be a Ranger for a couple more years, and cheaply as well. He is making under $1M this year, and signing him for $1.25 for the next 2 would be a great move for an unexpected gem.

Bryan's Mid-Year Awards

The whole idea of mid-year awards is retarded. We don't know who's going to make the playoffs. We don't know who's going to crap out down the stretch, and we don't know who's going to make a second-half charge. All we know is that everyone else is doing year-end awards, and so will we. I'll submit my ballot, and perhaps Zach will do so later.

Hart Trophy

- Who Usually Wins: Best scorer on a good team, almost without exception. Either that or an extremely good goalie on an awful team.

- Consensus Pick: Alexander Ovechkin, Capitals.

- My Pick: Ovechkin. I hate to go with the masses, but this one's too easy to pass up. And not just because he's leading the league in goals. It's mostly because he had a crummy October and so did the Capitals. Once Ovechkin picked up his game, the Capitals became the force they were for the second half of last season. That is pretty much the definition of "valuable".

Art Ross Trophy

- Who Usually Wins: The leading point scorer in the league. Obviously.

- Consensus Pick: Evgeni Malkin, Penguins.

- My Pick: Malkin. He's got a 10-point lead, which is a lot to make up. But I think he'll taper off down the stretch. If Pittsburgh is going to be as good as they should be, one line can't do it all.

Calder Trophy

- Who Usually Wins: It's supposed to go to the "top rookie", but it's almost always the first-year player who nets the most points or becomes an above-average starting goalie.

- Consensus Pick: Steve Mason, Blue Jackets.

- My Pick: Bobby Ryan, Ducks. Everyone's high on Mason, and he's done a great job - but how do we know Mason isn't a creation of the Jackets' system? After all, Pascal Leclaire put up similar numbers just one year ago. Ryan, on the other hand, is averaging a point a game for the Ducks and is leading all rookies in goals despite only playing 31 games.

Vezina Trophy

- Who Usually Wins: Martin Brodeur The best goalie in the league - not just based on wins, but on the goalie's ability to carry his team and put that team in a position to win.

- Consensus Pick: Steve Mason, Blue Jackets.

- My Pick: Henrik Lundqvist, Rangers. This is a really tough year to pick a Vezina winner because so many top goalies have missed time and because more teams are rotating goalies. Ultimately, for me, it goes to Lundqvist. His GAA and save percentages aren't anything special, but he's easily the league's best shootout goalie, and since the Rangers have relied so heavily on shootout wins, he gets the nod over other goalies with similar stats.

Norris Trophy

- Who Usually Wins: The top point-getter among defensemen.

- Consensus Pick: Nicklas Lidstrom, Red Wings.

- My Pick: Mark Streit, Islanders. Call me a homer if you want... but consider the facts. Streit is tied for third in scoring among defensemen. He averages 25 minutes a game. He has 76 blocked shots, which is way more than most of the defensemen atop the scoring charts. And most tellingly, he's a minus-3 on a team that is absolutely atrocious; this minus-3 is the best plus-minus total out of players who have been with the Islanders all year.

Adams Trophy

- Who Usually Wins: The coach of a team who goes from being crappy to being good in one year.

- Consensus Pick: Claude Julien, Bruins.

- My Pick: Mike Keenan, Flames. Most people can't name three players on the Flames. And yet, the Flames lead the Northwest by nine points. Given the travel involved in playing in the same division as Minnesota and Colorado, that's pretty impressive.

Lady Byng Trophy

- Who Usually Wins: A high-scoring player on a good team who doesn't get many penalty minutes.

- Consensus Pick: Nobody really picks the Lady Byng trophy winner at mid-season.

- My Pick: Daniel Sedin, Vancouver. I'm not sure how much more "gentlemanly" you can get than 22 penalty minutes and a total of five hits thrown.

Selke Trophy

- Who Usually Wins: An offensively-inclined player who has a good plus-minus and, more importantly, a solid reputation as a two-way player, whether it's actually true or not.

- Consensus Pick: This is another one nobody really pays attention to until year-end. But the consensus is probably Pavel Datsyuk from Detroit. And since this is as much of a "reputation" award as the NHL offers, he'll probably win it again.

- My Pick: Mike Richards, Philadelphia.

So there you have it. Some prognostication that will, ultimately, mean nothing.

And since this is All-Star Weekend, we will take this opportunity to link to the greatest All-Star moment of my lifetime - the Pond of Dreams short, which was shown at the 2000 All-Star Game. Enjoy.

"All-Star" Game...

I think we all know the All-Star Game is a joke, so I won't dwell on it further. But hey, this year it is on a weekend and not a Wednesday night!

I am, however, happy that Henrik Lundqvist and Mark Streit deservingly made the team. Nik Zherdev probably deserved consideration, but 4 Canadiens on the team when only one belongs (Andrei Markov) leaves out deserving players like Zherdev, Simon Gagne, and Alex Semin. 

The Young Stars game is always fun but is never really taken seriously. This year, it's Rookies vs. Sophomores and I love the idea. 

My one gripe is that I would have liked to have seen Kyle Okposo (13 points, 29 games) represent the rookies instead of Steven Stamkos (14 points, 40 games), but did we really expect the NHL to do that?

* * * 

In other news, Rangers 1st round pick in 2008 Michael del Zotto was just traded along with future #1 overall selection Johnny Tavares in the OHL. They were traded from the Oshawa Generals (Eric Lindros' former team) to the London Knights along with a goalie for a winger, a goalie, a defenseman, and six - yes, 6! - draft picks. London gave up 6 draft picks and 3 roster players for a goalie and then 2 players who might play in the NHL next year (or in del Zotto's case, atleast the AHL).

A Case For Mark Streit

We're not going to get into the whole debate over the balloting process for the All-Star Game; we've already covered this a million times. But the truth is, everyone loves debating the All-Star Game. Who deserves to go? Who got snubbed? I still remember gleefully texting Zach last year when Rick DiPietro was selected to the All-Star Game and Henrik Lundqvist wasn't; his reply was not a very kind one. But that's okay.

Anyway, the Islanders only really have three legit nominees for this year's All-Star game: Trent Hunter, Mark Streit, and Doug Weight. Hunter is hurt, so you can scratch him off right away. Weight has good numbers, just hit his 1000th point, and could get the sentimental vote, so he's an option. Streit is tied for the league lead in scoring among defensemen, a list which is heavily populated by defensemen.

Could we see two Islanders go to Montreal this year? Probably not. Sorry to say it, but the Islanders don't have a high enough profile to warrant two All-Stars, nor does their record justify the Isles sending two players. But if only one player has to go, I'd give the nod to Streit. Now, if you've read this blog from Day One, you might recall that we've been very high on Streit for a very long time. I thought he was the one player the Islander should throw their checkbook at, and he's proven well worth the money, not to mention the anger Zach displayed when the Islanders landed Streit and not his Rangers.

Let's look at what Mark Streit has done for the Islanders this year. Eight goals, 24 assists, 32 points. 25:15 of ice time per game, good for 13th in the league. Seven goals and 20 points on the power play, and that eighth goal came while shorthanded. So you see that Streit plays all the time, not just on the power play like he did in Montreal. He's a minus-five, which doesn't look good ordinarily, but he's playing for a team with a minus-42 goal differential, easily the worst in the league. And don't forget about the risk Streit took in coming to the Island. He's playing eight minutes more per game than his previous career high, taking a lot more defensive responsibility, and yet still chipping in at a career pace offensively; also, you'd be hard-pressed to recall even one instance where he hasn't held up his end of the bargain defensively. A lot of other players would have cracked under such pressure. Streit has excelled. And this is a guy some predicted would be among the biggest busts of the 2008 free agency class.

In other words, Mark Streit shouldn't just be a lock for an All-Star berth. He should also be getting some consideration for the Norris Trophy as the league's best defenseman.

Crazy talk? Not really. Take this to the bank - the eventual winner of the Norris Trophy (it won't be Streit) will have extremely comparable numbers to whatever Streit finishes with. In fact, Streit might even have better offensive totals. And since the Norris Trophy has pretty much become the "best offensive defenseman" trophy outside of Nicklas Lidstrom's stranglehold on the trophy, Streit's as good a nominee as anyone.

Now, let's pretend Streit was still playing in Montreal, but was serving in the same expanded role as he currently is on Long Island. Not only would he have been elected to the All-Star Game and received more votes than Barack Obama, the world would be abuzz about what a great two-way player Mark Streit is. Such is life when you play in a hockey hotbed on a team that's among the better teams in the league. On the Island, Streit is having the best season of his career. It's a shame he's not getting his due recognition. Hopefully a return trip to Montreal for the All-Star Game will shed some light on what a great addition Mark Streit has been to the Islanders.

My prediction is that Streit goes for the Islanders and that Lundqvist and Nikolai Zherdev go for the Rangers. In a different year, you might see another Ranger player such as Scott Gomez or Chris Drury go, but since the fans screwed up the starting players' vote so badly, there probably won't be any room.

EDIT: Just came across this post from The Drive For Five, the 2008 Islanders Blog of the Year, which also discusses Streit's qualifications for the Norris Trophy.

EDIT 2: Gallof confirms that Streit's headed for Montreal.

All-Star Game Flaws...

For the NHL All-Star Game, the fans vote for the starters. I really have no problem with this, except for the fact that the entire Eastern Conference starting line-up will be made up of Canadiens. Mike Komisarek? Really? I mean, I know there isn't much in Montreal except fantastic strip clubs, legal gamblin, and bilingual hockey games, but if you are already voting for Saku Koivu, Alex Tanguay, Alex Kovalev, Andrei Markov, and Carey Price (aka the guy with the severely unimpressive 2.68 GAA), do you really need to vote for Komisarek, who is having a very bad year? For Christ's sake, Komisarek has over 150,000 votes, nearly 5 times more than 3rd place Mike Green's 36,000.

Anyway, my beef is, as always, with the pre-made ballot.

I remember a few seasons ago (I believe 2002-03), Curtis Joseph was on the ballot. At that point, he was injured, and played in just 1 game with the Red Wings. He had lost that game. Yet, he was still on the ballot.

This year, there are a bunch of curious choices which obviously prove that this ballot was made in the off-season and nobody took the time to update it.

For starters (no pun intended), J.P. Dumont (17 points) isn't on the ballot. While Ryan Getzlaf is on it, his linemates Corey Perry (slow start but absolutely on fire) and Teemu Selanne are not. Pascal "Just Got Off of Injured Reserve" Leclaire is also on the ballot. The forwards don't bother me as much though, because there are a ton on the ballot and 3 write-in spots.

In the East, there are atrocities galore. Ryan Whitney AND Sergei Gonchar are both on the list. Combined games: 0. Combined injuries: 2, both in preseason. Why even waste the room on the ballot on them? Second overall Wade Redden is the sexy Ranger offseason acquisition. He hasn't scored a goal since the home opener on October 10 against Chicago. Meanwhile, undrafted Dan Girardi has 2 goals and a very impressive 14 assists. Did Glen Sather lobby to get Redden on the ballot so he could try to convince the rest of the league he didn't give Ferrari money to a Volkswagen?

Danny Briere and his grand total of 8 games make the list, while fellow Flyer Jeff Carter will be watching the Skills Competition from his (probably very well-adorned) living room.

As for the Islanders, I really like that they put Trent Hunter on the ballot. But is Rick DiPietro (0-2-0, 3.91 GAA) really having that good of a year? To be honest, putting Joey MacDonald on it would've been a decent choice.

To cover their collective rears, their is a footnote on the bottom of the page saying "Player must have appeared in 20 games prior to 1/2/09 to qualify," thus negating Whitney, Gonchar, Martin Brodeur, Marion Gaborik, DiPietro, Brian Rolston, and probably Marty Biron from actually being voted in.

Marty Biron? All-around nice guy. Of all the players I have met in my time, him and Scott Gomez (also on the ballot... Aaron Voros and Brandon Dubinsky and Nik Zherdev are not) are the most personable. At 4-5-2 with a 3.33 GAA and an .888 SP, what qualifies him over equally not-good Antero Niittymaki? (By the way, I had no clue I wrote so much about the Flyers until I re-read this post.)

My stunning conclusion is that the other day, I was listening to XM Home Ice 204, and Tim Gleason (Carolina Hurricane's defenseman) was talking to Phil Esposito and they were railing on the All-Star Game. I've heard it all before and normally brushed it off. You know the arguments: It's on Versus. It's on like a Wednesday or a Tuesday.

But now, I see their point. The NHL doesn't seem to care about it, either. I get that you want to showcase stars, so obviously Brodeur is on it, and Alex Ovechkin with his slow start. Personally, I'm surprised to see Alexander Semin on it as well. But there is absolutely no reason to have Redden or Whitney or Gonchar on it when more capable players like Girardi and Mark Streit are left off. They are not going to get nearly enough votes as simply write-ins.

Maybe if they put a real list out, they would have no one like Boy Wonder Luke Schenn, Luca Sbisa, or Braydon Coburn for the Young Stars game.

Hopefully, within a few years, either the NHL starts to take this seriously and does the ballot the week before it goes up, or they make the whole thing a write-in ballot.

Oh well, atleast Mats Sundin isn't on the All-Star ballot this season.

Al Montoya...

The Rangers made two deadline deals this year. One of them recently turned into either Nikolai Zherdev or Dan Fritsche (depending on how you look at it) and the other now is this...

Marcel Hossa + Al Montoya = Fred Sjostrom

The night before the deadline, GM Glen Sather and Coyotes GM Don Maloney had a player-for-player deal on the table, Hossa for Sjostrom. It would have been a steal for the Rangers. Hossa was an underachiever who fans expected more from because of his last name (See: Fedorov, Fedor). Along with his 8 points, he had 24 penalty minutes, most probably from hooking. Sjostrom had 19 points (he played 15 more games than Hossa) and 14 penalty minutes. On top of the stats (Sjostrom had 2 points in the regular season as a Ranger), Sjostrom is a much more complete player who is actually going to be in the NHL this upcoming season, while Hossa skates against Ray Emery and Jaromir Jagr in Russia. 

However, the deal was delayed for some reason, and when it got faxed to NHL headquarters, Al Montoya was sent with Hossa for Sjostrom, goalie David LeNeveu and enforcer Josh Gratton.  

On Monday, LeNeveu was signed as a free agent by Anaheim, and yesterday, the Predators signed Gratton, presumably to replace Darcy Hordichuk. 

Now, LeNeveu and Gratton were never, ever in the Rangers plans, as if the signings of Steve Valiquette and Aaron Voros didn't tell you that already.

My beef here is with Sather throwing in Montoya to get these people with expiring contracts to play in Hartford for three months before they sign elsewhere.

Montoya was a first round pick, 6th overall, in 2004. This isn't one of those blogs like when I write about Hugh Jessiman and tell you that they could have drafted 30 other proven NHL players instead of him. But, for the record, just so you know, Drew Stafford, Alex Radulov (a future Hall of Famer, I called it here first!), Wojtek Wolski, Andrej Meszaros, Mike Green, Johan Franzen, Mark Streit (he of the $4.1M/year deal), and Daniel Winnick were all chosen after him. A weak draft, yes, but still.

Montoya was supposed to be incredible. He went 30-10-3 one year in college, 30-7-3 another year. However, he was a bust and deemed expendable when Henrik Lundqvist burst onto the scene after the lock-out. He never quite developed like he was supposed to (See: Tyutin, Fedor). No longer was he the Future. Instead, he was Money in the Bank, albeit money with a bad back.

Personally, I think Sather held onto him too long. He did do well in the AHL, so he wasn't a total bust. He went 66-34-4, completely respectable (although his save % was very poor sometimes). This past season, he lost his starting job, and other GMs knew this. Sather should have traded him at the 2007 deadline when he was a developing goaltender with a solid record who started for his AHL team. As a former first round pick, he could have fetched atleast a 2nd round pick.

Now, he seems like he was just thrown in the deal to get him out of Sather's hair, like he was a nuisance and he would take anything to get rid of him.

He might in fact go the way of Jessiman and never see action in an NHL game. He could be a late bloomer (ran out of people whose first names are "Fedor," so I can't give an example) and become starting goaltender of the Las Vegas Panthers in the 2012-13 season.

My point is that he seems like a throw in. Sather knew LeNeveu and Gratton would never, ever put a Rangers jersey on. He knew Maloney just wanted more for Sjostrom so it didn't look like a fix, and so he offered up someone Maloney wanted to draft in the first place.

So... Now What?

With Mark Streit comfortably in tow, the Islanders had a far more successful July 1st than they did last year, and certainly a more productive day than anybody expected. Still, their work is not yet complete.

While Streit did play some forward last year with Montreal, the Islanders still need far more scoring help. Michael Ryder was an option, but he's off to Boston. There are still plenty otalented names out there. As good of a job Snow did getting his player at his price, there will have to be other similar moves. Remember, part of free agency is getting the right pieces in place that will entice other players to come.

So far, so good. As for the future? Doug Weight seems like a guarantee to come to Long Island eventually. While the last thing the Isles need is another aging veteran, they could do worse than Weight, who's won a Cup and could teach the youngsters a thing or to while playing some good hockey. There are quite a few other options out there; it'll be interesting to see how Snow plays this. I'd say he's earned the benefit of the doubt so far.

With Marian Hossa (reportedly) signed and Mats Sundin being offered big money, it's possible that the big guns will be off the market sooner rather than later. That's when we'll see what direction the Islanders take. For the first time in a long time, I'm not cringing at the thought of who Snow might bring in. That's the surest sign of progress so far.

EDIT: The Isles signed Weight to a one-year deal this evening. It is what it is, but it's a deal that will probably do more good things for the Islanders than bad. Hey, at the very least, it's an upgrade over Josef Vasicek and Ruslan Fedotenko.

The Day That Was

Never let it be said that The Rivalry is second to anybody when it comes to free agent prognostication.

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On Michal Rozsival, Zach said...

Let some other team overpay him. He tied for 7th in defensemen scoring last season (his 13 goals were 5 more than Campbell's), including 6 on the power play. He was the only D to have 2 short-handed goals, as well (yes, they were in back-to-back games). He made $2.2M the past 2 years if memory serves me correct, a steal for his production. This year, he will want atleast $3.8M, and teams might throw him close to $4.5M/season. I've said this since we started this blog, let some other team overpay for him.

Note that, while it was the Rangers who overpaid for Rozsival, he did demand considerable dollars. Also note that the Rangers will surely regret their decision.

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On Wade Redden, Zach said...

Wade Redden was bad at 31. How awful is he going to be at 35?

Again, the Rangers are going to be stuck finding out. Still, a long-term deal for a player who will be washed up by the end of it? We're two-for-two here.

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On Mark Streit, Bryan said...

The big name in this year's free agent crop is Mark Streit. People say he's not too strong in his defensive end, but he just completed his third year in the NHL and contributed 62 points. That's pretty impressive. Better than that, the Colorado Avalanche, a team many thought would be a major competitor for Streit's services, just re-signed John-Michael Liles to a four-year deal. If the Islanders overpay for anybody, it should be Streit - though it should be cautioned that he played for Montreal, the best offensive team in the East this year.

It's funny that, in Greg Logan's Newsday column today, Streit's name wasn't even mentioned. But Streit was the clear guy here. You can't fault this signing in any possible way. Maybe Garth Snow did show up for work today after all.

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We're pretty sure that does it for us here - no more usurping for the time being. But, real quick, let's relive this day in chronological order...

• We wonder aloud if Garth Snow even showed up today.
• Aaron Voros is the first signing for the Rangers. Zach prays that the day ended here.
• Wade Redden is signed by the Rangers.
• Zach freaks out.
• A rumor about Mark Streit coming to the Islanders is posted; by the time the post goes up, he's signed.
• Zach freaks out again.
• A scouting report on Streit comes courtesy of a die-hard Habs fan.

Earlier in the day, Zach told me that once Brian Campbell was signed, things would really start to happen. Sure enough, the New York teams have three new big-money defensemen to play with. Only time will tell how these deals will turn out. If you're an Islander fan, you're a whole lot happier now than you were when you saw the inevitable "Islanders in talks with Doug Weight" posts earlier in the day. If you're a Ranger fan, you're still wondering where the hell Jaromir Jagr and Sean Avery are. Still, there are a lot of free agents out there, and a whole lot more cap room to blow. This is just the start.

We hope you'll stick with The Rivalry to watch it all play out. Today was a record day for posts and traffic - our third record-breaking traffic day this week. Thanks for checking us out... the comment section is yours to vent.

Mark Streit Scouting Report

Here at The Rivalry, we have an extensive network of professional scouts at the ready to provide us with information whenever needed. OK, maybe we don't. But my buddy, fellow Die Hard GameFAN writer, tag team partner (literally), and Montreal Canadiens nut Guy has come through with a sort of scouting report for Mark Streit. He's watched Streit for three years now and certainly knows more about him than any of us do. So, without further adieu, here's some info about the Isles' newest signing.

Mark Streit is a natural defenseman with a great shot from the blue line. He scored often and easily on the powerplay, but he is also a great playmaker. Our coach liked to use him as a forward, which is not where he prefers to play despite his great talent for the job. He can easily deke past the opposition with his good speed and stickhandling. One of the most versatile players in NHL history, he can easily fill the role of two players for the price of one.

Thanks again to Guy. You can catch him at Die Hard GameFAN and Kapoutland.

On Second Thought...

Sorry for usurping Bryan's post...

The Rangers once again, like in the pre-lockout days, opted for the "big name" free agent. Instead of keeping Derek Armstrong, they had to have Valeri Kamensky. Instead of Mark Streit at $4.1M, they took Wade Redden at $6.5M. 

I've had time to think about it, and I declare this the worst day to be a Ranger fan since Brian Leetch was traded.

My girlfriend yelled at me for declaring myself an Islanders fan about 30 minutes ago.

Streit?!?

Not to usurp Zach's rantings about the Redden deal... but word* has it that the Islanders have agreed to a five year deal with Mark Streit for $20.4 million.

*=This "word" comes from HockeyBuzz. So don't take it too seriously.

EDIT: Streit to the Isles is confirmed by TSN and SportsNet.ca.

ANALYSIS: People are going to say the Islanders overpaid, but come on - Jeff Finger got $3.5 million a year. Paying $4.1 million a year for a guy who scored 62 points last year is not overpaying, at least not when compared with some of the other deals we saw today. Let's not forget that Brian Campbell had the same amount of points last year as Streit, yet is making nearly double Streit's salary going forward.

Islanders Free Agency Preview

As the Islanders approach July 1, there's only one thing that most people can say about their free agency chances - don't expect much. Last year, July 1st saw every Islanders free agent signing elsewhere, most notably Ryan Smyth and Jason Blake. Clearly, Garth Snow knew something we all didn't, as both Blake and Smyth went on to have subpar years in Toronto and Colorado respectively. However, he didn't exactly restock the team very well, handing out one-year deals to grinders and infamously leaving the first day of free agency with only Jon Sim signed. What has Snow learned from last year? Does he have a different approach this year, having seen so many of his young prospects in the NHL last year? We'll find out on Tuesday.

However, we here at The Rivalry enjoy prognosticating (and, of course, feeling like we can perform the job of general manager better than half the GMs in the league). With the salary cap and salary floor rising this year, the Islanders should be one of the more active teams in the league. (Note: They won't be.) With this in mind, let's look at the Islanders as they stand now.

All contract data comes from Isles Info.

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THE SURE THINGS
These are those players who are under contract with the Islanders that are assured of making the Opening Day roster and, barring a trade, sticking with the big club for the entire season.

GOALIE
- Rick DiPietro ($4.5 million, 13 years left)

DEFENSE
- Chris Campoli ($625,000, 2 years left)
- Radek Martinek ($1.5 million, 3 years left)
- Freddy Meyer ($600,000, 2 years left)
- Andy Sutton ($3 million, 2 years left)

FORWARDS
- Trent Hunter ($2 million, 5 years left)
- Kyle Okposo (no contract data available, 2 years left)
- Richard Park ($700,000, 2 years left)
- Jon Sim ($1 million, 2 years left)

TOTALS
- Nine players, $13,925,000

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RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
These players are not under contract, but their rights remain with the team. They have all been given qualifying offers of 10% above their 2007 salaries (those making more than $600,000 in 2007-08 only require 5% raises). For our purposes, we will assume that all players will accept these offers, which in all cases do not need to be one-way contracts.

GOALIE
- None

DEFENSE
- Bruno Gervais ($495,000, 1 year left)

FORWARDS
- Sean Bergenheim ($550,000, 1 year left)
- Jeremy Colliton ($735,000, 1 year left)
- Frans Nielsen ($561,000, 1 year left)
- Jeff Tambellini ($821,908.50, 1 year left)
- Ben Walter ($632,000, 1 year left)

TOTALS
- Six players, $3,299,908.50

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TRADE BAIT
These are players with deals that expire after this season. After the season, they will be unrestricted free agents.

GOALIE
- Joey MacDonald ($500,000, 1 year left)

DEFENSE
- Brendan Witt ($2.5 million, 1 year left)

FORWARDS
- Mike Comrie ($4 million, 1 year left)
- Bill Guerin ($4.5 million, 1 year left)
- Andy Hilbert ($700,000, 1 year left)
- Mike Sillinger ($2.1 million, 1 year left)

TOTALS
- Six players, $14,300,000

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OOPS
These are players who were bought out by the Islanders while they were still under contract.

GOALIES
- None

DEFENSE
- None

FORWARDS
- Shawn Bates ($800,000)
- Alexei Yashin ($2.2 million)

TOTALS
- Two players (zero active), $3,000,000

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GRAND TOTAL
- Twenty-one players, $34,524,908.50

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So, what to make of this? Here are the simple facts about the Islanders' approach in free agency.
- Assuming Okposo makes somewhere around $500,000, The Islanders need to spend approxmiately $5 million just to meet the 2008-09 salary floor.
- The Islanders have, at minimum, two spots to fill in order to complete a 23-man roster.
- The Islanders may be able to add even more than two players if they send down any of their restricted free agents.
- The Islanders love to go after guys coming off bad years or with something to prove, and will usually give one-year deals to these type of players.
- The Islanders, in line with Garth Snow's philosophy, will not be caught overpaying for anybody who isn't worth the money.

Now, let's look at potential lines for this team. Healthy scratches make negligible dollars and aren't included against the cap for our purposes.

OFFENSE
Jeff Tambellini-Mike Comrie-Bill Guerin
Sean Bergenheim-Mike Sillinger-Kyle Okposo
Jon Sim-Jeremy Colliton-Trent Hunter
Andy Hilbert-Frans Nielsen-Blake Comeau

DEFENSE
Brendan Witt-Chris Campoli
Bruno Gervais-Andy Sutton
Radek Martinek-Freddy Meyer

GOALIE
Rick DiPietro
Joey MacDonald

HEALTHY SCRATCHES
Tim Jackman
Jack Hillen
Ben Walter

When I look at this potential lineup, three needs stick out at me...
- More offense from the top two lines
- An offensive-minded, puck-moving defenseman
- A more capable back-up goalie

Let's look at each of those needs individually, and see if there are any players out there that could help.

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MORE OFFENSE FROM THE TOP TWO LINES
This is a problem the Islanders have had for a very, very long time. Kyle Okposo is going to be a top scorer on this team very soon, but there's nobody who can complement him particularly well. Mike Comrie is a good playmaker, but there's no guarantee the two will be playing together; besides, the line wouldn't exactly be too physically imposing. It's best to split the two, but the likes of Mike Sillinger and Bill Guerin can only do so much.

A goal-scoring left winger wouldn't hurt. Nor would a lunchpail, bang-in-the-garbage type of player to crowd the front of the net. Michael Ryder could be a pretty good option for the Islanders - he's coming off an off-year, and may take one of Snow's patented one-year contracts to prove his worth. Another potential one-year guy could be Ladislav Nagy, who was putting together a fine season before getting hurt in January. And, as much as Islander fans would hate it, Darcy Tucker would certainly fit the bill of a player capable of scoring and being a physical presence.

There are also a bevy of ex-Islanders to consider - Arron Asham, Michael Peca, Mike York, and Brad Isbister are all available. However, none of these guys are really the answer. The Isles need someone who can hang around for a while, and these players were all traded for a reason. Ultimately, there are some decent players out there, but there aren't many great buys to be had. Snow would do best to get what he can get, but not break the bank. That said, offense has to be the key, not any combination of grit, character, and heart.

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AN OFFENSIVE-MINDED, PUCK-MOVING DEFENSEMAN
Say what you want to about Marc-Andre Bergeron, but when he was an Islander in 2006-07, he averaged nearly a point per game and the Islanders made the playoffs. Last season, the tandem of Bergeron and Bryan Berard didn't perform nearly as well. Now, with Berard seemingly moving elsewhere and Bergeron gone to his third team in this calendar year, it's time to retool the defense.

Chris Campoli is becoming a solid offensive defenseman, but he could use some support in a group of players who don't contribute much offensively. There's the Rangers equivalent of Bergeron, Michal Roszival, but as Zach has said before, let someone else overpay for him. The big name in this year's free agent crop is Mark Streit. People say he's not too strong in his defensive end, but he just completed his third year in the NHL and contributed 62 points. That's pretty impressive. Better than that, the Colorado Avalanche, a team many thought would be a major competitor for Streit's services, just re-signed John-Michael Liles to a four-year deal. If the Islanders overpay for anybody, it should be Streit - though it should be cautioned that he played for Montreal, the best offensive team in the East this year.

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A MORE CAPABLE BACKUP
I'm sure Joey MacDonald is a wonderful person and a good goalie. That said, the Islanders claim to be committed to giving Rick DiPietro more rest this year. (Note: They say this every year. They never do it.) So it would be a good idea to get a solid backup in there, not only as a failsafe, but to keep MacDonald motivated and to actually let him win the backup job in training camp.

The list of notable backups are endless. Alex Auld, Jocelyn Thibault, John Grahame, Patrick Lalime, Dan Cloutier, David Aebischer, Scott Clemmensen, Andrew Raycroft... wow. That's a lot of names. Surely, one of them would take $750,000 to open up the bench door 65 nights a year and play the other 17 (hopefully). It's a good insurance policy to have. If the veteran backup wins the job, MacDonald gets sent down; if he clears waivers, the Islanders have someone ready in Bridgeport - never a bad thing. If MacDonald wins out, the Islanders trade the vet for a late draft pick. Hard to lose in this situation. In my eyes, it's a more than worthwhile investment, especially since the Islanders will be nowhere near the cap.

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OTHER WANTS
It'd sure be nice to get an enforcer this year. Jody Shelley is a free agent, as is the aforementioned Arron Asham. Even giving Kip Brennan a shot at the big club would be a good idea. As I've mentioned before, the Islanders sure didn't drop the gloves for a team that prided itself on its' grit (they were 26th in the league in fighting majors last year).

I wouldn't mind seeing a trade, as long as it were for the right player. The Islanders now have the resources (and the cap room) to make a pretty big splash on the trade market. Problem is, they'll have even more leverage around the trade deadline, with tons of veterans to move - especially if they're out of playoff contention. So they probably won't do anything, even though it wouldn't cost that much more to do something now.

In the end, though, I want to get a better picture of where the Islanders are headed. One-year deals to crappy veterans only patch up the fact that the farm system isn't where it needs to be. I'd like to see the Islanders bring in players to complement the young guys, help move them along, and let these veterans be part of it when the Islanders become a good team again. Signing two or three veteran leaders to three-year deals is a great thing, especially when they can contribute to the team. In other words, I'd rather see another Mike Sillinger-type deal than another one-and-done waste like Ruslan Fedotenko or Josef Vasicek.

It's going to be very interesting to see how things play out with the Islanders. Nobody's expecting the Islanders to do much this season, both in free agency and during the season, but the Isles could use a playoff year to keep interest high. It's going to be up to Snow to make the right deals for the right players - and it wouldn't hurt to make a splash, either. Losing Ryan Smyth last July 1 hurt more than anybody would care to mention. Perhaps more than anything else, Islander fans want to see their team bring in players who want to play on Long Island.

Mr. Snow, you're on the clock. Good luck.

2008-09 New York Rangers: Defense...

The last in a three-part series of how the 08-09 Rangers will shape up.

DEFENSE

The Rangers have enough forwards, as I wrote about in my Offensive Preview. Regardless of the returns of Marty Straka (probably not), Jaromir Jagr (probably), Sean Avery (hopefully), and Brendan Shanahan (undecided), they have enough young talent and established players that they will probably only need to grab one player from the free agent pool to add depth on wing. 

That leaves a lot of money for defense, considering the cap has been raised to $56.7M. 

So who is signed for next year? Christian Backman, Dan Girardi, Marc Staal, and Fedor Tyutin. Last season the Rangers carried 7 or 8 defensemen at all times, so for argument's sake, I will come up with 8 of them.

From last year, Marek Malik, Paul Mara, Michal Rozsival, and Jason Strudwick are unrestricted free agents. 

I think most Ranger fans are hoping Backman gets traded, although I don't see a trade or a buyout happening. Simply put, GM Glen Sather doesn't admit to mistakes often, but fans know Backman is the second coming of Sandis Ozolish (the comparisons to Malik are inevitable, but to Malik's defense, he did have a great 2005-06 before becoming slow like molasses in January the past 2 years). 

So let's assume that the 4 under contract stay under contract.

I'm certain Malik has played his last game on Broadway, if not in the whole NHL. I could be wrong, as he is only 33, and some team might find him as a serviceable 7th defenseman. However, not our problem, as he dug his own grave in New York. (While he did the digging, fans certainly pushed him into it.)

Rozsival - The big question is if Rozsival returns. Pre-lockout, he was hurt, and the Rangers took a chance on him. It paid off for both of them. However, I haven't ever been a big fan of his. He passes too much considering he has a decent shot. He does have offensive upside, but defensively he can hurt the team. Much of that might stem from playing with Malik or rookie-Staal and having to make up for their deficiencies, 

Still, the Rangers have too many defensive liabilities, considering how much he might get paid come July 1. Besides Brian Campbell, there aren't many puck-moving Ds out there, and Rozy is nothing if not puck-moving (as in, he moves it to Jagr; he moves it to Shanahan; he moves it back to Jagr).

Let some other team overpay him. He tied for 7th in defensemen scoring last season (his 13 goals were 5 more than Campbell's), including 6 on the power play. He was the only D to have 2 short-handed goals, as well (yes, they were in back-to-back games). He made $2.2M the past 2 years if memory serves me correct, a steal for his production. This year, he will want atleast $3.8M, and teams might throw him close to $4.5M/season. I've said this since we started this blog, let some other team overpay for him.

Mara - Mara wants to be a Ranger. He has made that clear. He was useful in his role, if not overpaid (Boston's fault, not Sather's). He is a more disciplined version of Mara with a booming shot from the point that could be useful if he sees power play time in 2008-09. 

That said, he will test the free agent market because he has not been tendered an offer by the Rangers. Quite simply, the Rangers are seeing how everything shapes up for them. With restricted free agents, Rozsival, Campbell, and others in the mix, they have a wait-and-see-if-we-still-need-him attitude with Mara. Expect Mara not to pick a team to play on until July 5th or 6th.

Strudwick - Struds has very little NHL ability anymore. Yes, he is a great guy and a solid locker room player, but in a practical sense, he brings little to the ice. One day he will probably be coaching in the NHL, and he should start by retiring. I loved having him on the team last year, but it makes no sense to bring him back, especially when Andrew Hutchinson is waiting in the wings to play the same role on the Rangers that Strudwick played last year.

RFAs

The restricted free agent pool for D-men is weak. The Rangers aren't normally the ones to tender offer-sheets to players, and only a few names make sense. Dennis Widemann (Boston) is a young, cheap defender. Edmonton isn't losing Joni Pitkanen (and he has more defensive flaws than Malik does). 

Ville Koistinen is a real solid player and Nashville has enough defensemen that they might let him walk on July 1, or they might let a team offer him a deal and take the draft picks as compensation. Of course, the Rangers have a young blueline already, and he doesn't add more than 50 games experience. 

That leaves Andrej Meszaros, Jay Bouwmeester, and Mike Green. Bouwmeester is the sexy name there, and for good reason. With the most experience of the group, he is the best player there as well. On top of that, Florida is a horrible organization who he might not want to play for anymore. It's not beyond the Panther's management to trade his negotiation rights for Colton Orr and a 6th round pick in the 2010 draft. 

Green would be a good addition, but he is still, well, green, especially on the blueline. Meszaros is a good player, scoring over 30 points in every season, and he shoots the puck as well. Not a power play pivot, but a solid player.

UFAs

Campbell heads the UFA list, but at $8M, he will be extremely overpaid. I took issue with Eric Lindros being paid $8M for 19 goals once ($421,000 per goal). Imagine paying Campbell a million per goal. Is it really that hard to find a PP QB that he gets paid the equivalent of 40 years at a respectable university everytime he puts the puck past a goalie?

Wade Redden (don't be duped by him), Rob Blake (wants stay in LA, and at 37 is extremely risky consdering his injuries lately), Adam Foote (no) and Mattias Nortstrom (hey, wasnt' he a Ranger once?) are the veterans. I don't see the Rangers signing anyone here, partly because it's not 2002 anymore and most of these players are has-beens. 

I do see them taking a shot at maybe Mike Commodore (respectable, cheap), John-Michael Liles (would be a good fit at 26), or Ron Hainsey, although both of those last 2 are inexperienced. Rumors have them talking to Brooks Orpik, who I openly dispise because of his neck-breaking dirty shot on Erik Cole in 2006.

Mark Streit is the best name on the list and would probably ask around 3 or 3.5M a year, but I think the Canadiens would want to re-sign him as soon as they could. If the Rangers got him, Rozy would be a goner and Campbell wouldn't even be on the radar anymore. 

Kurt Sauer, Dmitri Kalinin, Andreas Lilja, and David Hale also wouldn't surprise me. It's not a tremendously strong crop, but there are some good names out there. Trouble is, since it isn't a good crop, they would come with pricetags like a Ferrari (or, like 50 Ferraris).

From Within

Ivan Baranka is overseas, Corey Potter isn't ready, Bobby Sanguenetti has atleast one year of minor league hockey in him, and Andrew Hutchinson has NHL experience... wait for it... as a power play point man. Hmmmm.

Hutch will definitely be in training camp, and hopefully he can crack the roster. In Hartford, he had 64 points in 67 games, 13 power play goals, and was a +28. He's 28, and had 8 power play points in 41 games in 06-07 in Carolina, leading the team while playing in half the games. 

Overall

Should be interesting come July 1. Once again, let's hope the concentrate on defense. Last season, the Rangers played team defense to make up for what they lacked individually. While it worked, it limited their offense severely, especially Jagr.