Heading into the 2011-12 season, the Islanders will be without the services of several players who made key contributions over the past couple of years:
· Defenseman Radek Martinek signed a one-year, 2.2 million dollar contract to play with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
· Center Zenon Konopka inked a one-way, one-year deal with the Ottawa Senators. The pugilist led the NHL with 307 penalty minutes. His new teammate Chris Neil was second with 210. Konopka also ranked fourth in the league as the Islanders best face-off man last year with a 57.7 face-off percentage (620 FOW/455 FOL).
· Bruno Gervais signed a one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He will probably be the team’s sixth or seventh defenseman.
· Rob Schremp will play overseas as a center for MODO of the Swedish Elite League. He will look to rejoin the NHL again in 2012-13.
· Doug Weight officially announced his retirement in May. The 19-year veteran will stay with the Islanders as an assistant coach and special advisor to GM Garth Snow.
· Trent Hunter was traded to the New Jersey Devils for Brian Rolston. Hunter, who missed most of last season with a torn MCL, then had his contract bought out by the Devils. The veteran right-winger is currently an unrestricted free agent, and is attending the Los Angeles Kings training camp on a tryout basis.
The Islanders acquired three key additions during the off-season:
· Marty Reasoner was signed a two-year, 2.7 million-deal. He will add a veteran presence to the Islanders crop of young talent. Last year he tallied 14 goals and 32 points for the Florida Panthers. The Islanders plan to use him as a fourth line center and a face-off specialist, two roles of need caused by the departure of Konopka.
· Brian Rolston was acquired in the deal that sent Hunter to the Devils. He too was brought over to provide a veteran presence to the club. In addition, his 3 million dollar contract which brought the Islanders closer to the salary cap floor played no small part in his acquisition. It will be interesting to see what exactly will be Rolston’s role. He believes he can be a top-six forward, but it is hard to believe the Islanders not giving these positions to the youngsters. Most likely he will man the point on the power play and may end up opposite Mark Streit on the first unit.
· Tim Wallace signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Isles. He played the past five years with the Pittsburgh Penguins’ organization, spending most of last year in the minors with their AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton team. There he registered 20 goals and 37 points in 62 games. He was held scoreless in the seven games he played with the big club. Wallace, who plays right-wing, will likely be used as organizational depth for the Isles.
The Islanders have put together a group of outstanding young prospects that many consider second to none. The youngsters most likely to have impact in the next couple of years are:
· Ryan Strome was the fifth overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. He is a plus puck handler and has great passing skills. The center is considered an average skater but is expected to get better as he grows. Strome has a good wrist-shot and is not afraid to go to the goal-mouth area. Scouts are pleased with his work ethic. The 18-year old projects to be a first line center who will probably make a number of All-Star appearances. Strome still needs to fill out his lanky six foot, 175 pound body and prepare physically for the next level. He most likely will spend the 2011-12 season in major junior hockey.
· Nino Niederreiter was the fifth overall pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. The power forward works hard on both ends of the ice and has an above-average physical game. His 6’2’’, 205 pound frame has filled out well and he is considered strong for his young age (18). Some scouts questioned his work ethic after being sent down to the Portland Winterhawks last season, claiming he looked disinterested. However, he is safely projected to be a good second line forward. Niederreiter is almost certain to start the season with the Islanders. However, he may initially have a tough time cracking a top-six role. He should at least garner third line minutes so that his development and progress will not be stunted.
· Calvin de Haan was selected in the first round as the 12th overall pick by the Isles in 2009. The 20-year old is considered a smooth-skating defenseman although he is does not exhibit above-average speed. He is especially known as a plus passer who has great distribution skills. He rarely gets rattled when under pressure and has good hockey sense. His weakness is his lack of physical play and physical growth. He still has yet to fill out his 6’1’’, 189 pound frame despite his age. Thus de Haan will most likely spend most of this season in Bridgeport (AHL) where he can get used to the rigors of the pro game. There is no reason for the Isles to rush him at this time.
The Islanders showed noticeable improvement in their specialty teams last year as compared to their dismal 2009-10 season. They ranked 17th in the league recording a 17.2 power play percentage in 2010-11 after ranking 27th with a 16.0 percentage the year prior. Their penalty kill percentage also improved to 83.2 percent (12th in the league) from 77.1 percent (29th in the league) in 2009-10.
Frans Nielsen led the NHL in 2010-11 with seven shorthanded goals. Michael Grabner was second with six.
The Islanders were involved in 24 overtime contests last season resulting in an 11-13 record. In those that involved the shootout, they were 4-6.
The Islanders will depend on Marty Reasoner to be their face-off specialist. Last year he led the Panthers with a 54.5 percent face-off percentage (700 FOW/784 FOL). The Isles will also lean on John Tavares who ended last season with a 52.5 percent face-off percentage (693 FOW/626 FOL).
Until roles are defined in training camp, it will be difficult to speculate the exact make-up of this season’s power play units. Most likely, Streit and Rolston will get first crack at the points since the Isles have shown they are not afraid to use a forward back there. I personally would like to see Travis Hamonik man the point, but it is probably Rolston’s position to lose. The first unit will probably be a mix of Tavares- Matt Moulson- PA Parenteau-Streit-Rolston, and maybe Kyle Okposo-Nielsen-Hamonic-Andrew MacDonald with Blake Comeau or Josh Bailey on the second unit. The team added and enjoyed Parenteau’s right-handed shot for the power play last year, so don’t expect him to be demoted without a fight.
I leave the prognostications to my friends Gary and John. However, I do see a team that is on the rise and can no longer be ignored. The Achilles’ heel for the Islanders remains the potential revolving door at goal. Will Rick DiPietro be able to extricate himself from the disabled list? Will Al Montoya also recover from injury, and if so, will he be able to match his success from last year? Will Evgeny Nabokov be able to shake off the rust after being two years removed from the NHL, and if so, will he then soon be traded?
The Islanders look potent up front and if Streit can keep healthy, I like the mixture at the blue line. I see the team earning 85 points in a difficult division. They will battle for the eighth and final playoff spot until the last game of the season. Unfortunately, I see them losing a heartbreaking, overtime shootout decision on a dreary April 7, 2012 night in Columbus. However, 2012-13 will then be the season that the hockey world will attribute to the origins of the next New York Islander dynasty
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