UPDATED: 7/5 11:00 P.M. We all bought it...hook, line, and sinker. I just want to be wrong.
According to the Islanders beat writer Katie Strang, the Islanders never got passed the preliminary stages of negotiation with Ilya Kovalchuk regarding a contract. According to the report, the Islanders were only interested in a short term deal, while Kovalchuk is seeking a long term one. No offer was ever extended.
We all get a little too hyped up over the fact that Garth made a phone call, then told people about it. The fact of the matter is, hes supposed to make a phone call. We shouldn't be shocked when he does. Its like when your shopping for a new item, you call/go the store or go online to find out what the price is. When its out of your range, you move on. Granted this situation did not happen that quickly, but that is it in a nutshell.
The bottom line still remains, as long as the arena situation is still in question, don't expect anyone prominent, much less Ilya Kovalchuk, to sign with the New York Islanders. The biggest news that will come out of Islander land in the coming days/week will be the Town of Heampsteads' counteroffer to Charles Wang regarding the Lighthouse Project. If you thought Fourth of July fireworks were something, you aint seen nothing yet.
Oh, the pain!
*
According to multiple credible sources in the hockey world (Chris Botta and Katie Strang, among others), the New York Islanders have a serious stake in the Ilya Kovalchuk sweepstakes. Kovalchuk is considered the best available free agent in a weak pool of them this year. It is also being reported that the Los Angeles Kings and New Jersey Devils, whom Kovalchuk joined at the deadline last year, are also in the mix to sign the Russian sniper. The Islanders have already signed Zenon Kanopka, Milan Jurchina, PA Parenteau, and Mark Eaton.
Kovalchuk would bolster a weak Islanders unit offensively and be a prominent player to mentor the young Islanders squad. An interesting statistic brought up is that Kovalchuk's goal totals the past 8 years would have led the Islanders in all but 1 season. The Islanders have not had a 40 goal scorrer since Jason Blake in 2006-2007. Kovalchuk has scored more than 40 in 6 of his 8 seasons.
As I stated in a post earlier this year, my opinion on the Islanders personnel situation was that as long as the uncertainty around the Lighthouse project continued, the Islanders would not sign any prominent free agents. With the circumstances surrounding this situation, it appears that my assumptions are incorrect. In this case, I am glad I am wrong. Charles Wang appears to be willing to give Kovalchuk a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract.
We'll see how this plays out, but even if Kovalchuk does not sign with the Islanders, it is good to see the Islanders being mentioned about something this big other than the uncertainty surrounding the arena situation and possible relocation. All Islander fans hope one day that the situation will be settled, and all we have to think about are the team and the players.
But in the meantime, GO GET EM!
Comments
Showing posts with label New York Islanders. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New York Islanders. Show all posts
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
What do you want, Long Island?
According to a story in today's Newsday, Ed Mangano has spoken with the Shinnecock Indians about building a Hotel and Casino on the Nassau Coliseum site. A site where Charles Wang, owner of the New York Islanders, submitted, and won, an RFP, spent millions of dollars on environmental and other studies, submitted those studies to the Town of Heampstead, conducted hundreds of community outreach meetings, and is currently patiently awaiting a decision on zoning for the site. The above sequence has taken over 8 years, and a decision has still yet to have been made on whether or not to put a shovel in the ground.
The question is what do Long Islanders want on a site that is within a few square miles of two colleges and other elementary, middle, and high schools. Do they want a place where prominent businesses will call home for decades, will bring millions of dollars in tax revenue to local municipalities, affordable housing, create thousands of jobs, and will provide a proper home for the New York Islanders? Or do they want a monstrosity that will create twice as much traffic, low wage jobs, and little to no tax revenue to the local municipalities.
What do you want, Long Island?
Comments
The question is what do Long Islanders want on a site that is within a few square miles of two colleges and other elementary, middle, and high schools. Do they want a place where prominent businesses will call home for decades, will bring millions of dollars in tax revenue to local municipalities, affordable housing, create thousands of jobs, and will provide a proper home for the New York Islanders? Or do they want a monstrosity that will create twice as much traffic, low wage jobs, and little to no tax revenue to the local municipalities.
What do you want, Long Island?
Comments
Sunday, April 11, 2010
New York Islanders 2009-2010 Season Review
The highly anticipated rookie year of John Tavares and the 2009-2010 New York Islanders season came to an end on the same note it started, an overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on home ice. It was a crazy and unexpected year on many levels that fell short of expectations for management and coaches, but far exceeded mine. A record of 34-37-11 with 79 points after a 26-47-9 with 61 points last season. And the only additions were Tavares, two goaltenders, and two long shot dream free agent signings in Matt Moulson and Rob Schremp. Lets go through and give a year in review for all the players, coaches, and management.
Garth Snow: B+
Garth went out and signed Dwayne Roloson and Marty Biron, two top NHL quality goaltenders in the offseason thinking he would trade one of them when Rick DiPietro returned. He ended up not trading either of them, as DiPietro played only 8 games this season. He also found little known Matt Moulson and Rob Schremp who will be a big part of the Islanders future. Garth traded Andy Sutton at the deadline for a second round pick which was the result of a weak market. It was only a year ago Snow got a first rounder for Chris Campoli. Garth did a lot with a little, but he must go out and find a goal scoring winger and a top 4 defenseman this offseason. He says he has no restrictions on what he can spend, so hopefully the team salary will climb significantly this offseason.
Scott Gordon: A
Coach Gordon entered his second season as the Islanders head coach and turned the Islanders from a basement team to a middle of the pack team. He had his team in the thick of the playoff race all year. The players are buying into his system, and the goals are coming. The penalty kill was his only weak spot. They finished the season at 76%, 29th out of 30.
John Tavares: B+
John had a fantastic rookie season with 24 goals, 30 assists for 54 points. His play after the Olympic Break was significantly improved, not just statistically, but his defensive and play without the puck got better. He will easily score 30 goals on a consistent basis in the future. The kid is only 19 years old. He will get bigger and stronger and will be a force. He is the cornerstone of the Islanders future.
Mark Streit: A
Streit is the backbone of the defense and would be my choice for captain next season. He averaged over 25 minutes of ice time and quarterbacked the power play. An outstanding all around defenseman who's play on defense is surprising a lot of people, including me. The stats were down, but once the Islanders get bigger and better up front, his numbers will increase.
Kyle Okposo: B+
This was Kyles second full season with the Islanders. His offensive numbers do not give him enough credit. This kid has the potential to score 40 and reminds me so much of Jason Blake with his speed and peskiness he brings to every game. The puck just seems to find him. He is only 21 years old, so give him a few more years and he too will be making eye opening plays on a consistent basis.
Matt Mouslon: A+
The biggest surprise of the Islanders season. A long shot to even make the team out of training camp, Moulson played well enough in camp to earn a roster spot. He was the teams leading scorer with 30 goals, and the only real consistent sniper the Isles had. They must bring him back next year.
Frans Neilsen: B+
Will win a Selke trophy by the time he retires. Underrated defensively and a great distributor of the puck. Kills penalties and is always matched up against the opposing teams top line. Reminds me of Michael Peca, only better.
Blake Comeau: B
Really turned his game around toward the last month of the season. Needs to be more consistent and play like he did the last part of the season for a full one.
Josh Bailey: B
Played well given the fact that this was his second full season. He switched from center to wing and back and forth a lot. Played much better without the puck this season than last, and will get bigger and stronger, hes only 20.
Rob Schremp: B
Excellent skills and puck handling ability. The goal he scored while batting the puck out of mid air was phenomenal. Above average skater, should be back next season.
Sean Bergenheim: B
Above average skating ability and strong along the boards with the puck. Just wish he would put himslef in better positions to shoot more, but he turned it on late. I could see him playing with Rob Scremp and Josh Bailey on a line next season.
Rest of the defense: B-
The play of Jack Hillen and Andrew MacDonald are the real bright spots on the defense along with Mart Streit. The way Hillen and MacDonald are engaging and reading plays has far exceeded everyones expectations and they both deserve the contracts they have for next season. Freddy Meyer is by far the teams best defensive defenseman. He shut down a lot of good offensive players on opposing teams on a consistent basis. Reminds me of a younger Brendan Witt and at age 29, should be brought back. Bruno Gervais did not live up to expectations after a good season last year. The team traded Andy Sutton at the deadline and Gervais was expected to fill the void, but did not do so. The Islanders need to bring in a high quality defenseman for next season.
Rest of the offense: C
Jon Sim played much better this year after being sent down to Bridgeport towards the end of last season. He was a pest to opposing teams and drew a lot of penalties. Tim Jackman played well on the fourth line and had 98 penalty minutes. Jeff Tambellini did not make the most of the limited time he played this year and did not secure a consistent spot in the lineup. I believe Richard Park, Jon Sim, Jeff Tambellini, and Doug Weight will not be back next season.
Rick DiPietro: I
Ricky played in only 8 games after returning from knee injuries in November. He had swelling in his knee and did not return after the Olympic Break. He is under contract for a long time, and the story will continue once training camp begins next September. Will he be ready? I don't think he even knows.
Marty Biron: B
Played well after the All-Star break sharing time with Dwayne Roloson. Could have been useful to another team at the trade deadline. I believe he played well enough to earn a contract next season with another NHL team.
Dwayne Roloson: A
The teams MVP by far. Hands down the only reason why the Islanders were not at the very bottom of the cellar in the league. .907 save % and 3.00 GAA with 23 wins. Will be the teams starting gaoltender entering camp next season.
Comments
Garth Snow: B+
Garth went out and signed Dwayne Roloson and Marty Biron, two top NHL quality goaltenders in the offseason thinking he would trade one of them when Rick DiPietro returned. He ended up not trading either of them, as DiPietro played only 8 games this season. He also found little known Matt Moulson and Rob Schremp who will be a big part of the Islanders future. Garth traded Andy Sutton at the deadline for a second round pick which was the result of a weak market. It was only a year ago Snow got a first rounder for Chris Campoli. Garth did a lot with a little, but he must go out and find a goal scoring winger and a top 4 defenseman this offseason. He says he has no restrictions on what he can spend, so hopefully the team salary will climb significantly this offseason.
Scott Gordon: A
Coach Gordon entered his second season as the Islanders head coach and turned the Islanders from a basement team to a middle of the pack team. He had his team in the thick of the playoff race all year. The players are buying into his system, and the goals are coming. The penalty kill was his only weak spot. They finished the season at 76%, 29th out of 30.
John Tavares: B+
John had a fantastic rookie season with 24 goals, 30 assists for 54 points. His play after the Olympic Break was significantly improved, not just statistically, but his defensive and play without the puck got better. He will easily score 30 goals on a consistent basis in the future. The kid is only 19 years old. He will get bigger and stronger and will be a force. He is the cornerstone of the Islanders future.
Mark Streit: A
Streit is the backbone of the defense and would be my choice for captain next season. He averaged over 25 minutes of ice time and quarterbacked the power play. An outstanding all around defenseman who's play on defense is surprising a lot of people, including me. The stats were down, but once the Islanders get bigger and better up front, his numbers will increase.
Kyle Okposo: B+
This was Kyles second full season with the Islanders. His offensive numbers do not give him enough credit. This kid has the potential to score 40 and reminds me so much of Jason Blake with his speed and peskiness he brings to every game. The puck just seems to find him. He is only 21 years old, so give him a few more years and he too will be making eye opening plays on a consistent basis.
Matt Mouslon: A+
The biggest surprise of the Islanders season. A long shot to even make the team out of training camp, Moulson played well enough in camp to earn a roster spot. He was the teams leading scorer with 30 goals, and the only real consistent sniper the Isles had. They must bring him back next year.
Frans Neilsen: B+
Will win a Selke trophy by the time he retires. Underrated defensively and a great distributor of the puck. Kills penalties and is always matched up against the opposing teams top line. Reminds me of Michael Peca, only better.
Blake Comeau: B
Really turned his game around toward the last month of the season. Needs to be more consistent and play like he did the last part of the season for a full one.
Josh Bailey: B
Played well given the fact that this was his second full season. He switched from center to wing and back and forth a lot. Played much better without the puck this season than last, and will get bigger and stronger, hes only 20.
Rob Schremp: B
Excellent skills and puck handling ability. The goal he scored while batting the puck out of mid air was phenomenal. Above average skater, should be back next season.
Sean Bergenheim: B
Above average skating ability and strong along the boards with the puck. Just wish he would put himslef in better positions to shoot more, but he turned it on late. I could see him playing with Rob Scremp and Josh Bailey on a line next season.
Rest of the defense: B-
The play of Jack Hillen and Andrew MacDonald are the real bright spots on the defense along with Mart Streit. The way Hillen and MacDonald are engaging and reading plays has far exceeded everyones expectations and they both deserve the contracts they have for next season. Freddy Meyer is by far the teams best defensive defenseman. He shut down a lot of good offensive players on opposing teams on a consistent basis. Reminds me of a younger Brendan Witt and at age 29, should be brought back. Bruno Gervais did not live up to expectations after a good season last year. The team traded Andy Sutton at the deadline and Gervais was expected to fill the void, but did not do so. The Islanders need to bring in a high quality defenseman for next season.
Rest of the offense: C
Jon Sim played much better this year after being sent down to Bridgeport towards the end of last season. He was a pest to opposing teams and drew a lot of penalties. Tim Jackman played well on the fourth line and had 98 penalty minutes. Jeff Tambellini did not make the most of the limited time he played this year and did not secure a consistent spot in the lineup. I believe Richard Park, Jon Sim, Jeff Tambellini, and Doug Weight will not be back next season.
Rick DiPietro: I
Ricky played in only 8 games after returning from knee injuries in November. He had swelling in his knee and did not return after the Olympic Break. He is under contract for a long time, and the story will continue once training camp begins next September. Will he be ready? I don't think he even knows.
Marty Biron: B
Played well after the All-Star break sharing time with Dwayne Roloson. Could have been useful to another team at the trade deadline. I believe he played well enough to earn a contract next season with another NHL team.
Dwayne Roloson: A
The teams MVP by far. Hands down the only reason why the Islanders were not at the very bottom of the cellar in the league. .907 save % and 3.00 GAA with 23 wins. Will be the teams starting gaoltender entering camp next season.
Comments
Thursday, February 4, 2010
New York Islanders Mid-Season Crisis
The New York Islanders entered the 2009-2010 season with limited expectations in year 2 of their "re-build". They got their prized franchise player in the draft and kept the core intact while adding depth between the pipes after going through all of last season without a legitimate NHL goaltender.
But when the team plays better than expected and goes on a nice mid-season run, people raise their expectations. When you are sitting in a playoff spot after January 1, all of a sudden the playoffs look much better then a lottery pick.
But what happens when you lose 6 in a row and find yourself chasing 7 teams ahead of you for 3 playoff spots? Panic starts to set in. Which is where the Islanders find themselves at this point and time. They are a team that has lost their identity from earlier in the year and is struggling to regain it. A team that was always praised by opponents for their relentless puck pursuit and work ethic earlier in the year are now being dominated by their opponents on a nightly basis. This has not come from a lack of work ethic or heart, but a lack of talent.
Garth Snow started this process with the intent of seeing it all the way through. I am glad him and Assistant GM Ryan Jankowski are sticking to that. Considering the situation Garth has been put in, I believe him and his staff have done a great job. Compliments go to his scouting staff for finding their leading scorer and number 1 goaltender as free agents completely under the radar this past off-season.
But what the Islanders lack they do not have internally. What they have now are about 9 players they plan to build a Stanley Cup team around, the rest are expendable. For the time being, the current roster is filled with 3rd and 4th line players that are plugged in to get by this season and possibly next.
As long as Garth Snow's hands continue to be tied by Charles Wang, who's hands are tied by a terrible arena lease and the Town of Heampstead, me and every other Islanders fan around the world have to realize that as long as the situation remains status quo, the Islanders will not be a contender. You can not expect the team to pay $100 million for Ilya Kovalchuk when they wont even pay for the team to have a regular radio station and broadcasters.
That last paragraph may be tough to swallow for a lot of Islander fans. Go back and read it again if you have to, but do not try and convince yourself that it is not true, because it most certainly is.
So what do you do now if you are an Islanders fan? You sit and wait. You watch the remainder of this season hoping they turn things around and make a strong push, or hope they bottom out and end up with a lottery pick. You also hope for good news from the Town of Heampstead about the redevelopment of the arena.
If your Garth Snow you stick some lines in the water for players YOU think are best for your team in the future and you DO NOT pull the trigger unless you are satisfied with the terms. You also look to sell of dead Weight for as much as possible.
As far as the present goes, the Islanders need to ask themselves one question...who is going to step up? Who is going to take responsibility and put this team on their back for stretch run? My bet would go to Kyle Okposo with pretty good odds too. They need to play much more hungry then they have in the past 2 weeks and they absolutely must improve their play on special teams. If you have watched this team all year you've noticed that in recent games they have not been getting any quality scoring chances whatsoever. Goals have come from battles in the front of the net or 30 foot shots that ricochet off of bodies on their way to the net. They have not scored a goal scorer's goal in at least 3 weeks. Get back to the team you were a month ago that teams were afraid to play on a nightly basis, and you make a decent run at a bottom playoff spot.
I will have a Super Bowl XLIV preview tomorrow, needed to rant about this now. Comments
But when the team plays better than expected and goes on a nice mid-season run, people raise their expectations. When you are sitting in a playoff spot after January 1, all of a sudden the playoffs look much better then a lottery pick.
But what happens when you lose 6 in a row and find yourself chasing 7 teams ahead of you for 3 playoff spots? Panic starts to set in. Which is where the Islanders find themselves at this point and time. They are a team that has lost their identity from earlier in the year and is struggling to regain it. A team that was always praised by opponents for their relentless puck pursuit and work ethic earlier in the year are now being dominated by their opponents on a nightly basis. This has not come from a lack of work ethic or heart, but a lack of talent.
Garth Snow started this process with the intent of seeing it all the way through. I am glad him and Assistant GM Ryan Jankowski are sticking to that. Considering the situation Garth has been put in, I believe him and his staff have done a great job. Compliments go to his scouting staff for finding their leading scorer and number 1 goaltender as free agents completely under the radar this past off-season.
But what the Islanders lack they do not have internally. What they have now are about 9 players they plan to build a Stanley Cup team around, the rest are expendable. For the time being, the current roster is filled with 3rd and 4th line players that are plugged in to get by this season and possibly next.
As long as Garth Snow's hands continue to be tied by Charles Wang, who's hands are tied by a terrible arena lease and the Town of Heampstead, me and every other Islanders fan around the world have to realize that as long as the situation remains status quo, the Islanders will not be a contender. You can not expect the team to pay $100 million for Ilya Kovalchuk when they wont even pay for the team to have a regular radio station and broadcasters.
That last paragraph may be tough to swallow for a lot of Islander fans. Go back and read it again if you have to, but do not try and convince yourself that it is not true, because it most certainly is.
So what do you do now if you are an Islanders fan? You sit and wait. You watch the remainder of this season hoping they turn things around and make a strong push, or hope they bottom out and end up with a lottery pick. You also hope for good news from the Town of Heampstead about the redevelopment of the arena.
If your Garth Snow you stick some lines in the water for players YOU think are best for your team in the future and you DO NOT pull the trigger unless you are satisfied with the terms. You also look to sell of dead Weight for as much as possible.
As far as the present goes, the Islanders need to ask themselves one question...who is going to step up? Who is going to take responsibility and put this team on their back for stretch run? My bet would go to Kyle Okposo with pretty good odds too. They need to play much more hungry then they have in the past 2 weeks and they absolutely must improve their play on special teams. If you have watched this team all year you've noticed that in recent games they have not been getting any quality scoring chances whatsoever. Goals have come from battles in the front of the net or 30 foot shots that ricochet off of bodies on their way to the net. They have not scored a goal scorer's goal in at least 3 weeks. Get back to the team you were a month ago that teams were afraid to play on a nightly basis, and you make a decent run at a bottom playoff spot.
I will have a Super Bowl XLIV preview tomorrow, needed to rant about this now. Comments
Monday, January 11, 2010
Welcome
First of all let me start by introducing myself and stating my sports alliances.
My name is L.J. and I am a 21 year old college student. I attend the University of Central Florida, originally from Long Island, NY and moved to a small town called Niceville, FL. Love sports, love talking about, watching it, sometimes re-watching it.
We'll start with football because obviously that is the most popular sport in this country right now. I am a dedicated New York Giants fan since 2004. I have followed the team religiously since that time. During my pre-teen years I was never a football fan, in fact I HATED football for reasons I can not think of today. College football is the reason I started watching football in the first place. Moving from the northeast to the south, you can see a huge disparity in the following of college football. I am a huge fan of the Florida Gators.
Baseball I stand with the 27, YES 27 time World Series Champion New York Yankees. I went to my first game in 1995 and I haven't looked back since.
Hockey is a sport that I am most passionate about even though it does not get the publicity that the other 3 major sports get at least in the States. The New York Islanders are a team rich with history and unfortunately for me that history took place before I was born, but I am hoping in years to come I will be there when they write some new history. And I'm not talking about history that has them moving to Kansas City.
FULL DISCLOSURE: I was an intern/sales executive for the New York Islanders during the summer of 2008.
Basketball is a sport that is hard for me to watch, because I can't really get into it, so you will rarely see me write about it in this space unless its something major.
I am an avid golfer and my ups and downs live with Phil Mickelson. Ive been playing since I was 3 years old thanks to my father and grandfather.
Now that you know my teams, know that I am a knowledgeable sports fan. You may hear me rant about my struggles rooting for some of my teams, but you will never see me write something I can't back up. Yes I loath some teams, the Dallas Cowboys and New York Rangers among others, but I give credit where credit is due.
I welcome all comments from all sports fans, but please do not write anything that is not FACT, and keep comments on the topics I am talking about. Also I know we will disagree, probably often, on most topics, but personal and silly attacks will not be tolerated and will be deleted. "Are you stupid" and the like included. Please have respect for me and fellow readers.
I will update as often as I can with topics going around in the sports world, plus on some topics I sometimes have to vent about (Probably after Islanders loses after blowing 3 goal leads), but I hope you enjoy the blog and have some fun.
Please start by introducing yourself and your sports teams in Comments.
My name is L.J. and I am a 21 year old college student. I attend the University of Central Florida, originally from Long Island, NY and moved to a small town called Niceville, FL. Love sports, love talking about, watching it, sometimes re-watching it.
We'll start with football because obviously that is the most popular sport in this country right now. I am a dedicated New York Giants fan since 2004. I have followed the team religiously since that time. During my pre-teen years I was never a football fan, in fact I HATED football for reasons I can not think of today. College football is the reason I started watching football in the first place. Moving from the northeast to the south, you can see a huge disparity in the following of college football. I am a huge fan of the Florida Gators.
Baseball I stand with the 27, YES 27 time World Series Champion New York Yankees. I went to my first game in 1995 and I haven't looked back since.
Hockey is a sport that I am most passionate about even though it does not get the publicity that the other 3 major sports get at least in the States. The New York Islanders are a team rich with history and unfortunately for me that history took place before I was born, but I am hoping in years to come I will be there when they write some new history. And I'm not talking about history that has them moving to Kansas City.
FULL DISCLOSURE: I was an intern/sales executive for the New York Islanders during the summer of 2008.
Basketball is a sport that is hard for me to watch, because I can't really get into it, so you will rarely see me write about it in this space unless its something major.
I am an avid golfer and my ups and downs live with Phil Mickelson. Ive been playing since I was 3 years old thanks to my father and grandfather.
Now that you know my teams, know that I am a knowledgeable sports fan. You may hear me rant about my struggles rooting for some of my teams, but you will never see me write something I can't back up. Yes I loath some teams, the Dallas Cowboys and New York Rangers among others, but I give credit where credit is due.
I welcome all comments from all sports fans, but please do not write anything that is not FACT, and keep comments on the topics I am talking about. Also I know we will disagree, probably often, on most topics, but personal and silly attacks will not be tolerated and will be deleted. "Are you stupid" and the like included. Please have respect for me and fellow readers.
I will update as often as I can with topics going around in the sports world, plus on some topics I sometimes have to vent about (Probably after Islanders loses after blowing 3 goal leads), but I hope you enjoy the blog and have some fun.
Please start by introducing yourself and your sports teams in Comments.
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