Addition of Berard Mixes Up Camp

Just when we finally thought we had the defense all figured out for the upcoming season, Snow threw us a curve ball and invited former Islander Bryan Berard to training camp. This really mixes things up in camp and possibly could have an effect on what Nolan will do with his two budding defenseman, Bruno Gervais and Chris Campoli.

Berard has done it all. At age 30, Berard has been a tremendous power play quarterback on some pretty good teams. He has averaged better than a half point per game over his career, which is awesome production from a defenseman. But no one knows for sure if Berard is that same player today. A horrible eye injury has limited what Berard can see on the ice, although he will tell you that his vision is perfectly fine. Either way, Berard is the epitome of what hard work and dedication can do as he has maintained his career averages despite all of his setbacks.

But if Berard makes the team, who loses their spot? It's probably a safe bet that Witt, Martinek, Sutton, and MAB will have a guaranteed roster spot. This means the real danger is to Gervais and Campoli. However, I think inviting Berard is a great move by Snow. It's so important to have competition in training camp so each player feels motivated each day to prove their value to the organization. Gervais and Campoli have not earned anything in my book, by their reputation nor by their play last season. If they truly are the better men for the job, I trust Nolan will make that decision and reward each of them with a roster spot. Well maybe not. Nolan does have a tendency to trust the veterans over the younger players. He proved that by sticking with Dunham when the better choice in net at the end of last season was Dubie.

Personally, I think Berard will be a very good fit for the Isles. He would give the Isles a power play quarterback to play with MAB. While many think MAB is the quarterback, he showed last season that when he is counted on to QB the power play, he has a hard time getting off his shot. That led to broken sticks and rushed shots that almost killed fans in the stands. Berard should be able to give MAB the time he needs to properly set up and fire away.

However, Berard will have problems with the physical game just as Campoli did last year. Some might see is as a waste to give a player on the downside of his career a last chance where Campoli might provide the same output while just at the beginning of his. I think Gervais will be safe because he is more defensively sound than Campoli, so it will probably come down to Berard v. Campoli. If they appear to be offering the same type of game during training camp, then Nolan must do what's best for the organization and cut ties with Berard. But if Berard comes out flying and really separates himself from the pack, then it might be another long camp for Chris Campoli.

The Big Bad D

We have beaten the analysis of the forwards into the earth and there's not much else we can do to manipulate it. It will be Snolan's call whether Bergenheim and Tambellini finally get a fair shot, or whether we will be horrified with another year of the Hilberts, Parks, and Bates'. Now let's take a look at our big bad defense.

If the season started today, our defense would include in its top-6: Brendan Witt, Radek Martinek, Andy Sutton, Marc-Andre Bergeron, Bruno Gervais, & Chris Campoli. Freddy Meyer is the best bet for the 7th defenseman and one-time Isles' Calder winner Bryan Berard is coming to camp on a tryout basis. Not the best crew, but certainly not as bad as it was a few weeks back. Sutton gives the Isles a legitimate NHL crease clearer, standing at 6-6, Sutton is undoubtedly an upgrade over the slow-footed/undersized/offensively-challenged Sean Hill. Further, no one knows for sure how Berard will come to camp, but there's one thing I do know about Berard: he will come to camp ready to work. Anyone who can battle back from the kind of injury that Berard suffered will certainly come to a "tryout" more than ready to prove his worth. Kudos to Bryan for all he has achieved thus far in his career.

The first pairing should include Witt and Martinek. Witt does it all: shot blocking, penalty killing, first line match ups, the works (except the powerplay). Same goes for Martinek, at a much quicker speed with less muscle. Yet Martinek's small frame constantly lands him on the injured list because he tries to play a game beyond his physical capabilities. But for now, these are easily our top-2 D-men, with Sutton as the third. MAB is prone to defensive lapses and needs to be paired with a defensive minded D-man. I think Sutton-MAB is a good match up. While everyone is quick to point to MAB's defensive blunders, he was still a plus-rated player last season and averaged almost a point per game. I'll take that this season.

That leaves Gervais and Campoli as the likely 5/6 D-men. I've been over their numbers before. Gervais was the worst rated plus/minus D-man on the Isles last season and Campoli wasn't that much better. Both should be looking to rebound after below average performances last season. Neither are overly physical, especially Campoli who was continuously seen being out-muscled along the boards, in front of the net, etc. If either falters during training camp, look for Berard to jump right in. Berard is a seasoned vet who has proven his career-threatening injury wont affect his determination. Knowing Snolan the way I do, look for the third D-man pairing to include Gervais and Berard over Campoli.

Adding Markov would certainly upgrade our D. The reason for this is plain and simple: Markov is currently a better defenseman than Gervais, Campoli, MAB, and Sutton. This would indeed knock Campoli to the Bridge for the season, but if the goal is to put the best product possible on the ice, then this is a smart move. In addition, things would not spin out of control if Martinek went down with an injury. However, if the goal of the season is to build for the future, then it would be best to give Campoli the NHL playing needed in order to further develop his game.

Some other issues...

Jokinen: I am hesitant to welcome back Jokinen (not that it's plausible). Some players can't seem to produce in an Isles uniform and for whatever reason, I believe Jokinen is one of those players. He was a high-draft pick, but never showed the motivation or determination to succeed as an Islander. Jokinen was not one of those Isles prospects who we simply traded before he was given a fair chance to fully develop, (that was more the case with players like Bertuzzi, McCabe, Luongo, etc.) Jokinen played a lackluster game (Kvasha-like) and I don't believe it's a guarantee for him to put up the numbers he has put up with Florida, with the Isles. It's just a gut instinct, I have no data to back up such an opinion.

Hunter: Snow definitely messed something up here. Hunter should have been locked up for the next 5 years at a reasonable market price. Hunter is a good team player and a clutch goal scorer, so I find it strange that Snow went all the way to arbitration here while failing to sign him to a long-term deal. However, I don't think a Trent Hunter is going to make or break the Isles franchise. Let's hope Snow can lock up Hunter at some point during the season.

Peca: I was a fan of bringing back Peca, but with the signing of Vasicek, there's just no room for Peca here. Bill said it best when he remarked how important Peca was for us when he first came, but also how he would merely be another 3rd/4th line injury-prone player. I'm glad Garth stayed away.

Lost FAs: The only FA Snolan lost who we would have liked to keep was Poti. Kozlov was OK during the season, disappeared for weeks at times, although he was handy in the shootout. But having players who only play when they feel like it screws with a locker room. I was certainly not sad to see him go. Yashin good-riddance, same to Blake, Zednik, etc. Snow may have under-estimated the value of the market, but I don't think it really mattered all that much. I don't think the Isles would have paid what the Caps are paying Poti, and most of the other FAs probably weren't coming to the Isles anyway. Someone like Priessing may have slipped away from Garth, but I can't think of any others.

The DP Contract: For now it's an all-star move. We have an elite goaltender locked up for below his market value. That being said, I'm not sure why Wang couldn't have tamed his impulses and offered DP a 10-year deal. Goaltenders are streaky and they can lose their magic pretty quickly (see the careers of Felix Potvin/Chris Osgood).

State of the Union

I know it has been awhile since I last posted, but I was away on vacation for the past week. During my time away I thought a lot about this upcoming season and also where the Isles stand as an organization.


Let's start with some organization overview. While things may seem a bit in chaos in terms of the true direction the franchise, I believe we are witnessing the beginning of a transformation, the slow journey from mediocrity to stalwart NHL contender.

As we have discussed numerous times on this blog, our drafting during the early to mid 90’s was so poor that it crippled our franchise for many years. Add this to some impatient trades during late 90’s and early 00's and it is easy to see how we are essentially still starting from scratch here during the first decade of the 21st century. On top of previous management mishaps, we now have an unexperienced GM and coach who is in his 2nd year of coaching after almost 10 years away from the NHL. But when you start from scratch, you have to start with basic ingredients. I think of Nolan as the eggs to the cake batter, the key to gluing this franchise together. The team we all saw last year as well as the roster put together this year shows how the ingredients are carefully being mixed together, although sometimes the stirring motion is somewhat meticulous. While some see the upcoming season as a desperate means to concoct a team out of outcast journeymen, I happen to believe many of the 'New' New York Islanders have been carefully chosen to add to the batter.

With our coach and GM as well as much of the NHL learning this new version of the NHL (in regards to rule changes as well as managing the salary cap for the short term and long term), I think for the sake of our sanity we need to take a step back and really look at how things are progressing and how they have progressed over the last few years. We have made the playoffs in 5 of the last 7 seasons which is a feat unto itself, especially with the roster turnovers we go through on what seems to be a yearly basis. Also, some would say our prospect pool is failing but I think the worst days are behind us; we have been rebuilding nicely from the collapse of the 90’s. Yes, I realize we don’t have the big names down on the farm, but I like the type of players we have been drafting. Hard-working speedsters like Bergie and Nokie will fit in extremely well under Ted Nolan's team. Okpose is supposed to be every bit as a hard-worker and much more skilled. Everyone can cry that we didn't draft Z. Parise, but there's no guarantee that he would have worked out in our system, the way he worked out for the Devs.

Many will wonder why this transformation didn’t begin in the late 90’s right away after years of losing seasons, and has waited until now to take form. I think the reason is that due to numerous ownership changes, the franchise was unable to create an identity for itself (remember it starts from the top and goes down). Then, we finally got an owner with the financial stability to keep our team competitive, yet who was also new to the sport and wanted a winner instantly. This brings the time of a legitimate beginning to the transformation to the year after the lockout, when the Isles missed the playoffs by a handsome amount. One season later we were back in the mix, with a new coach and a new GM and a renewed fire on Long Island. The lockout, which was absolutely horrible in many ways, may have truly been a blessing in disguise for all of us here in Islander Nation.

Rounding Out the Roster

The 2007-2008 season is drawing closer and closer the Isles roster can only be tweaked so much. Although the Isles have ample cap space to make a significant transaction, it does not appear that Garth Snow will be looking to add a prominent player where he would have to sacrifice an Okposo or a Gervais. Let's take a look at the Isles depth thus far and see how the roster will probably round out.

The Forwards:

As of now, the Isles have about 15 NHL caliber forwards currently signed for this season. While that sounds like a great thing, there's a slight dilemma. More than half of these forwards would not be more than 4th line players on a majority of NHL teams, even though a few might be able to handle an increased responsibility on the Isles. The NHL veterans and the unproven youngens who are probably as of now 4th tier forwards include Chris Simon, Richard Park, Jon Sim, Andy Hilbert, Shawn Bates, Jeff Tambellini, Sean Bergenheim, Franz Nielson & Nokie. There are arguments that Sim is better than a 4th liner after his 17 goal season and that Tambellini/Bergenheim could each have breakout seasons, so time will tell if these individuals can prove themselves as legit NHL forwards this season. Personally, I believe Bergenheim can be an effective 2nd line winger, and I still have hope that Tambellini can take a huge leap this season into a 1st line winger. It's risky to rely blindly on the kids, but that's a risk I think this organization needs to take this season.

As for the rest of the offense, I see Comrie as a shoe-in for first line center duty. While his point production has fluctuated over the recent seasons, it will be a breath of fresh air to see a center who has something to prove. Guerin should be able to handle first line wing duty after a solid 36 goal performance. Guerin has good wheels so he's not one of those aging lethargic forwards who will be gassed playing an up-tempo game. Fedotanko has never been a first line forward, but he has scored some clutch goals in the past. And for the first time, he will be out of the shadows of superstars Lecavalier, St. Louis, and Richards. He also has something to prove, so even though there is a lack of options to fill the other 1st line wing position along with Guerin (Tambellini would be my other choice), it's possible Tank can break out. Likely? I'm not sure, but definitely possible. First Line - Guerin-Comrie-Fedotenko.

Satan is a 2nd line winger, I'm not sure anyone can argue against that. Vasicek will be the 2nd line center, so there's no point arguing against that (that was why he was signed). The 3rd member of the 2nd line? My choice is Bergenheim. As I mentioned above, it's time to give these kids (Berg/Tamb) a real shot to contribute for an entire season. Is this line formidable? Maybe not, but if the line clicks then things will be looking good this season. Second Line - Satan-Vasicek-Bergenheim.

Speaking of lines that click, I think (again based on a lack of options) that Nolan must leave intact the 3rd line of Hunter-Silinger-?Hilbert?) Nolan will probably give Hilbert a roster spot, although I don't think he will earn one in training camp. Sim might be a better choice here, because at least he can score. If Hilbert is in the lineup over Berg/Tamb, I think I'll have a heart attack. 3rd Line - Hunter-Silinger-Sim.

That leaves the fourth line with Nolan choosing between Simon, Park, Bates, Hilbert, Nielson and Nokie. You know simon will be there, along with Park and Bates. You also know Bates will tear a hamstring at some point this season. I think Nolan will leave Nielson and Nokie in the Bridge this season, so the 4th line probably will be a mixture of Simon-Park-Bates-Hilbert.

This 4th line is very capable of jolting energy on a lackluster night, so I wouldn't be too concerned here. The question is whether the top 3 lines can hold up and compete against a very tough Eastern Conference, and an even tougher Atlantic Division.

Defense later...

A Small Step - Isles Sign Vasicek

Well we all knew this was coming. We all knew this was coming because for the past 48 hours we have been discussing why this shouldn't be coming. And that's what we have become accustomed to as Islander fans.

The "Need for a Center" has been filled by the signing of Josef Vasicek. Vasicek at least gives the Isles an NHL caliber player at center, someone with plenty of potential. Perhaps Nolan can push the right buttons here and Vasicek can finally break out. Or perhaps we've added another disappointing, enigmatic player who will never reach his potential. We've all discussed many other centers who could have filled the Isles' void, and Vasicek was right at the bottom of that list. But you never know, Snow had a knack for pulling the trigger on the right players last season (Kozlov) so perhaps this move will work out as well. This deal is for peanuts in comparison to Tank's deal ($750K v. $2.9M).

A new concern I am beginning to have is one I think is worth mentioning. This team is full of way too many players who will become UFAs at the end of the season. Comrie, Tank, and now Vasicek have all signed one year deals. What if they break out and finally have their best seasons? What if they are only using the Isles as a stepping stone into their UFA period next summer? What if Nolan gets the most out of these players, the Isles have a successful season, and each of these players bolts? It's kind of hard to fall in love with your team when there's a good possibility the team will be scattered throughout the league next season. It's a legitimate concern because it's a fresh feeling. It happened not less than two months ago.

The Need for a Center

As Snow continues to round out the Isles' opening night roster, a quick glance reveals a glaring need for a 2nd line center. If we assume that Mike Comrie will be given first line duties, then that would leave the Isles with someone like Sean Bergenheim as the most probable candidate to be the 2nd line center. I would feel much more comfortable starting the season with Bergenheim as the 4th line center, with Silinger as the 3rd line center, and a player to be determined as the 2nd line center. The most prominent two names that appear to be surfacing to fill this void are Josef Vasicek and Jason Allison. Let's take a look at what each of those players would bring to Ted Nolan's team.

Vasicek will probably never be a real threat to put points on the score sheet, so it might sit funny seeing Vasicek as the leading candidate to center the Isles' 2nd line. Vasicek has been well known in recent years for a tremendous work ethic, even though the points never seem to be there at season's end. However, you can't take away Vasicek's size, as he stands at a listed 6'5". Adding a player of this stature would immediately increase the Isles' size at center. However, if I were Snow, I wouldn't be too inclined to add Vasicek mostly because he offers little punch to the offense. And punch is what the Isles clearly need the most. Vasicek's production and work ethic could probably be equated by someone like Bergenheim. So if I were Snow I would turn my attention to Jason Allison.

Now this would be a risky maneuver. Allison has played only one full season in the last four seasons, albeit a productive one at least. In 2005-2006, Allison racked up 17 goals and 43 assists for 60 points after sitting out the previous 2 seasons. And now after missing the entire 2006-2007 season, it's very possible Allison could return with the kind of production he had in 2005-2006. That would easily balance out the point totals that Alex Yashin would have put up, at a fraction of the cost and a fraction of the headaches. More incredibly, Allison notched 9 power play goals and 30 power play assists in his last full season in the NHL.

If Snow and Nolan, who have been given the opportunity to see Allison skate, become convinced that he is healthy enough to return to the NHL once again, then I think the Isles need to take a chance here. It's another one of those low-risk/high-reward chances that really could elevate the Isles into a legitimate playoff contender.

I hope Allison is healthy and he has put all the issues stemming from a messy divorce behind him. Stat of the weekend: Allison has had 4 seasons where he has scored 70+ points. That's 4 more than Drury/Gomez combined.

Adding Muscle to the D, Sutton Signed to 3 Year Deal

The Islanders have signed UFA defenseman Andy Sutton to a three-year deal worth $9 million. Talk about looking into the Crystal Ball - Justin asks for a crease-clearer, and Snow delivers.

Look for more updates this weekend

Kick Save and a Beauty

For the first time in a long time on Long Island, Islanders fans finally know they have a legitimate star player. And for the first time in franchise history, their only true star player is their goaltender. Being an NHL goaltender is quite unique. Goaltenders can steal games for their teams and can carry their teams on their shoulders for extended periods of times. Unlike position players who are stars, you can't double team a goaltender in an effort to shut him down. So if he's on, good luck.

The Islanders this season will only be as good as Rick DiPietro allows them to be. DP proved last season that he can carry this team on a fork lift if necesary. He carried them on a huge stretch right up until his head injury against Montreal that propelled the Isles as far as 6th place in the standings. When the Isles stumbled as low as 11th place, it became apparent how valueable DP was to the Isles. Even though his play was a little eratic towards the beginning of the season, when looking at the season as a whole, there is no question that this was his finest season in the NHL. He tied a franchise record with 32 wins and had a stellar .919 save percentage.

Get this: of all goalies who played at least 50 games last season, DiPietro was 3rd in the NHL in save percentage, behind Brodeur's .922 and Luongo's .921. That's some pretty excellent company. Save percentage is the most telling stat for a goaltender, because it is a measure of how many goals a goaltender allows based on the amount of shots he faces. A number like goals against average really is more of a measure of team defense than it is a measure of a goaltender's ability. For example, Luongo's save percentage has been great for years, while his GAA has been mediocre being that he was on a weak Panthers team. As for DP, the intangible when examining a goaltender's save percentage is the quality of shots/scoring chances he is facing.

If DP can put up a similar save percentage this season and the Isles can limit the quality scoring chances in front of him, then look for the Isles to do some damage this season. That is a BIG "if." The Isles need to make a push for some bigger crease clearing defenseman so they can match each of their defensive defenseman up with puck-movers MAB and Campoli. Martinek is very sound defensively, but is hardly the crease clearing type. This kind of thinking leads us back to Markov, if he could be had for the right price.

Looking into the crystal ball, I would look for DP to play 70 games, and compile a record of 32-23-12, with a 2.38 GAA and a 0.923 save percentage. DP is entering the prime of his career and his best seasons are ahead of him. Hopefully the Isles can use these years to their advantage. Because in 10 years, look for the Isles to have a new up and coming starting goaltender, and a very expensive backup.

Looking into the Crystal Ball

During this roller coaster of an offseason, we have seen plenty of changes to the Islanders roster. Even though we lost 5 of our top 7 scorers from last season, I actually believe we will score more this season then last. Last year we scored a total of 248 goals for the season. Here are my predictions for goals for the upcoming season.



Guerin - 33

Comrie - 27

Fedentenko - 23

Satan - 29

Sills - 28

Hunter - 26

Hilbert - 15

Sim - 20

MAB - 17

Bates - 11

Park - 10

Simon - 8

Campoli - 5

Gervais - 3

Radek - 6

Witt - 2



The Wild Cards of the Offense:

Tambs - 15 (8)

Bergy - 20 (12)



If you add these totals up you get 298 goals for this upcoming season. The numbers for Tambs and Bergy in the ( ) are my predictions if they get less than expected playing time which is a definite possibility. Even with their reduced playing time, the total goals scored would be 283. So while we may not have gotten that star player that everyone and myself dreamed and wishes we would have signed or traded for, the reality is our offense is balanced and without the puck hogging of Blake and the defensive lapses of Blake, Yashin, and Kozlov who were by far our laziest forwards in our own end last season, the mistakes in our own end should be cut down. When you add both of these together, I believe we will not only score more this season but also play better in our own end as well if we sign Markov or any other defensive dman. Otherwise these extra goals will amount to nothing as we will be pushed around our zone with all our undersized defensemen.

All About You - Markov, McCabe, Peca, Weiss etc.

It's nice to see an extremely knowledgeable and classy group of Isles fans frequenting this site. Here is my overall take on all of the lingering issues we have all been discussing:

1. Markov - A better than average defensive defenseman, many believe Markov's stats and his defensive play have been inflated while playing alongside the best defenseman in the NHL. While playing with Lidstrom would surely raise Markov's plus/minus for example, let's not lose sight of the fact that he was still an above average defenseman when he began his career with the Leafs in 1997. Markov was only a member of the Wings for one season, so it's not like Lidstrom has been carrying him for his entire career. That being said, Markov is still just an above average defensive defenseman and shouldn't command more than $2.5-3.0 million per season. Once we start talking about giving Markov in the range of $4 million, then I think we've lost perspective on true player value. Also, keep in mind that Markov has only played in 70 or more games twice in his 10 years in the NHL.

2. McCabe - A below average defenseman, McCabe proves his worth by his outstanding offensive production. Caber has averaged 60 points over his last 3 seasons. The Isles haven't had a 60 pt producer from the blue line in a long long long time. McCabe, in comparison to Markov, has played in 70 or more games 10 times in his 11 years in the NHL (that's 8 more than Markov). Many of you liken McCabe to Sheldon Souray and Souray's horrible plus/minus. Believe it or not, McCabe was a +3 last year on a defensively weak Toronto team. McCabe is also a career +39 (which includes a -24 rating in his rookie year on a horrible 1996 Isles team). McCabe also WANTS to come back to the Islanders. I guess it's just me, but McCabe seems like the perfect fit for the Isles' blue line. You can cite his defensive lapses and all that, but the truth is McCabe was on the ice for more goals scored than goals allowed. Add that to his power play production (11G, 23A) and I think we've found a match. In terms of helping Toronto out with their cap situation, I think the Isles should worry more about building their own team rather than how taking on a player's contract might help that team. I mean, if every team worried so mightily about helping the other team in a trade, then trades would never occur in sports.

3. Peca - I have been an advocate of bringing back the former Isles captain for quite some time. But I feel like a worm in an ant farm. Peca doesn't seem to want to come back and the Isles management doesn't seem to want to bring him back. All of this, while we are starving for a second line center who would fit in Ted Nolan's system. Doesn't make any sense to me.

4. Weiss - He could turn out to be a steal if he could be had for the right price. The Isles are desperate for offense. We only have 2 players right now who we can hope will be consistent offensive contributors: Guerin & Comrie. Who knows what Hunter will provide and I wouldn't pencil Fedotenko in for anything more than 20 goals. That's it. No one else on the Isles roster has the potential to score more than 20. Tambellini, Bergenheim? They haven't proved they could score at the NHL level before. Satan perhaps, but his production seems to be on the decline. The team as of now consists of way too many 3rd/4th line caliber players, and not enough players with some decent scoring potential.

Bill has made some excellent points. The 3rd/4th line grinder roles could easily have been filled by Park, Tambellini, Nok, Nielson, etc, all of whom were under contract for this season. It makes you wonder why Snow felt so inclined to bring back Hilbert and Simon and to offer Sim a nice contract. And all this while Asham sits at home with out a contract, and is probably the best 3rd/4th liner of this entire crew.

BUT, there is still time and more importantly, there is still money to spend. As training camp draws nearer, it makes us wonder when Snow will finally make the next splash. You know, the one we expected at the press conference in early July when all we got was the news of Bill Guerin being named captain. TBC...

Enemy of the State

After being named GM of the Year in his first season as Islanders GM, Garth Snow has received some pretty harsh feedback in his first full offseason. However, all of us Islander fans should be grateful that while our GM has slowly taken his time in making roster decisions for the upcoming season, at least he is acting calmly and rationally. This is not the case for a fellow GM currently employed in the NHL.

When the salary cap was installed following the strike season, its main purpose was to allow smaller market teams to stay competitive with the wealthier large market clubs. The Edmonton Oilers are the epitome of this type of small market team. So while the addition of the salary cap attempted to stabilize the market, one particular GM has oddly disregarded common sense in redeveloping his team this summer.

Since the trading deadline, Oiler's GM Kevin Lowe has made some of the strangest moves, some even, dare I say, as krazy as some of the moves Milbury has made. It began with the trading of Ryan Smyth based on a minimal difference in asking price ($5.25 mil was offered, Smyth wanted $5.5). Oilers fans must be flabbergasted as to why such a small difference between the team's fiscal plans and its heart and soul player's demands could not be worked out. Furthermore, once you look at the moves that have transpired during the course of this summer, the decision to not resign Smyth becomes even more astounding.

The Oilers decided to hit the trade waters this summer and completed a deal that sent defenseman veteran Jason Smith and young forward Joffrey Lupul to the Flyers for defenseman Joni Pitkanen, Geoff Sanderson and a 3rd round pick. This deal on the surface seems to benefit the Oilers as they got a good young defenseman in Pitkanen, an experienced forward in Sanderson and a draft pick for an aging defensemen and a forward who had run himself out of favor with management. The only negative in this deal is that Jason Smith was probably the last real leader the Oilers had left after trading Smyth.

Then Krazy Kevin really got down to business. Lowe signed free agent defenseman Sheldon Souray to a five year $27 million contract ($5.4/yr). While the presence of Souray will surely help the Oilers powerplay, is Sheldon Souray really worth 5.4 million a year for 5 years? Is Sheldon Souray (a slow-footed defenseman with a booming slap shot who is prone to constant turnovers) worth more than Captain Canada? Um, No. **(Here on the Island we have a similar player in Marc-Andre Bergeron, but while MAB also has defensive lapses, his contract is nowhere nearly as high as Souray's and MAB is much quicker on his skates).**

Now that's right up there with some of Milbury's past blunders. Krazy Kevin Lowe replaced the heart and soul of Edmonton with a cement footed offensive defenseman who racked up a horrible plus/minus last season. Smyth ended up getting $6.3 million from Colorado for 5 years, but if the Oilers did not trade him to the Isles at the deadline, Smyth most certainly would have accepted a similar contract to the one that the Oilers had offered Souray.

To top this off, Krazy Kevin Lowe decided he would start throwing money around at restricted free agents. By sending offer sheets to Thomas Vanek (which was matched by Buffalo), and then to the Duck's Dustin Penner (not matched), Lowe has been artificially increasing the market value of not only these players, but the system as a whole. In addition, Krazy Kev sacrificed more than the outrageous money he must now pay Penner--he sacrificed Edmonton's 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round picks in next year's draft. If we look at this deal as if it were a trade, which essentially it was, would you ever give up a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round pick for a young player who has had 1 OK season (29 goals) and earned only the league minimum last year? If our GM did this we would be in uproar that we gave up way too many draft picks in an upcoming draft which is supposed to be one of the deepest in years. I have read from many sources that Edmonton is overpaying Penner approximately $2 million more than his market value. While Penner might continue to grow as a player, it's very likely that the Oilers will regret this move in a few years. So after Lowe himself complained about how big market teams would increase player salaries by overpaying them and effectively causing the strike and the loss of an entire season of hockey, Lowe himself is acting like a big market team and overpaying and increasing salary thresholds for players who should be signed to smaller salary contracts.

So while we may be angry that Snow is taking his time in making moves, at least we know he is making moves after thinking them through completely, as opposed to the headline grabbing moves we became accustomed to under the reign of Milbury and the Kraziness currently followed by Kevin Lowe this summer.

Remember, patience is a virtue. All you have to do is look at our own team's history to realize this.

P.S. - Once any word on the Hunter case comes out, we will be all over it.

Defensive State of Mind

Many Islander fans are worried--and as of now, they have every reason to be. They are worried because when they look at the current Isles defenseman they see the following 6 names: Witt, Martinek, Bergeron, Gervais, Campoli, & Meyer. They are worried because these are the only 6 names signed who have any legitimate NHL experience. Yet this crew is hardly an experienced bunch.

Brendan Witt is a very steady and very capable NHL defenseman. He was the former captain of the Washington Capitals and has been every bit as much of a leader on the Islanders. Radek Martinek proved last year how valueable his defensive attributes are to the Isles. He missed a huge portion of the 2006-2007 season, yet still led the team with a +19 plus/minus rating. Marc-Andre Bergeron averaged almost a point per game as a member of the Isles last season. He ignited a previously lackadaisical powerplay which helped the Isles sneak into the 8th and final playoff spot last season. He is very prone to turnovers, but I think MAB established last year that the benefits far outweighed the negatives that he brought to the team.

Now the worrying begins. Bruno Gervais wow'd the Isles during the 2005 training camp and finally made the team in 2006. However, his play was mostly inconsistent last season during his rookie year. There were times last year when I watched Gervais and felt that he was the next coming of Brian Rafalski--a smart defensive play maker who can contribute offensively without defensive lapses. There were other times when I thought Gervais was the next coming of Scott Lachance--a mediocre defensive defenseman who can't clear the crease and rarely contributes offensively.

The same can be said about the play of Chris Campoli in terms of inconsistency. Campoli was poised for a breakout sophomore season after a stellar rookie campaign. Campoli as a rookie reminded me of the way Bryan Berard played for the Isles in Berard's rookie year on Long Island. As rookies, both Berard and Campoli covered their tracks defensively and provided a spark to the offense on the powerplay as well as in 5-on-5 situations. Last year that version of Campoli was non-existent. Last season we saw Campoli play more like Berard did in his 2nd and 3rd seasons (constant turnovers, no defensive contributions) which led to Berard's eventual transfer off the Island.

THE BIG 2 QUESTIONS? Which Gerviais will we see--Rafalski or Lachance? Which Campoli will we see--Berard/rookie or Berard/soph?

Fred Meyer has not shown the Isles that he is a capable NHL defenseman. So if you play the law of averages, I would predict that one of either the Gervais or Campoli projects will work out, while the Meyer project will most likely fail. That leaves Snow will the task of signing or acquiring 2 capable defenseman if the Isles plan to be competitive during the upcoming season. I would recommend signing both Markov AND Sutton for this reason, (as opposed to one or the other). If both Gervais and Campoli are impressive and either Markov or Sutton flounder, then the Isles should easily be able to move one of these veteran defenseman a la Zhitnik last season. But I wouldn't worry too much yet. It's only the beginning of August and the Isles have the cap room to make things happen.