20 games into the season, and it's time to hand out the B&O first quarter grades. The Isles are currently 12-8 and have much to be proud of after most predicted the Isles to be near or around the bottom of the NHL after many core players bolted last summer. After losing Ryan Smyth, Jason Blake, Victor Kozlov, & Tom Poti, Garth Snow revamped the roster wit the additions of new Blood like Bill Guerin, Mike Comrie, Josef Vasicek, & Andy Sutton, the Isles under coach Ted Nolan are surprising the league once again.
Mike Comrie -- Comrie started his Isles career with a bang, notching 2 goals in each of the Isles first two games of the year. Although a gifted playmaker, fans finally thought the Isles had landed that game breaking player who could score the big goal late in a game. So far, Comrie has put up respectable numbers for a #1 center with 7 goals and 11 assists, good for 18 points. However, Comrie's plus/minus of -8 is rather alarming, considering how much ice time he gets (almost 20 minutes a game). Comrie is prone to defensive lapses and often turns over the puck when he should be looking to shoot. He seems to have lost his confidence in his shot, as we see night in and night out a player who dishes the puck to a teammate even though he is in the best shooting lane. He only has 2 goals in the Isles last 10 games. In addition, he has amassed 24 penalty minutes thus far, which is too much for a player as quick as Comrie; he needs to learn to rely on his speed and not his stick while back checking.
B&O gives Mike Comrie a B-.
Ruslan Fedotenko -- Tank has shown he can score the big goal and he certainly has a nose for the net. He is not afraid to get involved in the rough stuff either, and he can be seen on most nights battling in the corner for loose pucks. However, Tank has never been a first line winger, and his inconsistent numbers are not surprising. Thus far, Tank has 6 goals and 7 assists, which are respectable 2nd line numbers. But also with only 2 goals in the Isles' last 10 games, Tank highlights the Isles' need for a true number one winger.
B&O gives Ruslan Fedotenko a B.
Miroslav Satan -- Miro had a tremendous steak this season in which he scored the game winning goal in three straight games. That seemed to sprinkle memory dust on Isles fans regarding Miro's first 10 games which he only scored 1 goal. However, Miro has played a huge part on a line with Josef Vasicek to give the Isles a better than average second scoring line. Further, Miro leads the isles with a plus/minus of +6, while taking only 3 penalties so far. I don't think Miro is quite the 35-40 goal scorer he once was, but if he can notch a clutch goal every now and then, while keeping the opponents off the score sheet more times than none, then I'm pretty comfortable with Miro as the second line winger.
B&O gives Miroslav Satan a B+.
Bill Guerin -- What Bill Guerin has not done on the score sheet, he has definitely done off of it. Although Guerin has only 5 goals and 6 assists on the season (and NO POINTS IN HIS LAST 9 GAMES) he has provided the Isles with the leadership and stability the Isles have lacked in perhaps 15 years. Alex Yashin is a distant memory and Guerin has this team ready to go on a nightly basis. Although we thought we were getting a perennial 30 goal scorer, instead we got a player who has stabilized the franchise, with the ability to chip in every now and then.
B&O gives Bill Guerin a B.
Josef Vasicek -- For under a million dollars per year, the Isles found their leading goal scorer after 20 games. Vasicek is also a +4 on the season, and has one of the highest shooting percentages in the entire NHL. With more power play time, Vasicek's numbers should soar. The question still remains however will Ted Nolan finally realize that this guy belongs out there on the PP over Mike Silinger?
B&O gives Josef Vasicek an A-.
Chris Campoli -- Campoli has made me eat my words, and I couldn't be happier that he has done just that. After I predicted another terrible season for Camps, he came out flying, racking up 11 points so far. He has become much more adept at the physical game an NHL defenseman needs to embody. Camps and D partner Bruno Gervais have established themselves as very reliable 3-4 defenseman. While Campoli does possess strong offensive skills, Nolan should leave the PP duty to MAB and Berard.
B&O gives Chris Campoli a B+.
Mike Silinger -- On paper, Silinger is pretty much doing his job: 3 goals, 5 assists, a -1 rating, and a better than average faceoff percentage. However, anyone who has watched Mike play this year, knows the Isles made a mistake when they signed him to a 3 year deal. His decision making is slow, his reaction time even slower, and his feet even slower than that. I wouldn't have as much of a problem with Silinger if I weren't forced to watch him screw up the PP on a nightly basis.
B&O gives Mike Silinger a C-.
Trent Hunter -- It feels like deja vu, the yearly wait for Trent Hunter to get his game going. I've never been a big Trent Hunter fan, and this season surely hasn't changed my perspective. For a guy who gets as much PP time as Trent and as many first line minutes, he needs to have more than 4 goals, especially with the shot that he has. Trent has taken 64 shots, so it's not like he's not getting it off--it's just that he isn't scoring. He is BY FAR the slowest player on the Isles, and quite possibly the league. He is a -6 on the year, which is strange for a strong defensive player. Although a somewhat effective penalty killer, Trent needs to turn up the offense if he wants to prove he's worth more than the Isles are paying him this year. Otherwise, I'd let him walk. (Although no other team would give him the PP and first line time he gets on the Isles and I have a hard time imagining him topping 10 goals on another team).
B&O gives Trent Hunter a C.
Richard Park -- Richard Park won fans over completely by scoring two goals in the last and most important game of the season last year against the Devils. This season, Park has done everything right. He has successfully filled in on each of the Isles' second, third, and fourth lines. He has put up similar offensive numbers to that of Silinger and Hunter it almost half the ice time. He is one of four Islanders who have a plus rating so far.
B&O gives Richard Park a B+.
Bruno Gervais -- Bruno has certainly come into his own and is undoubtedly a reliable defensive defenseman, even with his small frame. He battles hard and is rarely caught out of position or trapped in the offensive zone. He has an even +/- rating so far, and his consistent solid play has him close to untouchable status on the Isles roster.
B&O gives Bruno Gervais an A-.
Marc-Andre Bergeron -- In only 12 games MAB has put up 6 points, which is disappointing after he had almost a point per game is 23 games as an Islander last year. MAB has often been the scapegoat of the Isles struggles, as he has been benched for 3 games, then 5 games after making poor decisions with the puck during Isles losses. However, the Isles are indeed 8-4 with MAB in the lineup and 4-4 without him. In last night's game against Boston, Nolan finally got it right by dressing 7 defenseman and sitting Tim Jackman and his meaningless 3 minutes of ice time. Dressing 7 defenseman keeps everyone fresh and is tremendous insurance in case of an injury. While MAB is hardly a reliable defensive defenseman, he rarely makes mistakes in the defensive zone, and has ZERO penalty minutes this season. To me, it's one of those 'you can't put your finger on it, but you know you want him in there' things.
B&O gives Marc-Andre Bergeron a B.
Sean Bergenheim -- Bergie has fit in nicely on the Isles' second line, although the Isles probably need a winger who could contribute more offensively than Bergie and his 1 goal so far. If Tambellini isn't ready for this role, I strongly believe Ben Walter could handle this position. Although a natural center, BW has shown himself to be a smart two-way player and I do not believe he would have any trouble adjusting. Bergie is best suited as a 3rd line checking winger.
B&O gives Sean Bergenheim a B-.
Bryan Berard -- We will always love Berard in some way because he came into the NHL as an Islander and won the Calder Trophy in his rookie campaign. Berard is a more than capable PP quarterback, but he does miss the net too often and needs to limit his mistakes in the Isles' defensive zone. I would enjoy both Berard and MAB more if they were used as a platoon as the 6th defenseman while sharing PP time.
B&O gives Bryan Berard a B-.
Andy Sutton -- Sutton can hand out some pretty devastating hits, but he really is nothing more than a 5-6 defenseman. He eats quality minutes, and if he can do that without making any costly errors, than I'm all for keeping him around.
B&O gives Andy Sutton a B.
Brendan Witt -- Is there any defenseman you'd rather have out there against an elite NHL player? Witt has been able to neutralize some extraordinary talents this year--just ask Jaromir Jagr. He is a +2 on the year, and is the backbone and the heart of the franchise. I would sign Witt to a 2-3 year extension ASAP.
B&O gives Brendan Witt an A.
Radek Martinek -- Radek hasn't put up those tremendous +/- numbers as he did last season, but that should not be interpreted to discredit his strong defensive play. He breaks up 2-on-1s, blocks shots, and could probably quarterback the PP if he were asked to. The Isles have given up more than 2 goals only 3 times in the last 10 games, and much of that has to do with the strong play of Martinek and Witt.
B&O gives Radek Martinek an A-.
Chris Simon -- good role player, good teammate, not so good hockey player. He's older and slower than ever, and should be limited to 4th line or emergency PP duty. With an even +/- he certainly hasn't hurt the Isles this year.
B&O gives Chris Simon a B.
Andy Hilbert -- Finally Andy got his goal and finally we can adjust his projected goal totals without simply saying ZERO! Hilbert is NOT the problem on this team, although he is FAR from the solution. He is a very strong penalty killer and a smart two-way player. Although a player who sees almost 15 of ice time per night definitely should have more than 1 goal, Andy Hilbert contributes to the Isles every night by killing penalties, which is more than I could say about Chris Simon, Tim Jackman, or Aaron Johnson, who all had brief stints with the club this season. I'm on board the Hilbert train, LET'S GO ANDY!!!!
B&O gives Andy Hilbert a B-. (C+ before last night).
Wade Dubielewicz -- Not given much action, Dubie proved useful by playing steady and allowing the Isles to come back against Pittsburgh during Al Arbour night. Although his numbers are alarming (5.08 GAA & .836 save %), we all know Dubie is capable of stealing a win. And with DP on pace to play around 75 games, Dubie should be able to provide a steady hand however rarely he is needed.
B&O gives Wade Dubielewicz a C+.
Rick DiPietro -- The face of the franchise has established himself as a top-5 goaltender. If you were going to trade DP straight up for another netminder, who would you pull the trigger for? Lundqvist, of course, Luongo, you bet. Brodeur? Not at his age. Kiprusoff? Having a terrible year? At 26 years of age and $4.5 million for the next 14 years, you're not going to get much more bang for your buck. DP steals games--he makes saves that no other goaltender can make and he disrupts the opponents' forecheck with his uncanny ability to play the puck. Personally, I think the trapezoid rule behind the net has a lot to do with DP's success; it has forced him to remain in the net on plays he more than likely might turn the puck over. He has given up a few softies this year, and he did get shellacked against Carolina, but the Isles haven't had this kind of stellar consistent goaltending in a long long time.
B&O gives Rick DiPietro an A-.
SUMMARY: The Isles are off to a good start in a long season. The main problem has been the Isles inability to score goals on a nightly basis. Surprisingly, the Isles have NOT scored more than 2 goals for the past 8 games in a row!. And somehow the isles are 4-4 over that span. Snow should be on the lookout for offensive help, even if it costs the Isles more draft picks and prospects. I am ready to part with Tambellini and a first rounder if it meant the Isles could land someone significant. But all in all, a solid beginning to the 2007-2008 New York Islanders season.