A buddy of mine, a Rangers fan, texted me yesterday and asked for the 16 Islanders who were on all four Stanley Cup championship teams.
Sitting at my desk at work with the Internet available at my fingertips, I tamed my impulse to cheat and rattled off as many as I could off the top of my head. How would you do? I'll list the super 16 at the end of the post.
Anyway, after I texted him back I looked up the rosters to see how I did (I only had 14 right, shame on me) and was reminded of how strong and deep those teams were. Good Lord, were we spoiled.
And then I looked at the Islanders roster for this season. Not too many similarities.
That's the curse of Islanders teams from now until they finally win another Stanley Cup (or move to Kansas City, whichever comes first). They will always be compared to the glory days, just like Mark Sanchez and every other Jets quarterback before him is compared to Joe Namath, because Broadway Joe won it all.
Like last season, there aren't too many expectations for this Islanders team. Garth Snow imported two veteran netminders to cover for the still-recovering Rick DiPietro, but other than that, no veteran free agents were brought in to either shore up the defense or provide some kind of threat on offense.
So this season isn't a rebuilding season, it's a development season. John Tavares will learn quickly the difference between scoring goals in juniors and finding the twine in the NHL. Josh Bailey, who looked better as the season progressed last year, should continue to make strides.
Kyle Okposo, Sean Bergenheim, Blake Comeau and Frans Nielsen will be expected to generate more offense and be more consistent, and if they can -- and if Doug Weight and Trent Hunter can feed off the youthful energy and get rejuvinated -- then maybe home games will be somewhat entertaining, and fans can act like fans instead of scouts.
Joel Rechlicz is throwing his weight around and should remain as the youngsters' bodyguard. Richard Park is just a winning player. Jeff Tambellini has to show us something. Waiver pickup Robbie Schremp could be a steal, getting a chance to shine away from Edmonton.
Injuries last season eliminated whatever margin of error existed, so here's hoping defensemen Brendan Witt, Radek Martinek, Freddy Meyer and Andy Sutton can at least stay on the ice. Mark Streit had a fantastic season last year and should be as productive again. This is a huge season for Bruno Gervais, who needs to validate the high hopes the team has for him. And I still like Jack Hillen, who has played well this preseason.
We were told all along that Rick DiPietro would be ready for camp. Well, now he's not playing until maybe November. Give Snow credit for acting decisively and getting Martin Biron and the ageless Dwayne Roloson to mind the nets until D.P. (hopefully) returns. When he does, figure Biron to be dealt for another piece of the puzzle.
A side note about DiPietro -- it amazes me how many people either have faulty memories or just aren't paying attention. In the NHL preview in Canada's National Post, columnist Bruce Arthur predicted that DiPietro would get the comeback player of the year award, but not before prefacing it with: "This is going to sound crazy. Like, giving-a-fragile-goaltender-a-15-year-contract crazy."
DiPietro signed that deal a week before his 25th birthday in September 2006. He played 63 games the season before, went on to play 62 games that season and played another 63 games the following season. Of course, he's been a wreck since the All-Star skills competition in January 2008, and only played 5 games last year. But no one was calling him fragile when he signed the deal.
I hope D.P. does come back at 100 percent and wins the comeback award. I'd also like to see the team overall stay healthy so guys like Okposo (who is apparently OK after being run over by Dion Phaneuf) and Bailey and Tavares can play together consistently, and help this group grow as a team.
That's not too much to ask for, is it?
And now, the answer to the question at the top of the post: Name the 16 Islanders on all four Stanley Cup-winning teams:
Bossy, Trottier, Gillies, Tonelli, Nystrom, Goring, Bourne, Merrick, Kallur, Duane Sutter, Potvin, Morrow, Langevin, Persson, Lane, Smith. I missed Lane and Kallur. Didn't think Lane was on all four teams. Not sure how I missed Kallur. I loved that guy.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Who Cares? Good Question
A few weeks before I started my freshman year at college I received the contact information for my assigned roommate. I decided to be proactive and call him, to let him know that I had a mini-fridge and a TV (black and white!) and it would be great if he had a decent stereo.
My immediate impression was that he was well-spoken but not terribly chatty. Then we got around to sports, around which my life at the time (and for the most part, my life to this day) revolved. Actually, I think I asked, "What sports do you like?"
"I don't like sports."
It was as if he replied in Swahili. I literally could not process the statement. I stumbled for a reply, "You don't like ANY sports?"
"Nope."
A few awkward-silence-filled minutes later, I hung up the phone and relayed the conversation to my mother, who was making dinner. How could they have paired me up with this guy, I wondered. We had as much in common as Ozzy Osbourne and Queen Elizabeth. I filled out a questionnaire, for God's sake!
My kid sister, wise beyond her 11 years, listened to my rant and said, "Maybe the college did that on purpose so you can get to know someone different."
Bastards.
I thought about that phone call after the recent Hempstead Town Board hearing about the Lighthouse Project.
I'm not going to cover the Lighthouse drama wall-to-wall in this blog. There are plenty of sources doing a much more comprehensive job than I ever could, from Let There Be Lighthouse, to Islanders Independent to Islanders Point Blank, to any other of my Blog Box brethren.
I'm in favor of the project. The Isles desperately need a new arena and lease arrangement not only to stay competitive but to survive. I am not a Hempstead resident and in fact don't live within 25 miles of the Coliseum, so I don't look at the project the same way as someone from Garden City or Uniondale.
It has been heartening to see how much support the project has been getting from people holding various stakes, from fans who want a new arena and a winning team, to unions who want jobs, to politicians like Tom Suozzi and Governor Paterson. And judging from the various hearings and meetings that have been held, the opposition is limited to a vocal minority of people and community groups near to the site.
What Islanders fans are learning is not everyone cares about their team. We've lived and died with the Isles, experienced incredible highs and embarrassing lows, and all we want is a winner. But this project goes well, well beyond a hockey team and its arena. And that's where it gets frustrating. Because the Town of Hempstead, while aware of the Islanders' history, has a lot more to worry about than a better hockey venue. There's a lot of development planned, from high-rise buildings to commercial and office space to residential space, and there are legitimate concerns on what kind of an effect it will have on the surrounding communities.
There's some fear here, fear of the unknown. This kind of mixed-use or "smart growth" development is new, and while its proponents say it's just the kind of development needed for a "new suburbia," it's easy to see why people would balk at it. It's different. Different is scary.
The Lighthouse group has done its work, provided reports on traffic and waste, provided a DEIS, has held tons of meetings. The town wants specific answers and guarantees. This week's meeting got testy as a result, but in the end, when Kate Murray asked for people in support of the project to stand up, 75% of those in attendance reportedly did so.
What bothers me most is the politics and the spinning, and it's being done on both sides. Caught in between are fans wondering why they can't just fix the Coliseum and be done with it. The answer is that Nassau County owns the land, and it put the project out to bid and the Wang/Rechler proposal was the one that was selected.
Just fixing or replacing the Coliseum was never a real option, nor was leaving the parcel the way it is, which is an awful eyesore and tremendous waste of space. Something big was going to be done there, and Suozzi has been talking for years about multi-use development that would be part of a larger, countywide initiative towards smart growth. This was going to be one (huge) piece of that puzzle.
That is, if it happens, and despite the hand-wringing and games played in Kansas City and deadlines for "certainty," it should. Yes, the October 3 deadline will come and go, and we'll read about other potential sites of Islanders home games, like K.C. or Hamilton or Brooklyn or maybe even Calverton, who knows? Wang has every right to look into alternatives as the process drags along, and he should. The lease runs out in 2015 and that year, which once seemed so far away, is fast approaching. But he's not going to give up on the Lighthouse. That's where he wants to be and where the most money will be made.
There will be more spinning, more threats, more columns written and blogs posted and commented on, but in the end there will be concessions on the development and ultimately some version of the Lighthouse will be built, and perhaps the Islanders will begin a new era of success, both on and off the ice.
Could the whole thing fall apart? Sure, there's a chance, but the county has too much at stake here, and ultimately will not let small-town politics or developers' greed bring it all crashing down. Only then would Wang sell the team, a truly worst-case scenario.
Could the Isles end up playing elsewhere? If the Lighthouse collapsed, they'd need to. They could end up in Brooklyn with the Nets and their new Russian billionaire co-owner, who I'm sure also enjoys hockey. No way the NHL risks seeing a large-market team with the history the Isles have moving to a smaller market, especially not after the unsavory goings-on in Phoenix.
As a selfish fan, all I want is to see the Islanders return to glory, with a new home that will allow them to do what they need to do to build a winner. As long as that home is somewhere on Long Island, I'm good.
My roommate, by the way, turned out to be OK. We had nothing in common, and he was a very unusual guy -- I mean, no sports? Not even soccer? -- but we got along just fine. Maybe there's a lesson there.
My immediate impression was that he was well-spoken but not terribly chatty. Then we got around to sports, around which my life at the time (and for the most part, my life to this day) revolved. Actually, I think I asked, "What sports do you like?"
"I don't like sports."
It was as if he replied in Swahili. I literally could not process the statement. I stumbled for a reply, "You don't like ANY sports?"
"Nope."
A few awkward-silence-filled minutes later, I hung up the phone and relayed the conversation to my mother, who was making dinner. How could they have paired me up with this guy, I wondered. We had as much in common as Ozzy Osbourne and Queen Elizabeth. I filled out a questionnaire, for God's sake!
My kid sister, wise beyond her 11 years, listened to my rant and said, "Maybe the college did that on purpose so you can get to know someone different."
Bastards.
I thought about that phone call after the recent Hempstead Town Board hearing about the Lighthouse Project.
I'm not going to cover the Lighthouse drama wall-to-wall in this blog. There are plenty of sources doing a much more comprehensive job than I ever could, from Let There Be Lighthouse, to Islanders Independent to Islanders Point Blank, to any other of my Blog Box brethren.
I'm in favor of the project. The Isles desperately need a new arena and lease arrangement not only to stay competitive but to survive. I am not a Hempstead resident and in fact don't live within 25 miles of the Coliseum, so I don't look at the project the same way as someone from Garden City or Uniondale.
It has been heartening to see how much support the project has been getting from people holding various stakes, from fans who want a new arena and a winning team, to unions who want jobs, to politicians like Tom Suozzi and Governor Paterson. And judging from the various hearings and meetings that have been held, the opposition is limited to a vocal minority of people and community groups near to the site.
What Islanders fans are learning is not everyone cares about their team. We've lived and died with the Isles, experienced incredible highs and embarrassing lows, and all we want is a winner. But this project goes well, well beyond a hockey team and its arena. And that's where it gets frustrating. Because the Town of Hempstead, while aware of the Islanders' history, has a lot more to worry about than a better hockey venue. There's a lot of development planned, from high-rise buildings to commercial and office space to residential space, and there are legitimate concerns on what kind of an effect it will have on the surrounding communities.
There's some fear here, fear of the unknown. This kind of mixed-use or "smart growth" development is new, and while its proponents say it's just the kind of development needed for a "new suburbia," it's easy to see why people would balk at it. It's different. Different is scary.
The Lighthouse group has done its work, provided reports on traffic and waste, provided a DEIS, has held tons of meetings. The town wants specific answers and guarantees. This week's meeting got testy as a result, but in the end, when Kate Murray asked for people in support of the project to stand up, 75% of those in attendance reportedly did so.
What bothers me most is the politics and the spinning, and it's being done on both sides. Caught in between are fans wondering why they can't just fix the Coliseum and be done with it. The answer is that Nassau County owns the land, and it put the project out to bid and the Wang/Rechler proposal was the one that was selected.
Just fixing or replacing the Coliseum was never a real option, nor was leaving the parcel the way it is, which is an awful eyesore and tremendous waste of space. Something big was going to be done there, and Suozzi has been talking for years about multi-use development that would be part of a larger, countywide initiative towards smart growth. This was going to be one (huge) piece of that puzzle.
That is, if it happens, and despite the hand-wringing and games played in Kansas City and deadlines for "certainty," it should. Yes, the October 3 deadline will come and go, and we'll read about other potential sites of Islanders home games, like K.C. or Hamilton or Brooklyn or maybe even Calverton, who knows? Wang has every right to look into alternatives as the process drags along, and he should. The lease runs out in 2015 and that year, which once seemed so far away, is fast approaching. But he's not going to give up on the Lighthouse. That's where he wants to be and where the most money will be made.
There will be more spinning, more threats, more columns written and blogs posted and commented on, but in the end there will be concessions on the development and ultimately some version of the Lighthouse will be built, and perhaps the Islanders will begin a new era of success, both on and off the ice.
Could the whole thing fall apart? Sure, there's a chance, but the county has too much at stake here, and ultimately will not let small-town politics or developers' greed bring it all crashing down. Only then would Wang sell the team, a truly worst-case scenario.
Could the Isles end up playing elsewhere? If the Lighthouse collapsed, they'd need to. They could end up in Brooklyn with the Nets and their new Russian billionaire co-owner, who I'm sure also enjoys hockey. No way the NHL risks seeing a large-market team with the history the Isles have moving to a smaller market, especially not after the unsavory goings-on in Phoenix.
As a selfish fan, all I want is to see the Islanders return to glory, with a new home that will allow them to do what they need to do to build a winner. As long as that home is somewhere on Long Island, I'm good.
My roommate, by the way, turned out to be OK. We had nothing in common, and he was a very unusual guy -- I mean, no sports? Not even soccer? -- but we got along just fine. Maybe there's a lesson there.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Start selling those Tavares sweaters... now!
John Tavares is an Islander. Let the merchandising begin.
And, yeah, some goals would be nice. And some wins. And another Stanley Cup at some point wouldn't be too much to ask.
Islanders GM Garth Snow kept 'em guessing until the very end, but let's face it -- this was a no-brainer.
Snow got tricky last year, trading down twice and acquiring a quality player in Josh Bailey while stockpiling picks.
This time around, he had the No. 1 pick in a draft with two -- and many argued, three -- players who could legitimately be taken first overall. But Snow played it cool and wouldn't tip his hand, and that was the smartest move someone at the helm of a struggling franchise could make.
Why not keep it a secret? It created drama. It built up interest. Lo and behold, the Isles had 10,000 fans at the Nassau Coliseum, ready to either celebrate like crazy or tear the place apart if Victor Hedman or Matt Duchene was announced, which would have been nuts since both are outstanding players.
So the fans who wanted Tavares went wild, and the fans who feared Snow would screw up are maybe giving him some props tonight. The Tavares pick also sets into motion the marketing machine that will sell tickets, jerseys, T-shirts and luxury boxes.
Fans, however, only care about the on-ice benefit, and Tavares brings plenty to the table. Four years as the top player in junior hockey yielded scoring records and a world junior championships. In a tournament with the best players in the world, he was the MVP, the best of the best, and he helped his team win it all.
Most importantly, he has a nose for the net that his new club sorely lacks. So now, assuming Rick DiPietro is healthy and comes back with something to prove, and if the defense can be shored up a bit via free agency, and maybe a veteran winger can be brought in -- suddenly this Islanders team is interesting.
Tavares, Bailey, Okposo, Comeau, Nielsen, Bergenheim -- you've got some nice young players in that group. Throw in vets like Streit, Witt, Sutton, Park, Hunter and Weight, and maybe they've got something going, not just for the future, but now.
Last season, with a backup and minor leaguer tending goal instead of DiPietro, the Islanders went 11-26 in one-goal games, with 9 losses in OT or shootouts (31 points). By contrast, the Rangers, with Henrik Lundqvist in the net, went 24-19 in one-goal games, also with 9 OT/SO losses, for 57 points.
How many points would a healthy DiPietro have been worth? Then again, if he's healthy, the Isles probably don't get Tavares.
Everything happens for a reason.
Maybe someday Snow will get his due, but he's still relatively new at this GM business, and we all know you can't truly judge a draft until a few seasons have passed, but the guy should start getting some credit.
Nice work, Garth. Even if it was a no-brainer.
UPDATE: Snow traded up twice to get the 12th overall pick and selected Calvin de Haan, a puck-moving defenseman from the Oshawa Generals of the OHL.
A curious move in that Snow first traded up to the 16th pick and de Haan, based on his rating, probably could have lasted to that point. But you target players you like, and Snow obviously liked de Haan and felt he needed to move up to ensure he'd get his man.
Unlike Tavares, de Haan is 3-4 years away, and he could stand to gain another 30 pounds or so on his wiry frame. But he's a well-regarded and intelligent player, so file him away for a couple of seasons.
Isles have the 31st overall pick, first in the second round, and still have No. 56 and No. 91 (the final pick of the third round).
And, yeah, some goals would be nice. And some wins. And another Stanley Cup at some point wouldn't be too much to ask.
Islanders GM Garth Snow kept 'em guessing until the very end, but let's face it -- this was a no-brainer.
Snow got tricky last year, trading down twice and acquiring a quality player in Josh Bailey while stockpiling picks.
This time around, he had the No. 1 pick in a draft with two -- and many argued, three -- players who could legitimately be taken first overall. But Snow played it cool and wouldn't tip his hand, and that was the smartest move someone at the helm of a struggling franchise could make.
Why not keep it a secret? It created drama. It built up interest. Lo and behold, the Isles had 10,000 fans at the Nassau Coliseum, ready to either celebrate like crazy or tear the place apart if Victor Hedman or Matt Duchene was announced, which would have been nuts since both are outstanding players.
So the fans who wanted Tavares went wild, and the fans who feared Snow would screw up are maybe giving him some props tonight. The Tavares pick also sets into motion the marketing machine that will sell tickets, jerseys, T-shirts and luxury boxes.
Fans, however, only care about the on-ice benefit, and Tavares brings plenty to the table. Four years as the top player in junior hockey yielded scoring records and a world junior championships. In a tournament with the best players in the world, he was the MVP, the best of the best, and he helped his team win it all.
Most importantly, he has a nose for the net that his new club sorely lacks. So now, assuming Rick DiPietro is healthy and comes back with something to prove, and if the defense can be shored up a bit via free agency, and maybe a veteran winger can be brought in -- suddenly this Islanders team is interesting.
Tavares, Bailey, Okposo, Comeau, Nielsen, Bergenheim -- you've got some nice young players in that group. Throw in vets like Streit, Witt, Sutton, Park, Hunter and Weight, and maybe they've got something going, not just for the future, but now.
Last season, with a backup and minor leaguer tending goal instead of DiPietro, the Islanders went 11-26 in one-goal games, with 9 losses in OT or shootouts (31 points). By contrast, the Rangers, with Henrik Lundqvist in the net, went 24-19 in one-goal games, also with 9 OT/SO losses, for 57 points.
How many points would a healthy DiPietro have been worth? Then again, if he's healthy, the Isles probably don't get Tavares.
Everything happens for a reason.
Maybe someday Snow will get his due, but he's still relatively new at this GM business, and we all know you can't truly judge a draft until a few seasons have passed, but the guy should start getting some credit.
Nice work, Garth. Even if it was a no-brainer.
UPDATE: Snow traded up twice to get the 12th overall pick and selected Calvin de Haan, a puck-moving defenseman from the Oshawa Generals of the OHL.
A curious move in that Snow first traded up to the 16th pick and de Haan, based on his rating, probably could have lasted to that point. But you target players you like, and Snow obviously liked de Haan and felt he needed to move up to ensure he'd get his man.
Unlike Tavares, de Haan is 3-4 years away, and he could stand to gain another 30 pounds or so on his wiry frame. But he's a well-regarded and intelligent player, so file him away for a couple of seasons.
Isles have the 31st overall pick, first in the second round, and still have No. 56 and No. 91 (the final pick of the third round).
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Isles draft preview, and a wish list
Tempting as it may be with the prospect of an anticipated packed house on hand at the Coliseum, I won't be at the Islanders draft party Friday night to see the No. 1 selection announced in person.
My softball team has a doubleheader that night, and with guys missing because of graduation parties (and the Subway series), we're a little short on players, and I'm a team guy all the way. So I'll be digging in at third base when Garth Snow makes an announcement that will either send the crowd into raucous celebration, or start a riot.
I'm betting on the former.
You can certainly make an argument for taking Victor Hedman at No. 1, since blueliners with his combination of size and speed come around as often as a waitress when you're ready for the check. And you can argue that Matt Duchene is the most "complete" forward available and deserves to be considered with Hedman and John Tavares at the top tier of the draft.
But while Snow has smartly played it coy, inviting all sorts of speculation, Tavares will be the pick here, and he should be. In his mock draft at SI.com, John Muir puts it best when he notes that Tavares has been picked apart by scouts and critics two seasons now and is still considered by most to be the best player available.
Yes, the Islanders could stand to shore up their defense, but the most glaring needs are up front. The team that scores the most goals wins, and the Isles are desperate for a scorer, never mind a marquee player that can sell tickets. Tavares fits the bill on both fronts.
So if you're going to the draft party and you want Tavares, plan on celebrating. But bring a flak jacket just in case.
What's more interesting is what the Islanders do at No. 26 in the first round, and at that point perhaps a d-man can be taken. But best player available is the way to play it.
The draft is just the beginning of the offseason, and there will be other roster decisions to be made, including free agent signings.
Here's where I get greedy and the wishful thinking runs wild.
We know that the Lighthouse Project is finally getting some real political traction. Things are looking up for a change. The salary cap will likely remain at around $56 million, with a floor of $40 million. The Isles have a cap number of around $33 million with some holes to fill.
Steven Stamkos' cap number is just under $4 million, so let's use that for Taveras for argument's sake. And let's say resigning RFAs Blake Comeau, Nate Thompson and Jack Hillen add another $3 million to the payroll (we're rounding up). That puts the Isles at the floor.
But why stop there?
You want to help the defense? Sign Mike Komisarek. The West Islip native is a hard hitter who would strengthen the back line, and think of all those family and friends who won't have to trek up to Montreal to see him play. Figure $6 million a year.
There's a tremendous need on the left wing, and while I'm spending Charles Wang's money, how about Mike Cammaleri? Are you kidding? With a name like that he'd be a huge fan favorite. Oh, yeah, he's also 27 and scored 39 goals last season.
Dream on? OK, what about Maxim Afinogenov? He's regressed the last two seasons and he turns 30 in September, but if you're bargain hunting, why not roll the dice?
Of course, if the Isles did sign Komisarek it would make players like Radek Martinek and Bruno Gervais expendable, and Jeff Tambellini could also be dealt, so they could trade for a left winger.
Will any of this happen? Probably not. But Snow has some options and there are some interesting players available, and maybe Wang is willing to throw a bit more cash around. After all, when you're used to losing $20 million a season, what's a few mil more, right?
Enjoy the draft, buy your Tavares sweaters and get ready for what should be an interesting summer off the ice.
My softball team has a doubleheader that night, and with guys missing because of graduation parties (and the Subway series), we're a little short on players, and I'm a team guy all the way. So I'll be digging in at third base when Garth Snow makes an announcement that will either send the crowd into raucous celebration, or start a riot.
I'm betting on the former.
You can certainly make an argument for taking Victor Hedman at No. 1, since blueliners with his combination of size and speed come around as often as a waitress when you're ready for the check. And you can argue that Matt Duchene is the most "complete" forward available and deserves to be considered with Hedman and John Tavares at the top tier of the draft.
But while Snow has smartly played it coy, inviting all sorts of speculation, Tavares will be the pick here, and he should be. In his mock draft at SI.com, John Muir puts it best when he notes that Tavares has been picked apart by scouts and critics two seasons now and is still considered by most to be the best player available.
Yes, the Islanders could stand to shore up their defense, but the most glaring needs are up front. The team that scores the most goals wins, and the Isles are desperate for a scorer, never mind a marquee player that can sell tickets. Tavares fits the bill on both fronts.
So if you're going to the draft party and you want Tavares, plan on celebrating. But bring a flak jacket just in case.
What's more interesting is what the Islanders do at No. 26 in the first round, and at that point perhaps a d-man can be taken. But best player available is the way to play it.
The draft is just the beginning of the offseason, and there will be other roster decisions to be made, including free agent signings.
Here's where I get greedy and the wishful thinking runs wild.
We know that the Lighthouse Project is finally getting some real political traction. Things are looking up for a change. The salary cap will likely remain at around $56 million, with a floor of $40 million. The Isles have a cap number of around $33 million with some holes to fill.
Steven Stamkos' cap number is just under $4 million, so let's use that for Taveras for argument's sake. And let's say resigning RFAs Blake Comeau, Nate Thompson and Jack Hillen add another $3 million to the payroll (we're rounding up). That puts the Isles at the floor.
But why stop there?
You want to help the defense? Sign Mike Komisarek. The West Islip native is a hard hitter who would strengthen the back line, and think of all those family and friends who won't have to trek up to Montreal to see him play. Figure $6 million a year.
There's a tremendous need on the left wing, and while I'm spending Charles Wang's money, how about Mike Cammaleri? Are you kidding? With a name like that he'd be a huge fan favorite. Oh, yeah, he's also 27 and scored 39 goals last season.
Dream on? OK, what about Maxim Afinogenov? He's regressed the last two seasons and he turns 30 in September, but if you're bargain hunting, why not roll the dice?
Of course, if the Isles did sign Komisarek it would make players like Radek Martinek and Bruno Gervais expendable, and Jeff Tambellini could also be dealt, so they could trade for a left winger.
Will any of this happen? Probably not. But Snow has some options and there are some interesting players available, and maybe Wang is willing to throw a bit more cash around. After all, when you're used to losing $20 million a season, what's a few mil more, right?
Enjoy the draft, buy your Tavares sweaters and get ready for what should be an interesting summer off the ice.
Monday, June 15, 2009
A Lighthouse at the end of the tunnel?
One of the many reasons I stuck with sportswriting in my bygone days of journalism and resisted any attempt to make the shift to hard news was politics. I can't stand them.
The Lighthouse Project is, of course, all about politics. If it was just about a new building for Long Island's only major professional sports franchise, we'd be enjoying a New Coliseum already, with triple the luxury boxes and all the sushi and barbeque and gourmet pizza you could eat.
So what a shock it was that soon after Charles Wang announced his October deadline to say go or no-go on the Lighthouse -- and not long after Garden City attorney Kristen McElroy announced that she would run against Kate Murray for the Town of Hempstead supervisor's seat -- did Murray extract her head from the sand and agree to meet in person with Wang and Nassau County supervisor Tom Suozzi about the Lighthouse.
And lo and behold, what a surprise that the three emerged from that meeting holding hands and agreeing, according to Newsday, "to work as a team to expedite approvals" for the project, and creating a draft timetable for the project.
Nothing like a deadline and political reality to get something moving forward.
Suozzi has wanted a "hub" at the Coliseum site for years, and now it is finally looking like the wheels are in motion. Suozzi trumpeted the need for the project at a county planning commission meeting on June 11, where several other officials spoke out in favor of the Lighthouse.
Greg Logan's blog also noted that, "On July 7, the Town of Hempstead is expected to vote on the draft EIS and then hold public hearings within 30 days. But one of the most important signs of progress, Wang said, came when Gov. Paterson assigned his two top aides, Tim Gilchrist and Larry Schwartz, to monitor the project. Gilchrist is a transportation expert in charge of infrastructure and stimulus funds for the administration."
So can Islanders fans finally breathe easy? Is the Lighthouse more than a 50-50 proposition?
And if all goes well on July 7 -- and particularly if the Islanders draft John Tavares with the No. 1 pick on June 26 -- will Wang finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and be willing to spend a little more money than the bare minimum to add some talent to the roster, knowing that in a few short years he will have everything he wants off the ice?
We can only hope. But after the way things have been the past 9 months, at least we have some reason to believe.
The Lighthouse Project is, of course, all about politics. If it was just about a new building for Long Island's only major professional sports franchise, we'd be enjoying a New Coliseum already, with triple the luxury boxes and all the sushi and barbeque and gourmet pizza you could eat.
So what a shock it was that soon after Charles Wang announced his October deadline to say go or no-go on the Lighthouse -- and not long after Garden City attorney Kristen McElroy announced that she would run against Kate Murray for the Town of Hempstead supervisor's seat -- did Murray extract her head from the sand and agree to meet in person with Wang and Nassau County supervisor Tom Suozzi about the Lighthouse.
And lo and behold, what a surprise that the three emerged from that meeting holding hands and agreeing, according to Newsday, "to work as a team to expedite approvals" for the project, and creating a draft timetable for the project.
Nothing like a deadline and political reality to get something moving forward.
Suozzi has wanted a "hub" at the Coliseum site for years, and now it is finally looking like the wheels are in motion. Suozzi trumpeted the need for the project at a county planning commission meeting on June 11, where several other officials spoke out in favor of the Lighthouse.
Greg Logan's blog also noted that, "On July 7, the Town of Hempstead is expected to vote on the draft EIS and then hold public hearings within 30 days. But one of the most important signs of progress, Wang said, came when Gov. Paterson assigned his two top aides, Tim Gilchrist and Larry Schwartz, to monitor the project. Gilchrist is a transportation expert in charge of infrastructure and stimulus funds for the administration."
So can Islanders fans finally breathe easy? Is the Lighthouse more than a 50-50 proposition?
And if all goes well on July 7 -- and particularly if the Islanders draft John Tavares with the No. 1 pick on June 26 -- will Wang finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and be willing to spend a little more money than the bare minimum to add some talent to the roster, knowing that in a few short years he will have everything he wants off the ice?
We can only hope. But after the way things have been the past 9 months, at least we have some reason to believe.
Penguins reward the fans who had faith
I remember watching the Penguins play the Islanders at the Coliseum earlier this season and thinking, these guys don't look that good at all. The Pens were the defending Eastern Conference champions, and had two all-world players in Sidney Crosby and Yvgeni Malkin, and yet there was something missing.
Well, they found it. They fired their coach in mid-February after four months of uninspired play and replaced him with Dan Bylsma of Wilkes-Barre (I know, "Who?!"), then added Bill Guerin for a conditional draft pick, and the march was on. They rallied to beat the Capitals and Alexander Ovetchkin in seven games, got a vacation with a four-game sweep of Carolina, then resurrected themselves from a 2-0 deficit in the Stanley Cup Finals to beat the Red Wings in seven, winning the final game on the road.
Wow.
So congratulations to Guerin, who was given a shot to win another Cup and got it, along with ex-Islanders teammates Miro Satan and Ruslan Fedotenko.
Like the Blackhawks and the Bruins, the Penguins also provide Islanders fans with hope. Another team that was dismal a couple of seasons ago, now winning games and giving their fans plenty to get excited about. The Pens also were in danger of leaving Pittsburgh if they didn't get a new arena.
They got their building -- it's going up right across the street from the Igloo, in fact -- and now they have the Stanley Cup.
Coincidence? Charles Wang probably doesn't think so.
Well, they found it. They fired their coach in mid-February after four months of uninspired play and replaced him with Dan Bylsma of Wilkes-Barre (I know, "Who?!"), then added Bill Guerin for a conditional draft pick, and the march was on. They rallied to beat the Capitals and Alexander Ovetchkin in seven games, got a vacation with a four-game sweep of Carolina, then resurrected themselves from a 2-0 deficit in the Stanley Cup Finals to beat the Red Wings in seven, winning the final game on the road.
Wow.
So congratulations to Guerin, who was given a shot to win another Cup and got it, along with ex-Islanders teammates Miro Satan and Ruslan Fedotenko.
Like the Blackhawks and the Bruins, the Penguins also provide Islanders fans with hope. Another team that was dismal a couple of seasons ago, now winning games and giving their fans plenty to get excited about. The Pens also were in danger of leaving Pittsburgh if they didn't get a new arena.
They got their building -- it's going up right across the street from the Igloo, in fact -- and now they have the Stanley Cup.
Coincidence? Charles Wang probably doesn't think so.
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