(Photo: FrenchKheldar/flickr)

Chris Botta tweeted today (via Sulia.com) that embattled goaltender Rick DiPietro will be entering the 2012-13 season as the Isles’ No. 3 goaltender, behind Evgeni Nabokov and either Kevin Poulin or Anders Nilsson. According to Botta, Nabokov will get the bulk of playing time, with a game per week for the young backup. So basically, it’s a two-goalie tandem, with DP (likely) spending much of his time in the press box unless an injury occurs.

Does this make sense? Absolutely. DiPietro will be lucky if he can play at even a consistently decent level, much less as a starter. He has his work cut out for him already, as he’s had his umpteenth surgery and hasn’t played very much of a role in the Isles’ on-ice endeavors. If he were anywhere close to being healthy, I doubt Nabokov would have been signed for another year in the first place. I do think, however, that the Isles are starting to wake up and smell the coffee regarding their fallen golden boy, which is a very good thing. DiPietro hasn’t been a factor in the Isles’ success (or lack thereof) for years. They realize that in order for the Isles to progress, part of the solution is to stop putting so much stock into Rick DiPietro as a franchise goaltender. As much as it sucks for them, it is a reality — and even if it weren’t, and DP were healthy, it would make no sense for an accomplished goalie like Nabokov to play second fiddle. He gives them much more of a chance at a playoff spot than a repaired DP would.

On the other hand, the organization is basically paying DiPietro millions of dollars to sit in the press box… unless a miracle happens and he proves himself worthy of a backup position over Nilsson and Poulin. Which is doubtful, but… no, it’s just doubtful. God help me if I’m wrong.

Until next time.

I’ll start this post by saying congratulations to the Shawinigan Cataractes on winning the Memorial Cup on Sunday night against the London Knights in OT. Kirill Kabanov, an Isles prospect, is on the Cataractes’ roster; he posted five points (1 G, 5 A) in six games.

In actual Isles news, John Persson has agreed to terms on an entry-level contract with the squad. The Swedish winger was drafted by the Isles 125th overall in 2011, and has posted 130 points in 200 games over three seasons with the Red Deer Rebels of the WHL (63 G, 67 A). He also debuted with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers this season and posted eight points (4 G, 4 A) in 12 regular-season games (no points in two playoff games). Persson has also played on the international stage for his native Sweden. At 6’2, 212 pounds, Persson is a sizable forward and (according to Eliteprospects.com) is willing to do the dirty work in order to score. (Fun fact: He has three brothers, all with “J” names — Jonathan, Johnas and Johan — who play in Sweden.)

You can read more about Persson here, and the Cataractes and Kabanov here. (Lighthouse Hockey)

See that score? We need a D that'll help us keep it that way. (Photo: Doug Kerr/flickr)

There’s no question that when it comes to this summer’s NHL Draft in Pittsburgh, the Islanders’ focus needs to be on defense. Our blueline was perhaps (if not certainly) one of the worst in the league (and I even graded them too leniently, more than likely). We need all of the help we can get, and there are some places within and outside the system to look.

John Link’s article on The Checking Line  about potential Isles draftees gives us a bit of a clearer picture regarding defensive prospects, and it’s a good look at the projected top three defensemen in the draft — Ryan Murray, Matt Dumba and Morgan Rielly. I especially like the sound of Matt Dumba, considering scouts call him the most complete D in his own end in the draft, but one of those three would suffice. There’s a question within the question, here, though: Do we focus on offensive defenseman, or closer to a stay-at-home kind?

The Isles do have an offensive push on this blueline to begin with; Mark Streit immediately pops into mind. Although his scoring has fallen off somewhat (and he only has one more year on the Island), the captain still factors in on the PP and can join the rush almost effortlessly. Travis Hamonic posted 22 points as well (most of them assists), proving that he’s more of a complete defensive player as well. Andrew MacDonald is right behind him, though I think his game has shifted a bit from his first season on the Island to more of a shot-blocking, down-low defensive style. As far as drafting goes, Murray (from what I’ve read) has tremendous puckmoving ability, and Rielly was a point-per-game player before suffering a season-ending knee injury last November. We haven’t had a stay-at-home defenseman since Brendan Witt’s days on the Island, so I don’t know how feasible having one now is, especially with that type of player diminishing throughout the league.

Looking at who we already have in the system, Calvin de Haan is an offensive forward — at least, his numbers in Oshawa indicate as much, plus he’s a great skater. His only issue seems to be the injury bug, which has held up his progress in Bridgeport and has some wondering if he can last in the NHL. His point totals have suffered because of his injuries, but he’s still got a high upside. Aaron Ness is smaller height-wise, but seems to be sturdier, and can put a few points up as well. Ty Wishart is bigger, at 6’4, and can also help out. He played better than I expected on the Island last season after being traded from Tampa Bay along with a pick for Dwayne Roloson.

Which brings us to size. The average for last season’s blueline is around 6’1 and 209 pounds (an upgrade from a couple of years ago — Mark Streit is now the smallest defenseman at 5’11 and 193, and 5-foot-10-if-he’s-lucky Jack Hillen is elsewhere). Milan Jurcina, Steve Staios, and Mark Eaton are all on the outs. Our biggest issue, as far as I can see, is with being able to use the body on opposing forwards, so we need D who can and are willing to do that (which, again, is why I like the sound of Matt Dumba so far — at least, if we  can’t get Ryan Murray). Matt Donovan should be coming into the fold next season, which is helpful – he plays a pretty physical game and can still join in offensively. He’s average-sized at 6’0, but if he brings the hits, it won’t matter. Of course, this leaves us with an impossibly young blueline, which Garth Snow may have to remedy in FA (if he can — more on who’s leaving and who could come in at a later date).

The bottom line? Draft for the blueline. The Isles have plenty of forwards (centers out the wazoo), and as long as players like Kyle Okposo, Josh Bailey, Frans Nielsen and of course Tavares and Moulson keep developing, we won’t have to worry much about offense. It’s always good to stockpile some anyway, but the blueline is hurting, and it should be the organization’s priority. I would expect (and hope) for one of these young defensive draftees to be in an Isles jersey come June 22.

Casey Cizikas is one of the Sound Tigers who played a handful of games on the Island. (Photo: M Richter/flickr)

Admittedly, I’m not a whiz with our farm system. However, there were definitely some stand-outs from Bridgeport that need addressing, so what better time to address them than now? Let’s get on with it. (I suck at intros, so bear with me.)

Anyway, the biggest standouts in my eyes on the skaters’ side were Micheal Haley and Casey Cizikas. Haley is a no-brainer. His playing style is go-go-go from one whistle to the next. He’ll hit and fight anything that moves, and when he’s in the lineup, there’s an extra edge to this Isles team. His 57 PIM in 14 games attest to this. I only wish he’d played more games than that — it’s nice to see this team just a bit nasty. Grade: A-

Cizikas, meanwhile, had four assists and was a +1 in 15 games. Nothing overly spectacular, but he was certainly efficient. His faceoff numbers could use a bit more stability, but that comes with being a 21-year-old in the NHL. Hockey’s Future calls him a very versatile player and says that if he’s paired with the right players, he can become a legitimate threat. Who knows who exactly the “right players” are — he got paired a lot with Michael Grabner, who as we all know had a lackluster season, and overall he didn’t log that many minutes. But for what he was, he was decent. Grade: B

Other noticeables:

• Rhett Rakhshani played a handful of games, but what I remember most was his willingness to get to the front of the net and try to make things happen. No points in his stint on the Island, but certainly some energy. The Isles had higher hopes for him early on, but six years later, there isn’t much to show for it. Hockey’s Future calls him “unlikely to reach potential.”
• Matt Donovan joined the Isles late in the season, and when he did, he brought some physicality and some backbone to the D. Definitely something we need. I’ll be interested to see how he develops in the near future (and if he’s good enough during training camp to make the team, which I think he may be… either way, we need a solid blueline).
• Aaron Ness also provided some good defensive play in nine games played, as well as disciplined play (two PIM altogether, on a blueline featuring Steve Staios and Travis Hamonic, no less).
• Trevor Gillies… eh.
• Calvin de Haan and Ty Wishart played only one game apiece, so that’s not much of a fair assessment.

Now, on to the goalies. Anders Nilsson and Kevin Poulin each had their tough matches, but they managed to play decently despite those hiccups. Nilsson pulled a .911% and a 2.75 GAA in three games started, while Poulin started six and posted a .907% and a 3.04. (stats here toward the bottom) Each goalie still has a ways to go before challenging for a top position, though Poulin arguably has an inside track (and Nilsson started in a blowout of the Devils, in which he didn’t face many tough shots). Interesting note: HF ranks Nilsson above Poulin in the Isles’ prospect hierarchy, though they each have the same grade. I personally find Nilsson’s size more favorable, but Poulin’s athleticism can’t be discounted.  Grades- Nilsson: B; Poulin: B+

Overall, the Isles are said to have stockpiled a talented group of prospects; with the Islanders mired in the bottom five in the league for a number of years now, homegrown talent is important, and the organization at least understands that. However, without the right veterans to help develop these guys — and that has been a problem for ages —  it’ll be hard to transform this into a winning team. The bright side is that players who have been in the league for two or three years (such as John Tavares, among others) are maturing well, and can perhaps help guide this team in the right direction. Then again, the best players in the league have playoff experience, and… well, it leads right back to the need for a balance of savvy vets and young upstarts to take this team to the next level. Chicken or egg? You decide.

Until next time.

John Tavares was a standout for Team Canada in the IIHF World Championships, despite Canada losing in the quarters. (Photo: Francis Larrede/flickr)

All of the Islanders playing in the IIHF Worlds are heading back home.

The USA and Canada both played in the quarterfinals; however, Canada was eliminated by a 4-3 loss to Slovakia, and the Americans were knocked out by Finland, 3-2 (on a late goal by Isles prospect Jesse Joensuu, no less). Finland will be playing in the bronze medal game, set for Sunday. John Tavares finished with nine points (4 G/5 A) and a +4 in eight games, while Kyle Okposo finished with three points (2 G/1 A) and a +2.

Frans Nielsen’s home country, Denmark, finished with a 1-6 record in seven games played, including a 6-2 loss to Norway in their final preliminary game. Their only win came against Latvia, 2-0. Nielsen finished with three assists, a -4 and around a 50% faceoff percentage.

Switzerland was knocked out of playoff contention with a string of losses, including an upset loss to France, 4-2. They came away with a 3-2 loss to Canada and a 5-2 loss to the USA. Mark Streit tallied four points (2 G/2 A) and a -5 in seven games as captain. Nino Niederreiter was held pointless in all six games he played, and had a -5 as well.

You can check out all team stats, game summaries, and more at iihf.com, as well as the Isles’ IIHF Worlds Blog.

File this under “best endorsement by a teammate EVER”:

Michael Grabner wants YOU to vote for John Tavares. The Austrian forward moonlights for a brief moment as his teammate before speaking in earnest about how great of a ‘mate and friend JT is. Also watch for a cameo by the one and only Aidan Grabner, Michael’s one-year-old son. (Warning: MAJOR squee-age will happen.)

PK Subban, a good friend of Tavares’s, is also throwing his support behind the Missisauga, Ont.-born center. Check out his tweets firsthand here. Bonus video: a very young PK and JT during what I believe is the WJC (correct me if I’m wrong). N’aaww.

Voting started today, and JT is up against Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings, so vote now and vote often!

Just a couple of notes on how our boys are doing in the World Championships:

• Switzerland beat Kazakhstan yesterday, 5-1, and Mark Streit won Player of the Game. Streit and teammate Ivo Ruthemann scored two goals and an assist apiece. Nino Niederreiter went -1, but won the only faceoff he took, so there’s that.
• Kyle Okposo and John Tavares faced off against each other yesterday as Team USA took on Canada. The U.S. prevailed, 5-4, but JT won Player of the Game for his work (1 G, 1A).
• KO didn’t score against Canada, but he did score twice in the U.S.’s 7-2 win over France on Friday. Congrats, Kyle!

Overall, I think our Isles are doing some good work for their respective countries. Keep it up, boys!

(If you’d like to keep abreast as to how each country is doing, check out Intermission Report for scores and news. I’ll be covering Team Switzerland! Also, check out IIHF’s official website here for more info. )

Evgeni Nabokov. (Photo: Robert Kowal/flickr)

The revolving door of goalies continued in the 2011-2012 season for the Islanders. Rick DiPietro was once again MIA for most of the year, and Al Montoya and Evgeni Nabokov bounced in and out of the lineup with various injuries, including a concussion apiece. That made room for young netminders Kevin Poulin and Anders Nilsson to get some ice time — and it also gave the Isles the chance to sign veteran John Grahame to a short-term contract.

The five goalies that posted ice time on the Island combined for a 3.03 GAA and a .900 even save percentage. It certainly wasn’t easy to keep it above or even at .900, what with the holes on defense and all of the injuries, but they managed to do so. Let’s see how each goalie fared individually.

Evgeni Nabokov: The 36-year-old Russian got over his earlier temper tantrums and decided to try it out for the orange and blue — and he looked disinterested at first, but slowly turned it on, and somehow his indignance turned into a positive attitude. In the end, he posted the best GAA and save percentage of all five goalies (2.55 and .914) in 42 games- exactly half of a season. Nabokov had become the Isles’ most stable, consistent goalie as the season went on, even though he suffered from a few injuries. With a fresh new contract under his belt, he’ll no doubt hope to continue that success. Grade: A-

Al Montoya: Monty started out strong, suffered a concussion on Dec. 20, and missed a month’s worth of ice time. After coming back, his play certainly suffered, his save % below .900 for the final six games of the season (and nine of 13 games started post-concussion). Part of it was, in my opinion, a result of his perhaps not being given (or giving himself) enough recovery time from his initial injury, as well as not being played enough in order to shake off the rust, but the fact remains that he did not deliver when the team most needed it. As a result, he could (and probably will) be out of a job next season. Grade: C-

Rick DiPietro: This just isn’t fair. 8 games played? Nah. You be the judge. Grade: INC

(Kevin Poulin and Anders Nilsson will be assessed in my Call-Ups post.)

Overall Goalie Grade: B-

Does this seem high to you? Perhaps it is, but I’m a little biased. Also, you can’t really discount the great two and a half months Monty had, or the remarkable consistency Nabokov displayed after getting off to a shaky start. I can only hope the goalies can get some more goddamn support in front of them. 

Until next time.

(Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr)

John Tavares is in the running for the NHL13 cover, and YOU can help him get there.

It’s simple- vote here, up to 10 times per day, and with each vote you put in you get a chance to win a trip to Las Vegas for the 2012 NHL Awards! (I mean, we all know it’s legitimate cheese and all, what with the random musical choices and unfunny hosts — looking at you, Jay Mohr — but still, why not? It’s VEGAS, man!)

With the career year JT had this past season, he’s definitely deserving of a cover nod. He’s gotten past two rounds already, but he needs voters’ help to defeat Jordan Eberle of the Oilers and advance to the next round. The competition has sparked a hilarious parody, tweeted by Michael Grabner. All kidding aside, though, I’d love to see one of our young guns get more recognition.

So vote for JT!