On the Islanders Beat

No, He can't....

I still say Vishnevsky is the answer. McCabe costs too much although he is still an Isles fan favorite. Souray is too much of a liability.

I still like David Tanabe for depth.

Thanks for keeping us in the loop Greg. So much for using your comp time this summer.

For those of you who have not yet seen this, hockeybuzz.com reports that the Islanders have a press conference scheduled for Monday to introduce their new signings and "a strong source tells me that a defenseman, that has not yet bee acquired will likely be there as well." One source close to the Islanders believes that a current roster defenseman could be dealt to make this happen...Also, do not count out Jovonovski yet...Apparently it is not as dead as it was after the Isles acquired Guerin and Comrie.

I want souray i know his faults but we need the offense and our PP has been awful - he will def help us more than he will hurt us - with Guerin, Comrie, Satan, Sills, Hunter, MAB - among others we will have a top 5 PP in the league

Snow, sign Souray and add Markov. Look Souray might now be the greatest Dman but he can put the puck in the net and we need that. If you pair him up with Martinek, they can do wonders. Then Markov can be the stay at home guy Snow is looking for and what this team needs. Also adding Mike Peca as a third line center would help. If healthy, which Peca claims he is, he is good for 15-20 goals.

Souray,Martinek,Witt,Bergeron,Markov,Gervais

Let Campoli spend the year in Bport and get some big minutes. Martinek is a FA at the end of next year and Campoli can take his place.

oh and also if Charles Wang wants to see people in the stands, signing Soray, an exciting all star, would be a big help.

I agree ...when the Isles traded for MAB he braught something special to the PP. He certainly caused some odd man rushes the other from time to time, but he wasn't awful in own end and was able to create offense. Not that DP will always be able to bail out the "D" but he's shown that he's able to make the big save. Now, if you were able to add Souray on the PP with MAB? Wow, that would be tough to stop. The Isles have some youth up front which is good, but they'll need the "D" to be able to create chances for them ...imagine Guerin, Hunter, Sillinger knocking in the rebounds from Souray or MAB ...for whatever risk he may be on the "D" he would be a positive overall. Plus, as was said earlier - Martinek (when healthy), Witt, Gervais (still young though) are capable "D" men ...

Either way I think the Isles are gonna be ok - I just hope they'll still find some ice time for Bergie and Tambellini or any other young guy (Comeau) that makes the squad ...gotta mix in the youth to see what we've got ...

Greg, once again, above and beyond. Thank you!!

Go for Soray, leave Mc Cabe up North, it won't hurt to have two slap-shots on the PP on either the 1st or the 2nd unit.
Bring Mc Carty in as well.
Gritty player that we can use.

Berard - No Thank You!!! the guy was put on waivers last year and is an injury waiting to happen.

McCarty??? Why??? This isn't 1998. keep Simon and Asham.

I DO NOT WANT SOURAY!!!!!

Gervaise and Campolli are keepers. They are fine defensemen who have not yet come close to meeting their full potential.

I'd rather fill that vacant slot with Boynton or Sutton. Moving Gervaise and Campolli so we can fit in the slow footed Souray is a mistake. We already have a decent cannon for a shot in Bergeron.

I am not intersted in matching offense for offense with Pittsburgh and the Rangers. Both have defense issues that they are a long way from ironing out. As a matter of fact, on the defensive side of things the Rangers just got a whole a lot worse.

Following them both down the same Rabbit hole would be foolish.

What about Andy Sutton? Has he signed on with anyone? Anyway, I wont complain if Souray comes our way, but a stay at home bruiser (ala Witt) is absolutely mandatory when battling the division foes. So if Souray's on board, another stay at home, reliable Dman needs to tag along as well.

Campoli > Gervais in my humble opinion.

I understand what you both are saying and I don't completely disagree, but in my opinion you can't just hope to stop offenses like Ottawa, Pens, Ranjerks and so on ...now, I'm not saying you don't need a quality "D" because obviously you do, but you also need to be able to keep the puck in your own offensive zone and create chances. We can't expect DP or the "D" to hold down these potent offenses - we need our own to step on and contol play ...having guys with cannons like MAB and Souray would create a lot of room in the offensive zone. I thought our "D" last year was pretty good but they got tired always having the puck in their own zone. Just a thought ...but I wouldn't be totally opposed to a stay at home "D" man ...but I'm hoping for Souray to sign for 3 years.

I've never been a big Campoli "fan". I don't hate the guy, but I don't feel like he's strong on the body. He has a lot of growing to do ...I saw him give the puck up a lot last year and I saw him get beat a lot last year ...I think Gervais is more reliable than Campoli ...if the Isles sign Souray I wouldn't be sad if they dealt Campoli (sorry Miggsey)

Interesting the nobody has pointed out that having Sourey and MAB on the same pp is not as great as everyone thinks. Both lefties which means only one can play the right point and get one timers. kinda defeats the purpose of having both out there. If there was a righty out there with as big a shot, that would be interesting..but there isn't. That is why the Aucioin/Hamerlick combo was so great (even though they could not hit the net). A penalty kill could not cheat against either and had to play both for the one timer.

Same problem with McCabe...

I would rather the Isles extend an offer sheet for Boogard from Minnesota. 6'7 enforcer will help people from running DiPietro. I don't feel like this aspect has been addressed yet. I like Simon, but Boogard is a big time Heavyweight

yeah, but is he worth all the draft picks to get him?

I'm sure he's a big time crease clearer, but you shouldn't do the offer sheet route unless it's for a young all-star ...

So Canada.ca thinks the Isles have no chance for the cup and won't make the playoffs.Most experts said that last year and our team suprised everyone.I think with Yashin gone,we'll be even better so watch out. And if it looks like we won't make the playoffs,we can trade for draft picks in a strong draft year and really start to rebuild.As far as the defense goes,I would like to see the Isles get Dmen that can keep the crease clear and let Ricky do his thing.We need speed, skill and players who can play good defense.I would say no to Souray but I trust Garth and Ted to do the right thing.

WHAT ABOUT SIGNING JEFF ONEIL.THIS GUY IS A PROVEN SCORER AND WOULD FIT IN WELL WITH THE TEAM.ALSO THEY SHOULD TRY TO TRADE FOR ZHERDEV FROM COLUMBUS (HEARD SOME RUMORS ABOUT THIS)THESE TWO WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO THE ISLES OFFENSE GREATLY.
DEFENSE-SIGN SUTTON AND GET BACK McCABE.BOTH ARE HARD HITTERS AND OUR DEFENSE WITH THESE 2 WOULD BE ONE OF THE BEST IN THE LEAGUE.ALL THIS COULD BE EASILY DONE WITH CAP SPACE AND HAVE SOME MONEY LEFTOVER.

ZHERDEV - Needs a lot of work in defensive-zone coverage. Takes too many shifts off. Must become more dedicated to the NHL game. enough said.

REDRUM!

I don't think Souray is worth more than 2 mil a yr. Minus-28, that say a lot. having two guns at the point on the PP would be nice, but I wouldn't pay a premium for just that, and when you consider that -28, you have to realize that we would be paying a premium for his rather limited services.

Sutton, Vishnevski, Vaananen would be good pickups. McCabe is too expensive.

I have an ouchie. I need a band-aid for my head.

I'm a DEFENSEMAN the Islanders just signed afew days ago. Does anybody know ME??? Myself, Simon and Asham will be policing the Isles this year. Steve Avery will finally get decapitated. lol
Position: Defenseman Shoots: Left
Height: 6' 5" Weight: 233
Born: Feb 7, 1983
Born in: Daysland, AB, Canada
Drafted: Phoenix's 2nd round choice, 31st overall, in 2001

Souray would be a great pickup for ANY team. Doesn't everyone realize that each team now averages 7-8 power plays per game? That is way more than only a few years ago. If a player farts too close to another skater, there is a penalty called.

I dont agree with all these ridiculous number of power plays but since thats the way it is, we need to adapt. The bottom line is that power plays (and shootouts) have more influence on a game's outcome than anything else. You need PP specialists and shootout specialists. Souray is that PP specialist. Sign him.

Also rememeber that his -28 +/- is because all his PP goals do not count as a +.

I agree 100%!!

Before the Isles got MAB how many times did the PP go 0-5, 0-6, 0-7 ...

Guys from the point who have cannons change games ...sometimes, yes, it can be a problem with some odd man rushes, but as hattrick just pointed out - in this new NHL there are a ton of PP's a game ...we have to take advantage of that ...

the islanders have a very small team right now...were gonna need a big time enforcer to protect them....Everyone knows Godard is the best available

Agree Agree...

Many of you are a bunch of stat people. You see a stat and you think it tells the whole story. Although his plus/minus is worrysome, this team was a fantastic 5 on 5 team last year. They often lost games because they were unable to score on the PP. This team might be starved for goals next year and adding those offensive numbers will surely help.

Also to those of you who are saying it would be bad to have MAB and Souray b/c they are both left handed. Well, newsflash, most teams have 2 PP units, and how SWEET would it be to have 2 PP units with a booming shot from the point. Just a thought.

Keep it sweet,

CM

does anyone know how arbitration works. i know the process but how do they come up with the final numbers.do they go off last years similar free agent signings or this years free agent signings. also as far as flukeqvist are gomez drury and brieres contracts considered if a goalie goes to arbitration. or do just the most recent goalie contracts count. because if fedetenko gets 2.9 then avery might get 3 looking at that situation and then the rangers would be in major trouble. by basic question in a nutshell is do all these major signings this offseason for big big money affect arbitrations this summer. anyone knows send me a response.

Lets not kid ourselves, the offense here will not overpower anyone. That said, you need stalwarts on D, people who will make you think twice about approaching the net (even with the new rules). Sign Sutton, wait for arbitration winners that teams walk away from and improve from trade during the season.

I think garth should trade for Martin St louis,this is a gamebreaker,and I really think Tampa Bay is ready to move one of the big 3 they have,but i'm sure it will come at a price, maybe Campoli,or Martinek and a draft pick,something like that

Souray- Too slow afoot;should go after Sutton----Nolan likes defense!!!!
Jovo cop could help as well however highly unlikely to obtain. Jeff O'Neill-also a high + guy

Souray- Too slow afoot;should go after Sutton----Nolan likes defense!!!!
Jovo cop could help as well however highly unlikely to obtain. Jeff O'Neill-also a high + guy

Souray- Too slow afoot;should go after Sutton----Nolan likes defense!!!!
Jovo cop could help as well however highly unlikely to obtain. Jeff O'Neill-also a high + guy

Greg,
Sheldon Souray's ex and most importantly his kids are on the west coast. I don't by any of this.I think his agent is using the Isles and Devs to drive up his price so can get the sweetest deal out of the Sharks. That's where I believe he'll sign.
Please sign Markov.

Oh ya as for Souray,i live in Montreal and seen him play alot,and would have to say who cares about his minus 28 this guy brings alot to the table not only is his shot leathal,this guy is a leader and he is gonna be missed in Montreal!! I say Garth sign Souray and you'll have more good nights than bad ones!! I Garantee the Islander POWER PLAY will be in the top 5!!

We dont need anymore flimsy, soft Souray types--campoli is soft enough. the only way to even consider sneaking into next year playoffs is to get tough defenseman to clear the crease. Witt is too darn slow and wore down lasgt year---we need two solid D men. As for offense, we will have a dearth of goals regardless.

As an islander fan I am in the same position garth is in. I like Souray and his offensive side but his d lapses cancels it out. I keep saying we need a #1 dman, NORRIS TROPHY CALIBER dman that can play in every situatin on the ice and down other teams best players. From all the names of available dmen that are still available is Jovonowski and Mccabe. If we really have shot at grabbing Jovo then we need to go for it. He would be my #1 choice and Mccabe #2. The rest like Souray, Markov, sutton etc are limited in their play and what they can and cant do. We have plenty of those and I think they would help it really would be money not well spent on the D. If your gonna dish out 22 million for a one dimensional player like souray then I would say dish out 30 million for a GREAT DMAN!

I don't get a good feeling about souray. I feel that until campolli and gervais prove they can physically contain the oposition we need somebody that will. Remember, we lost Hill who was one of those guys, and still haven't replaced him. In the defencive area we need somone who can be responsible in front of my boy Ricky.

Back to Souray... if we do get him I won't be upset, unless its for a $5+ mil/yr contract... and pleeeeeaaaaaaase sign asham already... c'mon Snow Man!!!!!!!!

The Rangers have an offer out to Asham--check msg site

sources? nothing on msg website

you build contenders from the goal out. We have DP. Now sure up the D with free agents like sutton, markov, vishesky. we need 2 d-men and a 3rd line center. souray is good if we can get him for around 3 mil anything more is a waste. get the d-men because we need 2 then we have a defence

Cap Space. The Isles have the most cap space of the 30 NHL teams right now at 24.48 million left to spend. This team will be greatly improved from now until training camp.

The Rangers have an offer out to Asham--check msg site

Posted by: Jim from Woodbury | July 7, 2007 10:09 PM

sources? nothing on msg website

I know nothing about this hockeybuzz.com. Seems to me that they are NEVER right? Can someone fill me in on this. Someone credible that is ...lol

Souray would be nice. We still need a "thumper" as well though. No secret I have never been a Campoli fan. Unless he took some HGH in the off season he is to small for the NHL in my opinion. Miggsey and I differ huge on this one. Just my humble opinion.

Since I did ok with my 06-07 end of the year prediciton, I'm going to throw another one out there so you can all blast me. :) ..... HUNTER will have more points and have a bigger year than Ryan Smyth! There it is folks...HUNTER !!!!

If I was Snow, I would sign Souray, O'Neil, Peca, and Markov. Then trade Bereron for picks.

Souray had more points last year than anyone on our current roster. He is an upgrade over Bergeron, might as well trade MAB and only have on defenseman who will be a liability.

O'Neil is a righty with a cannon, he can play the point with Souray. He also loves to hit and is a great face-off man.

Peca was probably the Oilers best forward in the playoffs in 06. I think he still has a lot to offer.

Markov or Vishnevski would be a good upgrade over Hill.

These moves would make the Islanders a very tough team to play against. A physical team that makes you pay the price if you take a penalty.

No doubt steady... have we even resigned him?

Steady,
Hockeybuzz.com is basically a guy who claims to have many contacts throughout hockey. He's right sometimes, wrong most times. The more I think about it, the more I think he actually is telling the truth, and not making stuff up. The thing is, if you're a GM type, and want to drive the price up on somebody (to a hurt a rival's cap number, for example), wouldn't you tell this guy you're team is interested, just to get it out there? He's probably used a lot, and probably knows he's being used, but by doing so, his sources probably give him info to make him look good when they can. So what the hell does all this mean? Don't take anything he takes too seriously, especially the rumors, but just know that once in a while, he'll get it right before anyone else even knew it was a possibility.

And a little story I read about the hockeybuzz guy said that he was on Canadian TV at last year's trade deadline as a analyst type (his first TV gig). He reported to all of Canada that Ryan Smyth had been resigned and that it was a done deal, about 30 minutes before Ryan was sent here.

I'm with you all the way about Hunter. Garth, sign him to a 4 or 5 year deal NOW, before he has the breakout year, scoring-wise. This guy is going to be the face of this club.

19;

The problem some people have with Hockeybuzz is the meaning of the word "rumor". It's a simple word in simple english that some fols just don't understand.

So they take everything on that board as is if it's the writer claims it's the gospel truth. I can't understand why some people just butcher the meanings behind simple words. The fact that they claim that they present rumors pretty much spells it out.

Caesar,
I was doing a little digging on Boynton today. He's not a UFA afterall. Even after reading the article about him being waived, I still can't figure out what the deal is, but it appears he's still property of Phoenix.

http://coyotes.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=323224

danny, if you are going to steal the tsn scouting report on zherdev...point out the upside as well!!!!!!! one of the best one on one, has ridiculous offensive potential.....

Thanks for the scoop "19 and others!"

Mets finally won...Can go to be now :)!

bed not "be"

Get Scatchard back. Great on face offs, corners, tough, good leader.

http://coyotes.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=327021&page=NewsPage&service=page

I have to agree with "sidewinder" on Souray. A big part of the new NHL is the powerplay. If the other team doesn't respect your powerplay, they will walk all over you.

If they Fear your Powerplay they will play tight and avoid the wrath of their coach if they end up in the box.

Souray's shot commands respect. Not only that, it is a thing of beauty. I guarantee you will on the edge of your seat every time he gets the puck at the point.

I say sign Souray and pair him with a stay-at-home D. Then let it rip!

Kevin T.

they need kenny jonsson.period!

19;

That's interesting. I had read an AP article a week or two ago proclaiming that Phoenix bought him out.

Well, perhaps we could do good to get him in a trade. At least we don't have to offer him crazy money. I think he's earning about 3.5 per as his current contract.

At least we won't be stuck with him for more than two years.

Garth,

Souray is a waste of cap space. We need to emphasize team defense and speed. Pass, sign Markov, and keep looking.

Everyone is all about Markov, and I'm not saying I wouldn't like him - but hasn't he been very injury prone most of his career?

I wouldn't want Scatchard back unless for a minor league deal. He had 8 points in 48 games last year and was a minus 18.

Hockeybuzz.com is the best source out there for rumors. They reported all 3 Islander free agent signings well before they happened.

After reading Logans article, it seems it was Comries idea for the ONE year only.

Scatchard....Please no...We got three already just like him, but younger.

Get a THUMPER and McCabe or Souray. There is room for both.

HUGE Mets win Mookie!

Souray certainly would help the Isles' PP..and their offense in general.. with his shot. As was pointed out earleir, his +/- suffered last season because Montreal was awful 5 on 5. I wouldn't call him a soft D-Man either, I've seen him step up for teammates from time to time.

That said, I don't think he's worth 6+ mil per year. He's really only had one big year.

If the Isles can get him at the right price, I say do it, but they shouldn't take a chance if they're not sure.

I def don't think Bryan "The Can Opener" McCabe would be a good move. Sure, he's got a big shot, but we already have one of those. He's not great defensively and his contract is way prohibitive. Besides, I don't see why anyone who was an Isles fan in 2002 would want him anyway. It would be like signing Darcy Tucker or Shane Corson.

Speaking of the Leafs, I think Jeff O'Neil might be damaged goods. His numbers have dropped off the last couple years and he's missed a lot of games.

I do think Mike Peca would be a good move. If healthy he could play the role of top shut-down forward for the Isles. His faceoff skill and leadership ability would be a plus too.

We need defense and speed along with that--The Rangers skated rings around us last year so speed is essential--No to Souray and Peca

Souray is sighing with the rangers!

Souray is sighing with the rangers!

I believe the Isles still need offense. I think they should offer Zach Parise a 5 year deal in the 22 or 23 million dollar range. Yes, it would end up costing us 2 or 3 #1 picks, but the cash is there, he's young and proven,would still be under 30 when the contract ends, and we will have hurt the Devils if they don't match, if they do, it swallows up their cash to acquire other players. With Sean Bergenheim and Comrie coming, Bruno Gervais getting better and better,and Ricky in net, another goal scorer would certainly not hurt. Defenseman are never short in supply, goal scorers are. Grit would be provided by Guerin,Sillinger,Simon,Wittand Asham. Come on Garth, show us some guts!!!

Here's Spector's take on some of the dmen available to the Isles. Interesting arguments.

"McCabe isn't much better than Souray in my humble opinion so rather than spend a lot of money and giving up some talent in a trade for the Leafs blueliner he's better off just spending the money on Souray. As for Berard, his recent injury history could prevent him from continuing his NHL career. For the money Snow could spend on Souray or McCabe, he could sign, say, Vaananen and Sutton and provide himself with some solid defensive depth. Remember, sometimes the shiny nugget turns out to be fool's gold."

Candyman:

Here's a couple of your blogs:

Lodi, Shoot the Puck, etc.

Last year:
Guerin + Comrie = 56 goals
Drury + Gomez = 50 goals

Last 5 years:
Guerin + Comrie = 264 goals
Drury + Gomez = 212 goals

Enough said.
July 6,2007, 7:47 AM

Then you said on July 7, 2007, 8:48 PM:

"Many of you are a bunch of stat people. You see a stat and you think it tells the whole story."

What's the story there Candy? Whenever the thought seems right, just go with the flow!

Souray: No way. Too much money to spend on a guy that is a defensive liability. They need a QB on the PP, not a canon. They have a canon... but how many times did Poti make bad choices (shoot/pass) to QB 0 shot PP's.
There may not be that kind of player available, but you can't give up the roster spot, ice time and cap space to somebody who has a hard time playing sound positional hockey.
I hope they make an effort to get Sutton, and try to better coach Campoli into that QB role.
It's this exact position why I can't understand why they gave up on Grebeshkov.
He may have been the missing piece to this puzzsle.
Steady, I'm right with you about Hunter. First line TOI and a nice pat ont he back from management (raise and "A" to go with Sillinger's "C") could make him a solid 25-30 goal guy who is going to be in the top 10 in hits.
IMO Snow has done well to give Nolan something to work with in a difficult time. If players like Bergenhiem, Tambellini, Campoli and Gervais can be counted on to contribute more than they did last yuear this team is better than the 06-07 version.
If for not other reason, they won't have Yashin as a distraction... and they might have a top scorer with more assists than goals.
Does anybody know if they have replaced Flynn yet?

I believe Hunter should be given a long term contract, i 've been saying for a couple of years now this is the next captain of the islanders!!
As for the defence i say go for Souray,he's a Nolan type player,Ted will get the most out of him plus that deadly shot from the point!!! Bergeron shot is great but Souray's shot is leathal!!
And i still say to Garth to try and aquire Martin St Louis from Tampa Bay,i'm sure he's available for the right price and this guy is the missing piece up front,he's an islander killer,i'd rather have him on the team than against it!!!

Hey Ouch! the main stat last 5 years how many CUPS between Gomez and Drury and How many between Conrie and Guerin? OUCH! By the way Comrie is a 3 or 4th line center who Snow now believes is first liner. Much the same as last year the Rangers signing Cullen (a 3rd liner) and trying to squeeze him into 2nd line. Didn't work too well did it? This year will be much the same as oyu watch Comrie out performed every night due to the fact that he will be out of position. Maybe if he could play 3rd or 4th line then the ISLES could sya they have something. Also if you really beleive that at his age Guerin is a first line winger then you are really smoking some wacky stuff! To actually beleive that Guerin and Comrie will make the ISLES better then Gomez and Drury will make the Rangers is not olny silly it is plain ignorant! When they get on the ice, the story will be told, and the most important stat will be wins and playoff wins! Good luck this season, it will be a long one for ISLES!

Oh ya on Zherdev,this guy has some awsome talent,just his head screwed on wrong,but his age 22,and his salary around 2.5 million next year and 3.3 the following year make him intriquing,I would make a package deal for Zherdev and Foote who has one year left in his contract at about 4.6 million,just not sure if he has a no trade clause but that could be dealt with considering he'd have a better chance at winning with the islanders than the jackets!!! just a thought!!!

msg4ever:

I'm on your side Blue! I was merely showing the bloggers here how easily Candyman changes his mind. First, he makes a lame attempt at saying that based on past performance by the combo of Guerin and Comrie vs. Gomez and Drury, Garth is a freekin hero and they can all pat each other on the back as if Garth "saved" the day. Sorta like Underdog! He finishes his statement by saying "Enough said" as if his argument has a strong valid point to it. Then when people start bringing up stats, i.e. Souray's plus/minus rating, he quickly suggests that "stats" are overrated. Talk about sitting on the fence!

Why do I get the feeling that all the people that are against signing Souray, will be the first ones to complain when we have an average powerplay? I can see us losing a lot of games 3-2 when we had a PP with about 5 minutes left and couldn't capiltalize on it.

Some people just dont understand that games are determined by power plays because there are so many of them. You need a PP specialist. Play him only 15 minutes a game for all I care or have him suit up as a 7th defenseman. Just sign him. Think of it as hockey's version of the designated hitter. Here for offense only. And if he scores 25 goals and 65 points then its worth it.

Once again, if you condemn signing Souray then keep your mouth shut when the PP fails us especially late in games.

Ouch!

Good job smart guy, way to take 2 totally different blog entries and try to show an inconsistency...i would rather have drury &gomez on the isles...i showed those stats in response to someone who commented that guerin & comrie couldnt possibly have more goals than drury & gomez... Those stats only prove that its possible for com/guer to have more since they done it before...

Quit bein a candy hater man...although its nice to have such a following of ranger fans matchin up all my posts...stay sweet ouch, dont hurt yourself with that candycane

msg4ever takes it up the...
doo-dah, doo-dah!

msg4ever takes it up the...
OUCH! OUCH!

I'm the super duper blue power ranger, yay!

Hey Candyman:

I didn't "try" to show an inconsistency. I actually showed an inconsistency. Your almost as good as Garth with the spin doctor BS. I do watch your posts, Steady's, and a few other who know the game of hockey, and specifically, the state of the Isles and what moves they should make. Getting Guerin and Comrie was something that you guys said should happen before they signed, and did happen. So good for you guys and Garth for getting the deals done. But when you start razzing Ranger fans and bring up "past" statistics, then turn around and say "stats" aren't that important,then in defence of the $Rags, I have no alternative but to show your little inconsistencies. Plus, Sather signed Drury & Gomez for things to come and for the Rangers type of offence that they'll have with them. Gomez should do just fine with Jagr, barring any injuries, and Drury with Avery & Shanahan will work pretty good as well, as long as they sign them. So that "13" goals last year crap doesn't fly, especially with Gomez on the Devils.

facts are facts.... you cant predict the future, you can really only base any kinds of projections on past performance. candyman was merely trying to point out an error a comment of a ranger fan.theres no way guerin and comrie will outscore drury and gomez? well... last year they did. in some cases (like Sourays -28 doesnt show his dominance on the PP) stats dont tell the whole story, but when just questioning FACTS stats are the only thing you can go by... advantage candyman

Well...

Advantage Candyman! What is this...Wimbledon! (LOL) I agree with you. Candyman did point out that Guerin/Comrie outscored Gomez/Drury over the past year and 5 yr.period. But I honestly don't think that will be the case for this upcoming year. I could be wrong. Actually, giving someone $7M/yr for 7 years is crazy considering he did only score "13" goals. But the fact is, ALL hockey pundits (THN, TSN, ESPN, CBC, NHL, etc.) had Gomez as one of the top three guys in this year's UFA market. Briere, Drury & Gomez. Hey Brad Richards got $7M a year from Tampa Bay and he didn't have that great a year this past year. He got that money for the type of player he is. Bona fide A1! The whole package, Brad Richards brings it all on the ice, which is the way Gomez is.

its in the spirit of wimbledon yes lol

I'm curious about Spiller... big kid, was a pretty high draft pick... Don't know much else about him than that... he's young too. Potential top 6 d-man I think... but will likely spend most of his time in b-port this season, but his chance is there to make the team.

Souray I'm torn about... that +/- is brutal.

I know Markov is injury prone, but I think he's worth taking a chance on. Especially if it's a 1 year deal and we pick up another D-man for depth... grabbing Markov and a guy like Tanabe, I think would round us off nicely...

On offense... no Peca, he's done. Love the guy, but he's done. Jeff O'neill, way more worth it... pair him up with Bergie and Tamby. That's a quick/gritty line.

yeah, i know he was in the top 3 of alot of people. i wouldnt underestimate comrie and guerin though either.i think both pairs will total around 55-60 goals this year....should be fun

For everyone that says no to Souray keep a few things in mind. Number one we lost over 100 goals in free agency this period while our division is probably the most offensively potent in the NHL. I have been to every Isles home game in 7 years and have gone home time after time after a 1 goal loss saying if only we had a good power play. We lost our leading PP point man(Poti), we lost our leading goal scorer( Blake) not to mention the 80+ goals that left between Yash, Kozzie, and sh!tty Smytty. Since when did Sutton or Markov or Vischnevski become a top 4 defenseman? I love Campoli but he took a huge step backwards last year. We are NOT a better team in any way shape or form than the one that skated off the ice in BUffalo in April after game 5. Our pp was around 23rd in the league before getting MAB - we ended up 12th. Souray would give us a top 5 PP which is ONE thing we would have improved since game 5. In my opinion we need another goal scorer at any cost but it dont look like we are going to get another big scoring forward. So next best thing is to get the highest scoring D-man this side of Lidstrom. We have more cap room than any team in NHL right now we can get both Souray and a stay at home dman. But someone please please if your going to say pass on Souray for Sutton, Vaananan or Markov please do me the favor of realizing that they are overrated b/c there are no more big defenesman out there. Come on Garth make it happen

Souray is good, no doubt. But the Free Agency period began July 1st, and guess what! Souray ain't signed yet. That ain't no coincidence! GMs are apprehensive about his actual defensive abilities. His stock has clearly gone down since this frenzy began, so whoever does grab him, may get him at a good price. Having him on the PP is without a doubt, a plus. But DP would have to be ready for any breakaways, because Souray skates like he has a piano on his back!

so ummm, wheres this "prominent" D-man already?! i like the sound of this MATT SPILLER guy we got for the D. I think he'll get some icetime with the Isles. maybe he'll SPILL some steve avery blood out onto the ice! that would be worth the signing and $. although i'd much rather see us SIGN ASHAM and have ASHAM beat the snot out of avery first! yeah baby, yeah, heh heh. my 2nd thing i'd most like to see is SCOTT GOMEZ break his neck in first month of the season!! SWEEEEEEET! ha ha!and then lundquist break his back! AWESOME! ha ha!

Steve Avery? The former Braves pitcher? I think you mean, SPILL Sean Avery's blood onto the ice.

what ever happened to joel bouchard?

NEW BLOGGER HERE!!

Usually I just read these blogs and get a feel for fan sentiment. Transplanted in NJ deeply entrenched in enemy territory (Devs & Rags). Don't worry I'm used to it. Attended my first hockey game at MSG in the old blue seats during a Rags / Philly game in '79 wearing an Islander shirt.

Still have many great Ranger / Devil fan friends and former teammates. We always had good fun poking fun and hashing out heated debates ... When all is said and done it doesn't matter what we think as fans about who is better & who is not. The Ducks are the studs of the NHL now ... can you believe that???!!

I'm more concerned with the intangibles a player brings to a team. Sure .. Souray may pot lots of goals and get assists off his rebounds on the power play ...

But, the Islanders spend lots more time killing penalties. I don't have the stats infront of me ... but as my girlfriend noted last season (she is a novice hockey fan at best) ... "It always seems like the Islanders are getting more penalties than the other team"

Hill & Witt always seemed to be in the box ... true .. defensemen get more ice thus more penalties .. but when two key defensemen are in the box it puts a strain on the other D'men. A lot of the time they were in the box together.

They need a good solid defensemen to replace Hill's hits / blocked shots but at the same time will not be taking a breather in the sin bin.

I don't care that the Strangers got Gomez & Drury .. sure .. every team could use that talent.. but I think they paid a heavy price for them. Just think .. Gomez is their Yashin now. Yashin missed over a month of action and scored 5 more goals than Gomez. So our Isles fans should just let the Ranger fans gloat ... who cares? They will be the Rangers problem years to come.

On Smyth ... I wasn't pissed on July 1st. I was pissed at the trade deadline deal. Why? Because I knew the Isles were gambling the future on a run at the cup in 2007 knowing damn well one player even of Smyth's caliber wasn't going to swing the odds in the Isles favor to win the cup. Look how fast they were dispatched by Buffalo.

If those players we gave up for Smyth weren't Nolan type players ... then use them in a constructive trade deal that brings a valuable player under contract for at least 3 years to the team. Or trade up in the draft with those prospects.

What is done is done. Garth is gonna make mistakes .. he seems to have saved some face. I'm glad Smyth didn't accept the Isles offer ... I think that would of been too much for a player that seemed reluctant to embrace the Islanders & would probably drop his production just like other stars that are discontent on the Island for one reason or another. Remember Capt. Kirk (Muller)at the begining of the "Dark Ages"?

Blake .. took Toronto to the bank. We'll miss is tenacity and production.

I guess I just want the Isles to obtain players who don't take selfish penalties. The Isles spend too much time killing penalties taking their already average offense off of the attack. DP has been the team's best PK.

A rugged defenseman that takes care of his own end, and puts fear in opposing forwards on the attack, doesn't take bone head penalties and also moves the puck well .. that is all the Isles need on D ... MAB has already proved his worth on the PP.

Guerin & Comrie .. I give those deals 4 stars out of 5. Tank ... a 3. I'll really hold my judgement till the season gets going. I still trust Garth & Nolan more than MM. I just wish Wang would stick to computers and let the "Hockey People" do their jobs.

Awaiting Moncton with anticipation. I really look forward to see how the young guns pan out. The Isles system is not as deep was we like to think.

Long post .. but you will not hear from me much.

19 Isles;

The Islanders PP last year didn't suffer because of their blue line. Their forwards did a lousy job of securing the puck in the zone. It was painfull to watch. Even if they set up down low someone was always meking a bad pass and the puck would be chipped out.

Their mental lapses on their PKs were bad as well. But that alone comes from taking between 8-10 penalties a night. Their PK to PP ratio was something like 4-1 last year. If they manage to stay out of the box this year they should do alright.

how about o'neill?haven't seen anything about his asking price or destination.

I agree Caesar .. that is why I said MAB's proved his worth on the PP. I don't think we need blueline help there. We have him and some support from Camps and Bruno back there to move the puck. I want a D-man that will make opponents pay the price and is better than good in his own end ... someone who has a great first pass out of the D-Zone.

Staying out of the box is a key intangible. Think how many more goals they'd be able to score if they were able to stay out of the box and not spend so much time in their own end defending against an opponent powerplay. Their NET Goals Against vs. Goals For ratio will improve dramatically if they cut down on dumb penalties. Personally I feel there is a Ref biased against the Isles .. but that still is no excuse for the dumb penalties.

I just watched Boogard's fight clips on youtube and there was Spiller the new defenseman signed getting KO'ed on one punch. Islanders have to have a presence in the lineup to protect DiPietro, especially next year and especially because Ricky comes out of the net so often. boogard is 6'7 260lbs of protection and would cost the islanders a #2 or #3 pick and considering they have 2 #2's for next year, I say go for it. Put some fans in the seats and protect our franchise goalie. Simon is not the answer

Ouch,

Too much sugar in your brain. Me saying that it is possible for Guerin/Comrie to have more goals than Drury/Gomez by referencing their past stats, and then explaining how stats do not always tell the whole story IS NOT AN INCONSISTENCY. If I had said that Guerin/Comrie's past goals mean they are better goal scorers, then THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN an inconsistency with my notion that stats don't tell the whole story.

So, according to you, if I believe that stats don't always tell the whole story, it means that I am never allowed to refer to stats with out contradicting myself. Right, that makes plenty of sense.

After you graduate from Ms. Cleo's School for Under-Achieving Psychics, maybe you'd like to hit up the New York Institution for Illogical Blockheads.

Did that hurt your feelings? Ouch!?

Stay sweet ouchy,

-cm

I like that Boogaard idea alot....hes huge and would be an amazing presence on our roster of relatively small guys....Simon def. is not the heavyweight fighter we need...I would give up a 2nd rounder for Boogaard in a flash

My mistake. Boograd was taken to arbitration by Minnesota, very rare for an enforcer, so that no other club can offer him an offer sheet. Guess other people had the same idea. Not much else out there, maybe Eric Boulton but he is not the same presence

I was told that Islanders would make a big signing today and I wonder who that would be...

you answered the questions i thought of, and some i didn't. thanks greg.
i hope they go for D, and mccabe has the best upside.

hey ranger fans learn how to spell signing (sighing)

Where is this BIG signing???

steve, sean whatever the uckf you guys call him. you know wtf I meant. though I'm sure I made ur day being able to correct me. ur one smart genius, take it easy on me einstein OK? Boogard aint worth no draft pick?! what isht for brains would think that stupid isht?! holy christ. and anway, i said i'd prefer Asham kick the isht out of SEAN avery anyway. the Spiller character should be good for some toughness and grit. he could be a good 6th time to time Dman for the right sitcheyashuns, ya heard me? i just wanna see SEAN avery take the beatings he deserves. punks deserve to be beat down...

SMOKEY over here takin a ISHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Calm down bro.

what time is the isles press conference tomorow?!!!

I am a Ranger fan!

the press conference is at 12:30 i believe...its says on the isles website....I think the Islanders should sign Andy Sutton to be the crease clearing defensemen they need...then sign Eric Godard to an offer sheet so he can come back and wupp ass

Long Island loves the Rangers!

I told you: No Icelanders for me!

this is Rangers country!

On July 8, 2007, Souray signed a 4 year, $20.6 million dollar contract with the New Jersey Devils. The deal includes a player veto right of up to two trades a season. A press conference will be held on July 9, 2007 to officially announce the deal. Questions about his shoulder and a -28 had made teams more hesitant to offer a contract. Souray is good at the points but is weak on deffense.

sources?

For anyone suggesting Sutton...SOFT, LOST, and LOW LOW hockey IQ! I have to watch him night after night here in Atlanta (although as soon as Zhitnik got here, Sutton's icetime vanished), and he is CLUELESS!!!!! He is a big pu**y and alway has someone between him and any tough guy. If there is a scrum, he's the one on the outside while the Larsen's, Slater's, and Mellanby's do the gritty stuff. When he does hit its often ill-timed, often dirty, and he usally ends up out of position and in the box. He can skate with the puck and shoot, but is too clueless to make use of those skills. My college coach wouldn't have played him. He is a very nice person (really...a super guy), but as a hockey player...he's a 6-6, 245lb waste of air. Anybody but Sutton...PLEASE!

Howard rules!

Rangers rule!

WARNING: Rooting for the Rangers can make you retarded. Also, being retarded will make you root for the Rangers.

idk bout the rest of you, but i really want souray... even if he does slack a little 5 on 5, hes as close as youre going to get a "quick-fix" on the PP... which is what the Isles desperately needed throughout the season

http://blog.mlive.com/snapshots/2007/07/bootland_bolts_for_isles_joins.html

Patrick Marleau to the Islanders?

Darryl Bootland...good one Garth keep em comin...

I thought this was quite funny

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o-n1_VU_S4

Please sign souray today.......

Very boring monday.....someone please sign some players

Ouch, my head hurts. I coulda been something.

Is the Islanders press conference on television or not? if so, what time and channel?

I thought your franchise was a mess back in '95-96; its even worse now.

It is at 12:30.

Dont know if it is on tv.

I dont think its as bad as it appears....but I also dont think anyone is under any illusions as to the need to rebuild and have some more patience.

Just look at what impatience has done to the blueskirts over the years.

Even now they are doing what they always do....that is purchase a Cup.

But it only worked when they they moved the oilers to ny in 94.....There are many power house teams right not that will challenge and I think overcome the Rags this year.

Then who will be in a mess?????

My head hurts too Brett. Must be from getting punched in the head too many times by Dan Cloutier. Was I ever any good ? I think I cried a lot during arbitration too. I had to have Scott LaChance suck me off to make me feel better.

Im lonely. Where are my teammates ? I think I'll return to my native country and play hockey there.

Please, you all think you have problems, I'm the one with the real problems. I have an addiction to "chocoloate" and I don't know what to do. Sometimes I find my self conversing with my stash of "chocolate" and it's always telling me to "gobble" up as much of it as I can in one sitting. I loved playing for the Blueskirts. They were aware of my addiction, but refused to acknowledge that there was anything wrong. Late at night I like to crawl up in a shoe box and sleep for hours and hours. I love "chocolate."

cant you watch the press conference on the islanders website?

cant you watch the press conference on the islanders website?

cant you watch the press conference on the islanders website?

YES--the press conference will be able to be viewed on the new york islanders website.

http://islanders.nhl.com/index.asp?rd=1

enjoy

CATCH ALL OF TODAY'S PC LIVE!!! New York Islanders Jul 9, 2007, 11:13 AM EDT Islanders TV will show press conference live at 12:30 pm; newyorkislanders.com to have complete reports

Islanders fans will be able to watch the introduction of new Islanders Bill Guerin, Mike Comrie, Ruslan Fedotenko and Jon Sim by going to Islanders TV for today's 12:30 pm press conference. Islanders TV's coverage is also expected to include interviews with all four recently-signed free agents.

Following the press conference, newyorkislanders.com will have complete reports including photos from the event.

Although the rumor of the new Islanders jersey being unveiled today is certifiably bogus – and there is not expected to be news of any additional free agents today – fans will want to stay tuned from beginning to end. You never know: there could be a surprise worth waiting for.

If the Isles make the playoffs this year it'll be America's new 'miracle on ice' rofl

The teaser line on the bottom is interesting. They wouldn't say that unless something was happening. In addition, Eklund over at hockeybuzz has held off on his Islanders article because he's under strict instructions from a source to wait and watch the organization closely. I think something exciting will be announced today, and I hope it's something along the lines of a big trade, big signing, or that we finally bribed the Town of Hempstead enough to get the Coliseum plans approved and construction will start immediately.

What do you guys think?

Garth still has ALOT of work to do to even get the Isles back to where we were last year( an 8th seed that got knocked out in the first round).Comrie, Guerin and Tank replace Blake,Yashin and Kozlov but who replaces Hill and Poti on defense? Souray would be a start.He would certainly help our power play.The little things are important.I was so sick of watching the Isles lose so many face-offs and getting Silly last year really changed that.Now we have to stop taking so many penalties! But even with Souray, could we really compete with Pitt.,Ottawa,NJ, T.B.,etc.And when are some of our draft pick forwards going to crack the lineup and make a contribution? The Devils always seem to draft players that become players at the NHL level, why can't we? Let's go Garth!If Tamby,Noke, Bergy and Nielsen can't cut it at the NHL level, let's get some young players who can!! As much as I hate to say this, right now the Rags on paper are better than us.I wouldn't mind sacrificing next year to get some high draft picks and draft some forwards that can become real stars.Don't you wish we had Spezza and Heatley now??

nick,
i think it'll be some combination of what you said....
maybe one or two d-men added on via ufa and/or trade...hopefully we don't give up any of our young guys!
the arena stuff would be a nice touch but i wouldn't be expecting that, although it would be welcome news!

i read the other day that if kenny was gonna come back he PROBABLY would have already said so,
so it doesn't look good, according to the article......but, who knows???

We traded DP for the #1 pick in next years draft. We will have a sumo wrestler play goal for us.

it's almost time make sure you log onto isles tv:)

http://iptv.newyorkislanders.com/islanders/loginform

enjoy!!!!

I WISH I HAD SOUND ON MY COMPUTER AT WORK!!

Guerin is captain!

Guerin the Captain!!!.... big upgrade over Yashin lol

Souray Close

Islanders are the only confirmed finalist of 3 teams according to a good source. San Jose and Columbus are believed to be the other 2. Not the Devils and Rangers.

they just announced guerin as captain already????
is that good or bad????
didn't they even think about hunter or witt etc....guys who've already bled orange and blue???

Wow....good to know but I hope this isn't the big news

Same here. I don't get sound or picture. Anyone want to keep a running diary of what is going on?

Souray not going to the devils? THANK YOU GOD

looks like this may be the news, lets see if there's any other surprises??

Guerin says he was suprised by getting the captaincy.

Guerin and Comrie will host kids with cancer at every home game. If the two of them never score a goal, they just became winners in my book.

Guerin the capatin. Wow.

Guerin is "honored and thrilled" to be the captain.

well, that was kind of a letdown...

No suprise announcements except Guerin getting the "C"

yeah, they already both made a hugh splash in the community!
It appears that the captaincy was the surprise, they're still working on the d as we speak..
i guess that that isn't settled YET!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Guerin the captain? He just joined the damned team :s
I agree with 22dan what about Hunter or even Witt?

Guerin is as good a choice as any. I think they would've been better served by letting the captaincy sort itself out after training camp, but this way they'll make a splash and probably get another Islanders-related article on TSN during a slow news day.

Prediction:

Isles will lose less than 20 games in regulation next season.

Tank's wife is stunning!

sorry about my dumbass mistake with the suprise spellings....
yeah eric, i understand that guerin is a vet and a great one at that, but he hasn't even met with the guys 'officially' yet and they already announce the captaincy....
i hope there's no dissention b/c of this..
they're all professionals and will hopefully take it in stride,
maybe give witt and hunter the a's..
lets all project who's going to get the a's,
or maybe they should rotate?
thoughts...
peace!

So much for seeing the video - all i got was a black box!

A's go to Witt and Sillinger.

Is it just me or does John Sim seem like he has no desire to be at this press confrence. I was surprised at the Guerin Announcemnt but I am sure he will be a great leader. I would like to see the Assistant captains going to Witt and Sillinger.

thanks for keeping us up to speed, guys!

Tank sounds like he is absolutely thrilled to be an Islander.

yeah i forgot about sillinger, however, hunter has the potential to be much more of the FUTURE of this team over the years, i guess as witt and silli retire hunts can more in!
silli is key as a leader!

"Be Patient." - Garth Snow

That's all the insight Garth is giving us to what might be in the works.

move in, that is:)

as far as sim goes, maybe he's just not used to being in the spotlight like this!
he just seemed a little uncomfortable with all the attention,
garth and the team wanted to include everyone together to keep the TEAM philosophy going,
he doesn't want any player to feel less important than anyone else, i think this was classy to do all of them together!

Kris King sees a big year for Bergenheim. Says Bergie and Nolan is a perfect fit.

PLEASE SIGN SOURAY......both guys with the best slapshots in the league on the isles

I have mixed feelings about Souray. He had the worst +/- of all defensemen in the NHL. He was a -28

Guerin as captain is a great thing for the Islanders... Not only is he a great leader, he'll be motivated by the C on his shoulder that he'll keep his scoring up... I believe that Bergie will have a great year, i loved watching him in an isles uniform the other year. Not only will Bergenheim have a good season, I'd watch out for Tambellini as well, i think if given enough ice time he can get 15 goals this year if not more.... The guy can skate and has good hands... I trust Garth in that he will bring in a defensive defensemen (Sutton, Boynton, etc..)
My only concern with the team right now is toughness. Yes we have hard nosed gritty players but no one that can step up to be the enforcer. Enforcers do still have a role in todays NHL. Take a look at the Anaheim Ducks. I would love to see the Islanders land Godard who's a RFA. Simon was a decent enforcer last year but I dont think he's what we need. Matthew Spiller is a big guy but Godard would be tremendous. I mean c'mon Godard beat down Boogaard last year, thats not to easy.

i know but we have the money to spend why not use it to help out our power play....

people have been arguing that most of sourey's goals came on the pp? which didn't add to his +/- totals, so since he didn't score at even strength that often it hurt his numbers. however, you also have to remember that this means that the TEAM didn't score that much when he was on the ice at even strenth as well!!!!!!!!

no new jersey to be unveiled today unfortunately. just the new reebok style jerseys. no big deal. i hate our uniforms. anyone else sick of blue and orange? i would also like to see them change the logo to the lighthouse

Why would u want to give up picks for godard?...i mean i like him and all but i would'nt give up anything besides a check for him

i hate the orange jerseys...dont mind the other ones though

I agree with previous posts regaring Guerin as captain, but I'm guessing this came from Nolan and I'm sure Witt, Sillinger and the rest of the team will respect that and act like a veteran team. The "C" is nice, but in all honesty what does it really mean? It won't score goals for you. The real captain of this team is DiPietro, goalies are just not allowed to wear the "C".

I think we need to take care of both fronts. We were an excellent 5-on-5 team last year, but the special teams killed us. Poti stopped shooting as soon as MAB came aboard, and after some initial success that allowed the opposing D to shadow Bergeron and stifle much of the point production.

I think we are better off, first of all, with the addition by subtraction of Sean Hill, the Master of Bad and Untimely Penalties. This could help our penalty differential, which was far and away the worst in the league last year. Souray can help on the powerplay by simply giving another legitimate weapon besides MAB. They would still have a ton of room to pick up a defensive defenseman and an enforcer. As bad as the Hollweg incident was last year, I'm starting to think Simon should be back, for no other reason than the fact that he's more skilled than your Boogards and Godards, who don't do anything except hit and fight. Simon chipped in some big goals last year, so maybe he's worth another look.

On the same note, please sign Asham AND get prospect Wes O'Neill under contract. I watched him many a time when he was with Notre Dame, and he's a big (6'3), mobile, defensive defenseman who was a leader on his team and responsible in his own end. We can pull off some good things, still.

Did anyone else that Yahoo reported that the Isles signed Tim Jackman?

Hey Nick;

I was looking forward to watching Gervaise and MAB man the point. I think Gervaise is abolutely brilliant in his execution. Hopefully with some time his smarts catch up to skills.

Derek:

Yes, they signed him on 7/5. He's already on the Isles roster at ESPN.com. Depth winger, big (6-4 210#), I think he likes to drop the gloves. Whatever.

Bring me the head of Sean Avery, Mr. Jackman.

Oh I totally agree, Caesar. I'm not in the least advocating giving up on Gervais, but the fact remains that these were our most prominent defensemen last year:

Witt
Poti
Hill
Martinek
Gervais
Campoli
Meyer
Bergeron

Meyer would have to show me a lot to be given another chance, Martinek is a constant injury risk (though I absolutely love him when he plays), and Poti and Hill have moved on. That leaves us with:

Witt
Campoli
Gervais
Bergeron

I think in the beginning it may be better to have 2 big bombers from the point so Gervais can learn, and Campoli can re-capture the form he showed in 05-06. I wouldn't mind seeing Witt, Campoli, Gervais, Souray, Bergeron, and another banger such as Vaananen or Markov. Remember we won our cups with a balance, and right now our D needs to get bigger and meaner with more offensive options.

I like the home and away jerseys, but hate the 3rd jersey. I hope the Isles don't get too carried away with changing the logo or anything like that. I saw some pictures of orange sleeves on the jersey (not sure if they were prototypes or what) and that just look terrible.

don't forget that there's more to souray than just being good offensively and bad defensively... he's also a very big and tough guy,who'd be willing to drop the gloves, when neccessary. i'm sure under nolan, he could improve a bit defensively as well....go for it!

I'm pretty sure the league did away with the alternate jerseys for next year, and they'll be going back to home whites.

YouTube (the most amazing site in the world if you are a hockey fan) has several Souray fights. He may not be the biggest tough guy in the league, but from watching a few of them he can definately hold his own...adds a dynamic to our D that we can definately need. If Spiller gets his legs working better and makes the team, and with Witt and possibly the addition of Souray the Isles actually could have a pretty tough D opening night.

Did someone say to change the logo? Are you kidding me? And sick of blue & orange... lmfao... hahahah.. Find a new team then bro... seriously. Anyway, shouldn't of given a new FA signing the "C" for only 2 years. Especially before an interaction with the rest of the team has been observed. Its cool... better than Yashin.

I like the jerseys... I believe there will be no third jerseys anymore so maybe we can go back to home-whites and away-dark. Please.... NOTHING TOO ORANGE!!!!!!!!!

Just heard on WFAN that the Isles signed Darryl Bootland. Anyone ever see him play? Here is the TSN scouting report...

Assets Hits everything that moves. Supplies tons of energy and is very useful in a limited role. Is also willing to drop the gloves.
Flaws Will never score a lot at the NHL level. Must avoid taking bad penalties in order to claim a regular job in the big league.
Career potential Reserve winger.

They're staying with home dark and away white because the GM's couldn't decide on anything else, and there will be no 3rd jersey. Also, Eklund just posted this:

Islanders Trade Looming

Per three sources...stay tuned as I try to get more info. My guess is that this may have something to do with a d-man and perhaps this means that the Isles are out of the Souray sweeps...just guessing.

Bootland fake name. ranger infiltrator! You know you can trust Alexi. Mapleleafs serious about steal me away from island. better sign me quick up or I vill go

This from hockeybuzz:

Islanders Trade Looming
Per three sources...stay tuned as I try to get more info. My guess is that this may have something to do with a d-man and perhaos this means that the Isles are out of the Souray sweeps...just guessing.

Been awhile kids, here's my take on Souray possibly signing with the Isles:

While his -28 plus/minus was rather alarming, I think the Isles have to take a chance on this one here. We can all debate back and forth about the positives and negatives of having a big time defensive scorer who might be slow-footed at times. But let's not forget, he'd probably be taking the roster spot of Sean Hill (aka the slowest player ever). Sean Hill was constantly beat along the boards last season, and he 100% lost every foot race that he was involved in. At the same time Hill was seen as a fierce competitor and a great locker room guy. From what I hear, Souray is equally as fierce a competitor and a great lockerroom guy. Now we just add that laser of a slap shot and 25 more goals than Hill had last year.

A week ago we all feared that the Isles might be far worse off than they were last season, when Blake, Poti, Kozlov etc left and we knew Yash was long gone. Then we got a few quality forwards and things started to seem like we might be competitive.

BUT IS THAT ALL WE WANT TO BE? COMPETITIVE? The team as it stands will not advance farther than the 1st round of the playoffs. I'm sure we could all agree there. Let's take a chance on a player who might elevate us to the next level. Our PP failed us last season. It probably cost us 10 regular season wins. It was one of the main reasons why it appeared Buffalo destroyed us in the playoffs. All of you who watched the Isles playoff series knew that the games were very close, a couple bounces here & there, but absolutely no offensive production from the PP.

Souray seems interested in the Isles. I say we give it a shot at elevating this team beyond mediocrity.

P.S. Great move naming Guerin Captain. Do you really think Trent Hunter has done enough in his career to become the capt of the Isles? Please. Although I do agree, could/should have waited till training camp.

Good points, candyman....now I'm really starting to think something is going down today. The press conference ended an hour ago, and the Isles website hasn't been updated accordingly. Are they just slow, or are they waiting for more news to post?

reality questions to ponder:
1.) if bill guerin was such a great player and leader, why is he on his 4th team in the last 13 months?
2.)why would every team that has a shot at the Cup not even submit an offer to a 40 goal scorer?

huh?

Plumcrazy,

I think you figured it out. A proven NHL all-star and U.S. Olympian has a big dark secret that he quietly frequents Sesame Place and rides the water slide all day long. And for that reason, teams refused to make offers to Guerin.

Take the air outa your brain. Guerin received offers from teams all around the league. But a player as proven as Guerin wants security at this point in his career. That's why the Isles tacked on the extra year and gave him a no-trade clause. Those were probably the deciding factors on why he's playing here, along with the fact that Ted Nolan is our coach.

4th team in however many months only proves how coveted Guerin is. Teams think he will be the missing link to their Stanley Cup dreams.

Capt. Guerin Yeahhhh

i love giving the captaincy to guerin... talk about a great way to get him really involved with the team - by GIVING it to him... hook, line and sinker.... and talk about a great way to already be working on keeping him in the fold past two years.... what captain after two years of building wouldnt be into staying? especially if nolan builds the way we know he can.... i say its a brilliant move.

and as far as those that keep asking about trent being captain....

while i love his ability and so far have seen great dedication, cmon.... you cant give a team a captain who is barely a few years in on the NHL level.... from rookie to standard to captain in less than four years? you just cant... what senior NHLer is going to follow a kid who ISNT named crosby?

while i love trent, captain is a long way off in his career.

prum, so you are saying that only the isles and leafs are cup contenders, and not your beloved Rags? Might be time to take that "english as a first language" class.

prumclazy...

if you did a little reading on it through some of the rumor/hockey sites, you can definitely see that guerin being on so many teams in such a short period of time has much more to do with his value as a player and teams looking to rebuild, gain prospects and picks, and avoid losing him to free agency without any compensation when they knew they couldnt afford him....

he has moved around because he is a wanted property and GMs could get great return by teams looking to add him. but candyman was right in that at this point, he is looking for a final resting place so to speak, and a player of his caliber, i would think, would rather go out as the legacy builder of a "new" team than as an old player among other veterans... he probably saw this as his opportunity to make a serious mark on a team like ron francis, etc.... turn himself into a "franchise" player by mentoring and working with a re-building team with potential, which is what garthwang and bossy convinced him we would be.

Speaking of first language. Alexi speak in three language, russian (very good), english (so-so) and Sign language ( dis I learn from people telling me to love them in coliseum beer section)

franchise player who only signed for 2 years?

I think he means a player who helps shape a franchise, rather than a young superstar who plays there for like 10 years (as per the usual "franchise player)

Enough with Guerin, he's a great player, always has been, worthless to argue the opposite.

Back to Souray...intesting stat for all of you stat people out there...

Souray was an even plus/minus for his career before this season.

So one bad season...maybe he's the steal of the UFAs...

Personal Disclaimer: The above mentioned stat does not tell the whole story. Ouch, what?

ic thnx that makes a bit more sense

np

Comrade Wang call ME franchise player-tells ME to play for 10 year and then puts me onto one way train to City

to: themass

blow me. you probably don't think we need a new coliseum either. as for finding a new team. worry about yourself.

to: themass

blow me. you probably don't think we need a new coliseum either. as for finding a new team. worry about yourself.

to: themass

blow me. you probably don't think we need a new coliseum either. as for finding a new team. worry about yourself.

Candyman, don't forget - Hill's poor skating was indirectly responsible for Rico's concussion vs. Montreal. Begin beat Hill like a drum at the red line and Hill couldn't catch him, so DP had to come out.

About Souray: So many other factors go into figuring +/- that I can't possibly hold his -28 against him. The guy was the second-leading points man on the team, he has to be doing something right. He would be a good--nay, GREAT long-term signing and an upgrade over Poti.

Witt-Souray
Bergeron-Martinek
Campoli-Gervais

I don't care who you are, those are three solid defencive pairings. Gervais, and Campoli in particular, need to find the next level this season. If DP has another great season this team has the potential to be there in May and June, I don't care what the pundits say.

About the logo: The Islanders changed their logo once, and we all remember how well that worked out. Dance with the girl what brung you, is what I say.

If that is what it take, Alexi can dress as girl dancer.
What is a Candyman?

Souray wants to join the Rangers but they'll have no cap room for him.

guerin was clearly a b-level free agent. you're only fooling yourselves if you think he is more than that. if i only read the posts here, i would think that he was the greatest UFA of all time. this signing is like getting the last girl at closing time.

terry - The Leafs and Isles have no shot at the Cup! Is my grammar proper enough for you now?

If we sign Berard I bet we will get him for a song...
He is a good guy, and being where he had some true success AND with a wonderful coach like Ted might be exactly what he needs to bring his confidence back after all his injuries. He will never be the BEST, but he will be a solid guy... and he will be proud of being where people believe in him.

Id be proud to have him back on the team, but only time will tell!!!

today's real question:

is there anything sadder than a fan that spends all their time on opposing teams blogs trying to rationalize how much better their team is?

think about it rags....

Matt,

Agreed. But I'd like to see adding Souray + another solid D veteran, aka Markov, Sutton, Tanabe, etc. Need insurance if Gerv/Camp can't cut it.

Alex,

A Candyman is a sweet man from Candyland who lives in Candy Mountain. His days are filled with laughter and sugar. The skies pour out gumdrops and lemmon drops, and never rain drops. I am the only one of my kind who has been able to make the transition to your world. And I am the only hockey fan in all of Candyland. I am the Candyman.

Plum,

B level free agent got B level money. Gomez, another B level free agent got A+ money. Go figure.

Take a look at the Rangers blog though It's the same thing. Islanders fans rationalizing how much better their team is. Also the same with the Devils blogs. What you need to rationalize is that it does'nt only happen here

candyman - guerin has always been a great player? he's never had more than 69 points in a season. that's not great to me.

not saying it was you but there was all this gomez bashing last week about how he sucks but he's had 30 70+ point seasons already. i don't consider gomez great (well maybe i do as a passer) but by your standards, gomez is a superstar.

and before anyone bashes gomez - would you rip the new C off of guerin's chest and trade him even up for gomez and his contract?

We don't need stinky Berard. We need a player who can play 82 games without getting suspeneded or couldn't skate quickly or hard enough like poti and hill then we should be fine

I get a feeling the Rangers fans are not happy about Bill Guerin coming back to this division. They've attempted every stupid trick in the book to justify why this is a "bad signing". First it was "the Isles overspent on this guy" to now"OHHHHH look at how OLD he is".

Rags Fans, REMOVE THAT PLANK FROM YOUR EYE!!!!!

I will admit, it is extremely entertaining reading all the spin they put on this. Billy Guerin, If I recall correctly, used to terrorize the Rags when he was with New Jersey.

plumclazy,

Only a Rangers fan would think they can win a stanley cup in July. Unless your name is Nostradamus, how the hell would you know who will make it to the Stanley Cup this year?

I betcha we will have a better record then you at season's end. Last season you got lucky with DP getting concussed twice, so you snagged the #6 spot. Won't happen again.

Go back to your dead Rangers blog with the 1 poster (with the 3 dif names) on it. It could use some life... looks pathetic. Take your other Rag fans with ya!

Plum,

I have said repeatedly how much I like Gomez. But you can't bash the Guerin signing, it was good value for what it is. A good leader with goal scoring potential.

Regarding your post: "guerin has always been a great player? he's never had more than 69 points in a season. that's not great to me."

Chris Drury, funny, has also never had more than 69 points in a season. So your logic says he's not a great player either.

I happen to think Drury is great. Therefore, Candyman wins. Sugar for everyone.

i've never once said the rangers were better. my posts were purely driven by the giddiness over a bill guerin signing and coronation as captain. i found it all funny especially after all of the gomez/drury bashing last week.

candyman - gomez being away from the devs system can definitely be an A-player in the nhl. guerin never was and certainly doesn't have any upside potential to become one at this point.

Plum,

Um, I think I just admitted Guerin was a B player. So you are arguing with yourself I guess.

As for Gomez magically becoming an A+ producer with Rags. It's possible. Playing with Jagr makes anyone good. Just look at Straka (who sucks everytime he is on a team different from Jagr). But we will see. Until I see your degree from the aforementioned Ms. Cleo School, I guess we will have to let it play out.

I will say one thing about Gomez even though he doesnt score a lot....he is a good playmaker

Prum;

Why should Islanders fans not be excited over this siging?

For what they are trying to do in building with the kids while keeping the team competitive with vets it makes perfect sense. How does Guerin not make a perfect fit?

Not to mention the perfect captain for a team like that? He's done nothing but mentor kids these last 8 years while putting up numbers. Even people in Boston credit this guy for mentoring Joe Thornton. Before Guerin came along Thornton was considered a HUGE bust here.

well! Hockeybuzz says that Canucks are interested in Gionta. We should get Gionta. We need a player like him

is gionta even a UFA??

i would like to know how we are getting gionta...1 the devils won't trade him in division if they do even consider trading him in division who are we giving up to land him, it won't be any prospects or picks, and i highly doubt that the devils really want the ice melter satan

Hockeybuss has the Isles rumored in the Oneil sweeps. That would be a huge plus to have on the third line. Also gives us three centers that can pot 20 goals.

Metal Chick:

I'd like to get excited about the possibility of bringing Bryan Berard back, but I just can't. He's played a grand total of 44 games in the last three seasons (including the 04-05 season which was scotched). He had back surgery in the middle of the 05-06 season, and then missed the last 2 months of 06-07 because of...a bad back. So there is a significant risk there.

I don't hold his steroid use against him because he admitted it and apologized, unlike Hill who was rather defiant about it.

At best, I'd sign Berard to a minor-league deal and see how he does in training camp and in Bridgeport for a month or so. Then we can see what we have in him. But to expect that he's a top-six defenceman on this team is a bit much, to me.

What I am gonna be traded to the Devils? YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS I'm comin home boysss!!!!!!

Oneill is a has been.....seems to me like some of my fellow fans want to try and copy the 06 coyotes...

WARNING: Scott Gomez sexual orientation in question.

i never called gomez or drury great. drury is a very good all around player that has a knack for being on good teams. drury was easily the best UFA available. briere was #2. gomez has the potential to be a great player but he's not there yet.

dynasty - i never said who would win because there are always 5 or 6 teams with the ability. i especially have NEVER said the rangers would win the Cup because i don't truly feel that they're not in that group yet. however, you can usually tell who doesn't have any chance. last week this blog was full of posters crying about being garth snow driving the franchise into the ground - now bill guerin and mike comrie give the isles a chance? that's a mighty big step in a week.

I wouldn't slash my wrists if they signed Sourey, but I'd rather them sign somebody who can QB the PP, or clear the crease. Sutton would be a good crease clearer and maybe an excellent partner for Gervais on the second pairing.
Souray would get PP time, but I wouldn't want him to replace Witt or marty ont he top pairing. That just makes him too expensive.
Either way (sutton/souray) the team would be improved. There was a post on here earlier who said that Sutton was weak and a p*ssy. I've watched him play a few times, and I don't agree, but I may have only caught games where he was motivated. You just can't coach SIZE. We don't need him to be a fighter/enforcer, but I don't want to see guys like Avery skating through the crease untouched next year.
Marty-Witt
Sutton-Gervais
Campoli-MAB
PP- Campoli-MAB
PK- Marty-Witt/Gervais

It just makes sense.

I had no idea Oneil was on the 06 Coyotes.

He is the prototypical third line center the Isles need. He can win face offs and play physical. The Isles are week on face offs and centermen in general.

never said guerin wasn't a good signing for what it's worth. i believe my first post today was premised as a reality check on his value. it's just not as big of a deal as it's perceived here. there has just been a tremendous amount of hypocrisy here after reading how the majority of posts bashed all of the signings on July 1 and 2, not just the rangers. now the isles sign a few and it's all about why the isles signings were the only ones that made sense to their team.

and again with gomez, this blog in june was filled with pro-gomez stuff and everyone here wanted him. Now, he's overrated and not worth signing. did everyone think he wasn't coming with a grossly oversized paycheck?

gionta is an RFA for whoever asked.

he wasnt i meant by the structuring of the team....

the isles should go back to the colors they had in the fishstick days, with the teal blue trim and keep the traditional logo. i think they did have that for 1 year and thought it looked good!

Prum - while i would love to have gomez on my team, i dont believe at the length of his contract it is worth it. just over 7 for 7 years, if the nhl goes into a financial funk and the cap goes down (which is def possible) the ragdolls will be in a pretty stinky cap situation.

Yes i do realize that we have had some long contracts and still have DP on the books for 14 more years, but his cap hit is 4.5 and not just over 7

Matt:

Yes, Berard has definitely missed a lot of games. However, he is not permanently disabled because of his back problem.

Martinek has missed a lot of games, too... thats why for as talented as he is, he is making 700K.

I agree that there would be risk there IF we signed Berard with totally unrealistic expectations. Im not suggesting that we do.

As far as the steroid thing goes, Berard never got in any trouble with his NHL tests and thats a good thing. I also agree with you that not taking Hills route on that one was a good thing.

Id sign Berard with the kind of money you would give to any risky player... I certainly did not say that everyone should expect him to pop on over and be a top-six defenceman again. I just think that the risk might be worth it because the guy DOES have natural talent, and far too few people who believe in him right now. Being here where he made a name for himself and rebuilding some confidence in front of a crowd that actually cares about him might be exactly what he needs.

And as far as "g"'s comment goes, Id like to know where he got his inside info about Berard being "stinky"...

Know what would REALLY be funny? If the Rags lost "King Henrik". I think the rags posters are here b/c there's just no buzz over there on their board. It's a typical Ranger series of signings - they buy the best players, and on the ice nothing happens. Give them credit for their run this year - commendable, but still a failure - again.

bear: the isles should go back to the colors they had in the fishstick days, with the teal blue trim and keep the traditional logo. i think they did have that for 1 year and thought it looked good!

*rolls eyes*
The Isles actually had those colors for a few years... it was only the logo that was unwillingly imposed on the team that they got rid of right away.

You really need to try harder the next time you try to make a "joke".

Hilarious how the Rags fans all come out when something good happens over here. And they're scared sh#tless that we'll get Souray. Meanwhile, Henrik and Shanny are in arbitration. A big "what if".

You know what? We'll see what happens on the ice. It's really tough to say how any team will do. On paper, a team can look good and have the wheels come off on the ice. It's happened to the Rangers more times than not in the past few years.

With the Islanders? Well.. we've been "rebuilding" for years now, and it takes a lot of patience and "hope" to be an Islanders fan. And you know what? I like what I see. A great owner, a feisty GM, and one of the best coaches in the league. Who knows what can happen!? I'm looking forward to seeing it all unfold.

MetalChick:

True, he's not permanently disabled (hell, anyone who came back from a STICK IN THE EYE must be virtually indestructible) but he IS damaged goods. And a chronic back problem that surgery didn't fix worries me more than the various broken bones that Marty had.

I do agree with you that Berard is worth a flyer. That being said, I'd rather have McCabe, if we're bringing back 1996 here.

I would say get souray and tanabe......maybe another center....should be a good team if everyone stays healthy

Islanders have been rebuilding for more than 2 decades.

thats it! I will use rebuilding excuse too. Alexi is rebuilding career.

And after buying a cup, the Rangers have been too! ;) (perhaps in denial)

Matt:

I LOOOOOOVE McCabe and I can admit, I dressed in black and cried when we traded him. However, THAT Bryan would (in theory) come back here with a lot more baggage AND money compared to a guy like Berard.

Is he a Nolan-type player? I dont know about that.

But tel you the truth I wouldnt be mad if we did it... at least WE have the cap room!

The Rangers have been rebuilding for 66 out of last 67 years.

Jesus Christ are we going to get somebody or are we going to watch them walk away with a giggle?

giggle hee hee snicker

giggle hee hee snicker

G i agree with you....we have a bit of a foundation here lets build on it.

Maybe I forget to mention that I can be still had on the cheap. this time I not kid, I PROMISE you get your money's worth.

"It was great dealing with Garth. It was a very easy signing."
-Mike Comrie

It sounds like the comments on an eBay transaction. I wonder if they can find a 225lb defenseman tha can make that first pass out of the zone on eBay.

What about Aaron Miller; the Kings haven't signed him yet, he's unrestricted, and in my oppinion he's just as good as Poti. Yeah he's older, but he's the best defensive defenseman available right now, and we need another solid defensive defenseman to have a shot at getting past the first round this year. Souray is a player like Owens in football, he causes more problems than he's worth. He's definately not a Ted Nolan type player.

Hey Alex,

Players who were bought out cannot be resigned by that team. I'm not sure if you got the memo, but we payed $17 million for you to go away. I think that was a reasonable offer. Please abide by your end of the agreement and disappear.

MetalChick:

All that for Caber? What did you do when they sent Fichaud to Edmonton?

The cap room! I love str-eeee-tching out under my salary cap. Kind of tight over there in the Garden, eh?!? Where I come from, they call that ten pounds of sh*t in an eight-pound bag.

Reality:

The Ranger$' one non-"rebuilding" season was more like "buying the prebuilt house from Edmonton".

Actually, they weren't rebuilding at all in ANY of these seasons, which makes it all the more satisfying.

Anon 4:28--

That was the funniest comment I've read in months on this blog.

All Comrie left out was the "A++++++++++++!!!!!".

Fedotenko (and his wife, I think her name is Debbie) were responsible for the mandatory "This is a first-class organization" comment.

JUST GIVE THE GUY 5.5 FOR 3.....we will still have plenty left over under the cap for another solid d man, enforcer, and 2 more scorers

sketchy

what about disguise? shave head an I am butch goring? wear toupe and it's Billy Smith,a beard and I'm playoff Gillies, how about I never throw a body check and I'm Alexi Yashin...no wait that will not do

Hey Candyman:

I found a video of you and Potvin Rules doing your pre-game jig. Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAO5EvkghOc

LMAO. Ouch! Too much Candy!

Looks more like Henrick and Gary to me.

Holy Bejesus Candy! I didn't know you were on Freekin Broadway! You really got the moves there Sugar! Let me ask you. Is that Sparky the Dragon's cousin in the video?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QYmtASw5u8

Isles salespeople are telling potential buyers the team is going to sign berard AND mccabe. First, I don't think guaranteeing signings is morally right? What if I bought a ticket based on this information and these players weren't signed. It's like guaranteeing stock market predictions - brokers can't do it. It's illegal. Second, I'm not hearing that these sales guys are mentioning Souray. I want Souray. I can care less about rebounds and uneven rushes. Isn't that why we have DP signed to 15 years?

Know what i love most? A ranger fan just wrote "Potvin Rules". Dennis would be pleased.

MW... if you believe everything you hear - especially from sales people - then I've got a broken down building right above penn station to sell you (cheap).

From Hockey Buzz...

"Hey Ek.. something has to be up with an isles trade.. b/c ppl today who’ve called the ticket reps, even the tickets reps know of some sort of big trade that is being worked on.. they didn’t say fa signing, they specifically told fans that some sort of trade is going on, so if they know about it, something is surely gonna happen.."

i understand that, but they're not selling used cars out of uniondale. these are hockey tickets. And Wang has his own business morals issues to take care of. I just think the salespeople should cool it with the guarantees.

Yo Potvin.

Sorry, did I type Potvin Rules. My Bad. I should have wrote...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4AhKlpfdOU

You guys are too easy.

Hey Candy. Is that...why yes..it is! It's freekin Aaron Asham taking advantage of Quackerjack! That SOB! He could easily beat, what, 90% of all opponents. Wang should pay him a little more money so he doesn't have to do this in his spare time!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmSFHQEinY8

Funny... I can't click on the links from Ouch (work/firewall issues), but I'm sure enjoying him (her?) post that Potvin Rules. Glad to see you've come over to the good side, Ouch. You're learning. See? Baboons CAN learn!

Matt: "All that for Caber? What did you do when they sent Fichaud to Edmonton?"

Ill tell ya- sure I missed his shirless post-game interviews, but I wasnt THAT upset to see his perpetually-dehydrated (albeit gorgeous) bod off the Island.

McCabe I really, REALLY missed.

Matt: "The cap room! I love str-eeee-tching out under my salary cap. Kind of tight over there in the Garden, eh?!? Where I come from, they call that ten pounds of sh*t in an eight-pound bag."

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!

Matt: "Actually, they (The Rangers) weren't rebuilding at all in ANY of these seasons, which makes it all the more satisfying."

But, but, they had guys like Kasper! and Jagr! And Shannahan! How much fresh young talent does one team NEED???
:D

MW: "I'm not hearing that these sales guys are mentioning Souray. I want Souray. I can care less about rebounds and uneven rushes. Isn't that why we have DP signed to 15 years?"

Do you REALLY think THAT is the way to make this team more successful??????

By THAT, meaning 20+ goals in leiu of a handfull of extra shorthanded goals against per season, plus some star power to put some more fannies in the seats? YES! we've commmitted to DP. So let's really commit. Ratchet up our offense and see what he can do between the pipes

"a handful of extra shorthanded goals against"

we know what that "handful" is.... 28 of em.

it seems fairly obvious, but in order to get those 26 goals last season, souray sacrificed defense entirely, being on the ice for two more goals against than he tallied for the team. now i am not sure how plus/minus works for sure, but am i correct when i ask if that means that he would have been - 54 had he not scored himself? so if he has an off season in scoring, only producing 15 or so and had the same defensive lapses.... he could possibly come in at a whopping - 40+?

as good as DP might or might not be, the last thing you need is a defenseman that wishes they were a forward and put your 5 on 5 with four offense and one defense.

no, because PP stats dont count towards +/-

but not all of the goals were pp.... only 19 of them... there were 9 even strength as well. so pp dont count, but even strength goals against DO count against the +/-.... so he really was MORE than -28.... so basically, 5 on 5, he would have been - 37 if he himself hadnt scored?

i wonder how many shorthanded goals he was on the ice for....

that's just flawed logic, and (as you conceded) a flawed understanding of +/-which is only used for even-strength.

But he DID score! You can't not count it.

You think he's going to come here, get the bulk of ice time during pp's and not score? come on.

My thoughts on Souray ...I realize no one asked for them ...but still ;-) ...

I hope the Isles do get him because anyone who's watched any Islander games in the recent past saw a team that was able to generate PP opportunities but often was unable to cash in ...in the new NHL being able to score on the PP is a must. Personally I like the thought of having MAB and Souray (whether on the same unit or not) blasting shots from the point with guys like Guerin, Hunter and Sillinger in front of the net.

I do understand the need for the Isles to get a "banger" on the blueline ...not that kind you sinners! But I also don't like Campoli on this team. He's too weak playing the body and gets hit off the puck too often which also generates turnovers.

One thing that I had mentioned in an earlier post on the subject that should be repeated is that how many times did we see the Isles "D" run around in their own end? How many times did the Isles forwards fail to clear the zone? Some of you are probably thinking "yeah, which is why we need bigger hard-hitting D-men" but I think it points to the bigger problem - the Isles inability to keep the puck in their own offensive zone ...you know the old saying - sometimes the best defense is a good offense ;-)

Just a thought ...I am curious as to what they're going to do ...either way I'm sure it'll be interesting ;-) ...if they don't sign Souray and so sign a more defensive minded person please don't be upset at the amount of games lost due to the PP failures

flawed? a defenseman that is - 28 even strength.... and if you read any of the habs posts on some of the other rumor sites, he was responsible for most of them.. now THATS flawed.

which is why he is still available for bottom-feeding.

And he scored SIX game-winning goals.

pair him up with a mobile stay at home defenseman and believe in DP. sourays upside is greater than his downside. i mean, if it came down to the final game of the season in the final 2 min and we get a powerplay, souray would be the guy i would want to have the puck. i like bergeron, but it seems like hes always breaking his stick or missing the goal, but idk im no expert

I just looked this up ...and I realize that this doesn't make up for the -28 he has but I think it was worth noting ...

On the PP the Isles gave up 12 SHG ...the Canadians gave up 9 ...

And I realize that many of the concerns are regarding 5 on 5 ...but it was interesting that the Isles gave up more SHG than the Canadians

CBS Sportsline Radio in NY said today that Sheldon Souray is currently deciding whether he will take a pay cut to play with the Rangers (believed to be working on a 1-2 year deal) or whether to take a rumored 5-6 year deal with Devils that would make him one of the higher paid d-men in the NHL.

Souray is being heavily recruited by his good friend Scott Gomez (now of the Rangers) and also Devils goaltender Martin brodeur (who is also a business partner with Souray in a Montreal Pizza parlor).

CBS believes by the end of this week Souray will be announcing he has dealt with the Devil and will be part of the Jersey blueline for years to come.

ALSO

According to WFAN radio in New York some in the NHL believe the New York Rangers will sign Sheldon Souray. One NHL general manager (anonymous) has stated that the Rangers are shopping marik malek and paul mara around the league in order to free up cap space in order to give lundqvist 5 million a year and souray around 5 million a year. Souray also looks less likely now then he did last week to accept below market value to come to the big apple. The Devils have also offered what is bvelieved to be 6 years at 5-6 million per year.

this same general manager also has said that the Rangers look more than willing to let Shanahn, Avery, and Marcel Hossa walk away (Rangers have until August 4th to walk from avery and hossa's arbitration hearings)

blake

-the whole montreal team was bad 5-on-5. they had 5 guys who were -19 or worse. souray, koivu, ryder, kovalev, and latendresse. those are some pretty good hockey players right there. sometimes it's not all about just one player. and looking at that teams stats from last year, sometimes maybe the goaltending isn't that great either. btw, souray's 19 ppg were also accompanied by 29 pp assists.

My last note. With MAB's shot we won't need Souray to score 26 goals. His 2005-06 numbers are still star-quality and would suit the team just fine.

And we should take advantage of the -28, which would probably never be repeated, and get Souray at a huge discount:

I really doubt the Rags will let Avery walk away

Don't want to change topics, but finally got a look @ those pics from the media event today. Garth Snow is a MONSTER compared to the new guys! I always knew he was a big guy, but seeing these guys in street clothes is just something else. Snowy- keep em coming! I'd like to see Sourey on this team. His -28 was only for this year, with a streaky goaltender, and a defensive corp that wasn't stellar. His past +/- are much more telling.

I remember watching a NYI/Mon. game this year when their PP was ranked #1, and the guys were chatting about how dangerous they were. Almost on cue, Witt went to the box, and Sourey bombed one home. I'd like to see other teams for once be scared of our PP- I can imagine they'd have a slightly different game plan, no?

I guess, according to those sources it doesn't look like the Isles will be signing Souray, but Terry is right about the +/- stat ...in general it's a very telling stat, but look at the whole team and you'll get a better idea of who's to blame ...I mean think about it ...a player could give the puck up to the other team and another player could steal the puck back and weave his way through the "D" and score ...everyone on the ice - including the guy who originally gave it up - gets a "+" ...or a guy could just hop over the boards when a goal is being scored and his +/- is affected. I'm not saying that it doesn't show a trend, but something to think about

I wouldn't want to pay Souray $30 - $40 million, though.

Let the Devs have him.

Speaking of the pics on the isles website...clicking on Isles Mini-Camp III pops up a picture of Steve Webb & Teddy Nolan. Forgive my ignorance, but Webby is still around?? Why isn't he playing? :) He looks in pretty good shape, and apparently he's in with Nolan, so lets get the banger out there! Lets see "steve" avery talk trash to him!

Agreed ...I mean I do want him on the team, but not for that price over that many years ...if that's accurate then enjoy NJ

i am actually going more on what ive read on other rumor/hockey post sites from habs fans.... most of what i have read has been about being happy to be getting rid of the guy and they keep talking about his uncanny ability to cough up the puck or get caught behind the odd man rush.... from what they are saying, he was a big hole in their defense and responsible for a lot of the goals against personally, not as one of many to blame.

Steve Webb is the Director of Grassroots Hockey, which I believe translates into Peewee King.

Question that is totally off the topic of Souray:

If the Nets succeed in getting their arena built and moving to Brooklyn, what would you guys think of the Islanders playing 5 home games there per year? I ask because I think it would be incredibly cool, just the concept of the Isles playing a few games in Brooklyn and also marketing-wise it would be great. It has always struck me as foolish of the Isles to concede Brooklyn and Queens to the bad guys.

We have more cap room than any team in the league at this point. Whether you like the Guerin/comrie moves or not - we are still far from an improved roster from game 5 in Buffalo - i find it hard to believe that there is one Isles fan who can argue that. That being said we need a big time defenseman and another above average. The only way i will be content with not getting Souray is if we get an all-star D-man instead. Lets not let the Isles dog and pony show hide the fact that we were an 8th place team last year and as of now our roster has taken steps backwards

Wow interesting idea KH. Some thoughts:

-Not sure how much a NJ team would like a NY team to play in their stadium, despite the franchises competing in different sports. It may not seem like a big deal, but as of now, the Nets play in the same stadium as the Devs- thats a big change..

-It would certainly put pressure on the powers that be on LI (read: suck the life out of NVMC) to get their act together if they want to keep them.

-Would they still be called the islanders if they ended up moving there for good? I'm kidding about this one, but I think being a Long Islander Islander fan is what gives us all a great sense of pride...its hard to replicate elsewhere in a short period of time unless there is immediate success (see: Nashville, Columbus, Phoenix).

-Would the games in brooklyn/queens help sway casual fans, who may be going to games b/c their friends got corporate tickets (Rags), and because its convenient to get there (Rags)? I'm assuming this would be the main impetus for holding games there. But I think not- these are the typical bandwagon fans that fill MSG but really dont know the first thing about hockey. It would be a hard sell to then convince them after attending a few games in B/Q to then start making the trip to fill the seats at the barn...

KH - I've been advocating a full Isles move to Brooklyn or Queens for year if Nassau keeps thwarting efforts for a new arena.

From waht I've heard though the arena in Brooklyn is being designed fpr basketball only, so to make the revisions necessary to accommodate hockey they'd require more than a few guest appearances.

There is a good-size fanbase in Queens and even Brooklyn (i've learned this quite recently, as I've started working in the city). Five games at Barclays Arena would be really cool, and accessible via the LIRR. I'm always scared of the Isles moving. But if they did move, permanantly, Brooklyn would be accessible. And the borough is on Long Island and has a rich maritime history so the Islanders name (and the storied history with it) would suit the team just fine. That all said, I'm really rooting for the refurbished arena in Uniondale (obviously)!

Shame on the Nassau County leadership for moving so so so slowly on the project.

Look out for the Comrie, Guerin and who first line? How can you beleive that Comrie is a first line center? Now Guerin is your captain, amazing, a 36 yr old who has never been a leader on any team. Good luck! On this board I have seen the comments on what a leader Guerin is, where is the history for this? Where was he a leader? No where that's where. There is no history of Guerin being any kind of leader, doesn't mean he is not, yet there is no history to determine he is. The ISLES are a very shaky club, and now they will do anything to prove nothing. This is a team headed for the bottom, maybe a concussion prone goalie is the answer, GOOD LUCK!

He's a veteran, an all-star and a Stanley Cup winner. If I'm a biz owner reviewing resumes, I'm picking him as my manager.

That's right MSG, Jagr and Yashin are the real LEADERS.

I would forget about Souray and go after a guy like Sutton or Vannanen. I don't think getting Scatchard back would be a bad move either. He is a Nolan type player who would probably do well. Jeff O'Neill is a lazy player. He shows up when he wants to and would be too expensive.

Where is Forsberg?

This trade talk is really starting to piss me off. Who the hell are they possibly going after? McCabe stated on some radio show he just bought a house and his wife's family go to Fla. in the winter. I wouldn't want him to tell you the truth. JovoCop is out. There's still talk about Patrick Marleau, but we don't have the assets to obtain him. I'm kinda getting the idea that they're building this up and we're going to be dissappionted when we get like Kasperitis back from the Rags or something. I think the isles need to address finding a solid D-man and solid off-D-man as well as another scoring foward/center and enforcer. I'm not sure if Simon/Asham are coming back. It seems that they might be peace. They also have to sign Campoli and Hunter, so alot is yet to be determined

Ccast! Like Snow would say....BE PATIENT

come on, man, lighten up.

trade talk is fun.

maybe we should all just sit back and keep our thoughts to ourselves until opening day, then?

hey! maybe GOrdie Howe would come out of retirement and join us after all! We can win the championship with our eyes closed!

anyone care to cuddle? Zipay and I are looking for a partner....

I just don't like management using it as a ploy for people to renew their season tickets. I don't mind speculating on possible deals, but false hope shouldn't be implemented for the sake of selling a few more packages.

All I'm saying is that I hope this trade talk does equate to a valuable acquisition and not a fluff one. That being said I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of the squad to Moncton and seeing how this guys mesh together.

these

"we are still far from an improved roster from game 5 in Buffalo - i find it hard to believe that there is one Isles fan who can argue that."

Theres no way you can say that. You have no idea how the new Islanders are gonna perform. Call me crazy but i think Sim could score 20-25 goals this year. Same goes for Fedetenko. Comrie can really come into his own since hes the #1 center and not #3 in Ottawa. Comrie is only 26, he could probably get 75-80 points this year. If Comrie and Guerin gel together nicely, and Bergie and Tambellini play as well as they are talked about. We can be even better than last years team. Yea we need a big defensemen, but i trust Garth in making the right moves. According to hockeybuzz a trade could be comin very soon.

The islanders are getting new jerseys? I know they were being redesigned league wide but I didn't know we were getting a uni overhaul. I dont care if they mess with shades of blue, orange, maybe a little red but KEEP THE CREST! no fisherman, lighthouses, malls(just kidding) the meadowbrook, etc. KEEP THE CREST! does anyone know what they will look like?

mikey,
dont get me wrong there is nothing i want more than to have an improved roster but your points are not very strong when each one starts with CAN or COULD or IF. Im not trying to be argumentative but none of those things have happened yet. Smyth HAS scored 35 goals Blake HAS scored 40. Poti DID lead the team in assists and PP Points. Kozlov DID score 25 - Sim hasnt neither had Tank. A trade COULD be coming soon but as any sports fan knows rumors are only rumors and 80% of them dont come true or disappoint. As an Islander fan u know what disappointment feels like. Its been since 1993 since we won a playoff series and our division is stacked. We have not improved our roster...yet(souray)

ISLANDERS ARE GETTING NEW UNIFORMS- go to:

www.leaguelineup.com/nyislanders

Go to the Message Board

The Islanders should keep the same logo and colors ...it would be so stupid for them to change anything ...didn't they learn anything from the whole fish stick fiasco?

Count Vishnevski out...NJ-bound for 3 years.

Brooklyn is too far from Suffolk county, and too close to Manhattan. They cannot move there, even if it IS part of the Island. Nassau county is the only logical spot. It has to work.

http://boards.nashvillepredators.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=6388 new uniform?

Don't like those Unis at all. That better be a joke. It would be a real shame if the changed them to that.

They look soooo stupid ...I will never EVER buy one of those ...keep them the way they are ...it's a classic jersey and should be kept that way

Don't these market and sales people understand that when it comes to Unis to just keep em simple? I mean that's just pathetic. I would hope noone would waste their hard earn $$$ on that crap.

I'm with you AZS... I'm definitely going to buy one no matter what they look like... but man will I look stupid in that. Take it back to the original jerseys... like they wore that one game.... seriously... those unis were too hot!

That new unis thing is a hoax... why is there a Yashin jersey with a "C" on it? Unless the unis were made up and the photo taken before the Yashin buyout, this makes no sense. To me, this suggests an older photo.

Also, there's a framed Bob Bourne night jersey in the lower right corner, still in plastic. Again, points to an older photo. Maybe something the NYI were considering and dropped?

the new uniform shouldnt be a surprise to anyone.... they already announced after the olympics that they were switching to this style of jersey this season... its some revolutionary new material and all that jazz and the players tested during the olympics... and the players pretty much agreed for the most part that they were better and easier to play in once you got used to them.... so the league decided to adopt them for the upcoming season.

and yes, all reports on the new sweaters state that they are very different from the old jerseys in the sense that they were much slimmer fitting and body hugging and that plenty of the fans wont like trying to cram their beer guts into them!

here is the link... they also used them at the all-star game.

http://en.rbkhockey.com/news/read.php?pr_id=254

and

http://www.rbkedgeuniform.com/

they said that a lot of the uniforms would have changes for the shoulders and large horizontal or vertical stripes would probably suffer.

Is it possible that photo was a prototype and it has since been changed and made less busy and silly-looking?

I could just be naive about this and, as a technology guy, too much of a believer in technology. However, does Reebok have any business winning a uniform contract from the NHL if they've produced a fabric that can't handle horizontal stripes? Am I just being too simple-minded on that?

Also, while I will probably also buy a new jersey regardless, I really hope those aren't it. They're flat-out hideous and way too busy. Do we think teams like the Red Wings and yes, even the Rags, will go that far off the deep end with these new unis? For the love of God, just keep it simple and elegant, like we have now. There's no reason for radical alterations of what we currently have. I hope these are a hoax, I really do. The organization needs to step in and set the record straight before the rumor mill completely takes over.

I have a friend who works for NBC Sports, so therefore, was at the ceremony for Guerin and the other 3 FA signings...he got to speak to Snow, and many scouts, and this is what he found out, and it is seriously all true:
- Islanders offered Drury 7 years, $70 million and the captaincy, and he turned them down
- A trade bringing Leafs' defenseman Bryan McCabe to LI is very likely
- Sheldon Souray is also very likely headed to the Isles

So, Drury spurned the Isles, but we could potentially be adding McCabe AND Souray to our blue-line...that would be unbelievable.

I'm with nyisles82. Get Steve Webb back in a uniform, preferably with his old No. 20! How can you not miss that guy? The Coliseum actually had an atmosphere when he was on the ice rolling over unsuspecting all-star opponents. Sign him to the league minimum and let him play. This team has been missing a pest since before the lockout! BRING BACK WEBB!

No Garth, DO NOT re-sign Chris Simon! DO NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The majority of your fans don't want him back.

Joe, with all due respect, I find each item hard to believe. Hard to believe Drury turned down an Islander contract offer that was TWICE what the Rangers offered ($70M vs $35M). I can believe he was more interested in the Rangers, but I don't believe he turned down a $35M larger contract.

Nor does acquiring McCabe make much sense for the Isles at this point, nor do any other sources seem to think Souray is likely to end up here.

i am a sports producer/reporter that was at the press conference today and sorry Joe but none of those items were said. I interviewed all the fa's and Garth. When i specifically asked Garth about the need for a dman he said "i will consider anyone who can help make this team better" he said no names and did not reference a trade

u ass

I've decided that signing Souray for 1-3 years at under $5.5mil would be a good move, for two reasons outside of his actual production and defensive weaknesses:

- Development of Marc-Andre Bergeron.

I'm not sure whether the team has really committed to MAB the way they have to Tambellini, Gervais et al. If they have, there's no better mentor than the most offensive defenseman in the league (and a fellow Frenchie). If all Souray taught Bergeron was how to keep from breaking his stick on every other shot, it'd be worth it.

- Trade bait at the deadline.

Who wouldn't want to add Souray at the deadline to tool up for a deep postseason run? If the season's really in the crapper from all the losses this summer, then it'd be nice to be able to pick up some prospects/picks at the deadline.

There is NOOO way Garth offered Drury 7 x $10M with the 'C' .. that is ridiculous. Because at the time Drury signed with the Rags Garth still intended to have Smyth as the 'C' and his offer for his services was still on the table. Not to mention Garth still thought at that time that he actually had the inside track at that time with Smyth. The chronology of time of the offer, $$$ and length of contract doesn't jive with reality.

Looks like Simon will be back with the Isles. Reports are that he will be resigned in just a few days.

Mr. Nolan, for the love of everything holy, please don't put him on the top line again!

I'd rather have Asham than Simon, and I think they are mutually exclusive with Sim on the roster.
Simon was definitely a plus on last year's roster until the incident. I'm not so sure they need him this year, but he would add affordable size to the fourth line... and YES, an occaisional porch filler on the power play.
My assumption is that Asham is damaged goods, and his hand has not healed properly. This may be a necessary exile as was Scatchard. As good as he was for a few years as an Islander, they made the right move at the right time to let him walk.

Patience and faith!

Looks like Simon is coming back...doesnt make me too angry as long as he fights a little bit more this season..i dont care what anyone says every team in the NHL needs a heavyweight fighter...Id prefer the islanders got Godard back....atleast the first Islander Ranger game will be fun to watch as u have to expect Simon to fight Orr or Hollweg. We need Asham back too.

The only reason possible for keeping Simon and not Asham is because he is Nolan's boy. Plain and simple.

Asham is a much better player, better skater, harder hitter, and better fighter. They need 2 or 3 guys on the team like him.

If they lose Asham, I will be extremely disappointed.

I for one would love Simon back. It is not his fault he was played to much on higher lines. He is a good enforcer and can score as well. Asham when healthy is great to have. He has a suprising slap shot and can police the annoying middle weight pests without fear of retaliation.

I e mail NVMC and the Isles all the time and abuse the people who actually e mail me back :) :). One of them is actually very funny and fires back at me. I get the same sales pitch when I asked about ticket plans. I think it is TRUE that a trade is brewing. We shall see.

Rangers fans you have got to stop putting Guerin and Comrie down. You look very foolish. Same goes for anyone putting Drury and Gomez down. What Isles fans can put down in my opinion is the price you paid and the years. They are proven winners though so we shall see. I am a believer that if a player brings you a cup or championship(other sports) in the beginning of a long contract, then he was worth it. How about we watch some games before casting judgement.

WANG CHUNG TONIGHT!

Steady:

Neither Drury or Gomez are "proven winners" in the sense that Derek Jeter or Wayne Gretzky or Tim Duncan or Bill Belichick are proven winners, and I'm pretty tired of hearing how they are all of a sudden hockey gods because the Ranger$ signed them.

Drury has led one team to a championship and that was the 1989 Trumbull Little League team. True, he won a Cup with the Nordiques in 2000, and had a solid season and playoffs with the team. But on a team with Sakic, Roy and Forsberg, who was really leading that team? Probably not Drury.

So where else is he a proven winner? I can't denigrate his play but a lot of players have a Stanley Cup ring, including Guerin and Fedotenko. Why aren't we calling those guys "proven winners?"

Mikey:

Don't count on Hollweg fighting Simon. He knows he'd get crushed.

The Candyman is back...

Matt, I agree, the back&forth between Guerin/Comrie and Drury/Gomez is a waste of time. I'm not sure why Isles fans continue to entertain this debate.

Drury was in fact offered much more money and the captaincy by the Isles...Isles3914, no one told you anything b/c you work for the press...it was meant to be kept dl...

Jerseys...the current jerseys are sorta plain...I loved the old school jerseys the Isles opened the season with last year...very sweet

We got the cap room. Bring back McCabe. Hmmmmmmmm, McCabe or Campoli. Geee. Tough choice.

Steady,

Amen. I agree with you about Guerin/Comrie/Drury/ Gomez. Anything can happen. Either it clicks or it don't. In my opinion, Boston got the better half of the trade between Espo/Vadnais & Park/Ratelle. Neither team won the cup with those guys, but I felt the Bruins definitely had the better team with Brad Park alone. Check out this link:

If your old enough to remember Mario Lemiux's first year in the league, he had a linemate named Warren Young. The guys scored 40 goals in his rookie season (actually first full season. He left to go to the Red Wings, and not having someone like Mario around, was out of hockey in 2 years. If Guerin/Comrie/Fedetenko
"click" you never know. Gomez and Drury are going to have a tougher time under the NYC spotlight.

I missed including the link. Here it is:

http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=14740

Warren Young

Candyman:

I think the debate continues because when Drury and Gomez were signed 7/1, here came all the Rag$ fans to lord it over us for 4 days. Then the Isles signed Guerin and Comrie, and comparisons were inevitable. I don't have a problem with that, that's hockey talk, always nice in the summer.

I liked those '72 throwbacks the team wore against the Sabres in late January but I don't think I could deal with them for an entire season because of the big orange numbers. Back in '72 the numbers were smaller and likely easier on the eyes. I like the ones we have now, except I would change the blue back to the lighter shade it was in the 80s.

Those jerseys that were "leaked", linked upthread, aren't the new jerseys. Yashin's number on them is a dead giveaway. I think they are production prototypes. The reaction to the thankfully-dead "third" Great Pumpkin jerseys, I think, precludes the heavy use of orange in future.

I am probably alone in saying this, but I'd love the Islanders to play one more game in the fisherman sweaters, just for fun.

Matt,

How 'bout having that one game at MSG with the fisherman unis?

i think it would be a nice addition to the PP. It also shows the continued additions and them wanting to win. Id rather them sign someone then trade away one of our your def. Please dont trade campolli or gervais.

Hey Greg Logan, any word on the looming trade?

McCabe...?! And his LI wife? He still lives here, fer Chrissake...

Sid the Kid signed an extension for 5 years at $45M! Good move by the Pens so they don't fall into the same trap with Vanek and Buffalo.

Devils signed Vishnevski which may mean Souray may be going somewhere else.

Souray...no way. Yes, we need a front line d-man, D-MAN. Souray is fine offensive defenseman, but we need a rock, the only thing rock about Souray is his skates. We already have Bergeron for fire power from the point. The free agent market is not going to bear the d-man we need so a trade will be how it's done. More than likely it will be Campoli going with picks or prospects to a team with cap issues. Say, that reminds me, the Rangers only have 9 mil to sign Lunqvuist, Shanahan, and Avery. Hmmm, as much as we may hate him now, how good would Avery,Asham and Bergenheim look as a 3rd line!!!

Rumors are that the Rangers are shopping Paul Mara and/or Marek Malik to free up cap space. Lunquist will probably get $5M/yr for 5 yrs, maybe less, and the rest is guess work. Keep Avery, forget about Souray and Shanahan, or sign Avery (to about $3M depending on arbitration)and figure out how to get Shanahan signed. I can't see how they sign Shanahan for less than what he got last year, $4M.

Shanny will take a pay cut, just because he's a swell guy.

I'm not so sure. He did say that he wants to play for the Rangers, but you saw what they did with Brian Leetch. They called him on the phone and said "See Ya Later"! Shanny's family lives somewhere near Toronto, so I wouldn't be shocked if the Leafs get him if teh Rangers are hamstrung over money/cap issues.

Shanahan is probably gonna stay with the rangers.....i dont know about avery and lundquivst though....all of my friends are ranger fans and they seem to think that they would never leave NY....but i think if that was the case, they would have signed already....What do you guys think?

also why havent we signed souray yet.....we have plenty of cap room!

Barnaby is a free agent and Nolan's boy . Don't be surprised to see him take Asham's spot.

according to spector shanahan has signed a contract with the rags for 2.5 mil for the season with incentives for another 1.5-2.5 in bonuses, which dont count against the cap.

also reports that snow claims chris simon will be back in a isles uniform "soon."

Shoot the Puck Barry:

It's not like the Ranger$ Liberty head/NYR jerseys are the most attractive uniform in sport, ya know. At worst, Lady Liberty and the Gorton's fisherman are a wash.

As long as we're on the topic, what's with the "NYR" anyway? There's ample room for "RANGERS" to be spelled out below.

Ah well. Since the corporate suits at RBK have done away with third jerseys, we'll be spared them all.

And yes, I LOVE fish sticks.

Shoot puck barry,

Sorry Matt set himself up there. I would much rather have the symbol of our country as a logo over the character of a frozen fish sticks company. Speaking for Isles fans everywhere, PLEASE NEVER BRING BACK THE FISHERMAN JERSEY. Fish sticks are great though. No tartar sauce, only sugar.

Jerseys arent going to help us win any games.....lets sign some players and then worry about the uniform!

Candyman:

Speaking as a Canadian, you can probably discount my opinions on the Statue of Liberty. But at this point, the French should probably be asking for it back anyway.

Also, the statue is actually in New Jersey. At least there are harpoon-wielding baymen still around on the Island (although, sadly, they are fading fast).

I hated the fisherman then, but I support bringing him back...on a one-off basis...for nostalgia's sake. I'm OK with being the only one who wants this.

Hideous uniforms didn't stop the San Diego Padres from wearing their mustardy brown jerseys this year...one must revel in the ugliness of such togs, lest they be forgotten in the annals of history.

Former Disgruntled Isles Fan:

Before the players take the ice they must be dressed in something, no? So the uniform's kind of important. And until I hear about our new defenceman, there's not much else to discuss.

LET'S GO ISLANDERS!

Simon is a great player for the $$ he earns...He has skill, is a leader, and is a dangerous fighter. Asham is hit and miss, but, in no way, shape or form is he the intimidator Chris Simon is. Godard? C'mon...beyond fists he's useless---Chris is a very solid 3rd/4th liner. Yes, the stick incident hurt us....but, he's a team guy. Cut him a break.

just sign souray already!!!

I agree PP

Id rather tambellini and bergie get the minutes chris simon will get and just have godard on the bench ready when we need him

Whatever team the Isles put on the ice (and whatever they will be wearing), we'll get to see some fun interconference games this year.

The Islanders will be at Edmonton, at Calgary, at Vancouver (hopefully not all in one road trip at the beginning of the season like last year), at Colorado and at Minnesota. Great for the Islander fans to see the Western Canadian arenas. Wonderful fans there.

Coming over to the Island for away games will be Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Jose, Phoenix and Dallas.

Theres a chance that there will be a possibility of the islanders coming close to signing a high profile player anywhere from 1-632 days from now!!! stay tuned....