On the Islanders Beat

I see this kid turning into something special. I have high hopes for him to have a break out season. Visit my blog at:

http://floridaislesfan.blogspot.com/

Sal

Nice job by Snow here, this kid has potential.

Good signing. This kid has a lot of potential.

Potential yes...but what have both Tambellini and Nielson done to receive multi-year contracts? I understand Bergenheim, as I liked the way he played...but I dont think these two have proved anything.

"but what have both Tambellini and Nielson done to receive multi-year contracts? "

They've waited patiently for their chance to really play and showcase what they can offer to this club. They didn't get enough time last year, and since signing free agents to long term deals is currently hard for us to do, why not give these kids the security. Now it's up to them to keep their jobs. They're inexpensive and certainly trade bait if they don't flourish here.

given regular shifts over a long season these guys will do no worse than the higher priced older vet free agents signed in the past. at least these guys exhibit some skill and should develop faster knowing that they won't get yanked after a bad shift or two. now we ned a fighter.

And the YOUTH MOVEMENT CORE is further strengthened. Its a good signing by KING SNOW.

Another building block gets put into place. And another plus in Snow's column.

This year will be a learning year for all involved. The new coach, the young players and even the fans here. This is going to take some time, but finally after so many years, I feel that the direction is up. We may have to bite the bullet for a while but in the long run this is the only direction that makes any sense for this franchise.

Finally, a GM who see's reality for what it is and is willing to follow the only logical course available to a smaller market team.

Garth, you are growing into the job daily............Sir William

I think this is a really good signing. It not only takes the pressure of his shoulders of trying to make it to the NHL, but it also tells him the Islanders want him around long term. If he has a breakout season next year, he could be signed on for three more for ridiculously cheap. This was an excellent signing by Garth Snow and could turn out to be a great deal if he grows to his potential! I really feel Garth Snow is turning a lot of heads with his saavy business moves. We have Bergenheim, Tambellini, Nielsen, and Comeau locked up next season and the grand total of all their contracts is under $3 Million. Talk about smart spending!

hmmm.. locking up 2 roster spots for 2 years is not a bad idea if you're not near the ceiling and don't care about 1mil a year.

just means that if and or when they don't pan out the pressbox will fill because they need to clear waivers (neilsen in about 20 nhl games, i believe) so losing them with little or no compensation won't be an option.
I really like the idea that they can breath easy, however noting wang's willingness to spend and snows abundance of prospects/picks there will be a shadow of ' are they going to make a deal' how close dod they have to be.

snow is being patient, just hope he knows what he's doing. DP will have to hold the fort and really prove his worth. however seeing miller get 6.125 mil a year won't motivate him.

who's going to coach. i settle for q. Ez.

This signing is like Vegetable Lasagna. boring

Yah another buiding block for the future. Yup, 'aojg'sja fogkA ..... Sorry I feel asleep and hit my head on the key board.

Not for nothing, has any of the signings thus far really been considered a PLUS for Snow. I mean the kids are okay, but it is not like Snow had to do anything. He gave a bunch of average kids some nice money. Not sure how that is hard to do ?

Actually the Bergy signing was nice. That one I will give him a plus. The rest, Daffy Duck could of got done.

Steady, when it comes to Snow it's very clear you'll give this guy no credit for making smart moves, but will jump on him at the very sniff of something shady ...

Let me give you a scenerio - and if I'm off then I apologize ...lets say for whatever reason Snow didn't sign Neilson or Tamby and let them walk. Then lets say they sign with another team - for the same contract - not a lot of money (relatively speaking) and they have a nice little rookie season - nothing crazy but clearly show they belong in the NHL and have potential to do some things ....wouldnt you be one of the guys on here yelling at Snow for not signing them and asking how can this bobblehead let them get away and how now we have to watch two more prospects flourish somewhere else?

It's not fair to hate on someone when they do something positive - even if you feel a cartoon duck could have done the same thing - yet kill him when things aren't going to the way you feel they should be ...

Considering he's looking to really have this team rebuild - not just lip service I feel these signings are important ...

AZS: I think Snow is doing a fine job signing these kids that are decent players. I just will not tip my hat to moves that every person in the world would do in his same position. The signings are fine. simply fine.

He is signing avg players that are already in our organization. I have seen NOTHING out of Tamby or Nielson at the NHL level. Maybe they will develop into something, maybe they won't. Worth a shot for short dough. Fine signing.

When one of his draft picks turns out to be a stud, I will tip my hat. When he gets a better coach that will stabilize the organization, I will tip my hat. When he attracts a good free agent to our team and not over pay him, I will tip my hat.

What I do not get is all this....Let's give Snow a recent button on his GM job....That is a crock....NOW - we start evaluating him b/c supposedly he know has all the power ??? Snow said last year that Nolan had the players to WIN NOW !! If that is true why did he not sign those palyers again? Why is he now saying we need to start over? The guy speaks out of both sides of his mouth and I am simply scared we are all being taken for a ride...YET AGAIN!

p.s No one ever answered me if it bothered them that other NHL GM's referred to the Isles as "CIRQUE D'ISLES"...... All of us can argue all we want to pass the summer non hockey months....The truth is the rest of the league LAUGHS at our bobbles......That bothers me. This team has such a rich history and I am so sick of the negative vibes. I want Snow to succeed more than ANYONE !! I just do not see it happening. No way.

Above was me

lol! you guys are hysterical! Frans Nielsen??? This guy is a scrub!!!! It takes a lot of smarts to sign a scrub to a long term deal. Tambellini was actually a 1st rounder and put up huge numbers in the minors, I could see him as a legit prospect. But Frans Nielsen??? Come on guys.

lol! you guys are hysterical! Frans Nielsen??? This guy is a scrub!!!! It takes a lot of smarts to sign a scrub to a long term deal. Tambellini was actually a 1st rounder and put up huge numbers in the minors, I could see him as a legit prospect. But Frans Nielsen??? Come on guys.

it is kind of sad to see all of you whine while i see a great potential in this team and I have a feeling that we will make it into the playoffs

I like your attitude bossytime... I do feel like the playoffs are a stretch, but stranger things have happened. Even if they don't get to the postseason, I expect a way more entertaining bunch than last year... With a healthy DP there's no way they finish in the bottom five again

Steady: you said something along the lines of snow's moves are exactly what any other gm would have done in his position... To me an islanders gm doing what other gms would have done is huge progress...let's hope he keeps doing what other gms would do

Nooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!

http://www2.tbo.com/conte...-get-ok-speak-tortorella/

BREAKING NEWS: THE ISLANDERS HAVE SIGNED BRUNO GERVAIS TO 10 YEAR CONTRACT - 550 Per YEAR

hahahaBrianG...best one yet. I'm just waiting for a long-term deal for Tim Jackman. For the longest time, I've sat by idly and defended the Isles, despite their shenanigans. But these signings of Tambellini and Nielson make little sense to me. I understand a 1-year deal...but Tambellini has looked awful in his stints...AWFUL. The excuse of no ice-time doesnt weigh heavily with me. A good player makes the best out of the ice-time he gets. He hasn't. He looks weak in the corners and not willing to get tough. But sure...a 2 year extension seems like a typical Isles move at this point.

THIS JUST IN ....Brian G and Jon are faggots ...you ladies should stop posting here ...you're clearly not Islander fans ...go suck each other off you bitches ...

None of the above nonsense was me. Nice to know that someone cares tho'.

I wonder if certain people here are so anti Snow because he is doing the job so well. If that happens, well then, what will they have to come here and complain about. If some of the kids have good seasons and the Isles take a step in the right direction then what happens?

Will they actually have to give credit for a job well done?
Will they have to eat crow for being so dead wrong?
Or will they find something else to compain about?

Time will tell.........Sir William

Now whos going to protect all of these guys? Guerin? Comrie? I sure hope Fritz or Rechlicz stay up after camp because we must be one of the smallest, softest teams in the league.

AZS, I happen to be an Isles fan, but am ashamed due to being a fan lumped in with fans like you. If your response is to call people faggots for expressing their opinion...and in my mind, an opinion that is justified after the horrors of watching my own beloved Isles become a laughing-stock...then I dont even want to be a fan if the majority are like you.

I appreciate your classiness though. Truly.

505, you know that wasn't AZT or SW, right? I mean, their comments may be sophomoric at times, or perhaps combative, but derogatory? Not bloody likely. Unless Steady has something to say about SWs "heritage."

I can GUARANTEE I will be the first one on here and say I was wrong if I am about Snow.....Many here have heard me say I was wrong in the past.....Et Tu Brute' ???? DOUBT IT!!!

My observation from just 8" from the glass at yesterday's scrimage ...

Well .. as the headline to the Isles site says .. Joensuu has an outstanding scrimage ... but he wasn't the only player to open eyes.

Hennigar, Trivino, Donovan, Comeau, Katic, Kessel, Okposo, Bailey, DiBennedetto, Rechlicz, Hillen, MacDonald, Gregorie, Towes, Gratchev, Bentivoglio, Spurgeon and Marcinko .... all stood out ... The others did well ... but for some reason these guys from where I was standing seemed very involved in the play.

I'll summarize what I noticed from each player. I'll rate them vs. their peers on a 1-10 scale. I was positioned around the lower right face off circle of Team Trottier's offensive zone. So all this comes from that point of view. Note: There was only incidental contact / light checking allowed, so it is tough to see how they'd due under normal conditions against NHL levels. Keep in mind ... these guys are as young as 17 years old.

B/C of where I was standing .. I got the best view of Team Trott's forwards.. and Team Morrow's defense ... kind of appropriate ... don't ya think?
---------------------------------
Hennigar-C (Team Trotts) ... he seemed to generate the offense produced by Joensuu and Comeau ... he seems to have really good vision .. and was able to open things up by his shifty play getting the puck to Joensuu or Comeau and that line created havoc for Team Morrow's defense when they were entering the zone. I give him a 7 on this day.
------------------------------
Trivino-C (Team Trotts) ... The kid can move more than I expected .... and great passer ... I saw him thread the needle on a few occasions at full speed. Good at face offs.. and had a few good shots at net. I also give him a 7.
----------------------------
Donovan-D (Team Morrow) ... This guy very rarely made a mistake. Played a very sound game ... and even neutralized the Comeau, Hennigar and Joensuu line a lot of the time. He just plays smart ... and can skate ... very good positional. He even scored a smart goal by just wristing one towards the net while the goalie was screened. I will give him an 8 for his day's performance.
----------------------------
Comeau-LW (Team Trotts) ... Electric ... Comeau was all over the place ... he showed speed, grit and finesse ... I think we are going to be happy with his progress. He has great hockey sense ... and makes his passes find the tape of players like Joensuu who gets infront of the net creating havoc for the defense. He stood out almost every shift. I give him a 9.5 for his play.
--------------------------
Katic-D (Team Morrow) ... Here is a guy that seems like he's going to be a pain to other team's skilled players ... he was getting in the passing lanes of opposition rushes forcing passes to the outside. He also was very quick on the transition ... sometimes barely breaking stride to headman the puck to Bailey or Okposo... He also had really good lateral movement in the offensive zone with or without the puck spreading out the opposition's players... I give him a 7.
--------------------------
Kessel-D (Team Morrow) ... He seemed to have have the same skill sets as Katic with a little more size and ummph to him. Hard to tell exactly ... but he stood out a little bit more ... I'll give him a 7.5 a tick above Katic just for that. He also was able to angle Comeau away from scoring lanes on more than one occasion.
-------------------------
Okposo-RW (Team Morrow) ... I really saw him mostly in the defensive zone since during both halves of the scrimage the teams defended the same net. From what I can tell ... he was positioned well in the defensive zone ... and knew when to come down low to help out the defense ... he was exremely quick on the transition with Bailey ... and it seemed when the two of them started the breakout they never became hemmed in by a forecheck ... Okposo had numerous good scoring opportunities ... just couldn't find the back of the net. I give him an 8 on the day.
------------------------
Bailey-C (Team Morrow) ... Definitely a playmaker ... and you can definitely see he makes decisions and executes at high speed .. passes find teammates' sticks ... he set up KO for some great shots ... (I couldn't tell who was in goal for team Trotts ... but who ever he was ... stoned that line a few times) ... He covered his zone well helping out the defense when in the defensive zone .. he doesn't appear to be a liability on defense ... and is able to turn the play up ice quickly when he gets the puck. I guess that is why he was rated as a good two-way forward. I give him an 8.5 on the day.
------------------------
Joensuu- RW (Team Trotts) ... well he's a big boy ... and can move pretty good ... I really couldn't tell if he had great breakout speed because it seemed that Hennigar lead most of the rushes into the zone supported by Comeau ... and Joensuu would get right in there and play the puck in traffic .. he was really hard to knock off the puck. I give Joensuu a 9 for yesterday based on his great nose for the net and shot accuracy ... one of the goals that he scored he ripped top shelf on Mannino from the right face off circle.

I'll give you guys the rest of my observations of the other guys I mentioned later ... I've had a tremendously busy afternoon.

* * * * * *

BTW 505 ... my nephews had their pics taken with the ice girls.

I said to one of them ... 505 is going to be jealous ... and she said ... who is this 505 guy?? I've heard about him ... I said he's the intellectual man of reason on the Newsday blog from 2 time zones away ... and she said .. intellectual huh? I like smart men.

I wish I had that on tape. What I want to know is ... other than a couple of ice girls posing with the I Love 505 sign ... how do they know about you? LOL!!! Did you invite them to the pre-draft extravaganza??

Sure Steady, if Snow doesn't make any progress I'll be the first to say so. Let's see who he hires as a coach. My preferreence is Torts but the rumours are Hartley. I personally don't care for Hartley who never did a damn thing in Atlanta. If Snow hires him because of their friendship then that's a bad move and I'll say so now.

I also hate getting rid of Dubie the way Snow did. I think that Snow let his prejudice for a tall goalie (like him) win out over real results, which Dubie was able to produce. A stupid move that the Isles will live to regret.

It's not all hearts and flowers all the time, but on the whole so far Snow has done a pretty good job. The team is younger and faster than it was last year and that is a good thing..

So, there you go. Now let's hear from you about your vision for the team and what needs to get done to improve. Since you don't like what Snow has done, give us your plan and name the replacemant GM who shoud take his place who could do a better job with what he has to work with.

Anyone can criticize. It's free. Let's hear your workable plan for the future............Sir William

Posted by SIR WILLIAM We may have to bite the bullet for a while but in the long run this is the only direction that makes any sense for this franchise.

Long run? Are you sure there's going to be a long run for this franchise? I'm not. A lot of people aren't. Including the team's ownership and management. Someone wrote the other day that the team is really in a holding pattern and what Snow does now is only important IF the Coliseum deal goes through. That was exactly right. We can hope a few of these kids actually develop into solid players, like this Joensuu kid from Finland is really intriguing, as long as he's not another Oleg Kvasha from Herman Munster University. But all this is meaningless if the plan fails, and Snow will only get a chance to be a real GM if the deal does go through.

Thanks Anon ... I appreciate your .... uhhhh back handed ... uhhh ... compliment?

What I don't understand is... why people take time out of their busy days to belittle a team they really don't care about? Is it some kind of passive agressive unloading?

Well ... it doesn't matter ... my analysis was based on how they did vs. their PEERS ... I mentioned it has no bearing on how they'd do vs. NHL talent... it's an observation ... but thanks for your concern.... and I'm not selling anything.... why? Are ya buying? I'll have a Becks ... thanks.

not that anyone cares but the above blurb about the 'long run' was me.

Continuing what I started earlier ...

Anon you can skip over this....

Reminder ... my ratings are how they performed vs. each other ... not how they are as NHL players ... I would find it hard to do that without them playing against a FULL NHL squad.

DiBennedetto-C (Team Trotts) ... I thought Justin played wing ... but in this scrimmage he was centering.... and seemed to hold his own ... very good moving lateral and setting up a cycle. Passing was definitely impressive ... center a few good passes ... if the receiver was able to finish the play he'd of had a couple of assists... He wasn't the biggest standout ... but he earned himself a respectable 7 in my book.
-------------------------------------
Rechlicz-RW (Team Morrow) ... he was someone I was specifically looking at if he's going to have potential to be an enforcer for the Isles ... he's got the size ... there is no doubt there .... but more importantly ... he was able to skate with everyone ... and even had a few chances.. He probably has stone hands ... but all I want those hands to do is pound some faces ... so he's good there in my book.... obviously no fights here .. so that is what is important ... but based on his potential role and ability to keep up with everyone else and be involved in the play ... I give him a 6 ... we may see him up over the course of the season.
------------------------------------
Hillen-D (Team Morrow) ... Jack has great passing hands ... and along with Kessel and Katic sent Bailey, Okposo, Guthrie and Towes off to the races on a few occasions. He seemed to back up a few times and allow team Trottier's tope line of Hennigar, Joensuu and Comeau too much respect and give them the blue line on the attack .. my only critique of him during a few rushes... I give Jack a 6.5 for the day.
----------------------------------
MacDonald-D (Team Morrow) ... The reason he stood out to me .... well was because I didn't expect much from him ... and I saw him break up lots of great passes from Team Trotts ... and clear rebounds pretty well.. the scrimmage wasn't really much fun for goalies or defensemen since there was very little whistles and the forwards were playing a hi-octane brand of offense.... and since it seemed the Team Morrow was spending more time trying to stop the Trott rushes ... from my perspective they were getting the most work ... and giving up only 4 goals in 60 mins actually wasn't bad considering. MacDonald gets a 6 for the day .. didn't see much of him offensively ... but I liked how he defended the house infront of the goalie.
--------------------------------
Gregorie-LW (Team Morrow) ... he can fly... he'd start down wing on a breakout and if there was no end to the ice ... you'd see him darting to the horizon ... very hard to see how he played in the offensive zone from where I was ... but seeing him breakout and down the ice he was able to evade the forecheck and back checking yet maintain speed.... it wouldn't be fair for me to give him a great grade on what I saw ... but he should have a respectable 6.5.
--------------------------------------
Gratchev-LW (Team Trotts) ... very fast .... another player who can fly and control the puck at full speed.... keeps legs moving and was hard to knock off the puck ... I actually thought he had a sub-par year in juniors but after seeing him during the scrimmage I don't know why. He might of been playing injured or something ... because he had numerous scoring chances that Mannino thwarted... or he just missed the net. I'm going to give him a respectable 7 for the day.
------------------------------------
Bentivoglio-LW (Team Trotts) ... another fast forward for the Islanders ... not just without the puck ... but with the puck ... and I was impressed how even towards the end of the scrimmage after nearly 30 mins of running time (aside from a few short stoppages) he was still chugging down the ice in full flight ... that stood out to me. I give him a 7 for his speed and his competitiveness hi-energy play. He'll definitely be a pain for defenders.... I think the Isles going with speed is really raising the bar for some of the kids ... they are very aware they need to skate well to make the cut.
---------------------------------------
Spurgeon-D (Team Trotts) ... it was difficult from my point of view to see much of Team Trotts' D ... but Spurgeon stood out for his ability to keep the puck in the zone on a few clearing attempts ... he also got his stick in the way of some Bailey centering passes ... he wasn't shy about helping Joensuu or Comeau down low along the boards in the offensive zone ... and really helped keep team Morrow on their heels at times ... this made him stand out to me ... and I give him a 6.5 for his work in the offensive zone and the few plays he broke up while back skating.
-----------------------------------
Finally there is....
Marcinko-F (Team Morrow) .... I almost forgot about this prospect ... and couldn't tell exactly where he was playing ... I think he was centering .... what stood out for me was seeing the name on the back of his jersey and quickly heading down to the far end of the rink ... he had a few good chances scoring ... and looked like he was robbed a few times ... he's another fast skater.
I give him a 7 for the day from what I noticed about him.
* * * * * *
This is the first prospect mini-camp I ever attended ... so admittedly I don't have anything to compare with .... at the camp they handed out the lineups with player numbers and some vitals ... I just wrote a quick note or two about certain players when something stood out to me ... those are the players above ... For the most part I was engrossed in the action ... and a lot of the other players made some great plays and showed some ability also ... I just wasn't always able to get the number of the player that did it.

What I didn't notice was Towes... I don't even know if he was on the ice ... no word on his status... also ...

Figren injured his wrist at an earlier scrimmage or practice .... nothing serious he said ... yeah ... I talked to him ... great kid ... fluent English .... he said it just needs rest .. no use in really hurting it in a scrimmage ... the kid was always smiling ... he said he's really happy with the Islanders ... loves the team ... loves Long Island ... and can't wait to be a regular after playing in Sweden after this season.

Also a player I was looking forward to see .... Niemi ... I don't think he played .... I saw him during the scrimmage milling around ... gave some kids autographs... I guess they just had to many guys there ... and some got a break .... I'm not sure... maybe he played in the first half and then got a break ... again .. not sure.

Overall ... I came away very encouraged .... the kids look like they are still in HS .... but on the ice ... consumate professionals perfecting their craft.

I'll post some side notes in another post.

On the side .....
**** ONE ****
Wang ~
Mr. Wang walked right by me ... and stopped (think he was looking for someone) ... thinking I knew how he was going to respond I said ... Charles ... I saw you at the table during the draft ... you did a great job .... he looked up at me ... smiled ... half laughed and said ... Oh thank you ... but that was Mr. Snow and Mr. Jankowski ... I was just there in support and Garth was explaining to me.... he smiled and shuffled away.

A guy next to me said ... that was classic ... I think ... I said ... yeah ... I wanted to see if he took credit ... but he threw that disclaimer in there I guess incase this draft bombed.

**** TWO ****
DiPietro~
File this one under pleasant surprises...
DP came out to sign autographs for the kids ... he was there working out ... he looks ripped ... I said to him ... sheeesh ... you look ready to go right now ... no doubt you'll be ready in 6 weeks ... he laughed and said ... ehhhhhh ... still have some work to do .... that is what gets me introuble ... I get back out there before I'm 100% ... I said ... still ... you could get on the ice right now and play ... and he said ... ehhh ... sure ... if you want to see my bosses take a swan dive off the rafters ... and we laughed ... and then DP actually walked away .... with a slight limp ... I said to myself ... guess not .... and then thought of Steady loving the idea of DP going on the ice right then to see if DPs Bosses would do as DP suggested they might. LOL. ;)

**** THREE *****
Trotts .... I got to chat with my idol for about a minute ... I told him he's done a great job prepping the kids so far and we should start seeing some of those results this year .... and Trotts said ... thanks ... he really looks forward to working with the guys again ... he said he's really encouraged by the progress some have made just in this camp and he added that he hopes they take what they learned this week back with them no matter where they go ... he said ... most of it is mental ... the body will follow the way ... they just have to remember.... I told him ... I know ... I went from a 5 goal a year RW ... to a 60 goal a year center in only a few years after he taught me a few things... and mentally conditioned me.... he said ... no kidding?? That's awesome ... I like hearing those success stories ... makes me feel good because I love to teach .... I guess that says it all about Trotts .... he's a teacher .... and I'm hoping these kids are paying attention in class.

**** FOUR ****
Overheard .... A kid said to Kyle Okposo .... "Your the Best KO" .... Kyle responded ... thanks ... but I have a long way to go to be the best ... I'll try hard though ... I've only just started and have a lot of work I'd like to do on my game still.

Now there is a kid that doesn't take things for granted ... he understands being an NHL player is hard work and requires constant improvement .... sure he shattered the kid's image ... lol ... but hey ... he was honest and humble about it.

**** FIVE ****
I get a tape on the shoulder ... turn around ... Garth Snow says ... excuse me ... (he was trying to get by) ... so I step aside and say .... sure ... great job on the draft by the way ... and he said ... thanks ... I'm glad you appreciate it ... and added ... I had lots of help too ... and pointed to Ryan Jankowski by the locker room... and I'm thinking ... wow ... another acknowledgement of credit shared or deflected..... again ... could this be a disclaimer? LOL

Wished I could of spoken to him some more ... but he was headed towards ... our hero ... Greg Logan near the players area.

Oh well ... I figured ... maybe I can bug Greg after .... but I never saw if he never came to the fan area ... Oh well Greg ... you got off easy this time my friend... LOL!

***** SIX *****
The Autograph session at the Islander RV ....

That has to be the coolest set of wheels this side of the International Date Line ...

My nephew ... was cracking up the Islanders (PR) staff ... the kid is a comic ... he had Comeau and KO cracking up ... and then goes over to ... Bailey ... and special guest ... yeah ... the last remining unsigned player ... Bruno Gervais ... and he's getting a kick out of the kids ... I said ... how did they get you to do this ... you're not a prospect ... your established ... and he goes ... I know ... but he said .... he loves this .... he said this is a lot of fun and loves meeting with the fans ... and continued joking with the kids. Great guy Bruno ... and I think he got bigger from last season ... looks like he had to build his whole upper body ... we'll see how that translates this year. I think he was working out with DP earlier.

**** SEVEN ****
ALERT!! Ice girls on the look out for 505.

*******************************
There ... that is my journal from Prospect Camp Day 5 .... Nothing I said will make anyone feel better or worse about our prospects or the Isles front office ... but I know I myself am a bit more encouraged by what I see. You can take it as you want it ... because that is what we pretty much do anyway.

There ... 3 long posts today ... after my relative silence this week. LOL!!

Regarding Frans Nielsen ... what is all the hub-ub about?

For those who think it's a useless signing .... who cares?? .. the guy is barely a scratch on the cap ... and he's a young guy for four years ... he's got plenty of time to develop with the team ... and if he doesn't? Who cares? They send him down and expose him to waivers ... and if he gets picked up ... then what's the loss? If he was that bad ... it isn't a loss ... so relax ... it's a smart gamble... low risk / high reward.

For those excited about the signing ... sure .. it's good to see something positive.... but Nielsen isn't there yet ... the reason why he's only making a tick above half a million is because he is just a spare part right now ... he'll be expendable .. and could become trade bait ... so getting attached to him at this point might lead to future heart break ...

All that being said ... I think the signing is a good depth signing .... doesn't hurt us at all ... especially at that position. Weight, Comrie, Silly, Nielsen with Park able to play center too.

19:32 was not me....

MY plan.....

1) This year we just got to play the cards we were dealt....No choice right.....Go as far as we can with what we have. Play the kids and see what we got...No choice now!

2) Trade Deadline....Get a #1 pick for a helathy Witt...I love the guy, but his body will not hold up when this team is good again......Make SURE you get at least a #1 !!! IF any other vets are having big years, get what you can for them as well.....

3) If Snow is our guy.....Make sure he hires the right Coach....HIS COACH .....Wang should have NOTHING TO DO WITH IT....Send him an e mail of who you choose. I would like a well respected guy with a track record...No NO NAME....and I too do not want Hartly. Too be honest I do not know who I want...Not ducking the question, just honestly do not know....MY guy just got fired.

4) Listen to the next coach....Work hand and hand with him....Let him tell you the needs of the team, and then evaluate if they are realistic.

5) If you are going youth...STICK TO IT !!! Don't bop and weave....If we are in the 8th seed by some miracle, don't be fooled into a trade.

6) Get tougher...Make sure Kip Brennan is a fixture on the team...Do not let KOand Tamby and Bergy and Comeau get pushed around....It will ruin their spirit !!

7) PRAY !!!

Steady.....Sensible post. And some good ideas.

However, Witt was signed to an extension to keep DP from getting killed and to help the D along until the draft choices are ready. He's not going anywhere.

I agree about the coach. But that's why it was important for Snow to get his own coach. I can't see him hiring a coach he can't get along with. If he does then you will have been right about that.

The playoff's mean a lot of money and excitement to the franchise.
I would not rule out swinging a deal at the deadline as long as you do not give up the future. I'm not talking about mortgaging the future. But bringing in a role player to get over the hump is not out of the question. It all depends on the situation. What if Joe Mac is a total bust? Do we bring in a quality back up or suffer through another Dunham like experience?
Everything is relative, Steady. Nothing should be etched in stone.

Snow should get credit for locking up all these young guys. As 19 Isles says, so what if they don't work out. Even if he bought them all out the cap hit would be insignificant. So, it's all good.

19 ISLES I think you underestimated Neilsen. He will prove himself to be more than just a spare part this year. At 24 years old he is no longer a "prospect." It's time for him to put up, just as it is with Tambs.

I saw them in Bridgeport several times and they have a solid feel for where each other is on the ice. Are they superstars? No. But they will be solid contributors.

This team does not have a superstar to build around so it will take everyone chipping in, doing his part. KO may turn into a star but that's going to take some time.

For you Snow naysayers:
Who signed Witt to an extension?
Who signed Martinek to an extension for short money?
Who locked up Campoli for 3 years for nothing?
Who brought Sutton here?
Who signed Hunter long term. Say what you want about Hunter but teams would be falling all over themselves to sign him if he hit UFA. Just look at the players who got signed for ridiculous prices this summer.
Who convinced KO to play here instead of Minn.
Who just locked up all the young talent the Isles have. It may not be the best talent in the league but it's what we have. An they are all locked in for affordable prices..

Is is all wonderful? No. But it's a foundation.

MR ANNON.....Can I tell you there won't be a long run? Nope. I don't have a crystal ball. But let's hear your alternative........Sir William

Do we know who from the prospects camp will be invited to training camp?

Fair enough.

I still say if we are out ...Witt is the on guy that can bring in a top pick to help this re-building process go quicker. We can then in the off season get a guy who can protect DP..... Witt is not a fighter anymore...His presence does warrant respect, but it surely never stopped the likes of Avery.

That is one reason why I really wanted King George.

As for playoffs, well if it comes to that we can discuss further...It would be a nice problem to have !!

Coach....I actually think this is a huge huge pick for Snow...His job depends on it. He fought with the past coach, and now he gets to choose the new one. supposedly....So....The future is yours Snow.....Good luck....Don't Puck Up !!! :)

To the Jack A ^^ that thinks Sir W. is FIRE OMAR on the Mets blog, you are sooooo wrong it is scary!

Happy hunting troll !!!

The IIHF suspended SIX players for allegedly violating existing contracts until an investigation is completed.

One of those players is Filatov ... however the mention of him is buried deep in the article .... you guys ALL know if he was an Islander it would become another circus comes to town Islander bash ... blaming Snow for not doing his do-dilligence .. etc etc.

Here's the link to the article on yahoo.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news;_ylt=AlmbgEvOFXhmpyZ3nWj7ZYV7vLYF?slug=ap-iihfsuspensions&prov=ap&type=lgns

BTW ... after reading Logan's article about the Snow / Nolan rift ... and sure ... without any input from Nolan himself to the article has to be taken into consideration ... BUT ... if that article is accurate to the true facts of what happened in the background over the course of a year ... it would support what Julien told me last week about Nolan becoming disenchanted a year ago when the Isles lost Smyth and company without landing any of the other big fish they targeted.

Then I'd have to be disappointed in both Snow and Nolan ... not for the rift itself .. but for the fact that Nolan put up that attitude ... and that Snow didn't fire him before the end of the season or right after.

I think Snow was a little gun shy... and torn. He knew Nolan was a fan favorite... but apparently behind the scenes according to Logan ... Nolan was undermining Snow's authority.

Snow .... don't worry ... once you draw first blood .. the next firing is much easier.

OK .... Nolan is water under the bridge now .... we don't need to know anything else about that situation .... it's done ... over ... we are moving on past this as fans ... Greg ... what I'd like to know is your observations of the Prospect Camp overall... does Garth seem legitimately pleased? What about Trotts and Morrow? Has Janks measured any of the kids' progress from previous camps? The new kids on the block ... what is their impressions overall? How about the prospects themself ... do they feel they got something from the camp? Do any of them have any concerns? Are they excited about the prospect of playing in a new / renovated arena? What do they think about Long Island? You know the drill.

We can only dredge up the Nolan / Snow story so many times before we grow fatigued by it.

19Ises....I think the fact that we still do talk about Nolan speaks volumes to the kind of coach he was....With that said, he and Snow had to break up.

NOW LET'S GET A NEW COACH to give us all something to talk about :) :) :)

This Nolan bashing by Logan and others sounds a lot like Laviolette bashing. We know how great a decision that one was.

19Isles...

"I said he's the intellectual man of reason on the Newsday blog from 2 time zones away"

You trying to ride my coattails with the Ice Girls, 19Isles?
The pics with the nephews are solid and alway encouragd (as long as the nephews are no older than...oh let's say 11).
But trying to work those fine ladies off of MY REP??
You skate on thin ice sir!!

No they were not invited to the pre-draft soiree, not that the thought did not cross my mind.
But security costs would have been prohibitive.
And I was forewarned that a new law in NY allows people to be arrested simply for what they are thinking.
That's not a good thing for lascivious old men.

It's safer two time zones away.

Paul Maurice is first up in the batter's box with Garth Snow?

Let's hope he brings a Sundin trump card with him...
(Thoughts of a 1st line of Bergie/Sundin/Guerin are dancing through my dreamscape--I know, I know.....There is oracleness and then there is delusional---but I have always enjoyed a measure of delusional in my life).

Neilsen is a 24 year old man. He is not a kid. I mean, it's now or never for this tweener.

505 said ... "You trying to ride my coattails with the Ice Girls, 19Isles?"

Sure thing 505 ... I was in wing man posit-eee-ownnnn ... to be honest ... when I said 505 ... I wasn't expecting her to say who is this 505 guy? I've heard of him.

So I think Nick or someone has been talking ya up to them... question is? Is Nick the wolf guarding the hen house for 505? LOL!!

Maybe Logan put in a good word for ya?

My only critique about the ice girls is .. they should of been wearing the mini-skirts in the 92+ degree weather ... they had on their long pants. Oh well.

Agreed Steady .... Nolan is the kind of coach that could take a well seasoned and skilled team all the way. He'd of stolen the cup from the Wings this season perhaps if he was coaching the Pens.

Then again ... someone brought this up to me the other day. Nolan favors the run and gun puck pressure offense of the 90s .... so maybe he's still coaching in that era ... who knows? ... and who knows how the Wings would of responded to that?

Nolan and Snow was a match made in hades.

Snow is lining up his ducks ... lets just hope he nabs the right one ... and to be honest ... I really don't know which one it should be. I don't know the coaches other then who they've coached before.... Apples and Oranges when it comes to comparing two teams with the same coach.

Brian G,

"Islander and Sir William are Not Real fans for condoning this team."

Condoning?
I suppose in the 2008 edition of Webster's the new definition of a "real fan" are those who continually malign a team.
What does that make your new buddy Rieber? A SUPER fan?

Interesting perspective there Brian G.

As an aside,

I am still awaiting something, anything, from the Ranger scribes here at Newsday that even approaches the latest Brooks column (Post) which questioned Sather and MSG for allowing Avery and Jagr to walk.

While all the venom and vitriol over the past few weeks have been focused squarely on Snow and the Isles, the lap dogs who write for this paper have given their future employers a pass on the Jagr and Avery departures. Not even a PEEP. Never mind Redden's fat contract. The Rangers are apparently doing everything RIGHT in the off season. Not a single "debate" on the Vinal Flore.about what the Rangers have done or not done.

Hypocrisy and spinelessness know no bounds in Melville.

Wolf guarding the hen house? I'm currently in San Diego - all of THREE time zones away.

Besides, I'd get some hens for myself in the deal.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0807/nhl.islanders.follies/content.1.html

The Truth.

I'm not on this blog as often as most but I'm not sure if it makes sense to sign a guy to a 4 year contract with just a handful of NHL games under his belt. Although Neilson may have potential but if he bombs, the Islanders will be on the hook for 3 years and he will not be trade bait since no NHL team will want a guys who can't play, even if it cost them $1.00. Sounds like a move to get to the minimum cap requirements.

I, for one, think that SI Photo gallery, while factually uncontestable, is so full of biased, blatant muckracking, that it isn't worth reading.

Nielsen -- meh -- he'll either do great or not, he finally has a one way deal so he'll have the opportunity.

Coach -- If this team hires Tortorella, it will be the bigest mistake since, well...... there have been a lot of mistakes. This tream needs a Communicator, a teacher, with patience and a sense of humour. Do ANY of these descriptions fit John Tortorella? 'nuff said.

Hartley -- not my first choice. Howe can you put faith an a guy who faield so miserably with the players he had and expect him to get anywhere with the kids the Isles will be dressing this season?

My choice, and I've said it before is Paul Maurice. If anyone can survive the purgatory that this season will be, while developing the depth chart and moving the meterstick (Canadian reference) forward, it is Paul Maurice. And, he's funny as all get out, FTW.

Oh, and BTW, everyone looks at the Penguins as the team to emulate, since they are on top of the league right now. IMO, the team we should be looking to emulate are the Montreal Canadiens. I mean, how can you fail, with all those can't miss first rounders EVERY YEAR for years on end? Oh, wait.....ummmm, ...... yeah, ok .... moving on

But anyway, Montreal is the team that completely reconstructed with young players (and not with high first rounders every year), put them together and let them play. Yeah, they sucked for a while, but look at them now. If and when Price learns to be a Professional Goalie, look out.

Just a Bluenoser's opinion.

Posted by SIR WILLIAM MR ANNON.....Can I tell you there won't be a long run? Nope. I don't have a crystal ball. But let's hear your alternative........Sir William

Alternative? There is no alternative. The GM is doing the only thing he can do, given the status quo. It’s just wait and hope the project goes through, that's what's frustrating. I’ve been with this team since the start, and I pretty much grew up the in 300 sections, but I’m not as intricately involved on a daily basis as some of you guys. I get the feeling some of you look down your noses at other fans who for various reasons don’t have as much time or aren’t able to dedicate as much of themselves to the team as some of you, as if some fans are BETTER than others. I hope I’m wrong about that. I actually think Snow is a smart guy and is holding his own. The point I was trying to make – not very well it seems – is that I’m having a tough time assigning too much importance to every move he makes and every name on the roster at this time, knowing there’s real chance the team could be on the way out in a year. I read the arguing back and forth about whether Snow knows what he’s doing or not and I think it doesn’t matter that much. More important is what he does once and if the team is on solid ground. Maybe the fact that some of you are more into the daily workings helps you not to dwell on the negative prospects should the project fail. And maybe I’m just venting because I’m worried about the team and I think we’re all pretty helpless about it’s future.

After a well deserved rest from the blog, I'm back and ready to go. Hopefully some real hockey talk will overtake some of the absurd commentary that finished off the year. Let's get the regulars fired up again.

"...while factually uncontestable, is so full of biased, blatant muckracking..."
Con-tra-dik-tion.

SI hates the Islanders now too?
OMG what's next,
the team moved because the fans wanted them to?

Geebus wrote: "Con-tra-dik-tion"

There is a Biiiiiig difference between reporting the facts and placing as ugly a spin on them as possible. Press Secretaries, political surrogates and Communications Directors do it all the time.

Most news or journalistic endeavours at least ATTEMPT to give two sides to each and every story.

Let's face it, SI/Scott Burnside hates everything the Islanders do and have done since 1984.

I'll be the first to admit that it is sometimes (OK, usually) a bit difficult to place a POSITIVE spin on some of the things that have happened around here, but there is no need to make stuff up, or deliberately spin the message to place the Isles in the worst possible light.

For example, the gallery states (Frame 25) that Ryan Smyth "wept when he got the news" of being traded to the Islanders. As I recall it, Smyth wept because he was being traded FROM the Oilers, the team he had idolized and played for since he was a kid, not TO the Islanders. Smyth would have wept if he had been traded to the Ducks or the Red Wings, for crying out loud. And he places that line in a section where he questions the selection of Garth Snow as GM, as if to suggest that Smyth was weeping because he was going to a team with Garth Snow as GM. This is just bogus, IMO.

The final frame reads, in whole, as follows:

"After nearly making the playoffs again with an injury-riddled team, the Isles let Nolan go in July 2008, largely for having the temerity to tell his GM that the group of plumbers they had on the ice was not the second coming of the Mike Bossy-Bryan Trottier-Clark Gillies-Denis Potvin Islanders. Snow disagreed, insisting that Bill Guerin, Miroslav Satan (81), Ruslan Fedotenko, Mike Comrie and Brendan Witt should be enough talent for anyone. The Isles saga continues as Snow searches for a coach who shares his vision."

Several points to make:

(1) I don't remember the Isles being all THAT close to the playoffs when the season ended.

(2) I don't remember any story where Snow suggested that the 2007-2008 Islanders where the second coming of the Long Island Lightning Commission and for Burnside to suggest it is just absolute BS. Snow thought the team was underachieving, for whatever that's worth. Nolan thought the players he had were lacking in talent. News Flash, folks: They WERE lacking in talent. Nolan, instead of recognizing this fact and moving to the kids who, at least, had a possibility of getting better, decided to stick with the old guys, in direct contravention of instructions from the GM.

Snow: "Play the kids so they get better."
Nolan: "Get me better players and in the meantime, I'll lose with the ones I have."

There were clear difficulties in communication between Coach and GM and a Coach who didn't seem to mind letting everyone in the media know about it. This disrupts the team, its chemistry and any chance there is of moving forward. THAT is why the Coach was fired. I hate to see him go, because I believe he is the best coach available. However, the Coach cannot spend his summer undermining the management and expect not to be let go.

I suppose it is typical for journalists to belittle teams that have difficulties. You can look at the way the NY media treats the Knicks these days. Even Alan Muir, at ESPN, gets on the bandwagon when hs calls the Maple leafs/Islanders game at NVMC in October as Round One of the John Tavares Sweepstakes.

I was just commenting on the fact that a little fairness would go a long way in making some of SI's Hockey covereage readable.

Another enforcer was signed. Andre Roy signed with the Flames. I hope Snow plans on having a couple of guys on the team that can drop the gloves with the other teams tough guys not like last years team where we lacked in that department.

After coming back from a very enjoyable relaxing weekend at Lake Keuka, NY which i highly recommend, I have come back from optimistic...After reading some articles on the Islanders mini camp, I see many positive years coming our way....It seems there is ALOT of potential in the prospects we have in our system.. I like the signing of Tamby, Bergy, and Neilsen....These are 3 young kids who have ALOT to PROVE....and been given those contracts instills confidence into these young kids who werent really sure if they were NHL material, never really given a chance...Im hoping with this CONFIDENCE, it brings out the best in these kids..Im really hoping Tamby finds his scoring touch and domininace in the NHL as he had in the AHL...BERGY i think will turn out to be a solid 20-25 goal scorer, and Neilsen, if he gains more confidence i think can turn out to be a good 2nd Line Center, and with TROTTS consistently giving him that Confidence i think we will see him become a good NHL player...

As for the coaching Situation....I honestly dont know who i would want to coach this team.... SNOW has a very very difficult decision to make these next few weeks....And like i said, now that NOLAN is gone ALL pressure is on SNOW!!!

I am very excited for this season to begin..I know its gonna be a loooong season, but im very excited to see these kids get a chance to prove themselves..The team is ALOT FASTER then previous years, and I Think with our pretty solid defense and DP PLAYING great smart hockey, it wont be as bad as we all think..

LETS GO ISLANDERS!!!

I'm with NS on the SI picture gallery. Nobody can argue there have been some dumb moves made by the Islanders' management. However, this article did deliberately put a negative spin on the information. Laviolette is the perfect example - he's listed as a mistake because he was hired over Nolan. However, he then takes the team to the playoffs 2 straight years, and his FIRING is listed as a mistake. You can't deny the mistakes, and you can't deny the heartache, but you also can't deny malicious intent.

After a few days (and another week) relaxing on the beaches of Southern California, I'm becoming more optimistic for the team's chances at showing fight and improvement. Guys like Nielsen and Tambellini get contracts like this for security, since most young players never had the security they would be on the team from day-to-day. This is a chicken-or-egg argument: do you "reward" guys who haven't produced with security, or do you give security in the hopes it will engender production? It seems Snow has gone the second route here, and he's hoping that Nielsen and Tamby prove to be solid NHL players. If they aren't, they can easily be waived with their affordable contracts. If they are, he has 2 solid players signed for very little money. The risk, in today's dollars, is practically zero, and the reward could potentially be high.

Off to hit the beach, guarding the henhouse later tonight...

Can someone please provide Gervais the picture of the one highlight he had last year. He's got a career in comedy if he really believes he's worth anything more than a qualifying offer. He's a # 5 or 6 defenceman at very, very best. He's also not going to be under Nolan's protective wing any longer so a dose of reality is in order for him and his agent. If he doesn't dramatically improve his defensive game ( which is his only game) his memories of his NHL tenure will be slim.

I whole heartedly agree with Nova Scotia and Nick regarding the Sports Illustrated hit piece on the Islanders ... that is all it was ... I honestly only looked at the first 3 frames because I saw where it was going and wasn't intended to be factual as much as it was intended to accentuate the negatives (sure there were a lot) ... and further denigrate the franchise. It is no mystery that Scott Burnside hates the Islanders .. he always has ... even when they were having good years ... like in 2001 / 02 he found ways to slam the Islanders ... I think that writers should be held accountable for their own trash by backing it up ... and editors are accomplaces to this rot.

Here is something to think about .... aside from the obvious attendance differences between the Rags and Isles .... the Ranger fanbase is obviously larger and established for much longer than the Isles .... they aren't just the Rangers .... they are a part of NYC ... and if they didn't play were they currently play ... at the Garden and in NYC ... they'd be the biggest joke of a franchise in NHL history. They'd have ZERO identity .... the Rangers didn't make NYC ... NYC makes the Rangers ....

With that said ... anti-Islander rot stories generated by these buffoons and pin heads in the media serve two purposes ... 1- They excite the Ranger fan base who love to read that trash ... because they get a virtual rush by feeling it elevates their status.... and 2- Because of that ... they get more readership from Rag fans based on that negative article about the Islanders ... then they can by publishing a positive article.

Truth be known ... there are a lot of hockey writers out their that don't know squat about hockey .... being a hockey writer for some publication's is like purgatory of sports journalism ... not always the best writers.... settle down Greg ... this isn't about you .... You are a dedicated sports journalist that knows his craft very well.

Unhappy writers .... or twit writers like say Zippy ... know they get hits on their site .... in both anger and exhualtation from both sides ... and the Isles right now are the easy target.

I work in the media ... and have for 18 years .... I know how some of these morons work ....

I used to free-lance for the AP .... and when I was picking stories coming out of Iraq ... I balanced it with clips from the Good ( Marines building schools) .... the Bad ( Iraqi citizens looting) .... and the Ugly ( road side bombs killing our troops) .... just as an example.... and this British producer working for ABC news scolded me for setting up nice fluff piece about our Marines building schools and giving kids supplies .... telling me that pieces like that make us look good ... and that isn't the point of the news ..... well we got into a verbal shouting match .... and it was the 4th of July in 2003 ... so I told that British C@%@ S^#%r off as you can imagine.... but I learned .... the media has an agenda all their own much deeper than I thought .... and a lot of them aren't even American ..... so lets just use our imagination here to see how that would translate even in the sports rehlm.

BTW .... Nick ... I'm sure you would be taking good care of those hens .... ;)

Okay boys..... Nick and 19Isles....
"Hens"forth, can we refrain from calling my ladies "hens"?

Based on 19Isles' previous comments after meeting one of them it's clear that someone within that skating circle reads this blog.

You are damaging your game by referring to them that way.
(while simultaneously increasing my stead ....especially when you give me opportunities like this to play good cop).

;)

I don't know about you guys but I can't wait for the new coach to be named. To me Quinneville is the top choice...but is Garth smart enough to choose him, and is Joel dumn enough to coach the Islanders? Let's hope so!

That should be "dumb" enough...damn blackberry

I wish that the trolls who post as me would at least learn how to spell. Even the Canadians who mispronounce "about" know how to spell it.
This is getting embarrassing.........Sir William

It occurs to me that some here would not get the satire of "Camadians" so I have reposted it............Sir William

Hey everyone, I just wanted to let you know I moved my blog from IslesNet over to http://www.islesnation.com/justin.htm

I was asked to blog over there as the Atlantic Division blogger, and I would love for anyone who likes to talk hockey to check out my blog and leave a comment! Check out IslesNation, it is a great website!

Not any worse than knowing the difference between an "apostrophe" and "quotation marks".

Accept no substitutes. The real...........Sir William

Bill....no secret we have our differences, but just keep posting...This clown does it to me all the time also. Got to get bored sooner or later! The regulars can tell when it is you or not.

MR ANNON Thanks for your concern, but I don't blame anyone. This is nothing more than a forum for people to air their view on the state of the Islanders. For me, it's enjoyable to see how others view what's going on with the team.

But in the grand scope of reality, it's a blog and that means that it's not to be taken seriously. Trolls come and go. Ignoring them or pointing out their mistakes, is a way of turning it around on them and having a bit of fun while doing so. I have to admit I do get a good laugh at some of the stuff. Especiallty the guy (or gal)
that just can't seem to master the English language. He (or she)
tries so hard and always falls short. It's funny.

Steady, same to you. Keep voicing you opinion. We may not agree but that's what makes sports fun....Sir William

Anonymous,

Give me a break you dimwitted piece of steel support.
There have only been 3 commenters on here who have "had major problems" with Sir William in the past.
Myself, Nick and Steady.

None of whom qualify as potential trolls that would post the nonsense that you talk about in reference to Sir William.

Besides, we are all capable of proper sentence structure as well as being pretty good "wit" spelling.

Go find a Nascar blog where the particpants might have an easier time deciphering your nonsense.
Or perhaps Pavlov's Blog where you can be guaranteed some Anti-Islander venom the minute Garth Snow or Charles Wang sneezes.
Just another manifestation of desperation by a desperate fool who can't even garner more than 3 comments on a 45 minute live chat blog.

Just my opinion. I could be wrong.

So who put the bug in Snow's office yesterday?

Cuz I am just sitting here patiently awaiting the entire transcript of the Snow/Maurice interview....

Perhaps it started like this?

GS- Hello Paul, Welcome to Long Island!!
PM- Whatever Garth, why am I here?
GS- Well Paul, I was hoping you'd be interested in coaching the Islanders this year.
PM- Seriously? As in ARE YOU SERIOUS? Cuz I'm not.
GS- Really Paul, why is that? and if that's true, WHY ARE YOU here?
PM- I just wanted to meet the SOB that saddled me with Jason Blake last year... You cost me my job.
GS-Oh, yeah well, sorry Paul, I was just doing my job.
PM- And then we just about offered you the world to take McCabe off of our hands......and you STIFFED US.
GS- Yeah, well Paul, I'm trying hard not be a typical walkover Islander GM here.
PM- Really? Seriously Garth?
GS- Yes Paul, we are finally serious about building a team here. The old days are dead.
PM-Hmmm Garth, that's interesting....how much does this gig pay?
GS- We can talk about that Paul. Mr. Wang is prepared to offer you a fair wage if you are on board with our program.
PM--In that case I might be interested....BTW, are you interested in Sundin...I have some leverage with him.
GS- Let's get down to brass tacks here Paul...

And so, the legend began.

Paul "The Nurturer" Maurice came to Long Island.

Okay, I'll put the pipe down now.

It is amusing how paranoid you guys are. I mean, a beat writer in Canada could slam the Isles and you will some how say he/her is a "Ranger fan", LOL! Paranoia Big Destroyer!!

Face it, the Islanders are a joke right now.They just are. They haven't won a playoff series in 15 years for goodness sake. They finish dead last or close to dead last each and every year in attendance, despite the countless give aways they offer. Snow admits that he offered FA"s more money than other teams, only to watch the player(s) not consider the deal.

It's just the way it is. And when you are a shipwreck, there will be reports/beat writers etc. who will laugh at you. The Isles are the brunt of a lot of jokes... and it is well deserved.

No…. what is hysterical "ANON" is the fact you Ranger fans come here daily.

WORRY About your own team. I really thought you had the nucleus to go far last year and your GM just blew it to shreds.

Back to the old Rags ways.....High priced F.A's coming off horrible years, while at the same time letting your true HEART AND SOUL walk.....Absolutely comical.

Jagr and Avery were by far your best players for the past two years....Look at your record without them. ENJOY THE DEMISE......

p.s As for your other bs post that one of us is the troll......Come on kid.....you've got to do better than that to ruin this blog. If one of us wanted to argue with each other we certainly would not resort to your sophomoric ways....We would just WRITE WHAT WE FELT !!! Like we always do !

p.s.s 505 - actually I admit I usually have 2 to 3 spelling errors a post :) :) :)

Nick, believe when I comment about Bruno and his pay level. He's only adequate and serves a minimal role at best on our D which isn't a slight but just a fact. He's not horrible but he's not deserving of any significant pay increase just yet. If he continues to develop, he may graduate to the 1 million per year pay bracket by the time he reaches the UFA stage of his career.

I'm going to go on record and say that I'm in favor of Johnny Torts to coach this team. Maurice or Quenneville may be the better candidates because of their experience developing young players but there is something about John T. that I like. Maybe it's the anger he shows on the bench, not sure, but he's my choice.

Rags are dead in the water this year. The reason their sad fans will keep plagueing our blog here, and ignore their own.

Face it, Rags will stink this year. Losing the heart and soul of your team and best player, Jagr. Losing the intangibles guy that kept the other teams off balance, and got you a bunch of wins you'd wouldn't get otherwise, Avery. Losing a top-notch leadership player, that binded the Rags into a team, Shanahan.

Adding a fading Redden (which will be this years TO Blake contract) to your defense helps your opponents and hurts your cap more then anything. Adding an inconsistent Zhederev to replace Jagr, this is laughable . . . you've just replaced a premier fading sniper for the new Oleg Kvasha clone. Adding a fading Markus Naslund is probably the best thing the Rags did . . . even fading he should replace the scoring you lost with . . . Avery, and the leadership you lost with . . . Jagr. LOL

Rags will stink this year.

Is this the Ranger board. Seems so with all the talk about that team.

So typical.

Jay,

It might as well be. No one goes to the rag board anyway, as all their trolls like it here better. LOL

"Rags will stink this year. '

Compared to what team? Us? No offense but as a lifelong Islander fan who's sick of bad trades, bad management and season after rotten season I wouldn't be telling any team
(even the Strangers) that their team will stink this year.

It's a good way to look to stupid with us still supporting Wang's disaster.

Anonymous...you really ought to step up and take credit for that comment at 13:19.

C'mon Spartacus.

It's brilliant

Tortorella would probably have his head explode by January if he started coaching. Patient with learning mistakes the man is not.

TRolle....Go see a shrink rather than going to the Boston blogs. You truly need help.

p.s you are not even funny.

All I can say T Rolle or clone or imposter or whatever...

Is that you remind me of that hot looking nun in 7th grade.

Sister Whatawaste.

The post about Canadian teams was not me. That one came out of left field?

Who cares what the Rangers do? I would have to be honest and say that I do. I want to see them self destruct. I watch them on TV when the Isles are not on and I root for them to lose. I hope that they miss the playoffs by one point this year so that they don't get the first pick in the draft.

I read the usual stories about them in Newsday, on TSN or Hockeybuzz just to keep up. I also read about most of the rest of the NHL teams because I am a hockey fan.

But what I don't do is read or post on the Rangers blogs. That's for the Ranger fans to do. So, I don't understand this need for Ranger fans to come over here to downplay whatever the Islanders do.

Worry about you own team. From the looks of things, you've got plenty to worry about............Sir William

CLASSIC 505 ... I almost shot soda out my nose when I read your post at 15:02

Why are so many Ranger fan here?

For a few laughs. The Isles are a joke and a source of amusement. Hope that answers the question.

Good day!