SBH/NHL Expansion: the re-alignment assignment
by mikb on Sep 2, 2010 6:00 PM EDT
in Islanders Hockey What If?
3 comments
During our expansion and protection discussions, we briefly touched on where the league would actually put two extra teams once they had them - not just the cities, but the divisions and conferences. For fun, Dom and I kicked around an idea that we've apparently worked on separately for years - four 8-team divisions.
Because the southern and western teams are much more sparse it becomes a challenge to get together groups of eight without putting them at a severe disadvantage compared to the northeastern teams. For example, it doesn’t work to just re-assemble the classic 80’s divisions and add the extra teams. (Pity, that.) Who gets nudged to a less-convenient location?
Boston, for example, makes much more sense playing the Flyers, Rangers, and Isles six times a year, than Ottawa and Toronto. The Bruins and Canadiens need each other to hate. So Boston-Montreal-Rags-Isles-Philly-Jersey, plus… well, Quebec? Toronto and Buffalo, for the old Adams Division purists? Where do the Penguins go?
Who's your favorite post-dynasty Islander?
by Dominik on Sep 2, 2010 12:33 PM EDT
in Islanders of Yesteryear
71 comments
As is so often the case, some posts at SBN's Oilers blog Orange Copper & Blue got me thinking (and stealing): Who is your favorite post-dynasty Islander?
Which is typical. The destinies of these once-great franchises seem to run in parallel universes, with overlapping raw materials: They have a loud but cramped Coliseum, we have a loud but cramped Coliseum. We need a building, and our owner has run into civic resistance with his proposed new venue as part of a transformative real estate development; they need a building, and their owner has run into civic resistance with his...you get the idea.
This might shock you, but founding C&B writer Jonathan Willis selected Janne Niinimaa as his favorite. Go read that, and remind yourself that the metal-loving Janne we acquired for the Ghost of Isbister and the Future of Torres had already given his best years and several pounds of flesh in service to the post-dynasty Oilers.
And tell me, tell us all: Who was your favorite Islander since the dynasty ended? (And I recognize that for many of our readers, there are no Islanders but the post-dynasty Islanders.) The only rule: Pick a guy who didn't win a Cup with the team. So the '84 Pats -- Flatley and LaFontaine -- qualify, but most of their teammates that year do not. I'll give you mine after the jump. If anyone has a really long or beautifully composed answer, you're also welcome to write it as a "My favorite post-dynasty Islander" FanPost.
The SBN/NHL Mock Expansion: Q-Q-Q-Quebec and the Jets
by mikb on Sep 1, 2010 2:30 PM EDT
in Islanders Hockey What If?
23 comments
The SBNation major-domo, Travis Hughes, is pleased to announce that the NHL is faux-spanding to Winnipeg and Quebec City, with the not-actual-return of the Jets and Nordiques to imaginary professional ice hockey.
To lead the franchises, Travis has selected stat maven Gabe Desjardins of Behind the Net for the Jets, and the Globe and Mail's James Mirtle for the Nordiques. (Note to James: do not dress the team in these. Not even at home. Thank you.)
Between the Islanders and the 2010-11 playoffs is...?
by WebBard on Sep 1, 2010 7:00 AM EDT
in This, That & What-Not
69 comments
Last year I predicted how the Eastern playoffs would look, and actually was really close. My one big miss would be that I predicted the Flyers wouldn't make the playoffs. I also looked at what it would take for the Islanders to grab either the 7th or 8th seed. Since it's the end of August again, now's as good a time as any to predict what the playoffs may look like.
The biggest change in the Eastern Conference is most likely going to be the Southeast. Although the Capitals will most likely win the division again, there is no way that they can repeat their 19-3-2 intra-division record. With the Thrashers and Lightning making improvements and the Hurricanes hopefully having a healthy Cam Ward, the Southeast isn't going to be the pushover it has been.
In my opinion, in the East there are four teams that should be in the playoffs unless something major goes wrong. There are three teams that look as though they might make the playoffs. There are six teams that are going to be fighting for the 8th seed and maybe the 7th. That leaves one team that is getting nowhere near the playoffs. It does look better for the Islanders, as last year I thought a few teams needed major injuries for the Isles to come close.
Dotting I's: Doug Weight officially re-signed
Not really news, in that it's been talked about all summer, including most recently in this FanPost. His shoulder surgery was in March; no doubt info will come on that status.
Meanwhile, if you haven't planted your flag on the Lighthouse Hockey user map, go do that. (Or don't, if you're the hermit type. Your choice; fine, be that way.)
Grading the Islanders: Mark Streit, Swiss Workhorse
by Dominik on Aug 31, 2010 7:00 AM EDT
in New York Islanders Report Cards
30 comments
Last season at age 32 Mark Streit's minutes increased over his debut year with the Islanders. He logged 680 more minutes than the next guy on the Isles, Jack Hillen. It's no wonder that, after captaining Switzerland at the Olympics once again, Streit chose to sit out the World Championships for the first time in 13 years.
The question before you today is the question of every report card here: Did he do what you expected of him in 2009-10?
At first I was going to make a pretty graph comparing his three-year point production, shots and ice time. But then I remembered I am clueless with graphing software his Montreal numbers were skewed by time at forward and time on that incredible 2007-08 Canadiens powerplay.
Plan B: Show his numbers in Year 1 and Year 2 of his Islanders contract (after the jump), ask yourself whether the "drop-off" was significant enough to dock his grade. Discuss.
Dear Players: Sorry if the CBA makes GMs spend wisely
by Dominik on Aug 30, 2010 4:58 PM EDT
in Big Picture Musings
14 comments
"It's really unfortunate," said [Willie] Mitchell, 33, whose new two-year $7 million deal expires at the same time of the current CBA. "I think it's a flawed CBA in that aspect. A lot of good hockey players are having to wait a lot longer because teams are giving the young guys at chance at training camp. The reality is, as a GM, you have to give those younger guys a shot or else you risk losing them to free agency. It's just an unfortunate product of the current CBA."
...
"For sure, there's a strong possibility that in the next CBA you can see that changing," he continued. "I know as a union that's something we'd like to take a look at, that's for damn sure. Guys like Brendan [Morrison] have worked their whole career and next thing you know the young guys are getting the shot even those he's paid his dues for a long time. Like I said, it has everything to do with free agency. These kids are free agents at 25 and 26, signing big contracts. Now you score 25 goals and you're getting $2.5 million if you do it once. Brendan's done that multiple years [sic], but they want to tie down these young guys or risk losing them to free agency.">> [emphasis and sic mine] Vancouver Province, via George Malik via Puck Daddy
Here's the thing: Morrison scored 12 goals last year, on the only team in the league to register over 300 goals (313 excluding faux shootout goals), getting top-six minutes while playing against middle-of-the-road (at best) competition. That was after netting a whopping 16 goals with Anaheim and Dallas the year before, which followed an injury-truncated year of netting nine goals in Vancouver.
In fact -- how's this for irony? -- that magic 25-goal mark Mitchell refers to: Brendan Morrison has only done it once. Seven seasons ago.
14 comments | 1 recs |
Waiting for Nino Niederreiter, on both coasts
by Dominik on Aug 30, 2010 6:45 AM EDT
in Islanders in Diapers
76 comments
![Some wish Portland could quit you. [photo selection changed to make 100% sure Getty's caption wasn't leading us astray]](http://cdn0.sbnation.com/entry_photo_images/548899/gyi0060987548.jpg)
You are not the only ones eagerly awaiting Nino Niederreiter's arrival.
Last week Nino's WHL Portland Winterhawks had a fan and media event as players reconvened for the new season, and the rising star Nino was not among them. This was hardly a surprise, but reaction to Nino's absence -- the Islanders requested that he skip it and prepare for big boys' camp on Long Island -- initiated much kvetching among Hawks followers, understandably so.
First, last week from 30-year journalist and WHL reporter Gregg Drinnan:
The New York Islanders have kept first-round pick Nino Niederreiter in the big city [sic]; in fact, he isn’t expected in Portland at all before the start of another season. I am hearing that he will open the season with the Islanders, who are hoping his presence will help them sell tickets. That, of course, is purely speculation, especially considering that he hasn’t signed, but you can bet that Portland GM/head coach Mike Johnston is operating as though Niederreiter won‘t be back. . .
Keeping him around "to sell tickets" is a bit of a stretch, "speculation" qualifier or not. Keeping him around because they have high hopes for him, he has a near-NHL body, and he has 9 games to burn before it costs them is another matter. (Remember that despite lots of fawning praise for Calvin de Haan last preseason, the Isles still rightly returned him to juniors at the end of camp. Counterpoint: He was also smaller and tackling a tougher position. And then there was Josh Bailey....)
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