DiPietro speaks after practice. And how are we feeling?
by Dominik on Nov 24, 2009 8:45 PM EST
in This, That & What-Not
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PrintThree months ago to the day, I sort of pledged not to do any day-by-day Rick DiPietro health updates. I'd had enough of that year-long saga and frankly, once the Islanders signed two bona fide NHL goaltenders (after drafting two more hopefuls), DiPietro became out of sight, out of mind to me, until (and unless) he comes back playing NHL hockey. As I ranted then:
It's not healthy for fan or player to fuss [every day] about [something that] really demanded long-term patience from the beginning, even though short-term interests directed otherwise. [snip] ... He's too young to write off -- but I'm not spending another moment worrying about whether or when he'll come back until I see it with my own two eyes...
Three months of deliberate rehab later, we're nearing that point. I'm still not going to get into the "Uh oh, the knee felt achy today" game, but today's "full" practice (for DiPietro, if not for most Islanders players) was a step that tells us an AHL Bridgeport rehab stint is finally within view.
After practice, the goatee-and-chops sportin' DiPietro took questions -- and looked oh-so-thrilled to take them -- and his funniest answer may have been regarding whether he's tired of hearing "When are you coming back?" from reporters, friends and family [more quotes and video of the man after the jump]:
"I think they know by now not to ask that question -- my friends and family at least."
DiPietro says he's getting better every week, the knee is responding well, and positionally he's doing basically everything he would be doing that was normal before.
Is he hurting after workouts? Everyone hurts after workouts. But he thinks it's responding well.
He also mentioned how sorry he is about missing so much time, but he's excited and committed to come back and justify the commitment Charles Wang made to him. "The expectations I have for myself are far greater than expectations anyone else puts on me."
Were the players taking it easy on him in practice? "[laughs] No, they like to score on me whenever they can. I appreciate that."
Here he is:
Busting Your #39 Jersey Out of Storage?
I have preached patience, calm, low expectations, even the see-no-DiPietro/hear-no-DiPietro approach -- in part, selfishly, because I was sick of the topic.
But I'm not the ringleader here. Well, I guess on this site I am, but the whole purpose of this site is for your input and discussion, so...: Are you happy about his progress? Not even thinking about it? Are you expecting much before the New Year? Are you dreading a February soap opera around whether he's healthy (and good) enough to justify trading Biron?
I will say this is one instance -- and here I go getting ahead of myself -- but this is one case where I will be grateful that Garth Snow the anti-Burke doesn't indulge in trade rumor scuttlebutt. If DiPietro looks like his comeback is successful some time this winter, then a Biron deal will come when Snow feels he has a fair offer. I don't want the drama of "Biron is going here or there (db5)" saturating the team, so hopefully Snow's tendency to be as tight-lipped as the Kremlin, in this case, has a positive effect.
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Burkie's firm offer
Blake, Toskala, and three Molson bottle caps (up from two) for JT and Marty. And if Garth refuses, Burkie will bloviate and fume ad infinitum.
Am I happy about his progress? Not even thinking about it?
Its hard to tell. I mean it sounds good and all, but Im not going to know how happy I am with his progress until I see him playing once again. I am definitely happy they are taking their time with him- and I credit the Biron and Roloson signings for that. If the Isles didnt have an NHL-caliber goalie in net every night, theres no way Rick would be OK with taking his time- he would feel too responsible and want to get in there ASAP to help the team.
Am I expecting much before the New Year?
Im expecting to see him play in the AHL before then. Id be mildly surprised if he gets real NHL time before that.
Am I dreading a February soap opera around whether he’s healthy (and good) enough to justify trading Biron?
Nope! :) Under the best of circumstances, the Isles are going to experience a rare luxury this season… they will have an NHL starting goalie available to trade.
Under the worst of circumstances, they have quality NHL goaltenders who both like playing here and both want to stay here. I sincerely believe that Garths loyalty is to the longterm success of this organization. If Rick cant cut it, he isnt going to pretend like he can. He will give him time to get back to where he can- years, even- but he isnt going to screw this team and leave them without a starting goalie again. I firmly believe that he learned that lesson.
If the circumstances wind up somewhere in the middle, not the best or the worst, the Isles can go with the flow either way. Maybe they will keep Biron and make him a respectable 1y offer. Or maybe they will still trade him- the Isles have options in Bridgeport who could be perfectly acceptable backups for a guy like Roloson in the meantime. I have a feeling that these different situations have already been discussed with Biron and probably Roloson and Rick, too.
Its not very often when you get to say that the Isles are in a positon where they are going to be in a good situation under many forseeable circumstances… but thats what I see here.
Let Us Go, Islanders!
(Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
Agreed on all counts. Very happy the Islanders set themselves up with goaltending on multiple levels over the summer.
My soap opera concern is mainly around trade rumors mixed with (certain segments) fan reaction when, say, DiPietro has a five-goal game in February. No matter how he returns, I doubt we’ll have a firm picture of what level he’ll be at until fall 2010. But people are going to be flipping from extremes.
Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.
One thing's for sure...
if and when DP comes back as the #1, it will be quite an emotional adjustment for him. It may be a bit of an adjustment for Weight as well. In DP’s absence and even in Doug’s, a team chemistry has built up around JT, Kyle, MM, and others. It is certainly no longer DP’s team. How difficult that adjustment will be was underlined by DP’s public fussing over the JT nickname. It will be interesting.
Can I point out in all this inital talk that DP isnt even Ricks initials?
Rick DiPietro = “RD”
IMO there is nothing to this comment- but if there WAS, it would be that two letters = a pretty boring “nickname” lol
Let Us Go, Islanders!
(Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
BCISLEMAN can you make a bigger mountain out of a small molehill?
Go check out the holloween interview.Islander players were shown pics of other players when they were kids,dressed in holloween outfits.Several are jokingly busting teammates chops.
DiPietro’s not the only nhler to bust Tavares’s chops, over the JT nickname.
give me a quote
DP is the only other one currently on the Islander payroll who was drafted #1 overall and the only other one who was supposed to lead this franchise to the promised land (and did not). That’s a pretty big molehill if you ask me.
Rare moderation
Hi. I closed comments on this post because the same points of contention were getting repeated with nothing new emerging. We can speculate more on DiPietro’s place in the locker room when he returns. Frankly, I didn’t want this thread to focus on an ancillary point anymore.
That may be poor form, but that’s the way it is, in the interests of moving things along. Everyone’s said their bit. We’ll be able to resume talk about DiPietro’s status soon enough. Thanks.
Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.
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1979-80
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May 24, 1980: Tonelli to Nystrom. At long last, the steady build of the New York Islanders from expansion doormat to surprise semifinalist to annual contender reaches the promised land: Buoyed by a late season trade for Butch Goring that gave the team the depth up the middle GM Bill Torrey had been seeking, the Islanders knock off the Philadelphia Flyers in six games.
The victory justified the faith in coach Al Arbour who guided them from their second season to their first Stanley Cup seven seasons later. The Islanders would not be the first expansion team to win the Stanley Cup, but they would be the only one capable of a dynasty.
1980-81
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May 21, 1981: This time it was much easier. After falling to "only" 91 points in the 1979-80 season, the Islanders returned to their division title tradition, piling up 110 points -- a whole 13 points over second-place Philadelphia.
Between the quarterfinals (where they beat the upstart Oilers in six games) and the finals, the Islanders reeled off eight consecutive wins -- with a four-game sweep of archrival Rangers in between. As they defeated the Minnesota North Stars in five games for their second Cup, their goal difference in the final was a combined +10.
1981-82
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May 16, 1982: Another year, another landslide title. The Islanders won the Patrick Division by a whopping 26 points over the second-place Rangers, and were seven points clear of their nearest competition for the President's Trophy, the still-not-quite-ripe Edmonton Oilers.
A first-round scare against the Pittsburgh Penguins turned in the Isles' favor thanks to John Tonelli's heroics, and a true dynasty was on its way: Past the Rangers in six games, then an eight-game sweep of the Quebec Nordiques and Vancouver Canucks to run away with the Stanley Cup.
1982-83
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May 17, 1983: Not so fast, whipper-snappers. The Edmonton Oilers' steadily rising challenge for league supremacy took them all the way to the finals for the first time, where the New York Islanders summarily dispatched them in a four-game sweep. For the Islanders, the Dynasty was secured. For the Oilers, it was a powerful lesson in where talent ends and the demands of playoff hockey begin.
Four years, four Cups, 16 consecutive playoff series wins (a record that would grow to 19 until the rematch with the Oilers the following year). Mike Bossy scored 60 goals yet again, and Wayne Gretzky became acquainted with Billy Smith's crease.
