The eagerly awaited (*chirp* ... *chirp*) Frans Nielsen report card (and lyric) will be up later today. But September is here, and you can feel it in the Islanders bloggerati coming to life. First this:

• NHLPA Dirt: Another damning piece [Sportsnet/Spector] ... And if the sources in this piece are to believed, there is reason to damn those behind the palace coup [NESN/Murphy] ... But the reasons are still a mystery because -- get this quote from Chris Chelios: "We want to talk to the players first and inform them." [Globe and Mail] You mean, inform them why you just fired the guy you hired after a national search less than two years ago? Good idea. ... Here's Duhatschek's take. ... Like many, USA Today's Kevin Allen worries this spells C-O-L-D W-A-R. You get the feeling the media is skeptical, eh? Been watching the NHL all my life, but if there's a work stoppage next go-round, I'll be moving on for good.
  
• No surprise, Down Goes Brown brings the funny with a transcript of the fabled NHLPA meeting.
  
• Vancouver thinks they'll have Roberto Luongo extended before training camp. [Globe and Mail]
• These NHL2K10 outdoor and vintage jersey images are stunning. [Puck Daddy]
  

Enough of all that. Here is some Islanders chatter to chew on:

• Chris(topher) Botta Q&A with K.O.: Kyle Okposo will be back on Long Island skating Friday -- hockey's coming! -- but the frat house with Jackman, Gervais and Bailey is no more. [Islanders Point Blank]
  
• Welcome a "female perspective" to Islanders Independent. Apparently chicks dig journeymen, which I will liberally interpret to mean Mrs. Lighthouse is cool if I start seeing other hockey teams at night.
• Forever1940 dug up a little more on the serious injury new acquisition Bobby Hughes survived.
• Lighthouse Project fretting: 7th Woman wonders, as does Nick at Let There Be Light(house), why the ToH has gone silent. Charles Wang's unmeetable-but-still-notable deadline is 33 days away.
• If you've never read Islander Esoteric's research into the mysterious death (and subsequent police negligence) of former Islanders prospect Duncan MacPherson, you should check it out. Now the parents check in with Roger and deliver an update of Austrian coverage of the story. It's heartbreaking every time I read it -- and it always takes me back to the moment I read about his disappearance 20(!) years ago.

As always, if you have more interesting links (even your own) to add, don't be shy; leave 'em in comments.