Islanders Roster Cuts: Choose your own adventure
Alright, we may not be able to do this exercise after tomorrow's game in Newark -- SnowGo will make those decisions for us -- so here goes: Who would you choose for the Islanders' 23-man roster to open the season?
Consider the lines at Monday's practice, which exclude Doug Weight, Trent Hunter and Calvin de Haan:
Matt Moulson | John Tavares | Sean Bergenheim
Tim Jackman | Richard Park | Kyle Okposo
Jeff Tambellini | Josh Bailey | Jon Sim
Blake Comeau | Trevor Smith | Greg Moore
Jeremy Reich | Nate Thompson | Joel Rechlicz
Mark Streit | Bruno Gervais
Brendan Witt | Radek Martinek
Andy Sutton | Jack Hillen/Freddy Meyer
Assume Weight [Update: Doubtful for Saturday], Hunter and Okposo (it appears) are ready for opening night -- who do you choose for your final 23? (Remember that the two goalies count, so it's basically a 21-man list, including three extra skaters.) Show your work.
To be fair, I'll go first: I'd put Smith, Moore and Rechlicz on the Bridgeport shuttle, and -- barring IR shenanigans -- send de Haan back now, unless they're willing to play him instead of both Hillen and a veteran. But I'm not seeing practice nor am I in Gordon's head, and I have a blind spot against Smith while he wears Turgeon's #77. Other variables that shouldn't matter but do: Hillen's is a cheap yet one-way contract; Thompson, Moulson, Reich, Rechlicz, Smith are all two-way deals according to CapGeek. One thing I know: If the players mentioned above are healthy, Gordon will have some interesting lineup decisions.
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Dumb question, but is DiPietro still on the IR? or do they have to have him on the roster for the first day of the regular season to put him on IR?
Personally I’m sick and tired of Meyer. We know what he can do, and its not much. Add in the injuries and its a mess. I think if he makes the roster, he should be one of the first players traded if he can make it any amount of time without an injury.
IR
I believe they declare their IR list when the opening rosters are due, but I know for certain he can (and will) be on IR from the beginning of the season without having to knock someone else off the roster first.
Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.
Who are they going to trade Meyer to? If you don’t want him, why would any other team’s GM want him? I think that what you have to hope for with Freddy and all of our other pending UFAs is that they stay healthy and play well enough that they are each worth a pick at the deadline. Our prospects are not ready to replace either Meyer or Sutton and there obviously is no thought of spending money to bring in someone like Skoula or Cullimore. Hopefully a few of our prospects like Hamonic or Kohn can be called up to fill out the roster after the deadline.
Do you know if they could give de Haan the 9-game treatment if he doesn’t start the year with the Islanders? I’d love to see him get the opportunity, but not at the expense of a valuable player. I agree with your proposed Bridgeport shuttle; after all, guys WILL get hurt, and those guys will be needed to play significant roles on the Island this year.
I think it would be a very bad idea to play de Haan in the NHL this year. He is too small and this would be too big of a jump from juniors.
Do you know if they could give de Haan the 9-game treatment if he doesn’t start the year with the Islanders?
It is possible, but it is rarely done if a kid’s junior team’s season hasn’t already ended.
Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.
De Haan
I think at this point he needs lots and lots of high quality minutes at a junior level for now to stop making the youngster mistakes and all that rather than giving him 3rd pairing minutes at an NHL level, even for 9 games. Of course this changes if there are special circumstances (lots and lots of injuries or at the end of his junior season.
I think Dom hit the nail on the head on the main benefit and the risk:
I would love to watch him for 9 games just for the selfish joy, but I absolutely want him back in juniors this year and would fret about his health the entire 9-game stretch.

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