Michael Grabner: Your newest Islanders wild card
by Dominik on Oct 5, 2010 1:49 PM EDT
in Roster Manoeuvres in the Dark
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Michael Grabner -- claimed on waivers by the vigilant bargain shopper Garth Snow -- was selected seven spots behind Kyle Okposo in the 2006 draft. While Okposo took the express train to the NHL on a talent-shallow Islanders team, Grabner didn't get his first NHL action with the very deep Canucks until 2009-10, when he put up 5-6-11 in 20 games in a mix of roles and powerplay minutes (six even-strength points, five powerplay points).
A skilled Austrian (yes, I'm predictably tickled the Isles have added an Austrian to our Swiss and Danish collection of less-heralded hockey-country characters), Grabner can fly and score -- in all kinds of ways, as the videos of his three goals against Anaheim last April show.
Alas, he did not convince Panthers coach Peter DeBoer that he can finish, so he's our project now, for as long as space is available or he proves he fits. In fact, Grabner has now been sacrificed twice by NHL clubs in the last four months -- once by the Canucks in the 2010 draft trade to upgrade their defense, and once by the talent-thin (but prospect-heavy) Panthers. One ominous quip at Orland Kurtenblog (h/t Litter Box Cats): "...it seems fair to suggest that Vancouver has developed the gift of masking its problem players as potential assets for the Panthers."
Fortunately for the Islanders, who need to replace not just Kyle Okposo (3-4 months) but also 2009 waiver-wire prize Rob Schremp's (3-4 weeks) offense in the season's opening month, there is -- unlike the Panthers summer trade -- little cost to this gamble: Andy Hilbert goes on waivers (in accordance with the prophecies). The final roster decisions get a new wrinkle.
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the scouting report ....
for this guy reads exactly like jeff tambellini’s would. quick, with a good shot, good hands, not big or tough.
i hope it doesn’t take 5 years to decide about this guy.
step right up folks, win a prize, 3 darts for $1
speaking of Tamby… waived also, so much for him playing with the twins
i love that our GM is willing to play the carny games, every once in a while, you win big
a profound return... i still love sammy octoberfest :-)
by bob l on Oct 5, 2010 2:31 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
No doubt
As long as you have a roster like the Isles do and your only casualties for doing so are of the Jon Sim/Andy Hilbert variety, a GM like Snow should be returning to this well every year.
Lighthouse Hockey: You say that like Streit and Okposo were important to this team.
Tambellini - who was also waived today
But I don’t think Tamby’s catching Grabner in a foot race.
Lighthouse Hockey: You say that like Streit and Okposo were important to this team.
it's not a bad move....
by the g.m. given the status of the franchise and reluctance/inability to take on big fish, it makes to take shots like this. maybe he fits well with some linemates and lightning strikes. i just think it’s ironic, given that hey finally jettisoned tamby.
he is cheap and worth a look
Garth has shown that he can catch lightning in a bottle with these waiver pick ups just before the season
Any task BIG or small, Do it well or not at all
by Rickfansince76 on Oct 5, 2010 5:37 PM EDT up reply actions
how did i miss this
To paraphrase David St. Hubbins: “Here comes Michael Grabner…and why not.”
nice, lets hope he doesn’t go the way of eric stumpy joe chiles
a profound return... i still love sammy octoberfest :-)
by bob l on Oct 5, 2010 2:35 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
If he does we'll be screwed
Because you can’t really dust for vomit.
Lighthouse Hockey: You say that like Streit and Okposo were important to this team.
by Dominik on Oct 5, 2010 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
“It’s such a fine line between stupid…and clever”
Lighthouse Hockey: You say that like Streit and Okposo were important to this team.
by Dominik on Oct 5, 2010 4:24 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I'll bet garth
Has coupons, reward points and frequent flier miles coming out of his ass! Another 1st rounder for nothing, nice! Hope he pans out, but another quality player for Bridgeport won’t be bad either.
by Keith Quinn on Oct 5, 2010 2:42 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
I don't have anything to add to this conversation, but I just wanted to show my appreciation of the Spain Tap refernce.
Never heard of this guy…but I like the way Garth just signs random dudes. It’s like he has a Wheel of And Why Not to offset the Wheel of Discipline.
It’s alright, somehow that makes it more appropriate.
And I appreciate all “I’ve nothing to add to this, accept an appreciation for X reference.” Sometimes I slip that stuff in and later chide myself: “You Idiot, Dominik. No one else still watches Fraggle Rock.”
(Although Spinal Tap is always a safe well to tap, obviously.)
Lighthouse Hockey: You say that like Streit and Okposo were important to this team.
As long as our players are dropping like Spinal Tap drummers, the references are apt.
I like your other idea, though. After every spin on the Wheel of Discipline, Colin Campbell can sink down below his desk while two interns say, “The Trash Heap has spoken! NYAH!”
Quickly moving up the depth chart
Marjory!
Such a lovely trash heap she was.
Lighthouse Hockey: You say that like Streit and Okposo were important to this team.
I'd watch Spain Tap
if it’s even a fraction as good as Spinal Pap
"..."
by Thaddeus Ballpheasant on Oct 5, 2010 11:10 PM EDT up reply actions
First pik failures
The Isles strategy for the last couple of years reminds me of someone eating the table scraps pf others who are dining on Lobster and Steak. Sure you can point to Moulson but you don’t build a winner that way either. This season reminds of a pot-luck dinner. We may go home very hungry.
Agreed you don't build a winner off someone else's scraps, however:
1) Just about every winner includes an important figure or two who didn’t pan out elsewhere. We got Moulson, maybe we’ll be lucky with a Schremp or Grabner, maybe not.
2) When you’re rebuilding — not just the team, but the entire cupboard or prospects thanks to the ashes you inherited — these are the shots you take to bridge the period between bottoming out and rising to something better.
That’s the reality. Not glorious, but considering the circumstances around this franchise (finances, venue, still-developing talent pool, reluctance of premier UFAs to sign here), that’s what they have to do. I’ll be angered if they go cheap when the bill comes due on re-signing their prime RFAs, or if they don’t increase budget if/when their arena situation is sorted, but right now it’d be like shouting into the wind.
I’m not sure what better strategy for the last couple of years would be realistically achievable.
Lighthouse Hockey: You say that like Streit and Okposo were important to this team.
by Dominik on Oct 5, 2010 4:18 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
I'm confused...
Why oh why would anyone question this pickup? Former first rounder, talented, scored more than .5 ppg in brief duty in the NHL, and 23…as a waiver pickup!! For goodness sakes, do Islander fans really understand that this isn’t a fantasy league?
by Nobody77 on Oct 5, 2010 5:06 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
No.
No, they don’t. KOVALCHUK OR DEATH
Are you watching, Tottenham?
by Thomas Wachtel on Oct 5, 2010 8:39 PM EDT up reply actions
He's no savior,
he was waived by one of the worst teams in the eastern conference and he scored those points on one of the best offensive teams in the nhl(not to mention, 3 goals in 1 game). He’s got potential, but don’t put too much pressure on him if he pans out to be a flop.
Go isles or Go home.
why do people see a hat trick as a bad thing?
i mean yes so when you look at the stats its less consistency but isnt that a testament to his offensive ceiling?
he put up a hat trick in his first season, and he didnt even play the full year
think about what he can do with a full season. hat tricks out the wazoo!!!
In Garth we trust!
A lot of people see a hat trick as 2 things:
1. A player who is really good and scores a lot
2. A streaky player that was hot or got lucky
I’m leaning with 2 right now until he has proven himself, which given his ahl numbers, looks the most realistic for now. But time will tell, he’s got potential.
Go isles or Go home.
Unfortunately I can't argue with your summation........
But if you reread the points you just made this all adds up to a second class hockey operation by NHL standards and there is no sugar coating this situation, as fans we live and die for this team. We need a white Knight to rescue us and keep our castle on Long Island, Right now the King is Charles Wang. If he can build a new Castle I think we will live under a beautiful new realm and getting away from this analogy have a bright new Islander’s dynasty. Am I dreaming, lets be optomistic and say abright new day is coming.
I dont consider rebuilding to be “second class”, I consider rebuilding to be- rebuilding. Either you do it right or you do it wrong, but it takes years either way and any class of team has to do it at one point or another.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Oct 5, 2010 6:17 PM EDT up reply actions
WAS, CHI, and PIT were all pretty atrocious within recent memory. Very few teams can go on perpetually without a rebuild. It just happens. I don’t see what the other option for NYI is, especially this year now that they’ll be missing two huge pieces for long periods of time.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
This has been a second rate operation since day one. But they’ve had first class people who have lifted it above their circumstance. I think Snow is working his way into that category.
What Snow is doing now is by no means second class… He is digging this franchise out of a deep hole… and when you’re doing that you grab any wrung on the latter that allows you to rise… even a little at a time.
If you’re just recognizing this… or better yet… using the current activity to IDENTIFY this organization as second class… then what have you been rooting for over the past 20 years.
As much crap as I give Wang because I don’t believe in almost any of his strategies, he hasn’t given up on his team yet… that’s not so bad considering most of his external support systems have given up on him.
If he gets this team a NY address after 2015 I’ll be the biggest Charles Wang fan here… and if Snow sticks to the plan, we may all get something exciting to watch for a long time.
I don’t know about you, but we lost 3 of our top 10 players and I’m STILL excited about watching some second class hockey.
It’s like magic… without the rabbit crap in your hat!
the points you just made this all adds up to a second class hockey operation by NHL standards
Like JP, I’m wondering…you’ve seen this organization for the last 20 years, right? That is all default cost of membership for still being a fan of this team. Your original comment appeared to question the “strategy the last couple of years,” and I’d argue the last couple of years is when the strategy actually got course-corrected.
For once, I can see that the hockey operations group actually has a logical plan, one that’s pointed toward an achievable goal. It just so happens that this plan should mature right around the time they have to know where they’re playing in 2015. If the budget doesn’t increase accordingly at that time, then I’ll be screaming foul.
In free agency, I don’t want them blowing money and term on average guys, which is mostly what was available this summer: Free agency is an inflated market, so you only bid on short-term fixes or big-term big-money guys who are meaningful upgrades, and those guys in the second group just happen to have their pick of contending teams.
Lighthouse Hockey: You say that like Streit and Okposo were important to this team.
by Dominik on Oct 5, 2010 8:47 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Agreed. At this point you should be signing guys that will just fill out an NHL roster. There is no point to signing long term deals, or stud players (even if they’d agree). You want guys that can play competitively, but won’t stand in the way of prospects as they prove themselves capable of handling larger roles. You don’t want contracts that are still going to be on the books when you are finally going to be competitive (hello, Michael Nylander). And fighting tooth and nail to get to the tenth spot in the East seems counterproductive to me.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Nylander, man, that’s exactly who I think of in this context. It’s so important not to make a long-term mistake just to “add a guy! We just need to add somebody!” — because later on you need flexibility, flexibility, flexibility.
Lighthouse Hockey: You say that like Streit and Okposo were important to this team.
Exactly. The Caps “needed” a top line C so they overpaid (mostly in term) and ended up having serious cap complications when they needed flexibility (most notably the ‘09 spring when we missed out on Guerin because we didn’t have the Cap space. You know who got them and won the Cup…). I know it sucks as a fan, but sometimes a little more pain is better in the long run. Another lottery pick makes the Isles a team to be reckoned with for years to come. A bad signing does the opposite.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
exactly
“Second-class” operations would stuff the team full of second-tier players on long-term deals, blocking the prospects.
Even when the Isles had to take a bunch of complimentary players like Comrie, Fedotenko, Vasicek, etc. and play them as centerpieces, they weren’t signed for five years each! They were clearly just there to field a competent team until we had guys like Okposo and Bailey and Tavares to develop, hopefully into all-star level. Not that a guy like Fedotenko or Vasicek is bad to have around, either, but for depth – not as the top line!
Quickly moving up the depth chart
Not that a guy like Fedotenko or Vasicek is bad to have around, either, but for depth – not as the top line!
Its so true. They are good guys definteiyl worth having around. The Isles have actually had PILES of great players in recent years, its just that they were complementary players being used as pivotal centerpiece players. Its disappointing when people bash a great depth guy for not being a great centerpiece guy. That isnt the players fault.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Oct 6, 2010 12:18 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Its disappointing when people bash a great depth guy for not being a great centerpiece guy.
Too true, and happens all the time.
Lighthouse Hockey: You say that like Streit and Okposo were important to this team.
Especially on a day like today.
Those kinds of fans would actually prefer Garth to exhibit poor asset management and put the team at a disadvantage depth-wise just because of an irrational hatred for a good bottom 6 player. Its fucking ponderous, really.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Oct 6, 2010 3:43 PM EDT up reply actions
Are we still talking about Grabner as a good bottom 6 player or are we talking about generalities or another player?
I’m confused on what this debate is exactly over. If it’s on grabner, then I think as a whole we like the move more then dislike it. Really young guy with potential and a former 1st rounder. Do we think the move is garth trying to make the team the best he can? maybe, a lot of us are sold though that he either has a budget/wang-problem or refuses to look into a high impact or even big/blockbuster trade. This move is a very low-risk attempt at mending a hole a little bit. Is it a good move? Yes. Is it the answer to our problems? No, but it would take something big to really help us.
I like the grabner move, but it honestly just cost Martin a starting job out of camp and I’m not happy about that. I like the fact that the kid has potential, but I’m not going in thinking he’s going to throw up a 20goal/40pts season. I see him as a 3rd line guy right now who will play on a 10gm or less tryout basis and we go from there with him. I’m happy with the signing. And if he flops, little to no harm and no foul.
Go isles or Go home.
I believe he was
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Oct 6, 2010 7:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Bad enough for a boot
But good enough that he resumed skating this week.
Lighthouse Hockey: You say that like Streit and Okposo were important to this team.
lol, that sounds so contradictory,
but it is the perfect explanation of why martin is starting in the ahl right now. And I agree with it from these circumstances.
Go isles or Go home.
Generalities, really… but if I had to give examples it wouldnt be Grabner, it would be guys like Vasichek, Tank, Sim, etc.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Oct 6, 2010 7:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, the secret to a cup is probably smart spending and staying out of big contracts/bidding wars.
Go isles or Go home.
by OzzyFan on Oct 6, 2010 11:30 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
For once, I can see that the hockey operations group actually has a logical plan, one that’s pointed toward an achievable goal. It just so happens that this plan should mature right around the time they have to know where they’re playing in 2015. If the budget doesn’t increase accordingly at that time, then I’ll be screaming foul.
Testify!
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Oct 5, 2010 10:41 PM EDT up reply actions
Good move
In our position, why not take a chance on Grabner? This guy can absolutely fly and if he develops some chemistry with JT, he is going to be a pleasant surprise.
We need to find goals somewhere, we have nothing to trade and cant entice any free agents.
Good move Garth.
Why not like this move?
To go with the theme (of why not), it’s not like we’ve a lot to lose on it.
Be interesting to see if he’s worked in right away, or held in the press box for the first 9 games…am also curious what Gordon’s quotes will be on this one.
dose’s point about Grabner’s scouting report similarities to the departed Tamby is a good one, also.
Be interesting to see if he’s worked in right away, or held in the press box for the first 9 games
I was wondering that, too. Not much time for him to pick up The System. Does he get the Schremp Treatment?
Lighthouse Hockey: You say that like Streit and Okposo were important to this team.
The other move
is to put PA at LW. He has played both but has been used on the RW so far in camp. With Schremp out for a couple weeks Weight can be back at center and Bailey stays on the wing. When RSH is back Nino’s 9 games will be up and Weight can go to LW, PA back to RW and all will be zen until KO comes back.
The New York Islanders- Give us your scraps and we'll give you a scrappy team.
Exciting suboptimal options!
The fantasy GM in me is giddy at the possibilities with all those movable parts.
Granted, most odds point to a conclusion of, “Turns out none of them work just right. Need more elite talent.” But considering the injury hits, I enjoy this much more than the past years’ alternative of “Well we have to just keep running known quantities like Sim and Hilbert out there because that’s literally all we have.”
Lighthouse Hockey: You say that like Streit and Okposo were important to this team.
Also:
-We still don’t know if Nino and CdH are getting minutes for 9 games (or more).
-We don’t know if Bailey is seeing time at center.
Nino plays and Bailey stays, where’s the slot for Grabner? You get the luxury of classroom and practice time for him to pick up Gordon’s system, plus more time on ice for Nino.
…I’m making a note to come back to this topic after the roster deadline tomorrow!
There is one really good reason to like this move
With Kyle out for a few months we have an open slot. Now we have two guys (him and PA) fighting to stay after Okposo is back. We keep the one who is doing better. It doubles our chances at Moulson II (though his situation is RSH like). The player has talent he just needs to show he can do it in the NHL. If things don’t work out we lost nothing. Plus, if he does work out he is a RFA…he is still on his EL deal.
Quick cruise around the interblogs...
…seems to have Grabner associated with “speed” much like RSH and “hands”.
Also, I popped into the NHL site to grab his AHL stats:
06-07 manitoba: 2gp 1g 1a 2p +2
07-08 manitoba: 74gp 22g 22a 44p +5
08-09 manitoba: 66gp 30g 18a 48p +22
09-10 manitoba: 38gp 15g 11a 26p -2
Anyone know how Manitoba was overall the past few years?
From what I've heard this kid is a lot like Tambellini
But who knows, with his speed he could be our next Jason Blake. Gordon will more than likely have him pressuring the point. This kid could get tons of goals taking advantage or mental lapses by the D in the NZ.
He is not like Tambellini in one very important aspect...
Tambellini had YEARS to make a case for himself at this level.
Yeah I know people complain that he didnt get “enough” ice time over all of these years but the fact is that he did… he didnt EARN any more ice time than he got.
This kid is Kyles age. He has NOT gotten the years of chances that Tambs got.
Might he do nothing with his chances, like tambs? Maybe. but to put him in that Tambs category before he even gets a chance seems ridiculously unfair to me.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Oct 5, 2010 6:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Until we see him play,
we have no reason to flay!
…or something. To make a couplet of the positive attitude we should take on this one (and others like it).
by MTBVibe on Oct 5, 2010 7:55 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Gabe’s not very high on Grabner, or these AHL numbers and Grabner’s comparables respectively. But I don’t know, I’d be a bit more optimistic than that. And, though that might not tell anything, I thought Grabner played a pretty good series against the Blackhawks last season. So, it’s certainly worth a try and might pay somewhen down the road, but in the short term, a more complete player would most likely have been more helpful.
Yeah, I think in the context of acquiring him for Ballard it’s a curious risk, but acquiring him for free it’s a great roll of the dice. Particularly to help fill the offensive hole left by Okposo. You’re basically taking a talented scorer and telling him, “This may be your best shot: Run with it or watch a third team give up on you.” At age 23, that’s a pretty good incentive.
Lighthouse Hockey: You say that like Streit and Okposo were important to this team.
Here are the last 3 years.
2007–08 80 46 27 — 3 4 99 236 197 3rd, North
2008–09 80 50 23 — 1 6 107 230 177 1st, League
2009–10 80 40 33 — 5 2 87 204 232 4th North
heheheheh
My Skype wants to turn the second stat line into a phone number! I can actually click to dial it right now. It’s killing me every time I see it. I’d be tempted except I could never explain to some random Pennsylvanian that the Manitoba Moose’s points, GF, and GA for 2008-09 are his phone number.
Quickly moving up the depth chart
Hey
Did you get my email to your gmail? Don’t want to leave you out.
Lighthouse Hockey: You say that like Streit and Okposo were important to this team.
Let’s see if anyone claims Andy Hilbert now. Although I think its a smart move prior to sending him to Bridgeport.
Get out of the sticks, Charles, move to Queens!! Come, Get some respect a Professional team deserves!!
Hilbert (and Tambellini) have to go on waivers to be sent to the AHL.. isn’t that correct. So the only “news” is that neither made their NHL club… which was expected.
Andy should still be an asset in BP, and Tambellini isn’t going anywhere either.
So… not sure if it’s a smart move… it’s the ONLY move.
Sim would have to be waived, as well as Bruno… and I’d bet that both test the wire at some point. Especially if Nino and Calvin make it to game 10.
Bigger question… do the Isles have to keep Grabner on the NHL roster for any period of time? Do they have to re-expose him when/if they send him to BP.
We may not have a clue what this team is going to look like in November until December.
It’s like magic… without the rabbit crap in your hat!
Yes he would have to go through waivers
Florida gets first dibs as they waived him first then normal order. The Islanders claimed him so they intend to play him…at least for now.
The New York Islanders- Give us your scraps and we'll give you a scrappy team.
in addition
if Florida reclaimed him they could stick him in the AHL without waiving again.
The New York Islanders- Give us your scraps and we'll give you a scrappy team.
Let’s see if anyone claims Andy Hilbert now. Although I think its a smart move prior to sending him to Bridgeport
Nobody is claiming Andy.
And not to take away from Garth, but going through waivers isnt a smart move before AHL assignment- its a required move before AHL assignment.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Oct 5, 2010 6:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Things are getting interesting out there
The Canucks trade O’Brien for Parent and immediately put Parent on waivers…another former 1st rounder on the wire. Teams have until 3pm Eastern tomorrow to get under the cap and things are getting desperate which has worked out well for us recently. We could see a few more new faces before all is said and done.
The New York Islanders- Give us your scraps and we'll give you a scrappy team.
*singing*
Iiiiiit’s a cap world after all,
Iiiit’s a cap world after all…
I love it. Ryan Parent has to feel like $100 after the number of rejections he’s been through since April. Not that I’m loving players’ careers twisting in the wind, but it is fun that the cap is forcing teams to make cold, immediate evaluations on players rather than Tambellining them along for years.
Lighthouse Hockey: You say that like Streit and Okposo were important to this team.
immediate evaluations on players rather than Tambellining them along for years.
I love it. An excellent example for the glossary lmao
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Oct 5, 2010 6:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Although sometimes players need years to develop.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Absolutely! I dont think Tambellining someone along applies to simply giving a guy years to develop.
I think Tambellining someone along applies to giving a guy years to develop even though he goes for entire season-length stretches where he cant even break double digits in assists.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Oct 5, 2010 10:58 PM EDT up reply actions
I think Parent is more to blame than the salary cap. David Poile is a pretty astute judge of defensive talent, and the drafted Parent in the first. He traded him but then traded to get him back. At the end of training camp he gave him away again… for SOB. That guy is not very good, and GMDP has to know it. He was an absolute liability in the playoffs last year. I just think Ryan Parent is officially in Steve Eminger territory, with the added bonus of injury history. I guess someone probably gives him another chance but I don’t see Parent ever living up to his draft-day hype, and I don’t think his failures to this point have been about not getting a chance. He got sheltered minutes on PHI last year and was still a goal against waiting to happen (though he did have weak teammates and I believe he started in his own end quite a bit).
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Oh I think it's all on Parent, too
But I think the cap forces teams to be smarter and quicker in their decision-making. I just like that the cap has made it so that few teams can afford to keep those guys around just because they’ve got experience. “Experience” had more cache when it wasn’t concretely keeping you from using someone you had a good notion was better despite their smaller track record.
I view the cap as an invisible calculating GM that stands up to the old-guard “we just need more effort” coaches of the world.
Lighthouse Hockey: You say that like Streit and Okposo were important to this team.
Right on Dom...
That’s the word right there.
Go find yourself an open door.
by The Black Map on Oct 6, 2010 12:26 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah. It also prevents teams from putting the Ryan Parents and Tambellini’s of the world in the AHL forever just in case they need them. While I think Parent is to blame, I agree he deserves a shot at the NHL to prove how much bad he is.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Where Grabner =/= Tambelleni
I realize the play styles are the same, but there’s one big difference. There’s no pressure on Grabner to be successful. That I think was part of why Moulson and Schremp were good last year. Tambi was the Islanders last tie to the whole Luongo/Olli trade debacle and I think in hoping to salvage something from Mark Parrish people put high hopes on Tambi (or that in the long term a change in GM and general team logic put Tambi outside of what the Isles wanted)
Just like last year there’s no downside to adding Grabner just like Schremp. No matter how you shake it, 90% of the time first rounders have an elite talent level. Even Mr Bust himself Alexandre Daigle is in the top 25 of the 93 Draft in Points.
When will the hurting stop?
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
Speaking of Parrish
He hit the waiver wire today also…but he may be headed to retirement at this point.
The New York Islanders- Give us your scraps and we'll give you a scrappy team.
38 Points in 50 AHL games last year
He might give the AHL one more shot, that’s a respectable total
Wow, I had no idea he was only 33.
When will the hurting stop?
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
33!
Wow, me neither. You’d think he could still fill some kind of role at that age but I guess not. (I honestly haven’t even seen him skate in years.)
Lighthouse Hockey: You say that like Streit and Okposo were important to this team.
I'm confused.
Everything I have just read about this guy makes me feel like he is a younger/taller tambellini. Only difference is that I hope isn’t streaky like tambellini or we are all screwed. Small, not-physical, good skater, goal-scoring hands, and subpar on D. THAT IS TAMBELLINI’S GAME, but that’s not horrible because tambellini had his time and this kid has had very little nhl time. It’s a good pick up for depth and the ahl, but I don’t have a lot of faith or hopes in him to be honest. He is a tambellini type and was put on waivers because he wasn’t good enough to start for the Florida Panthers. You did hear that right, the projected worst/worst-offensive team in the east that traded away and lost a lot of offense in the offseason has cut this guy. He has potential, tambellini potential, but he could become a bust. No harm no foul in the pickup right now though. Not a bad move, but definitely no “omg, our savior”. I’d project him from career ahler to 2nd line goal scoring forward. BUT I HAVE LITTLE EXPECTATIONS FOR HIM AND SO SHOULD EVERYONE ELSE. I don’t know about him making the team right away, but he has a shot.
Go isles or Go home.
by OzzyFan on Oct 5, 2010 6:05 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
He is a tambellini type and was put on waivers because he wasn’t good enough to start for the Florida Panthers.
That is presumption.
How about this for another just as if not even more likely possibility:
New GMs want their own guys. He was brought in right before Tallon took over. Talloncares more about his own guys and guys who the organization already has attachments to. He is neither.
Nothing personal to you, this is meant more in general- but Why the hell do we have to always compare a player to some schmuck from the Isles past? How about he isnt tambellini, he is just himself?
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Oct 5, 2010 6:30 PM EDT up reply actions
I know what your saying,
but being cut/waived by a team is just that. Whether from liking his-own veterans/players or because the kid wasn’t good enough/ready, he didn’t make one of the worst offensive teams in the nhl starting roster. Plain and simple.
I only compared him to tambellini because his scouting report is almost identical to tambellini’s. He’s the same player, but younger and with promise. He’s not tambellini because he is younger and has potential while tambellini is very close to becoming a career ahler. But I definitely see where you are coming from.
Go isles or Go home.
This is my take on it. Maybe Grabner will be a bust, I don’t know. But Tallon is a pretty notorious size queen and any player that has “soft” anywhere near his scouting report is going to be shown the door almost immediately. Remember, Tallon reportedly started shopping Weiss almost immediately, and Weiss is an exceptional 2nd line center and highly underrated. He doesn’t have great size, so Tallon wanted to replace him (but Tallon gave an unproven David Bolland a very generous extension under the presumption that his skill would someday grow to match his frame).
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Size queen
I completely forgot about that angle. I was thinking of DeBoer but neglected Tallon’s size fetish. Interesting.
I swear to god if Tallon really did shop Weiss around, that franchise will never climb back up. I bet Tallon thinks Adam Creighton was a Hall of Famer who just didn’t get the right opportunity.
Lighthouse Hockey: You say that like Streit and Okposo were important to this team.
Heck, Horton to Boston surprised me
Good player, young, signed reasonably (five more years at $4 mil per). I thought he would have been a fine first-line solution for them. I think he really just got sick of Florida.
When I see that Florida also gave up Greg Campbell and got back Dennis Wideman and a first-round pick? Jeeeeeeepers. Heck, the Isles could have let them keep Campbell and given up a defenseman and a pick! He’s 6’ 2", a good skater (hello size and speed), and with JT feeding him pucks he’d have topped forty goals.
It doesn’t hurt that he married a model – we have to replace Carol Alt in the stands!
Quickly moving up the depth chart
I didn’t get the Horton move, although I occasionally read implications that he’d asked out.
Lighthouse Hockey: You say that like Streit and Okposo were important to this team.
In regards to streaky I just don’t know…but I do know that 3 of his 5 NHL goals came in the same game so read that as you want. He will not be in Bridgeport. He will be on the team until KO gets back(at least). The Islanders claimed him off waivers at the pro level. If they want to try and send him down he will go back on waivers. At that point Florida can reclaim him and put him in the AHL themselves and even if they don’t he will have to clear all the other teams. He will be on the starting roster without a doubt; they wouldn’t have bothered claiming him otherwise.
He and PA will fight it out for the next 3 months and the winner gets to stay and the loser will likely be released (unless they both thrive and one can be traded).
The New York Islanders- Give us your scraps and we'll give you a scrappy team.
Yes there is a pattern here
If you can’t or won’t try to improve your team with established players from other teams and yes that costs money and involves risk, than go with discards. Its like piking up old lottery slips from the street and hope someone missed rubbing off a winning number. Once in a great while you hear stories of how someone hit the jackpot that way. I’m hoping we find a diamond in the rough but thats not the way a GM builds a winning NHL team. Its really pathetic for us to be fans of a team that is being run that way. Sure you can point to Moulson, but please Garth please get us some real players. Otherwise I think the the thing on sale this season will be discounted tickets to fill empty seats ar the NVMC.
I still hold out hope for a cap trade
We are getting down to the wire and quite a few teams need to clear room. Calgary is getting desperate and they have a lot of NTC on their roster. Niklas Hagman could be available. Cory Sarich is likely available too. The Devils have been discussed in detail. Vancouver should make it under if Salo is on LTIR but will need to clear that money eventually. I’m a fan of Bieska if he’s available.
The New York Islanders- Give us your scraps and we'll give you a scrappy team.
That would be a good thing to do,
just not sure of garth’s/wang’s internal budget.
Go isles or Go home.
Why would you give up the assets it will take to acquire a quality player if you aren’t in a position to really contend? None of those players put you over the top so you’re just giving away draft picks to bring in a guy like Bieksa. For what? To make the fans feel like you are trying to do something even if you know it’s ultimately meaningless? You may get some of those guys for cheap because their respective GMs have no leverage, but I still don’t think it makes sense from a NYI perspective.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
It would be somewhat meaningless this year,
but in the longterm it is definitely worth it. Next year, given the right addittions and cuts, we should be a playoff team. Add a quality player this year or next, and we should be a somewhat stanley cup contending playoff team. As long as the player is of the right age and will-sign/is-signed for a few years, then I am a strong believer on a trade like this being far from meaningless.
Go isles or Go home.
You keep bringing this up
I keep asking: Exactly who available this summer could and should the Islanders have brought in? Who are the “real players” that were there for the Isles’ taking this summer?
Got any who didn’t elect to take big money on July 1? Any meaningful upgrades? I’m serious. You keep mentioning “established players from other teams,” and I want to know who I missed this summer. By my recollection, there were a handful of semi-prime UFAs on the market (zero franchise players, unless you go with Ilya), and they all went for serious money from contending teams (and several of them, we’re told, received comparable offers from the Isles). Who should be on the Islanders roster right now?
Free agency isn’t a candy catalog, it’s an auction where the best items get to pick who buys them.
Lighthouse Hockey: You say that like Streit and Okposo were important to this team.
by Dominik on Oct 5, 2010 8:53 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Yea
But if you want candy you have to pay for it. The bottom line that I think we and most fans on these boards agree on is that until we get a new building we are only going to get what used to be called penny candy. Your blog is well named because the two thousand pound gorilla in the room is a terrible old plant that keeps fans and stars away. What’s particularly depressing is there seems to be no progress not even rumours on that front. The point that CW says we are here until 2015 is really an ambiguous statement if you are looking at the future of the team after that date. In the meantime are we in Limbo for the next four years, Now that is a depressing thought.
I understand the small budget frustration
…and the depressing nature of being hamstrung by uncertainty in all its forms, venue and municipality probably first of all.
But you’re still not telling me who the Islanders should have added this summer! Are you just saying they should have added the big names who signed elsewhere? If so, then yeah, the building and image sucks, so the big names don’t like us, and that reality smarts. I guess that combined with the fact we have no idea about the next venue is depressing. (Although personally I don’t worry about it much; odds are against the Isles leaving the area, and there are several hockey seasons for me to enjoy between now and then anyway.)
But my hopes lie in the free agents who are available when Tavares, Okposo, Bailey, Niederreiter, de Haan (or whichever among those and other drafts does not bust) are in their prime. That’s the Islanders window. Right now is just foundation building and intensive evaluation of what’s in the cupboard.
Lighthouse Hockey: You say that like Streit and Okposo were important to this team.
Head Slamming Repeatedly into the Wall
Look, I keep hearing over and over about how the Islanders can’t attract Free Agents because of the Coliseum. I’ve rarely if ever heard a UFA spouting about the “New” or “Upgraded” Facilities at a stadium. It’s Not just the NHL, you can look at the NBA, NFL, MLB and 99% of the time when someone signs with a new team the first thing you hear is about winning championships or bringing winners to town.
If the Islanders had Crosby and the record of the Penguins over the last three seasons, Free Agents would be flocking to Snows door begging to sign with the team so they can win a cup. They would want to sign cap friendly deals in order to be on a championship caliber team. They wouldn’t care if girders from the ceiling were falling onto the ice during practice, they’d have a smile on their face and still play for the Islanders.
Now you can either be a good team and naturally attract free agents or you can be the Rangers and offer ridiculous deals for every mediocre player on the Market.
When will the hurting stop?
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
I don't buy the "facilities" issue either
But I do see it as a symptom of some serious questions any play/agent would raise before signing here.
1) Unstable future: Are the Isles going to be sold? Move in a year or 2? The owner has publicly stated he “regrets” buying the team.
2) Support facilities. They have a crappy stadium, they won’t spend on a radio broadcast etc etc. I wonder how comparatively good their training facilites & equipment, support staff (ie trainers, physical therapists etc) are?
3) Marketing/profile: Once a year autograph signing at smithhaven mall?
4) Playoff time: Rather be scoring or golfing?
5) Smallish lineup that lets its players get pushed around
This is a good flier
No downside to this one and maybe you catch another RSH in a bottle.
MGH!!!
by AP77 on Oct 5, 2010 6:15 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I like the move
After reading articles on Parenteau and now some of the stuff on Grabner, it makes me wonder if Moulson set the bar a little high for these kinds of pickups. It’s great to take the low-risk/high-reward approach. Feel bad for the guys toiling away in our own system trying to pay their own dues, but such is life. Here’s hoping he IS Moulson II, or are we up to Mouson VI at this point?
The way I see it
Setting the bar high would be EXPECTING things to work out ala Moulson. The most obvious sign of that would be if they picked up just one guy and banked that he would be another Moulson. I think what the Isles are doing is far more realistic. If you want to find a diamond int he rough, you have to look at more than one handful of dirt.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Oct 5, 2010 6:33 PM EDT up reply actions
agreed, moulson 2 is expecting too much.
Go isles or Go home.
by OzzyFan on Oct 5, 2010 8:28 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Good point
I agree completely that you’ve gotta cast a wide net in order to catch a few keepers. Maybe it’s just the pessimist in me trying to reel in my own expectations for these guys. OK, enough of my fishing analogy.
Fishing analogy...........I
like it!!! But we need to be going out in boats that are going for big marlins and tuna, instead of doing what we are now which is looking thru netfulls of minows searching for medium size keepers.
That you remember either of them impresses me
When will the hurting stop?
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
There goes another "diamond in the rough"
Why is it that every time I look at Snow I hear this.
Home after 19 years of being away. Now to find a job.
My god
It’s sad how much I loved that show and its theme song. Seriously. Puts me in a good mood every time. (Probably fitting for an Isles fan.)
Lighthouse Hockey: You say that like Streit and Okposo were important to this team.
Turks favorite!
♪ Quiet down now ♪
♫ ‘cause its time to watch the show ♫
♪ Now its startting ♪
♫ Don’t be lickin me no more. ♫
♪ In fact, could-ya-please give me a Handy Wipe? ♪
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Oct 6, 2010 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Excellent..
But I would have to say that in this dynamic Snow is Lamont… the level headed son whose plans are constantly thwarted by the poor decisions of his father.
Hey son, I just got us something that will get us out of here forever.
Whatcha talkin about pop? Look at this, I just picked up this six pack of Moulson for $1…
You gotta stop dreamin’ small son. Here, look at this DiPietro I got. Two kids came by and said
I could rent it for two or three years, but I bought it… doesn’t it look great on the television.
COME ON POP!!!… YOU BOUGHT IT????…. and look here…. (SIGH!!!!)…it’s got a crack… we’ll never sell this thing now. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?
Look you dummy… we don’t have to sell it… we can just use it to hold the antenna… look here… see what a good picture we get now.
Come on pop… it’s still all fuzzy and you can hardly hear it.
Oh… that’s just MSG+2!
It’s like magic… without the rabbit crap in your hat!
by JPinVA on Oct 6, 2010 7:21 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
This is the big one!
Oh Bill Torrey, I’m coming up to the rafters to be with you!
Quickly moving up the depth chart
Perfect. “Lamong Snow,” the glossary is calling…
Lighthouse Hockey: You say that like Streit and Okposo were important to this team.
Fred G Wang… and the G is for Lighthouse!
Lamont Snow… Driving the truck solo for four years now.
Grady Gordon… “Grady… didn’t you know you had a time out there?” “Of course Fred, hiccup, but if I stopped the game there, hiccup, I’d have had to pull Ricky, and you told me never to pull Ricky”
Bubba Kumar… “Look Bubba, here’s $180M for your half of the team… but being that you’re gonna be in jail I’ll just hold it for you… I’ve got a friend named Madhoff… I’m going to give it to him so you’rll have something when you get out”
Aunt Esther Murray… “Esther, you so ugly you make the junkyards across from citiField look good!”
It’s like magic… without the rabbit crap in your hat!
I assume the idea is offensive top-six candidate and PP minutes.
But it may be a “let him learn our system in practice, then let them fight it out” thing like Schremp.
If I had to bet tonight:
Comeau/JT/Parenteau
Bailey/Nielsen/Hunter [tough minutes line]
Moulson/Weight/Grabner or Niederreiter
Nino’s (assumed) nine games gives them time to evaluate him and Parenteau in games and Grabner in practice and/or games.
Lighthouse Hockey: You say that like Streit and Okposo were important to this team.
Dom, If Grabner is a reserve and makes the team, then he doesn't need to clear waivers right?
If so, then there’s a possibility he is a reserve with gillies and the starting lineup is whatever.
Go isles or Go home.
What do you mean by reserve?
Going through waivers doesnt have to do with whether you play the guy or not, but where he is assigned.
Maybe Im not understanding you?
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Oct 6, 2010 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions
Ok thanks. That's what I wanted cleared up.
I just wanted to make sure there was no clause that he needed to be in the starting lineup on opening night or put on waivers. So he just needs to be on the nhl roster then, thanks.
Go isles or Go home.
Oh OK
I see what you were saying now.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Oct 6, 2010 12:15 PM EDT up reply actions
I like this grab for you guys.
In an Ideal world, I would have all ten fingers on my left hand so my right hand could just be a fist for punching.
by BL3ACH on Oct 8, 2010 6:15 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I come...FROM THE FUTURE!
And I gotta say…you’re gonna like this Grabner guy.
P.S…invest in snow shovels. December and January are gonna suuuuuck.
THE FUTURE HAS SPOKEN!
by kfallon2 on Mar 20, 2011 1:15 AM EDT reply actions 5 recs
Nice :)
The future is weird. Lots of crazy stuff goin’ on.
Lighthouse Hockey: Send us your cold, your poor, your healthy goalies.
Hope all is well, Dominik from the past,
If you find a young girl named Rebecca Black in your travels, please advise her to stay in school for a while. The song she’s working on needs some fine tuning
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ha, this whole thread is great.
The Spinal Tap references, Snow being Lamont, us all agreeing that expecting grabs to be “Moulson-like” is expecting far too much, I love it.
December and January are gonna suuuuuck.
Not as bad as November til mid December!
Oh- and be sure to get tickets to the Feb 11th Pens game. You can thank me IN THE FUTURE!
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Mar 20, 2011 1:27 AM EDT up reply actions
Another Message from the Future:
remember that guy who was drafted 6th overall by the rangers?
yeah hell be our best goalie this season
hes not even on the team you say?
ohhh boy are you in for a surprise
"Mario Lemiuex… I used to respect you."- Turgeon1992
by Zhora on Mar 20, 2011 1:37 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
On that note...
Dear Rick DiPietro,
Please watch for the left hook.
Sincerely,
Brent (Mayweather) Johnson
by nyislanders93 on Mar 20, 2011 1:52 AM EDT up reply actions
and dont forget to buy some aluminum foil for Feb 11th
"Mario Lemiuex… I used to respect you."- Turgeon1992
Bad news
This thread is now being used to prove that the Islanders’ actions on February 11 were premeditated and predestined, informed by knowledge of the future. An obscure provision in the CBA prohibits messages from the future influencing current events, primarily to prevent gambling scandals. Under terms of this provision, the Isles must forfeit any game in which Grabner scored or assisted, and all his points from this season are being assigned to Sidney Crosby so he can win the scoring title. The Isles are also penalized their first-round draft picks from 1973-1977, meaning that there’s no dynasty, either.
(You thought it was an accident there weren’t any History Will Be Made promos from the Isles’ Cups? There were no commercials because there WASN’T any history; it never happened; behold the awesome might of Bettman and despair, ye mortals.)
Fast strikers, give the defenders difficulty!
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
by mikb on Mar 21, 2011 3:31 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
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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.
