Islanders Draft Talk: Gimme a forward, gimme a defenseman
by Dominik on May 24, 2010 1:56 AM EDT
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If you only check the central column on this site, you might have missed a lot of Islanders-centric draft talk in user-posted FanPosts lately. This topic will obviously dominate more and more over the next month until Garth Snow announces on June 25, "With the 5th overall pick, the New York Islanders trade down select..."
Just so I don't mislead you: I'm by no means a draft wonk and don't aspire to be one. I'll share the resources I come across and will certainly toss in my own long-term-oriented opinion, but when it comes to looking at 18-year-olds and guessing what kind of professional hockey players they will be at age 24, I'm from the school of "Wake me up when they've made it to the show."
That said, the Islanders need to continue building strength at both forward and defense. In terms of this summer's draft, I don't see a magic bullet that can accomplish both -- though we can dream -- nor a burning organizational need that supersedes the other. Whatever Snow & Co. choose to do with that first pick at #5 (should they keep it), I don't imagine a scenario where they can trade up far enough with their second pick to guarantee they've addressed both needs in their first two selections.
In other words, maybe their first pick can help the team next year, or at least by 2011-12. But the Islanders' second draft pick next month is going to be a longer-term project -- not someone you can say, "Okay, mark him down as part of the core." It's too unpredictable, and there's too much work to do before that second pick becomes a player.
Anyway, here's a survey of what commenters around here have discussed leading up to the draft (if I left anyone out, let me know). Skim those posts and comments to check the pulse, and weigh in yourself:
- BC's listing of the current draft order (reflecting the playoffs final four)
- Judgegavel's FanPost/poll on whom to take at #5
- BC's FanPost and poll from April on what the draft might look like
- And for fun: WebBard's poll of the worst drafts in Isles history
NHL Draft Resources
To do your own homework on who's out there and learn what some guy says about some kid who's going to be the next Mike Richards or some such (ever notice how every junior coach is really high on his most important player?), here are some very useful links and references:
- Lots of 2010 prospects (not just the top ones) are getting profiled at various SBN hockey sites. Western College Hockey Blog is keeping an updated list of all of them right here. Many offer solid insight as well as links to several scouting reports around the Web.
- The latest version of the ISS top 30 prospect ranking [TSN]
- CSB master list of all ranked "domestic" and international skaters and goalies [THN]
- Central Scouting rankings as listed at NHL.com's draft hub, with all their features
Happy speculating. Do share your theories and preferences here and in those other threads. Personally, my choice for the #5 pick is ... a kid who will help the Isles for a long time. Head screwed on straight is a plus. (Count me as gun-shy about Connolly's health, intrigued by Gudbranson, and 100% confident Snow and Jankowski will have a better idea than I do.)
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Unlike Dom,
I am a total draft wonk. Without going into detail, there are several players I would target in this draft. For our first pick, I am stuck between Gudbranson and Niederreiter and it isn’t just a matter of talent. They both have it as do a number of other players who will go early in the first round. There is a Bible verse that I recite every morning: Jeremiah 20:9. It talks about having fire in the bones. Dynasty Islanders like Kenny M. had it. That’s what kept him going in the playoffs when he could barely stand between periods but never missed a shift on the ice. From what I have seen of these two, they have it as well.
It is a close call between these two. And it may not be a choice Garth gets to make. I am confident that Niederreiter will be on the board when we pick, but Gudbranson could be gone. In fact, all three NHL.COM mock drafts have Florida picking him at #3. I have decided that the scout quoted by THN may just be right in calling Niederreiter “superman”. In any event, he is probably the best PF Garth will ever have a chance to draft, another Marian Hossa, and that is exactly what Garth should do.
I am hopeful that Garth will be able to work a trade, perhaps involving either Bergy or Schremp, that will get us back into the first round. He should then move into the mid first and get Dylan McIlrath. He has been called the toughest guy in this draft, maybe the toughest guy to come along in the draft in quite some time and he just the sort to keep forwards from intimidating our goaltenders. Avery tries punching this guy and he’ll leave the ice on a stretcher. Both Niederreiter and McIlrath should be NHL-ready this year or next.
My third target would be Teemu Pulkkinen. I have been pushing him since before I ever heard of Nino. His stock had slipped a bit and THN has him going at #50. Others have him going earlier, but if he is still around in the second round and we have a pick left after getting McIlrath, I would grab him. He is smallish, but doesn’t mind mixing it up in traffic areas and is a flat out sniper. THN suggested that the team that drafts Granlund in the first round get him in the second as they have great chemistry on the Finn national junior squad, but Granlund reminds me an awful lot of our Frans. In fact, you could put Frans, Nino, and Teemu on a line together and call it the EU line. Then there is Bailey and Petrov. I understand that there is a vodka named Petrov and I am sure that some onventive person who knows mixed drinks better than this teetotaling deacon could think up a good name for their line.
So I assume you’re at the point where if Gudbranson is gone, you’d take Nino over Gormley, and Connolly is too risky.
Looking at the teams picking 20-30 in the 1st round, I just can’t picture which team would be inclined to trade down, but I guess it depends on whom they fancy.
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Trading down partner.
I could see Atlanta or Tampa trading up if they see that either of their targets are in jeopardy of leaving the board before their turn. I can also see Snow trying to trade down for some additional picks. Watching Gormley was interesting as he seems to have great box out ability against the smaller competition but then again he was playing with Hall and not against him.
Speaking of which that memorila cup final was atrocious. It started out with a decent first period and then just went straight to the crapper. However it was fun to watch some of the top prospects in that game. However, I am not convinced that Snow would sold on Gormley. I could be wrong, as I usually am, but I just don’t see him taking him unless he can’t find a trade down partner. Last year Snow traded up to get deHaan because he was the only projected D man for approximately 6-10 slots and they obviously got a good look at him while scouting Tavares. This year there are a number of D men littering the first round. So, it is not so obvious as to what Garth would do. In fact since he feels that he may have options he could really play the field and shock everyone.
Gormley seems to be aided by some really tenacious backchecking. It is hard to predict how effective he will be when he is put on a line without Schremp, Frans, (what used to be) Park or whatever other tenacious backchecker is on his line. I still don’t know the difference between Gormley and the other 200+ lbs D men projected for the middle of the first round. I know that BC will probably say skill level but the other guys are listed as being a little bit heavier than Gormley and to me it seems that the Isles would be focusing on some size/weight in this draft.
Joe Thornton should be drug tested or checked to see if an imposter has taken over his jersey.
by metalcoconut on May 24, 2010 11:21 AM EDT up reply actions
Gormley
The word on Gormley from those who praise him seems to center around his all-around game. That he’s not flashy in any single category because he doesn’t need to be. They invoke Lidstrom just for comparison’s sake (for a long time in the ‘90s people seemed to not realize just how great Lidstrom is because there was no flash), but of course projecting overall hockey sense at that age — and in the Q — is a helluva gamble when it’s your prime pick.
Apparently the Isles really value their psych eval’s of the prospects though, so if they’re looking at D and they see it as close, then their choice may turn on that.
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Here's the tricky thing with a trade down
Tampa will likely be looking for a puck mover like Gormley and Atlanta will likely be looking at Nino. So if I decide on a forward, I do not trade down to #8 but I see if Tampa will give up one of its two early thirds. If I am going defense, I don’t trade down at all but thank my lucky stars if the guy I want is there at #5.
+1
early on I thought trading down was a big option, with the obvious target being Nino, but his stock has risen to high. We need to take the best player we’ve identified at 5, even if its Nino, because he will not drop much lower than that.
To me
Nino and Gudbranson are pick-em talentwise and intangiblewise. Hamonic MIGHT be able to fill the role of big, physical top pairing guy, but there is nobody in our system that can compare with Nino as a PF. So I might trade down one spot to TB, let them take Gudbranson, and grab Nino.
Most likely scenario for getting a late first rounder would be if a team like Chicago sees Bergy or Schremp as better than anyone they’d pick up with their pick and wants to dump salary.
Who trades down one spot though?
Isn’t it always a jump of at least two spots, since it’s that third team in between that the team who moves up is worried about?
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one way I see it is if
FL and CLB take Gudbranson and Fowler. TB might be worried about not getting the puck mover they want and might try to tempt Garth with either their #63 from FL or their #66.
So...
Essentially Stevie $12 Million Y calls Snow and says, “If by chance you’re torn about your decision, we’ll give you an extra pick to let us make it for you.”? I could picture that. I trust Snow is practicing his poker face.
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combine starts today, the prospect talk heats up… and connolly, well, sh!t if tyson can fight with a broken back then…
who knew that when the court takes your license away, they ACTUALLY take you license away??? (now how am i supposed to provide proof of ID???)
Ah Tyson
He is always worth a hyperlink. That poor reporter. How do you tell an unstable man that you are not a Dr. but that you know that his back isn’t broken?
Joe Thornton should be drug tested or checked to see if an imposter has taken over his jersey.
by metalcoconut on May 24, 2010 11:45 AM EDT up reply actions
Is his defense inpregnible?
That reporter is nuisance but he always manages to stir the pot in a geeky, I’m looking for attention sort of way. He seems to ask the question that just went to far and the player makes the decision to either ignore it or just let him have it. So he makes for some interesting interviews if nothing else.
However I believe that he is a dork with a mic.
Joe Thornton should be drug tested or checked to see if an imposter has taken over his jersey.
by metalcoconut on May 24, 2010 12:38 PM EDT up reply actions
jim grey right? same guy who blindsided pete rose at baseballs greatest gathering of all-time greats for the 2000 all-millennium team… so pete u want to apologize now for gambling? - whatadouche!
who knew that when the court takes your license away, they ACTUALLY take you license away??? (now how am i supposed to provide proof of ID???)
Speaking of scouting
On the pro level anyway: Interesting opinions from Rick Dudley in Atlanta. I’m glad he’s a GM again, because he’s a different sort of rink rat so it will be a fun experiment to watch.
"Dan Boyle was a smallish defenseman. Mike Keenan was the coach of Florida and he wouldn’t play him much. I talked to Chuck Fletcher, the interim GM there, and he was very honest. He said our coach won’t play him. I said what do you want for him. He said I don’t know. I said I’ll get back to you. I watched him play seven straight games. He played about three minutes a game. In those three minutes for seven straight games I had to make an evaluation as to whether this guy could help us. I came to the conclusion he could. I had to fight like hell with my bosses in Tampa, but we made the trade for a fifth-round draft pick. Well, you look at the player now, and I could not have done that on someone else’s say so. That comfort level wouldn’t have been there for a smaller D-man. The natural assumption is that he can’t play for the Florida Panthers so why would you be so excited about this player. The truth is he was in a circumstance.
There’s more at that link, plus a full-blown feature on the guy I still see as “that guy who coached the Sabres for a while.”
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Nino's showing at the Worlds
I’m no draft wonk, either, not at all. And I’m very reluctant to guess what kind of players these young guys will be in a few years. Even for Nino, who I know relatively well. But I can give a quick review about the Worlds from Nino’s point of view. He was dressed in the first four games, then spent the three final ones in the press box. And he actually got ice time only in the first two games against Latvia and Italy. The performance against Latvia was pretty bad, he wasn’t noticeable at all, seemed to be tentative and slow. He then improved a bit against Italy, was involved a bit more, but also took a couple of penalties and as said didn’t see the ice anymore until the end of the tournament.
Well, Nino surely is more effective on the smaller rink and I was disappointed as much by how they handled him as by Nino himself. But in sum, it didn’t work out very well. They never found a role for him, actually not even tried to, it seemed towards the end. They relied heavily on defensive specialists for the 3rd and 4th lines and didn’t want to give Nino an offensive role. So, it was a tough tournament for him, but he also didn’t bring enough and for now, I don’t think he’ll play in the NHL already next season.
Whether I’d take him over Gormley for example, no idea, as I don’t know these other guys. But I’m not sure if he’ll be taken as high as some suggest. He surely is the most talented Swiss forward ever and he’s different from almost all other Swiss forwards indeed. And basically, it doesn’t matter where one comes from. But let’s not forget Streit is still the only Swiss player who’s established himself in the NHL – and he did it not the usual way. Every other Swiss has struggled, either to accept a certain role or due to a lack of talent or due to the different game on the smaller rink. Yes, Nino is different, but well, some might still be reluctant to take him. However, as for the Islanders, I’d hope there is something better out there Snow could do with a #5 pick.
Have you watched him at all this past year?
He has dominated everywhere he has gone…all through his season with Portland where he was the main reason they were a contender…at the WJC….at the Prospects game…and in the playoffs. So he had a tournament playing against adults where even you admit that he wasn’t used properly? That’s your basis for the Isles passing on him and him dropping out of the top ten? Well, like you said, you are not a draft wonk. He may or may not make the Isles squad if he is drafted this season, but he would be a lock for 2011-12 and he would go on to be the most talented PF the Isles have ever had. Seems like a good choice for the #5 pick to me.
No. Read again.
That’s your basis for the Isles passing on him and him dropping out of the top ten?
Calm down. He gave a review of Nino’s play at the WC — a pretty balanced one, in fact.
Then he mentioned that he hopes something is better out there for Snow with a pick to use on one of the top-five prospects in the world. Don’t jump his review just because he thinks the Isles could do better with the #5 pick.
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read it very carefully and his assessment of Nino's limited ice time at the Worlds may be spot on BUT
he thinks that the Isles should pass on Nino because of one tournament where even he admits that the Swiss used him poorly. I am basing my assessment that the Isles should go for him on a whole year where he was absolutely great—the THN scout quote of superman wasn’t entirely hyperbole.
It doesn't say that though.
He talks about the tournament (and about knowing Nino pretty well) as a basis to say after watching Nino with adults he doesn’t think he’ll play in the NHL next year.
THEN he talks about other reasons why he doesn’t think Nino will go as high as some say. There are different arguments in there.
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Thanks, Dom, that’s exactly the way I meant it.
I definitely don’t think that the Islanders should pass because of Nino’s showing at this tournament. If you read my other things about the Worlds, you know that I stressed multiple times how careful I’d be to draw any conclusions concerning the potential or improvement of NHL players.
I saw nothing substantive about him other than his play at the Worlds
just some stuff about Switzerland never producing a forward.
btw Did you notice Martin Marincin at #34?
THN has some NHL scouts speculating on him becoming another Chara. If the Isles keep their #35 pick and he is on the board, might be a good pick.
I did
Though I’m not eager to wait as long as it took for Chara to develop!
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uuuh...
Yes, I have. And I watched him already last season, when he played a few games with Davos in Switzerland. I know his qualities and saw him dominating various competitions, but I also know where he comes from and what his education was. I’m more than happy that he left Switzerland last summer to play in the WHL, although many people in Switzerland proposed otherwise. That’s by far the best way for a Swiss hockey player to become a respectable player in the NHL. He definitely learned a lot this year and proved to be quick at learning indeed. But it was one year and I’m pretty sure there still are lots of little things he has deficits on compared to some Canadians for example. The education in Canada really is much, much better and a 16-year old Canadian just knows much more about the game. Nino can catch up on that obviously, maybe has done so already to a big part and other things might be more important when evaluating him, but I just can’t leave it out.
I hope as much as you that Nino will have a very good career in the NHL and I give him a good chance to succeed indeed, but let’s face it, he comes from a country, which hasn’t produced a single NHL forward so far. This plus a review of his showing at the Worlds is all I wanted to tell. Plus that I think that partly because of this some (not all) scouts and GM’s might not rate him as high as some media/fans.
Finally, do you know any study about how first-round picks (or any picks) met expectations in the NHL? I’d be interested to see differences between North Americans and Europeans. I have the feeling that Europeans taken between say 5 and 20 don’t exactly meet expectations as well as the North Americans taken in that range. As said, just a feeling… But the scouts/GM’s normally know more about the North Americans than about the Europeans, don’t they? I feel some Europeans might be overrated because of good WJC showings, etc. Again, I’m not saying that this will be happening with Nino. He’s a special kid and has a good chance to meet expectations, but the draft is all about chances and risks, isn’t it? As we know, I’m not a draft wonk… So, I don’t know how equal some of the other guys are, but in my opinion Nino might be a more risky pick than perhaps Gormley or whoever and I just hope the Islanders won’t take too much risk with their what hopefully will be last pick as high as #5 for years.
Interesting theory
I know of a few surveys of draft picks over time (usually judged by # of NHL games played) — but it was more in regards to their position in the draft (and the position they play) rather than their country of origin. I have a few sources I can check with to see if there is anything to that.
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cool
From my other comments here you probably will get an idea of what I exactly mean. I just think that the scouts/GM’s know the North American players better and that Europeans therefore aren’t estimated as well as North Americans and thus more often get picked too early – or of course also too late.
The top 5 might not be concerned very much, as those are obviously very talented players who almost always just about meet expectations or at least have good careers in the NHL indeed. But from #5 to particularly #20 and perhaps even #60-90 there could be a difference.
But as said, it’s mainly what I feel when I go through the drafts in this past decade. I seem to see quite many Europeans in those ranges who never had a big role in the NHL and at the same time I see hardly any Europeans between #5 and #60 which should have been taken considerably higher in retrospective.
But then again, this might a problem of the past already and the scouts/GM’s have adjusted meanwhile. We can’t tell yet of course how the last few drafts will turn out, but there at least have been fewer Europeans picked in the first round and that’s why we probably can assume that not as many have been overrated anymore lately.
But then again, this might a problem of the past already and the scouts/GM’s have adjusted meanwhile.
Could be, to some extent — but I think you may be right. Teams are recently investing more wisely in Euro scouting, but it’s still a bigger risk in that way because the game is so much more closely watched here. Any prospect here has many more opinionated (and connected, in terms of the scouting/management community) eyes on him.
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yeah but with Nino again it isn't much of an issue
He has been over here for a year playing North American hockey and NA scouts have been able to see for themselves.
anybody in this draft has some risk to him...even Taylor Hall
Actually it was the scouts who started the interest in Nino long before the WJC tourney. The media—fan frenzy really only started with his performance at the WJCs. You say you followed his career in Davos. Well, he was getting a point a game there and Portland’s scouts liked him well enough from his time there that they expended several picks to move up to get him. It was a scout who told THN that Nino is like superman. It was Portland junior fans who have watched their team forever and who saw Hossa play there as a junior who have noted that he compares well with Hossa at that stage in his career. So the idea that Nino is a media creation is just wrong.
Some Euro players are reluctant to make the jump across the Atlantic and some that do struggle to adapt to a different style of play and to the greater competition level and the greater physical and emotional demands of the NA game—especially at the NHL level. This seems especially true of Russian players for some reason. We know all about Yash and the Filatov story is quite familiar as is this year’s problem child Kirill Kabanov. None of that applies to Nino. He very willingly made the jump as Mark Streit (who apparently told one of our bloggers that he thinks Nino would be a good choice at #5) and, after a few games where he struggled, kicked butt all season long. He has done everything asked of him quite well. Yes, he may have struggled at the Worlds, but even you admitted that he was poorlt used and how many players his age were even invited? He MIGHT need another year of juniors before he is ready, but IMHO, he would be a great pick for the Isles.
Oh, it surely was the scouts who discovered him first. To say something else would be crazy, but that’s the same for almost everyone who has a chance to be a first-round pick, isn’t it? So, he’s surely not only a media/fan creation, I never claimed that, but I do think that the average media/fan would take him earlier than the average GM/scout. Based on that and thinking that the average media/fan would take him at around #6-7 I have doubts he finally indeed will be taken that early.
You’re right about the Russian players and my point sort of was that something similar can be said about the Swiss. As mentioned, they haven’t produced a single NHL forward and that means something has to be wrong with their education or their (hockey) mentality. Obviously, as in Russia, also in Switzerland individuals can overcome this and still have a splendid NHL career. And it’s true, Nino seems to be different. He’s more focused, more talented and better suited for the game on the smaller rink than any other Swiss forward I’ve seen. But you never know, maybe he’ll face a situation, on the ice or off the ice, he can’t handle as well as a Canadian would. Normally, I don’t like this nationality thing at all, Nino is an individual after all, but going into this season he can’t have had the same background as a 17-year old Canadian.
…which brings us to the risk department. That’s one little thing why I think picking Nino could be riskier compared to picking Gormley for example. Again, Nino seems to be fine in terms of that stuff and the scouts obviously know him very well indeed, but they still know Gormley better and thus Nino is in a certain way a riskier pick. You’re right, everyone has some risk to him, but we’d obviously accept additional risk only if that riskier pick has some upside, too. And I’m just not sure if Nino has that upside as much as to be picked over Gormley or Gudbranson or Fowler or whoever.
Regarding Nino’s time in Davos, well, he was getting a point per game in the juniors (which are ridicoulsly weak over here, though). What I referred to was his showing in the playoffs with the National-League team of Davos, where he had 1 assist in 3 games.
Concerning Streit saying Nino would be a good pick at #5, well, I don’t want to claim that guy invented this story, but I’d like to know where exactly he met him because I know where Streit has spent his time and what he’s done recently… Regardless, this could very well be Streit’s opinion indeed. But I’d think he’s watched even fewer matches of Nino than I have…
I think Russia and Switzerland are two different animals in hockey
Russia has produced a wealth of talent, but many of its players have proved tempermemtally unsuited to NA and the NHL. I don’t think that you can say that about Nino. He has adapted quite well and he has improved every year he has played, so it is quite reasonable to suppose that he has considerable upside. He went into this season playing against Canadians 17 years and older and was one of the best players in the league—all year long. Assuming that whoever drafts him DOES return him to juniors for a year, it is reasonable to suppose that he will be even more dominant next year,
As to scouts, they have been everywhere from the mid-teens to #3 as to where he should get picked. Probably he will go between 5 and 10. If the Isles do not pick him, likely Atlanta (#8) or Minnesota (#9) will. The nightmare scenario would be the Rangers picking him at #10. I don’t see him being on the board after #10.
As to Davos, with the Swiss U18 team in 2008, when he was 15?, he had 1-1-2. The following year, he was 3-3-6. There, you see, upside!!!
I don’t recall which of our bloggers made the claim to have met Streit. I do recall that it was at a health club. It is possible to subscribe to WHL games on the web and Mark may have taken a special interest in Nino as he had heeded Mark’s call for Swiss players to come over, was doing so well, and was a potential Islander pick.
Well, upside, Nino is a special kid and has put up some special numbers (though I wouldn’t give the U18 in Switzerland much attention…), no doubt about that. But the interesting question is whether his expected value is that much higher compared to Gormely & Co. to take him over these guys despite (in my opinion) being a more risky pick. All these guys were among the best players in the league, too, weren’t they? Some even for consecutive years. And that’s why some might be better documented than Nino is.
You’re right, Nino has improved consistently. And he’s never been in a hole and has never been injured. Huge credit to him for these things and that’s the reason he certainly will be picked in the first half of round 1. The downside of this is that he’s never had the opportunity to show how he responds to certain things. Obviously, you can’t blame him for that, but it just means a bit of uncertainty. Others have been traded or perhaps cut from a WJC team or at least had to fight hard every year to make the WJC team. Again, I’m not saying Nino would not have responded well to such things – he’s an impressive kid – but he’s played in a competitive world for exactly one year now. And based on that I’m just not sure too many scouts/GM’s would use a top-5 pick on such a player if he isn’t considerably better than someone like Gormley.
Gormley may be the safe choice
You cannot say that from the standpoint of stats about Gudbranson who missed most of this year with mono or Connolly who missed most of the year with injuries or Tarasenko who is under KHL contract or Burmistrov or Granlund who have size issues. We are left then with Fowler assuming he is still on the board and you have to take into account who he was able to pass to throughout his junior career.
So on balance Gormley may be the safe, smart choice (and it is possible that Florida might choose him and make that a moot point). To me, however, these are all players of comparable talent and you have to look at the intangibles. It takes a special character to leave your world behind and cross an ocean. Historians and sociologists have commented on this over the years as one of the things that has made America great. By and large, the people who left Switzerland, Italy, England, Germany, Russia, Poland, and other places to go through Ellis Island—as my Swiss grandmother and English grandfather did—were the mentally toughest and most enterprising in their communities. Of course, you can make too much of that, but I would argue that it does take a special kind of person to make the move he did and do as well as he did.
In sum, Nino is a special player who has excelled everywhere he has gone—save for a few games where he was poorly used in a tourney where he was one of the very few 17 yos playing against star NHL veterans. To me, if you look at his eagerness to get the puck in key situations and his eagerness to move to the most challenging venue possible for a junior hockey player and excelling and Gudbranson’s take charge—no prisoners mentality and his response to his brother’s illness, they are the two who stand out to me.
I see Nino as the first among Euro players over Tarasenko, Burmistrov, Granlund, and, of course, Kabanov. Kabanov might be competing with Hall and Seguin based on talent alone, but he lacks in character and maturity. Again, if Nino is still on the boards after the Rangers pick at #10, I will be astonished.
okay enough hockey talk dom… lost finale… thoughts?
who knew that when the court takes your license away, they ACTUALLY take you license away??? (now how am i supposed to provide proof of ID???)
Confession: I avoided it
That series drove me away in frustration.
But feel free to discuss it here! Been hearing a lot about it today at work.
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whaAAAAaaaaT?
you watched how long and then bailed?
who knew that when the court takes your license away, they ACTUALLY take you license away??? (now how am i supposed to provide proof of ID???)
I became a skeptic after Season 2-3, so I’ve just been keeping tabs off and on since then. Each spiraling storyline/revision of history/counter to what the creators spouted in the beginning turned me off a little more. I am a petulant viewer.
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u heard the meat of the ending though right?
who knew that when the court takes your license away, they ACTUALLY take you license away??? (now how am i supposed to provide proof of ID???)
it was good but not fully rewarding for me… but then again i had found an essay, written in 1881 by walter lloyd (that was walt’s actual last name on the show) it was called the hope of the world, an essay on redemption which spoiled me i think… once i read that essay, i was convinced it was all some journey to be saved, and the essay had passages that seemed like they used the damn thing for the outline of the shows premise… mentioned how humans all are made with a part of god (the light) how he will have infinite patience while he allows us chance after chance to redeem ourselves, how ultimately man wants to be saved, for if he is not saved, he is lost, also how many need to be punished and swalled by the darkness before they realize that they can be saved, and lastly, it mentioned how if there were other worlds, they would be the same, yet different… and lastly how the key component that AWAKENS all who are saved is love…
having all that in my head for 3 years i felt like i knew what was happennning anyway, but yeah, it was good except for the lame way smokey died :-)
who knew that when the court takes your license away, they ACTUALLY take you license away??? (now how am i supposed to provide proof of ID???)
El Nino
“He would go on to be the most talented PF the Isles have ever had”.Better than Jethro?Sign me up if you can get a hall of famer with the #5 pick.I thought that the Kitchener Rangers coach’s evaluation of Jeff Skinner was Spott on.He reminds me a little bit of Mark Parrish only with consistency.Before someone gets all excited about the Parrish comparison,I did mention the word consistency.That was the one thing that kept him from becoming a 40 goal scorer.
Clarkie no doubt was a more physically intimidating force
but I am convinced that Nino is more talented. And as for a HOF at #5, check where Boss and Trots were picked…to say nothing of Smitty.
consistency.That was the one thing that kept him from becoming a 40 goal scorer.
And you could insert Jason Blake and Jonathan Cheechoo into that sentence. Consistency is what separates the great players from the others. Skinner seems like somebody that a team like Boston or Phoenix with multiple first rounders and very deep systems might spend their second picks on. I do not see us using our first pick on him or spending other picks to move up to get him.
Heh, far more than consistency
Blake and Cheechoo are victims of far more than lack of consistency: They had once-in-a-lifetime seasons with ideal shooting luck (Blake) and a world-class centerman (Cheechoo/Thornton). I guess I shouldn’t call them “victims” though — they each cashed in alright on their luck.
I actually find Blake’s effort pretty consistent; there’s just no way he was ever going to shoot 13% on 300 shots in the NHL ever again.
Lighthouse Hockey: Playing the NHL Lotto
I guess my point is
the good hitters may hit .300 or have 40+ plus hrs a few times, the great ones do it consistently. The good runners may have over 1000 yds rushing a few times, the great ones do it consistently. The good forwards may get 40+ goals once or twice, the great ones do it consistently.
El Nino part 2
I can start to see it take shape now.The Hall Of Fame lineup for the 2011-2012 New York Islanders:Mikko Koskinen playing the part of Billy Smith,Nino Niederreiter in the Clark Gillies role,John Tavares as Mike Bossy.Just one question?Who do we get to play Bryan Trottier?I have a feeling if the Isles want to draft Niederreiter that they could probably move back a spot or two and still get him.Moving back three spots mightbe pushing your luck a little bit though.
I was simply responding to your point about getting a HOF player at #5
I mean Zetterberg was picked in like the seventh or eighth round. Nino will be a different kind of player than Clarkie was—and I believe that he is more talented. Clarkie’s claim to fame was that he was a physically intimidating player with some offensive game—who was lined up alongside two of the most prolific scorers in the NHL. Nino is a very gifted forward whose game is complete at every level and who has size and grit to boot. Of course, its about more than talent. Does Mikko have Smitty’s intangibles? He would seem to be more talented.
Atlanta and Minnesota would be likely to pick Nino. I wouldn’t go back more than one spot to TB at #6 as they may be more likely to go for a defenseman.
Streit
I was the guy who met streit and yes it was at my gym. He was going back home to Europe the day after I met him. Anyway, I had a conversation about the upcoming draft with him. I mentioned that garth will most likely pick a dman at 5 and he said he didnt know about that because of the kids in the system. Then he mentioned fellow country men nino to me as a very good pick at 5.
Did he give any indication that he'd been watching Nino on the web at Portland?
What, if anything, did he say about Nino?
I should add that THN's analysis was unusually astute
If you assume that Hamonic can fill the role of a big and physical top pairing guy, the Isles’ key needs can be neatly summed up as a scoring winger and a big physical crease clearing defenseman. My idea, assuming Garth can swing the trades needed to get into the mid first round again, of drafting Nino and McIlrath meets both of those needs.
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Thu 02/16 | 8:00 PM EST |
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Carolina
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Sat 02/18 | 7:00 PM EST |
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Last 5 Games
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Tue 02/14 | W 3 - 1 |
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Montreal
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Thu 02/09 | L 2 - 4 |
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Tue 02/07 | SO - W 1 - 0 |
Atlantic Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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New York Rangers
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55 | 37 | 13 | 5 | 79 |
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Philadelphia
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56 | 31 | 18 | 7 | 69 |
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Pittsburgh
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56 | 32 | 19 | 5 | 69 |
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New Jersey
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56 | 32 | 20 | 4 | 68 |
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New York Islanders
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56 | 24 | 24 | 8 | 56 |
(updated 2.15.2012 at 8:59 AM EST)
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