Islanders Veteran Tryouts: Dean McAmmond, Manny Legace, Anders Eriksson
by Dominik on Sep 26, 2010 7:03 PM EDT
in Roster Manoeuvres in the Dark
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Dean McAmmond, Manny Legace, Anders Eriksson, Krys Kolanos and Joel Martin have all accepted invitations to Training Camp on Professional Tryouts.
>>Islanders team release
UPDATE: Monday a.m., the Isles also announced Nebraska native and former Pred/Shark Jed Ortmeyer receives a PTO.
While the major drama of the moment is just how devastating Mark Streit's fluke shoulder injury is, I was starting to wonder when this type of announcement would be coming. We all heard about the open invites for PTOs to agents of veteran NHLers over the summer, but in the recent blogger roundtable Garth Snow explained a little more about why it's particular necessary this year. As reported by Dee (7th Woman):
"There were a few reasons why we wanted to explore inviting players to the camp," [Snow said]. Long story short: Bodies. Veteran bodies. With the split squad schedule, looking at the roster in August he wanted to be sure he had enough bodies. "You have to have eight veterans to play in a pre-season game. So to keep up with that rule, we thought that injuries that could incur during camp, we may end up being in a position where we needed to invite some veterans and we wanted to fill out our roster."
The next question, of course is: Could any of these guys amount to anything more than convenient veteran bodies?
Dean McAmmond
McAmmond, despite his advancing age, is still a useful (and speedy) player. We saw a flash of that two seasons ago after the trade deadline, but he was also a nice bottom-six guy for New Jersey last year after making the team on a similar tryout. McAmmond almost seems like the victim of age bias, as players his age normally slow down but for him that decline has been at least slowed if not postponed. I wouldn't have been sad to see him re-signed last year, nor if he made the team under injury fill-in circumstances this season.
Manny Legace
Speaking of biases, hello small goalie syndrome. More accomplished than Wade Dubilewicz but also facing a similar "Hmmm...kind of small" rap all his career, Legace has bounced to Atlanta's camp and to Carolina as an emergency Cam Ward replacement since losing his starting gig in St. Louis two seasons ago. A critical recent moment in his career came in summer 2008: Legace (and/or his agent) misread the looming goalie market correction and pushed for a longer extension in St. Louis. Being denied, his play also suffered, he went into a funk, was eventually demoted to AHL Peoria and was not re-signed by the Blues.
Legace's numbers last year with Carolina (.907 sv% in 28 games) were actually closer to his career norm -- and far better than his miserable final year with the Blues (.885). And of course, .907 is actually what veteran Dwayne Roloson ultimately put up last season, although I'd have to say I was more impressed with Roloson's play last season than I've ever been with Legace's.
UPDATE: Seems Legace -- and Martin, below -- are brought in because Nate Lawson and Kevin Poulin are nursing injuries.
Anders Eriksson
Here's a guy who's been around the block a time or three. Picked up some mop-up work with the Coyotes and Rangers last season. Has some size -- 6'3", 224, left-handed shot like Streit. Depth defenseman. Open only in case of emergency (like, I don't know, if your franchise defenseman goes down with a major shoulder injury and you don't want to rush a prospect).
Krys Kolanos
Add another 1st-round pick to the stable! Well, okay, Phoenix's 1st...19th overall...in 2000. He's never found a fit in the NHL with Phoenix, Edmonton or Minnesota and has spent most recent seasons in the AHL. Chances of this mattering to the big club: Minimal.
Joel Martin
I have no idea who this guy is and won't pretend to. Obviously he's a goalie with lots of ECHL experience, so he's another body in camp. Also: The Isles' new ECHL affiliate, the Kalamazoo Wings, currently list only one goalie on their roster. [Update: Okay, snark aside, Martin was with CHL Odessa and already slated for some time at AHL Bridgeport camp.]
* * *
In the end, all of this is 1) with the purpose of making sure the Isles have enough veterans for each split-squad preseason game, and 2) a few potential emergency veteran fill-ins in McAmmond and Eriksson. They are not under playing contracts for this season (just PTOs). They are not by any means in the fold (yet). But as we've seen each season and in fact each training camp the last few years, the depth chart you start with in early September inevitably gets some injury holes before you've played your first meaningful game.
You may commence agonizing over the crushing cruelty of losing Mark Streit now...
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Dean McCammond....YES
Dean would be a great two-way if he shows anything at camp. They need talent at center in BP and they most certainly can use a guy like dean as a depth call-up.
I hate to say it, but if the Streit injury keeps him out for more than a few weeks somebody like Freddy IV would have been on the short list of vet blue-liners who GET IT.
I really don’ t think they need goalie depth… even in camp where they can have starters and backups for three games (Rollie, DP, Lawson, Poulin, Koskinen… Snow, Gordon and even Dunham.
Erikkson is another good fit, because if Streit’s injury DOES cause you to “rush a prospect” BP’s blueline is devoid of size.
It makes for interesting conversation, but most likely none of these guys will have large NHL impacts… they haven’t in the past… why would they now.
My cup is 3/4 empty, How 'bout yours?
I've always liked Dean
I know his first choice was to return to NJ but since they had Ilya (and resulting cap issues) on the mind all summer, I suppose this would be a good fall-back if something works out. It also keeps him in shape if the Devils finally shed some bodies and need a cheap fill-in.
Lighthouse Hockey: Trying to reconstitute the Hogue-Turgeon-Thomas line from NHL 94.
I know his first choice was to return to NJ
But his first choice before that was to get a contract with the Isles when he came here at the deadline.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Sep 27, 2010 5:15 PM EDT up reply actions
I heard he had a deal with the Devils
Nine years, 38 million, and all the strawberry jam Lou could throw at him. League vetoed it.
Quickly moving up the depth chart
LOL!
When they came up with the contract they were gonna make the point that the was under 35 at heart.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Sep 28, 2010 10:29 AM EDT up reply actions
Legace is interesting
If DiP has a setback or they just try to take it slow he makes a good Biron replacement. I certainly think he’s a better option than Lawson. I’d prefer Mikko but I completely understand that it is better for him to have starting time somewhere. Poulin has lots of promise but he absolutely needs more time. No reason to skip a bunch of steps.
I can see McAmmond. Maybe he’s in the press box the 9 games we expect Nino to be around for but if Nino does go back to juniors then there could be a spot for him. He definitely gets a spot before Sim IMO. Dean would be good for BP if he’s not on the main team as well.
Almost positive Anders will not stick. We had 8 D on the roster before Streit went down so we still have 7. If we want someone else up with the club then for the love of Potvin it needs to be Hamonic. If they really did not think he’s ready then Kohn or Reese.
The other two have no chance at all.
Agree with all of that
Except Legace vs. Lawson. I’m just not sure. Legace occasionally flakes himself, and I haven’t seen much of Lawson but heard good things. But I like the drive and focus of any veteran who’s playing for his career. Still, he’s probably just looking for reps anywhere he can get like he did last year in Atlanta’s camp.
The one possibility with Martin — if they’re keeping 3 guys in Bridgeport (would they?!) then currently ECHL Kalamzoo only has one goalie listed.
Lighthouse Hockey: Trying to reconstitute the Hogue-Turgeon-Thomas line from NHL 94.
Show me a great player that is heading into camp on a try out basis for any team? The best I can think of is Guerin, whose on a tryout with the Flyers.
Trevor Gillies: Giving an all new meaning to "Mustache Ride"
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
Unfortunately, NHL rules don't allow that.
You need at least 8 veterans in each preseason game, and they have split-squad games like a lot of teams, but more kids that other teams.
Lighthouse Hockey: Trying to reconstitute the Hogue-Turgeon-Thomas line from NHL 94.
I'll take them if they want to play for bridgeport and sign a 2-way contract.
On the starting NHL roster, I don’t want them there. But I’d love them as depth guys.
Go isles or Go home.
I confess
I kind of like the cold utility of bringing them in for the purpose of filling out the necessary minimum for the split-squad games.
Lighthouse Hockey: Trying to reconstitute the Hogue-Turgeon-Thomas line from NHL 94.
Eriksson
(like, I don’t know, if your franchise defenseman goes down with a major shoulder injury and you don’t want to rush a prospect.)
Hit the nail on the head. With Herr Streit’s injury, he would at least be a good depth option in Bridgeport. At this point I’d take Kohn or Reese take that spot over Eriksson (Possibly Katic too but I need to see if he’s fully recovered from his injury and if the half season lay-off resulted in any rust).
Just a crazy idea here, does McAmmond make the team in the Richard Park role this year?
There are few things in this world I enjoy more than the English getting beaten like a rented mule.
I was wondering about that (Park role)
He took a lot of faceoffs last year (though only at 45% success), so he was still getting work in that role. Supposedly Snow offered Park a two-way deal that was declined, so I guess this could evolve into the setup they wanted for Park.
Lighthouse Hockey: Trying to reconstitute the Hogue-Turgeon-Thomas line from NHL 94.
Eriksson and Park
Picking up Ericksson is at least one way of picking up a Stanley Cup winner, how much of his career is predicated on having been brought up through the Wings system?
As for Park’s replacement, you could do much worse than McAmmond, but I thought Konopka was brought in for his size and faceoff ability. For all of Park’s intensity he wasn’t going to grind anyone down in a fourth line role due to his size.
can you say "speedy wingman"?
McAmmond is of course a center, and also very good on faceoffs. It could be a matter of having one more speedy PK guy, and if your center is tossed from the circle, being able to run another strong guy to the dot.
Quickly moving up the depth chart
MAB????
Bergeron is available. Every thing about him is soft except his shot on the PP. Could be cheap picl-up who kwnows the system. Bet Snow is checking it out!
MAB is as good of a fit on the PP for as cheap as possible as we can find,
Give him his 4ppm/game and give him 4min/gm for 5 on 5 as a bottom 3 forward so he can’t hurt us on d, or give him 5min/game on d and up everyone else’s workload if you prefer that. He is a 10goal+/40pts+ d-man that we need on the PP. He’s as good as we can find to replace streit for as cheap as we can find, but he does have his other drawbacks. We need the spot filled to be a real playoff threat, and I’d rather have MAB or Souray with no streit, then no streit no souray and no MAB.
Go isles or Go home.
noooooooooooooooooooooo
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Sep 28, 2010 10:29 AM EDT up reply actions
Legace didn't retire?
Wasn’t there a report not too long ago that he was trying to sign with the KHL and even they turned him down?
Trevor Gillies: Giving an all new meaning to "Mustache Ride"
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
possibly
Although as bad luck would have it, Josh Harding is out for the year… Minnesota may well want a goalie in the short-term, and Legace wouldn’t be a bad fallback option if Backstrom can’t deliver as the starter.
Quickly moving up the depth chart
though I do note
Phoenix waived Al Montoya – I would look into that if I were Minny.
Also – cheap depth D on the waiver wire include Nolan Yonkman, Jay Leach, and a couple of other guys looking for a shot, such as Sean Sullivan. Sadly the LW Alex Picard was waived, not the D Alex Picard. (They should have to use their positions as middle initials – Alex W Picard and Alex D Picard.)
Quickly moving up the depth chart
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