Bridgeport & Islanders Prospect Report: Oct. 31

Put Josh’s passing skills to use by giving him someone who knows how to crash the net. Nino gets a lot of his goals from in front of the net. I wouldn’t mind seeing Martin on the third line. Comeau should be moved to the 4th line or banished. I sincerely hope they don’t resign him next year.

as well… eventually. Yours is a great reason, but he SHOULD mesh well with the other two skill sets on that line already. He is a LH, but is comfortable on either side, so you don’t have three left thumbs. He is also a guy who likes to make a b-line to the net… which is lacking on that line. He also gives the line more PHYSICALITY than they would have with anybody not named Martin. At the kid level he was a good two-way physical forward. I think it would help to have him with reasoner, and easier assignments as he makes the larger leap from juniors to the NHL. If that works out you can spoon feed him up to his eventual paygrade.

Although Okposo hasn’t yet and may never live up to the offensive potential scouts thought he had when he was drafted I think he will have a long career as a 3rd/2nd line winger capable of scoring 15-20 goals while providing strong checking skills. I’d take a guy like that anyday

Sorry for my LHH hiatus, been very busy with my new puppy.

Well said

He can always finish up his education afterwards like Mike Richter…or go to law school during the summer like Ken Dryden

He would still have his degree, but it wouldn’t be likely he would ever earn the money as a civilian than as a pro athlete. If he signed next year, he could always go back and finish his degree.

I get where you are coming from, just playing devil’s advocate

And here’s why:
1. that “insurance policy” bullshit is just that. Take your signing bonus, and put $200k of it into an account deriving dividends… if you’re career is a fail… go back to school… people who don’t make $700K a year do it all the time.
2. As a professional athlete you have a limited window of opportunity. You’re greatest earning potential is probably from 22-32, but even if it’s longer you don’t get the years you slice off the bottom back. So if you can start a professional career at 22, rather than 24… you do.. no questions asked… Law firms hire 30 year old rookies who have played in the NHL, the NHL doesn’t hire 30 year old rookies who have represented their grandmother against the city of Edina because she drove into a pothole.
3. Dominating at the college level is awesome, but more than a year of it without challenging yourself at the next level is irresponsible. It’s like going through 11th grade twice because you want to get better at algebra, which you aced, before you tackle calculus.
4. You need to expose yourself to PROFESSIONAL COACHES and TRAVEL as soon as you are afforded the ability to do so. You pay for a college education, they’ll be there for you when YOU’RE READY… the professional environment PAYS YOU, and they make themselves available at your bosses request. As he lingers in college the rest of his draft class, and later draft classes will be taking those opportunities… and then to catch up he will be putting himself in a situation where they don’t want to waste the time with him… then it becomes tougher… or even worse… now you’re in the AHL, and the coaches are giving that next wave the attention, and the free passes you’d have gotten a year or two before.
5. Has anybody who has left ND to pursue a career in professional sports after their sophomore year ever been denied matriculation upon re-entry?
6. and I harp on this because it’s true… the NCAA are a bunch of theives!