Top 25 Islanders Under 25: #1 is...
by Dominik on Dec 19, 2011 3:30 PM EST
in Islanders in Diapers
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...John Tavares.
I mean, duh.
A memory trip, and our full Top 25 Islanders Under 25 listing follows:
One of the personally rewarding things about blogging is being able to go back and remind yourself what an idiot you were. Another is stumbling upon when things were bleaker. Sometimes you get both, like in this comparison of Top 5 Islanders Prospect lists from summer 2009. (Yes, apparently I thought Jesse Joensuu had a good shot to become a regular.)
There was also that time in February 2009, when thoughts wandered toward Tavares or Victor Hedman? The scoring star or the cornerstone defenseman?
By draft day, I and many were voting for Tavares (though Garth Snow kept media experts guessing three different ways), the Tavares voters got our wish in a big way, and we ended up wondering how a young Scott Gordon would handle Tavares vs. how Al Arbour handled the young Denis Potvin. Even then, the risk of Gordon not lasting until Tavares' bloom was clear, as the coaches for previous famous #1 picks have gotten the ax.
(Had the Islanders passed on Tavares, there was this helpful fan safety guide for what to do next.)
Oh, and while we're on the 2009 and U25 topic, we did mock drafts at the time with other SB Nation hockey blogs. For the Isles' second pick, we polled readers. Finishing first was Jeremy Morin. Second? Calvin De Haan (followed closely by Tim Erixon). Of course, that was before the Islanders traded up.
Anyway, so far so good. I've no idea how good Tavares will eventually become, but I know he's already fun to watch, for many reasons on display in the videos below. But before the highlights, here's our final list as polled in September. Thanks for all who helped. We'll do it again soon and enjoy how much it's changed.
How We Voted in September
We tallied votes from a panel of six for this exercise back in September, before training camp opened. Opinions will change -- have already changed -- over the course of this season, but obviously this last one didn't cause much dissension:
| Top 25 Under 25 | mikb | M11 | CIL | Dom | KQ | Mark |
|
John Tavares |
1 | 1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Previous Posts in This Top 25 Islanders Under 25 Series
- Those who didn't make the Top 25
- #25: Anton Klementyev, D
- #24: Not to be Pedantic, but is it Andrei or Andrey Pedan, D
- #23: Mark Katic (D) shoulders the burden
- #22: Rhett Rakhshani (W)
- #21: Matt Martin (LW), budding 'stache
- #20: Johan Sundström, C
- #19: David Ullström, C/W
- #18: Scott Mayfield, D
- #17: Kirill "A" Petrov, W
- #16: Feisty Casey Cizikas, C
- #15: Towering Anders Nilsson, G
- #14: Roloson Reward Ty Wishart, D
- #13: Oklahoman Matt Donovan, D
- #12: Brock Nelson, C/LW/Reverend
- #11: Kirill Kabanov is a Thing to Say, W
- #10: Calvin de Haan, D
- #9: Anders Lee, C/W
- #8: Josh Bailey, C, 220 Games and Counting
- #7: Kevin Poulin, g: They let another goalie in?
- #6: Nino Niederreiter, W, at #6 for now
- #5: Ryan Strome, C/W
- #4: Scratch that, Kyle Okposo, RW
- #3: Travis Hamonic (D) at 3, Fittingly
- #2: Michael Grabner, LW, Der Schnellste Mann
The Top 25 under 25 is an idea conceived by Oilers blog Copper & Blue and copied elsewhere, incorporated here by popular demand. We cut it off at players who were under 25 going into this season, so Andrew MacDonald, having just turned 25 this month, barely misses eligibility.
Now, on to the Tavares highlight candy:
The Passing
Goodness, the passing:
The Moves
Phone Booth OT Winner
And of Course, the Fighting
Just like they billed him at the draft. A goon:
Here's to many more years of all that.
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Blind passes are one of the top things that make me want to reach into the television and strangle somebody
But JT has my permission to keep making those through-the-legs-behind-the-back-how-the-hell-did-he-do-that? passes for as long as they keep connecting with teammates.
"He's depriving some small village of a pretty good idiot" - Mike Milbury on Ziggy Palffy's agent. On Twitter: @Dan_of_Science
by PGI on Dec 19, 2011 4:07 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
Oh, sure
Give him the star treatment why don’t ya.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
It depends on where
You see Tavares do it again and again right near the goal line. Why not? the risk/reward is great there. I enjoy watching his “just misses” almost as much as his assists, and there are times I think — not unlike Crosby early on — passes that look reckless will actually turn into amazing plays when his teammates learn to expect them, and have the skills to finish. (That’s Matty Mo’s best skill, I think, he has great faith in Tavares and he seems ready for the circus pass).
What drives me F*&(ing bonkers is the weak drop pass out by the blue line, often done just after entering the O zone, which should result in instant benching.
Or the lazy Josh Bailey against the Rangers ZOMG WTF ARE YOU DOING?????!!!!! ones
"He's depriving some small village of a pretty good idiot" - Mike Milbury on Ziggy Palffy's agent. On Twitter: @Dan_of_Science
That was ugly
Ugliest play I remember him making. Behind the back passes by defensemen in their own zone. Risk//reward similar to calculation Corzine made at MF Global.
Speaking of risk, for those rec league players out there, I feel like I’ve noticed a distinct difference in Isles own-zone breakout plays lately, though, and it involves taking more risks. I see a lot more passes from the boards toward the middle, many which make me nervous but, when they work, lead to a much cleaner break. My eyes might be deceiving me, but I think that’s why they haven’t looked quite as much like they’re skating in mud lately. Am I wrong?
I wonder if Striets shoulder is barking.
Why doesnt he utilize his hard accurate shot? Think about it. Whens the last time he took a hard shot or a one timer?
The Gordie Howe Hat Trick
In video form at the very least. Love the fight (not the literal one), the never say die attitude that Tavares along with Okposo, et al seem to embody, makes the games worth watching no matter the outcome, even though it seems to lead to wins.
I was going to say
what the fuck was going on in that 2009 – 2010 video? Matt Moulson-JT-JON SIM?! What the fuck is that?
Official choice of Lighthouse Dog #1.
Probably
During JT’s rookie December struggles. Plus his rookie year they rotated just about EVERYONE at Right Wing. It’s one of the reasons I’m not big on dumping Parenteau.
"I really wouldn’t wish rooting for both the Isles and Blues on anyone." Dominik
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
PAP is really showing that he is keeper for sure
The thing about PAP is that he is the type (with his ability to posses pucks) that can be the top playmaker on a 2nd or 3rd line…..he is SKILL GUY for sure
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Twitter: @mikeryaninc
"Past performance Is Not A Guarantee For Future Results"
"Listening is a Skill" -Jack Capuano
by FB4Real on Dec 19, 2011 7:58 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Yeah..I almost puked when I saw that.
Who says we aren’t better off now than last year??
by Isle in Topanga on Dec 19, 2011 4:43 PM EST up reply actions
Sim, Gervais, Lawson
I like the OT factoid. “Kevin Poulin: 1st Islanders Goalie to Win NHL Debut Since Peter Manino 2009.”
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
Isn't JT technically a Leafs prospect though?
by Les Beaver on Dec 19, 2011 4:58 PM EST reply actions 3 recs
Technically
Of course technically this is the Top 25 Leaf Options for the Islanders Dispersal Draft of 2015.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
The Straw that Stirs the Drink
If we’re lucky to have him in an Islander uniform for his entire career; he will one day hold many Isle’s offensive records…….and we’ll be seeing “91” hanging from the rafters.
I don’t think many people appreciate what we have here. At 21 yrs old, he’s like Reggie Jackson, “the Straw that Stirs the Drink”. When he’s playing well, he lifts players around him. A real joy to watch.
These highlights make me giggle like a ticklish kid
The St Louis goal in particular. That was filthy.
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
I love the ones I remember vividly, that take me back to that moment
The St. Louis one, I was in a bar describing Tavares to some buddies not 30 seconds before he pulled that off.
So I acted all calm: “Oh, and also he can do that.”
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
by Dominik on Dec 19, 2011 6:23 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Me too, lol...
Howie does a great job calling the plays too….
HOWIE DOES AGOOD JOB
I know that he has those ties to the short island….but Howie is OK by me.
Howie likes the job and he likes the Islanders.
I was keep Howie as Play-by-Paly guy, if down the road (when we get a new arena), The isles get off of the enemy network….maybe the isles on SNY? or even better…on YES!!!! This will never happen I know but….it would be cool for sure.
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Twitter: @mikeryaninc
"Past performance Is Not A Guarantee For Future Results"
"Listening is a Skill" -Jack Capuano
by FB4Real on Dec 19, 2011 7:54 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Weird seeing
Moulson without the stache. I wonder how long he goes without shaving. Also, I love JT, I’m so happy he’s on our team.
UVa Student. Twitter: @ericdavidmorris
by edavidmorris on Dec 19, 2011 6:32 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
Is that who it was?
I saw #36 and I was at a loss, I didn’t remember Wallace being on the roster last year.
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
Yeah, 36 is Hamonic's rookie number. I know this ever so well too because I have his rookie jersey. lol
Got if for x-mas last year, before all the bandwagonners jumped on ;-). lol
What do you mean they won 4 cups in a row? Is that possible?
by OzzyFan on Dec 20, 2011 1:04 AM EST up reply actions 3 recs
Maybe there will be a C added to his jersey one day.
I will never forget when they were playing in Montreal and Peter Ruttgaizer was all giddy about Montreal being a hockey mecca, yada, yada, yada…He asked Hammer about how it feels to play there and Hammer was like “yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever we have die hards on Long Island”…Thats not exactly what he said but its gives you the idea. Hammer is a stand up dude…That is leadership material in my book.
by KO21 on Dec 20, 2011 8:20 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Hammer should definitely get an A in the future. Tavares I think will get the C eventually.
What do you mean they won 4 cups in a row? Is that possible?
You
bought the jersey of a top line shutdown defenseman? Doesn’t seem your type Ozzy…
"I really wouldn’t wish rooting for both the Isles and Blues on anyone." Dominik
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
by Mark D on Dec 20, 2011 11:02 AM EST up reply actions 3 recs
I WISH I HAD THE VIDEO.....
But there was an interview that John Tavares did between periods during a game around this time in his rookie season. He was struggling if you remember…he was in that 2 pts in 14 games slide that he had in his rookie year. Rob Carlin mentioned to him in the interview that the guys (his teammates) thought he was being too hard ion himself during the skid.
JT’s response was so simple but also so true to who he is an individual/winner: John said something to effect: “Yeah the guys have mentioned that to me…but I’m here to produce, I expect to produce, tht’s what I do, and when I am not producing I feel like I’m not living up to my obligation as an islander draft pick.”
I knew right then and there….we definitely picked the right guy….no doubt.
When JT was drafted…he was taking on a monumental task (shouldering the responsibility of being the centerpiece to a rebuild of an all-time great NHL franchise). Since he….more than any other prospect available in that Draft , understand expectation and understand media spotlight far more than of the other prospects….
HE HAD TO BE THE GUY FOR THE ISLANDERS IN 2009.
JT…from the very beginning turned a blind eye to any thought that the islanders could/would turn things around. Even after the Referendum failed….No Biggie, We’re OK…I’ll Re-Up. LETS GO ISLANDERS.
That type of attitude is slowly getting contagious (i.e Travis Hamonic). JT is doing it…HE IS PLAYING A MAJOR ROLE IN SAVING THE NEW YORK ISLANDERS.
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Twitter: @mikeryaninc
"Past performance Is Not A Guarantee For Future Results"
"Listening is a Skill" -Jack Capuano
by FB4Real on Dec 19, 2011 7:49 PM EST reply actions 13 recs
The answer is none.
None more green.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
by Dominik on Dec 20, 2011 2:27 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
:) Exactly.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Dec 20, 2011 1:04 AM EST up reply actions
I hope the Isles start to show him the same commitment. Get him some help.
HE IS PLAYING A MAJOR ROLE IN SAVING THE NEW YORK ISLANDERS.
I think that they have to a pretty decent extent
First of all…when JT skates at practice or walks around the locker room I dont think he’s looking around and saying…boy we’re pretty short on talent here or short on talent there. He’s not doing that. He’s not doing that at all. JT looks at Grabner, Okposo, Ullstrom, Hamonic…he sees guys that he knows can play (guys that have serious, unmistakable talent).
He knows that they have tried to get some Free Agents in town (albeit unsuccessfully so far). JT has said on a number of occassions that he believes in what Garth and Charles and triyng to get done. I think they probably did a really nice job of talking with JT before and after they drafted him and said…“look, John, this process doesn’t stop with our drafting of you. You are just another step in this process….unfortunately, we don’t have the resources to work with yet that can help us build as quickly as some other teams can. But we are are committed to you and we’re gonna do everything we can to get this turns franchise turned back in the right direction.”
The Isles are gonna turn the corner soon and if they can finish this year with a playoff appearance, they will be more attractive than they have been in a long while next offseason to potential Free Agents.
The one thing that worries me about JT and some other guys is the attendance at these Isles Home games. We talk like we have a wonderful fan base and all that but our attendance says otherwise. A good example is tonight….Hamonic gets to play in front of an awesome crowd in Winnipeg. I hope that when he goes Free Agent he doesn’t get seduced by enthusiastic home town fans like that.
The isles are very, very close to turning the corner as a group. I hope when they do turn the corner…they find all those fans that we have been saying are watching from afar. I know that this year their has been some evidence of increased excitement in the fanbase (i.e. crowds at the 40th Anniv. Nights), but I just want to see the fans start taking the rebuild as serious as the players and management is….
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Twitter: @mikeryaninc
"Past performance Is Not A Guarantee For Future Results"
"Listening is a Skill" -Jack Capuano
by FB4Real on Dec 20, 2011 8:52 AM EST up reply actions 4 recs
I was listening to the Marek vs Wyshynski podcast yesterday
(which is great, by the way) and they interviewed the writer of a book called “Behind the Moves.” The book is about Cup finalist NHL general managers in their own words. They spent a few minutes on Bill Torrey and Marek and the writer both expressing they felt he was the best of all time because he built a dynasty from literally nothing.
Anyway, the writer said that Torrey, aside from being a world class evaluator, was smart enough to tell the owners (something to the effect of), “Look, this team is going to be a horror show for a few seasons. We’ll get nothing from the expansion draft, and we’ll need every one of our very high draft picks to find players. There’s also no use in competing with the Rangers, so don’t beat your head against a wall when they embarrass us on the ice. It’s going to take a lot of time and patience to build a team the right way.” And the owners gave him the time and the patience. He also stuck with Arbour year-after-year despite playoff loses.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Garth and/or Charles had similar conversations with Tavares and other players about what’s going on here. I’m not going to say that eight years from now the Islanders will be winning the first of four Stanley Cups, but the principals of “finish low, draft high, be patient” are still very valid, even in the era of free agency and the salary cap. I think part of the reason they’ve been able to sign the players they have is because the players understand that, too.
"He's depriving some small village of a pretty good idiot" - Mike Milbury on Ziggy Palffy's agent. On Twitter: @Dan_of_Science
by PGI on Dec 20, 2011 9:49 AM EST up reply actions 4 recs
Thats what I was trying to say
In a weird way…the isles financial constraints give them no choice but to do things the right way (kinda funny how that sounds but its true to an extent).
The only thing is….we dont really know what the conversations between Garth and Charles are like when it comes to spending $$. How much of the conservative maneuvering by the Isles is due to Charles tying garth’s hands and how much is Garth just really having a strict/disciplined approach to spending and personnel decisions?
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Twitter: @mikeryaninc
"Past performance Is Not A Guarantee For Future Results"
"Listening is a Skill" -Jack Capuano
I wouldn't blame the fans for not showing up. I blame losing and the opening day roster is to blame.
Isles fans were excited for a good season and the Isles were talking a big game…They laid a big fat dud for the 1st qtr of the season taking the wind from out from our sales…I have allot more to say about this and how winning will bring the fans. Just talking and serving up Kool Aide isnt gonna cut it…
Great comment.
Cant wait to watch this kid’s career.
Proud to root for the Jets, Mets, and Islanders!!!
Twitter: cmauceri524
Bart Scott: "I’m sure now there will be something written about how the Jets are back, and we won’t listen to that either, because at the end of the day we know that you guys don’t know what the hell you’re talking about."
by CharlieIsles on Dec 20, 2011 8:33 AM EST up reply actions
What?
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Twitter: @mikeryaninc
"Past performance Is Not A Guarantee For Future Results"
"Listening is a Skill" -Jack Capuano
reply fail
I must have hit enter with my cursor on the [POST] button… yes… I make mistakes sober too.
LighthouseHockey: We saw this coming!
@JPinVA
by JPinVA on Dec 20, 2011 11:44 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Can't really say anything more than this...
He was a #1 overall, has done his best to represent that honor in every way possible. You can’t ask for more.
He is 21 and he makes everybody he plays with BETTER. It was like drafting a whole first line. He did it with a team that had NOTHING before him. When we vote next year we should remember that… when Strome is on a 10 game scoring streak, or Nino starts to mature into the NHL version of what we see him as… even Hamonic (who was rightly placed as #2) is over-achieving given his age and level of organizational support.. but nobody has added so much to this franchise in such a short period of time since DENIS POTVIN! You can talk about all that GENERATIONAL bullshit all you want…. When it is a task achievable by human capabilities JT will throw this team on his back and carry them to their ULTIMATE GOAL!
Great post Mike!
LighthouseHockey: We saw this coming!
@JPinVA
Pretty sure JT is tebowing there
NY Islanders, just one irrational free agent signing away from contention!
Website:Lighthouse HockeyTwitter: @KeithLHHockey
by Keith Quinn on Dec 19, 2011 10:30 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
I think you mean
Tebow is Tavaresing this year.
Although, unlike Tebow, most of JT’s passes are completed for scores.
Proud to root for the Jets, Mets, and Islanders!!!
Twitter: cmauceri524
Bart Scott: "I’m sure now there will be something written about how the Jets are back, and we won’t listen to that either, because at the end of the day we know that you guys don’t know what the hell you’re talking about."
by CharlieIsles on Dec 20, 2011 11:49 AM EST up reply actions 3 recs
And the unanimous top youngster to take us back to the promised land and be the face of our franchise, #1 in your hearts and #91 on the stats sheet,
JOHN TAVARES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
JT! JT! JT! JT!
What do you mean they won 4 cups in a row? Is that possible?
JT is good - but there is room for improvement
At the risk of rousing all the JT worshippers to grab their pitchforks…. I was hoping to see more from him this year. Yes, I know he’s just 21, and yes, he is the Islanders’ best offensive player (although that’s not saying much). But, in his third year, I was hoping that he would be among the league’s elite – truly exceptional players don’t take long to rise to the top.
However, with his 25 pts in 30 games, he is tied (with 11 other players) for 46th in the league in scoring. That means every other team in the league has (on the average) one or two scorers just as good or better than him. He is on pace for 67 pts – exactly last year’s totals.
Are his numbers low because his teammates are inferior? I don’t know… Ahead of him on the scoring list are Weiss and Fleischmann of Florida, Whitney and Vrbata of Phoenix, Plekanec of Montreal, Vinny Prospal of Columbus……. are they all surrounded by better talent? I don’t think so. Is the difference in coaching? Maybe. Or is it just bad luck, which will even out by the end of the season? Again, maybe – it’s encouraging that he is tied for 22nd in SOG – so he is getting his chances. What is troubling though, is that in each season, he seems to disappear off the scoresheet for long stretches. Hopefully, he will improve his consistency as he matures. His skating has improved, but, if he is to join the league’s elite, I think he will also have to improve his shot and his “hunger” to score every time he is on the ice.
well, if the entire team doesn't start playing better...
in a couple of months we’ll all be debated Nail or Mchail (or however the other Russian spells his name)
by CanadianIsleslifer on Dec 20, 2011 6:54 AM EST up reply actions
I think it's Mikhail
McHale is the guy with the navy.
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
Of Course He Can Improve
But the the thing about Tavares is that he knows about all of these things and in addition, he has a few other things that you don’t mention here that he would probably like to improve on as well.
So Far he has improved noticeably in each of his three seasons….He gets better every game.
The best is stell yet to come with this guy. He’ll be a top-teir player with the likes of the best names in all of Hockey very shortly.
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Twitter: @mikeryaninc
"Past performance Is Not A Guarantee For Future Results"
"Listening is a Skill" -Jack Capuano
"Hunger" is not a problem
Stats don’t tell the whole story on JT….or maybe they do….what about Matt Mouslon’s stats. I think in the 2 1/2 years that JT has been on LI with Moulson there is something like less than 10-15 players in all of hockey that as many goals at Moulson.
Look at what JT has done for Moulson. Moulson was career minor-leaguer until he came to The Isles and since then he has played close to every shift with JT on the ice. Can Vinny Prospal or Vrbata boast stats like that?
Stats don’t tell the whole story. Having a player of JT’s caliber on your team is like having an NBA talent that commands a Double team whenever he touches the ball. That type of attention has a wripple-effect to other parts of the team (other lines, other players, etc).
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Twitter: @mikeryaninc
"Past performance Is Not A Guarantee For Future Results"
"Listening is a Skill" -Jack Capuano
yeah, I dont think we need to be concerned.
The guy had close to 30 goals in his 2nd season. This year hes been smothered for the 1st 1/4 of the season because the other lines weren’t producing shit…Now that they are starting to get some secondary scoring, hopefully, the ice will open up for him a bit…Lets not worry about JT. He will be a point per game player. JT will work and work and work until he is among the elite in scoring. I do think he puts too much pressure on himself though. Maybe thats why hes been streaky. He cant get too low when hes not producing…Thats how slumps happen.
This is true
I’m a shameless JT fan boy, but I was hoping for a bit more this season. It’s hard though because the rest of the team is so fucking awful.
Thus far in his NHL career, he’s seemed prone to scoring droughts, which is not encouraging. That is what I’d like to see him move past.
=d
I might be mistaken but
I think JT is being used in more defensive situations this year also. I’d have to check the numbers, but his zone starts aren’t very high (starting in the offensive zone), and we know he is taking some heat off the FNGO line for defensive responsibilities.
The nice thing to look at is that the entire first line appears to be more defensively responsible this year (+/- wise at least) on a team that has a pretty bad goal differential.
I was expecting more out of him also, but I was also expecting to see him put in more favorable situations. He is streaky of course, and has been slumping…so conversely, he can go on a tear soon and get that point total ahead of the pace. If he is on last years pace after slumping, that’s kind of a good sign.
NY Islanders, just one irrational free agent signing away from contention!
Website:Lighthouse HockeyTwitter: @KeithLHHockey
by Keith Quinn on Dec 20, 2011 12:22 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I dont have the numbers in front of me either
But what youre saying feels right to me.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Dec 20, 2011 11:25 PM EST up reply actions
This one was obvious
but i can’t wait to see JT and Strome in a few years when both hit their prime…
by CanadianIsleslifer on Dec 20, 2011 6:50 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
Duh indeed
Certain Toronto writers believe that most Isles fans aren’t even aware he goes by Johnny T. What they aren’t aware of is his new nickname, Johnny Franchise. Kids a beast and I’m pinning my hopes on him to restore the Islanders to some sort of respectability.
My final list for anyone who cares.
1 John Tavares
2 Michael Grabner
3 Travis Hamonic
4 Kyle Okposo
5 Ryan Strome
6 Casey Cizikas
7 Calvin de Haan
8 Nino Niederreiter
9 Kirill Kabanov
10 Kevin Poulin
11 Matt Martin
12 Josh Bailey
13 Ty Wishart
14 Kirill Petrov
15 David Ullstrom
16 Scott Mayfield
17 Rhett Rakhshani
18 Justin DiBenedetto
19 Anders Lee
20 Brock Nelson
21 Mark Katic
22 Andrey Pedan
23 Matt Donovan
24 Anton Klementyev
25 Aaron Ness
Outliers:
Johan Sundstrom
Jason Clarke
Brendon Kichton
Jesse Joensuu
by afrosupreme on Dec 20, 2011 9:26 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
Just curious...
Was Ullstrom in the top 15 on 10/01/11?
Bailey…12… really? On 10/01… right there with Ty Wishart and Matt Martin?
I know these things are highly subjective… but to have 5, 6, 7 and 9 in front of 12 without playing ONE NHL GAME… WOW. I know I’m not alone when I say that I hope Josh changes your mind in the next 50 games. He’s already greatly improved with some young legs on his wings.
LighthouseHockey: We saw this coming!
@JPinVA
I did
I just looked at the file and the last modification was 10/5. My original note for Bailey (one of only three or four that made), was,
I’ve lost a little faith in Bailey. If he’s just going to end up a third line center, then he’s going to end up with some serious competition from Ullstrom and Cizikas, and given the physical play those two have shown I give them an edge.
I’m not a Bailey hater, but after last year, I started thinking he might not ever break into the top 6, and as I say, he’s going to have a lot of competition in the bottom 6. Basically I started to wonder if he’s ever going to really improve from where he is now. I hope he does, but the upside of the other guys was enough to push them past him on my chart.
by afrosupreme on Dec 20, 2011 12:33 PM EST up reply actions
Nothing new to say....
But this young man was God sent.
Thank goodness he is an Islander.
I can only imagine how great he could/can be if he had one legitmate winger to work with…
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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.
