New York Islanders Offensive Leaders Since the Lockout

Funny, but cruel.

things never turn out as we expect. But I have to say that this is the closest I’ve been to EXCITED about a new season in a very very long time. The team has a TOP 5 pick, and possibly the most promise of any team that isn’t leading a division right now. I’m even excited about Bridgeport.
I think that was what RDP was so giddy about Saturday night… I think he was shouting, “we’re gonna be good, we’re gonna be good” all the way from the crease into the pile.
ALSO… I started the season thinking Nino was a 2012-13 project because of his age. If he doesn’t get himself into trouble. He should go home, buy his parents a big house with a gym and work out and skate every day…. and come back in September to play the role of SUPERMAN in the Islanders 2011 season.

And those weren’t ***THEPWORD*** as much as they were an introduction to what your statline might look like if you fall asleep at the wheel.

It will also be interesting to see if the second half has opened up the UFA Islander Lockout. Because, unless there is a stud RW and a 220lb D that can skate, Snow can tell all those agents, “GO FIST F*** YOURSELF”… especially the one’s that said their client’s would sign with the Islanders for MORE MONEY because they didn’t like the rink… Well… go play in FL, they’ll have money… and dudikov… or Tor.. packed house, and three reporters following you to Tim Hortons at 3 in the morning…. he should realistically be able to get what ever he NEEDS… and walk away. Too bad that wasn’t the case last year when the D pickens were pretty nice.

sometimes that Weight should have been like Sillinger if he had managed not to get so old and brittle. I loved Sillinger as an Isle…a real leader on and off the ice. And I will admit to being maybe the ONLY Islander fan who thought Andy Hilbert had an up side. Always looked at Andy as this generations Wayne Merrick…a solid if unspectacular contributor every team needs. Unfortunately, Hilbert did not have the luxury of being on some of the greatest Islander teams.

Could be on to something with the mojo but there could be a more simple reason that many players came here and had career years and that is that a lot of these players got more ice time, power-play time and offensive opprtunities than they did with stronger, deeper teams. I think that was the case with Sillinger. He is a good two-way forward. On a team deeper at center than the Isles were at the time he played here he would be used as a defensive forward on a 3rd or 4th line with little power-play time. That was not always the case though as when Satan went to Pittsburg I think they were hoping he could be a productive top six winger but despite better playmaking centers he couldn’t match his Islander production so you could right with the mojo thing there. Jason Blake was also handed a big contract from Toronto with the hope he could produce like he did on the Island and while he had one good season with Toronto he would never quite live up to the hype he created after his 40 goal season in his last year with us.

He actually had some good offensive years after that eye injury. He had 10 goals and 38 points with Boston in 02-03 and followed that up with his strongest offensive year of his career with Chicago where he scored 47 points in only 58 games. Pro-rated he would have had 18 goals and 48 assists over 82 games if he had continued the same pt/game pace over a full season. He would have lead all defenseman in goals, assists and points that year. Despite only playing 58 games he still finished in the top ten for scoring among defenseman that year. Not bad. Unfortuently he missed almost all of the next season and wasn’t the same player when he came to the Isles.