The Ones Who Join: Northeastern's Tyler McNeely Signs with Islanders
by Dominik on Apr 20, 2011 4:49 PM EDT
in Islanders in Diapers
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PrintOut goes one, in comes another. He wasn't one of those buzzed-about sought after college free agents that Toronto tends to buy in bulk, but Northeastern University's Tyler McNeely had one heck of a 10-game amateur tryout (ATO) with the Islanders' AHL affiliate in Bridgeport: Five goals, six assists, +9 on a struggling team that finished on a high note.
The 5’10", 175-pound B.C. native has signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Islanders.
In four years as a forward at Northeastern, he put up 44 goals and 61 assists in 142 games, including a career-high 13 goals and 21 assists this past season, when he was Northeastern's respected captain.
Almost immediately upon joining Bridgeport, he turned some heads and joined the penalty kill and the top-producing line with Rhett Rakhshani and Jeremy Colliton. No surprise he enjoyed his brief time there, and they kept track back home.
(So WebBard is happy not only because it makes him look like a savant, but because McNeely had as good an ATO as you can hope for.)
Looked at organizationally, the undersized winger Robin Figren is 23 and wanted to leave. McNeely is 24 and happy to stay. With an eye toward low-risk bets and depth insurance -- the idea being to accumulate potentially quality hockey players, however they come available -- it's not a bad trade.
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Keeping with the Northeastern theme...
Next up… a trade up, back into the 1st round for Jamie Oleksiak!!
I wish him all the best...
But why am I singing… It’s a small world after all…
Good Luck, I hope I eat my words.
I keep picturing the Irish guy who was Tyson's comeback fodder
Lighthouse Hockey: Send us your cold, your poor, your healthy goalies.
Oh, but on size...
I’m fine with it, simply because big talented players don’t fall into your lap; only guys who had size questions do.
Not really worried about if he can do anything at the NHL — I’m just pleased they’ve added a piece for Bridgeport who looks like he can produce there.
Lighthouse Hockey: Send us your cold, your poor, your healthy goalies.
On top of that
In Today’s NHL, size isn’t as much of a factor as it was pre-lock out. 5’10", 175 is bigger than Mats Zuccarello (Aasen), Martin St. Louis, Brian Gionta, Mike Camallieri, ect. Anyway, should be some decent depth and injury cover (God knows we need it) in the Bridge.
Formerly a part time contributor and pittier of fools, now an Emeritus at Lighthouse Hockey.
by David Hanssen on Apr 20, 2011 5:59 PM EDT up reply actions
very good signing
low risk, high potential reward
he may get a sniff at 4th line quicker than we think
Meritocracy at work...
Kid earns shot, kid gets shot, kid takes advantage of shot, kid gets bigger shot… Now there’s another piece of the puzzle for the bridge, and maybe that level of support causes some good years all around… just more options for the mother club… GOOD STUFF!!!
Lighthouse Hockey: where "you better check yourself before you rec yourself" -bobl
If your life isn't pathetic enough already, follow me on twitter @JPinVA
Older, high-character guy
Sounds like a nice depth piece. If he develops into more, well, even better
Welcome
And thanks for joining, fellow Arsenal Islander loyalist. ;)
Lighthouse Hockey: Send us your cold, your poor, your healthy goalies.
Whats up with Figren???
Did he quit on the Bridge???
Interesting.
Proud Islanders fan, the organization that iced the greatest team to ever play the game, whom won 4 consecutive cups. I'm bleeding Blue and Orange.
Let's go Islanders! Beep...Beep...Beep.Beep.Beep.
Datsyuk IS the best player in the nhl
Was wondering that myself
I’m sure it couldn’t hurt.
Lighthouse Hockey: Send us your cold, your poor, your healthy goalies.
Out with the Old (Figren) in with the Older ( McNeely )
Basically I see this as replacing Robin Figren with Tyler McNeely.
Tyler had an impressive college career … and impressive ATO … I don’t need to tell anybody that.
However on the Isles depth charts I see him filling in the slot recently vacated by Figgy. Mostly for the size / age comparrison… and both had some offensive punch. I don’t know enough about McNeely to guage his skill metrics against Figgys. So I guess this 1 year 2 way is a real getting to know you period. Who knows … maybe another diamond in the rough player that will only push our prospects harder to develop.
Interesting side story at the least.
by 19 Isle in NJ 22 on Apr 21, 2011 2:24 PM EDT reply actions
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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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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.
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