Your Brooklyn Islanders temperature check of the moment: Bruce Ratner is "trying like hell to get the Islanders to make [Brooklyn] their new hockey home." That's from the Daily News' update on the new arena there, which opens in 60 days and hosts the Islanders-Devils preseason game Oct. 2.

Elsewhere:

• In other fascinating news, the New York Islanders have taken goaltender Rick DiPietro off of injured reserve for the first time in 2012. You'll recall he hit IR in December first with a groin strain, and eventually sports hernia that required surgery.
  
• You've probably heard ESPN will dabble into hockey in its 30 for 30 series with a feature on the John Spano Experience, directed by noted Hollywood draft guru and Islanders fan Kevin Connolly. Mr. Connolly sounds excited.
• Gary Harding and the Eyes on the Isles crew did a good job with the Islanders feature in Puck Daddy's new "Essentials" series.
• Via IPB, some brief thoughts at Buzzing the Net on whether Griffin Reinhart is NHL-ready.
• A fantasy comparison of Kyle Okposo and Chris Stewart that is pretty damning toward Stewart. Personally, for fantasy purposes I'd bet on the one who has a decent chance of playing with John Tavares.
• The Checking Line on the newest Swedish Sound Tigers. (No, that's not a new SEL farm team.)
• A throne-length essay on John Tavares' evolution.
• Finally, this isn't Isles-related but relates to minding the budget, only with the Avalanche -- though the "just look at CapGeek!" comes off as rather late to the party.