Ah, summer love. By all accounts, Islanders mini-camp was fantastic. Great goaltending, great young forward talent, and a few promising blue-chippers. Plus team bonding, always team bonding, and a couple prospects who feel indebted to the Islanders for giving them a shot (4th-round pick Casey Cazikas, and camp invitee Calle Ridderwall, an undrafted Swede at Notre Dame who impressed everybody, but is free to any bidder).
- Greg Logan: "It was clear from the talent level at the minicamp that general manager Garth Snow has significantly upgraded the organization." His quotes from Scott Gordon have the coach beaming about how well camp went.
- Now back to the cold, hard reality of this money game: The NHLPA tells players not to participate in "on-ice" activities at the Olympic orientation camps in August. I guess they'll be safer just hangin' out at bars.
- Hey, did you know John Tavares' uncle is a lacrosse legend? Yeah? Well, the Post just found out. This is the problem I have with the all-caps tabloid headline "style": It makes every story look like it's the outbreak of war, even when it's a fluff piece. In next week's Post: TAVARES WAS AN OHL STAR.
- A WCHA follower digs that the Islanders dig DU senior Rhett Rakhshani. [WCHA Examiner]
- Dee salutes Garth Snow, who's now been at the throne three years. When asked for comment, Snow said, "I don't like to discuss personnel contract issues." (Yes, I jest.)
- The never-ending Versus-versus-ESPN debate. [Puck Daddy]
- Amazing thing about Edmonton if the Heatley thing falls through is that they will start next season with essentially the same roster that missed the playoffs, save for the goaltending swap of Khabibulin for new Islander Dwayne Roloson. Or as Jonathan Willis says, every line is a checking line.
- An interview with Matt Gilroy, the doggone deserter.