Islanders Gameday News: Halak drama; Martin misses you; Leafs looming

Before we get to last night’s news, a word or two from Matt Martin, who returns to Brooklyn tonight as a Toronto Maple Leaf to face the Islanders for the first time.

Via Arthur Staple in Newsday:

"Some guys might want their old teams to fail, I guess," he told Newsday in a phone conversation from Montreal, where his Maple Leafs faced the Canadiens on Saturday night before flying down to New York for Sunday night's emotional return. "I'm not that way. These guys are all my friends still. I want to see them succeed in the worst way.

"If the Leafs can't win the Stanley Cup, then I want the Islanders to win it. Heck, if we're out, I'd probably be in the stands at Barclays in a Casey Cizikas jersey. I made Long Island my home."

We can cite possession and scoring stats all day and debate the extinction of tough guys in today’s NHL, but I’ll always have time for Martin, who is a genuine and generous as any Islander has ever been. None of what he tells Staple should come as a shock given how much he has always worn his heart on his sleeve in his career.

I wish Martin nothing but the best of luck in the future. Starting, uh, after tonight...

FIG picks for the game can be left here. You get no points for picking Martin.

Islanders readings

• Okay, now the (sorta) BIG THING from last night: After Allan Walsh took the Islanders to task over their three goalie mish-mosh, it sounds like Jaroslav Halak is back on the trading block. [LHH | Sportsnet]
• Later, Elliotte Friedman added another possible wrinkle as to why Jaro would be the odd man out.
  

  I think NYI see it as Halak wanting this to happen, so he's the guy they want out. https://t.co/4xT2OErFkD

  — Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 30, 2016

• Meanwhile in Bridgeport, Joshua Ho-Sang continues his hot start with a goal (his first as a pro) and an assist in the Sound Tigers' 5-4 win over Lehigh Valley. Ho-Sang now has six points in as many games. Michael Dal Colle also scored. [CT Post | Post-Gamer]
• Here's Ho-Sang's first goal, which came on a 5-on-3 power play:
  

  It's the first pro goal for #Isles first-rounder @66jhosang #LVvsBRI pic.twitter.com/aRJoWFCbvB

  — AHL (@TheAHL) October 29, 2016

Other stuff

• Last night's NHL scores. Don't get the loss fool you: the Leafs put up quite a fight against Carey Price. The Islanders need to be ready.
• The Predators lost again last night (3-1 to San Jose) and On The Forecheck looks at what the problems have been.
• One of them is not the leadership of P.K. Subban because this is apparently a thing people worry about. [Puck Daddy]
• Extremely sad news: Nicholle Anderson, wife of Senators goalie Craig, has been diagnosed with cancer. After initially leaving the team to be with her, Craig is back with the Sens as of now at the behest of Nicholle. Best wishes to her and the Anderson family. [SSS]
• Canucks fans are questioning how the team is handling young forward Jake Virtanen. [NHL Numbers]
• Brooksie is on about a number of topics including Wayne Gretzky's money, the Islanders' sluggish start and his boy Dylan McIlrath getting the shaft from Alain Vigneault.