Islanders Gameday News: Weight-ing into Oil Country

As the New York Islanders’ nine-game road trip takes them through Western Canada, media continue to catch up with Doug Weight in his first swing through as head coach.

Interest is particularly high in Edmonton, where Weight’s playing career blossomed into the kind of player who would no longer be affordable to the ‘90s-era Oilers.

(Remember that next time you blame everything that is unholy on the lockout(s). Once upon a time, last summer Steven Stamkos, Milan Lucic, Kyle Okposo, David Backes, Andrew Ladd and Frans Nielsen all would’ve signed with the Rangers or Red Wings, to be joined by Kevin Shattenkirk and Ben Bishop this summer, while the Oilers would’ve dumped Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle for cost savings.)

Leave your First Islanders Goal picks for tonight here.

Islanders Reading

• In both audio and written profile, Weight discusses life as a head coach (lots of hard work) and what he’s taken to the gig. [Sportsnet]
• Similar stuff here, plus memories of his Oilers days and another re-iteration that “maybe I still am” more destined for management than coaching. [Edmonton Sun]
• As Weight has noted, Josh Ho-Sang adjusted to the NHL speed quickly. The player talks about adjusting to playing against the best lines in the world. [Newsday]
• Prospect Report: Mathew Barzal, Ilya Sorokin still awesome. [Isles]
• A return for Johan Sundstrom? Maybe. As Keith noted, Google Translate of this Expressen article leaves some entertaining questions -- also, “beard in the mailbox” — but the key is Garth Snow has looked at bringing back the Swede, perhaps anticipating that Casey Cizikas is an expansion draft risk. [Expressen]
• This is not about Bryan Berard’s career forever altered by an eye injury, but rather by that financial adviser’s fraud. [TSN]

Neither Here, Maybe There

• With the recall of Tanner Glass and Alain Vigneault’s reason for playing him, Rangers fans sound like Islanders fans talking about Jack Capuano. [Blueshirt Banter]
• The Capitals’ home win streak ended at 15. Does that make you happy? It should make you happy. [NHL]
• George McPhee discusses the Vegas Knights expansion draft plans and trade discussions. [NHL]
• Also, Vegas signed its first player! [SB Nation]
• Just some interesting info: According to the Blues, they talked to Kevin Shattenkirk about a max eight-year deal, but ultimately the defenseman wanted the chance to be a team’s #1 defenseman, which he couldn’t get in St. Louis. [STL Today]
• Yesterday was thought experiment day at the NHL GM meetings, as the keepers of the game pondered rule changes for the more distant future. [Sportsnet | NHL | Puck Daddy]
• Meanwhile, Marc Bergevin is staying true to his plan... [HEOTP]
• ...which sometimes involves hiding behind a plant. [TSN]
• Despite carving out some cap room at the trade deadline, Steve Yzerman still has work to do to keep his top free agents. [Tampa Bay]
• Oh man, the memories: “The Sabres are wasting Jack Eichel,” two seasons into his career. [Puck Daddy]
• One happy note from the Isles’ ugly loss in Calgary: Awesome stories of the Flames having a young, legally blind cancer survivor experience a game. [Calgary Sun | NHL]
• Sunday Adam McQuaid took a skate to the neck requiring 25 stitches, so naturally he was good to go last night. [Deadspin]