Islanders News: All-Star hangover; JT’s Coliseum; Bailey’s timing; Jagr’s end

Good morning and hello. The NHL is off today, but resumes game action tomorrow night with a full slate. The Panthers visit Brooklyn as a part of it.

All-Star Summary

• The Pacific Division defeated the Atlantic Division 5-2 in the All-Star Game final, after the two teams defeated the Central and Metro, respectively, in the semi-finals. [SBN]
• Canucks rookie Brock Boeser took home MVP honors; he earned quite the pretty penny this weekend, as well as a new car. [SBN]
• Your local All-Stars, John Tavares and Josh Bailey, recorded an assist each on Kris Letang’s goal, but they only played in the first game. They still had fun, I’m sure. [LHH | Islanders]
• 18 awesome things from this All-Star weekend included puppies and Brian Boyle’s emotional return to Tampa. [Sportsnet]
• Speaking of Boyle, it was his presence that was the highlight of the weekend for Mark Herrmann. [Newsday]
• Check out some excellent photos of the two Isles at All-Star weekend on the Isles site.

A Few Other Islanders Bits

• The Islanders appear set to play at least some games at Nassau Coliseum in the years spanning this one and the beginning of Belmont. That’s fine with the captain. [Newsday]
• For Bailey, this All-Star selection is the culmination of everything coming together at the right time. [NY Post]
• They’re slowly inching their way back up the LHH Power Rankings.
• The Railers still sit way out of the playoffs, but their 3-2 win over the ECHL-best Florida Everblades completed a three-game weekend sweep for them. [Telegram]

Other Hockey Items of Note

• Last night’s NHL scores, if you are one to care about box scores from All-Star games.
• Seattle is expected to file its NHL expansion application soon. Should they get in (they will) it will cost the prospective owner $650 million in fees, $150 million more than Vegas. Gary Bettman also reports that they will follow the same expansion draft process and rules as the Golden Knights. This article also references Bettman’s tour of the renovated Coliseum. [NHL]
• Jaromir Jagr is 38 games away from overtaking Gordie Howe for most games played in the NHL, ever, and was waived by the Calgary Flames after a month or so of he and his agent trying to work out a trade to another team. Not unconditional waivers, though it would be difficult to imagine he’d accept an AHL assignment. [M&G | TSN Video]

I really hope he gets claimed by someone. He should. He’s not the scorer he once was, but he still drives play pretty well. And he’s Jagr. And it goes without saying at this point, but the Islanders should be the team to claim him if no one else does. Not just about his games played record - even if we claimed him, he would still need six regular season games next season to accomplish the feat. It’s not that. I mean, look at our ugly, horrendous, terrible, piecemeal bottom six. Yes they’re battered by injury. But they weren’t doing a ton beforehand. Jagr would add a play-driving element the bottom six so badly needs, if only to effectively spare the top two lines here and there.

Of course, like anyone else actually valuable on waivers, he will pass through, and we will have to bid adieu, again, to Jaromir.