Islanders Gameday News: Concerns about Leddy; Pens-Kings trade

Folks, I am an absolute idiot. Sometimes you gotta remind yourself of the way everything is.

Tonight, the Islanders welcome the Rangers to Barclays Center. The crosstown rivals are doing battle for the first time this season. Leave your FIGs in this link, and express your vitriol in this post’s comment section.

Islanders News

• Barry Trotz has given him a vote of confidence, but Nick Leddy’s three points in 17 games to start the season aren’t cutting it and concerns are raising. Reportedly, he could be had for the right price, but I suppose almost anyone could. [The Athletic]
• Tanner Fritz scored two goals but the Sound Tigers lost 4-3 in OT yesterday afternoon against the mini-Rangers. [Sound Tigers | CT Post]
• I only skimmed it, but it appears the only Islanders mention in Elliotte Friedman’s 31 Thoughts is by way of an extended discussion of Jeremy Colliton, the new Blackhawks coach and former Sound Tiger. Friedman gathers intel and quotes from Mark Wotton - remember him? [Sportsnet]

Elsewhere

• Last night’s NHL scores. Colliton got his first win as coach while the ‘Hawks snapped an eight-game losing streak.
• The Penguins extended GM Jim Rutherford for three more years beyond this one. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]
• In the press conference in which he discussed his extension, he announced he had completed a trade; it turned out to be sending Carl Hagelin to the Kings in exchange for Tanner Pearson in a truly weird one-for-one swap. [Sportsnet]
• Eugene Melnyk is an absolute idiot, and for real. Now, folks have unearthed over a dozen bot Twitter accounts created to try to show support for the owner, probably by Melnyk himself, or at the very least at his behest. [Silver Seven Sens]
• There were quite a few negative reactions toward and many jokes made at the expense of Tuukka Rask’s leave of absence. But, if anything, he needs fan support now more than ever. [SCOC]
• Willie O’Ree was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder on Monday for breaking the NHL’s color barrier. But there’s still quite a bit of work to be done in integrating the game further. [The Undefeated]
• Tom Wilson is back in action after his suspension was reduced from 20 to 14 games, effectively ending it, and the Neanderthal still doesn’t seem to be getting why he was banned in the first place. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]