Islanders News: Lee, Hitch, Belmont and Nassau

Which would you like to beat in to the ground today: arena talk, Lou, or what a tool the Capitals employ?

Islanders Reading

• Anders Lee’s big season makes U.S. College Hockey proponents very proud. [USHO]
• After a promising audition, Ryan Hitchcock (Yale) has landed a two-year AHL deal with the Sound Tigers. [BST]
• Observing progress at Belmont, “Belmont’s revival shouldn’t be delayed by the need to modernize LIRR service.” [Newsday editorial]
• One more on Lou Lamoriello: He’d bring instant respect, but also: “[his] final years in New Jersey were marked by some ugly free-agent contracts (Brian Rolston, Anton Volchenkov, Ryane Clowe) and, outside of hitting on first-rounders in 2003 and 2004 with Zach Parise and Travis Zajac, the Devils’ drafting was abysmal for years.” [The Athletic]
• Is this 1970? 1980? 1996? 2004? 2011? I’ve lost track. “Nassau County Executive Laura Curran will announce a new initiative Wednesday night to redevelop the Nassau Hub, the 77-acre area” around Nassau Coliseum. [Newsday]

Elsewhere

• Officially now: The Oilers have brought ex-Isle Mikko Koskinen back from the KHL to challenge Cam Talbot. [Edmonton Journal]
• Add Tom Fitzgerald, Bill Zito and...John Ferguson Jr. (?!) to Paul Fenton as interviewees for the Wild GM job. [The Athletic]
• Longtime “rink rat,” former GM and coach Rick Dudley has been named VP of Hockey Operations for the Hurricanes. [Canes Country]
• Tom Wilson remains a piece of excrement. Latest head shot caused a concussion and broken jaw. [SB Nation]
• The Capitals took a 2-1 series lead when Alex Ovechkin scored the winner with 1:07 left in regulation. It was a beauty: