Islanders News: Four More Years (of Ross); Kovar Comes Over

Well, Lou may be crazy. We knew this going in, but perhaps not the full extent of it. Guess we gotta take the good with the bad.

Islanders News

• For example, signing point-per-game Czech center Jan Kovar out of the KHL for only one year is a great move for a team in the position the Islanders are in - if he works out, great! If not, no hard feelings, see you later! [LHH | Newsday]
• And bringing Chris Bourque, AHL superstar, in to the Bridgeport fold should do wonders toward legitimizing the Sound Tigers. (They also signed an AHL goalie, and re-signed two players from last year.) [LHH | CT Post]
• But why would anyone ever think that Ross Johnston should get a four-year deal worth $4m million? Yes, it can all be buried in Bridgeport, and to be honest, it seems like a nice favor to a guy they like and want to keep around, but it nonetheless looks silly, and you shouldn’t really be handing out long-term contracts to fourth-liners. [LHH]
• Still, Lou remains “enthused” and the players are excited - they’re getting chances they may not have with John Tavares still around. [The Athletic]
• Josh Ho-Sang is already elite at entering the zone with control and at producing shot assists. [LHH Fanpost]
• Part Two of IslesBlogger’s Media and Player Reaction to the John Tavares departure features descriptions of Tavares as he entered the league, as well as the future of the Islanders.
• And on that note, an LHH Fanpost request to outlaw the mention of his name.

Elsewhere

• The Rangers and Vitaly Kravstov have agreed to wait one more year before he comes over to North America. [NY Post]
• Okay, one more mention of Tavares: Down Goes Brown’s Grab Bag features a debate on how we should be coping, as well as P.K. Subban in a one-piece bathing suit. [VICE Sports]
• Jack Eichel has changed his number from 15 to 9; what is this, a Chicago song? [Die by the Blade]
• And Alex Ovechkin, ever the giver, shares the Stanley Cup with thousands in Moscow. [NHL]