Islanders News: National TV schedule, Bridgeport signings, Lee speaks

The NHL had its centralized (U.S.) media day, with a welcome appearance from the injury-recovered Islanders captain, and the hint of training camp is in the air.

In related preseason PR news, we now know how many Islanders games will be on national broad/stream/platform-casts this season — 12, which won’t be on MSG — so keeping track of how to catch games just got a little tricker.

Also: It seems Bridgeport contracts and some two-way re-signings have been filed.

National TV Schedule: 12 Games not on MSG

First, the TV...in the U.S., the NHL is gone from NBC, replaced by two deals with ESPN and Turner/TNT. A big part of these deals was streaming and other ways for these “traditional” cable outlets to get more subscribers to their streaming, “plus” type platforms.

At the same time, the Islanders are suddenly way more marketable after two consecutive conference finals runs. All of which means with the new national schedule, you’ll have to buck up if you want to be able to catch every game this season. ESPN+, Hulu, in addition to MSG or (if out of market) NHL packages. It’s been a long time since the heyday of “every game is on the same channel,” but this will be a new level of “WTF is the game tonight?”

I’m sure this kind of thing has already happened with the other major sports that I don’t follow, but now it’s arrived to the NHL too. It’s a new world.

Islanders News

• Anders Lee on his ACL recovery (all proceeding as planned), the new building (“the fans are right on top of you”), and Zach Parise. [Isles] [NHL]
• Sounds like Erik Gustafsson is coming to camp on a PTO. Can he be part of the answer to the Nick Leddy’s Gone question? [LHH | AM NY]
• Arthur Staple discusses that and other questions as camp looms. The left-D question still remains very unsettled (and unsettling? Choose your level of anxiety.). [Athletic]
• Scott Mayfield discusses his wild summer of reaching the conference finals, getting to fly in a fighter jet, the usual. [MSG]
• Can the Isles take the next step in the East? The Capitals portion of NBS Sports asks. [NBC Washington]
• Stan Fischler on a “forgotten” (not sure about that) Bill Torrey deal, or pair of deals: Acquiring J.P. Parise and Jude Drouin. [Isles]
• Andrew Ladd says he is healthy again, excited to play — and used to being unwanted going all the way back to juniors. [Athletic]
• AHL signings sans official announcements: Cole Bardreau is back in the fold for a two-way, two-year deal. Check CapFriendly for a bunch of other names including Otto Koivula, Dmytro Timashov and Andy Andreoff, a left-shooting veteran Canadian forward who comes by way of the Flyers and Kings organizations.

Speaking of Bridgeport...meetup time! Saturday, Oct. 2 for the game vs. the Devils:

Elsewhere

• The NHL is close to having 100 percent of players vaccinated. [NHL]
• Which would be a fine idea, as Wild Swiss prospect Marco Rossi aims to rebound after missing all of last season from complications of Covid. [NHL]
• Unvaccinated players who are suspended due to Covid protocols will not count against a team’s cap. [TSN]
• Brendan Shanahan says the Leafs cannot deviate from the plan (to make the first round of the playoffs each year). [TSN]
• Alex Ovechkin is ready to resume his chase to break Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal record. [NHL]
• The Jets overhauled their blueline, and Paul Maurice says there will be style changes as a result. [Sportsnet]
• The Evander Kane apology tour is underway and he admits he has a gambling problem but insists he never bet on the NHL and refutes related allegations made by his wife. [TSN]
• Sidney Crosby is unsure when his wrist surgery recovery will be over, but he expects it’s a matter of weeks. I’m sure we’ll get some Martyr Recovers Early stories when he comes back ahead of schedule. [NHL]
• Marc-Andre Fleury has accepted the trade to Chicago, but this season could very well be his last. [Sportsnet]