New season .. imminent.
Hockey season is about to begin. JT is about to make his Professional debut. I am very excited to see this kid with a real team around him on Saturday night. He showed flashes of brilliance in pre season and when on the power play they scored in about 10 seconds. He is HUGE and very talented. I can not wait to see how He, Bailey, Okposo and Comeau does this year.
This year the Islanders also have a ton of kids that are making it real tough to send them down to trim down the roster. To me that is a great sign b/c if we start having injuries again we have tons of depth. Sounds like Doug Weight will not make the opener so that is one extra spot. This kid Matt Moulson is making it real tough to assign him as he has 4 goals in the last 3 pre-season games (add an assist in his 4th game). I was a little surprised to see them assign Jesse Joensuu b/c the kid looks huge and amazing to me every time he plays. The other bubble boys are Trevor Smith, Greg Moore, Jeremy Reich (broke wrist last night) , Joel Rechlicz and Calvin De Haan.. Joel is a goon.. will probably make it and be a healthy scratch for most games. Trevor is real deal will most likely make it for now .. I don's see Moore and Reich making the team. The kid De Haan is the other first round pick the Islander moved up to get. This kid is legit and although he may not make it for the start of season.. I don't see him playing in Bridgeport very long. Here is the lines as I see it.. when everyone is healthy.
1. Okposo, Tavarez, Weight (okposo is ok after the cheap shot.. should be good to go. Weight has pulled groin)
2. Hunter, Bailey, Comeau (Hunter was on pace for a 30 goal season when got hurt.. he will be captain of this team soon.. he is a little hurt right now.. hope he makes opener)
3. Park, Bergenheim, Tambellini (Park and Berg have been amazing. Tambellini HAS to show he can do in the NHL what he does in AHL.. this is his last shot)
4. Thompson, Neilson, Jackman , Sim? (Thompson also great last year till got hurt.. fighter who can score, Neilson is hurt for now.. again. needs to stay healthy, Jackman is a goon who will be looking over his shoulder at Rechleicz .. )
(Weight, and Neilson are hurt right now... so probably Smith, Moulan, Sim and Rechleicz fighting for those 2 spots)
Def.1 Witt and Martinek (Martinek is best I have seen since Kenny Johnson on defense.. he finally stayed healthy last year.. watching him and Ovechkin battle is a lot of fun.)
Def. 2 Streit, Gervais (Streit was the best free agent signing of the year last year.. Bruno gets better every year)
Def. 3 Sutton , Hillen (Sutton was leading league in blocked shots when he got hurt.. led league 4 times on other teams.. only played about 20 games) Hillen is the kid they liked so much they traded Campoli.
last defenseman will be Freddy Meyer for now.. DeHaan hurt but will make a push for this spot. .. if no one gets hurt.. Freddy may get traded. He knows this and is working like a mad man to make this team.. Watch how much he hits when on the ice. He was never known for that.
Goalies :
1. Roloson
2. Biron
Dp when fully healthy will bounce one of these guys.. both were top teir starters last year. so no matter what happens this year will not be same as last year. I would imagine as these kids get better and make it more difficult to leave them in Bridgeport the Isles will use their depth to make some trades and gain picks. Unless we have injuries.. no matter what the abberation of last year's 575 man games of injury will not happen again. We are going to suprise a lot of people this year. Trust me.
Isles also just claimed Schrempf off waivers from Edmonton. He was a first round pick in 2004. I guess he goes into mix fighting for a spot. This will be a very interesting week.
This year the Islanders also have a ton of kids that are making it real tough to send them down to trim down the roster. To me that is a great sign b/c if we start having injuries again we have tons of depth. Sounds like Doug Weight will not make the opener so that is one extra spot. This kid Matt Moulson is making it real tough to assign him as he has 4 goals in the last 3 pre-season games (add an assist in his 4th game). I was a little surprised to see them assign Jesse Joensuu b/c the kid looks huge and amazing to me every time he plays. The other bubble boys are Trevor Smith, Greg Moore, Jeremy Reich (broke wrist last night) , Joel Rechlicz and Calvin De Haan.. Joel is a goon.. will probably make it and be a healthy scratch for most games. Trevor is real deal will most likely make it for now .. I don's see Moore and Reich making the team. The kid De Haan is the other first round pick the Islander moved up to get. This kid is legit and although he may not make it for the start of season.. I don't see him playing in Bridgeport very long. Here is the lines as I see it.. when everyone is healthy.
1. Okposo, Tavarez, Weight (okposo is ok after the cheap shot.. should be good to go. Weight has pulled groin)
2. Hunter, Bailey, Comeau (Hunter was on pace for a 30 goal season when got hurt.. he will be captain of this team soon.. he is a little hurt right now.. hope he makes opener)
3. Park, Bergenheim, Tambellini (Park and Berg have been amazing. Tambellini HAS to show he can do in the NHL what he does in AHL.. this is his last shot)
4. Thompson, Neilson, Jackman , Sim? (Thompson also great last year till got hurt.. fighter who can score, Neilson is hurt for now.. again. needs to stay healthy, Jackman is a goon who will be looking over his shoulder at Rechleicz .. )
(Weight, and Neilson are hurt right now... so probably Smith, Moulan, Sim and Rechleicz fighting for those 2 spots)
Def.1 Witt and Martinek (Martinek is best I have seen since Kenny Johnson on defense.. he finally stayed healthy last year.. watching him and Ovechkin battle is a lot of fun.)
Def. 2 Streit, Gervais (Streit was the best free agent signing of the year last year.. Bruno gets better every year)
Def. 3 Sutton , Hillen (Sutton was leading league in blocked shots when he got hurt.. led league 4 times on other teams.. only played about 20 games) Hillen is the kid they liked so much they traded Campoli.
last defenseman will be Freddy Meyer for now.. DeHaan hurt but will make a push for this spot. .. if no one gets hurt.. Freddy may get traded. He knows this and is working like a mad man to make this team.. Watch how much he hits when on the ice. He was never known for that.
Goalies :
1. Roloson
2. Biron
Dp when fully healthy will bounce one of these guys.. both were top teir starters last year. so no matter what happens this year will not be same as last year. I would imagine as these kids get better and make it more difficult to leave them in Bridgeport the Isles will use their depth to make some trades and gain picks. Unless we have injuries.. no matter what the abberation of last year's 575 man games of injury will not happen again. We are going to suprise a lot of people this year. Trust me.
Isles also just claimed Schrempf off waivers from Edmonton. He was a first round pick in 2004. I guess he goes into mix fighting for a spot. This will be a very interesting week.
posted by New York Islander chatter at 8:39 AM
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