After a long day of meetings, Islanders general manager Garth Snow declined to reveal the team’s roster decisions tonight before all the players can be informed. But as I’m reporting in Newsday tomorrow, free-agent defenseman Bryan Berard remains unsigned at the moment.
However, Berard’s agent, Thomas Laidlaw, said his client still is focused on rejoining the Islanders rather than looking elsewhere for a job. Obviously, the Isles need a quarterback for their power play, a role for which Berard is well-suited.
It appears Berard is willing to wait while Snow sorts out his roster situation. The defensemen with two-way contracts are Aaron Johnson and Bruno Gervais. Most likely, Johnson will be sent down. The jury is out on Gervais, who did not have a strong camp. Chris Campoli just signed a three-year, one-way contract, and Freddy Meyer also has a one-way deal.
Asked if he has any trade talks going on, Snow said, “No, not at this point.”
The GM called the decision-making process “really tough” and emphasized his commitment to developing young players to add to the veteran core. If the Islanders go ahead and sign Berard, that will have an impact on either Gervais or Campoli, one of whom would have to sit.
If the Isles don’t sign Berard, then coach Ted Nolan must figure out whom to pair with Marc-Andre Bergeron at the point on the power play. Considering how important the power play is in most games, that would be a much bigger problem than sending someone to Bridgeport.
Comments (21)
I feel GRITTY!
Oh so GRITTY!
This team's SH___Y!
Let's ask ourselves why!
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Decide wisely--because whatever they decide tonight will follow them for the entire season and probably beyond. Just decide wisely and be certain of the choices made. Good luck gentlemen.
Sign Bryan!!! The power play is a huge part of the game and needs the puck moving style Berard possesses. I understand this may retard the growth of Campoli or Bruno, but we still need to do what's best for the team right now. We all know someone on the blueline will get injured at some point in the season, cue the insertion of Campy/Bruno. We desperately need the depth and I think it's a no-brainer.
Enough: I hope for you the isles surprise everyone. Dude...you need it more than everyone
How about the fact that you posted 4 times within 10 minutes. Get a hobby...
I think Berard and the Isles already worked out a deal. Ofcorse thats just speculation but the season begins for some teams on Wednesday... For Berards agent to stay patient and "loyal" sounds alittle fishy ,but, they may want to address the team first before making anything public... Thats respectable...
I hope they sign him, 4 points in 4games ( I think) in the preseason is a promising sign. Campoli just didn't prove much but is on a oneway contract,I would hate to put him on the waiver wire.
Johnson looked good and from all reports impressed mgnmt but his 2-way contract will make a sound tiger to begin the season.
Gervais , is on the same boat. He also didn't show that much and his 2 way pact puts him on the the ferry from LI to B-Port.
Youth is good but production is better... I have no prblem if I believe they put out the best possible team and that includes Berard...If the team starts faltering then you can start experimenting with the comeau, nillson (sp?), walters of the world.. But this BS with Hilbert got to stop... He a good player but he can't finish.
Ahh yes but don't you see the infallible beauty of their plan? Expect this team to be a steaming dump. Anything else and Snow and Nolan and Wang are HOCKEY GENIUSES!!! Everyone and everything points to this team being lousy and hoping for "surprises" or "upsets". These are the same people that get all excited about making the playoffs on the last day as the final seed and getting rocked in four straight. Get it straight folks: if the best your team can do is barely squeeze into the playoffs to get slammed in the first round, theres really not much to get excited over, is there? Everyone seems ready to celebrate barely making the playoffs as if it were winning the cup. It isn't. Its just mediocre and boring. I mean, take a look around here, the discussions are like, "grumble grumble blah blah JEFF TAMBELLINI!!! blah blah" Hate to break it to you, but JEFF TAMBELLINI has basically got nothing, had a lousy camp, and will provide no kind of solution to the lack of offense that plagues this team. You'd think from the talk around here there was a danger of the second coming of gordie howe being left off the roster.
Mass, I hope this team "surprises" everyone within a thousand miles and makes the playoffs with 2 weeks left and even gets to the second or, dare i even think it, third round. You bet I need it. Any islander fan hoping to pull for a competitor sorely does. But I, along with most other people who are knowledgeable about hockey, am not holding my breath.
I love the new fisher-price jerseys, though. Kid-pleasers for sure. And where would we be without the children?
When the isles decided to give Berard a try out I didnt think much of it but it sounds as though he will get a contract and become the #1dman on the pp and also that he had an outstanding camp. Hey if he can play and produce like that all year long than I am for it. I dont get all the arguing over whether we should keep campoli and Gervais send them down or whatever. This has nothing to do with who has a contract and who does not this is about putting the best players on the team to win. I say this to Steady, AZS, Miggsy and JPva. I like young players too if they can play not just because their young and in our system. You guys have gone as far to say that Nolan has a bias. I think for a man who hadnt coached in 9 years having bias against players is the last thing Nolan is thinking about. Secondly, I really think this is about purging and eliminating every player that was drafted and signed by the former GM and create thier own identity. Thats been the plan for Nolan and Garth from day one and if you cant cut it and produce then we move on, nothing personal its just the business of hockey. The islnaders are a win now team. Their franchise player dp is 26 yrs old now and coming into his prime and I dont want to waste my time watching a rebuilding program. Lets get the best players possible put a team out there and win. Just win baby! Lets go Islanders!
Second that...
LETS GO ISLANDERS!!!...
Will miss the home opener but will see the Rags$ on 10/10...
Enough:
I agree with you bro that things don't look good. You seem like a true fan, but the standings are determined by the play on the ice. I am willing to see at least the first few games before jumping to conclusions. We have a great goalie...which is the #1 component of any good team. Seriously bro...you sound like a Blackhawks fan should sound.
Keep 7 D....Just send Gervais & Johnson to Bridgeport - we need NHL caliber depth not Drew Fata or some of the other scrubs that were brought up last season. Tambellini should make this team, the Islanders need as much offense as possible.
Please everyone, relax. All of you doom and gloomers need to step back and wait. Berard has shown he is healthy. He's got the speed and puck moving skills for the new NHL. They will sign him. This team has talent and will be good. I'm guessing middle of the road, possibly a solid 6th seed. I know this may sound funny but Satan will score at least 30g this year because its contract time. We should have balanced contributions and Ricky will not lose any for us. I will be there Fri in Buff being my obnoxious New Yorker self. Looking forward to a fun year. Go Islanders.
Come on, this team is going to be FINE. The Isles were comfortably in the sixth-seed position last year before DiPietro got hurt, and BEFORE we had Ryan Smyth. Martinek was also hurt when the Isles topped-out, and HE'S back as well. We played our best hockey without Yashin, who is gone. Sure, we had Blake during that late-winter stretch but he is NOT going to score another 40 goals, and now we have a Guerin. Who WILL top 30 and knows how to pass the puck. A healthy DP means a playoff run, that's it. There is no logic to assume this team is going to miss the playoffs. The 'D' is beefed up, and Comrie, Gueren and Fedetenko were on a mission in the preseason. The team finally has a congealed #1 line that will produce consistently without the merry-go-round antics of years past, which is a huge detriment on a team. An unstable top line trickles all the way down. That's shored up now, w/o Yashin. If we stay in it by the the trade deadline, we have a management who will spend money to win. LETS GO ISLES!!!
We have cap room and we have some players to trade for on our D-corps. Sounds like if we hang in there and are in the playoff hunt we might be able to pull off a trade or two to bolster our offense. I think this years top line is much better than last years. If I remember correctly Simon and Asham spent time on the first line last year as well as Robataille. And for the doom and gloomers who think we can't score, we have Guerin, Comrie, Fedatenko, Satan, Hunter & Sillinger that can score 20+ goals this year. That is 6 - 20+ goal scorers on your roster. Last year we had 5 - 20 + goal scorers(6 if you include Ryan Smyth, which you shouldn't because his 30 + goals were with Edmonton). We also did not have MAB for a full season and he upgraded our ability to score on the PP. Sim is an upgrade over Asham (17 goals for Sim vs. 11 for Asham). Tambellini should be able to produce more than Robataille did (11 for the season). The question I have is Hilbert; he needs to score more than the 8 in 81 games he put up last year. Maybe Ted Nolan is counting the goal posts as goals in his head or the team is that desperate for speed on offense.
I agree with MW, if DiPietro hadn't gotten hurt there was a good possibility that the Isles could have locked up the 6th spot (Rangers only finished a couple of points ahead of them) last year and beaten Atlanta in the first round. This team will live and die with DiPietro. The guy is a legit Vezina contender and we need him to continue playing the way he played last year.
The defense will sort itself out. They'll be injuries to deal with, all of these guys will end up playing valuable minutes. That said, I hope they sign Berard. I like his game.
Can't wait for the season to start this Friday.
Jisles,
I am all for taking on Berard if he's the guy. I think Nolan has a bias towards guys who can improve the team. My argument is that the isles have a solid four, but 5-8 will be important as well. My vote based on last eyar and what I've read about camp is to keep Gervais and Berard. Campoli might be a valid candidate, but I watched him get banged around like pinata all year...
He'll have plenty of opportunity to prove me wrong as the 7th guy. And the team can win with him in a 6th "D" role... but I just think Gervais is the better choice... but may lose out because he wouldn't have to be exposed... If their AHL team was in Las Vegas this wouldn't even be a discussion... there would be two healthy scratches every night. Especially with their cap space.
What?
The mistake for the isles was made when they brough Berard in for a tryout. Did they not see this ending up how it is right now? They were hoping either Berard would wow management and earn his contract or would cause Gervais to fight for his spot and have a phenomenal camp. Neither happened. Whoever said Berard had an outstanding camp obviously hasn't watched a single game. He had a decent camp. Nothing great, nothing horrible. Everyone is screaming for Berard to make the team because they know his name. If there was a similar Dman with the same skill set and an injury-plagued career there wouldnt be any discussion about this. Witt, MAB, Sutton, Martinek, Campoli & Gervais with Aaron Johnson riding the Bridgeport/Port Jeff ferry all season. That's the D right there.
As for Hilbert, he's 100% going to be on this team and rightfully so. He was a major part of the isles best line last season. He's not a finisher but so what? Every player doesnt have to be a gaol scorer. Everyone is crying about Hilbert taking Bergenheim's spot but in reality Hilbert kept his spot because Bergenheim didn't win it. It's going to be a season of Berg/Hilbert/Tambellini fighting for 2 spots with the othr being a healthy scratch until there is an injury.
How about that MSG ruling today?
Sign Berard already. I saw him in 2 pre season games live and he looked good. Trade that bum Meyer.