Based on general manager Garth Snow’s comment that he doesn’t anticipate any more free-agent signings at the moment, I believe the Islanders’ roster for the 2008-09 season basically is complete. However, I erred in the previous blog and in today’s Newsday story when I said the Isles have 24 one-way contracts. In fact, they only have 17 one-way deals at this time.
Snow telephoned this morning to tell me he nearly spit his coffee when he read what I wrote. After we hung up, I banged my head against the wall a few times as punishment. To keep this as simple as possible, here’s the breakdown on the seven players who are not currently on one-way contracts:
Kyle Okposo – Entering the first year of his three-year entry-level deal because he played only nine NHL games last season.
Blake Comeau – Has one year left on his entry-level deal.
Frans Nielsen – Qualified on a two-way contract for 30 more NHL games.
Jeff Tambellini – Qualified on a two-way deal.
Bruno Gervais – Qualified on a two-way deal.
Ben Walter – Qualified on a two-way deal.
Jeremy Colliton – Qualified on a two-way deal.
It’s possible Tambellini and Gervais might negotiate one-way deals before the season. Even if they accepted the Islanders’ two-way qualifying offer, Tambellini, Gervais, Walter and Colliton all would have to clear waivers on the way down to the AHL if they were assigned to Bridgeport. Tambellini and possibly Gervais likely would be claimed by another team in that scenario.
So, while Snow still has room to add more veterans on one-way deals through free agency if he chooses, the practical effect would be to create a crowded situation, especially at forward, that either would force Tambellini to be exposed to waivers or would force the Isles to send Comeau, Okposo or Nielsen back to Bridgeport to make room for a veteran. But Snow’s plan all along has been to create room to blend in Tambellini, Comeau, Okposo and possibly Nielsen to develop them at the NHL level.
Unless Snow has a change of heart and decides to seek more veteran help, the roster identified in the previous blog as your Islanders for the 2008-09 season still is correct, except that only 17 of those players currently have one-way deals.
Comments (49)
I wonder if Doug Weight can get 31 points this season? He's only 31 from his 1,000th point. He should of gotten it last season ... but only finished with 25 in 67 games.
I honestly would like to know exactly what Doug's talent level is at now. He's been out West for soooooooooo long and I really haven't seen much of him the last several years ... I assume he's been playing 3rd line minutes with the Ducks ... I truely can't access his current skill level. We always also assume that players' stats are more escalated in the West Conference ... so forgeting that Doug is going to be another year older ... can we also assume that Weight playing in the East will further diminish his point total? Travel will be easier on him for sure.
I sure hope he can get his 1,000th point this season in an Islander uniform ... both for his and the Isles' sake.
That also brings up another thing. One can assume that Doug is very aware of his proximity to that 1,000 point milestone ... and on most other clubs ... he's no better than a 3rd line center at this stage of his career. What better place to give him a more legit shot at reaching that milestone than a team like the Isles whose #1 center is really only a #2/3 center talent. Gives him a good shot at get 1st line minutes .. in his mind anyway.
Otherwise ... why would someone with his status and point of his career want to play on a team with very little odds at winning the cup?
I'm pretty certain that one of the bonuses in his contract is reaching that 1,000 point milestone. He's also only 35 goals away from 300 all-time ... Even in his best years that would be a Mt. Everest stretch for Weight ... he's never even scored 30... I've always compared him to Adam Oates who at least in his prime potted 45 goals during the high offensive octane NHL of the early 90s ....
Oates by the way ... is the kind of player people have been comparing Bailey too... wonder how much mentoring Weight can do with Bailey during camp ... because in all likelyhood ... Bailey is not making the team this season ... and will play a full year at Windsor as team Captain... so this really eliminates the chances of Weight being a mentor to Bailey ... it's more likely that he's going to be working with the wingers and giving them instruction on how to find themselves in the sweet spots to be on the receiving end of his passes.
Greg said ... "Snow telephoned this morning to tell me he nearly spit his coffee when he read what I wrote."
Greg ... now Snow knows how Steady felt when when he signed Weight yesterday.
Greg - does this mean that it's unlikely for any recently-signed former draftees or someone from this year's crop (ie, Josh Bailey) to make the roster? I understand that a lot can happen between now & training camp but are there any players not on your list that you feel might have a shot to make the squad if no other roster moves are made before then?
ML .... I'm pretty certain that Greg knows better than us that post on here ... but for my own 2 cents .. I highly doubt anyone other than Bailey even has an outside shot at making the club this year.... and I put the odds of Bailey making the club at very close to zero.
This isn't a knock on those players ... they are just 18 years old remember ... but due to Greg's aformentioned team contract status ... there really isn't much room on the roster for players who truely need to hone their skills and further their development.
Snow's not going to risk putting the recent draftees in the position to fail and risk losing existing players to waivers in the process ... he's playing it much smarter than most of us have ever given him credit for. He's got the luxury of giving them a year or two to develop ... even though a lot of our fellow fans want a meal out of the box made by someone else while Snow's been working hard whipping up a homemade dinner for all of us to enjoy.
All joking aside ... the meal he made the last season didn't sit well with me.... and if you recall ... it was a meal made out of a box... LOL!!
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"Garth Snow’s comment that he doesn’t anticipate any more free-agent signings at the moment"
Doesn't mean a trade or two can't happen.
Greg, that was an honest mistake, and honestly, it doesn't really make your 2008-09 Isles lineup any less realistic. Snow has said all along that he doesn't want to block the path of his young players by signing veteran players. As currently constructed, the Isles are a young, promising, relatively low-priced team that has great potential. If the young players come together within the next year or two and form a solid nucleus, Snow will be in a position to not only lock up his own guys down the line, but add a big-time scorer in the near future. Remember, Hossa just signed a one-year deal, so if the Islanders really compete this year and are in position to offer Hossa a ton of money next year, it's not inconceivable that he'd want to come to the Islanders.
Where is our cap space at? There seems to be a lot of players out there for grabs. Soooooo tempting to grab some more FAs!
Kevin T.
nhlscap.com reports they have about $16 million in cap space left when you factor in ALL of Doug Weight's performance bonuses. It's a pretty penny to play around with, but who's out there that would add something to this team besides a Laraque and MAYBE a Willams?
Great points Brian, 505 and Kevin .... Nick ... I was just thinking about that same amount of cap space myself .. but also figured that there really isn't anyone out there to over pay that would be worth it at this time for this team.
I think Snow has to make an offer to Laraque ... and .... not or ... but and as you put it for Williams
And as for the Afinogenov idea (if that idea wasn't here, someone on another board recommended Afinogenov for Gervais and a pick, or something similar)....It might not be a bad gamble at all...This is where having cap space really pays off.
(Can anyone else tell I sound a bit schizophrenic? I know it's best for the long-term to have a young team and reap the high draft picks and all the rest of it, but the fan instincts kick in and I get all excited about adding players...)
To err is human Greg.
Nice to see that Teacher. Generally the Canadian market likes to rip every move the Islanders make. Whatever happens around here... it's never dull now is it...
Nick, I love the idea of adding a speed demon like Afinogenov, but I'm afraid he'd be waiting in the offensive zone for the rest of the team to come huffing and puffing past the blue line...
Since all this blather about signing Doug Weight continues on, lets ask the real question. Lets lock everyone into a number and see how it looks at the seasons end. If he hits fifty points (more than any Islander last season) is he a sucess? Forty? Thirty?
Guerin got 4 1/2 million and didn't hit 50.
Comrie got around 4 million and missed the fifty mark.
So with Weight getting less than half that, are 25 points his high mark?
So I ask each of you
"What point total (goals and assists) would Weight have to reach to make his signing worthwhile?
Since I think his signing was a good move,
I am going to say 12 goals and 33 assists for 45 points which will make him worth his Weight in gold .....Sir William
Sir William:
I'll go 16 goals 39 assists for 55 points. He's got two snipers in Geurin, an Tambs, and he's getting first line minutes for a while.
Yes, I'm an optimist, but if Tambs get hot, so will Weight.
I'm going to have to break my promise to Julien and bug him about what Streit can do for the Isles ... Julien is a Habs fan after-all ... and maybe he can tell me what Weight has left to offer the Islanders.
Julien asked me not to grill him about players during the 3 days prior and during the week of FA ...because they tend to be busy as hell ... but it seems like it's cooled off a bit now .. no?
Nice game ya got going there Sir Dub-ya
Hymmmm ... it's really hard to gauge what a guy whose had great success in the West is going to do in the East with a green squad of forwards .... except for Guerin of course adding to the variable ... and their past successes together ... BTW .. I bet you Guerin is extatic. I think playing on the top line with Guerin will help his production over last season.
I'm going to say 14 goals ... and 38 assists...for 52 points ... that should account for the Eastern Conference tighter defense... his advancing age ... and the fact that the Isles are just not that deep .. he'll be facing the top checking lines.... and I'm assuming Tamby is going to be on his left side... and Guerin on his right ... I see the top 2 lines shifting back and forth sharing the #1 and #2 line status.
netminder .. I wouldn't go out on a limb and call Tamby a sniper just yet ... But .. I don't think you're far off on your assesment ... he's definitely got an NHL snap shot and wrist shot ... maybe all he needs is 1st and 2nd line minutes with a center that can dish him the puck.... time will tell.
--------------------
BTW .... Jules is going to buzz me back later ... they actually are a lil busy .... I made the faux pas of saying to him ... "Well have a Happy 4th of July if you can't get back to me" .... Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ..... He's Canadian you idiot!!! ... LOL!!! Like his accent wasn't a dead give away .... he said ... that is OK ... we almost were part of the USA had a few things went different.... I had no idea Canada was part of the dealio... I know we tried to attack a fortress in Quebec ... but I didn't know that was a terriroty grab .... I'm going to have to re-read some of my history... I felt stumped.
Wow, Fedotenko and Satan to Pitt. Can we grab Laraque now Snow??
Weight's line in 2008-09: 12 goals, 24 assists, 36 points, and +/- of -15.
If Steady is reading through some of the boards around the league regarding Avery ... he'll go ballistic ... Avery inferred that the Isles would of been smart if they went after him ... but said there was nothing going on there ... now these are posts of posts on the boards ... but I wonder if Avery's agent actually shopped him to the Isles and got no response?
I'll say ... Avery isn't the guy I want on THIS team .... but it would of made the Rag / Isles games a bit more interesting.
WOW .. I guess it wasn't just people posting about Avery .... I just looked at an article Zippy wrote for today's edition .... here is a portion of it....
Naturally, Avery couldn't leave without a bit of controversy. Not his style. Asked about rumors that the Islanders were interested in his services, he replied: "There was nothing going on there. If they were smart they would have tried to sign me."
I guess he was interested in coming to the Island.
I'd say he was more interested in sticking it to the Rags, though the end result would have been the same (me having to be peeled off the ceiling and swearing to not go to a single game as long as that filth wore an Islander jersey).
There goes Laraque to les habs I sure hope KO and fight his own battles.
19 ISLES, So you are predicting that Weight will score more points than the the team's leading point producer last year. And at
less than half the price. And this is a bad signing? Am I pulling your pants down? LOL LOL.
As for your history lesson the US invaded Quebec twice Once during the American Revolution lead by General Benedict Arnold. The Americans beleived that the Canadians would rush to join them in riding themselves of England. They did not and beat the American Army back into the US. One of the great heroes of the Revolution General Dan Morgan was captured there and later exchanged.
The second invasion was during the War of 1812 and once again the Americans misjudged the Canadian resovle to stay within the British Empire. Once again the Canadian army under Issac Brock beat back the American invasion. Brock was killed in the battle and he is remembered in Canada today as a hero.
Thus endith the lesson...........Sir William
LOL!!! Thanks Sir W for the history lesson ... I knew about the Benedict Arnold and Dan Morgan involvement ... I didn't know the battle was for a land grab ... I thought it was a defensive move to take some forts along the St. Lawrence and Fort Ticondaroga (sp) ... and prevent the Red Coats from taking control of the entire Northeast... ya learn something new every day.
I never said Doug Weight was a bad signing ... I said I didn't want him prior to the trade deadline because I wanted Snow to go after Morrisson ... but once we got him ... said it isn't really anything to get upset about ... and that for the price .. it was a bargain ... and he might just be the right fit for the team at this stage ... I'd still prefer Morrisson .... but I do believe last season's numbers for Weight was more an anomoly as he was relegted to the 3rd line on a strong team.
We'll just have to wait and see if my optimism for Weight's resurgance with Guerin on his wing is fulfilled ... or I'll be disappointed now .. won't we.
Again ... not crazy about the Weight signing ... but .. it isn't a catostrophy ... and hey ... he's an Islander and I want him to kick ice.
DJSTU ... yeah ... I found out on the Islandermania board just as I was trying to get some chatter up there about loring in Laraque ... it seems either way the sentiment is people don't think we need a goon ... I don't either ... we need an enforcer ... who can contribute with a half dozen goals or so... people don't make that correlation that goons may not score many goals ... but they open up the ice for the guys who do.
Again ... that is a hockey IQ issue... hockey is not for the light hearted.
That's too bad for Rag fans that Avery is gone. How do you like that? The guy almost dies at the end of the season for the Rags and this is how they repay him. What's the bets going around that he'll try to bang Willa Ford in Dallas?
Naslund to Rags?? .... I see that popping up on some boards... so Rags fans will not miss Avery much.
With this flurry of activity by the Ranger's it would appear that the Jagr train is definitely out of Penn Station.
Thoughts???
Why not take a flyer on him?
He is a legit 1st line center.
Even at his age, he is far better and more skilled than anything we have right now.
We can afford him.
He would definitely put fannies in the seats..(even if it was Ranger fans there to boo him).
We could change the Islander team motto from "Heart Grit and whatever" to .....................
"Walkers and tricycles in use here, nothing in between"
OK ... just got off the horn with Julien ....
First regarding the Rags ... he confirmed Naslund ... and heard of some more good signings for them on the way .. he said they are looking to shore up the D next ... and in all likely hood Jags has an offer if he wants to come back to NY ... it's up to Jags.
He said the NYR look like a top 5 conference team on paper... top 3 if Jags signs.
Enough of them ... here is what he said about what he thinks about Weight and Streit ....
He said both of those players combined make the Isles power play extremely mobile ... and much harder to defend against than what we had last season. He said the Isles PP will be much improved ... not that it was that hard anyway ... but he said Comrie was never a good enough pivot to move the puck like Weight can ... and with Streit on the point ... he gives the Isles a defensive presence with a PP QB that they lacked last season.
He said sure Streit has his defensive lapses .... but nothing like MAB ... he said the Habs will miss Streit ... and he's a "Swiss man" ... and said when people from Montreal would prefer a Swiss player like Streit over a French Canadian like MAB .... that says a lot.
He said that Streit will have to learn some defensive responsibility ... but he's already been a good learner and he said with some good coaching ... he'll improve his +/- as long as the Isles stay healthy and they have a guys like Guerin and Weight producing.
On Weight he said that Weight is a very smart player with great vision .... and that can never be taken away from him ... he also added that in the Eastern Conference Weight might actually do better since he lost a step in the run and gun West ... so this goes contrary to my suspicion of him not doing as well here. Julien feels it will actually help him ... again ... this is his own opinion.
Then we discussed the Laraque pickup for the Habs ... he was really happy about it because he said there is always a place for a tough enforcer who can contribute to the defense and offense of a team. He said the fact that the Isles have ZERO enforcers at the NHL level means that every night the guys will have to go into the killing fields and hope they come out unscathed.
I think he was a bit dramatic about it ... but he's not far off.
Thoughts?
Zip just reported that Sather has announced that the Jagr train has DEFINITELY been booted out of the station.
I would love to see jagr is an isles uniform, u know he would love to stick it to the rangers, as u saw in the playoffs when he's motivated he's still one of the best players in the league.
Sir W .... Julien also added that although the US military excursions into Canada are well documented .. that the tactical purpose for the US to go into Quebec was really to block the Britts out.... Canada was formely a French Colony ... and the Britts really was keeping Canada off limits to colonization .. mostly used as outposts and trading ... they tried to consolodate the colony populations in the 13 colonies.
They actually forbid settlement of the Niagra / Ontario, Ohio and Quebec frontiers .... once the Revolution began .. a lot of loyalists fled the colonies and settled in the maritimes and parts of the Niagra and Quebec frontiers.
He said that hockey was actually played first in Canada by British soldiers ... a game combined from an aboriginal Candian game and a British game.
See I learned even more... LOL!
Speaking of hockey ... of course ... that is why we are here ... Who else is out there ... aside from Asham .. that we can pick up to police the ice and contribute at the same time?
I definitely, positively, without a doubt, absolutely DO NOT WANT Comrie centering for KO and Comeau.
The more I reflect on what I saw out of him last year, "here, have my pass" Comrie or "watch me send this puck to NOBODY", it simply sends chills down my spine to think that he might be the guy "mentoring" our kids.
Guaranteed, two weeks into the season we'll see KO or Comeau trying toe drags on 2-1 breaks.
NO.....UH-UH.....we can't do that.
Let's blow the wheels off and sign Jagr.
Move Comrie down to where he belongs on the 3rd or 4th line.
Please?
last anon comment at 17:24 was me
19Isles...
"He said that hockey was actually played first in Canada by British soldiers ... a game combined from an aboriginal Candian game and a British game."
WHAT???? No way my friend....absolutely false....
You know better than that.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvkFE5dDXCg
The Coach knows all.
505 ... the thing is ... Jags is a RW ... I'm not sure of his ability to play center.
Put him in the middle
Or put Comeau in the middle.
Hey, this is Jaromir Jagr......I think we could find a spot for him...even if it meant moving someone.
"Put him in the middle"
If he never won a faceoff the entire season he would still be better than any center we have right now.
Jagr is one of those puzzle pieces that you just have to squeeze into the board even if he doesn't fit in the spot you're trying to fill.
Give Jagr a 2 year deal....16 Million.
Watch the season ticket sales take a HUGE jump.
The number of ladies trying out for the Ice Girls will triple (YES!!)
This is a no brainer Garth/Wang...
GITTERDONE
Just my opinion.
I WANT JAGR
Naslund has been with the Canucks for 12 seasons. I can't say it is a sad day for the Canucks. At times he seemed to be just going through the motions. He has a hard time keeping his intensity over the course of a season. Not what you want in a Captain as far as I am concerned. He was very similar to Yashin in my opinion.
But he has a lot of skill and when he is on his game he makes it look effortless. I expect a new team will re-energize him. God knows the Canucks need re-energizing!
This will help the Rangers and it will tough for the Islanders. Rangers look to be a pretty stacked team.
So much for the Cap evening the playing field.
Kevin T.
Vancouver Island, BC, Canada
LOL 505 ... that guy should become the Islander mascot ... trade Sparky for draft picks.....
I have to agree with you there ... Jagr should be offered an 8M 2 year deal ... it will not derail the youth movement ... on the contrary ... and we have the room... as we already dumped the Satans, Tanks and Jovas' ... He can teach ... I think Comeau something ... if not directly ... by osmosis....
Something Snow should give some serious thought to... I'm for it looking at like that.
Going out for some Italian ... ciao
I meant 8M per for 2 years
The signings of Kalinin and Naslund by the Rags have left me with 3 main thoughts:
1. I'm a Yankee fan....so I'm wondering if this exasperation I feel about the Rags constantly fleecing other teams to get themselves out of trouble is the way other baseball fans feel about the Yankees.
2. I agree - the Cap has changed nothing (bet the owners are sorry they insisted so heavily on linkage now, huh?)
3. Nigel Dawes offer sheet basically has to happen now - 4 years, $10.4 million - 2nd round pick as compensation. Do it, Garth!
Nick I agree about the Cap, but I guess I am also referring to the new CBA clause that dropped the Free Agency age from 31 to 25. That is a huge change and just too young. The teams can't get a return on investment when they develop young players. So they have to Sign-Scared long term contracts to protect themselves from losing their best prospects. Teams have to gamble on players TOO EARLY and they have to pick less players to keep.
Established teams that draw the talent because of their reputation/market-size will having an even easier time because more players are available. I think the salaries will settle down, but the gap will get wider between the have and have-not teams.
Kevin T.
Anyone notice some of the two-way signings Snow has made the last few days? Some are kinda interesting and you never know how someone may develop. One guy is a minor league enforcer named Mitch Fitz. He's 6'8", 258. Don't know if he's NHL material, but he should at least protect some of the prospects at Bridgeport. He's got a couple of fights on YouTube if you want to check him out.
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