With John Tavares on board, What's Next for the Islanders?

Was it that long ago the New York Islanders were an NHL dynasty, winners of four Stanley Cups in a row? Have the names of Arbour, Potvin, Gillies, Bossy, Nystrom, Trottier, Tonelli, Billy Smith, Butch Goring, Ken Morrow and so many others faded into the past forever?

The Islanders hope not...but there are even questions about whether or not owner Charles Wang will give up on his project to build a new arena on Long Island, and move or sell the team.

The Isles have the Number One pick in the draft this year, so everyone is talking...there are pieces, and there is promise...and a good coach in Scott Gordon...but what's next?

Here's the view from Yahoo Sports:

INSIDE SHOTS: NEW YORK ISLANDERS TEAM REPORT
YAHOO SPORTS, JUNE 3 2009

All eyes will be on the Islanders at the June 26 entry draft because they control the first overall selection.

But whether they grab center John Tavares or defenseman Victor Hedman as their key building block for the future, coach Scott Gordon knows the key to the future is the health of goaltender Rick DiPietro.

“To me, the most important thing is going to be Ricky,” Gordon told Newsday. “No matter who we draft, it’s going to come down to what we do in net. No matter how good you are, you’re going to break down. You can’t underestimate the value of the guy in net.

“You saw Ricky’s value the previous year when he played so well the first half of the season. When he got hurt, they went from being a playoff contender to struggling. You have to have a guy who is able to run with the ball. No matter who we draft, it gets overshadowed by who’s in net.”

The last-place Islanders lost an NHL-high 582 man-games to injury last season, and none were more significant than DiPietro, who was limited to five appearances because of two surgeries on his left knee.

“It sounds like everything is going well with Ricky,” Gordon said. “I spoke with (Isles trainer) Garrett Timms, and he’s very encouraged. That’s music to my ears.

“We’ll have to see how everything goes through training camp. The first step is to get him healthy and see where he’s at.”

The Islanders will seek an experienced NHL backup via free agency this summer after going through most of last season with unproven Joey MacDonald and Yann Danis, who are both slated to become unrestricted free agents, between the pipes.

Season Highlight: It’s hard to pinpoint many bright spots from a dead-last campaign. But in a season defined by growing pains for a slew of young players, resurgent veteran Doug Weight recorded his 1,000th NHL point in January and wound up third on the team in scoring (38 points) despite missing 29 games because of injury. The 38-year-old center also was rewarded with a one-year contract extension in early April.

Turning Point: The first red flag flew atop Nassau Coliseum as soon as goalie Rick DiPietro was unable to play in the season opener. The team’s franchise goalie underwent two surgeries on his left knee and ended up appearing in just five games because of complications, pretty much torpedoing any chance the Isles had of remaining competitive this season.

Notes, Quotes

• Coaching legend Al Arbour’s plaque at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto will not be altered to add the extra game and regular-season win the NHL acknowledged he earned when he came back to coach the Isles for one night in 2007, according to a report in Newsday. Referring to similar comebacks by Scotty Bowman and players Gordie Howe, Mario Lemieux and Guy Lafleur after their inductions, a Hall of Fame spokeswoman said it is policy not to change any existing plaques.

“While we respect the Hockey Hall of Fame’s position regarding its policy on induction statistics, Al Arbour’s 740 wins and 1,500 games coached (both totals with the Islanders) are milestones that will forever be recorded by the New York Islanders and NHL record books,” Islanders president Chris Dey said in a statement.

• John Tonelli, an integral member of the Islanders’ four-time Stanley Cup champions in the 1980s, faced charges of driving while intoxicated in Westchester County, N.Y., after state police say he crashed his car along Interstate 684 and abandoned his Lexus at a highway ramp in Harrison, N.Y. Tonelli, who scored 325 goals with five NHL teams, assisted Bob Nystrom’s game-winning overtime goal in Game 6 of the 1980 Stanley Cup finals against Philadelphia, giving the Islanders their first Stanley Cup title.

Quote To Note: “Hopefully we’ll score more goals. I don’t expect we’ll be a dynamic offensive team, but we’ll be going toward that. Kyle (Okposo) was our leading goal scorer last year (with 18 goals). I’d like to see everybody improve like Kyle did in the second half to the point where there was less thinking and more action. That’s part of the development process. And we did it with a ton of injuries. Now, it’s a question of everybody having better health.”—Isles coach Scott Gordon on the Isles failing to have a 20-goal scorer for the first time in their history last season.

Roster Report

Most Valuable Player: D Mark Streit’s signing for $20.5 million last summer drew some snickers around the NHL, but the Swiss-born former Canadien proved to be a bargain and far more than the power-play specialist he was branded as in Montreal. Streit led the Isles with more than 25 minutes per game and finished seventh among all NHL defensemen in scoring with 56 points despite missing eight games with injuries.

Most Disappointing Player: LW Jeff Tambellini wasn’t a disappointment to those who didn’t think he could put up big numbers at the NHL level. But the Islanders have to wonder if it’s ever going to happen at this level for the former first-round pick and AHL scoring whiz after Tambellini had just seven goals and 15 points in 65 games.

Free Agent Focus: GM Garth Snow actually went 2-for-2 with the free agent signings of D Mark Streit and C Doug Weight last summer. And with immediate holes all over, it makes sense that the Isles will look to supplement their young roster again with a few more veteran bargains.

After career minor-leaguers Joey MacDonald and Yann Danis were forced into 49 and 31 appearances, respectively, the Isles also might seek to find a proven NHL backup as insurance in case starter Rick DiPietro continues to be plagued by injuries.

With Weight re-signed to a one-year extension in April, forwards Dean McAmmond, Mike Sillinger and Andy Hilbert, defenseman Thomas Pock and the two backup goalies are the only significant regulars slated to be unrestricted free agents.

Player News:

• RW Kyle Okposo improved his chances of making the 2010 U.S. Olympic team with a strong showing for semifinalist Team USA at the recent World Championships in Switzerland, according to Islanders coach Scott Gordon, who served an assistant to head coach Ron Wilson. “With the exception of a couple of players, I wouldn’t take anybody on (Team USA) over him, and when he gets older, there might not be anybody I’d take over him,” Gordon told Newsday about the 21-year-old Okposo, who scored 18 goals as a rookie last season.

• C Mike Sillinger underwent season-ending hip surgery for the second straight year. Yet, despite appearing in only seven games for the Isles, the 37-year-old center is planning to attempt a comeback next season. It almost certainly will not be with the rebuilding Isles for the unrestricted free agent, who has played for a record 12 NHL teams in a 16-year career.

• LW Jon Sim didn’t sulk when he was banished to AHL Bridgeport after the trade deadline, posting 13 goals and 23 points in 18 games with the Sound Tigers. With one season remaining on the three-year, $3 million contract he signed with the Isles before the 2007-08 season, the 31-year-old Sim will attend training camp in September barring a trade or a buyout.

Medical Watch:

• RW Blake Comeau suffered a fractured wrist April 7 in Carolina and missed the rest of the regular season.

• G Rick DiPietro appeared in just five games because of multiple injuries, and none after Jan. 2, with swelling in his surgically repaired left knee.

• RW Trent Hunter suffered a fractured left ankle Feb. 21 against New Jersey and missed the remainder of the season.

• C Dean McAmmond missed the final six games with an undisclosed illness.

• RW Kurtis McLean suffered a torn Achilles tendon March 12 and was out for the season.

• D Freddy Meyer missed the final 40 games with a groin strain suffered Jan. 5.

• C Mike Sillinger underwent season-ending hip surgery for the second straight season on Jan. 26.

• D Andy Sutton underwent surgery on a broken right foot suffered Dec. 19 and missed the remainder of the season.

---

So will this year's Number One--believed by many to be John Tavares or Victor Hedman--be enough, along with the young talent they already have, and the Scott Gordon system that helped them shock a few foes last year...to propel the Islanders to respectability? Or even a playoff spot?

Over to you...

Hedman

This is the team I used to follow before the Sens were born. Loved them in the Bossy, Potvin, Trottier, Arbour, Gillies days... good times! They have fallen on real hard times for a lot of years. Having Wang as an owner has hurt the franchise IMO. Meddling owners are dangerous, meddling owners who are fickle are deadly.

There are some young peices, with a couple of nice drafts and smart acquisitions, they could go the way of the Hawks. I don't think they will do this with Wang and Snow however. I am afraid they will suffer with mediocrity until the get real hockey people in there and the owner backs off.

Thanks for posting this one DTR, God I wish they would come back to glory. Now that I am all grown up I would love to see them rekindle the magic...

BTW only thing more embarassing than the Wang/Milbury braintrust and their decisions... the world's worst Jersey...

I remember them well...what a team...

MurderOnIce wrote:
BTW only thing more embarassing than the Wang/Milbury braintrust and their decisions... the world's worst Jersey...

I see your Fisherman and raise you a flying mighty duck

IMHO an interesting sidebar about ex-Islanders playing for the Cup this year, from MaxHockey.com:

www.maxhockey.com

ISLES FANS SEE FAMILIAR FACES IN FINALS
Brad Kurtzburg, MaxHockey.com/June 3 2009

Islanders’ fans certainly have no shortage of familiar faces in this year’s Stanley Cup Finals. While the Isles’ season ended more than six weeks ago, there are four ex-Islanders playing key roles in for both teams presently competing for hockey’s Holy Grail.

Perhaps the most recognizable is Penguins’ forward Bill Guerin. The 38-year-old veteran spent nearly two seasons on Long Island and served as captain of the Islanders during his tenure with the club.

Guerin fell victim to Garth Snow’s youth movement in the second half of the season. His ice time was decreased as Coach Scott Gordon wanted to put his younger players on the ice in key situations to see what they could do.

After a fast start to the season, Guerin’s production fell off along with his ice time. The captain was sent to Pittsburgh at the trade deadline for a conditional draft pick which turned out to be a third rounder.

Guerin came to life in Pittsburgh. He scored 5 goals and 12 points in 17 regular season games with the Pens playing on a line with Sidney Crosby.

The change of scenery was helpful to Guerin. “Coming to Pittsburgh and being involved in games that, I hate to use ‘mean something’ because all the games mean something, but right away my first game with the Penguins in Florida we were fighting for our playoff lives,” Guerin told the Associated Press.

“It just felt really good to be involved in big games again and having a significant role in those. I definitely needed it because I am an emotional player. When games just start being games and not meaning much, I think it affects me.”

Guerin’s leadership and experience really started to pay off in the playoffs. In 20 games, Guerin has 7 goals and is third on the Pens with 15 points. Two of his goals have been game winners. The only two Penguins who have scored more than Guerin in the postseason are Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

“He’s brought a lot certainly on the ice,” Crosby told The Associated Press. “He’s played great. He’s got a great shot. He’s a big body out there. He can make smart, simple plays. Off the ice, he’s provided a lot of leadership and provided that experience for us. For me, personally, he’s been a guy I can lean on…bounce things off of. He keeps things pretty loose. He’s a guy that’s fun to be around, so he’s really helped.”

Miro Satan and Ruslan Fedotenko have also contributed to the Penguins’ success in this year’s playoffs. Both players were signed by Pittsburgh as free agents this past summer. The Islanders opted to let them go as free agents since neither player fit into the Islanders’ youth movement.

Satan had a rough regular season. The Penguins were hoping that Satan would return to his 30-goal scoring days if he was healthy and played with either Crosby or Malkin. Instead, Miro scored 17 goals in 65 games and played inconsistent hockey over most of the regular season.

When the Pens’ acquired Chris Kunitz and Guerin at the trade deadline, Satan was sent down to the minors to keep Pittsburgh under the salary cap. Many veterans would have sulked, but Satan kept his head, played well in the AHL and waited for his return to the NHL.

In the playoffs, Satan been a solid fourth line contributor for Pittsburgh and helped out on the power play as well. He has a goal and 6 points and is a plus-three on the postseason.

Fedotenko also had an average regular season for the Penguins. In 65 games, the ex-Islander and Lightning forward scored 16 goals and 39 points.

“Tank” picked up his game in the playoffs as well. He has 7 goals and 13 points and is a plus-seven for the Pens. Fedotenko won a Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2004 and hopes to win a second one this year.

While Detroit has only one ex-Islander on the roster, it’s a vitally important one. Goalie Chris Osgood has led the Wings to two Stanley Cup titles (he was the backup on a third Cup winner in Detroit) and is two wins away from a third.

After a shaky season regular season, Osgood has been stellar in the postseason. He has a .927 save percentage and a 2.00 GAA. His record is 14-5 and he has started every game for Detroit in this year’s playoffs.

Osgood played with the Isles during the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons. The Isles claimed him off waivers from Detroit in September 2001.

Osgood was the starter in his first season on Long Island and was backed up by current GM Garth Snow. He finished with 32 wins and led the Isles to their first playoff berth in seven years.

The following season, he again split time with Snow but was traded to St. Louis at the trade deadline in March 2003 for center Justin Papineau and a 2nd round draft choice. Papineau played in 69 games with the Islanders and scored just 9 goals and 16 points.

Osgood spent one full season with the Blues before rejoining the Wings after the lockout. He took over for Dominik Hasek in the first round of last year’s playoffs and never looked back.

Islanders’ fans have plenty of players to root for in the NHL finals. Meanwhile, they are counting the days until the NHL Entry Draft where the Islanders have the first pick and hope to add a player to rebuild the franchise around.

The next words Long Island hockey fans are looking forward to hearing are, “With the first pick in the NHL Entry Draft, the New York Islanders select…”

Long Island's leading daily newspaper Newsday weighs in on Doug Weight's recent meeting with John Tavares:

DOUG WEIGHT ON ISLES' TOUGH DECISION
Greg Logan: On The Islanders Beat, Newsday, June 4, 2009

Veteran Islanders center Doug Weight recently helped show top draft prospect John Tavares around on his visit to Long Island a couple of weeks ago. I spoke to Weight this afternoon about his breakfast with Tavares for a story in Friday's edition of Newsday. But Weight also met briefly with Matt Duchene and spied Victor Hedman on their visits, and he had some interesting things to say about the decision facing Isles general manager Garth Snow.

Weight's visit with Tavares lasted 90 minutes, but he also was able to form an impression of Duchene, who played a round of golf with Snow in the group behind Weight's recently. He didn't get to meet Hedman, but Weight saw the 6-6, 220-pound Swedish defenseman at the Coliseum.

"My impression of Hedman when I saw him across the parking lot at the Coliseum was that he looked a lot bigger than me at his age," Weight said. "He looks like he's a man already. From what I've heard about how he's played, he seems like he's ready to step in."

Weight liked both Tavares and Duchene when he met them, but he noticed a physical difference. "Matt's a little more physically mature," Weight said. "He looked like a bull. He has thicker legs. He's a big, wide kid. He was very polite, and seems like a really nice kid. I didn't get a chance to ask him a lot. I just told him I hope things work out well. He seemed real genuine. From what I've heard, he plays a real controlled game and either side of the puck with some unbelievable talent on his stick as well."

The quality that most impressed Weight about Tavares was his confident attitude. "He's like, 'Well, I want to be great, but I want to win,'" Weight said, distinguishing between individual and team goals. "That's impressive. I know it's the right thing to say, but we were just talking. He's used to the pressure. He's had the pressure on him for a long time. At age 18, he feels for sure there will be bumps in the road, but he's played against guys that have really succeeded, and he feels he can be a great player and he wants to do it, and he wants to do everything he can off the ice. He said a lot of the right things."

The Islanders have indicated it's a legitimate three-horse race for the No. 1 pick, and Weight doesn't envy Snow and assistant GM Ryan Jankowski in terms of the magnitude of the decision they have to make. "You have one guy compared to Jonathan Toews and being an impact person and two-side-of-the-puck player and a real high-end guy in Duchene. Then, you've got a possible 25-to-30-minute defenseman in Hedman. Anytime you say he plays 30 minutes, you automatically connect him with Nicklas Lidstrom and say, 'Oh my God, can we get somebody like that for 10 years?' You don't want to pass on that.

"Then, you've got a guy like Tavares who is around the net and has unbelievable hands and can always put those numbers up and has that hunger to be great. It's a hell of a decision coming their way."

ESPN's EJ Hradek and Puck Prospectus' Timo Seppa offers their insight on evolution on the Island...

SCUFFLING ISLANDERS NEED A YOUNG CORE
Next step starts with a somewhat surprising draft pick
EJ Hradek, Timo Seppa, ESPN.com, June 16, 2009

Plugging Holes: New York Islanders




The Hole: Everything? A young, quality core
Whether the Isles' future is in Nassau County or elsewhere, the needs of the franchise toward building an eventual contender are many, while their current assets are few: franchise goaltender Rick DiPietro, surprising 31-year-old defenseman Mark Streit (56 points, plus-18.4 GVT), 20-year-old RW Kyle Okposo (39 points, plus-5.8 GVT) and this year's first overall draft pick.

The Fix: Draft Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman No. 1 overall

The Islanders should select Hedman over C John Tavares with the first pick in the upcoming 2009 NHL draft, not because there's a greater need on the blue line (the Isles finished 29th in both offensive and defensive GVT last season), but because we've found it is more difficult to find a superior offensive defenseman in the draft.

Puck Prospectus's Richard Pollock discovered that the drop-off in games played, goals, assists, points and penalty minutes was more severe among defensemen drafted in the first round compared to other rounds. So, the chances of finding a scoring forward later in the draft are much better. Besides, New York could be choosing first in 2010 as well, a pick they could use on highly touted C Taylor Hall.

Hedman is the pick, and the addition of a mentor via free agency (Mattias Ohlund?) wouldn't hurt.

E.J.'s Take: There is no quick fix for the Islanders. Let's make that very clear. With no other road to travel (they can't attract high-end free agents), they're finally taking the right path and building through the draft. If they decide to pick Hedman, I couldn't fault them. Top-end defensemen are hard to find. If they believe Hedman is the best player available, they should take him.


Timo Seppa is a writer for Puck Prospectus. E.J. Hradek is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine.


Note: A mainstay of Puck Prospectus's metrics is "Goals Versus Threshold" (GVT). The stat blends an array of offensive and defensive figures to measure the value, in terms of goals, a player contributes above what the marginal player would over the course of the season. A marginal player is one that could be replaced with a player of equivalent skill, e.g. from the minors. For instance, Evgeni Malkin had an offensive GVT of +18.9, a defensive GVT of +4.5 and a total GVT of +23.4 for the 2008-9 regular season, meaning that Malkin was worth 23.4 goals more than a marginal player over the course of the season, or worth about 0.3 additional goals per game. In the team context, GVT refers to performance above an NHL average team. For the regular season, the Detroit Red Wings had a +30.8 offensive GVT, a +15.1 defensive GVT, a -21.5 goaltending GVT, for a +24.4 total GVT. Therefore, at even strength, Detroit was 24.4 goals better than the average team.

Isles' new No. 1 pick: Matt Duchene?
NHL INSIDER, ESPN.COM/June 19, 2009

Newsday blogger Greg Logan posted this morning that he believes the New York Islanders will bypass both Jonathan Tavares and Victor Hedman in order to select two-way center Matt Duchene.

To the pained screams of Islanders fans, Logan laid out his logic that Duchene has been climbing draft boards while teams have been picking apart Tavares's game.
Logan writes: "Suddenly, Duchene's comparables became "Steve Yzerman" and "Joe Sakic."

While the critiques of Tavares focus on his one-dimensional play and less than stellar skating ability, Duchene now is portrayed as the "most complete" player in the draft. He has the speed to excel in coach Scott Gordon's system, as well as the playmaking ability. He figures to be a top penalty killer, and he's a leader in the locker room."

Indeed, Duchene has passed Tavares in the rankings of Red Line Report, a noted independent scouting service. But would the Islanders really pass up on a player who could help their ailing box office (Tavares) or a rare commodity like a puck-moving defenseman (Hedman)?

I hate giving HB rumours any cred but one is very interesting....

* I just talked to an NHL Exec who said that the Islanders are planning more for their draft party of 17,000+ than drafting one of the BIG 3. "The Isles may also announce at the draft that they have acquired the negotiation rights of the Sedins to that crowd."

IMO this would be a great move for the Isles. Draft Hedman and populate you top line with credible players who have star power. Don't get me wrong I wouldn't build my franchise one the backs of the Sedins but they could be very useful players with a cap friendly $5M per year commitment. The Islanders could climb to respectability if they sign the Sedins and have some luck with DiPietro's injury status...

MurderOnIce wrote:I hate giving HB rumours any cred but one is very interesting....

* I just talked to an NHL Exec who said that the Islanders are planning more for their draft party of 17,000+ than drafting one of the BIG 3. "The Isles may also announce at the draft that they have acquired the negotiation rights of the Sedins to that crowd."

IMO this would be a great move for the Isles. Draft Hedman and populate you top line with credible players who have star power. Don't get me wrong I wouldn't build my franchise one the backs of the Sedins but they could be very useful players with a cap friendly $5M per year commitment. The Islanders could climb to respectability if they sign the Sedins and have some luck with DiPietro's injury status...

Why would anyone want to go play for the NYI for at least the next two years? And that's not aimed at you obviously, it's just a general question. I don't see any UFAs considering the NYI organization until there has been a serious maturation of their top prospects.

davetherave wrote:Isles' new No. 1 pick: Matt Duchene?
NHL INSIDER, ESPN.COM/June 19, 2009

Newsday blogger Greg Logan posted this morning that he believes the New York Islanders will bypass both Jonathan Tavares and Victor Hedman in order to select two-way center Matt Duchene.

To the pained screams of Islanders fans, Logan laid out his logic that Duchene has been climbing draft boards while teams have been picking apart Tavares's game.
Logan writes: "Suddenly, Duchene's comparables became "Steve Yzerman" and "Joe Sakic."

While the critiques of Tavares focus on his one-dimensional play and less than stellar skating ability, Duchene now is portrayed as the "most complete" player in the draft. He has the speed to excel in coach Scott Gordon's system, as well as the playmaking ability. He figures to be a top penalty killer, and he's a leader in the locker room."

Indeed, Duchene has passed Tavares in the rankings of Red Line Report, a noted independent scouting service. But would the Islanders really pass up on a player who could help their ailing box office (Tavares) or a rare commodity like a puck-moving defenseman (Hedman)?

If this is true, I think it's pertinent to try and do whatever we can to land in the 2/3 spot to snatch a potential franchise player.

PKC wrote:

MurderOnIce wrote:I hate giving HB rumours any cred but one is very interesting....

* I just talked to an NHL Exec who said that the Islanders are planning more for their draft party of 17,000+ than drafting one of the BIG 3. "The Isles may also announce at the draft that they have acquired the negotiation rights of the Sedins to that crowd."

IMO this would be a great move for the Isles. Draft Hedman and populate you top line with credible players who have star power. Don't get me wrong I wouldn't build my franchise one the backs of the Sedins but they could be very useful players with a cap friendly $5M per year commitment. The Islanders could climb to respectability if they sign the Sedins and have some luck with DiPietro's injury status...

Why would anyone want to go play for the NYI for at least the next two years? And that's not aimed at you obviously, it's just a general question. I don't see any UFAs considering the NYI organization until there has been a serious maturation of their top prospects.

I think if you are young, reportedly looking for a 12 year deal and twins that want to stay together. The Island may be one of the only places to go. They have the cap room and an owner who has a history of handing out precisely those kind of deals... it kind of makes sense on a lot of levels... but you have to play in one of the worse buildings in the league... yuck.

MurderOnIce wrote:

PKC wrote:

MurderOnIce wrote:I hate giving HB rumours any cred but one is very interesting....

* I just talked to an NHL Exec who said that the Islanders are planning more for their draft party of 17,000+ than drafting one of the BIG 3. "The Isles may also announce at the draft that they have acquired the negotiation rights of the Sedins to that crowd."

IMO this would be a great move for the Isles. Draft Hedman and populate you top line with credible players who have star power. Don't get me wrong I wouldn't build my franchise one the backs of the Sedins but they could be very useful players with a cap friendly $5M per year commitment. The Islanders could climb to respectability if they sign the Sedins and have some luck with DiPietro's injury status...

Why would anyone want to go play for the NYI for at least the next two years? And that's not aimed at you obviously, it's just a general question. I don't see any UFAs considering the NYI organization until there has been a serious maturation of their top prospects.

I think if you are young, reportedly looking for a 12 year deal and twins that want to stay together. The Island may be one of the only places to go. They have the cap room and an owner who has a history of handing out precisely those kind of deals... it kind of makes sense on a lot of levels... but you have to play in one of the worse buildings in the league... yuck.

I agree with you on those points and also like to mention that for people with money, Long Island is one of the nicest areas on the continent to live.

That being said. The arena is outdated, they play in front of sparse crowds, the team is a mess and at least 3 years away from competing with the better teams in the league, and there is so much uncertainty about the fiscal viability of the franchise that you could potentially see them move in that same 3 year time frame.

I think those are all factors that UFAs look at that sway their decision more so than an owner who likes to hand out long term contracts.

Tavares is a giant step forward for the Islanders...congratulations to them. To see 10,000 fans cheering as they watched the selection on closed circuit TV means this team may just have a chance to renew with its storied past...and that's good for hockey.