3 - New York Islanders

Expectations were high for the New York Islanders one year ago. They were coming off a strong second half of the 2010-11 season and appeared to be on the verge of bigger and better things. Instead, the 2011-12 campaign provided more anguish. The Isles stumbled through the month of November, they won four of 13 games and were shut out four times, and never fully recovered. They ended up finishing in the bottom five of the NHL standings for a fifth straight year. "I think consistency had a big part in that," Isles coach Jack Capuano told NHL.com regarding the shortcomings last season. "I thought that times throughout the year, our battle level was high and our will to compete was high, but special teams went through a little bit of a funk. We just didn't generate the offense like we did in the second half of the year. It's about coming to the rink every day to get better. We talk about these things and the intangibles for what it's going to take for our team to get to the postseason. Some of our younger players now I think are at that point now where I think they're going to take that next step."

The Isles used their latest lottery pick on hulking defenseman Griffin Reinhart, who met the team's brass on the podium at the Consol Energy Center only moments after the club had acquired blueliner Lubomir Visnovsky from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a second-round pick in 2013. Whether Visnovsky ever plays for the club remains to be seen, as he is challenging that a no-trade clause was still in effect. An arbitration hearing is scheduled for Sept. 4, according to the New York Post. New York, which finished 23 points out of fourth place in the Atlantic Division, made subtle changes when the free-agency period opened on July 1. The Islanders watched winger PA Parenteau, who put up 120 points in two seasons, sign a four-year, $16 million contract with the Colorado Avalanche, then replaced him with Brad Boyes on a one-year, $1 million deal. Boyes, who had 43 goals for the St. Louis Blues in 2007-08, scored just eight times in 65 games for the Buffalo Sabres last season. Boyes will likely get to skate with John Tavares, the budding superstar who had 81 points (31 goals, 50 assists) in his third NHL season and emerged as a leader in New York's dressing room. Frans Nielsen continues to be one of the more underrated centers in the League and was rewarded with a new four-year contract last season, but will he be the Isles' No. 2 or No. 3 center? That depends on Ryan Strome, their first-round pick from 2011. It's likely Strome will receive a nine-game look in the NHL before the Isles determine whether to keep him or return him to the Niagara IceDogs in the Ontario Hockey League. If Strome stays and performs, the Isles suddenly become strong down the middle with Tavares, Strome, Nielsen, Casey Cizikas and Marty Reasoner all in the mix.

"We have to make a push this year, and to me, the young guys that come in if they compete and do the job, there's always going to be a spot on our team," Capuano said. "If the coaching staff thinks they can step in and help our team win, then they're going to get every opportunity. A lot of these kids are highly skilled, and that's something that we need with the production we put up last year with the goals for versus goals against (203 for, 255 against). I'm really looking forward to seeing Ryan come in. He had a great year last year. It's going to be interesting to see how he does in camp and how he fits in our plans."

Matt Moulson, one of the better finds by any NHL team in the past few seasons, is coming off his third straight 30-goal season and leads the Isles' young group of wingers. Kyle Okposo struggled out of the gate, but finished strong with 24 goals. Michael Grabner, a finalist for the Calder Trophy in 2011, saw his goals total dip from 34 to 20 and will look to bounce back this season. Josh Bailey was converted from center to wing during the 2011-12 campaign and had 17 points in his final 19 games. Matt Martin, 23, led the entire League in hits (374) and could see his role grow. The same goes for David Ullstrom, who split last season between New York and Bridgeport. Veteran enforcer Eric Boulton, who spent 2011-12 with the New Jersey Devils, is also in the fold after signing a one-year contract last month.

Nino Niederreiter, the club's first-round pick (No. 5) in 2010, struggled mightily as a rookie in the NHL, tallying one goal in 55 games. While it's likely the Swiss winger is ticketed for Bridgeport to start the season, it's possible he could see some action on Long Island. Niederreiter turns 20 on Sept. 8. "Nino and I have had some great talks," Capuano said. "He didn't have the year he wanted or the year we thought he'd have, but he's still just a young kid and I think you can lose sight of that. It was a good learning experience for him. Coming off the year that he had, there's no question you know what your expectations are for yourself now. You know exactly the mistakes that you've made and some of the good things you've done. I think Nino has a real good understanding now if he wants to be a successful player, he knows exactly what he has to do now."

Needing an upgrade in toughness on their blue line, the Islanders signed defenseman Matt Carkner to a three-year contract. Carkner, 31, was limited to 29 regular-season games for the Ottawa Senators last season because of a knee injury, but returned for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. "Matt was in Binghamton when I was in Bridgeport and we played against him quite a bit and had our battles," Capuano said. "To have that size and grit on our blue line is something we need for sure. He's excited about coming to Long Island and being a part of the Islanders. It's definitely going to give us a boost on the back end."

Carkner will likely find himself on a third-pairing with whichever rookie (Calvin de Haan, Matt Donovan or Aaron Ness) wins a job in training camp, a competition Capuano is looking forward to witnessing. "All three have played real well," the Isles' coach said. "I'm excited to see these young guys develop. The coaching staff in Bridgeport did a great job with the kids. The one thing that I saw in those guys besides the hockey sense is their body and how they change and how they mature and their strength. When they came up, they played well for us. It's healthy competition and it's going to be a great situation for those guys to have an opportunity to make our hockey club."

Mark Streit, who was named captain last September, is entering the final season of the five-year deal he signed with the club in the summer of 2008 and is a full season removed from the shoulder injury that sidelined him for the entire 2010-11 campaign. Leading the way on the Isles' blue line, however, is 22-year-old Travis Hamonic, a second-round pick from 2008 who had 24 points and a plus-6 rating in 73 games last season. Joined by Andrew MacDonald and, hopefully Visnovsky, the Isles have a solid top-four. "It's about coming to the rink every day to get better. We talk about these things and the intangibles for what it's going to take for our team to get to the postseason. Some of our younger players now I think are at that point now where I think they're going to take that next step. Travis is one of those guys … he's very mature for his age and he's a leader on and off the ice," Capuano said. "He's a special player and a special person. He and Andrew MacDonald, two young kids, they've played real well for us and accepted the challenge of playing against top lines. When you miss a year like Streit did, he really started to come on the second half of the year. He's a great leader for us. When you talk about those three guys, it's a great foundation for our team."

Evgeni Nabokov returns as the club's No. 1 goaltender after putting up solid numbers (19-18-3, 2.55 goals-against average, .914 save percentage) in 2011-12. He will be backed up by some combination of Rick DiPietro, Kevin Poulin and Anders Nilsson. DiPietro is healthy entering training camp after injuries again limited him to fewer than 10 appearances last season (he had a 3.73 GAA and .876 save percentage in eight games). Should the injury bug continue to haunt him, both Poulin and Nilsson had cups of coffee in New York last season and are capable of backup duty at the NHL level. "Obviously, Nabokov is a guy that played real well for us last year," Capuano said. "Ricky unfortunately got injured last year, but when Ricky's healthy, he's played well. It's the first summer that I know that Ricky has been able to train the proper way. He hasn't had to do much rehab that he's had to do in the past and he's working really hard on and off the ice to get ready for the upcoming season."

So, can the Islanders compete in an Atlantic Division that boasted four 100-point teams in 2011-12? That remains to be seen, but Capuano knows it begins with faring better against the four biggest foes after going 8-13-3 within the Atlantic last season. "When you break it all down, that division is as tough as it gets," Capuano said. "It starts with the goaltenders in that division. All games are critical, but when you play within the division, they're four-point games. We understand that. I think the confidence in the guys is there. They know that if we play within the framework and the foundation of how we want to play, we can have success."

The New York Islanders insisted one year ago that the rebuilding process was over. Instead, they finished in the bottom five for a fifth straight season. From a 2-0 loss on opening night to a 7-3 defeat at Columbus on the final day of the season, the Islanders never came close to meeting the expectations from management, the coaching staff, and a fan base that hasn't celebrated a Stanley Cup Playoff series victory in 19 years.

 

Ryan Strome  

The Isles' top pick from 2011 enjoyed another solid season in the Ontario Hockey League and could be ready for prime time. Strome, however, just turned 19 in July and is unable to play for Bridgeport in the American Hockey League, which means New York or Niagara again this season. It will be a tough call for Isles' brass, who don't want to hinder Strome's development. Expect Strome to receive at least a nine-game tryout with the Islanders before general manager Garth Snow and coach Jack Capuano must decide to keep the talented center or send him back to the junior level.

 

Brad Boyes

After showing he can be a top-six forward in the NHL, the Isles lost winger PA Parenteau to the Colorado Avalanche via free agency this summer. Parenteau thrived on the top line alongside Matt Moulson and John Tavares, as he tallied 53 points in 2010-11 before upping his total to 67 points this past season. The Isles are hoping Boyes, who signed with the club in July, can fill the void. Although he had just eight goals in 65 games for the Buffalo Sabres in 2011-12, Boyes did score 76 goals over two seasons with the St. Louis Blues from 2007-09. Signed to a one-year, $1 million deal, Boyes has a golden opportunity to regain that form skating with Tavares.

 

Josh Bailey

For whatever reason, the Isles' top pick from 2008 has been more productive offensively as a winger. It's likely he'll begin this season on the wing, but it's more imperative that he skates alongside players who can help him contribute (Bailey finished with 17 points in his last 19 games as a top-six forward). Training camp will ultimately determine whom Bailey will play with, but don't be surprised to see him with Strome, a talented playmaker who can feed him the puck. That is, of course, pending Strome making the team.

 

Mark Streit  

The Swiss defenseman missed the entire 2010-11 season because of a shoulder injury during training camp, but returned healthy last season and was named captain in September. However, Streit didn't appear to be the same player he was prior to the injury, at least in his own end of the ice. While he did manage to tally 47 points in 82 games, Streit finished a minus-27, which was the fourth worst plus/minus rating in the League.

 

Rick DiPietro  

Although he still has nine years remaining on his contract, the oft-injured goaltender needs to show Islanders brass he is capable of staying on the ice. While DiPietro came into training camp last season healthy, injuries again limited him to eight appearances. And, even when he did manage to play, he wasn't particularly effective (3.73 goals-against average, .876 save percentage). Evgeni Nabokov enters camp as the Isles' No. 1 goaltender, but DiPietro's status will determine the No. 2. In the end, that also ultimately affects Kevin Poulin and Anders Nilsson, who are undoubtedly going to compete for playing time in New York. Two seasons ago the New York Islanders scored plenty of goals but their goaltending was a mess. Last season, some of the young offensive talents regressed and while Evgeni Nabokov stabilized the goaltending, the defense in front of him remained lacking and the Islanders didn't make much progress reducing their goals allowed.

One of the biggest reasons the Isles' chances of qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs are so difficult could be geography. The other four teams in the Atlantic Division (New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins) all recorded at least 100 points in the standings last season, while the Isles finished with 79 and went 8-13-3 against division opponents. The Devils, who reached the Stanley Cup Final, did lose captain Zach Parise to the Minnesota Wild via free agency. However, the Rangers, who finished as the top seed and reached the Eastern Conference Finals, added Rick Nash this summer in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets, while Pittsburgh should have a healthy Sidney Crosby. It is imperative the Islanders have a solid first half of the season if they plan on ending a five-year playoff drought. Should they stumble again early, the woes will likely continue.

Three seasons have passed since Brad Boyes last reached the 30-goal plateau. If he's ever going to return to All-Star form, it will likely come in 2012-13 as a member of the New York Islanders. Boyes, who scored 76 goals over two campaigns with the St. Louis Blues from 2007-09, scored just eight times in 65 games with the Buffalo Sabres this past season. But on the opening day of free agency, the Isles signed Boyes to a one-year, $1 million deal to help replace the void left by PA Parenteau, who was signed by the Colorado Avalanche that same afternoon. For now, it appears Boyes, who turned 30 last April, will be penciled in to replace Parenteau on New York's top line alongside John Tavares, one of the game's evolving superstars, and Matt Moulson, who reached the 30-goal plateau for a third straight season in 2011-12. Indeed, it's a golden opportunity for Boyes to regain that scoring touch he had with the Blues. "I'm really looking forward to it," Boyes told NHL.com. "Things didn't work out in Buffalo, but I think it’s going to be good. It's a good chance for me to get back to playing the way I think I can play. It's a good opportunity. I'm really excited. It's a chance to play with a good, young group of guys that has some experience as well."

 

Things began to tail off for Boyes in 2009-10. One season after tallying 33 goals, he was held to 14 in 82 games. In 2010-11, he found the back of the net 12 times in 62 games before being traded to the Sabres. He finished the regular season strong, recording 14 points (five goals, nine assists) in 21 games, but was held to one goal (his only point) in a seven-game, opening-round Stanley Cup Playoff loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. And last season, Boyes, along with the majority of his teammates in Buffalo, struggled mightily. His 23 points were, by far, the fewest he's had since his first full season in the NHL with the Boston Bruins in 2005-06. "I just think it wasn't the best fit," Boyes said of his time in Buffalo. "There's a lot of guys with similar styles of play, so I kind of had to shift around and change things up. There's probably a thousand different things, but I think overall it just wasn't a great fit for me. There's no hard feelings at all, it's just kind of the way it was."

 

When it comes to the Islanders, the biggest difference between Boyes and Parenteau is they were hoping Parenteau could produce consistently at the NHL level when they signed him away from the New York Rangers in the summer of 2010. It was a gamble that paid off in a big way, so much so that Parenteau signed a four-year, $16 million deal with the Avalanche on July 1. In Boyes, the Isles know they have someone who can score. Now, it's likely up to Tavares to help him do it again. "I'm real excited … he's a heck of a player," Boyes said of Tavares. "He definitely stands out. He's made a great combination with Moulson too. They complement each other very well. To get an opportunity with those guys, I think it's going to be great. You never know, but I'm looking to fit in with those guys or wherever I fit in. If I do get a chance to play with Tavares, I'm going to take advantage and I'm definitely looking forward to it. I always want to go out and do as well as I can, but definitely coming off last season, just personally I want to get back to the right form and get back to playing the way I know I can. I don't have to prove anybody wrong or not, I just have to play well and try to score goals again. I think we can make a push and surprise some people."

The future for New York remains John Tavares and a collection of other young talents, but the Islanders need some of his supporting cast to improve in order to take a step forward this season. PA Parenteau looked like he might be doing just that after a fruitful season next to Tavares, but he's now with the Colorado Avalanche after signing a four-year, $16 million deal. To replace Parenteau's offense, the Islanders added Brad Boyes in a low-risk signing, and will be hoping Josh Bailey, Kyle Okposo, Michael Graber and David Ullstrom find a consistent level of production. Lubomir Visnovsky and Matt Carkner were added to bolster the defense depth, while several young rearguards could have an impact this season. For the first time in a while, there wasn't a lot of movement during the offseason in goal for the Islanders. There are still plenty of options available, and they won't be dependent on injury-prone Rick DiPietro if they don't want to be.

 

 

Forwards

Matt Moulson - John Tavares - Brad Boyes

Josh Bailey - Ryan Strome - Kyle Okposo

David Ullstrom - Frans Nielsen - Michael Grabner

Matt Martin - Casey Cizikas - Eric Boulton

Marty Reasoner - Jesse Joensuu

Defensemen

Mark Streit - Travis Hamonic

Lubomir Visnovsky - Andrew MacDonald

Matt Donovan - Matt Carkner

Ty Wishart

Goaltenders

Evgeni Nabokov

Rick DiPietro

 

Notes: The first big decision will be about Strome's future. If the Islanders send their top pick from the 2011 NHL Draft back to the Ontario Hockey League, Nielsen and Cizikas likely will move up and Reasoner slides into the lineup. Boyes is expected to get the first crack at replacing Parenteau, but if Grabner rediscovers his scoring touch he could end up there. The top four on defense are set, provided Visnovsky is with the team (he has filed a grievance against his trade from the Anaheim Ducks). Donovan is expected to compete with fellow youngsters Calvin de Haan and Aaron Ness for a spot in the lineup, with the other two likely to start the season in the American Hockey League. Griffin Reinhart, the team's 2012 first-round pick, would need to have a fantastic training camp to earn the spot, and even that might not be enough, the Islanders have established a desire to be patient with their top prospects, especially on defense. Nabokov enters the season as the No. 1 guy in net. DiPietro, if healthy, would push him for playing time and something of a platoon could develop. If either isn't able to stay healthy, Kevin Poulin will be waiting in Bridgeport, with Anders Nilsson not far behind.

The New York Islanders have struggled mightily in recent years, as they've entered each of the past five NHL drafts with a lottery pick and haven't qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2007. However, there is hope in Islanders Country as general manager Garth Snow continues to stockpile young talent with the idea of building an annual Stanley Cup contender. He added another valuable piece at the 2012 NHL Draft in June, selecting defenseman Griffin Reinhart with the No. 4 selection. Reinhart became the first of seven consecutive blueliners selected by the Isles on draft weekend. "It really wasn't a protocol set out at the start of the weekend," head amateur scout Trent Klatt told the team's website after the draft. "This particular draft was very heavy-laden defensemen. As it worked out, as names were crossed off, it fell into place that's the type of players we were going to take." Reinhart will receive the opportunity to play for the Islanders out of training camp, as will a few other prospects. Those who don't make the club will certainly have an impact on the Islanders in the near future.

Islanders' top prospects:

1. Ryan Strome, C: The Isles' first-round pick (No. 5) from 2011 enjoyed another tremendous season with the Niagara IceDogs in the Ontario Hockey League in 2011-12, tallying 30 goals and 38 assists in just 46 games. Strome, who also represented Canada at the 2012 World Junior Championships (he had three goals and nine points in six tournament games), added another seven goals and 16 assists in 20 postseason contests. Still only 19 years old, it will be either New York or Niagara again for Strome this season. "I feel like it was a good year for me," said Strome, whose overtime tally on Aug. 14 clinched Canada's series victory in the Canada-Russia Challenge. "Obviously, going back to junior I got to play in the World Junior Championships, which was big. [I have] another year of maturity and I've got some time to grow still. I'm very happy with where I'm at right now. I'm just trying to continue to get better each day."

2. Kevin Poulin, G: A fifth-round pick (No. 126) from 2008, Poulin spent the majority of 2011-12 with Bridgeport in the American Hockey League, where he helped the Sound Tigers win the Northeast Division. In 49 games, the Montreal native went 26-18-4 with a 2.79 goals-against average and .912 save percentage. Depending on the health of Rick DiPietro, Poulin -- who already has 16 career appearances on his resume -- could be ready to become a full-time player in the NHL this season.

3. Griffin Reinhart, D: In desperate need of size and skill on the blue line, the Isles didn't hesitate to use the fourth selection at the draft in June on this 6-foot-4, 206-pound defenseman. Reinhart, who is the son of former NHL player Paul Reinhart, had 12 goals, 24 assists and a plus-23 rating in 58 games for the Edmonton Oil Kings in the Western Hockey League this past season. "You can see the skill level he has and why he was a top-five pick in this year's draft," Isles coach Jack Capuano said. "He's a good-sized kid."

4. Brock Nelson, C: After racking up 68 points in two seasons with the University of North Dakota, the former first-round pick (No. 30, 2010) decided to turn pro in the spring of 2012. The 6-foot-3 center joined Bridgeport in the AHL, where he will almost certainly play this season.

5. Anders Nilsson, G: The Swedish netminder made an immediate impact in North America this past season, as he split the goaltending duties in Bridgeport with Poulin. Nilsson won 15 of his 25 appearances with the Sound Tigers while boasting a 2.42 GAA and .921 save percentage. A third-round pick (No. 62) in 2009, Nilsson also had a 2.75 GAA in four games for the Islanders, including a shutout.

6. Casey Cizikas, C: After earning 45 points (15 goals, 30 assists) in 52 AHL games, the gritty two-way forward earned himself a call-up to the Islanders for the final 15 games. Cizikias, who was New York's fourth-round choice (No. 92) in 2009, will battle Marty Reasoner for the role of fourth-line center in training camp. He can win faceoffs, kill penalties and contribute offensively.

7. Calvin de Haan, D: Will this be the year de Haan makes the jump to the NHL? A first-round pick (No. 12) in 2009, the offensively-gifted defenseman has been slowed by injuries but did appear in 56 games for Bridgeport in 2011-12. With spots available on the Isles' blue line, de Haan will receive every opportunity to make the big club out of training camp. "I want to get there as soon as I can, but at the same time, I want to have an immediate impact," de Haan told NHL.com. "If it takes me a couple more years to develop, that's fine with me. I just want to be the best player I can and be an impact [player] right away. It takes time. Maybe I won't start the year in the NHL, but my goal is to finish [there], for sure."

8. Scott Mayfield, D: Another big defenseman (6-foot-4, 203 pounds) who will return to the University of Denver for his sophomore season. As a freshman, Mayfield, New York's second-round pick (No. 34) in 2011, showed both skill (12 points) and a willingness to stand up for his teammates (76 penalty minutes). It's not out of the question that Mayfield opts to turn pro after this collegiate season.

9. Kirill Kabanov, LW: The Islanders took a gamble on this Russian winger at the 2010 Entry Draft, and so far Kabanov is showing he may have been worth the risk. He spent this past season with Shawinigan of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, where he tallied 55 points (21 goals, 34 assists) in 50 games before adding four goals and 13 points in 11 postseason contests. Now 20 years old, Kabanov will play for Bridgeport this season.

10. Matt Donovan, D: This speedy blueliner from Oklahoma did not look out of place during his first season as a pro in Bridgeport, collecting 10 goals and 45 points in 72 games. Donovan, who helped the United States win gold at the WJC in 2010, will compete against the likes of Calvin de Haan and Aaron Ness for an NHL job in training camp.