I can only imagine the pain that Islanders fans have gone through this season. Only two players have played each of the 77 games that the Isles have competed in, Matt Moulson and Zenon Konopka. At the 74 game mark, the Isles had already lost 512 man games to injury, leading the league by 127 (Colorado had 385 at that point). Tending the crease on Long Island has had injury written all over it, as the Isles have dressed six different goaltenders and I was honestly waiting to get a call from Garth Snow to fill in at some point. Other lows of the year include Trevor Gillies' 19 total games suspended and the concussion he gave to Penguins winger Eric Tangradi. Of course, one could go on and on about the lows this Islanders team has faced. Instead, lets try to stay optimistic about what can happen in the future.
First is the fact that the Islanders have two very successful lines that have meshed well together. John Tavares, Matt Moulson and PA Parenteau have formed a first line that can create scoring chances in every way possible. Parenteau has really benefited from receiving quality ice time with great players, leading to a one-year contract extension worth $1.25 million. He is currently second in team scoring with 18 goals and 31 assists for 49 points, and has shown the skills to be a moderately effective producer at the highest level. Future star John Tavares has improved on his rookie season, scoring 27 goals and 34 assists to lead the team in assists and points. He has shown poise, determination and heart even in the toughest of times with the Isles. Matt Moulson has tied his stats from last season with five games left to go in the year, showing that he was not a flash in the pan. The now two-time 30-goal scorer that seemed to come out of nowhere has certainly warranted his three-year contract extension signed earlier in the season.
The second line has been just as exciting as the first, featuring rookie sensation Michael Grabner, power forward Kyle Okposo and two-way center Frans Nielson. Grabner's season is no surprise after posting 11 points in 20 games with the Vancouver Canucks last year. He was traded at the draft with Steve Bernier to Florida, but did not make the team out of camp. He admitted that he did poorly in his stay in Florida, and was put on waivers to be sent down to the AHL where the Islanders picked him up. Grabner has been one of the hottest players in 2011, scoring 23 of his 31 goals in the new year. He won the fastest skater competition at the NHL All-Star festivities and has truly put that gift to work at even strength and shorthanded. He leads all rookies in shorthanded goals with five, and also leads in overall goals. Okposo missed over half the year after an injury during the pre-season and has only been playing since January 20th. In his 33 games, Okposo has scored five goals and registered 18 points. Frans Nielson has been one of the best Islanders all season, sporting an 'A' as one of the assistant captains. He has eclipsed career highs in goals (13), assists (31) and points (44) this year, providing solid scoring depth from the second line. He is ranked second on the team in shorthanded ice-time per game with an average of 3:01, which is also first among forwards. This unit has shown outstanding chemistry and has meshed together well. An entire season out of them could see all of these players improve upon their impressive seasons.
The injury bug has bitten the Isles hard this year, especially on defense. Twelve different defenders have played for the Islanders this season, and that does not include Marc Streit who has missed the entire year. No defenseman has played more than 62 games this season (Jack Hillen), as they have suffered various injuries throughout the year. If the fortunes turn for the Islanders next year, they will have an impressive defense corps headlined by Streit, Mark Eaton and Andrew MacDonald. Rookie Travis Hamonic had paired well with MacDonald before the latter went down to injury and he will surely make the team next season. The Islanders also have defensemen Milan Jurcina, Mark Katic and Mike Mottau under contract next year. Impressive prospect Ty Wishart is a restricted free agent who has performed well in a limited role and could be in a competition with Katic, Bruno Gervais (RFA) and Jack Hillen (RFA) for ice time. If the Islanders can stay healthy, they have an above average group on the back end looking to defend the crease.
Speaking of goaltending, it has been a disaster for the team in terms of health. At the start of the year, Roloson and DiPietro had managed to stay healthy and provide adequate play for the Isles, keeping them close to the top-8 in the East. Once Roloson was traded to Tampa Bay for Wishart and a draft pick, things started to get dicey. Nathan Lawson was DiPietro's back-up when DiPietro went down to injury (surprising?). Kevin Poulin was then recalled and platooned with Lawson until he was injured. Mikko Koskinen was recalled, yet was forced to become the Isles de facto starter when Poulin dislocated his knee cap. Al Montoya was acquired for a late draft pick from the Phoenix Coyotes and has performed admirably since then, managing to stay healthy. He currently leads the team's goaltenders with nine wins, sporting a 9-4-4 record with a .923 sv% and a GAA around 2.35. If he could keep those stats up for an entire season, he'd rank 6th in sv% and 8th in GAA. Those are lofty expectations for a prospect considered a bust that has been thrust into an NHL starter's role. Montoya signed a one-year extenstion with the Islanders, ensuring that he will be at least the back-up netminder to DiPietro. He will be there if (when is the better term) DiPietro suffers another injury in an unfortunate career for a promising young netminder.
The Islanders have some exciting prospects coming through the pipes that could make the team as soon as next year. Winger Nino Niederreiter almost made the team out of camp, but was sent back to the WHL for more seasoning. In 55 games with the Portland Winterhawks, he has scored 41 goals and 29 assists for 70 points. He can bring another added scoring element to what is becoming a team that is deep at wing. On the blueline, Calvin de Haan has played well in his third year with the Oshawa Generals. The defenseman has posted 42 assists and 48 points and will look to make an impact on a seemingly crowded blueline. If he does not make the team, he will be eligible to play for the team's AHL affiliate next season for some pro seasoning.
There is a lot to look forward to on the Island. There are several good pieces that when put in place and complimented nicely can be dangerous during the season. If the team can manage to stay healthy, not many teams will want to play against them. A combination of skill, grit, hard work and good goaltending will bring the Islanders back to the playoffs, though they are a few years away from contending for a Stanley Cup. Times are looking up in Kansa...New York for the Islanders.
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