Note: Thanks to Tochett22 for the suggestion to write about Andy MacDonald “One of the most under rated D men in the league.” I too hope he gets the deal he deserves!
Andrew MacDonald may be the best thing that Ted Nolan ever did for the New York Islanders. During the 2006 Draft the Islanders were down to the sixth round and the 160th pick. By that time it could be a throw-away or a the deal of the year. In going over what prospects were left Ted Nolan recognized a youngster he had coached in Moncton. In the 2005-2006 season, Andy MacDonald played 68 games and scored six goals and had 40 assists. He was a +22. Not bad for a skinny kid from Nova Scotia.
After being drafted by the Isles, he returned to the Moncton Wildcats for the 2006-2007 season and ended with 58 points in 65 games. He was called up to Bridgeport and played three games with the AHL team at the end of the season. Just enough to get a taste of the pros. Garth Snow signed AMac to a a three-year, entry-level contract and after training camp in September, it was back to Bridgeport. But by December 15th, Andy had to pack his bags and head to the Utah Grizzlies. It paid off for him and the Grizzlies as they made it to the conference finals where AMac played in 15 post season games.
MacDonald made his NHL debut on February 28, 2009 against the Buffalo Sabres. While he didn’t earn any points on the score sheet in the three NHL games he played, he earned plenty of points with the management of the Isles. He was also honored by playing in the AHL All-Star Classic and played in five post season games with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
During the 2009-2010 campaign, AMac found himself starting out in Bridgeport again. But for the rest of the season, he seemed like a yo-yo. Back and forth from the AHL to the NHL he must have been getting confused what jersey he was supposed to put on. His first NHL goal came on December 17th against the New York Rangers. How sweet that was, yet his pro paperwork said he was reassigned to Bport the very next day. Deflating? Maybe. But on December 19, 2009, he was able to put his Sound Tiger jersey in moth balls for the rest of the season. Forty-six games only earned him 7 points on the score sheet, but what he learned was immeasurable.
In February of 2010, Garth Snow signed AMac to a four year contract. But as luck would have it, just a week later he suffered a broken foot which kept him off the ice for 12 games. It was the first of bone injuries that would keep him out of the line-up.
The 2010-2011 season started almost the way the previous one ended when AMac broken his hand in October, only his seventh game of the season, and missed 15 more games with the fracture. I would see him walking the locker room halls in his suit while he watched the team continue to play. It is always painful for a player to watch his team from the sidelines. But maybe MacDonald was trying to keep his spirits up knowing his injury wasn’t keeping him out of the line-up long. I caught him walking around with a ridiculous winter hat one evening and had to laugh.
He suffered a broken nose on February 15th and then a hip injury on March 25th that signaled the end of his season.
For the 2011-2012 season, he gave the Islanders their first goal of the season, and the season gave AMac --- a leg injury and another seven games missed. Well, this will happen when a player often leads the league in blocked shots. Injury comes with the territory, but I start to worry that AMac will head into the “Made of Glass” territory of the likes of Radek Martinek. No. Not that bad.
The lockout sent AMac to the Czech Republic for a few games to keep his skills sharp waiting for the season to start. Smart move as he played all 48 games to this abbreviated season. MacDonald was a large part of the Islanders advance into the post season.
But the injury bug bit him and the Isles hard during the fourth post season game against the Penguins when he broke his hand during the game. His presence was sorely missed and threw everything off. The Isles managed to win 6-4, but lost the next game 4-0,*(Thanks to my Twitter proofreader @azeitz1520. It was game SIX which knocked them out of the playoffs.) Maybe they would have been able to beat the Penguins had MacDonald been in the line-up. Personally, I think they may have lost anyway, but they would have absolutely had a better score to show for it.
Now, I tried to ask how AMac’s rehab on his surgically repaired hand was going. It was originally said he’d need six to eight weeks to recover, move than enough time to see training camp in September. But seeing how his team mates are working out with John Tavares, I’m thinking AMac may want to get in the gym as soon as possible.
Then again, he probably already is.
Andy MacDonald has become part of that “core” group -- the Isles family. And while he is heading into the last year of his contract, I would bet a case of wine (the one that I won from Steve Carlson when Matt Moulson had his first 30 goal season. Oh, wait, I never got that.) that Garth Snow will not let MacDonald off this team. That’s not to say that another team may not try to steal this under-appreciated gem, but I know he is happy on this team and with his partner Travis Hamonic. Now, since Hamonic is signed long term, maybe we’ll see the same for AMac.
I just hope I don’t see that animal hat again. It was staring at me.
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