Update: Isles sign Radek Martinek to a one year deal worth 600k.
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We will get into the Islanders more tomorrow as we all sound like broken records with the same issues costing them points on a nightly basis. The defense struggled again last night and the goaltending was just downright bad. It is good to see Matt Moulson get himself right and Brock Nelson finding the back of the net was great to see.

I had the chance though to sit down with Bridgeport Sound Tigers play by play man Phil Giubileo and get his take on the play of the Sound Tigers so far this season. "It's certainly a very young team that is filled with prospects and potential, but it's just that, a young team. There have been some growing pains, and that wasn't completely unexpected given the number of rookies and new players. Their most recent game against Binghamton allowed them to snap a two-game pointless skid, as they fell in overtime to the Senators 6-5 in a wild game. Unfortunately the penalty kill was not effective as they went 0-4 on the penalty kill, but after nearly being shut out twice in a row on home ice for the first time in team history, they were able to pump in five goals, and their 5-on-5 play looked quite strong. Additionally, it looks like Johan Sundstrom and John Persson were finally able to snap out of slow start offensively, which was good to see."

With Ryan Strome being the highest profile player for some time in Bridgeport, I asked Phil his initial impressions of Strome's play in the AHL. "He's been pretty good thus far, leading the team in scoring and finally picked up his 1st goal of the season vs. Binghamton. He's a gifted offensive player—awesome hands and vision. The big thing is consistency at this point, and I think that's the one thing he needs to work on, and once he builds that, he'll be a force on-ice in every shift. I think the goal is to get him to that point, to where he simply looks better than everyone else."

I also asked the question that is on the minds of the entire Islander fan base; when can we expect to see Strome called up to the big club? "As long as there isn't a spot in the top-six available, I don't know if he gets a chance, at least not in the very short term. That's all subject to change of course. I do think if you put him with JT he would produce offensively, even now. But I really like what the organization is looking to do with their younger players, and that is make them earn their spot and over ripen as prospects. Detroit has done this for years and they've ended up with players who step in as contributors. However, it makes little sense for him to come up and get a few minutes on the 4th line. But all it takes is an injury or two, and he'll get a shot. I do think he'll end up there at some point this season."

I also got Phil's take on the play of goaltender Anders Nilsson who is trying to bounce back from a medical nightmare that was the 2012/2013 season. "Unfortunately he didn't look good in his most recent appearance, as he was pulled in the first period after allowing three goals on 10 shots. Aside from that, he's looked solid. He's kept them in games and has showed a lot of energy. There's a young blueline and overall group in front of him, so he'll be challenged on a nightly basis for the short- term, until this group builds some maturity and experience."

Much like the parent club the blue line is still a work in progress in Bridgeport and Giubileo spoke the praise of defenseman Joe Finley for playing steady as the team tries to right the ship defensively. I asked Phil what this team needs to improve on to get in the win column on a more regular basis. "At this point they need to become a more consistent group. The talent and staff is there for them to succeed. The defensemen need a few more games to develop some cohesion. It's the hardest spot to adjust to in professional hockey and currently they have two rookies in their group, and Calvin de Haan missed nearly all of last season. Once they adjust I think they'll be fine."

I just want to thank Phil for taking some time out of his schedule to give the Islander fans a good glimpse in the future players who will hopefully make an impact on the Islander roster in the near future. I plan on bringing Phil back on a monthly basis to keep you guys updated on all thing Sound Tigers. For more on the AHL please follow Phil on twitter at @philgpbp

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