For the first time since his return, Kabanov's looking good tonight. Making very good passes. He has an assist, and I think he may have just gotten another one on Persson's goal.

Edit...no assist on Persson's goal...guess one extra player touched it.

For the first time since his return, Kabanov's looking good tonight. Making very good passes. He has an assist, and I think he may have just gotten another one on Persson's goal.

Edit...no assist on Persson's goal...guess one extra player touched it.
- UIF

I've been saying it since we drafted him.. the kid is going to be a player in the NHL.

XxNYIxX

Well, that isn't uncommon and sometimes you have to overpay...a concept this team treats like a hospital bed from Zaire after an Ebola outbreak.

Now, here's where being a cheapo, like Garth will come back and haunt this team.
JT is making $5.5M and will probably be in the top 5-10 scorers for the duration of his contract. Arguably he will be one of the best players in the NHL, giving Sid, Geno, Stamkos, et al competition for scoring title each year. What happens when a stud Dman or power forward becomes available, making MORE than $5.5M? There are punks making more than that right now. Some people on this board were suggesting $4Mil+ for Subban???? Crybaby Callahan is making $4.275. He's nowhere CLOSE to JT caliber. JT is BETTER than Brad Richards($6.66M) You think Garth is gonna pay another player MORE than JT? Ain't gonna happen. JT's salary is the ceiling for this team. And NO ONE is gonna take a pay cut top play here unless we're hoisting cups and hanging new banners in Barclays. PA could have been gotten...for a little less than he got....and it seems a lot of people here wish Garth would have made that happen. Alot of you are looking in the rear view mirror...I'm more concerned with what's going on down around the bend and over the hill.
- jmo16

Scuderi is the defenseman the Islanders should after in the summer...he's making $3.4 million, so I bet with a decent raise, we could get him...also, since JT is the best player, he should make the most...

I've been saying it since we drafted him.. the kid is going to be a player in the NHL.

XxNYIxX
- XxNYIxX

I've been pulling for him to make it. He's a smart player. Wish they'd put him with Nino and Nelson...just out of curiosity to see what three of the higher-end prospects could do all together. They had Halmo with Nino and Nelson...I don't think Kabanov would be a worse option...

Scuderi is the defenseman the Islanders should after in the summer...he's making $3.4 million, so I bet with a decent raise, we could get him...also, since JT is the best player, he should make the most...
- kear20

I'd love to get Scuderi. I thought there was talk he did not want to play on LI with all the family pressure or what not? Good thing we are moving to Brooklyn.

I'd love to get Scuderi. I thought there was talk he did not want to play on LI with all the family pressure or what not? Good thing we are moving to Brooklyn.
- ses111

He's a free agent and with the cap going down, the Kings probably can't afford him...

He's a free agent and with the cap going down, the Kings probably can't afford him...
- kear20

If the Isles can somehow make the playoffs with their Cap space and the move to Brooklyn they will be in very good shape with FA's.

I've been pulling for him to make it. He's a smart player. Wish they'd put him with Nino and Nelson...just out of curiosity to see what three of the higher-end prospects could do all together. They had Halmo with Nino and Nelson...I don't think Kabanov would be a worse option...
- UIF

That may have been in the plans, but that damn injury derailed everything... let him get a few games under his belt, he will start moving up the pecking order.

XxNYIxX

I'd love to get Scuderi. I thought there was talk he did not want to play on LI with all the family pressure or what not? Good thing we are moving to Brooklyn.
- ses111

He would be a fantastic addition to the D, but I do remember somewhere that he didn't want to play close to his family, that included the Rags

XxNYIxX

He would be a fantastic addition to the D, but I do remember somewhere that he didn't want to play close to his family, that included the Rags

XxNYIxX
- XxNYIxX

That's fine. Plenty of other players will want to play in Brooklyn with an up and coming team with plenty of Cap room.

That's fine. Plenty of other players will want to play in Brooklyn with an up and coming team with plenty of Cap room.
- ses111

We hope!

XxNYIxX

For the first time since his return, Kabanov's looking good tonight. Making very good passes. He has an assist, and I think he may have just gotten another one on Persson's goal.

Edit...no assist on Persson's goal...guess one extra player touched it.
- UIF

I'm just glad that wasn't as serious as I thought it was going to be.

Yep. The isles special teams are #1 and #2 in league. What happens when they come back to earth? They can't keep up either pace. The team defense in their own zone is still atrocious. I think its just as much on the forwards for not getting pucks out or being physical enough
- Isles316

The forwards, especially in times of intense pressure, make very poor decisions with the puck in their own end; it sometimes seems that they are trying to force it forward, instead of clearing the puck. Sometimes, you just need to put out the fire, instead of trying for the home run- professional, veteran defensemen are too smart for that, and they will pick it off and keep it in the zone. I often hear, after a win, a lot of talk about "keeping it simple", so I'm guessing they ARE being told the right things. It's just a question of maturing (having confidence may be a better way of putting it), and remembering to do those things, and I'm guessing that will come in time.

That said, the one thing that WON'T change without a personnel upgrade is the fact that in general, they don't have the combination of size and talent on the back end that is needed to move the big bodies from in front of their net. The Boston game was a perfect example of that issue. This is what needs to be addressed by the GM.

P.A., for example, was a decent player, but he was replaceable by what they have in the system, IMO- I think the forward contingent here is only going to get better as we go along. The D will, too, but it's about three years behind the forwards. This team is going to DESERVE better defensemen before some of those guys are ready, and I hope Snow can see that.

PS- PLEASE sign Nabokov to another year and possibly an option. Having one (or both) of those kids learn from a solid veteran goaltender is extremely important. Buy out the other guy at the end of the year, and at the very least have Poulin here next year to learn the NHL game. I realize that makes too much sense, and probably won't happen, but I figured I had to say it.

The forwards, especially in times of intense pressure, make very poor decisions with the puck in their own end; it sometimes seems that they are trying to force it forward, instead of clearing the puck. Sometimes, you just need to put out the fire, instead of trying for the home run- professional, veteran defensemen are too smart for that, and they will pick it off and keep it in the zone. I often hear, after a win, a lot of talk about "keeping it simple", so I'm guessing they ARE being told the right things. It's just a question of maturing (having confidence may be a better way of putting it), and remembering to do those things, and I'm guessing that will come in time.

That said, the one thing that WON'T change without a personnel upgrade is the fact that in general, they don't have the combination of size and talent on the back end that is needed to move the big bodies from in front of their net. The Boston game was a perfect example of that issue. This is what needs to be addressed by the GM.

P.A., for example, was a decent player, but he was replaceable by what they have in the system, IMO- I think the forward contingent here is only going to get better as we go along. The D will, too, but it's about three years behind the forwards. This team is going to DESERVE better defensemen before some of those guys are ready, and I hope Snow can see that.

PS- PLEASE sign Nabokov to another year and possibly an option. Having one (or both) of those kids learn from a solid veteran goaltender is extremely important. Buy out the other guy at the end of the year, and at the very least have Poulin here next year to learn the NHL game. I realize that makes too much sense, and probably won't happen, but I figured I had to say it.
- dcb1

They will learn from a Vet... DP is here for many years to come!!

XxNYIxX

That's fine. Plenty of other players will want to play in Brooklyn with an up and coming team with plenty of Cap room.
- ses111

I don't think you'll see the Islanders bringing in 3 or 4 mediocre free agents like in the past...I think you'll see them try and get 1 or 2 quality players and hope the young prospects fill in the other spots...This summer, I would think Snow will try to bring in a top 4 defenseman and depending where Strome fits in (either at center or wing) either a 2nd line wing or center.

I don't think you'll see the Islanders bringing in 3 or 4 mediocre free agents like in the past...I think you'll see them try and get 1 or 2 quality players and hope the young prospects fill in the other spots...This summer, I would think Snow will try to bring in a top 4 defenseman and depending where Strome fits in (either at center or wing) either a 2nd line wing or center.
- kear20

You really get the sense this offseaosn will be different. It needs to be about quality and not quantity. Top 4 D and top 6 forward is a must.

Scuderi is the defenseman the Islanders should after in the summer...he's making $3.4 million, so I bet with a decent raise, we could get him...also, since JT is the best player, he should make the most...
- kear20

He won't play here. I know his cousin very well. He wants to be as far from his family as possible. Said when he was on Pitt, it was like show and tell by his parents. Doesn't want that every night. Hence he went to LA

Any word on who is hitting waivers when Viz and Bailey are reinstated? I would assume Finley is one.

Any word on who is hitting waivers when Viz and Bailey are reinstated? I would assume Finley is one.
- brodydog29

My guess would be Finley and McDonald. Hickey will probably get bumped from the lineup, not sure if they'd keep him around as a healthy scratch or send him back to the Soundtigers. Could maybe be Carkner, if we wanted a Viz-Hickey pairing for some extra jump, but our offense is producing and Carkner brings the much needed element of size/grit on the back-end.

Id debate that

XxNYIxX
- XxNYIxX

Nabby is the second best player on this team. You cannot judge a goalie by strictly his statistics... if we had a better fowards defensive group nabby would be a top 5 goalie in the league. He has kept us in the devils and jets game single handily.