#Isles have signed Casey Cizikas to 2-year, $2-million contract and Calvin de Haan to 3-year, $5.9 million contract.

#Isles have signed Casey Cizikas to 2-year, $2-million contract and Calvin de Haan to 3-year, $5.9 million contract.
- Dan Petriw

Too slow you're fired, UIF already wrote his first 3 blogs.

Arthur Staple ‏@StapeNewsday 52s
#Isles have signed Casey Cizikas to 2-year, $2-million contract and Calvin de Haan to 3-year, $5.9 million contract.
- UIF

Very good news on both players. Who does that leave us to sign? That’s it, right?

#Isles have signed Casey Cizikas to 2-year, $2-million contract and Calvin de Haan to 3-year, $5.9 million contract.
- Dan Petriw

Seriously though, both perfectly fair contracts. Pretty happy.

Very good news on both players. Who does that leave us to sign? That’s it, right?
- Isles_since_6

That would be everyone. Everybody is signed and now we wait for a trade...

If de Haan stays healthy, he soon will have the second best contract in the league.....

To be fair, I don't think even Snow's human-shield-style supporters would have said after 2008's 26th place finish that the same 26th place finish in year seven would be good progress. Probably, they would have labeled anyone who said that would be the case as overly negative and not a real fan of the team.
- UIF

agreed but thats not whats being talked about...

we are discussing offseason expectations. to expect the same thing in year 1 as year 7 is ridiculous.

i didnt say he will pull players off the ice, i said he should...

if i were a betting man, i wouldnt be running to vegas to place any bets on cappy benching players for poor performance.
- LetsGoIsles

See: Bailey, Joshua

agreed but thats not whats being talked about...

we are discussing offseason expectations. to expect the same thing in year 1 as year 7 is ridiculous.
- LetsGoIsles

Ah, understood. I only read part of the discussion and decided to intrude anyway with my expert analysis.

Very good news on both players. Who does that leave us to sign? That’s it, right?
- Isles_since_6

Just Poulin. Going to arbitration.

#Isles have signed Casey Cizikas to 2-year, $2-million contract and Calvin de Haan to 3-year, $5.9 million contract.
- Dan Petriw

Both fair deals

Just Poulin. Going to arbitration.
- PeteM

They might as well just give him a bump for AHL salary if that's all he wants. Is it worth going to battle over that? Build some good will with him and if he does turn things around and light it up down there, it may keep things cordial for the next contract negotiation.

agreed but thats not whats being talked about...

we are discussing offseason expectations. to expect the same thing in year 1 as year 7 is ridiculous.
- LetsGoIsles

Just asking... Is it fair to say that a rebuild should show improvement each year possibly? So throw-out the lock-out season, and has this team even improved from year 1 to year 6 bc now is year 7 and seems like the team might finally turn the improvement factor.... If you get my point??

Just asking... Is it fair to say that a rebuild should show improvement each year possibly? So throw-out the lock-out season, and has this team even improved from year 1 to year 6 bc now is year 7 and seems like the team might finally turn the improvement factor.... If you get my point??
- Ur Not Me

of course but the first few years involved drafting as many players as possible which mostly helped bridgeport more than the islanders themselves, which is why there seemed to have virtually no improvement. as those players developed in bridgeport and then new fresh blood was brought into bridgeport, some of the upper echeleon players started making their way to the island but still minimal improvement bc there was still so much garbage on the roster (who would sign with the isles when things were so bleak?) and so on and so forth.

take calvin dehaan for example; the day the drafted him the organization got better, but the islanders FINALLY actually felt a difference with dehaan only starting last year. he was drafted in 2009 and only started contributing in 2013, so while some people say that the team is only better today isnt realizing the 2009-2012 had to happen in order to get to what CDH is today...

I agree at the same time Donovan shown flashes of being good on his own and he showed flashes of not being good all on his own. I expect him to get better with more playing time but I just don't see a spot for him in the next couple of years unless he breaks out in a big way soon
- Vukota

That's assuming these kids coming up shine and he doesn't. He's young and some of these kids a lot of people(not saying you)are hanging their hats on haven't even stepped foot on NHL ice. Who is to say Donovan can't be a better player than Reinhart? Pedan? Czucman, etc. Not saying he will be but the kid was the leading scorer for defenseman in the AHL which is a level of play most of our defensive prospects haven't even seen yet.
He very well may turn out better than any of these kids. He's still young who IMO was put into a pretty crappy situation especially with his regular pairing and his coach. Now before you say it I'm not absolving him of any blame but I think he has potential. Maybe more so than some of our prospects. Who knows? This is going to be a big year for him one way or the other.

Both fair deals
- Vukota

Agreed

To be fair, I don't think even Snow's human-shield-style supporters would have said after 2008's 26th place finish that the same 26th place finish in year seven would be good progress. Probably, they would have labeled anyone who said that would be the case as overly negative and not a real fan of the team.
- UIF

i didnt say he will pull players off the ice, i said he should...

if i were a betting man, i wouldnt be running to vegas to place any bets on cappy benching players for poor performance.
- LetsGoIsles

i was reiterating it. Wasn't directed at you.

That's assuming these kids coming up shine and he doesn't. He's young and some of these kids a lot of people(not saying you)are hanging their hats on have even stepped foot on NHL ice. Who is to say Donovan can't be a better player than Reinhart? Pedan? Czucman, etc. Not saying he will be but the kid was the leading scorer for defenseman in the AHL which is a level of play most of our defensive prospects haven't even seen yet.
He very well may turn out better than any of these kids. He's still young who IMO was put into a pretty crappy situation especially with his regular pairing and his coach. Now before you say it I'm not absolving him of any blame but I think he has potential. Maybe more so than some of our prospects. Who knows? This is going to be a big year for him one way or the other.
- Cptmjl

Of course its not a given but I'm just going to assume based on these prospects being high draft picks and potential wise. Listen I hope Donovan turns into a stud but to me AHL points is like fools gold. Dehaan only had 1 point in the AHL when he got called up and he is light years ahead of Donovan IMO. Sim was a point a game player I think in the AHL. I'm not giving up on Donovan by any means I just think with Pulock right around the corner and Dehaan only getting better I think its getting close to make or break time with Donovan. Fair or not that's what it looks like to me

Of course its not a given but I'm just going to assume based on these prospects being high draft picks and potential wise. Listen I hope Donovan turns into a stud but to me AHL points is like fools gold. Dehaan only had 1 point in the AHL when he got called up and he is light years ahead of Donovan IMO. Sim was a point a game player I think in the AHL. I'm not giving up on Donovan by any means I just think with Pulock right around the corner and Dehaan only getting better I think its getting close to make or break time with Donovan. Fair or not that's what it looks like to me
- Vukota

I agree its probably a make or break kind of situation with him. Like I said before this post this upcoming season is a big year for him one way or another.

#Isles have signed Casey Cizikas to 2-year, $2-million contract and Calvin de Haan to 3-year, $5.9 million contract.
- Dan Petriw

When Garth gets a player to actually sign a contract.. He gets them to sign really good deals.

XxNYIxX

When Garth gets a player to actually sign a contract.. He gets them to sign really good deals.

XxNYIxX
- XxNYIxX

he's done a good job with our rfa contracts for sure.

comparing year 1 to year 7 just shows how unaware you are of what the necessary steps are needed in order to complete a proper rebuild...and clearly no one told you about the growing pains thatll inevitably ensue during said rebuild.
- LetsGoIsles

Do you work for a municipality or in politics? Because those are the only two careers I can think of where ineffectiveness is tolerated at such high levels and all shortcomings are explained away with a constant excuse-generator.

The fact that Cappy is still our coach SCREAMS to the point that Garth has not done all he can to improve the team or is unwilling to bring in an respected, veteran coach who might oppose/question some of his actions. Most FA's (who are worth much of anything) won't touch the Island regardless of the money being offered. Boyle WOULDN'T EVEN DISCUSS a contract until just before July 1st, which he used as leverage with other clubs. Hate to mention it but he's also squandered three 1st round picks(Bailey is stagnant, Nino traded away for crap & Vanek/Moulson trade, which we LOST by a margin).

I didn't expect it all to be turned around in one or two seasons but if you look at the results(and that is the factor most professions are evaluated by) we haven't made much progress since he took over. He's done a good job at drafting(hard to screw up Top 5 every year) and there are assets in the minors(which he can't decide on who to trade) but beyond that he's been a failure. That's my opinion. You can like it or not.
I don't care. Most here would agree with me.

When Garth gets a player to actually sign a contract.. He gets them to sign really good deals.

XxNYIxX
- XxNYIxX

He'd make a helluva used car salesman. Bet he could get you & LGI to buy a Yugo for $50,000.

Wait till JT walks in 2018. You guys will have an excuse for that one as well.

He'd make a helluva used car salesman. Bet he could get you & LGI to buy a Yugo for $50,000.

Wait till JT walks in 2018. You guys will have an excuse for that one as well.
- jmo16

Yeah, he's not paralyzed.