hahah i was wondering where you were the past few days....that isles10### and jethro were killing me for saying the season is over...
- LetsGoIsles

I have been the koolaide guy for a loooooooong time. It hasn't worked too well for me. I am now the "We suk again" guy. Maybe they will rattle off 20 in a row.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmXWZFPvCAU

Not saying I disagree with you, but regardless of opinion, everyone might as well start preparing now because he's more than likely not going to trade him.
- eichiefs9

why do you say that? i totally disagree....i think nabby is as good as gone...just my opinion.

The gillies reference was a joke to show that even a goon can score once in a while. NINO HAS TO FKEN START SCORING!! STOP BABYING HIM AND GIVING HIM A PASS. he has had PP time and has had a lot of very good oportunities. Where are these wonderful hands we heard about? Where is the "he's a finisher"... has a nose for the net?? Hey Nino.. you were a top 5 pick and they gave u an extra year in juniors to develope. Start fken scoring!!!
- niteislander

woah!!! Pump the breaks there sparky.

Look who he plays with and his average minutes per game. He's still very young and breaking into the NHL with one of the worst offensive teams in the league. Nino has never been given a fair shot since he's been on the team and putting a top pick on the fourth line isn't exactly an ideal development process for anyone. Nino needs top line minutes and consistent minutes as well. Shifting him all around isn't going to do him any good. Showing up on the PP on and off isn't accomplishing anything. Capuano doesn't know a (frank)ing thing about developing talent, he doesn't even know what his team is capable of achieving. Put him on the first or second line and leave him there. Nobody on this team for the exception for tavares has earned their spot.

how old are you??

hes 19.....where were you when you were 19?

give the kid a chance to adapt to the nhl....AND i have an INCREDIBLY hard time getting on him when he isnt in a position to score IE 4th line...if he were top 2 lines, id agree, he needs to score some, 4th line? thats not his role.... come next year when he knows how to throw the body around and be a little tough AND he can score, thats when youll be eating your words
- LetsGoIsles

I am old enough to know that when a guy plays this many games.. .no matter what his age you can usually tell if he is a premiere guy. I was hoping for a premiere goal scorer. It does not look like we have that in Nino. I looks like Nino will be yet another... 3rd line guy.

why do you say that? i totally disagree....i think nabby is as good as gone...just my opinion.
- LetsGoIsles

I hope he is, but while this team still has any kind of shot at making the playoffs (yes we all know its a ridiculous long shot) Snow is going to keep him around. The team needs to show a tangible, standings improvement year-over-year from last year. Keeping Nabokov around is going to do that.

I am old enough to know that when a guy plays this many games.. .no matter what his age you can usually tell if he is a premiere guy. I was hoping for a premiere goal scorer. It does not look like we have that in Nino. I looks like Nino will be yet another... 3rd line guy.
- niteislander

He was never advertised as a "premiere goal scorer" to begin with, so to assume he should be so is a wildly unfair expectation.

He was never advertised as a "premiere goal scorer" to begin with, so to assume he should be so is a wildly unfair expectation.
- eichiefs9

This statement I really don't understand. He was the 5th pick in the draft. What were u hoping for at that pick? A really solid Penalty killer?

I hope he is, but while this team still has any kind of shot at making the playoffs (yes we all know its a ridiculous long shot) Snow is going to keep him around. The team needs to show a tangible, standings improvement year-over-year from last year. Keeping Nabokov around is going to do that.
- eichiefs9

I have said this once before but dont be surprised to see Nabby back with this team next year. Al Montoya will probably be gone. Nabby is veteran and can trian Poulin and help the yoounger guys move along. Plus Nabby even though older has been as close to a number one goalie as anyone else on this team

This statement I really don't understand. He was the 5th pick in the draft. What were u hoping for at that pick? A really solid Penalty killer?
- niteislander

He was advertised as a power forward that could put up a good number of points. Never did anyone say he was going to be a 40 goal scorer...ever. He has a solid all around game and plays physical. Never, ever did anyone say he was going to be an offensive dynamo.

Pros: Great combination of skill and size, Great Shot, Clutch, Physicality and Intensity, Excellent International Resume, nearly an entire year younger than some other players in the draft

Cons: Speed and acceleration, temper sometimes gets the best of him

Skillset Comparison: Erik Cole

I'd hardly consider Erik Cole an "elite goal scorer".

hahah i was wondering where you were the past few days....that isles10### and jethro were killing me for saying the season is over...
- LetsGoIsles

The season isn't over just because the team likely will miss the playoffs again. There's still time to finish strong and show improvement from the last four years by not finishing in the league's bottom five again. It amazes me. Everyone wants to talk about a "rebuild" and "making the playoffs" but nobody wants to talk about progress. You don't go from last place to a playoff team in one season, especially when you're the Isles, and you are building from within and bringing in absolutely no outside veteran help. If this team doesn't improve from a bottom-five team this season, it will not make the playoffs next season. I want to see this team finish out of the bottom five, on the cusp of the playoffs. That would show signs of progress. Finishing in the bottom five again will show signs of absolutely no progress. There are no excuses this season. There weren't nearly the extent of or significant injuries this year that there were last year. If this team, essentially healthy, finishes in the bottom five again, then how can anyone say this team is "rebuilding"? Festering in the cespool would be a better description.

I have said this once before but dont be surprised to see Nabby back with this team next year. Al Montoya will probably be gone. Nabby is veteran and can trian Poulin and help the yoounger guys move along. Plus Nabby even though older has been as close to a number one goalie as anyone else on this team
- kasperrko

Why would Nabby want to come back? I don't see the incentive for him. The Isles aren't going to pay him a fortune or lock him up to a multi-year deal. His family lives in California. He's got 2 years left in the NHL tops if he's lucky. Why would he spend those years 3000 miles away from his family on a rebuilding team with no real shot at winning a championship when he is almost certain to get a call from a contender on July 1 to at least be a back-up on a winner? I don't see Nabby staying. I can understand the team wanting to keep him, but I don't see him staying.

I am old enough to know that when a guy plays this many games.. .no matter what his age you can usually tell if he is a premiere guy. I was hoping for a premiere goal scorer. It does not look like we have that in Nino. I looks like Nino will be yet another... 3rd line guy.
- niteislander

hmmm....the guy averages 9:13/gm TOI over the course of 30 games. that comes out to 276 minutes and 30 seconds which is equivalent to 4 hours 36 minutes and 30 seconds....OR 4 games 1 period and 16:30 into the "2nd period".

.....at least you gave the guy a chance

This statement I really don't understand. He was the 5th pick in the draft. What were u hoping for at that pick? A really solid Penalty killer?
- niteislander

I was thinking a 30-35 goal scoring power forward, similar to Bobby Ryan, but not a 50-goal scoring sniper. Power forwards control games in other ways besides just scoring, which is why they are so useful. They also typically take longer to develop, as the Isles should well know by now. There aren't too many 19 year olds that will step in and physically dominate the NHL...and being physically dominant is exactly how a power forward needs to play.

Bobby Ryan, by the way, if I'm reading the stats page right, spent two full years in juniors after he was drafted, and played 48 games in the AHL in his third year. Unfortunately the line of thinking on Nino was he had nothing left to learn and could not have possibly benefitted from that kind of development. He'll come around. But it'll probably be fairly slowly.

I was thinking a 30-35 goal scoring power forward, similar to Bobby Ryan, but not a 50-goal scoring sniper. Power forwards control games in other ways besides just scoring, which is why they are so useful. They also typically take longer to develop, as the Isles should well know by now. There aren't too many 19 year olds that will step in and physically dominate the NHL...and being physically dominant is exactly how a power forward needs to play.

Bobby Ryan, by the way, if I'm reading the stats page right, spent two full years in juniors after he was drafted, and played 48 games in the AHL in his third year. Unfortunately the line of thinking on Nino was he had nothing left to learn and could not have possibly benefitted from that kind of development. He'll come around. But it'll probably be fairly slowly.
- UIF

I agree with just about all of this..except I think he'll be more in the 25 goal range. And I'm perfectly fine with that.

hmmm....the guy averages 9:13/gm TOI over the course of 30 games. that comes out to 276 minutes and 30 seconds which is equivalent to 4 hours 36 minutes and 30 seconds....OR 4 games 1 period and 16:30 into the "2nd period".

.....at least you gave the guy a chance
- LetsGoIsles

I never said cut him or trade him.. .I said he needs to start to put the puck in the net. The Islanders passed on Fowler, Bret Connolly and Skinner for this kid. I'm sorry if I expected more than a guy who's upside could possibly be 20 goals a season.

I never said cut him or trade him.. .I said he needs to start to put the puck in the net. The Islanders passed on Fowler, Bret Connolly and Skinner for this kid. I'm sorry if I expected more than a guy who's upside could possibly be 20 goals a season.
- niteislander

i never said that you said that....what you did say is you think hell be a 3rd liner, to which i responded to...now youre ready to annoint him a guy "whose upside could possibly be 20 goals a season"?

ill ask u to refer to my previous post if you are....

I never said cut him or trade him.. .I said he needs to start to put the puck in the net. The Islanders passed on Fowler, Bret Connolly and Skinner for this kid. I'm sorry if I expected more than a guy who's upside could possibly be 20 goals a season.
- niteislander

I thought at the time we should have taken Fowler. Even if Nino turns into a 20-30 goal scorer. I'm not sure I'll back off my original preference of taking Fowler. Skinner is a talent. I wasnt very familiar with him at Draft time but in retrospect. We may have made a mistake not taking him. Bret Connolly was a crap shoot at the time. Lately he's been a healthy Scratch. Not living up to his Press clippings at the moment.

Nino has talent. NO doubt about it. I'm not one who believes you take a Skilled offensive forward who has been a scoring star most of his days and toss him on a line with marginal NHL players in a checking role. Then complain when his game changes, (stagnates) he only gets one or two scoring chances a week and numbers are hard to come by.

He's a top 5 pick. He should be treated as such. Either he should be in juniors. Ripping the league apart. Or he should be given a chance to prove hes the top 6 forward we drafted him to be.

See the problem again is playing guys out of their roles. Rolston on the 2nd line & 1st PP unit! DP getting starts when he's barely healthy! Martin in the enforcer role! Wallace actually still on the team. Nino in a 4th line checking role! And on and on you could go.

Would getting feeds from JT or PAP hinder Nino's development?

I think, burying him with Pandolfo, Reasoner, Wallace and who ever is more counter productive then had we left him in Juniors.

I thought at the time we should have taken Fowler. Even if Nino turns into a 20-30 goal scorer. I'm not sure I'll back off my original preference of taking Fowler. Skinner is a talent. I wasnt very familiar with him at Draft time but in retrospect. We may have made a mistake not taking him. Bret Connolly was a crap shoot at the time. Lately he's been a healthy Scratch. Not living up to his Press clippings at the moment.

Nino has talent. NO doubt about it. I'm not one who believes you take a Skilled offensive forward who has been a scoring star most of his days and toss him on a line with marginal NHL players in a checking role. Then complain when his game changes, (stagnates) he only gets one or two scoring chances a week and numbers are hard to come by.

He's a top 5 pick. He should be treated as such. Either he should be in juniors. Ripping the league apart. Or he should be given a chance to prove hes the top 6 forward we drafted him to be.

See the problem again is playing guys out of their roles. Rolston on the 2nd line & 1st PP unit! DP getting starts when he's barely healthy! Martin in the enforcer role! Wallace actually still on the team. Nino in a 4th line checking role! And on and on you could go.

Would getting feeds from JT or PAP hinder Nino's development?

I think, burying him with Pandolfo, Reasoner, Wallace and who ever is more counter productive then had we left him in Juniors.
- SCLI

I was at the draft party, and everyone was stoked that Fowler was still on the board when we picked (he was originally projected to go top 3 if I remember correctly).

I was at the draft party, and everyone was stoked that Fowler was still on the board when we picked (he was originally projected to go top 3 if I remember correctly).
- NYIDRIVE4FIVE

Me thinks you remember correctly.

It was a that he fell to where he did.

nino should not be getting first line minutes at this point.. he should be getting first line minutes in bport..but i know he can't be there...i'm sick of PA i know he puts up points but he has zero hockey iq and his turnovers drive me nuts...if a deal is their i would trade him without even blinking
- NYI78

How can a guy in the top 5 in assists have a zero hockey IQ? That comment makes no sense. Nino just turned 19, has 1 goal and although he is in limited minutes, it's not like he shows that much offense down there.

Me thinks you remember correctly.

It was a that he fell to where he did.
- SCLI

Heard some cool stories this morning. I was wife Paul MacLean's brother in law.

Stories about the Wings.

I agree with Kasper.
It looked all to much like Cookie Cutter hockey. Up and down the wing. Shoot! Back check! Defend! Back up the wings. Shoot. Back Check. Defend. Again and Again. Boring Droid Hockey. No individual effort. No Shaking anything up. No big hits. No fights. No Scrums. NO crashing the goalie. No excitement. No enthusiasm. Up and down up and down waiting for something to happen.

Boring!
- SCLI

You want cr@p like that watch the Red Wings!! We dont play that game around these parts!!! This is Isles Country!!!

XxNYIxX

Heard some cool stories this morning. I was wife Paul MacLean's brother in law.

Stories about the Wings.
- bixll

I'm all ears bro. This sounds like a dozy.

You want cr@p like that watch the Red Wings!! We dont play that game around these parts!!! This is Isles Country!!!

XxNYIxX
- XxNYIxX

What the hell was I thinking????

I am old enough to know that when a guy plays this many games.. .no matter what his age you can usually tell if he is a premiere guy. I was hoping for a premiere goal scorer. It does not look like we have that in Nino. I looks like Nino will be yet another... 3rd line guy.
- niteislander

55 3 4 7 19

Joe Thorton's numbers his first year on the bottom 2 lines for the bruins.. a bruins team that was a playoff team also... lets give Nino some time before we put him out to pasture.

XxNYIxX