Are you a Mets, Jets, or Islanders fan? Are you tired of your teams letting you down? Have you had enough of hearing it from Yankees, Giants, or Rangers fans? You're not alone. This page is dedicated to New York's 3 "lesser" franchises and their fans.
It's time for Isles fans to look to 2011-12 and beyond. Much to the chagrin of Islanders Country, the crosstown rival New York Rangers effectively put the nail in the coffin to any hope of a miraculous playoff appearance. Sure the team is still mathematically alive in the race; however, it's not looking good when the team sits 14th in a 15-team Eastern Conference with only 11 games remaining.
Overall, things are looking up for the franchise (aside from the lack of home after 2015). The young core is developing well in Nassau and many of the organization's prospects are making strides as well. Garth Snow's goal, since learning that Long Island was not viewed as a sexy option for top-notch free agents, was to replenish the team's roster from the ground up. He put an extreme emphasis on scouting, both in the professional ranks and the amateur level.
The results? Pretty remarkable thus far: Matt Moulson (now a two-time 30-goal scorer), P.A. Parenteau (47 points this season), and Michael Grabner (leads NHL rookies in goals with 28). The same can be said of recent Islanders draft picks: the quick progression of Travis Hamonic, the killer season Anders Lee is having at Notre Dame, and Calvin de Haan's continued strong play in Oshawa, to name just a few.
The NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) mandates that no team can exceed 50 players signed to the organization. This number includes players signed to one-way or two-way deals, but does not include 18 or 19 year-olds with entry level contracts that were sent back to juniors and have played in less than 11 NHL games in one season. It is important to note that almost all NHL teams leave a few slots open once the season begins to provide breathing room in the event of injuries (something the Islanders can easily relate to).
Here is how the Islanders currently stand on their way towards that cap of 50 players:
Players on current NHL roster with contracts for 2011-12 (IR included)
John Tavares
Matt Moulson
Trent Hunter
P.A. Parenteau
Matt Martin
Frans Nielsen
Mark Streit
Mark Eaton
Milan Jurcina
Travis Hamonic
Mike Mottau
Andrew MacDonald
Rick DiPietro
Kevin Poulin
Players on current AHL roster with contracts for 2011-12
Justin DiBenedetto
David Ullstrom
Rhett Rakhshani
Tony Romano
Mark Katic
Anton Klementyev
Mikko Koskinen
Aaron Ness (left college early to sign entry level deal, on ATO with Bridgeport now)
So that's 22 so far. Now here is where Snow's job will get a little more difficult:
Players on current NHL roster that will be restricted free agents (RFAs)
Kyle Okposo
Josh Bailey
Michael Grabner
Blake Comeau
Micheal Haley
Jesse Joensuu
Jack Hillen
Bruno Gervais
Al Montoya
Players on current AHL roster that will be restricted free agents (RFAs)
Jeremy Colliton
Robin Figren
Tomas Marcinko
Rob Hisey
Dylan Reese
Ty Wishart
Dustin Kohn
Assume for a moment that all 16 are re-signed, that would bring the number to 38. Now take into account the following:
Nine players in the organization are pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs): Doug Weight, Zenon Konopka, Trevor Gillies, Andy Hilbert, Jeremy Yablonski, Radek Martinek, Evgeni Nabokov, Joel Martin, and Nathan Lawson.
The Islanders own the rights to six players that they need to sign by June 1st or they lose them: Casey Cizikas, David Toews, Brian Day, Tony Dehart, Shane Sims, and Anders Nilsson. Cizikas is the only one that can sign with the organization and return to juniors, therefore not counting against the 50 player limit.
2010 1st round pick Nino Niederreiter, currently tearing up the WHL, has a great chance to make the club next season.
One can safely assume Snow will sign at least a couple of players via free agency.
A contract may be offered to the Islanders 2011 first round draft pick.
Snow and his staff will have at least 55 names to consider before the 2011 Entry Draft or free agency period rolls around. The possibility also remains for the team to sign undrafted collegiant free agents once they play their final game or decide to leave school in order to turn pro.
Expect the following names to play their final game with the organization this season: Bruno Gervais, Trevor Gillies, Andy Hilbert, Nathan Lawson, Joel Martin, Radek Martinek, Dylan Reese, and Jeremy Yablonski. Add in a Doug Weight retirement and that number should easily be down to 46. The decisions will surely get harder after that.
So who will be in and who will be out? Only time will tell.
Thanks to capgeek for its incredible coverage of player contracts.
The fallout continues from Friday night's brawl-filled tilt between the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins that featured 11 game misconducts, 15 fighting majors, and 346 penalty minutes. Late Saturday night, the NHL handed suspensions to three players and fined New York for their inability to control their players. GMs, owners, writers, commentators, and fans have all expressed varying opinions on the game and the disciplinary actions that followed.
The actions and infractions
Martin received a four game suspension for mugging Maxime Talbot at center ice. The commentators, among others, compared this instance with the vicious Todd Bertuzzi incident from 2004 that left Steve Moore with three fractured vertebrae in his neck and ended his hockey career. Warning: this video is graphic and can be very disturbing:
While similar, the difference in these two plays is that one combatant exercised last-second better judgment and restraint to a player in an extremely vulnerable position, but the other obviously did not. Martin certainly warranted the punishment he received, probably deserved a couple more games, but to be compared to one of the most notorious plays in NHL history is unfair.
Is what Martin did to Talbot any more dangerous than what Philadelphia Flyers forward Daniel Briere (and league-selected All-Star) did to Frans Nielsen earlier this season?
Briere received three games for that infraction. Now, onto the second disgusting spectacle from Friday night:
Trevor Gillies was slapped with a well-deserved nine game ban for a hit to the head, dropping the gloves against a defenseless opponent, and his bonehead decision to taunt an injured player. Eric Godard received an automatic 10 game suspension for leaving the bench to protect goalie Brent Johnson (who as you'll see later on, can handle himself).
The following is a statement from NHL Senior Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell:
"The actions by the Islanders' Gillies and Martin were deliberate attempts to injure by delivering blows to the head of players who were unsuspecting and unable to defend themselves. The message should be clear to all players: targeting the head of an opponent by whatever means will be dealt with by suspension."
Fair enough. In addition, the Islanders organization was slapped with a $100,000 fine for what Campbell called "their failure to control their players". The problem here is Penguins coach Dan Bylsma also failed to control his players throughout the game, yet received no penalty for what happened Friday night. Only one player left their bench all night, Godard of Pittsburgh. One can assume the NHL disagrees with the age-old saying goes "it takes two to tango".
The cause(s)
Islanders vs. Penguins, February 2nd, 2011 - The Isles were shutout 3-0 in a game where they were outplayed, outhit, and downright embarrassed. Talbot (the main target Friday night) hit an unsuspecting Blake Comeau up high, causing a concussion but was not penalized or suspended. The physical Pens pummeled the diminutive Isles all night and culminated with a brawl at the end of the game:
The hit on Comeau, combined with image of smiles and laughs on the Pittsburgh bench surely served as the impetus for the fiasco Friday night, but it is more than just that one game. The Islanders, for years now, have been physically abused time-after-time by their opponents, while the on-ice officials and members of the NHL front office failed to do their jobs of punishing the guilty parties. Whether correct or not, this forced the close-knit team to police themselves, and police they did.
The Islanders were recently referred to by some on Canada's SportsCentre as "doormats". With this statement fresh in their minds, the players got fed up real quick and decided they needed to act.
The aftermath Scores of NHL officials, anchors, and writers lashed out at the Islanders for their actions. Some made valid points, while others simply made wild accusations and failed to do their research. Damien Cox of the Toronto Star tweeted the following:
"Gillies, Haley, Martin - where do the Islanders dig up these thugs? Not one of them could score 10 goals in a full ECHL season."
Actually, Micheal Haley has scored more than 10 goals in a season in both the ECHL and AHL; Martin scored 12 goals last season in the AHL (his first professional season). On the other hand, Pittsburgh's Godard has never scored more than seven goals in a season (NHL, AHL, or juniors) in 14 years of playing hockey. When Cox was bombarded by replies from Isles fans he responded with:
"Love these Islander fans - didn't know there were that many! - trying to promote skill level of their various thugs."
Classy to say the least. The funny thing is his twitter account is @DamoSpin. Spin couldn't be more accurate to describe his work. At the same time he completely backs the harsh comments from Penguins owner, and former NHL superstar, Mario Lemieux. Seems pretty clear to anyone who follows the NHL (except this guy) that Mario's comments are the definition of hypocritical. Lemieux said the following Sunday:
"Hockey is a tough, physical game, and it always should be. But what happened Friday night on Long Island wasn't hockey. It was a travesty. It was painful to watch the game I love turn into a sideshow like that."
Alright. I, like almost everyone else, would agree with that. Well done 'Super Mario'.
"The NHL had a chance to send a clear and strong message that those kinds of actions are unacceptable and embarrassing to the sport. It failed."
Okay. Martin could have received another couple of games and it would have been understandable. Ditto for Gillies. Fair enough.
"We, as a league, must do a better job of protecting the integrity of the game and the safety of our players. We must make it clear that those kinds of actions will not be tolerated and will be met with meaningful disciplinary action. If the events relating to Friday night reflect the state of the league, I need to re-think whether I want to be a part of it."
Whoa, hold on a minute. How can someone come out with such a bold statement while they employ one of the dirtiest players in the entire league? Matt Cooke (currently suspended) is a repeat offender who has the distinction of effectively ending Marc Savard's career.
Facts: Pittsburgh leads the NHL in minor penalties (290), major penalties (63), total penalty minutes (1113), and penalty minutes per game (19.2).
This reeks of an owner complaining about his team getting the short end of the stick, and not an ambassador of the game looking to make things cleaner or safer. No one should be surprised by such comments. This is the same guy that called the NHL a "garage league" in 1992. Meanwhile, the team he played on that season had two guys (Kevin Stevens and Ulf Samuelsson) register over 200 penalty minutes each.
The truth
No doubt that the actions of Martin and Gillies were despicable and warranted suspensions. The code in the NHL allows players to drop the gloves and fight man-to-man, face-to-face. If the Isles went that route, the backlash from this game would have been minimal.
Fact remains that the Penguins continued their physical play throughout the game and refused to back down at any point, regardless of the score or who was already tossed from the game. They continued hard body checks, punishing hits to the upper body, and dirty cross checks all over the ice. Therefore, the circus broke out and lasted the entire third period. It is unfortunate it had to play out the way it did; however, if there was one team in the league that deserved to be physically ambushed, it was the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The New York Islanders find themselves in an all too familiar situation: their goalie of the future has suffered a recurring injury. Years after the fact, the team is still waiting for Rick DiPietro to return to 100% from a smorgasbord of ailments. Now, all the organization can do is hope that Kevin Poulin can avoid going down the same path.
Poulin was injured Tuesday night in pregame warm-ups when his left skate got caught in a rut, forcing him to twist his body and fall awkwardly to the ice. The 20 year-old, unable to put any weight on his left leg, had to be helped to the locker room for further evaluation. Click here to see the video. An MRI Wednesday revealed a dislocated left knee cap that would require surgery, consequently ending the rookie's first professional season.
Katie Strang, via reader Tom Meehan, reported Friday morning that this is not the first time Poulin has dislocated his left knee cap (also known as the patella). While playing junior hockey in the QMJHL, the goalie suffered the same injury playing soccer in a pregame warm-up. Poulin rehabbed the injury, and did not undergo surgery at that time.
"Athletes who wish to return to sport early and whose functional demands are high, may require early surgical management. MPFL reconstruction using hamstring grafts and repair of VMO and retinacular structures can have most athletes back to training at four to six months, assuming no osteochondral damage."
That timetable would have Poulin ready just in time for training camp; however, the severity of the dislocation may not be fully realized until the surgery is underway. The fact that he has now suffered a second dislocation complicates matters and furthers the need for the operation.
"In the case of chronic repeat dislocations, the main purpose of surgery is to address the underlying cause of symptoms. Trochlear dysplasia (malformation) can be treated by reconstruction."
As we await more information, the team is on track to make history. Once recent acquisition Al Montoya plays, a franchise record six goalies will be used in one season. In addition, it would bring the total number of goalies to have played for the Isles since DiPietro signed his 15-year contract to 11. For those who did not know, or chose to forget, that mega (bust) deal was signed in September of 2006.
With each passing day it becomes more and more evident that someone other than Jose Reyes will be playing shortstop for the New York Mets after the trade deadline in six months. As the team goes through a rebuilding phase, without actually admitting so to its fan-base, they will have to make the ultimate decision on one of the most popular players in franchise history.
Reyes was a highly regarded prospect upon making his ascent to the majors in 2003. The concern of an injury-prone talent quickly manifested itself as the middle infielder failed to top 300 plate appearances in either of his first two seasons. Critics were just as rapid to dismiss such claims as Reyes proceeded to post four straight seasons of over 700 trips to the plate.
Pretty impressive numbers for sure, unfortunately 2009 was an injury-plagued campaign for the budding superstar (limited to 36 games). Reyes managed to play in 133 games in 2010 but there were noticeable drops in his numbers. 30 stolen bases in 40 attempts is not exactly a positive sign for a speedster with a history of lower-body injuries. GM Sandy Alderson is a sabermetrics guy and surely will not look highly at the .321 on-base percentage posted by the lead-off hitter.
His gloomy future with the Mets has been further complicated by the recent announcement that the Wilpons are looking for a buyer to take on roughly 20-25% ownership of the team in order to provide a much needed cash infusion. Bernard Madoff rears his ugly head again. According to Mike Ozanian of Forbes.com, Alderson would have to slash $20-30 million off the current payroll for the team to just break even on its operating costs.
Reyes told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com that he has no intention of discussing a possible extension during the upcoming season. With the growing potential of a departure after the season, would Alderson risk losing a player who could command a nine-figure contract without getting anything in return? Probably not. Perhaps if the Mets were expected to be in a pennant race this season things would be different.
A rebuilding team, in need of cutting payroll, cannot afford to lose a prime talent without acquiring potential building blocks for the future in return.
It has not been your average week for the New York Islanders or their fans, although judging by on-ice performance (1-3) things have not changed much. GM Garth Snow did however manage to place a successful waiver claim on goalie Evgeni Nabokov. So all was not lost, or was it?
Nabokov spent parts of 10 seasons with the San Jose Sharks, appearing in 80 playoff games, two All-Star Games, two Winter Olympics, and two World Championships. The Russian net-minder’s contract expired at the end of last season and searched for a new, expensive deal. While easily one of the most accomplished free agents on the market, his high price demands were not met.
Nabokov headed to Russia and signed a four-year $24 million deal with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL. He struggled in 22 games before the two sides mutually agreed to a buyout. He returned to America and inked a one-year deal last week with the Detroit Red Wings (a perennial Stanley Cup contender).
Per NHL CBA rules, any player who begins the season overseas has to pass through waivers before returning to the league. Snow put in a claim for three reasons: Nathan Lawson suffered a knee injury, 20 year-old Kevin Poulin would be best served in the AHL, and Rick DiPietro is frequently hurt. The Isles won the claim and the rights to Nabokov’s NHL contract. This is where the soap opera began.
At first, Don Meehan (Nabokov’s agent) said his client would report to any team that claimed him. Once it was announced that his contract belonged to the Islanders, Nabokov decided not to report to the team. Snow tried calling the player but did not have any messages returned. Instead of contacting the team, Nabokov told Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.com that he had not received any calls or messages from the Islanders. This prompted an impromptu press conference where Snow claimed he called Nabokov and was hung up on once he identified himself. Meehan called back to apologize and said his client would return the call soon. He never did. Nabokov finally contacted the Islanders after the Snow press conference and the two sides agreed to discuss the situation.
Snow has been unsuccessful in his attempts to convince Nabokov to come Long Island and the team has subsequently suspended him. The Islanders have the option to appeal to the NHL and have the deal “tolled” to next season. This story is far from over.
Now to a feel good story and a player that required no convincing about coming to Long Island, Matt Moulson (also a Meehan client). He played four seasons at Cornell University before signing an entry-level contract with the Los Angeles Kings. In three years with the organization, Moulson managed to suit up in only 29 NHL contests. The Kings decided not to re-sign the Canadian forward, allowing him to become a free agent.
Snow took a flier on the winger, who emerged as a leading scorer while playing alongside 2009 1st overall pick John Tavares in pre-season exhibition games. He made the team out of training camp and went on to score 30 goals in 2009-10 (his first full NHL season). As a restricted free agent, the 26 year-old did not have many options. He re-signed with the team for one year at $2.45 million.
Moulson’s strong play continued this season (29 points in 49 games) but uncertainty about his future prevailed. In a growing concern that players do not want to play for this organization (made public by the Nabokov fiasco), some worried if he would return to the team once he became an unrestricted free agent after the season. Snow traded away pending free agents James Wisniewski and Dwayne Roloson, and many worried that Moulson would be the next domino to fall. Allowing an accomplished forward in his prime to leave a rebuilding team would have sent an already irritated fan base into a frenzy.
Those worries were happily put to rest Thursday when Moulson agreed to a three-year extension worth $9.45 million. Hopefully this move adds credibility to a franchise in desperate need of good press and an improved public image. Moulson stated the following via twitter following the signing: “Extremely excited to have another 3 years with a great organization...I love LI and am honored to be a part of this team”.
Now that is what a professional athlete should sound like.
The New York Jets are gearing up to play the second biggest game in franchise history… again. After dispatching Peyton Manning’s Indianapolis Colts and Tom Brady’s New England Patriots from the NFL playoffs in back-to-back weeks, Gang Green looks to add Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers to their postseason hit list.
Sunday marks the fourth time the Jets will play in the AFC Championship Game since winning Super Bowl III back in 1969. Each time they’ve had golden opportunities to claim victory and return to the big dance, unfortunately the team has consistently come up short.
1982 – Quarterback Richard Todd threw five interceptions en route to a 14-0 loss to the Miami Dolphins. New York’s offense was held to 139 total yards in a game that was scoreless heading into the second half.
1999 – Terrell Davis and the Denver Broncos erased a 10-0 deficit and scored 23 unanswered points to finish off the Bill Parcells-led Jets. Once again, turnovers cost the team big time (two interceptions and four lost fumbles).
2010 – The Jets held a 17-6 lead over Peyton Manning’s Colts with under two minutes remaining in the first half. The four-time NFL MVP proceeded to drive up and down the field for the remainder of the game and helped his team score 24 unanswered points.
No one knows for sure what this year’s game will bring, but the key figures to be how the Jets handle two-time Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger. Two weeks ago, Rex Ryan opted to take a passive approach against Manning and drop players back into coverage in an attempt to clog the passing lanes. It worked. Ryan changed his game plan last week and dialed up confusing blitz packages to put pressure on Brady and his offensive line. It worked. Will it be one or the other on Sunday? A combination of both? Only time will tell.
A big topic of debate this week has been which Pittsburgh wide receiver(s) will see Darrelle Revis? Will the NFL’s top cornerback shadow one player, or see a combination of the Steelers two biggest targets (Mike Wallace and Hines Ward)? Ward was the unlucky beneficiary of matching up against Revis in the Jets 22-17 victory in week 15, catching only 2 balls for 34 yards. Wallace, on the other hand, drew Antonio Cromartie and reeled in 7 catches for 102 yards.
The Jets beat writer for the Daily News, Manish Mehta, reported that Ward would once again find himself on Revis Island while Cromartie will have a chance for redemption against Wallace. The matchups make sense, as Wallace is a true deep threat and Cromartie is more adept of getting beaten in short routes as opposed to plays downfield.
The underlying key to the game is how the secondary will handle Pittsburgh’s two rookie receivers, Emmanuel Sanders (7 catches for 78 yards in week 15) and Antonio Brown (3 catches for 75 yards last week against Baltimore). Dwight Lowery and Drew Coleman may be called upon early and often to neutralize the talented youngsters in three and four wide receiver sets.
Regardless of matchups and game plans, the most important thing remains the same: hold onto the football for as long as possible. Oh, and not to repeat the mistakes of AFC Championship Games past by limiting turnovers at all costs.
The biggest moves the New York Mets have made so far this offseason have taken place in the club's front office. After two late season collapses and a couple sub .500 finishes, team executives decided it was time for some relief. Exit Omar Minaya, enter Sandy Alderson. The new General Manager has a clear plan, fans just hope it works.
Alderson all but confirmed he is under constraints to add any significant contracts to a payroll that is anticipated to be around $130 million once all the current arbitration-eligible players are signed. The problem is the team still has a bunch of holes, mostly in the bullpen and starting rotation. Though reports vary, the one item that can be agreed upon is that Johan Santana will miss significant time as he continues his recovery from rotator cuff surgery.
The current solution? The signing of low risk, potential high reward candidates to either straight-up minor league deals, or heavy incentive-laden major league contracts. Not counting players that were re-signed or had their options picked up, Alderson has added eight players to the organization.
Here are the additions and what is currently known about their contracts:
Boof Bonser, rhp - Signed to minor league deal. Makes $15,000/month in the minors, but would collect $700,000 if he plays in Queens. Invited to spring training.
Ronny Paulino, c - Agreed to a $1.35 million guaranteed deal.
Dusty Ryan, c - Signed to minor league deal and invited to spring training.
D.J. Carrasco, rhp - Agreed to a 2 year deal for $2.4 million. Gets $1.2 million in 2011.
Chin-lung Hu, ss - Acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers for minor league pitcher Mike Antonini. Hu is arbitration eligible.
Chris Capuano, lhp - Signed for $1.5 million guaranteed.
Taylor Tankersley, lhp - Signed to a minor league deal and invited to spring training.
Combine all of those contracts and they wouldn't amount to as much as the New York Yankeesjust threw at their new 8th inning man, Rafael Soriano. Sure the next R.A. Dickey might be among the names mentioned above, and a few are due to rebound from injuries, but how likely is that?
Things will be very interesting leading up to the start of the regular season. Unfortunately for the fans, the fight for major league jobs in spring training just might be the most exciting aspect of the 2011 Mets... that is, until the trade deadline approaches and Alderson will be forced to make the biggest decision of his short tenure: what to do with pending free agent Jose Reyes?
4:05 PM update: Mets have signed OF Willie Harris to, you guessed it, a minor league contract and have invited him to spring training. At least now if he robs a Met of a home run it will be during batting practice.
