Whose Pick Is It Anyway?

On Monday Greg Logan wrote in his Newsday blog about Garth Snow receiving advice (unsolicited) for handling the No. 1 overall pick in this June's draft. As part of the discussion, Logan quoted Sports Illustrated's Michael Farber from an appearance on TSN's The Reporters. In a segment called, "Thumbs up, thumbs down," Farber said:

"My thumb is down to the New York Islanders, who have decided to poll fans about what to do with the number one draft choice. There are great hockey scouts right there, and they know what they're doing. This is an insult - one, to your scouts. Garth Snow's team is going to look at John Tavares, maybe make him number one, or the tall drink of water from Sweden named Victor Hedman. But if you are listening to your fans, it's an insult because you're pandering people who don't know what they're doing. It was Marv Levy who once said, 'If you start listening to fans, you end up sitting with them.' Listening is a bad idea."

Most Islanders fans know that this quote is a backdoor to a shortcut to an unnecessary conclusion. The submission of fan opinions on the number one draft choice is merely a method by which to enter them in a contest for a trip to the draft. But, once again, it is left to us to make sure that the rest of the NHL community understands the larger, and more accurate, picture.

No one has said that Garth Snow is going to listen to the fans—not in this contest, and not on the many Internet message boards where the vast majority of Islanders fans have already voiced their preference for John Tavares.

Even if Snow himself did say, "What better way to allow our fans to voice their opinion," in the announcement of the contest, it's making a Dominik Hasek-sized stretch to surmise that Snow is taking fan opinions into consideration when he evaluates the top prospects.

The Islanders have already announced the first two winners of the contest. You know what they haven't announced? Any results from the submissions.

Furthermore, I don't know how you can suggest that the scouts are taking offense at any of this. It's marketing and public relations only. The scouts know this. Snow and Charles Wang have heralded their scouting staff over and over and repeatedly stated that the staff is in charge of this process.

If there's one thing I strongly believe, it's that Snow will make what he believes is the right choice regardless of what public opinion says. I don't think the boos that rained down at last year's draft party when Snow traded down from 5 to 7 to 9 and then drafted someone virtually no one in the crowd had considered have changed him one bit. He will risk getting booed all over again to make what he feels is the right choice. And it will be based on Ryan Jankowski's feedback, not ours.

(P.S. I know Lighthouse Hockey already did this, but I had it saved in progress so I'm setting it free anyway!)

The Lighthouse Project: String Theory

Chris Botta is convinced that Charles Wang's self-imposed deadline of the beginning of next season for receiving a decision on the Lighthouse Project is non negotiable. Writes Botta,

"What’s different about April of 2009? Actually, something monumental. For better or worse, we are finally at the end of this horror story. Wang and Scott Rechler will know by the start of the Islanders’ 2009-10 NHL season in October if they have a deal with Nassau and Hempstead. If they don’t, consider them very unrestricted free agents."

Perhaps even more telling, he concludes his entry with this:

"At this juncture, knowing the options, I think I’d sign up for Queens."

For those of you who don't follow the Islanders regularly, know that Mr. Botta's connections to the Islanders are as strong as anyone's. For him to make that statement at this juncture speaks volumes about how hazardous the road to approval of the project remains.

Charles Wang has absorbed losses as owner of the franchise for nearly a decade. He was prepared to do that when he bought the team. It seemed that he was prepared to absorb red ink for a while longer if it meant allowing this process to work itself out—even it meant that a game of political hot potato got in the way. Mr. Wang's patience appears to have run out.

What does this mean for Thursday night's meeting at the Marriott? The sense is that Mr. Wang and Scott Rechler, his development partner are prepared to make game-changing comments about the future of the Lighthouse Project. However, my feeling is that any perceived grandstanding or ultimatum-giving is still not in their best interest. Fortunately for them, they do not have to take that approach.

The Community Outreach Education session is an open forum. You can bet those in attendance will ask the tough questions. I fully expect Wang and Rechler to give frank responses that could serve the same purpose as a game-changing speech would. You could even go so far as to suggest that this event is set up for that purpose.

Could there be some kind of significant news coming out of this event? Sure—among the leading contenders would be an announcement that the developers and the County have finalized the framework of a new lease for the Coliseum property, which would have to be voted on by the board of County Legislators. This is one of the key moves that the developers and their governmental supporters can take to keep momentum going in their direction.

But how much momentum can they really create? Knowing the political forces at work, as explored by B.D. Gallof at Islanders Independent and Nick Giglia at Let There Be Light(house), I think I, too, would sign up for Queens. How can you expect to survive a situation in which one political party wants to campaign on the project while the other doesn't want to take responsibility for it? Ideology and power trump all.

It is also with significant reservation that I say I would sign up for Queens. I have friends who, understandably, scream at the notion of the Islanders leaving Long Island proper. I respect the loss they would feel. I also fully recognize being part of a minority whose ears perk up at the idea of the Islanders actually being closer and more accessible in Queens.

Clearly, the Islanders could benefit from being part of a new development hub that already includes Citi Field. Being in the confines of New York City opens many doors, not the least of which would be a path for casual fans in Queens, Brooklyn, and other surrounding areas to become ardent supporters. The NYC address also raises the marketability cachet of the team. It's the difference between being "out there" and "in here."

But I'm also aware of the Queens option being cast in a Utopian light. How many Nassau- and Suffolk-based fans would go from ardent to casual, at best? And who's to say the same political paralysis wouldn't develop in Queens County? What if the owners of NYC's only current NHL franchise fear a cut into their market and call in favors to hinder a Willets Point solution? The ice isn't always smoother on the other side of the county line.

The cautious approach would have been for Mr. Wang and Mr. Wechler to let the review process play out with no strings attached. It is, by design, a slow process. But as they look around and see so many of the other players attached to strings, it's hard to blame them for wanting to pull a few of their own.

(This article was originally published at http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=20230.)

Charles Wang Talks to Howie Rose About the Lighthouse

For those of you who may not have a chance to see it, here are some notes from Howie Rose's interview with Charles Wang on tonight's MSG+ pre-game show...

Rose asked Wang about a drop-dead date for getting approval (something I tried and failed to get from the Lighthouse Development Group just eight days ago—timing!) for the Lighthouse project. Wang said, "We have limited time. We have to have certainty." He then specifically pointed to the beginning of next hockey season as the time by which the organization needs to know if this development project is going forward.

While discussing the possibility of other options, Wang again emphasized that his focus, his love, and his passion is to do this on Long Island.

In regard to the language in the Environmental Impact Study that says the Islanders will leave the venue if the project is not approved, Wang declared that Nassau Coliseum will not be a viable venue for the Islanders to play hockey in by the time the current lease expires.

The Lighthouse group is working on the new lease for the Lighthouse with the County in parallel with the efforts to get the Town of Hempstead to approve the project. In relation to this, the subject of the Islanders' out was revisited: once the developers and the County hammer out a new lease, the County legislature has 120 days to approve it. If they fail to do so in that time, the Islanders are free to explore other options.

Rose wanted to know if 100 percent of the project needs to be approved by the Town of Hempstead in order for the development to go forward. Wang first responded with a little history on the project, reminding everyone that the County, which owns the land and the arena, couldn't afford to fix the Coliseum or continue to run it. The County decided instead to develop the surrounding land parcel and chose the Lighthouse group to do it after a Request for Proposals process. Wang then offered that there is the possibility of further negotiation within the proposal, and referred to the changes in the height of the original tower plan as an example of his willingness to make changes.

Wang was not cautious about admitting that he has trepidation about securing financing for the Lighthouse if the project is approved. He actually said that he has "tremendous trepidation." But he can't really pursue that aspect of the project now because you can't finance virtual space, and he would be wasting time trying to negotiate at this point, when the final plans have not yet been adopted.

Addressing the idea of taxpayer contributions to the project, Wang said he would like to have help on some infrastructure stimulus, and that is worked into the project. "Whatever help we can get, especially in this economic time, we welcome."

Finally, Wang urged all supporters to get involved because if the project fails to go through, it's his fault, but it's also the public's fault because of the officials that have been elected. But, as he stated earlier in the interview, he is optimistic that they will work through the process.

(This post was originally published at http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=19918.)

One Small Step for Wang

One giant leap for Wangkind?

The tricky part about following the progress of a project like the Lighthouse is that there are so few milestones that you can really sink your teeth into. That's why when months go by without discernible progress, it's easy to suspect the worst. Add a dash of Kansas City and a sprinkle of Saskatoon, and all hell breaks loose—even when there are assurances that everyone is taking care of their business.

It's also why days like yesterday seem like major victories, when in reality they are merely single, positive steps up the ladder to the lantern room. In all fairness, the Lighthouse Development Group made sure that yesterday's town meeting actually climbed two rungs.

For those of you that may not have the time to follow, or make sense of, this complicated process, the Town of Hempstead voted 6-0 yesterday to adopt the final scope of the Draft General Environmental Impact Study. In plain English, as I understand it, that means that the Town Board accepted the developers' proposal of the range of environmental issues that pertain to this land development project and need to be addressed.

Under typical circumstances, that would have been yesterday's big news. Once the final scope was adopted, the developers would then have to prepare the Environmental Impact Study to state how the project actually impacts the environment and how they propose to manage the environmental concerns. Having no interest in delaying any further, the Lighthouse Development Group, led by Islanders owner Charles Wang and real estate developer Scott Rechler, submitted the completed studies the very same day. You can read as much of the document, in all its thousands of pages, here, if you so choose.

So what's next? Here is the sequence of steps as reported by Nick Giglia of Let There Be Light(house), who spoke at yesterday's meeting in support of the Lighthouse Project:

• Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Submitted (Lighthouse/Town of Hempstead) - DONE as of this afternoon
• Review period and public comments (Town of Hempstead)
• Final Environmental Impact Statement and Scope (Town of Hempstead)
• Approval of Property Divisions (Nassau County Planning Commission)
• Re-zoning Hearing (Town of Hempstead)
• Lease Negotiations (Nassau County)
• Building Permits Hearing (Town of Hempstead)
• Shovels in the Ground

As you can see, there's still a lot of work to be done before the earth starts moving. But progress is progress. Now we enter another waiting period, so don't be surprised if the quiet time leads to more speculation that the train has gone off the rails. That began today with a focus on the fact that Wang and Rechler will not be footing the bill for the Lighthouse on their own, and there's debate about how easy it will be to round up investors in the current economic climate.

In the meantime, Wang was feeling good enough about the day's events to go on the record with Newsday's Eden Laikin about a number of issues that have occupied Islanders fans and watchers over the last couple of months. Wang admitted that scheduling an exhibition game in Kansas City was a purposeful tactic in what has been a mostly amicable tug of war with the Town of Hempstead. He also expressed his right to keep his options for locating the team open should the deal sour (including an out in the lease), but spoke even more forcefully of his desire to see the Lighthouse through.

(This post was originally published at http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=19626 on February 25, 2009.)

Looking Around After the Islanders Sweep the Senators

Sometimes things just come to you in pieces...

...Mark Herrman suggests in Newsday that the back-to-back victories by the Islanders over Ottawa may represent the apex of the Islanders' season. And here I was having so much fun watching them the last two nights. Oh, well, I guess I could use those 3 hours several nights a week for more pressing pursuits. Seriously, though, I'm looking forward to seeing performances like those against the Sens more frequently as the season progresses.

...Ross McKeon at Puck Daddy asks, "Why exactly would the New York Islanders have Darryl Strawberry drop the ceremonial first puck, especially when the ex-bad boy had never even attended one hockey game in person beforehand?"

Because it was Autism Speaks Night at the Coliseum, part of the Islanders' "Hockey With a Heart" campaign, and Darryl Strawberry is the founder of The Darryl Strawberry Foundation for Autism. And he's a local baseball hero. And he met Bill Guerin and Doug Weight this summer when the two Islanders took in batting practice at Shea. And maybe, just maybe, his appearance attracted a few extra fans. You know, and awareness for autism.

...Also in Newsday, Jim Baumbach urges Charles Wang to play hardball with the local government in regard to the Lighthouse Project: "Fans, take off your Islanders-colored glasses and look around the Coliseum. This place stinks. And no one is coming."

There is no doubt this needs to get done and is essential for the future security of the Islanders on Long Island. But so is the on-ice product. The honeymoon period for a new arena/stadium is probably around three years. After that, you'd better have something to show or all the amenities in the world are unlikely to sustain high attendance—especially if you assume that said new arena will result in higher ticket prices.

I'm one of those who doesn't really care about the arena from a fan experience point of view. To me, it's a hockey rink. I just want them to have a place to play, and if I'm there, food and bathrooms are necessary. After that, it's all gravy. Of course, the Islanders need the gravy to thrive. I just want to be careful about assuming that the gravy will perpetually bring the gravy train. Can you tell Thanksgiving is coming up?

...Pre-game show? What pre-game show? Time Warner Cable in NYC was a little slow with the switch last night. The newly launched pre-game show did not appear on channel 51 until around 6:50. I should have anticipated a bumpy transition. Who knows if it was MSG failing to notify Time Warner, or Time Warner failing to throw the switch? Whatever it was, I'd like to see it from the beginning next time.

...Last night was my first opportunity to view the alternate uniforms on TV. Beautiful. And the shots of the current home sweaters in the stands made them look that much sillier in comparison.

...Here's a recent article on the Blog Box in Sports Media Journal.



Fantasy Report Game 17: Islanders 3, Senators 2

Fantasy Stars of the Game
1st Star: Jon Sim (1 G, 1 PPG, 1 A, +1, 2 SOG, 2 BkS, 2 PIMs)
2nd Star: Joey MacDonald (W, 2 GA, .950 SV%)
3rd Star: Mark Streit (1 A, 1 PPA, +1, 1 SOG, 3 hits)
4th Star: Tim Jackman (1 A, 1 SOG, 7 PIMs, 2 hits)
5th Star: Sean Bergenheim (1 G, +1, 2 SOG, 1 BkS, 3 hits)

Notes: Roles continue to change on the power play units. At the beginning of the game, Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey once again found themselves on the first unit with Mark Streit, Bill Guerin, and Doug Weight. The second unit forwards were Trenty Hunter, Frans Nielsen, and Jon Sim. Later in the game, Hunter and Nielsen swapped places with Okposo and Bailey. And there was one strange configuration when the Islanders started the third period in the middle of a power play. In that case, Chris Campoli took the ice with Streit and Weight. I'm not sure who was supposed to be at the points in that scenario, but Weight was at one of them leaving Streit or Campoli to push forward. Perhaps Scott Gordon was just preparing for the combos he wanted when Dany Heatley came out of the box.

In the rare instances that Weight and Streit don't play the full two minutes at the points, Campoli is always the second unit option and Gordon has been favoring Brett Skinner as his partner (Skinner's minutes, seconds really, are very limited there...Richard Park was 12-8 on faceoffs.

Ted Nolan and Garth Snow Reach an Impasse

"I feel my continued service aboard can only reduce my usefulness to the Navy...and increase disharmony aboard this ship." --Mister Roberts (1955)

Increased disharmony indeed.

In the 1955 film Mister Roberts, the title character, played by Henry Fonda, solicited a transfer of duty from his captain, played by James Cagney. One can only wonder how instrumental Ted Nolan was in orchestrating his own departure from the Islanders.

One thing certainly can be said about this dismissal/firing/settlement: the Islanders managed to end the Nolan era better than the Mets ended the Willie Randolph era. And Garth Snow benefits from making this change in this media market at a time when the move the Mets made appears to be paying off.

Some fans are expressing outrage, but there is not a universal outcry of injustice. Perhaps it's as simple as we all saw it coming.

But it's remarkable that this story does not seem to be on fire. You get the sense that the fan base not only knew this was coming, but is accepting it—maybe not across the board, but widely enough that there really aren't any flames to be fanned or doused.

But how did we get here?

How does Snow, with so little experience as an executive, get to institute his philosophy while Nolan's successful body of work is shoved aside?

I've yet to be convinced that Charles Wang's way of doing business is going to be beneficial to the franchise. He ignored the traditional standards for hiring a GM. All that was required was familiarity with the game, the intelligence to do the work, and a willingness to do whatever Wang wants. I'm not entirely sure that familiarity with the game is a prerequisite.

Can't you imagine, if Snow vacated the GM position, that Wang might hire someone he likes and thinks is capable regardless of hockey knowledge? Specialty skills and experience? Not required.

On the other hand, dismissing Nolan may have been the most general managery thing Snow has done. Maybe he went to Wang and said, "Look, I'm the GM. I should be able to pick my coach."

Why wouldn't Nolan want to get on board with the program? Did he simply not believe in it? In his exit comments, he stated that he has great respect for what the organization is doing.

So was he simply worried that he would be held accountable for the poor won-loss record of a rebuilding team? More likely, he couldn't stand to have his voice and influence marginalized within the organization. Nor would he have liked to have been told how to run his team.

Nolan is a proud man. Having said that, let's not let it singularly define the man. He is also sharp, pleasant, and engaging, among many other things I'm sure.

But he may be too proud to toe the company line, whether in subscribing to organizational philosophy or in accepting coaching advice. The former should be part of his job description, but the latter should be required only in small and infrequent doses.

On leaving, Nolan doesn't seem particularly aggrieved. But you'd have to think he's unhappy with the way things turned out—unless he was equally unhappy about the way things were.

He said the right things today, which was ironic considering the trouble Snow and Nolan had filtering their public comments over the last few months. Maybe they were filtered, but they certainly weren't veiled. It has been odd to see them passive-aggressively stating their displeasure through the press.

The decision to remove Nolan probably had less to do with how the Islanders performed under his direction than it did with two men being unable to find common ground. It wasn't so much philosophy on the ice as it was divergent definitions of respect off it.

It may have been as simple as Nolan being unwilling to coach without security beyond this year, and the organization being unwilling to give him that security. A matter-of-fact impasse, and a mutual parting of the ways.

That management and coach couldn't get on the same page is a shame. Nolan has a lot to offer as a coach. But he still seems to have a lot to overcome.

Nolan was an NHL outsider. The Islander faithful felt pride in knowing that its team opened the door for this man with a knack for motivating players to get back to the big leagues. But once back in, it continued to feel like Nolan was an outsider.

Would any other NHL team have ever given him a shot? What team other than one starved for recognition and run by an unconventional owner would have opened this door?

Nolan was never perceived as just a hockey coach. He was a player's coach. But that meant that he had the accompanying tag of tactically challenged. And then he favored veterans. So he wasn't a player's coach to all players. Then some of those veteran players apparently didn't appreciate what he had to offer.

He certainly found himself on the outside of the inner circle. At the draft in Ottawa, it looked like Nolan was sitting at the distant relatives' table.

There was sufficient evidence to suggest that this parting was coming. Give credit to the people involved for taking care of it before the timing would have caused even more turbulence for the team.

Many of us wanted Ted Nolan to be the answer. It was a good story that could have become even better. It still doesn't compute entirely that Garth Snow gets to decide that Nolan is not the answer. It's unsettling that stubborn pride could lead a good leader astray.

The ideal solution would have been for coach and management to find a way not to clash. It didn't happen. The ideal now is to get everyone moving in the same direction.

The NHL would benefit from its Long Island franchise gaining traction and momentum. It would also be richer for the continued presence of Ted Nolan.

Wang Speaks Out on Contracts, Coach

Charles Wang spent the last days of his hockey club's season opening up to the media about the status of his head coach. On one occasion, he said exactly the right things. On another, his words may have been better left unsaid.

During the broadcast of last Thursday's home finale, Wang appeared in a taped interview with play-by-play man Howie Rose. Among other topics, the owner of the Islanders opened up on his feelings about the season, the progress of the Lighthouse Project, and the team's development philosophy.

When asked about the uncertainty surrounding head coach Ted Nolan as he enters the final year of his three-year contract, Wang held fast to his beliefs. He told Rose that Nolan's contract situation was an internal matter that he was not inclined to discuss in public.

Regarding the question of whether Nolan should receive an extension before his current deal runs out, or at least an indication that an extension may be forthcoming, Wang firmly stated that all contracts have a final year; if not, there's no point in having a contract.

Wang is correct in taking both of these positions. While the media may feel it is their job to ask these questions, ownership and management are under no obligation to answer them. Discussing such matters publicly undermines the internal processes that a club uses to evaluate its staff. When you consider that Nolan has an entire year left on his contract, expecting Wang to comment on a possible extension now is unrealistic.

Furthermore, the expectation of an extension at this point is premature. Yes, Wang could add a perceived measure of stability to the Islanders by signing Nolan on for two to three more years right now. However, it is not unreasonable for an employer to require an employee to fulfill his commitment before receiving another contract.

The argument for extending now is that Nolan enters the 2008-09 season as a lame duck. If this were any other coach, that might be a problem. But when NHL players are surveyed, Nolan's name often lands at or near the top of the list of coaches for whom they would most like to play. Nolan is not likely to lose the locker room simply because his status for the following season is unsettled.

If there is a worry, it is that the pressure of trying to earn his keep will affect his decision making. The decisions of a coach may very greatly depending on whose future is foremost in his mind: the organization's or his own.

In his term with the Islanders, Nolan has presented himself with impeccable professionalism. He has also earned a reputation for sticking with veterans to a fault. It is on this issue where Wang took his misstep. In talking to Greg Logan of Newsday, who was instrumental in sparking the public discussion of the coach's future, Wang called for Nolan to learn from his mistakes:

The best thing about this non-playoff season, in Wang's view, was the prospects' performance. "If you look at what has happened - and it certainly has changed in the last two months or so - they've proven him wrong," the owner said of Nolan.

"We all may have a predetermined way of looking at something. But what we should do after the season is look in the mirror and say, 'What have I learned from this thing?'"

Wang's point about Nolan being wrong has merit, but stating it in public seems like an unusual way to foster harmony within the organization.

Logan also noted that Nolan has expressed concern about the team's commitment to him by leaving him with only a year and no promises beyond that. Of course, Nolan should remember that it was Wang who surprisingly dismissed Peter Laviolette after the 2002-03 season when Laviolette seemed to have all the security he needed. Thus, a perceived measure of stability may still suffer from the harshness of reality.

In the end, Nolan certainly deserves the chance to return for the final year of his contract and demonstrate why his term should continue. The Islanders, in turn, reserve the right to a longer period of evaluation before they make decisions about leadership that will be in place for the 2009-10 season.

Chasing Career Years

[Note: Most of this was written following the loss to the Rangers last week. I decided to hold it back to see what would happen in Philadelphia.]

By most accounts, the Islanders played about twenty minutes of hockey last night. They have reached that critical point—one loss away from having to run the table in order to qualify for postseason play. That is to say that time has run out. Taking into account the effort put forth by the team during those other pesky, unfortunate other forty minutes of play, it’s time to look at what kind of team we have here more critically.

Even at the trade deadline, I was willing to give this group a chance to go after a playoff berth and prove that the current roster deserved the opportunity to stay together. They haven’t done it. I’m a little torn about what I want to see happen next. One of the clichés associated with this team is the need to fill the roster with Ted Nolan-type players. As far as I can see it, these players fit into two categories: hardworking players who always give 100-percent effort, and underachievers who just need to be properly motivated. Too many of the team’s key players fit into the latter category.

Yesterday on WFAN, Charles Wang stated that the organization expects its players to turn in career years every year, and it’s the coaching staff’s responsibility to get that kind of performance out the players. By definition, a player is only going to have a career year once. The rest of the time, you hope he plays to his level. The Islanders could have gone much further this year with career years from Vasicek, Fedotenko, Comrie, etc. The coaching staff was unable to coax such a year out of any of them, or out of any of the other young players who are still in a position to take a leap forward. Worse, in absence of a career year, the base level at which many of these players produce is not high enough to make the team more than simply competitive. On many recent nights, saying that the team was competitive is generous.

Garth Snow has his work cut out for him. He needs to raise the bar so that the core of the team does not consist of players who might score 30 goals under the best of circumstances, but fall back to 15 otherwise. He does not need to pursue only Nolan-type players. Sure, you want hard-workers and high-character guys. But Nolan himself said on the radio that he would welcome the opportunity to lead a talent-laden team. That's easier said than done when you haven't managed to draft a Malkin, Crosby, Ovechkin, or Phaneuf. But whatever team you put out there, I'm sure Ted will coach it. He may play some favorites along the way, but winning is welcoming host for cooperation and selflessness.

If it proves impossible to upgrade the talent on the roster in the offseason, then it's time to show some faith in the young talent that has been drafted or acquired. This means that Kyle Okposo and Jeff Tambellini are top-6 forwards and receive a regular shift on the power play. Maybe Sean Bergenheim fits there too (or a certain just-signed, 6-4, 207-pound right wing countryman of his). Chris Campoli gets a polished power-play quarterback with whom to share the point and learn from. Some combination or subset of Blake Comeau, Franz Nielsen, Jeremy Colliton, and Ryan Walter plays more than seven minutes per game. This team needs to be hungrier. Maybe this was just the wrong cast. But I'll have a hard time being a believer if this year's crop of outgoing players is replaced by a new crop of declining older veterans and stagnating younger veterans. I'm tired of pinning hopes on a team's potential rather than on its foundation.

I still think that you can improve a team simply by keeping it together. In that scenario, the new piece to the puzzle is another year of familiarity, camaraderie, comfort, and trust. I don't see this squad benefiting enough from that approach. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of approach the front office takes. Until then, we can only ask, "Where have you gone, Jon Sim? A fan base turns its lonely eyes to you..."

Mike and the Mad Dog at the Coliseum

I wanted to do this as a live blog, but that just wasn't possible. So, in the spirit of NBC's Olympics coverage, we'll call this a plausibly live blog. As such, the timestamps are only approximations. Yes, you can listen to these interviews yourself on wfan.com. But this way, maybe you can skim here while watching the game instead of trying to listen to two things at once.

1:25: Mad Dog's first utterance of "DiPieto" comes as he announces that DiPietro will sit again tonight. You'd think that with two Rs in his own name, Chris could take the time to slow down and learn to throw one in there for Rick. But let the debate begin...Is Ted Nolan simply going with the hot hand, giving Rick more time to get himself back together, or just looking to motivate the franchise goalie with a little competition?

1:46: Mad Dog just referred to Washington's star player first as "that kid," and then as "Ovchenkin." It was not my intention to make this all about mispronunciations, but that's all we've got so far.

1:58: Talking about the NBA. I guess it was a little far-fetched to think this was going to be five hours and twenty minutes of Islanders programming on WFAN.

2:01: Garth Snow coming up next.

2:06: Mad Dog goes right to "Dubie" rather than attempt Dubielewicz.

2:08: Mike presses Garth for the real message behind playing Dubie. Garth says DiPietro is ready to go and actually expresses a little surprise that Ted decided to go back to Dubie. One can infer that Garth would not have made the same decision.

2:12: Mad Dog unleashes his first "Lavalette." We're getting all of his greatest hits. Come on, Chris. Say it with me: Lav-i-o-lette.

2:13: Garth is really talking up the youth, including those currently on the roster and those still in junior. Names the five draft picks who competed in the WJC.

2:15: Garth has full authority to pull the trigger on trades (e.g., Ryan Smyth) but relies on feedback from Nolan and Morrow, particularly so he doesn't acquire players that Nolan doesn't like.

2:16: Garth still believes that the Islanders control their own destiny. If they go 14-0 the rest of the way, that will be true.

2:19: Garth endorses trimming down the size of goalie pads. Bloggers everywhere mock him mercilessly.

2:21: Garth says that the Islanders are not at a $44 million payroll by design and would pay to the cap for the right players.

A decent spot with Snow, with the most revealing answer being about tonight's starting goalie. If the decision doesn't harm the relationship between coach and goalie, it could go a long way toward making DiPietro understand that Ted runs the room. Playing 78+ games may be fashionable for the top goalies of the day, but it wasn't always that way and doesn't have to be now. It was nice to hear Mike and Chris break down the interview and related issues in the next segment rather than going back to Brett Favre or something. Interviews with Wang, Nolan, and DiPietro were promised for later. Unfortunately, the hosts just don't have the depth of knowledge to ask the kinds of questions they might ask to Willie Randolph or Tom Coughlin.

2:51: Pierre McGuire in the house. Or on the phone, anyway. Wasn't expecting that. Says that Madison Square Garden is hopping right now (i.e., these days, not right this minute). Pierre is bringing a little league-wide perspective to the show. I'm okay with that.

2:58: Pierre has no problem tweaking Mike and Chris about their lack of hockey knowledge: "Tom who? you're probably saying," when bringing up Tom Preissing.

3:01: Chris gives Pierre 10 seconds to comment on the Islanders. Pierre is very complimentary to Ted, Garth, and Billy Guerin for keeping the ship afloat and still being in the playoff hunt. Says that Nolan should be coach of the year if the Isles make it.

3:07: Charles Wang steps to the mic. "Until we win the Stanley Cup, we always can be better." Mr. Wang does not appear to believe in the concept of rebuilding. Paraphrasing: If you don't go into every season expecting to win the Cup, you are a loser. The team's goal is to get a career year out all of its players every year.

3:13: Renovations to the lower bowl of the Coliseum would commence in July 2009 and extend briefly into the season with the team starting the schedule on the road. Upper bowl would be renovated similarly the following the year. July '09 is the earliest they could put a shovel in the ground.

3:16: Transportation, water issues, environmental issues, and other unknowns are the biggest obstacles to the Lighthouse project.

3:17: What happens with the SMG lease, which runs to 2015, has yet to be settled. Buying it out is an option.

3:22: Mr. Wang believes that the Lighthouse has to be iconic, akin to the Arch in St. Louis and other great landmarks.

3:26: If the Lighthouse project does not get approved, there probably won't be a Coliseum renovation. Charles was reluctant to address what happens in that scenario.

3:29: "We built a great team. We have good guys." Charles bristled slightly at the notion that he should just spend the extra $6 million left under the cap, but said that Garth has the financial flexibility to continue building the team. I do sometimes chuckle when radio hosts talk about $6 million as though it's nothing just because the owner is rich.

It's nearly impossible to think of this as a great team. I suppose if everyone actually did have a career year, it would have been great. But that's an awfully lofty expectation to have going into a season.

3:36: In the next segment, Russo speculates that the Lighthouse project is too ambitious and will need to be scaled back. Mike states that figuring out a way to bring in mass transit is the key to everything and a railroad hub could have prevented the Nets from leaving. Then there was some sort of fight about engineering and voices leaking over the airwaves. Mike got angry. Chris sounded embarrassed.

4:08: Wade Dubielewicz on the air! Apparently, he's a big fan of the show. Chris is impressed that he's appearing on a night that he's playing.

4:09: Doesn't feel a lot of pressure. Sees this as an opportunity and is a little surprised to be in the net tonight.

4:11: Dubie is satisfied with his role right now, but not content. He's satisfied in the sense that last year he was a career minor leaguer and he's now moved up to career NHL backup.

4:13: Mike: This is a great show of respect for Dubie by Nolan. Dubie: I have a big smile on my face today. Wade also indicates that Rick isn't the type to come in and raise a ruckus because he's not playing. That would have a negative impact on the team, but it's not going to happen.

4:14: Dubie: Ted is the greatest player's coach he's ever played for. He allows everyone to prepare in their own way, so it's always on the player.

You gotta love Dubie. Maybe if he's a starter in this league one day no one will be able to go near him on gameday, but I doubt it. You could tell that he was a little jazzed about being on the show, even if it was a short spot.

4:21: "Botta does a great job. He's a good PR guy." Mike and Chris just compared Jason Blake to Jeff Weaver--both guys who found a home somewhere and should have stayed where they were successful. Now that Mike learns the terms Blake got in Toronto, he can't blame him for leaving. Chris says the Isles did a good job not signing him to those terms.

4:25: Rick DiPietro on the air. He was listening to the show earlier. He's disappointed at not playing in a game of this magnitude that's a must-win, but "You've gotta be a team guy," and Dubie played really well.

4:27: "The coach makes a decision and I'm going to support that."

4:28: Russo: "We all know how great a goaltender you're going to be." Rick says he'll continue to get better and he'll reach his maximum potential when they win a Cup.

4:30: Watching Mike Richter play his entire career with one team influenced his decision to sign a 15-year contract. He also just likes living on Long Island.

4:32: Sitting at home with a concussion watching the team play last year was even harder than sitting on the bench watching.

4:35: Having the long term deal gives him the ability to focus solely on becoming a better hockey player.

4:38: Baseball was a passion of Rick's growing up. Francesa is now on the Dustin Pedroia bandwagon after killing him last year.

Nothing too exciting from that segment. DiPietro sounded every bit the good soldier.

4:49: Bill Guerin's turn. Starts off with questions about his days with the Devils.

4:51: Being the little brother to the Rangers is about the same as an Islander as it was with the Devils.

4:53: Bill was impressed by how much the Core of the Four members seemed like a family.

4:54: Perspective on having played with so many teams is that he's fortunate to have had a long career in the league.

4:55: Guerin not really surprised that Dubie is playing tonight. Coaches tend to go with the hot hand and Ricky will be fine with it.

4:56: Decision to sign with the Isles was influenced by the team's immediate effort to commit to him. Other teams expressed interest but didn't give him anything concrete.

4:57: Doesn't really have an answer for all the shorthanded goals.

4:58: Really likes the direction the team is going. Good young players mixed with a core of veterans. "Teddy is a great coach...has his finger on what guys need."

4:59: Botta has seen Springsteen 40 times. That easily beats my record for most times seeing a band. Guerin has seen him 7 or 8 times.

5:05: And, finally, Ted Nolan. Chris says that the Islanders do a wonderful job every time the show is out there. Coaching staff began discussing goaltending situation right after last game. "What's best for the team? What's best for the player?" Combination of Ricky maybe being rusty and Dubie playing well led to their decision.

5:07: Ted: How players handle situations like this separates the good athletes from the great athletes.

5:08: DiPietro is very likely to play Saturday against Philly. Going with Dubie is not trying to stretch his luck--it's not a case of luck. Dubie is a "pure, old-time hockey player."

5:10: "We're not blessed with a whole bunch of dipsy-doodlers playmaking types of guys...We have to play basic hockey." They're a good team when they keep it close, have a good chance of winning close hockey games.

5:11: "The offense is almost like the weather. Some days it's there, some days it's not."

5:11: It takes a great mindset to succeed when the team doesn't have a player that can steal two points with a timely goal.

5:12: Ted thinks that the mindset of his team (having to grind out wins over the long haul) should be successful in the grind of the playoffs, but you have to get there first. Mentioned Park and Hilbert as being important players that we don't talk about all the time. He sometimes tries to fly the wings or rush the defense to create more offense. Half-jokes that he'd love to try it the other way with a bunch of stars on the roster.

5:13: Doesn't think Simon was a distraction. Prevented certain teams from pushing the Isles around and taking advantage of them. Thinks they need a player like Simon.

5:15: "The game's in great hands right now because we got some tremendous athletes and tremendous people in this game."

5:16: Growing pains are tough to go through while the young players are developing. Nolan is enthusiastic about all the young players.

5:17: "We're blessed to play this sport." Says he's more of a motivating type of coach, but you have to know what you're doing.

5:18: Charles and Garth leave him alone and let him coach.

That's about it. Mad Dog's overall take on the Islanders is that they are standing still. Every March we find them struggling to make the playoffs, and then they bow out in the first round. Not groundbreaking analysis, but not inaccurate either. The show did a really nice job for Islanders fans, giving the organization plenty of airtime, if not keen perspective or expert questioning. Now, if they would just focus on the Islanders regularly for a little bit of time instead of for four hours once a year, we'd really have something to get excited about.

Building a New Core

Mark Herrman stole a little of the thunder of this post with his article on next Sunday's Core of the Four celebration in today's edition of Newsday, but since I've been planning to do this for several days now, it's as good a time as any to carry through with it. And now, with the re-signing of Trent Hunter, there's a new wrinkle to add.

What's the most remarkable aspect of the Core of the Four event? Setting aside the depth of talent on the list of players the Islanders will be honoring, it's the sheer length of the list. The following 17 players played on all four Stanley Cup Championship teams from 1980-1983 (I'm not sure why the Herrman piece states the number as 16, unless one of the honorees is known not to be attending):

Mike Bossy
Bob Bourne
Clark Gillies
Butch Goring
Lorne Henning
Anders Kallur
Gord Lane
Dave Langevin
Wayne Merrick
Ken Morrow
Bob Nystrom
Stefan Persson
Denis Potvin
Billy Smith
Duane Sutter
John Tonelli
Bryan Trottier

The ceremonies will also honor General Manager Bill Torrey, Head Coach Al Arbour, Trainer Ron Waske, and Equipment Manager Jim Pickard.

By today's standards, the idea that 17 players could remain with one team for 4+ years is simply astounding. Go back to the Islanders roster from just two season ago and you will find only 11 names that have made appearances on this season's roster. That includes six players who played in fewer than 30 games in '05-'06. Of course, the fact that those 17 players kept winning probably played no small part in keeping them together.

Yes, the times have changed and the rules have changed. Disregarding CBAs and NHLPA strategies, I still sometimes find myself longing for the days when we could root for a team of players rather than, as Jerry Seinfeld put it, laundry. Those days may be gone for good unless we witness a revolution in sports management. It just so happens that the Islanders have a revolutionary thinker as an owner.

One of the tenets that Charles Wang brought over to the NHL from his corporate career at Computer Associates is that when you find good people, you keep them around. That is why Rick DiPietro has a 15-year contract, and why Trent Hunter was just given a five-year deal. Fans will be able to debate who merits consideration as "good people" based on talent and character. Ultimately, Mr. Wang and Garth Snow will make those decisions. Hopefully, in doing so, they build a new core that is capable of winning championships.

Wouldn't it be great if every summer, instead of looking for five new key components for the lineup, the organization needed only to add one key player or a few complementary pieces? That's what having a solid core will do for you. Tuesday's trade deadline could bring about the exit of any of at least a half dozen players. I'm not saying don't trade anyone now. The new core is hardly complete. But it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if the roster four years from now has about a dozen names on it that are in the organization right now.

A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That

The Shadow from Above
I hadn't seen any mention of it anywhere, so I was all set to discuss Tuesday night's appearance at the Coliseum by Chris Simon. The Versus production crew caught Simon on camera having an involved conversation with Charles Wang high above the Coliseum ice. However, with Dee Karl now having published a sparkling essay on this latest development, I will defer to the impressions of my esteemed Blog Box colleague. Dee has elegantly captured all of the complexities surrounding the status of Simon and, quite appropriately I think, refrained from passing judgment.

What's best for the players? What's best for Wang and the organization? What's best for the NHL? What's best for Chris Simon? What's best for the fans? It is not easy to render a final verdict on Simon with all of these questions playing a significant role in creating the solution. Ultimately, as Dee's post posits, it is not our problem to solve. But understanding the difficulty of the situation is certainly something we can take on. One thing is certain: Simon's presence with the owner the other night is clearly suggests that the team was completely sincere in expressing its loyalty to Chris Simon the person. Of this, I had no doubt.

A Picture Is Worth More Than Two Points
It's amazing how easy it is for us, as Islanders fans, to take the smallest action by the media as a sign of disrespect. For example: The lead picture in today's Daily News article on last night's impressive 3-1 win over the Devils shows Rick DiPietro reaching back in vain to keep Travis Zajac's third-period shot from crossing the goal line. Yes, it is an exciting, telling action shot taken from the camera mounted inside in the net. But why, in a game in which the Islanders went to 5-0 on the season against the Devils and DiPietro was lauded universally for his outstanding play, does the lead photograph show him flopped on his back in his only low moment? The article does feature a smaller picture that shows the Islanders celebrating their victory. Shouldn't the lead photo be representative of the game? Where is the shot of DiPietro making one of a dozen outstanding saves? Maybe his reflexes are too quick to be captured on film. Anyway, these things just make me wonder sometimes.

Radio Tease
Here's another slight head-scratcher, but there are reasonable explanations for it. It was reported today that Long Island radio station WLIR is switching to an all sports-talk format. My immediate reaction was to think, "Hey, there's an opportunity to get some serious Islanders talk on the radio." Imagine the Islanders being the hometown team on a smaller version of WFAN. Of course, that thought lasted all of five seconds. It turns out that WLIR will simply be carrying the signal from 1050 ESPN Radio, which, by the way, is the radio broadcast home of the Rangers. So that accomplishes basically nothing for Islanders fans unless 1050 comes to the unlikely conclusion that its stronger presence in Suffolk calls for increased coverage of the Isles. Don't bet on it.

Overall, I'm not down on 1050 the way a lot of people are (despite some hosts that I can't listen to for more than two minutes). I like it as an alternative to WFAN, and I think the competition, as lopsided as it continues to be, is a favorable development for the listener. On the surface, the agreement between 1050 and WLIR makes good business sense for both parties, and may even benefit listeners who struggle to get a clear signal from 1050. So, I'm not going to kill them for trying this. It just seems like a missed opportunity.

Defense
Whereas I once thought it created some weird dynamics on the team, I now couldn't be more relieved that Garth Snow increased the defensive depth chart to nine.

Sorry Won't Cut It

Update: Charles Wang did the right thing in taking action with Chris Simon before the league, and by being the mouthpiece for the organization. As a heavily involved owner, it was only right for Wang himself to address the status of Simon rather than drop the obligation in the lap of Garth Snow, or worse, Ted Nolan. Snow and Nolan will undoubtedly have to field questions on the matter, but they will do so with the official position of the organization clearly defined.

As for the content of the statement, I'm sure it will anger many NHL fans, as well as Islander fans, that the team didn't immediately sever its ties with Simon. Contract and CBA issues aside, it's apparent that the organization views Simon not as a threat to its integrity but as a troubled member of the family. It is not a sin to be loyal and supportive of someone in need. However, if Simon's acts of unbridled aggression on the ice are symptoms of problems that require counseling, then he should enter counseling with the goal of preparing himself to live a productive life beyond that of a hockey player. That life may be right around the corner, pending the league's involvement.

The Islanders should not saddle themselves with expectations of when Simon will be ready to return and how he will fit back into the team's picture. You can only apologize and say "there's no excuse" so many times. The team needs to move on and address its on-ice goals without such distractions. There are jobs to be won and roles to be established. From this moment on, the Islanders and Chris Simon are fighting very different battles.

***************

The severity of Chris Simon’s punishment depends on neither the force of the blow nor the extent of the injury it caused. Simon has demonstrated once again that he has no regard for the well being of another human, even if that human is a hockey player of questionable ilk like Jarko Ruutu. Whereas another player would have dismissed Ruutu with a shove, a face wash, or even an invitation to engage in legitimate combat, Simon chose to expose his adversary’s flesh to the forceful delivery of a sharp blade.

It does not matter that the target of the blow was protected by a sturdy skate boot. The act was heinously irresponsible and within in an inch or two of causing a catastrophic injury. The NHL cannot tolerate such a degree of callousness.

Maybe in Simon’s mind there is a difference between Ruutu and other players. Maybe Simon believes that players like Ruutu and Ryan Hollweg are so low that brutalization and mutilation are somehow justified. If this were an isolated incident, we would be searching for an explanation. What did Ruutu do to incite Simon’s wrath? Wasn’t Simon just being a good teammate, protecting his boys? But the act is indefensible and so is the body of work.

Following the game, one could sense the hesitancy to react among the players in the locker room. Certainly, they were unclear about exactly what had transpired. Additionally, they appeared to disbelieve that this had happened again—a selfish act that compromised their ability to win a game, and would put them in the awkward position of having to explain the detrimental actions of a teammate. It’s tough to put your teammates through that once. To make them do it twice in less than a year leaves little room for recovery. How fast will they be lining up for the next round of apologies?

It's almost painful to think about how Ted Nolan must feel in this situation. He must know that no one wants to hear an unqualified statement of support for Simon. But given their well-documented personal relationship, one has to expect that Nolan will express some sort of concern for his once-troubled protege. It is sure to be a delicate balancing act. You wonder where the middle ground is among understanding, imposition, and a sense of betrayal.

Time permitting, I'll have some notes from the game itself later today. Islander Frontier has an excellent piece on the Simon story that is well worth reading regardless of your perspective.

Slap Shot Finds the Island

In the name of fairness, I must point out that Slap Shot, the hockey blog of The New York Times, finally posted an Islanders item over the weekend. Blogger Lew Serviss called attention to the Globe and Mail article on Ted Nolan, which I first saw linked on New York Islander Fan Central and Islander Frontier last week. The Nolan piece, written by Roy MacGregor, brings out new details on the coach's life, past and present. Although the Slap Shot entry was brief, the MacGregor article was certainly enlightening and therefore worth mentioning and exposing to a wider audience in additional forums. The most worthwhile portion of the post, which is titled "The Islanders' Special Coach," is the last sentence:

Nolan’s 10-year banishment from the N.H.L., is surely one of the league’s bigger embarrassments.

The more I think about it, it really is startling that a coach who is so capable behind the bench and in the locker room was kept in the freezer for so long. But for a complete outsider in Charles Wang, Nolan might still be plying his trade in Moncton. I'd like to think that repeated success there would have drawn the NHL establishment out of its fog. Fortunately, Mr. Wang was not beholden to any unwritten rules.

And do we have a trend? Today, Slap Shot treats us to its first in-depth post about the Isles. This is the kind of coverage that should appear regularly. "Fighting a Drought on the Island" by Mark Pargas contains both compliments and criticisms, in most cases deserved. The idea that the team cannot compete without a true scoring star is a fair assessment. The Islanders' draft record is certainly a legitimate target. It is a little odd that Pargas chose to go back to the Bergeron-Gallant quarrel, which happened almost a week ago. I said previously that there were plenty of Islander storylines for Slap Shot to cover while the team was being ignored. This was one of them, and the coverage should have appeared within a day or two of the incident. What's more telling is that Pargas is forced to link to a story in Newsday instead of in his own paper to provide more background.

Quick Link: Isles' Mandarin Broadcasts Begin

Tomorrow's edition of The New York Times will have an article by Dave Caldwell on the Islanders' latest groundbreaking move: broadcasting a hockey game in Mandarin. The article is available online here now. The Mandarin broadcast of Saturday's game against the Thrashers will be accessible through the S.A.P. button on your television or remote control. Caldwell reveals that the Islanders hope to have a game televised in China this season. Without a Yao Ming or Yi Jianlian, it may be difficult for the NHL to replicate the success that the NBA has had in China. However, the Islanders have already broken barriers through Charles Wang's Project Hope. Following up that program with exposure to the game at its highest level seems like the next logical step.

Note: The online version of the article suggests that it will appear in the printed paper on Saturday, but it's entirely possible that this a Web-only feature.