Garth Snow Means Business, Signs Tambellini for Two Years

Reading some of the quotes from Garth Snow yesterday regarding the philosophical differences between him and Ted Nolan put an extreme thought in my mind. Snow, of course, went out of his way to explain that he wanted to go with younger players.

What really caught my attention were the specific references to Jeff Tambellini, such as this one in The New York Times:

“We feel a player like Jeff Tambellini, who’s been playing well down at the A.H.L. level, deserves a chance to get significant ice time with us.”

The extreme thought I had was, Could this divorce have simply come down to Jeff Tambellini? How crazy would that be?

Nolan was obviously not a fan of Tambellini's work. Nor did he appear particularly inclined to give him more chances. One of the first things I thought of after digesting the news yesterday was, What does the new coach do if Tambellini only scores 2 goals in the first 30 games?

That question becomes all the more interesting now that Snow has signed Tambellini to a two-year, one-way deal, which Greg Logan says "virtually assures a full shot to play a role as a top-six forward."

So the day after Nolan leaves, Snow locks up Tambellini with the big club.

It can't be that differences over a single player were the sole cause of the split. But now the thought doesn't seem quite so crazy.



Just a quick thanks to Greg Wyshynski of Puck Daddy for his praise of yesterday's Nolan-Snow analysis in this space.

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.

NYI Top 10 Individual Seasons

Just one (for now) comment (okay, correction) on this latest list put out by the Islanders on their Web site.

At No. 8 we have Brent Sutter with 42 goals and 60 assists for an impressive 102 points. According to the article, "Sutter led the team in assists in the 84-85 season, and was just six goals off Bossy’s team leading 48 scores."

Mike Bossy never totaled 48 goals in an NHL season. He broke 50 in each of his first nine seasons, a feat still unmatched by any other player. During the season in question, 1984-85, Bossy actually tallied 58 goals, or 16 more than Sutter. It was only during Bossy's injury shortened tenth and final season that he failed to crack the 50 mark, settling for 38 goals in 63 games.

This message brought to you by the Coalition to Protect the Legacy of Mike Bossy, est. July 12, 2008.

Boyle on the Way to San Jose

The reports of the Islanders' interest in Tampa Bay defenseman certainly had me intrigued, particularly if a deal that didn't involve Chris Campoli could have been pulled off.

Let's face it: the Islanders still lack appropriate players to fill the point men roles on two power-play units. And unless Ted Nolan intends to use Mark Streit for the full power play every time, adding a defenseman with Boyle's offensive abilities and physical presence would have been a very positive move.

To this point, Campoli has shown more offensively than Bruno Gervais at the NHL level so it would have been preferable to keep him around as one of the other point men. And I don't think it would have been wise to lose the minutes and defensive prowess of Radek Martinek.

Of course, this is all moot now as TSN is reporting that Boyle has waived his no-trade clause and is on his way to the San Jose Sharks. Coming in return to the Lightning is Matt Carle, a 1st round pick, a 4th round pick, and a prospect. Brad Lukowich would accompany Boyle to San Jose.

Not a bad job by the Lightning transforming that asset into something that fits better with their recent moves. Perhaps an even better job by Garth Snow not overpaying for Boyle.


Update: Jon Jordan reports the prospect is defenseman Ty Wishart.

HNLI Free Agency Recap Show

Thursday night's special Hockey Night on Long Island Free Agency Recap show is now available for streaming over in the sidebar. You can also download the show from the show site or from iTunes.

Thanks to Steve for having me on. He and Alex always do a wonderful job hosting. I thought this was a particularly great show with lots of interesting Islanders and NHL topics to plow through. Some very good callers added a lot to the discussion.

I was joined as a guest on the show by Bill from New York Islander Fan Central. Bill does an impressive job updating his blog every day with all news related to the Islanders and Sound Tigers. It's a must read for fans of both teams.

Streit Signs Five-Year Deal with Isles

TSN is reporting that the Islanders have signed defenseman Mark Streit to a five-year contract worth $20.5 million.

I guess Garth Snow really didn't want to tip his hand on this one. With all the talk of Hainsey and McCabe, Streit never seemed like a realistic possibility. That's what's great about days like this: the really pleasant surprises.

As mentioned by Greg Logan on his Newsday blog, Streit put up as many points from the blue line as Brian Campbell did last year.

Streit will be 31 years old in December, so perhaps it was the length of the contract that put the Islanders' bid over the top. But in comparison to the Campbell contract, the Isles could get great value out of this deal.

One column from this past January speculated that Streit's worth was around $2 million per season. The Islanders are sure to receive some criticism for paying him twice that amount.

However, this was one of those situations where if the GM really wants the player (and it appears that Snow did), he has to do what is necessary to get the player. It's the same reasoning that justified the Mets giving Pedro Martinez a fourth year.

Streit, from Switzerland, has played only three seasons in the NHL. But his adjustment to the league has been swift. He has gone from 11 points (in 48 games) to 36 points in 2006-07 to 62 points this past year. He posted 34 points on the power play for the Canadiens in 2007-08 (7 goals, 27 assists).

Before joining Montreal for the 2005-06 season, Streit did accumulate some experience with North American minor league hockey. In 1999-00, he made appearances in all three of the ECHL, IHL, and AHL.

It's worth noting that Streit has seen some time as a forward and I don't have a breakdown of how that may have influenced his offensive production. But here are some varying opinions from a thread on Yahoo! Answers.

Keep an eye here for more of the official word on the signing from the Islanders.

Mark Streit's career stats, courtesy of hockeydb.com.

Mother of All Draft Parties: Buccigross at the Mic

One choice the New York Islanders made in preparation for this draft seems to have escaped debate (so far). John Buccigross, SportsCenter anchor and ESPN.com hockey columnist, was tapped by the Islanders to serve as host of this year's Draft Party.

Buccigross is one of those media figures who attracts a fervent fan base. If you subscribe to his style in front of the camera and behind the keyboard, the publishing of his weekly column during hockey season becomes appointment reading.

Fans of Buccigross who attended the Draft Party last Friday could not have walked away disappointed. Buccigross spent nearly every minute when he wasn't on stage talking to fans, taking pictures with them, and signing autographs.

When the mood of the evening turned disgruntled, Buccigross handled the shift deftly with understanding and humor. His cue to the crowd to greet Josh Bailey warmly, while perhaps unnecessary, demonstrated a great read on the room and compassion for a youngster who was unknowingly in an awkward situation.

After Buccigross had fulfilled his hosting duties, he took the time to field questions from the Blog Box and talk a little hockey (and a little music, too). He revealed himself to be just as sharp, funny, and engaging off the air and the page as he is on. If you have not seen this session elsewhere, here's the video, courtesy of B.D. Gallof:



In her personal reflection on the evening, my colleague Dee Karl brought you a little scoop from Buccigross about the future of hockey on ESPN thanks to some curious fans outside the Coliseum. What Dee left for me to tell was the humorous exchange that followed between Buccigross and the same group of fans. At this point, Buccigross was only in shouting distance as he made his way across the plaza:

Fan (shouting): Why did Garth Snow drop the ball?
JB: (shouting back): Maybe he didn't!
Fan: I've never heard of this guy!
JB: He's only 18! A lot can change! Look at Britney Spears!

Snow and Staff Come Through on Day Two

By virtually all accounts, the second day of the 2008 NHL Draft was a smashing success for Garth Snow, Ryan Jankowski, and the scouting staff of the New York Islanders. Souls have been soothed indeed. Yes, Okposo Net, there is a silver lining. Hope can now take a summer vacation.

That being said, let's not assume that Snow and company just drafted an entire All-Star team. Saturday's events deserve the same kind of disclaimer that was attached to Friday's activities. And Saturday's successes do not erase what happened the day prior, even though they are inextricably linked.

On the one hand, Saturday's haul could not have been complete without the moves made Friday night. On the other hand, the team valued Josh Bailey significantly higher than anyone else and didn't buy into the consensus evaluation of Nikita Filatov.

Players who can do what Filatov may be able to do are rare commodities. One can only hope that Bailey is just as rare of a gem.

New York Islander Fan Central points out that the youth movement is already well underway with the likes of Campoli, Gervais, Bergenheim, Tambellini, Joensuu, et al., already in the organization (and there are a good dozen more worthy of mention). Can't you argue, then, that the Islanders were already fairly well stocked with prospects? At least well enough that they could have had a wonderful draft, and a deep talent pool, without sacrificing a chance on Filatov?

Of course, the organization's answer is that Filatov was not the answer; Bailey is. And that will be quite interesting to watch over the next several years.

Islanders fans can hope that the drafting of Kirill Petrov makes any such comparisons moot. However, it is difficult to ignore that based on limited information, Petrov is more of a gamble than Filatov would have been.

In the end, the draft strategy the Islanders employed resembles throwing as many picks at the board as possible and seeing which ones stick. That's not bad when, on paper, so many of them look sticky.

And Then There Was Nine

The Islanders had an opportunity to give their fans a reason to be proud and excited tonight. Instead, they traded it away.

You try to put your faith in the idea that the hockey people know what they're doing. But no one attending the Draft Party at the Coliseum would have done what the Isles did this evening.

Let's get this out of the way: We don't know what will happen on Saturday. We don't know what will happen July 1st, 2nd, 8th, or 12th. We don't know what will happen three years from now when Josh Bailey, Nikita Filatov, and several dozens of other supremely talented hockey players are in their twenties.

Maybe some of those second and third round picks will grow into quality NHLers. Maybe Bailey will be Brent Sutter and Filatov will be Oleg Kvasha.

Tonight, the Islanders first-round strategy looks like a failure on two fronts.

First, there is the talent evaluation aspect of the strategy. Garth Snow said he would take the best player available at no. 5. Instead, he traded the pick to put himself in position to draft a player at no. 9 who clearly was not regarded as being better than the fifth through eighth selections.

Snow defended the strategy by saying that the team had targeted Bailey as its top priority. You have to ask, why?

If the Islanders had been slated to draft ninth or tenth from the beginning, it would be easy to agree with him. But a team that is starving for goal scorers and had a potential star goal scorer sitting on a tee threw him back.

Yes, you can argue that Snow is sticking to his other plan of building with youth by stockpiling draft picks. How many picks is enough? The Islanders already had a high first, two seconds, and two thirds, not mention one in the fourth, two in the fifth, and two in the sixth.

Was adding a few more worth passing up on Filatov? And Colin Wilson, Mikkel Boedker, Luke Schenn, and Cody Hodgson if they wanted him? There's no prize for having the most draft picks. And there's only so much room in the organization.

The thing is, players who can do what Filatov projects to do are hard to find. You can get a shutdown defenseman. You can get a Brendan Witt or Andy Sutton.

The Islanders do need a talented, playmaking centerman who can play both ends of the ice. Bailey does fit that bill.

The Islander brass decided that Filatov wouldn't live up to being the no. 5. So, they traded down and made an attempt to maximize the value of the draft.

But who is it that's going to put the puck in the net? Goal scorers are hard to come by, especially for this franchise. Will they find one so talented in the second round? The third? Perhaps the next edition of the Top Ten Draft Steals will have a new addition?

The other immediate failure of this draft strategy was one of public relations. The Islanders draft record is so spotty that it's remarkable they passed on a sure thing. Not that Filatov as a player is a sure thing, but selecting him was. Can you remember a time when fan consensus was so strong for a possible draftee? Sure, the selection could have evolved into a disappointment a few years down the road. But it would have been recalled as the right thing to do at the time.

Now, the fan base feels that it has been tricked again. Just another name to add to the "Yeah, we let that guy get away, too" list. In a decade and a half of angry fans, rarely have they been quite this angry. And bewildered. Some wondered what other organization would have done this.

After the announcement of the trade with Nashville, fans poured down the aisles and out the exits. A second exodus commenced when the Islanders announced their pick. The atmosphere, which was truly festive and enthusiastic at the beginning of the Draft Party, soured quickly and severely. Most parties don't take that kind of turn unless the cops show up.

As for Josh Bailey, don't fear for him. Expectations for him may be inflated by the way the draft unfolded, but Islanders fans are capable of absolving him of responsibility for what transpired. As the center-ice scoreboard showed Bailey pulling on his Islanders sweater, a smattering of applause grew into a genuine show of support.

Fans would do well to embrace Bailey for who he is rather than to look at him for who he is not. The self-described playmaker's numbers do jump out at you. And you have to give him credit for being aware that the Islanders already have someone wearing no. 89.

When Bailey's interview with Draft Party host John Buccigross concluded, the remaining fans staged a third departure en masse.

Perhaps Saturday will bring more answers and soothed souls.

Hope summers eternal.

The Islanders Put Themselves in Prime Time

A few weeks ago in a post titled The Islanders in Prime Time, I wrote the following about Islanders jerseys appearing in two prime time network sitcoms:

While I don't know who is responsible for these occurrences, I tend to doubt that the organization itself was behind such product placement. More likely, it was a well-placed fan on the writing staff who deftly incorporated the blue and orange into the script.

I'm happy to report that I can now set the record straight.

Josh Bernstein, Vice President of Communications for the Islanders, has checked in to tell us that seeing the team's crest front and center in the entertainment industry is in fact due to the efforts of the Communications staff to increase the team's public profile.

You can read Josh's full comment here, but I will highlight some of what he had to say.

The Islanders have been working very hard to get the team's image out there any way they can. In addition to the recent TV appearances, Islanders jerseys will be seen in an upcoming movie called She's Out of My League, which stars Jay Baruchel (Knocked Up, Fanboys, Undeclared) and Lindsay Sloane (Bring It On, Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, The Accidental Husband).

This fall, the NBC show Life will feature a retro Islanders jersey in numerous scenes. Josh told me later that the placement will be a framed Mike Bossy jersey on a police officer's wall. It just so happens that I watched this show during its limited run this past season and I was already looking forward to its return before this news.

The product placement campaign will even find its way to the Dr. Phil show in the fall.

Brendan Witt was scheduled to film a role on MTV's Jackass this past spring, but that project has been pushed back to next season.

Thanks to Josh Bernstein for taking the time to clarify this story and turning my speculation blades up. The best franchises in sports have strong national (and often international) brand recognition. It's good to see the Islanders working to get their share of this market. Raising the team's profile through pop culture and entertainment venues is a great start.

Best in Blog Box

Actually, reverse that.

I can't pass up the opportunity to point out that Neil Best used the Blog Box logo in his WatchDog blog yesterday. I think that means he owes me money now. (Or, you know, the Islanders. Or the person who designed the logo.)

But we here at Islanders Outsider will let Mr. Best off the hook for any fees owed due to our undying appreciation of WatchDog. It truly is one of the grooviest sports blogs (or whatever the preferred equivalent of groovy was in the Cornell vernacular at the turn of the '80s--hep, maybe?). We'll also gladly take the free, unsolicited publicity. Thanks, Neil!

(By the way, I know what you're thinking: "What's all this we stuff? We know there's only one of you." Well, being an outsider can be lonely. So from time to time, we like to pretend that we have a cadre of writers in the Islanders Outsider writing stable [all Winstrol free]. But, yeah, it's just me.)

Anyway, the Blog Box logo accompanied a post about Chris Botta's post about Erin Andrews. So I have now used a post about a post about a post to participate in the Erin Andrews page view grab. I will not however, resort to posting any pictures or videos of Ms. Andrews or links to same. Because that's just the kind of blog this isn't (pictures of Parker Posey wearing little more than a Brendan Witt jersey notwithstanding).

Penguins Change the Story on the Fly

I spent most of the last ten minutes of the third period last night going over storylines in my head. They seemed to come one after another:

...The way the Wings kept going at the Pens instead of sitting on their one-goal lead was impressive. Detroit's ability to gain the blue line and get the puck deep without giving up possession killed off precious seconds over and over. At times they fired the puck back out to defensemen in the neutral zone and then started the process all over again. It was a clinic in hustle and desire. They dumped the puck in rarely. They certainly didn't sit back and let Crosby and Co. come after them shift after shift. They were playing as if they needed another goal. But I never thought they did.

...Conditioning seemed to be a key factor. There was that shot of Malkin on the bench looking like the long playoff season was too much for him. It didn't look like he had any compete left in him, and surely that was a sign that the Pens were done.

...I was feeling happy for Chris Osgood. Here was a vet who had stood on top of the hockey world previously, earning only begrudging respect. Now he had re-emerged from the edge of oblivion to be a Stanley Cup-winning goalie again. I retain good feelings toward him simply for being part of the team that brought the Islanders back from oblivion, even if it was never his choice to be there.

...Then the superstitious part of me frowned at NBC for daring to show the Cup being unpacked in the third period of a one-goal game. The joyous cries of "We want the Cup!" from the denizens of Detroit were only slightly more excusable. But a celebration still seemed inevitable.

....I looked forward to my wife watching the Cup being awarded. Last week she had argued that it can't be called the Stanley Cup Final until it's guaranteed that someone wins the Cup that night. Otherwise, it's not final.

And then the whole story changed. All of the things I had thought worthy of writing about were now just the setup.

But the play itself didn't change much. Detroit remained the picture of tenacity. Pittsburgh held on the best they could. Marc-Andre Fleury did his best Kelly Hrudey impersonation. And while Pittsburgh eventually got back to some back and forth, not capitalizing on the first two power plays awarded in overtime was a heavy weight to carry. Detroit would get their chance. Some opportunistic Red Wing would attach his name to a dramatic power-play Cup-winning goal.

Somewhere between Maxime Talbot and Petr Sykora, all of these details stopped mattering. They stopped mattering because this was one of those games that locks us in. We're afraid to look away from the screen for even a moment for fear of missing the moment. It was one of those games that we use to explain to non hockey fans what they're missing.

And I realized it's probably even more enjoyable when you have no strong rooting interest. Who needs all that tension? The drama of the intense competition and the consequences stands on its own.

Admittedly, for me, it was a little bit of a letdown not to see a team celebrate a championship on its home ice after all that. I don't feel any relief over the Pens staying alive.

But the fact that we might get to see that type of show two more times? I'm all for that.

My wife? She fell asleep a few minutes into the second overtime.

But that's okay—we haven't really reached the Final yet.

The Youth Movement Arrives and Dubie is Done

Today in Newsday, Islanders beat reporter Greg Logan revealed that the team does not plan to bring back unrestricted free agent forwards Miroslav Satan, Ruslan Fedotenko, and Josef Vasicek for the 2008-09 season. In addition, backup goaltender and fan favorite Wade Dubielewicz rejected what GM Garth Snow described as a "signficant offer" to remain an Islander.

The writing was clearly on the wall for Dubielewicz as far back as April 10th when Logan first reported Snow's dissatisfaction with the goalie's early season conditioning (discussed in this Islanders Outsider post). It's not a stretch to speculate that Snow's mind was made up even earlier, given the presence of Joey MacDonald and the one-way, two-year deal he signed last July.

It is unfortunate that Snow found it necessary to comment publicly on the team's early-season lack of confidence in Dublielewicz. Such talk is better kept to internal conversations. Having the organization sell them out to the press isn't a good selling point to players the Islanders are courting. Just make the decision and leave it alone, even if you do believe that the player put the team in a weakened position.

As for the contract offer to Dubielewicz, Logan states that it was likely a multi-year deal but the first year had a two-way clause that would have destined Dubielewicz to spend most of the upcoming season in Bridgeport rather than in Uniondale. After finally earning his first one-year deal and a full-time job in the NHL last season, you can't blame Dubie if he interpreted the offer as an instruction to get lost. In fact, it's somewhat akin to Joe Torre's exit from the Yankees last fall (with .001% of the media interest).

Dubielewicz was a very capable backup. With him on the roster, his position was one you didn't have to worry about. MacDonald certainly hasn't established himself to that degree. His 17 NHL appearances with the Bruins, Red Wings, and Islanders are not enough to gauge how well he will fill the role, but his play at least suggests that the Islanders aren't being reckless here. And, of course, there's no guarantee that another goalie doesn't enter the picture.

On a personal note, I'll miss Dubie in the locker room. He came across as appreciative of the attention but never the least bit intimidated by being the focus of it. He wasn't afraid to give non cookie-cutter answers and had a good sense of humor about himself and the game.

Snow's comments regarding Satan, Fedotenko, and Vasicek do not preclude the team from making any of them an offer before the July 1 free agency period, but his words strongly suggest that no offers will be forthcoming. The Islanders appear ready to hand over the roles filled by those veterans to young players like Kyle Okposo, Blake Comeau, and Sean Bergenheim.

According to Snow, Jeff Tambellini, Frans Nielsen, Ben Walter, and Jeremy Colliton will also be in the mix. His quotes to Logan are a strong indication that finding ice time for young players will be a priority.

This development should be welcome news to Islanders fans. Satan brought with him the hopes of being a consistent scoring threat, but his production has decreased each year he has been on Long Island. He will turn 34 in October and there is little chance that the downward trend will reverse itself.

Fedotenko and Vasicek were brought in to play at a level that they can only achieve in fits and starts. While they each demonstrated the ability to play an important role, they only surfaced as impact players for short stretches. The truth is that Snow could make free agent signings of this caliber just about every summer if needed.

So rather than trying to patch together a quality product, Snow is following through on his plan to build a quality team. I don't see how watching the likes of Okposo, Comeau, Bergenheim, and Tambellini fight to make their mark on the NHL could be any less enjoyable than watching last year's team lurch and hesitate.

In fact, it should be far more exciting. I know there's the little matter of awarding this season's Stanley Cup, but can't we start next season now?

The Islanders in Prime Time

Due to recent events, there has been even more discussion than usual about the marketing of the Islanders and the team's presence in the media. While there is still much work to be done in those areas, I'm happy to report a spike in Islander presence in an unusual place (if you can call two instances a spike). Twice in the last couple of months, characters on network comedies airing in prime time sported Islanders sweaters. Here is your visual evidence:



















Parker Posey dons a Brenday Witt jersey in the Fox comedy The Return of Jezebel James

















Dean Winters as Dennis Duffy in NBC's 30 Rock


While I don't know who is responsible for these occurrences, I tend to doubt that the organization itself was behind such product placement. More likely, it was a well-placed fan on the writing staff who deftly incorporated the blue and orange into the script.

There are some unfortunate aspects of these Islanders merch appearances. Fox cancelled The Return of Jezebel James after only three episodes. However, as of today, you can still view the episodes on Fox.com. The image above is from Episode 2. The scene begins at the 12:40 mark and Parker Posey wears the jersey for the entirety of the scene, which lasts about 4:45.

As for 30 Rock, the Islanders fan character, Dennis Duffy, is variously despicable, low brow, and a knucklehead. I'm sure that on closer examination he has redeeming qualities, too, but overall it's difficult to be proud of him as being representative of Islanders fans. But it is a funny show and the exposure itself is fun as well. You can view this episode here on NBC.com. Select Episode 215 ("Cooter") and find the scene that begins at the 10:43 mark.

By the way, Dennis was revealed to be an Islanders fan in an earlier episode, as discussed on the HF Boards. The dialogue in that episode associates the Islanders with frequent losing. And Dennis is portrayed as a loser.

Hmph. On second thought, maybe the hockeyphile writer on the 30 Rock staff isn't an Islanders fan.

The Beat Goes On?

It has been a spring of uncertainty for the members of the NYI Blog Box.

As the regular season drew to a close with hopes of an extension into the playoffs long since evaporated, we wondered collectively what our fate would be as credentialed bloggers.

Had we served out a one-year term in this new media experiment? Would we all be asked back next season for another go round? Were there some criteria by which some of us would return and others would be blogectomied?

These questions were answered, rather emphatically I'm told, during a pre-game meeting on April 1 (fingers crossed?). At this gathering, the Islanders' media relations staff informed those bloggers present that the Blog Box is ongoing and, as charter members, we may continue to take part in it.

Sold.

And so we moved on with nary a thought to the health of the Blog Box.

That it is until today when Greg Logan of Newsday reported that Chris Botta, the club's VP of Media Relations, had resigned.

I believe Mr. Botta has credited Corey Witt with the genesis of the Blog Box. But make no mistake--without Mr. Botta's support and championing of the endeavor, there would not be a Blog Box.

To most, the resignation was startling. It was unexpected and puzzling. Here was a man who had served his hometown team for 20 years and survived the tumult that has engulfed one of the most unstable franchises in sports. He called working for the Islanders his dream job.

Mr. Botta had served in his current role for the past nine years. He had far more to do than serve as a liaison between the team and the press. He had to make sure the press was even there.

When members of the media treated the Islanders unfairly, Mr. Botta was the first to speak up and he did so with vigor. And tact.

It is very easy to speculate about why a man would leave his dream job after 20 years at a time when the job may have been as exciting as it has ever been. I could give you a list of possible reasons that range from the mundane to the maddening.

If you are interested in such buzz, you know where to look and you have probably found it already. The more maddening buzz is fairly loud and probably with good reason. For his part, Mr. Botta only told Logan that he chose to leave for personal reasons and it was time to end an incredible ride.

I think, for now, the best thing for me to do is to thank Mr. Botta for serving the Islanders community so admirably. I wish him the best of luck in pursuing his next professional challenge. And I hope that he has left under circumstances that permit him to continue supporting the Islanders.

As for the Blog Box? The latest word is that we have nothing to worry about. This new form of beat will go on.

And if something should change between now and October, you can be sure that we'll still be here, credentialed or not.