SB Nation - Aaron Ness

Top 25 Islanders Under 25: Aaron Ness drops to 24 as others move up

Dominik — Wed, 29 May 2013 10:30:02 -0000

We continue our Spring 2013 pre-draft Top 25 Islanders Under 25 countdown with a defenseman who you could reasonably argue is moving closer to, or further away from, an NHL career.

Not a whole lot was said about Aaron Ness out of Bridgeport this year, though he led the Sound Tigers in games by appearing in all 76 -- a notable feat for a player whose biggest knock is his lack of size.

Ness entered the season with the most NHL games played among the prospect trio of him, Matt Donovan and Calvin de Haan. That's for a variety of reasons (de Haan has run into injury trouble), but it's worth remembering the nine-game long look Ness received from the Islanders in 2011-12.

The question is whether that told them enough to want more, or too much.

With the lockout and the preseason waiver binge, it was a weird season: The Islanders blueline never ran into injury trouble (until Andrew MacDonald's broken hand in Game 5). Eight defensemen in the NHL meant Lubomir Visnovsky's delayed reporting, occasional injuries to Radek Martinek and Matt Carkner, and Brian Strait's broken ankle never forced the team to dip into the AHL.

Next year is likely to be different.

Martinek and Mark Streit are unrestricted free agents. Joe Finley is ... quite waiveable. Thomas Hickey showed the potential of an undersized but mobile defenseman in a puck-moving system -- which could be to Ness' benefit, or could make less room for him.

For what it's worth, Ness put up points in the AHL (3-24-27) though nowhere near the level of Donovan. Sound Tigers coach Scott Pellerin said he and Donovan continued to make progress. Both were among the group of "black ace" recalls as reward and extra work during the Islanders' playoff run.

Ness still has a chance, and still has a year remaining on his ELC. Here is where our panel ranked him:

CIL	KQ	MikB	Mark	David	MikeFIG	Chris	Dom
-	24	25	21	14	21	23	17

...which is universally lower than we had him a year ago. Are we right? Are we just misreading the lack of callups this year? Or are we missing the progress that could lead to callups in 2013-14?

As David put it much more succinctly:

Good puck moving defenseman. Size will always be an issue. Can he become more than AHL depth?

Our Top 25 Under 25 countdown began over the weekend with the outsiders who missed our cut and then our 25th-ranked player, Brenden Kichton.

As always, feel free to share your own ranks in comments, or participate in the compilation JPinVA is arranging, or just follow along and quibble with our picks.

If you're new to this countdown or don't like words -- er, written words -- and prefer peaceful elaborations in the woods, then here's a verbal overview of why we do this thing, as well as a not-so-subtle plug for the new champions of Europe:

New York Islanders Prospect Scott Mayfield Leaves U. of Denver, Signs Entry Level Contract

Dominik — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 21:36:18 -0000

Another prospect joins the pro system: New York Islanders 2011 draft pick (2nd round, 34th overall) has agreed to terms on a three-year, entry-level deal after leaving the University of Denver. Mayfield will join the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League on an amateur tryout contract (ATO) for the rest of this season. His three-year NHL contract will trigger in 2013-14.

Mayfield is 6'4" and over 200 lbs. and was drafted for a mix of defensive acumen and "good skating for a big man." His offensive potential isn't high, though he has those skills and as a 20-year-old sophomore he scored 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) with a plus-8 rating. Over his college career, the St. Louis, Mo., native compiled 29 points (seven goals, 22 assists) and 192 penalty minutes in 81 games.

That last figure is actually something that stands out: He was docked for 114 PIM this past season, and considering there is no fighting in NCAA hockey to goose those numbers, it's a figure he'll want to control in the pro ranks.

The move moves another fairly touted -- but no sure thing -- defenseman up the ranks of the Islanders prospect pipeline. However there are on-going issues, or at least uncertainty, with the Denver program that made this move slightly more likely than it was a few weeks ago, before Denver fired long-time coach George Gwozdecky.

Judging by several tweets (or retweets) by Mayfield, he was sorry to see the coach let go.

As local hockey writer Adrian Dater notes with the Mayfield signing news:

This leaves a gaping hole in the Pioneers’ defense. And right now, the Pioneers have no coach to point to any new recruits who might want to take his place. DU athletic director Peg Bradley-Doppes has declined to speak to our paper or anyone else about the firing of Gwozdecky earlier this week.

In the near term, this adds another new body to the Islanders' AHL team, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. In the past week they've added top 2011 forward pick Ryan Strome -- who is already notching points -- and fellow big defenseman Andrei Pedan.

Meanwhile, three other defensemen who've long been in the system, Matt Donovan, Aaron Ness and Calvin de Haan, will compete for an NHL job next fall, and the ones who fail to win one will be joined by Mayfield, Pedan and Griffin Reinhart in the fight to be the next wave.

Brian Strait Signs Three-Year, $2.235 Million Extension with New York Islanders

Dominik — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 21:08:07 -0000

Ready for a surprise? The New York Islanders are already thrilled with post-lockout waiver claim Brian Strait.

After seeing him in an Islanders uniform for all of six games since claiming him on waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins, today they announced a three-year contract extension that will keep him in uniform through 2016. Multiple reports have the one-way contract at $$775,000 per year, $2.35 million total.

Strait has been used as a number-four defenseman by the Isles (by overall ice time), pairing with Mark Streit at even strength and logging 2:00 per game on the penalty kill, also fourth among defensemen on the team.

Perhaps more importantly in the Islanders' eyes, while Stait brings no offensive flash to his game, his puck movement and positional decisions have been solid.

It's a commitment of years only for the Islanders, as the salary is a few grand above the minimum ($550,000 increasing to $575,000 in the new CBA over the years of this contract). Stait's expired ELC cap hit was $805,000 but his current one-year, two-way contract signed with the Penguins carries a $605,000 salary. But it's also at an uncertain moment, as Strait's NHL record is small, and the market for this type of pending UFA under the new CBA is unclear. (The average NHL salary is over $2 million, but eliminate stars and producers and focus only on depth players like this and you're in under $1 million.)

In short: After this season with the Isles, could he have commanded this deal entering unrestricted free agency this summer? If you can answer that definitively, you ... are on the Internet a lot.

Headed Toward Group VI Free Agency

Although it at first glance may look like the Isles just went "long" on a player who had no leverage, Strait was actually headed toward unrestricted free agency this summer thanks to the lockout-shortened NHL season.

Rule VI Free Agents (from the old CBA):

Means any Player who is age 25 or older who has completed three (3) or more professional seasons, whose SPC has expired and: (i) in the case of a Player other than a goaltender, has played less than 80 NHL Games, or (ii) in the case of a goaltender, has played less than 28 NHL Games (for the purpose of this definition, a goaltender must have played a minimum of thirty (30) minutes in an NHL Game to register a game played).

For the purposes of the foregoing, the term professional season shall: (A) for a Player aged 18 or 19, mean any season in which such Player plays in eleven (11) or more Professional Games (including NHL Regular Season and Playoff Games, minor league regular season and playoff games, and games played in any European professional league, while under an SPC), and (B) for a Player aged 20 or older, mean any season in which such Player plays in one or more Professional Games (including NHL Regular Season and Playoff Games, minor league regular season and playoff games, and games played in any European professional league, while under an SPC).

Strait is 25, his ELC expired before last summer, he completed three full minor pro seasons with Wilkes-Barre, and he'd only played 12 NHL games before this season. Thanks to the lockout-shortened 48-game season, there was no way he could reach 80 career NHL games this season.

Meaning what exactly? Meaning he was headed to UFA:

(ii) Any Group 6 Player shall, at the expiration of his SPC, become an Unrestricted Free Agent and shall be completely free to negotiate and sign an SPC with any Club, and any Club shall be completely free to negotiate and sign an SPC with such Player, without penalty or restriction, or being subject to any Right of First Refusal, Draft Choice Compensation or any other compensation or equalization obligation of any kind.

But Who Will Think of the Children?

Okay, we have the leverage thing down -- the Islanders have a history of signing players like Frans Nielsen and Andrew MacDonald to longer, budget-friendly contracts before they become better known, or before they realize how good they can be.

But the next question is, is Strait really that good? As mentioned, he's not flashy and doesn't have much meaningful offensive production in the AHL. Partner-wise, he's an upgrade over Mark Streit's recent partners like Steve Staios (and Bruno Gervais?), but it appears his ceiling is as a PK blueliner and a safety valve for a more rush-happy partner like Streit.

Which also raises the question: Do the Islanders have Strait's current partner Streit, a 35-year-old pending UFA, in their plans beyond this season? Or do they have in mind the promotion of one or more of their current Bridgeport blueliners such as Matt Donovan, Aaron Ness or even Jon Landry? Or is the promise they once saw in any of those, and the oft-injured Calvin de Haan, fading? Fellow waiver claim Thomas Hickey also enters this equation.

Evaluation of blueliners during Garth Snow's tenure has been hit-and-miss. For every Streit or even MacDonald prescient score, there has been a Mark Eaton -- or, we'll likely find, Matt Carkner -- who doesn't really justify a long-term commitment.

Ultimately, there is little risk in actual dollars spent here. On salary alone, it's a fine price for a steady defenseman even in the 6-7 slot. It's the three years that raises eyebrows after a six-game trial (though the Isles surely saw plenty of Strait in the AHL), as you wonder if the Isles will let that tie their hands in the event things go wrong.

If his one-way deal and commitment means he later blocks a better or more promising prospect's promotion -- and the Isles have rarely waived underperforming players on one-way deals -- that is where they could regret going three years.

Time will tell. Lucky for him and his first few weeks with the club, Strait now has that time.

Winnipeg Jets vs. New York Islanders Gameday Questionnaire: The 'Rick DiPietro Movie' edition

TJ Maughan — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 15:00:10 -0000

Heading into tonight's game, we had several questions relating to the New York Islanders as they pay a Sunday visit to play the Winnipeg Jets.

With that, here's Mike B of Lighthouse Hockey in today's instalment of Gameday Questionnaire:

1. Where do you see Nino Niederriter finishing the 2013 season and is it fair to say the Islanders have mismanaged him to this point?

The Isles are very high on him, notwithstanding his awful year in the NHL last season. Some background: the Isles had limited options with Nino at age 19 last season -- ineligible for the AHL (which is really where he belonged), and probably too good for juniors. On top of that, the Isles had few options otherwise, as we saw while suffering through Jay Pandolfo and Brian Rolston all year. The story was much the same when Josh Bailey was drafted and they are very aware that his development was slowed in some ways. Now the Isles have a deeper group of forwards and with Nino finally turning 20, he's eligible for the AHL. As a result, the Isles are taking his development slowly. Unless there's a bad run of injuries, I think Nino will stay in Bridgeport.

Considering the doofiness of the agent's trade demands (HIS demand, BTW, and not Nino's), it's not surprising that this looks like a case of the "same old Islanders" but, ironically, it's because the Isles are doing things differently now that they look bad.

Honestly, I think Nino's play in the AHL this year demonstrates his skill is developing properly and he'll be fine when he gets back here.

2. For a team that has made the basement of the NHL's Eastern Conference its home over the past few years, what's different about this Isles team that has fans optimistic?

This Islanders team is finally deep enough to have to make hard choices about filling their roster. For example some fans were upset that Matt Donovan and Aaron Ness aren't up with the big club. But the Isles can afford to hold them in reserve with Bridgeport and toss them into the fire if someone's hurt. The same goes for Nino and Ryan Strome's return to juniors. And to think they have Josh Bailey or Jesse Joensuu currently sitting on the IR shows the abundance of young talent this team possesses. That's the biggest thing that gives fans hope that things have turned around. They finally have skill filling the entire roster.

On top of that, they have guys like John Tavares, Travis Hamonic, Michael Grabner and Kyle Okposo approaching what should be their prime years.

3. If Rick DiPietro's career were a movie, would it be a laugh out loud comedy or a tragic drama?

It would be more of a dark comedy, I think. What he's had to go through is miserable and I think that most fans have a lot of respect for the heart he's shown trying to fight his way back into playing shape. He clearly has incredible determination and effort to make it back, but it's the ideology that he can stay healthy that has become a farce. He's far too physically compromised to be effective at the NHL level anymore. I think the jokes become a coping mechanism for the fans. They're frustrated watching him put up replacement-level play every time he's out there. (The Fishstick Rick meme on our site grew out of this frustration).

Personally, I always hope we're wrong, and he somehow becomes good again.

Ed. Note: We thank Mike B for giving us his time in this edition of Gameday Questionnaire. If you want to read the Q&A we did with them in collaboration for tonight's game, it can be found HERE. Look for our next edition Tuesday with our pals at Habs Eyes on the Prize.

Albany Devils Weekly Roundup: Week 15

Jerry Tierney — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 16:00:09 -0000

Welcome to the 15^th week of your Albany Devils Roundup. It was a big week for Albany, as they bid farewell to all of their NHL bound players, as did all of the AHL clubs. The impact of these losses will be different on each team, but one has to think Albany, with their lack of depth up front, will struggle to make ends meet at times. They managed to put up four goals in their first "new look" game on Sunday, so even though they lost, this was a positive sign. In fact, Albany scored 4 goals in all of their games this weekend. They played all 3 without Jacob Josefson or Stephen Gionta, who were both held out with (hopefully) minor injuries. So, the fact that their center depth was tested all weekend and they responded with 4 goals each time out sounds promising. They did struggle at times in the defensive end of the ice. It will be a work in progress over the next few weeks for Albany, and much of the AHL.

After a 1-2 weekend, right now, Albany sits 11^th in the conference with 35 points (14-13-1-6). They still hold several games in hand on the few teams in front of them in the standings. They did, however, lose the chance to gain ground on two, in losing to both Manchester (9^th) and Bridgeport (8^th) over the weekend.

ECHL

Bryan Haczyk, Kelly Zajac, and Alexandre Carrier all played for Trenton in a 3-1 loss Friday night. None of them appeared on the scoresheet.

Saturday, Haczyk and Carrier played in a 3-1 loss, and Haczyk scored the lone goal.

Scott Wedgewood also played this game, he gave up 3 goals on 19 shots in a losing effort.

Maxime Clermont played Saturday for Elmira. He gave up 4 goals on 39 shots in a 4-3 overtime loss.

Harry Young did not appear on the scoresheet in a 4-1 Kalamazoo loss Wedesday. Friday, Young again did not score or fight in the game, but took a minor penalty. Saturday, again, Young did not score. Not that he is expected to.

Injury Report

Most of the Albany guys are healthy, with the exception of Scott Parse. Parse remains out with a lower body injury.

Game Recaps and Thoughts

Fri 1/11 Albany 4 Manchester 7

Full scoresheet

Highlights:

Not a good showing by Albany in this game. I didn't get the opportunity to watch much of it- when I tuned in Albany was down 3-1, and it quickly became 4-1 after that. I noticed the Albany PK allowed 2 goals on 3 opportunities. Not a good weekend for the PK, which only converted 8/13 times, for a 61.5% success rate. The Albany Power play, however, was very good on the weekend, converting 6/17 times for a 35.3 % success. So, again it was the special teams that let down the Devils, just not the part of the special teams you would have thought.

Albany goals were scored by Zalewski, Larsson, Tedenby, and Pesonen.

Jay Leach was, astonishingly, on the ice for every Manchester goal (4 ES, 2 PP), except for the empty netter at the end of the game.

Joe Whitney had an also astonishing 9 shots in this game. He was unable to score, but he did have an assist.

Sat 1/12 Albany 4 Worcester 1

Full scoresheet

Highlights:

Saturday evening, Albany put in a very strong showing in what was the last game and home game for many of the NJ bound players. And while it was Worcester who would open the scoring, it was Albany who would do all the rest of it, coasting to a 4-1 victory. This was a more or less complete domination by Albany. Despite winning going away, Albany still outshot Worcester 28-17.

After Hamilton made it 1-0 for Worcester, Steve Zalewski tied up the score just before the end of the first. Early in the second, Mattias Tedenby would score for the fourth straight game, making it 2-1. It was a power play goal. Next, it would be Eric Gelinas' turn. Gelinas would snipe a shot to make it 3-1 Albany just before the end of the second. Darcy Zajac would finish off the scoring almost half way into the third, as 4-1 would be the final tally in this contest.

Top to bottom, this was a great team effort by Albany. They only allowed 17 shots on goal for the whole game. They controlled the play and the flow of the game. They also got contributions from all over their roster, not just NJ bound players. Eric Gelinas scored another goal, his third of the yaer, in just his 17^th game now, and second in the last week. He is hopefully getting his game rolling now. Gelinas is finally able to play without the full cage again, as of this weekend.

Sun 1/13 Albany 4 Bridgeport 5

Full scoresheet

Lines:

Wiseman - Zalewski - Anderson

Whitney - Wohlberg - Sislo

DeSimone - D Zajac - McKelvie

Hoeffel- K. Zajac - Haczyk

Urbom-Gelinas

McPherson - Kelly

Burlon- Leach

G: Kinkaid

Sunday afternoon, the new look Albany Devils made their season debut in an afternoon contest vs the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. It was a tough go for Albany early on. The Bridgeport forecheck pinned them back pretty relentlessly at times. Both the forwards and defenseman were having trouble exiting the defensive zones at times. The SoundTigers were rewarded for their good play early when Aaron Ness made it a 1-0 game just over halfway through the first. It was, like 5 of the 9 goals in this game, a power play goal. So, the power plays were very good in this game. Or, the penalty kills were very bad. However you want to look at it.

Even strength play evened out for the Devils, fortunately, as the game went on. Albany scored two even strength goals in the game, but they would get the equalizer on the power play, just as the first period was coming to a close. Phil DeSimone blasted home a one-timer from the high slot, and it was a 1-1 game at intermission. The Devils were probably fortunate to be at 1-1 at this point. Not surprisingly, Bridgeport outplayed them during the first period. Virtually every line combination up front was entirely new for Albany. For the defense, the change was not quite so drastic. Brandon Burlon stepped in for Adam Larsson, and that was the only change from the previous two nights.

The second period played out similarly to the first. Bridgeport took an early lead on a series of mistakes by the Devils that led to an easy Nino Niederreiter goal. The camera angles from Atlantic City were pretty weird at times, but it looked like Gelinas stepped up to challenge someone near the blue line and got beat. Then, Kinkaid went for a poke check, and missed. I think you can figure out what happens from there. Fortunately, Kelly Zajac's first AHL goal evened the score at 2-2, which is how the second period would conclude.

In the third period, Albany fell behind early. Bridgeport got a tally from Blair Riley just about 2 minutes into the final period. Then, Nino Niederreiter extended the lead to 4-2 with Albany again failing on the penalty kill. Special teams were again a problem for Albany today, but this time it was the penalty kill that let them down, not the power play. Bridgeport was 3/5 on the power play in this game.

Albany themselves were no slouches at 2/6 with the man advantage. One of their two goals came on the 5-on-3, and it got them back in the game. Joe Whitney scored on a one timer from Matt Anderson and Eric Gelinas. At this point, there were just under five minutes left in the game. Then, as the clock ticked down towards 3 minutes remaining, Chris McKelvie would get the equalizer, assisted by the Zajacs. Kind of cool.

What was not cool, was when just seconds later, Matt Anderson would take a pretty reckless and untimely penalty when he crashed into the Bridgeport keeper Poulin. The SoundTigers would win the game on the ensuing power play, converting for the third time, to make it a 5-4 score. Those numbers would stand, and Albany would leave Atlantic City, again 5-4 losers.

Notes:

Clearly, it was a big day for the Albany guys. They watched many of their teammates head to NJ for camp last night. They also headed to New Jersey, for their game against Bridgeport. This game would certainly stretch their depth, since a couple of the guys at camp will inevitably be returned to Albany, making things a little easier. All in all, they did not fare that badly.

With no practice time, Kelly Zajac and Haczyk still chipped in offensively right away. I'd like to see more of the youngest Zajac over the next few games. He seemed to fare pretty well in his matchups in this one, and showed a little skill on his goal.

Chris McKelvie keeps producing skill plays and getting on the scoresheet. After a big weekend last week, he was held scoreless on Friday and Saturday. Sunday, he chipped in the tying goal late in the third.

Phil DeSimone finally got back in the lineup, and scored a goal on a great one-timer.

David Wohlberg still hasn't broken through like the Devils need, but he seems to be getting closer. Hopefully he can turn the corner soon, the Devils need him to produce points.

These contributions from guys just inserted into the lineup give me some hope for the Devils moving forward in the new AHL.

Stats:

All stats taken from theahl.com and echl.com

Skaters:

Goaltenders:

Looking Ahead:

Next weekend brings another 3-in-3 to the Albany Devils. This week of practice will be very important to the team, as they look to solidify some new line combinations up front. All three games are winnable for Albany next weekend. They have two against Adirondack, and one at Springfield, a team they have played very well against thus far. Previous records may not be a good indicator of things moving forward, however. We shall see.

Albany Links:

Definitely Check out Tracey's great photos, recaps, and thoughts on all things Albany Devils, over at Thoughts Inside the Box.

Also, follow Tracey on Twitter for live updates from the rink at most Albany Devils games.

Bill Cain has a great Albany Devils blogg too, and also tweets from some home games.

So, how do you feel about this Albany team right now? Will they struggle to compete or score goals? Will their forwards be competitive in the coming weeks? Who will step up in the next few weeks and seize the available opportunity to claim a big role? Will the defense survive the loss of Larsson? Please leave your answers, thoughts, comments, and all things Albany Devils in the comments section below, and, as always, thanks for reading.

Islanders Wannabes Salvage Weekend for Bridgeport

Dominik — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 05:22:34 -0000

They were supposed to already be up in New York Islanders training camp. At least that's what fans are saying. But instead Matt Donovan and Nino Niederreiter and Aaron Ness were playing Bridgeport's third game in three days, combining for the game-winning OT goal.

It rescued what looked like a lost weekend, ended another winless skid, and gave more food for thought as the Sound Tigers and their parent New York Islanders prep for a week of practices before each plays their next league games Saturday, Jan. 19. (The Islanders host New Jersey; the Sound Tigers host Binghamton. Parent and farm will scrimmage in some form on Wednesday night.)

Ness finished with a goal and two assists, including on Donovan's winner, which went through a screen set by Niederreiter, who himself wasn't credited with a point on that play but had two goals in the game.

A glance at the Sound Tigers leaderboard has almost every other player at the top recalled for Islanders camp (Colin McDonald, Casey Cizikas, David Ullstrom, Jon Landry), with their alternates (Niederreiter, Brock Nelson, Johan Sundstrom, John Persson, Donovan) providing the kind of look that gets fans excited for the future.

Those left behind learned of their alternates' good news and call to camp after Saturday night's game, a 6-3 loss to Portland. "Tough decisions" and "awkward," said coach Scott Pellerin.

Rather than fall in a funk and extend the winless streak to six -- a skid that did not end until their brethren were recalled without them -- the prospects instead forged on just hours later in Atlantic City for the 5-4 win over the Devils.

Who knows how this week goes and what lies ahead. They've some injuries, one AWOL Slovakian and still more bodies than they'll need on the opening night roster. It's not difficult to imagine 10 2012-13 Sound Tigers getting time with the Isles over the next few months. For once, there is competition in the Islanders system again.

Weekend Sound Tigers Links/Video

Friday (5-0 comeback falls just short): Bruins 5, Sound Tigers 4

Awful start, followed by an inspired comeback. Game Summary
Soundin' Off reaction
Post recap
Official site recap

Saturday: Portland 6, Sound Tigers 3

Game Summary
Post recap
FanPost rundown of individual performances

Sunday: Sound Tigers 5, Devils 4

Brett Gallant vs. Joel Rechlicz

After some tool jobbed Ness well after the whistle:

Clips: Islanders Prospects to Camp; Burke Fired; Lubo, Lubo; Redden Worse Off?

Dominik — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 11:30:05 -0000

First, around New York Islanders Country:

Yes, yes expect junior prospects Ryan Strome and Griffin Reinhart in camp.
The latest on Lubomir Visnovsky: He ... oh, I can't keep a straight face. Just read it [LHH thread].
Some really rough Google Translate here, but Jesse Joensuu is ready to give it another go in Islanders camp -- and he's relieved the lockout didn't end while he was still mending his hand (which, I wrongly thought unlikely)
Bridgeport converts those Colorado ECHL PTOs into full AHL deals. [LHH thread]
Michael Fornabaio reports Brock Nelson and Travis Hamonic were both skating without the red no-contact jerseys, and Aaron Ness was on a painful trip to the doctor.
Five reason time! Why the Isles might make the playoffs. Why 48 games is good for little guys, maybe.
Twitpic: Who gave Tavares a Missouri State shirt?!

And the rest of the league:

Brian Burke is fired. The timing is insane and mysterious. Some even claim it's over Roberto Luongo. Maybe the board didn't like him. Maybe they prefer someone with Garth Snow's style.
Interesting read on how the cap recapture rules for circumvention contracts affect whether Luongo is traded under the new CBA.
Is it possible Wade Redden is even worse off in this CBA? Bob McKenzie suggests the Rangers keep him -- and not play him even in the AHL.
Jonathan Willis on why the new CBA has, once again, failed to fix the NHL's biggest financial problem.
Gary Bettman is sorry, you guys. So it's all cool now. (I bet we get free popcorn.)

Maybe hot dogs, too.

Sound Tigers Suffer Winless Weekend. Will Some be in NHL Camp Next?

Dominik — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 05:41:59 -0000

It was two close ones, but the lockout-infused Bridgeport Sound Tigers went winless on their visits to division leaders Friday and Saturday night.

A question now relevant is whether some of them will be headed to NHL camp next. One way or another, the NHL lockout is nearing its climax and we'll know within a week or so if there's actually an NHL season. Along with that, some current AHL stars will become NHL camp candidates in very short order.

Bridgeport lost 5-4 in Springfield Friday night, with Kevin Poulin giving up five on 32 shots, John Persson scoring two goals, and Nino Niederreiter and Matt Donovan collecting a goal and an assist each. Saturday night was a lower-scoring but higher-shooting affair, with Anders Nilsson stopping 36 shots in the 2-1 loss while his counterpart Mark Visentin stopping 39.

All of the aforementioned Sound Tigers are guys who are making cases to become New York Islanders, and soon. (Speaking of which, Casey Cizikas was hurt in the game but, though quite painful, it is not the long-term kind of hurt.)

Between Niederreiter, Cizikas, Persson and fellow Swedes Johan Sundstrom and David Ullstrom -- to say nothing of Brock Nelson, who is currently out with a broken jaw -- the Sound Tigers feature a lot of players you could picture filling roles on the Isles right now. ("Right now," in the whole "the NHL plays hockey" sense, I mean.)

That's in addition to the familiar blueline candidates like Donovan and Aaron Ness -- and add feel-good story and hard shooter Jon Landry to that discussion.

Then in goal, you have two candidates who have been alternately stellar and average at different moments this season. But with Evgeni Nabokov aging and not playing pro hockey right now and Rick DiPietro aging in a completely different way, those Bridgeport goalies are in the conversation.

Some NHL clubs are apparently already withholding their top AHL prospects from games. Bridgeport next plays Tuesday against Hershey (and then Friday, supposed lockout D-Day, in Providence, so it'd be rather early to do that. But even given that in this lockout, the next breakdown in talks is just a tantrum away, it's a good bet Bridgeport will be losing some roster players, and soon.

Sound Tigers Weekend: Home to the Whale, up to Binghamton

Dominik — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 17:39:27 -0000

We've talked so much about New York Islanders 2010 picks Nino Niederreiter and Brock Nelson's strong starts to the AHL season. The linemates top the Bridgeport Sound Tigers leaderboard, with Niederreiter riding a nine-game points streak to reach 18 points in 15 games.

But just below them is a trio of defensemen, including one name you might not have expected before the season began and certainly wouldn't have expected before last winter: Matt Donovan, Aaron Ness and undrafted feel-good story Jon Landry, each with nine points entering tonight's action.

Landry, whose circuitous route to an NHL contract came through places like Bowdoin College, the CHL, Germany, the British league and the ECHL, has simply kept it up this season. Signed from the ECHL during last season's injury plague, earned a two-way NHL contract with the Islanders this past summer.

Now "the MBA defenseman" has nine points in 15 games, including two powerplay goals, to put his name right behind Niederreiter and Nelson on the scoring table.

Not that we should crown anyone, particularly defensemen, based on points compiled in under a quarter of a season, but the Landry story has continued to impress, and his importance has only increased since Calvin de Haan was lost for the season.

Weekend: Whale, Senators

Bridgeport tries to bounce back from Wednesday's stinker to Adirondack with a good ol' tonic: The rival Whale visit. Last meeting, Micheal Haley scored his only two goals of the season, but the Sound Tigers stormed back and got the last laugh.

The Whale are 6-7-1, seven points back of Bridgeport. They've been off since Saturday's 2-1 win over Worcester.

Saturday night, they travel to Binghamton to take on the Senators, who are 8-4-1-1 for second place in the East Division. The Senators are on a bit of a roll, with four wins in a row including a (U.S.) Thanksgiving victory over Toronto where giant Ben Bishop stopped 45 shots.

No word of lineup changes as of mid-day, but it would be surprising to have zero tweaks after the mid-week loss.

Meanwhile, in lockout theater:

Roman Hamrlik expanded on his comments of frustration with Don Fehr and the lockout...
...and his teammate and player rep Troy Brouwer is frustrated as hell by Hamrlik and his countryman Michael Neuvirth's comments breaking ranks.
And as for the unfolding drama: What will Fehr do next? Is decertification a real possibility? And should the owners still fear Fehr?
More Q's about decertification, if you care.
Oh, and formally: More cancellations.

Oh, happy holidays then.

What to Watch: Bridgeport Sound Tigers Preseason Schedule Begins

Dominik — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 11:00:56 -0000

After a week of camp on Long Island, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers begin a back-to-back pair of preseason games tonight, their only two before the season starts for real a week from Friday.

A key source will be ConnPost.com Sound Tigers beatwriter Michael Fornabaio, who has some directions here and will try to Tweet live here. (And if you follow him on Twitter, or would like to, do send him feedback on the preference questions in the first "here" above.)

Tonight the baby Isles play the Providence Bruins in Marlborough, Mass., and Friday is against the Manchester Monarchs at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, N.H. A veritable New England party! No doubt many Moulson/Quick brothers-in-law will be on the scene.

[Update: Sounds like Friday's game will be aired on the official team site.]

Update 2: Lineups - Sounds like Ken Reiter backs up Anders Nilsson tonight, while McDonald, Cizikas, Ullstrom, Persson, Hamonic, Donovan will sit.

What are the challenges, the newcomers, the jobs to be won as the NHL lockout completely changes the angle of this camp? Consider it like this:

The Locked-Out Star

No Sound Tiger "deserves" to be here less than Travis Hamonic, the best defenseman on the Islanders' NHL club who by age and by contract finds himself assigned to the AHL. At 135 NHL games since he last played in Bridgeport, he has little to prove. But since he's a shutdown guy in the NHL, maybe this assignment gives him a chance to re-explore his offensive game. (Yes, trying to look for bright sides in the lockout. Not easy.)

The Class of 2010

As mentioned frequently so far in camp, the most intriguing line is the trio of 2010 draft picks who are embarking on their first real AHL seasons. Nino Niederreiter had a brief AHL rehab stint in 2011-12 and Brock Nelson had a brief ATO after leaving North Dakota last season, but essentially those two and Kirill Kabanov represent a whole lot of promise mixed with pro inexperience.

Niederreiter is the one with the pro experience but also the one possibly carrying the most baggage. (Quite a statement, considering Kabanov's circuitous path to this point.) Regardless, the refreshed Nino, pledging that he's "not a grinder" after being stuck so often next to the likes of Jay Pandolfo last year, has a chance to play with some true creative talent. They are young; they should be fun.

And of course there is one more member of the 2010 draft class who will get nowhere near the attention of those other three: Jason Clark. It was an odd summer for the Islanders, with few free agents to re-sign and a big need addressed at the draft before July 1. Clark's signing in July -- after just two injury-limited years at Wisconsin, came as a surprise.

The Tweeners

Unlike either of the above groups, several Sound Tigers entered this summer uncertain where they'd land: They might have expected to start in the AHL, but the NHL was their very achievable near-term goal. David Ullstrom and Casey Cizikas up front, Ty Wishart, Matt Donovan, Calvin de Haan and Aaron Ness on the blueline. All have reasons to aspire for an NHL job whenever there is an NHL season. For now, they get bonus development time in the AHL without feeling like it's a demotion.

Ullstrom in particular has impressed coach Scott Pellerin and -- adding another wrinkle -- he's been skating back at center after excelling at wing last year. We'll see how long that lasts, as key center Cizikas had been out nursing a groin.

The Sleepers

Mike Halmo was undrafted but has a reputation that precedes him. Brought the crazy, brought some talent, stuck up for teammates. He'll try to do the same in the pros, and just might find a Matt Martin-like role when it's all said and done.

John Persson impressed at WHL Red Deer and he impressed in his brief ATO at the end of last season. Out one side of our mouth, we worry about over-hyping Islanders prospects. Out the other side, we see an intriguing player like Persson who isn't even in their top five.

Speaking of which, Johan Sundstrom is a smart two-way player. Rare for a player his age to have the kind of two-way hockey I.Q. that makes coaches sleep better at night. I'm not invoking the name of Frans Nielsen, but I'm just saying. He has promising brains and he's 6'3", 200 lbs. The 2011 2nd-round pick has some nice features.

Finally, Colin McDonald is an experienced minor pro with a history of putting up points. He could help. So could Matt Watkins.

The Goalies

Kevin Poulin and Anders Nilsson, so close in age (24 days) and so different in styles, get to battle it out for organizational supremacy. They are ready for the competition. It's crazy to think about, but depending on how self-defeating the NHL labor situation gets, they could be incumbents for the NHL job(s) whenever the big league resumes.

Meanwhile, goalies seldom like three-crease situations, but Ken Reiter is in the fold out of Minnesota-Duluth.

* * *

There are other storylines and characters. We didn't even get to the versatile brother-in-law, Sean Backman, nor the assortment of tough guys (Blair Riley, Brandon Defazio, even Jon Landry) who will protect all these prized prospects when things get a little too Federal League.

Point is, the NHL is shooting itself and it hardly deserves our attention. But since we're addicted to the Islanders anyway, this year in Bridgeport offers enough Islanders-related storylines to hold our attention.