SB Nation - Trevor Smith

Islanders cut Calvin de Haan, Greg Moore, Trevor Smith

Dominik — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:07:20 -0000

The New York Islanders announced that they have assigned Greg Moore and Trevor Smith to the organization’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and Calvin de Haan has been sent back to the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League.

No major surprises here -- although I was starting to wonder if the Isles wanted to keep de Haan, 18, for a nine-game trial first. But with no current injuries on the blueline (knock on wood), and de Haan himself listed day-to-day with Islanders Groinitis, that was starting to look like fantasy talk. Nonetheless, de Haan did everything the Islanders hoped and more. Pending his bulking up his frame a little, this is the beginning of a very nice relationship. For now, his junior team needs him.

For Greg Moore, 25, such is his lot: AHL player with potential injury call-ups for his adherence to the system. There appears to be no offensive upside there.

For Trevor Smith, 24, it's more of the same: A demonstration of how tough this league is even when you have notable offensive skill. If you can't convince a team -- even the Islanders -- that you deserve the proverbial "top six" minutes, then you have to morph into a diligent two-way player with defensive stamina and versatility. The world's elite level of hockey turns a lot of gifted forwards into such players, so there is a long line of them waiting to crack every lineup. Ask Richard Park about how to master that.

Speaking of which, Saturday's lineup (and injuries) are not yet set. Will we see the debut of Rob Schremp Hockey? And if so, pray tell, what will it look like?

Deja Vu: Islanders fall 4-2, this time to the Devils

Dominik — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:10:57 -0000

More photos » by John Dunn - AP

The hype field surrounding John Tavares knocks Rob Davison clear off his feet.

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Same score, different opponent. I'd fret about this one, but well: I mean Greg Moore was the second-line center. John Tavares was flanked by Trevor Smith and Preseason Sensation Matt Moulson, who notched his fourth goal (on the PP) in as many games while getting a game-high seven shots on goal. You think Tavares' presence maybe opens things up for his linemates just a little bit?

And this Moulson kid -- is he going to force a decision on Scott Gordon and Garth Snow here? Remember that beyond his goals (which can come in preseason like some such Druce), there is also the penalty killing aspect.

Other bits of interest from scanning the report but not seeing the game:

Mark Streit fought! And his opponent, Olivier Magnan-Grenier, ended up scoring the game-winner.

The Devils' Rob Davison fought twice -- once with Matt Martin and once with Micheal Haley, who NHL.com is now listing as just "Mike Haley," no doubt after constant turmoil over the spelling of his first name.

Oh look: The attendance of 8,000-plus was less than in Kansas City, and Newsday already has one-liners about that.

Among her in-game notes, 7th Woman says Joel Rechlicz has about six stitches around his eye.

Not relating to the game, but Sean O'Donnell was indeed suspended (two regular season games) for being Sean O'Donnell on Matt Martin the other night.

As John at In Lou We Trust describes, the Islanders were heavily outshot, and Martin Biron was on the receiving end. You know what I love about Scott the former goalie Gordon as coach? He's always frank and usually detailed with his post-game analysis of his 'keepers:

"He certainly wasn’t the reason why we lost," Gordon said. "I think he’d probably like do a little more with the rebounds with the first and third goals; you can’t fault him for the second goal."

That beats your average "he did alright" or "we could have helped him more." Gordon at least addresses specific things on specific goals. Gordon also said the Isles failed at clearing traffic in front of Biron. Considering regulars Streit, Brendan Witt and Radek Martinek were in the lineup, that is a concern.

Meanwhile, a nice feature on Tavares at NHL.com, about how Gordon is trying to get him up to speed and how Tavares will be living with Doug Weight for a while:

"Right now I'm in a hotel, but I'm going to move in with Dougie for a little while," Tavares told NHL.com, adding with a laugh that "he needs me to keep him young."

As far as the game goes: Any concerns for you? Observations from watching it or being there? More budding crushes on Moulson? I certainly wouldn't mind seeing if he can replicate some of this in an NHL game.

Canucks-Islanders Preseason Game 1 Open Thread

Sean Zandberg — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 08:00:27 -0000

More photos » by Nam Y. Huh - AP

"Oh yeah! Hockey is back!"

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GAME TIME: 7:30 PST

TV: Sportsnet, NHL.com, MSG, and streamed live at Canucks.com

UPDATE: 2:41 PM: Pelletier has lots of photos of the Canucks arriving in Terrace, the autograph hounds, and team practice photos up on his site. Geez, Woody, crack a smile. He looks like someone insulted his mother.

UPDATE 1:52 PM: Rejoice! Rick Rypien is saying he's 100% mentally and physically.

UPDATE: 11:02 AM: The official Canucks roster for tonight is:

Goalies: Andrew Raycroft and Corey Schneider.

Defensemen:: Kevin Bieksa, Willie Mitchell, Aaron Rome, Brad Lukowich, Nolan Baumgartner, Yann Sauve, Shane O'Brien and Evan Oberg.

Forwards: Dave Scatchard, Ronald Petrovicky, Jannik Hansen, Rick Rypien, Michael Grabner, Kyle Wellwood, Alexandre Bolduc, Eric Walsky, Guillaume Desbiens, Mario Bliznak, Pierre-Cedric Labrie and Sergei Shirokov.

Tip to Brian Compton who is blogging the event at NHL.com.

UPDATE: 10:45 AM: The Canucks' plane circled the Terrace airport for a while and couldn't land because of the heavy fog. They have officially landed though. No Luongo. We knew that already. Tip to Joe Pelletier, who's texting me these updates.

Also, a few Canucks were on stage at the Canadian Country Music Awards at GM Place last night. The Province has that picture as well as an article on the Sedins calling Samuelsson a dirty player. Samuelsson may get top line duty after all. Not 100% yet. Is he the next Anson Carter? I'm still stuck on giving Burrows a shot there, but he may be moving to line 2.

UPDATE: 8:20 AM: Great article on Mark Parrish at the Province today. He was "giddy" when the Canucks came calling, but is a roster spot possible for this guy?

UPDATE: 12:43 AM: Grandpa (I mean Mathieu Schneider's) first blog at CDC. Know how to use a keyboard, Matt? No way in hell Schneider or Hodgson play as both are recovering from shoulder injuries/surgeries. I'm anticipating seeing Sergei Shirokov play perhaps with Wellwood.

-Yes Mitchell, the fishing is prime up here in Northern BC. Now, don't suck! Wellwood: Get an atlas and get to know your BC geography!

-Tick tock. Tick tock goes the Sundin clock. No word from Mats as training camp has begun. Mike Gillis gave "Sudden" a TC deadline and that has passed. Is it all but over for Sundin, or would Gillis backtrack and let him return at a later date?

Come and hang out here all day (and night) for the Canucks' first preseason game in Terrace, BC.

So it begins. There is so much to be settled with the Canucks' roster from the goaltending out. That is what preseason is for. Hat tip to Missy for providing the veteran Canucks roster for tonight's game:

Offense: Sergei Shirokov, Mario Bliznak, Robert Petrovicky, Michael Grabner, Kyle Wellwood, Guillam Desbiens, Rick Rypien
Defense:Willie Mitchell, Kevin Bieksa, Brad Lukowich, Nolan Baumgartner, Michael Funk, Lawrence Nycholat, Evan Oberg, Shane O’Brien
Goaltending: Andrew Raycroft and Cory Schneider (No Luongo=no surprise. The Canucks need a long and hard look at who warms the bench during Lou's games played.)

Tip to Joe Pelletier for finding the basic Islanders' lineup:

Forwards: Jon Sim, Tim Jackman, Jeff Tambellini, Nate Thompson, Blake Comeau, Josh Bailey, Sean Bentivoglio, Matt Moulson, Greg Moore, Greg Mauldin, Trevor Smith, Jeremy Reich.

Defenseman: Andy Sutton, Jack Hillen, Mark Flood, Andrew MacDonald, Dustin Kohn, Freddy Meyer

Goalies- Scott Munroe, Nathan Lawson
Right, not the biggest names for game 1 in a Hockeyville town, but it's preseason.

We'll keep you updated all day with further roster updates and news as the day goes along.

NHL Free Agency: Islanders need a goalie, continued patience

Dominik — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:04:44 -0000

[New Visitor Welcome: The NHL Draft and free agency are sending a lot of new visitors here. If you're one, or a recent lurker, hop on in and pour yourself a glass! Here's a little Lighthouse Hockey intro and posting guide to make it a better experience. It's set up to allow you to steer the conversation/content. The new member goody bag includes a free highlighter and chocolate mint.]

In the Puck Daddy roundtable before the draft, I had to chirp my belief that Garth Snow's rebuild process -- while painful and necessary -- also included lots of "easy" decisions. Granted, fan relations-wise, it's not exactly easy to let free agent wingers like Ruslan Fedotenko walk when your team lacks scoring and size. It's not exactly easy to tell the fans to wait, be patient, let the kids develop and stop clamoring for the short fix.

But roster management-wise, those are the easy decisions because it's so obviously what the Islanders needed to do. The really tough, legacy-defining decisions don't come until you're on the cusp of contention, you've accumulated a lot of prospects, and you have to decide which ones to trade for short-term help, and which ones to commit years and sizable cap money to. Those are the decisions that have no clear right answer -- until 20/20 hindsight and fan vitriol (or coronation) kicks in.

(Example: Penguins acquire Bill Guerin, lose in first round, as Guerin has his "second San Jose" playoff rental experience. Inevitable fan reaction: "Why did Shero think that washed-up Islander would make a difference?!" Contrast with what really happened: Pens get Guerin, win Cup. "Genius! I knew he'd fit on Crosby's wing!" It's a fine line sometimes. [Update: Incidentally, the Penguins have re-signed Guerin.)

The Islanders won't be in that "really tough decision" position for a while, which is why -- like last summer -- I am again relaxed at the approach of free agency Wednesday. Snow has one must-have: an NHL goalie capable of sharing the load for the recovering Rick DiPietro, and carrying the load if DiPietro gets hurt again. But even that won't make or break next season, which is still about development, patience, and stocking the system -- with the bonus of some exciting kids and winning some games we shouldn't. Snow can lie in the weeds for a Mark Streit-coup, but the Boewmeester's and Heatley-sales of the world are the wrong price at the wrong time for the Islanders.

That said, here's a quick look after the jump [below the poll if you're on the front page] at where the Islanders stand. Weigh in with comments on who you'd like (or stay away from) and vote in the poll.

Pending UFAs: F Andy Hilbert, C Mike Sillinger, F Dean McAmmond, enforcer Mitch Fritz, C Mike Iggulden, F Kurtis McLean (already signed in Europe), C Ben Walter, D Thomas Pock (already signed in Switzerland), D Joe Callahan, D Chris Lee. G Yann Danis, G Joey MacDonald.

Hilbert was useful but should likely be let go. Sillinger wants to come back from hip surgery somewhere, but it's hard to see it happening here. Fritz wants to return, but will Gordon want an enforcer he only uses a couple minutes a game? Will Snow-Gordon go with an enforcer shuttle from Bridgeport again, to protect against the Philadelphia Flu? On defense, Callahan was well-received last season. It appears the Islanders will look elsewhere in goal.

Pending RFAs: RW Blake Comeau, C Trevor Smith, F Jeremy Colliton. C Nate Thompson, D Jack Hillen, D Jamie Fraser. G Peter Mannino.

No news yet on qualifying offers, but Comeau and Hillen are in the long-term plans, Smith -- who I will eventually forgive for wearing Turgeon's #77 -- and Fraser could be, too. Chris Botta said Mannino will not receive a qualifying offer. (We'll always have Chicago, Peter.) Colliton has already gone to Sweden.

Salary Cap Space - committed: Just under $33 million committed. They'd need around $7.8 - $8 million to get to the cap floor, which shouldn't be hard. As always, a huge credit to NHLnumbers for these numbers.

Key Needs: It sounds like Islanders followers are in agreement on the need for a 1A goalie via free agency. As James Mirtle has already pointed out, the market for goalies is flooded. The Islanders could also use another winger with size, or one capable of fighting and playing a regular shift. Although I think this need is a little overstated; John Tavares isn't made of glass.

Potential Targets: Craig Anderson, Scott Clemmensen, Ty Conklin, Antero Niittymaki ... Yann Danis? Please don't ask about Nikolai Khabibulin, or suggest taking Miikka Kiprusoff's giant contract off of Calgary's hands. Wrong guy, wrong price, wrong time.

Physical forwards: Free agent wingers are either out of our league or not that impressive. I'm fine with the Islanders developing their own power forward (although, that would require actually drafting one) or waiting to get one later. Do they need some enforcers so that Tim Jackman isn't always forced into the police role? Sure, I guess -- but I'd rather not devote ice time to an outside enforcer. Candidates for wingers with grit I'd pull out of a hat would include Brad Winchester [edit: Winchester's been re-signed] or Dan Hinote from the Blues, Colton Orr just to fire a shot at the Rangers, Mike Rupp just to ... meh. But not Chris Neil, not David Koci, not anyone else who either fights but can't play, or plays but fights less than you'd like.

On defense, Garth Snow has hinted he is settled -- which doesn't make me happy. But the Islanders do already have six NHL contracts on the blueline -- nd that's before Hillen is re-signed. I guess Rumsfeld would say you go in with the blueline you have, not the blueline you want.

That said, some will still covet a flirtation with local boy Mike Komisarek. I myself was intrigued by that notion a few times earlier this season -- then I heard his rumored asking price. $4 - $6 million for a stay-at-home defenseman? Uh, pass. I bet he's lucky to get $4 million. This era does not afford such silly money for a blueliner who is not part of the offense. That salary slot absolutely must be reserved for an elite two-way blueliner.

The Rest of the Atlantic: The Flyers have their Chris Pronger, but as ever the question will be between the pipes. The Devils need a coach, and may lose John Madden or Brian Gionta. The Penguins won the freaking Cup, but they have decisions to make on their ex-Islanders and blueline. The Rangers have Nik Antropov to sign, and/or giant contracts to shed if possible.

Bottom Line: I never expected the Streit signing last summer, and I sure don't expect another steal this year. The Islanders need to be patient, develop the kids -- and strike if a great opportunity comes available.

But I've made assumptions you may dispute. Let me know in comments. Am I being too forgiving about next year? Are there smart pieces out there Snow could add that help the long-run? Are you of the belief a better enforcer is needed, pronto? And I know many of you weighed in at the end of the season or in recent weeks, but what do you want the goaltending to look like?

[Since the trade deadline and draft hubs were a bit of a hit, SBN is setting up a topic hub for NHL free agency. Hit that URL, the button below, or the sidebar widget for the latest word from all 30 teams.]

Poll

Free agency starts 12:01 p.m. Wednesday. What do you want Garth to do first?

1A Goalie: Anderson, Conklin, Nifty-Niittymaki, just somebody

112 votes

More beef: Another guy who can fight and get more than 3 min. from Gordon

55 votes

The leap: Enter the trade market for other team's malcontents & cap problems

29 votes

196 votes | Poll has closed

Sans stars, Islanders blown out by Habs

Dominik — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 04:02:00 -0000

More photos » by Paul J. Bereswill - AP

Yann Danis, Georges Laraque and Tim Jackman all gather 'round to hear the puck tell them a bedtime story.

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Last time the Islanders lost by four goals was just last week, at home to the Wild, when the combination of bad penalties and poor penalty killing let the game get away from them.

The same recipe applied last night, as the Islanders took bad penalties early, allowed power play goals all night and were outshot 38-27.

Straight from the coach's mouth:

"I'm upset about the penalties," coach Scott Gordon said after the Islanders gave Montreal eight power plays. "If you're going to take a penalty, it's to save a goal. I don't think there were too many saved goals tonight."

The added wrinkle last night was the fact the two best Islanders, Mark Streit and Kyle Okposo, were out injured. On top of that, penalty killer Andy Hilbert was felled by a rib injury half way into the game. Add a back-to-back against a hungry Canadiens team after the Islanders had an emotional game with the Caps the night before, and you've got a let down.

With the game quickly out of reach, there was some concern at Botta's blog about Joel Rechlicz being schooled by Georges Laraque -- and he certainly was, but not in the way you might think. As I mused in the game thread, Laraque cleverly took advantage of the 21-year-old rookie by subtly backing up -- all the while smiling and using over-theatric body language to lie to the whole arena and pretend that Rechlicz wasn't up for the fight. Laraque essentially demanded Rechlicz make the first move (and fall into his trap), and the rookie had to respond in kind because he's the new guy, and Laraque's reputation is already sealed.

Game Summary | Event Summary | AP | Islanders Recap

Final - 4.2.2009	1	2	3	Total
Montreal Canadiens	2	2	1	5
New York Islanders	0	1	0	1

Complete Coverage >

I must confess, I hardly noticed the two call-ups, Trevor Smith and Sean Bentivoglio. Bentivoglio may have left the smallest impression of any of the now-13 Islanders to make their NHL debuts this season -- though that's not so much a knock on Bridgeport hat trick hero Bentivoglio as it is a reflection of how well the Islanders youngsters have done in this Season of Youth.

Goalie Battle Thickens

The larger disappointment -- and this goes hand-in-hand with much of the Islanders' (and any other team's) fortunes this season -- was in goal. After a great, sustained run that had Scott Gordon describing him as "playing like a No. 1," Yann Danis has now had four rather un-No.1-like games in a row.

It's interesting, this battle of the unrestricted free agent back-ups: Every goalie who has reached the NHL level is in that oh-so-thin tier of elite goaltenders in the world. They're all capable of a sustained run of brilliance, which is how Jim Carey, Patrick Lalime and Johan Hedberg had top-of-the-world starts to their careers before settling back into ... well, another part of the NHL world. Separating the upper crust within that elite sliver is the hard part, and requires multiple run-throughs in the NHL laboratory.

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
08-09 - Yann Danis	27	1596	9	14	3	1	73	2.74	851	778	.914	2

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
08-09 - Joey MacDonald	46	2658	14	25	6	7	143	3.23	1482	1339	.904	1

Both Danis and MacDonald have been blocked by depth and lack of opportunity in their careers, before filling emergency roles this season on the NHL's worst team. Both have also had multi-week runs this season that made us wonder whether all they ever needed was this chance. And both have followed those moments in the spotlight with mini-slumps that make us ponder whether the Islanders should think bigger for a "backup" next season, when Rick DiPietro will suit for a game for the first time in 10 months.

Five games left. A handful of starts for each. Presumably Danis is still in the lead -- better stats, higher praise, etc. -- but the gap has narrowed.

Ah well, at least this particular loss made the Rangers sweat.

Islanders Gameday: A chance to spoil the Habs

Dominik — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 20:45:52 -0000

More photos » by Graham Hughes - AP

Hoping to see lots of this tonight.

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Well, this has been a funny series. Back on Nov. 1, when the Canadiens were at their centennial-destiny hottest, the slumping Islanders totally outplayed them, only to have Yann Danis (the old version, the one Scott Gordon played tough love with) give up a three-goal, third-period lead.

Then on Nov. 24, the Habs outplayed the Islanders -- but the game went to extra time thanks to Ryan O'Byrne's own goal, and Islanders took the shootout bonus point.

Three weeks ago, it was Kyle Okposo's coming out party, as he netted the OT winner to shock a Habs club that had been reeling since the All-Star break.

Tonight, in the final game of this season's series, the islanders have the chance to play a meaningful spoiler role. If they do it, it will have to pull it off without their two best players: Okposo (groin) as well as team MVP Mark Streit. Danis will almost certainly get another chance to defeat his original NHL club.

But with 28th place or worse now assured (and really, 30th seems a lock, even with lottery foe Colorado losing Ryan Smyth for the season), I hope the Isles can do it. I'm openly rooting for the Panthers to make the playoffs -- no fanbase deserves to be without postseason play for a decade, a factor that should never be excluded from any smugly jingoist discussion of expansion success -- and they'll likely need the Habs to falter if they're going to get there. (A Rangers collapse, of course, is even more desirable.)

Count me as officially pulling for Whale and the gang at Litter Box Cats, where you can see the playoff bubble situation as it relates to tonight's games. Also count me excited to see Sean Bentivoglio get his call-up tonight after a hat trick down in AHL Bridgeport.

A Wee Bit of Linkage

A Hab of some interest to Islanders fans and residents, Chris Higgins feels rejuvenated under Bob Gainey.
Habs blog Eyes on the Prize is always a treasure of historical information. Today you can read about their history of dealing their captains -- including our beloved Pierre Turgeon -- as well as a half-baked attempt to award them the 1919 "flu" Stanley Cup. Trevor Smith wears his #77 again tonight.
For more Habs coverage, check both Eyes on the Prize and Habs Inside/Out.

Come back later for the live game thread. Game time is 7 p.m. EDT.

Flames 5, Isles 2: Tanking by default

Dominik — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 06:13:56 -0000

As Islanders Outsider said last night: "Goals from Tambellini and Smith: Already feels like a victory!"

That's about right: The effort was there; the skill and ability to match the Flames' constant scoring chances was not. So we try to take solace in the good fortune of the youngsters -- in this case, surprisingly, goals by two can-miss prospects.

Game Summary | Event Summary | nhl.com Recap

Even the Flames broadcasters -- including former THN columnist Mike Brophy in studio -- were making excuses for the Isles, in some form of Western Canadian hospitality that echoed my native Midwest. ("Such a nice team you have. Care for fresh-baked apple pie?") The Islanders made it interesting briefly -- tying it at 2-2 late in the 2nd -- then immediately gave up the winning goal and never looked back.

These are the dog days of the rebuild: The Islanders are necessarily ripping off a hundred bandaids which patched over the Milbury Era and squeaked them into 8th seeds on pure blood, sweat and hustle. It will get better, but we're gonna take lumps and watch the youngsters get their reps in first.

Seriously, Trevor Smith has looked good since coming up. He has jump. He made Tim Jackman look dangerous. One could see where the undrafted 23-year-old Smith could find a role. Late bloomer? Let's hope.

Speaking of tardy blooming, Jeff Tambellini's goal was sniper-like in the fashion that earned him stardom in the AHL. For someone who never gets to see AHL Bridgeport play, it was nice to visually confirm that Tambellini actually has that in him. Although many of us are prone to writing him off, his one-way contract means he has this year and next to find "it" consistently. So ... there's that.

But oy, Brendan Witt. On for four goals against, not looking swell on any. Reluctantly, I want the club to trade him -- not for us, but for him. He deserves better. He and Trent Hunter are my favorite Islanders of this era -- I was close to slapping #32 on a replica this summer -- but Witt just doesn't fit this system.

Witt did the lean years in Washington, then his version of escape-to-"contender" was ... Nashville. So if a strong team wants him, let him spend the homestretch of his career playing games that matter. If despite these troubles he wants to stick it out in all his Witt-ian determination ... I'm not sure that can work.

Despite our epic injury list, we can't even take solace in the lottery yet: There's competition brewing, with Tampa Bay losing, Atlanta trying to -- and even goalie-less Toronto climbing back into the act now that Brian "Operation Descend Rapidly" Burke is around.

I've already written my affirmation on why these trying times can be fun nonetheless. And Botta will cover DiPietro in his Friday post. So tonight, we're just closing with a dash of self-pity: Woe is freaking us.

[Update: Botta's promised DiPietro post is here, encouraging fans to cool it on ripping the franchise goalie for events beyond his control. I'm stunned that this is even necessary. Maybe I unconsciously skip over raving DiPietro "haters" without noticing them, because I didn't think that many fans were truly faulting DiPietro for what is ultimately a journey of educated-guess communication between his doctors, his joints, and his neurons. But this is the Internet, where the most irrational voices often steal a megaphone.]