Johnny Boychuk – McKeen's Hockey

So Long Island, T – New York Islanders 2018-19 Season Preview

Robert Howard — Sat, 15 Sep 2018 18:04:21 +0000

REVIEW/STATE OF PLAY - For the second year in a row they missed the playoffs finishing seventh in their division. It was the first season for coach Doug Weight who took over after six seasons from Jack Capuano that culminated in back to back 100-point seasons before a stumble in 2016-17 that led to change.

The dominating story of the Islanders off-season was whether they would re-sign John Tavares. They elected not to trade him at the deadline for what would have been a rich return of pieces and prospects. The team made wholesale change hiring Lou Lamoreillo as president who then promptly removed long time GM Garth Snow - naming himself to the position. He very quickly signed reigning Stanley Cup champ coach Barry Trotz to a healthy contract after Washington low-balled him with a replacement in place. The hope that a commitment to strong management would be a deciding factor for Tavares, who ultimately could not resist playing in his hometown, and Lamoriello’s former employer.

Lou is left to pick up the pieces. He was quick to point out that the pieces he must play with are good and is not looking at a tear down. Indeed, he has been active and quick to sign veteran free agents, Leo Komarov and Valterri Filppula, as well as 28-year-old Jan Kovar out of the KHL and 26-year-old Tom Kuhnhackl out of the Penguins organization. Perhaps pacifying words and actions, but the team did have some bright spots last season.

Jordan Eberle

BLAZING BARZAL - None brighter that Matthew Barzal, NHL rookie of the year, leading the team in scoring with 85 points, one more than departed Tavares. He and recent signing Jordan Eberle along with 21-year-old Anthony Beauvillier formed a dynamic trio that was strongest down the stretch. They were put together as a group after 40 games and Beauvillier had 17 goals in 40 games and 29 points –while Eberle had 30 points in 40 games and Barzal had 48 points, including an astonishing 39 assists, in 42 games.

Tavares lined up with Anders Lee and Josh Bailey primarily, both of whom had career years. 28-year-old Bailey shattered last season career high with 71 points, leading the team with 31 power play points. Teamed with Tavares over 70% of 5v5 time and 80% on the power play 28-year-old Lee also topped a prior year best of 34 goals and breaking the 40-goal barrier – giving him 51 goals at even strength over the last two seasons. Whether they can even come close to those performances after replacing Tavares with either Brock Nelson or Valteri Filppula remains to be seen.

Brock Nelson was a disappointment after three straight 20-goal seasons. He is signed to a one-year deal with something to prove. The addition of two veteran centers in Kovar and Filpulla will challenge push him, perhaps to the wing. Both Filppula and Kovar are also on one -year contracts and will be motivated.

EXPENSIVE BOTTOM OF ROSTER - Filling out the third line with Komarov, 31-years-old and signed for three seasons at $3 million AAV along with Ladd and likely Filppula. Once considered the NHL’s best fourth line, the combo of Casey Cizikas (27), Cal Clutterbuck (30) and Matt Martin (29) are re-united after Martin was acquired from the Maple Leafs. This leaves the Islanders invested in the bottom half of their line-up with over $20 million in cap space. It is only possible with Beauvillier and Barzal on the top line on entry level contracts. The bet is they are competitive most nights and the kids develop, but hardly seems like a rebuilding structure.

They are similarly locked in on defense with Nick Leddy, Johnny Boychuk and Thomas Hickey all signed for four years representing $14 million in cap space. Leddy had an off year but has been a solid contributor, led the team in ice time and should rebound. They have offensive threat Ryan Pulock signed for the next two years and he had an effective rookie season despite time in the press box early scoring 32 points in 68 games, highlighting his offensive promise. He received only 1:40 of power play time a game and is due for more. His partner Hickey also had to assert himself into the line-up after being a healthy scratch early in the season, before establishing himself as a regular and scoring 20 points in the final 42 games. His 25 even strength points were second only to Leddy. Trotz will want to build on that chemistry with Pulock.

In net they defaulted to Thomas Greiss at 32-years-old and added Robin Lehner to a one-year contract for $1.5 million as either a trade chip, or a surprise that can challenge for the starting role.

OUTLOOK - There are a lot of questions – Can Barzal keep forward momentum through a sophomore season in which he is the number one center? Who fills the role on a second line and how badly do Lee and Bailey miss JT? The Islanders remain in search of a game plan, the future or now, but expect a regression in the coming season.

2015 NHL Playoffs: Washington Capitals vs. New York Islanders

McKeen's Hockey — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 15:17:37 +0000

Washington Capitals vs. New York Islanders

The Capitals have a long history of regular season success followed by disappointment in the post season. This year things could be different as the team has the most depth on defence with the additions of Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen in the offseason. The former Penguins insulate Karl Alzner, John Carlson, Mike Green and Nate Schmidt who will protect the crease for Braden Holtby who has emerged as a potential Vezina candidate this. With the addition of Orpik and Niskanen on defense and Coach Barry Trotz, the Caps are playing great defense and their possession game has also improved while not sacrificing much offense, scoring 2.85 goals per game. The offense is led by Captain Alex Ovechkin, who led the league in scoring again winning the Maurice Richard Trophy again with 53 goals. The key to shutting Ovechkin down could be on the Power Play, during a playoff series opposition may key in on individuals more than you can during a regular season and customize the penalty kill. Have one player shadow Ovechkin while the other three defenders play a diamond position in the box and treat it like a four on three. Take away their best weapon and challenge the Capitals to beat you another way. The Caps have depth up front beyond Ovechkin however; Nick Backstrom may be under appreciated while Evgeny Kuznetsov could have a breakout performance. Joel Ward, Curtis Glencross, Troy Brouwer, Eric Fehr, and Brooks Laich all have potential John Druce playoff heroics in them who could carry the team through a round or two.

The New York Islander are not exactly hitting the ground running heading into the post season but have some intriguing components, led by John Tavares who is a potential Hart Trophy candidate gives instant credibility to the offense. The offensive depth is not as impressive as Washingtons with Brock Nelson, Kyle Okposo, Ryan Strome and Anders Lee as the key support players, but the Islanders still managed to score 2.99 goals per game. However the fourth line, (known as the best fourth line in hockey) with Matt Martin, Casey Cizikas, and Cal Clutterbuck will see plenty of ice time and raise plenty of havoc giving the Islanders energy, momentum and even a few goals. The defense got a huge shot in the arm with the additions of two cup rings in Johnny Boychuck and Nick Leddy who assume the top pairing pushing down Travis Hamonic, Calvin De Haan, Travis Hickey and Brian Strait into more suitable slots. Perhaps the biggest question for the Islanders is in goal; Jaroslav Halak had an incredible playoff performance back with the Canadiens which seems like a life time ago now. Since then he has been inconsistent in St.Louis and ultimately deemed expendable. His performance in the regular season was good, and the addition of Michal Neuvirth helps but the pressure is on Halak who will make or break any chances the Islanders have.

The Islanders are rather inexperienced in the playoffs and even though they tied the Capitals with 101 regular season points they finished the season with a 4-3-3 record compared to the Capitals 6-3-1 giving up home ice advantage. That could come back to haunt them.

Top Ten Washington Capitals

Alex Ovechkin – If he cannot be contained offensively and on the power play it will be a short series
Nicklas Backstrom – May be one of the most underrated centers since Ron Francis
Braden Holtby – First breakout was in the playoffs, had another breakout this season. Can he raise his game in the post season again?
John Carlson – Carlson may not be in the class of Keith, Doughty and McDonagh yet, but he is trending in that direction
Evgeny Kuznetsov – After a long wait, he arrived from the KHL, there was more waiting in the NHL, but he is beginning to live up to the hype
Marcus Johansson – A versatile forward who consistently scores between 45-55 points
Mike Green – Under Coach Trotz his wild offensive days may be over, but his is still a dangerous offensive threat on the power play
Troy Brouwer – Big winger plays big, scores goals, and won a Cup with the Hawks
Joel Ward – Earned his contract after a monster playoff with Nashville and scores big goals.
Curtis Glencross – Has a history of injury, but can contribute when healthy

Top Ten New York Islanders

John Tavares – Johnny Franchise continues to grow and one day will score 100 points and win the Hart and Art Ross
Kyle Okposo – Had a commanding playoff series against Pittsburgh in 2013 with some highlight reel goals, can he do it again?
Ryan Strome – Hit the 50 point mark but more impressive is his plus-23
Frans Nielsen – Second line centre sees first unit power play time on the point
Anders Lee – The 6^th round pick is like found money and continues to exceed expectations
Johnny Boychuk – Brings stability to the backend, and a Cup ring.
Nick Leddy – Brings offense from the backend, and a Cup ring.
Brock Nelson – Was red hot at the start of the season, but cooled off. Can he get it back?
Josh Bailey - Former ninth overall was considered a bust, but that judgement seems to have been premature
Jaroslav Halak – Inconsistent goaltender needs to rediscover his 2010 magic with Montreal

Friedman’s Five – 3/13/15

Daniel Friedman — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 20:43:15 +0000

1. ISLANDERS GET THEIR BOY(CHUK), AND IT WAS NEVER REALLY IN DOUBT

The Isles signed Johnny Boychuk to a seven-year contract extension on Thursday and, you could tell by talking to him and watching his demeanor all season long that he was likely coming back. He pretty much confirmed as much on Friday, saying that "after the first month, I knew it was gonna be a good fit for me." Spot on, from Johnny on the spot.

2. EIGHT EASTERN PLAYOFF TEAMS ARE LIKELY SET

Barring an impressive meltdown by Boston, I don't see Florida or Ottawa catching them in the standings. Given that the Bruins were really the only team that wasn't set in stone, the other seven Eastern playoff squads are virtual locks, and now that Boston has a six-game cushion with 15 to go, it should be enough to keep them in place. It should be...

3. YO CAREY PRICE, IMMA LET YOU FINISH, BUT YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY WORTHY HART CANDIDATE

Contrary to popular belief, Price isn't the only player who's made a world of a difference for his team and its performance this season. I'm looking at John Tavares of the Islanders, who not only has been terrific all year, but produced even more when Kyle Okposo went down with a detached retina for nearly two months. Tavares also leads the league in points as of the time this was published with 72. I think this should be at least a two-horse race, and I think it will be.

4. WILL SAN JOSE REALLY MISS THE PLAYOFFS WITH THAT MUCH TALENT?

If the playoffs started today, the Sharks wouldn't be taking part. A team that ices a lineup featuring Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski, Tomas Hertl, Brent Burns, Marc-Eduard Vlasic and Antti Niemi finds itself on the outside looking in. That's not just mind-boggling, it's unacceptable. With Winnipeg and Calgary reeling due to major injuries, the situation is ripe for San Jose to get back in, but will they do it? I'd say they will. Or, I should rephrase: They better darn well make it happen. Otherwise, perhaps it's finally time for a significant shake-up.

5. WHY YOU SHOULD BE SCARED TO FACE THE RANGERS IN A PLAYOFF ROUND

Regardless of where they might finish in the standings, the Rangers are the most dangerous team in the Eastern Conference -- make no mistake about it. They've got firepower, defensive depth, and they even win when Henrik Lundqvist is injured, in part because they've got a heck of a backup in Cam Talbot. This is a veteran-laden roster with lots of versatility and experience. I wouldn't want to play them, because it probably wouldn't end well. There are a handful of teams that I think would beat them in a series, and all of them play in the Western Conference.