Josh BAILEY – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – NEW YORK ISLANDERS – NHL Player Profiles

Scott Cullen – Forwards and Defense, Catherine Silverman - Goaltending — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 20:23:05 +0000

BOSTON, MA - MAY 31: New York Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson (8) plays a pass along the blue line on the power play during Game 2 of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Second Round between the Boston Bruins and the New York Islanders on May 31, 2021, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.(Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

FORWARDS

Mathew Barzal

A dynamic skater who can be an electrifying presence on the ice, Barzal has not been able to duplicate his 85-point rookie season in 2017-2018 and last season he finished with 59 points in 73 games. Barzal is exceptional when it comes to transporting the puck from his defensive zone into the offensive zone – his skating ability allows him to dart and dodge his way through neutral ice. He is far and away the most dangerous offensive performer on the team, but his defensive work was suspect last season, so that limits the value of his overall impact. He also won a career-best 46.3% of his faceoffs last season, so there is still room to improve on the dot. Barzal is 25, so he is in his prime, and given his rare ability to carry the puck from one end of the ice to the other, he remains a valuable player. It’s up to the Islanders to find the right pieces that will fit around him. 65 points is an entirely reasonable forecast for Barzal, but it also feels like underselling him. There is potential for more, but he might not have the supporting cast to help him get back to scoring more than a point per game. Maybe a new coach behind the Islanders bench will help open things up for the Isles and if that is the case, Barzal could benefit as much as anyone.

Brock Nelson

Coming off a season in which he tallied a career-high 37 goals and 59 points, Nelson has been a productive second-line center who has surpassed 50 points three times in the past four seasons. A six-time 20-goal scorer who also scored 18 goals in 56 games during the COVID-shortened 2020-2021 season, Nelson has a track record of proven performance. With solid defensive play as part of his contribution, Nelson has been quite effective. He has been an above-average finisher throughout his career, owning a shooting percentage of 14.2%, but he will not likely duplicate last season when he scored on 21.6% of his shots. Even if 37 goals are an aberration, Nelson has shown that he can score, so 25-30 goals and 55 points is in line with Nelson’s past performance.

Anders Lee

The Islanders’ captain is a 6-foot-3, 235-pound power forward who returned from a torn ACL to score 28 goals last season, the sixth time in his career that he buried at least 20 goals. Since 2016-2017, Lee has scored 162 goals, ranking 22^nd in the league over that time. While his offensive production was back to typical levels, his defensive play was not as strong, so that is an area of some concern given that Lee is 32 years old and maybe not moving quite as well as he did during his peak years. Nevertheless, he is an established and proven scorer who has thrived on Barzal’s wing and that should continue in 2022-2023. That should bring Lee 25-plus goals and 45 points, which is fine, but may not necessarily elevate the attack enough in the way that the Islanders need.

Anthony Beauvillier

A 25-year-old winger who has flashed potential at various times through his six NHL seasons, Beauvillier is coming off what may be the worst season of his career. He finished the season with 12 goals and 34 points, his fewest goals since his rookie season. He has yet to hit 40 points in a single NHL season, so when his defensive play slipped last season, the overall results were poor. While some of those results would be better by simply scoring on his career shooting percentage, 11.9% of his shots instead of last season’s 7.8% shooting percentage, the play away from the puck needs to be improved if Beauvillier is going to remain secure in a top-six role. 15-20 goals and his first 40-point season is still an achievable target for Beauvillier.

Josh Bailey

Heading into his 15^th season with the Islanders, Bailey has been a capable second line forward that can contribute offensively, and last season was the fifth time in the past six seasons that he surpassed 40 points. He is a smart player and good passer but his ability to drive play has faded in recent seasons and Bailey is a reluctant shooter – his 1.18 shots on goal per game last season was his lowest rate since his rookie season. With his game in decline, it might be natural for the Islanders to elevate others ahead of him on the depth chart, but Bailey has been resilient and maintained a second line role. If he stays in that spot, another 45-point season should be expected.

Kyle Palmieri

A consistent scoring threat earlier in his career, which included five straight seasons with more than 20 goals, the 31-year-old winger has not had that kind of productivity for the Islanders and last season’s 15 goals and 33 points was his lowest in a full season since 2014-2015. Percentages play a part in that decreased production. While he is not generating shots at the same rate as he did during his peak seasons, Palmieri has scored on 9.1% of his shots in 86 games with the Islanders after scoring on 13.2% of his shots in 397 games for the New Jersey Devils. He has not been a major factor on the Islanders power play, which naturally hurts his overall numbers, but it is notable that even with lower scoring totals, Palmieri’s ability to drive play has been relatively strong with the Isles, which makes him a solid top-six winger, but maybe the production could return to a higher level with an increased power play role. With declining production in recent seasons, he might be a lot to ask for 20 goals or 40 points out of Palmieri, but that should still be in his sights if he can get a special teams boost.

Zach Parise

Now 38, Parise had a bit of a bounce-back season in 2021-2022, at least relative to the previous season in Minnesota. 15 goals and 35 points is a long way from Parise’s best production in the league, but he generated enough to be a competent middle six winger and getting that on a league-minimum contract is an obvious net positive for the Islanders. He also managed 1.68 shots on goal per game, his lowest since his rookie season in 2005-2006, so there are signs of decline that are to be expected for a player in his late thirties. How much Parise produces will be tied to ice time that could easily decline, but if he stays in a top-nine role for the Islanders, he should be able to contribute 30-35 points.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau

A reliable third line center, the 29-year-old played 17:40 per game last season, falling behind only Mathew Barzal (18:01 ATOI) and, just barely, Brock Nelson (17:41 ATOI), so the Islanders are comfortable with Pageau playing a significant role, though he is probably limited to some degree by the quality of his linemates. Nevertheless, Pageau is a solid contributor who had 39 points last season and has surpassed 40 points a couple of times in his career. He plays a sound defensive game, too, making him an enviable third line center. If he produces 40 points, that could offer some value. If he adds to that with another 170-hit season, Pageau would have very specific category appeal. He has also won 55.8% of his draws since joining the Islanders, so Pageau does have a knack for doing those little things that can help a team win.

Oliver Wahlstrom

A 22-year-old winger who can really fire the puck, Wahlstrom has been eased into his NHL role, logging 12 minutes per game for a couple of years, but he could be ready to handle more responsibility because not only can he shoot the puck, but Wahlstrom has been able to play a sound defensive game in his limited role. With more ice time and a shooting percentage likely to improve on last season’s 8.3%, there is a reasonable path to Wahlstrom scoring 20 goals in the near future, possibly even this season. Without knowing that he will have an increased role with more ice time, though, Wahlstrom should probably be looked at for 15 goals and 25-30 points. An opportunity waits with Barzal and Lee on the top line representing tempting upside but use caution where you pick him.

DEFENSE

Noah Dobson

Emerging as a first-rate puck-moving defenseman, the 22-year-old erupted for 51 points in his third NHL season. After playing a depth role in his first two seasons, Dobson saw his ice time spike to more than 21 minutes per game as he became the quarterback for the Islanders power play, scoring 22 of his 51 points with the man advantage, which was tied for eighth among defensemen. On a team with a lot of veteran talent, Dobson is still young enough to be on the ascent of his career, so if he can continue to develop, he could become a major factor on the Islanders blueline. Since Dobson’s percentages weren’t wildly inflated last season, looking for another 50-point season is not unreasonable. Maybe a bit optimistic, but he is a young player that is certainly trending up in his career.

Ryan Pulock

Earlier in his career, the 27-year-old looked like he would be a power play threat because of his booming shot, but that was not enough to really handle the job, and that’s okay. He has rounded into a steady top-four role, playing more than 21 minutes per game for four straight seasons. He has blocked more than 100 shots in four straight seasons and has registered more than 1.50 hits per game for each of the past five seasons, yet Pulock plays an exceptionally clean game. In the past two seasons, he has played that physical style for 112 games and has a total of 10 penalty minutes, the fewest of any defenseman to appear in at least 100 games over the past two seasons. It should not be overlooked how much value exists in a defenseman that does not take penalties. Pulock is still capable of producing 30 points, but his offensive ceiling is lowered because his power play contributions have been getting smaller.

Adam Pelech

A standout defensive performer, in the classical sense because Pelech finished with a career high 28 points last season, but he is a first-pairing beast who has excelled in a shutdown role. He is a strong skater and while he is 6-foot-3 and will get involved physically, Pelech is not a punishing hitter. He is smart and responsible and massively underrated by many because he does not have gaudy point totals. Nevertheless, Pelech is a dominant play-driving defenseman who not only handles the toughest matchups, but excels in those matchups, so he should not be some hidden gem of a player, rather he should be getting more Norris Trophy votes if the 28-year-old continues to play as well as he has in recent years. The Islanders have outscored opponents 106-75 with Pelech on the ice in 5-on-5 situations in the past two seasons, 25 points is a fair expectation for Pelech but it barely scratches the surface when trying to represent his value to the Islanders.

Alexander Romanov

Acquired from Montreal in a blockbuster draft day trade, Romanov showed some potential through his first two seasons with Montreal, especially as a physical presence last season when he recorded 227 hits. He was one of 11 defensemen to finish with more than 140 hits and 140 blocked shots last season. The question is whether the 22-year-old can develop and display more skill because his offensive contributions have been very limited while he has had more of an impact defensively. He does not have to turn into an offensive star, but some improvement over his first two seasons with the Canadiens could help Romanov establish his credentials as a top pair defenseman. If he could score 20 points this season that would be a win, but Romanov is also likely to record rare hit and blocked shot totals, enough that he might still have fantasy appeal despite his lack of scoring.

GOALTENDING

Ilya Sorokin

It’s almost a little unfair that Ilya Sorokin has come into the league at the same time as Igor Shesterkin; one might wonder what sort of buzz he’d be producing if he had been the first one to arrive in the NHL, and just how much better his finish would have been in Vezina voting in the process. As it stands, he finished his 2021-22 campaign with a .925 save percentage and a .712 quality start percentage, posting 37 quality starts and a whopping seven shutouts over his 52-game campaign for the New York Islanders. And despite that performance – which in some years would have been a clear-cut Vezina Finalist performance – he still finished sixth in voting for the league’s most prestigious goaltending award; he barely made buzz in comparison to the hype happening on the other side of the city for the rival New York team, which is hard to consider anything but disappointing.

Luckily, the Islanders are set to watch him succeed for a long time yet. Even though the team has been the butt of too many jokes this past summer thanks to an antiquated general manager and a disappointing lack of free agent signings, the team should still be set up to help Sorokin establish himself as one of the most powerful netminders in the Metropolitan Division. In an era when most teams are struggling to figure out who to tandem and when a replacement for the mid-2000’s goaltending giants will emerge from their prospect pools, Sorokin’s smooth skating – combined with a willingness to temper some of his energy and structure his positioning a bit more for the North American game – will keep him thriving in the league for as long as he wants to play.

Projected starts: 55-60

NHL EXPANSION DRAFT: Seattle Roster by the Numbers

Alison Lukan and Shayna Goldman — Tue, 20 Jul 2021 13:25:18 +0000

In just under 48 hours, the Seattle Kraken will have the very first roster of players in franchise history courtesy of Wednesday’s Expansion Draft. 30 other teams (lucky Vegas is exempt) have labored over protection lists, and now it’s up to Seattle to pour through the available players and select one individual from each NHL club to join its organization. There are rules of course: the final roster must include 30 players – one from each team – and include a minimum of 17 forwards, nine defensemen, and three goaltenders with a minimum total cap hit of $48.9 million.

It’s a fun but daunting task to think about all the options and resulting on-ice product, so we decided to join the fray and come up with our own projection for the Kraken team with a data-driven approach.

For player valuation, we used Evolving-Hockey’s Goals Above Replacement (GAR) measure to quantify what each player contributes on ice. We also considered a player's “expected” GAR (xGAR) to consider how a player performed compared to what was expected of them. We then also looked at this performance relative to cost (using annualized cap hit values from CapFriendly.com) to fill out our roster within the Draft guidelines.

With tremendous thanks to both of those online resources, here is our take on what the inaugural Kraken Draft class might look like.

THE ROSTER

THE DOLLARS AND SENSE

NOTES AND THOUGHTS:

The roster of signed players had a cumulative cap hit of about $58 million. On the viz above, to get a gauge of what some of those free agents could sign for, we used Evolving-Hockey’s contract projections. We’ll be honest, some teams had fewer attractive options than others and some of our picks (Fischer, Jarnkrok, Johnsson, Tierney) we view as bait for future trades or flips – some of which will help lower that 2021-22 cap that is over the limit with the featured projections. Also, while acknowledging there could be no shortage of side deals that influence these selections, we picked players with the expectation that they were who Seattle wanted without any constraints.

Here’s some of the players who stood out to us:

Carolina Hurricanes Defenceman Dougie Hamilton (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)

DEFENSE:

Dougie Hamilton (D | Carolina Hurricanes)

We really like our defense overall, and Hamilton is arguably the cornerstone of that. He was a legitimate Norris candidate this past season, as he continues to have driven play while maintaining a positive defense impact. Any blue line would be lucky to have the skill that the right-handed back brings and according to Evolving-Hockey’s projection, that comes at a $8.5 million cap hit.

Mark Giordano (D | Calgary Flames)

Here’s our nod to the old school traditions of hockey. Giordano is in the older range of players we selected, and while that can raise some concern from a longevity perspective, he’s coming off a season where he had a team-high GAR of 12.7, which was also fifth best among all NHL defensemen. Add in a solid reputation as a leader - something a brand new team will need - and Giordano is a natural fit on and off the ice.

Shayne Gostisbehere (D | Philadelphia Flyers)

Just because the rest of the league passed on acquiring Gostisbehere when the Flyers put him on waivers doesn’t mean Seattle will. The leftie’s on ice impacts have slipped over the last two seasons, but a change of scenery should help him bounce back – so could time with Dave Hakstol, who was his bench boss for three and a half seasons earlier in his career.

Vince Dunn (D | St. Louis Blues)

Like Gostisbehere, there have been reports that the defender could be on the move. He isn’t really used in high leverage situations in St. Louis but has solid results in the minutes he’s played thus far in his career. The 24-year-old has the potential to help the Kraken grow on defense for years to come and gives some flexibility as he plays both the left and right side.

FORWARDS:

Josh Bailey (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire)

Josh Bailey (LW/RW | New York Islanders)

Unlike Gostisbehere and Dunn, Bailey’s availability is more of a surprise. The Islanders’ forward scores at the rate of a top-sixer and can provide two-way play on either wing. His versatility adds value as the veteran could shift around the lineup to wherever he’s most needed. If not Bailey, Seattle does have options from this squad; Jordan Eberle is also available and is the better option offensively if management feels they need more scoring up front.

Yanni Gourde (C/LW/RW | Tampa Bay Lightning)

While teams are throwing salary and term at Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow, the Kraken have the option of getting one of the most valuable pieces of that line for free. While he primarily played on the third line in Tampa Bay these last two seasons, Gourde could slot into most teams’ top-six, and can be deployed in all situations. Skating at either wing or center, the versatile forward creates offense both off the rush and forecheck, driving play with his passing and shooting. He gets to work every shift, pressuring for turnovers, and is defensively responsible despite his 5-foot-9 frame.

Philip Danault (C | Montreal Canadiens)

Danault may not be as high scoring as other top-six centers around the league, but he’s one of the best defensive centers right now which is why there’s going to be interest in him once free agency begins. Seattle gets to take a crack at him early, and Evolving-Hockey projects a $6.2 million cap hit. On a team of players put together just months before puck drop, Danault’s defensive play would be a source of stability. And with the right offensively inclined linemate, he could bolster his play on the other end of the ice too.

Andreas Athanasiou (C/LW/RW | LA Kings)

The knock on Athanasiou has always been that while he’s an offensive dynamo, his defensive play is non-existent. That’s still true, but paired with proper linemates, a team may be able to protect and utilize him in the proper way. He’s coming off a nice rebound last year and could be productive in the Pacific Northwest.

GOALTENDERS:

We approached our goaltending choices as a solution in its entirety more than thinking of each player one at a time. We wanted an established and seasoned veteran who understands and has experience with a true starter’s role. Enter Braden Holtby. He is still strong in net, and while costly, doesn’t have a Carey Price-esque contract. Holtby can provide stability in net while also being a mentor to Chris Dreidger. The young Panther is widely expected to join Seattle and his performance this past season gives a glimpse into what could be an exciting staple in net long term for the Kraken. He can play well in net as a backup while likely carrying a larger load than a traditional backup might, while preparing to become the eventual starter. Our third selection, Malcolm Subban, brings in a very solid security blanket in the number three spot. Subban has NHL experience at an affordable price.

Data via Evolving-Hockey, HockeyViz, and CapFriendly

Metropolitan Division Training Camp News

Ryan Dadoun — Fri, 28 Sep 2018 13:36:52 +0000

Carolina Hurricanes

TAMPA, FL - SEPTEMBER 18: Carolina Hurricanes right wing Andrei Svechnikov (37) skates during the NHL preseason game between the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning on September 18, 2018, at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/Icon Sportswire)

There’s some cautious optimism that this might be the season Carolina ends its nine-season playoff drought, but the Hurrianes’ chances took a blow before the season even started. Victor Rask sustained a hand injury that will cost him months and perhaps the hardest part of it to swallow is the fact that he was hurt in the kitchen and not the ice.

The one thing Carolina did better than any team last season was win faceoffs (54.1%) and Rask was a significant part of that (54.9%) as were Derek Ryan (56.5%) and Elias Lindholm (54.5%), who are no longer with the team. Those two departures combined with Rask’s tough-luck injury have created a void up the middle that there is no clear answer for. Sebastian Aho has been tested as a center, but coach Rod Brind’Amour hasn’t liked what he’s seen there.

Lucas Wallmark might end up making the team, especially given the Hurricanes’ need for centers right now. He excelled in the AHL last season with 17 goals and 55 points in 45 contests. He also got into 11 games with Carolina, but averaged just 9:30 minutes and recorded a single goal.

Outside of the center issues, the Hurricanes’ other big focus has been Andrei Svechnikov, who is fighting for a roster spot after being taken with the second overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. It wouldn’t be surprising to at least see him get a nine-game trial with Carolina so that the Hurricanes can test him out in the regular season before coming to a final decision.

Columbus Blue Jackets

When everyone’s healthy, Columbus has a strong blueline, but that ideal isn’t what the Blue Jackets will start with. Seth Jones suffered a second-degree MCL sprain on Tuesday, which is projected to sideline him for four-to-six weeks. Needless to say, losing Jones is a far bigger deal to Columbus than Murray. Jones has been a top-tier defenseman for a while now, but he found another level in 2017-18 with 16 goals and 57 points while averaging 24:36 minutes per game. That led to him finishing fourth in Norris Trophy voting.

To further complicate the situation, Ryan Murray isn’t expected to be ready for the start of the season. Injuries have plagued Murray’s career and in this case it’s a groin issue that will cost him time. When the Blue Jackets were only looking at dealing with the absence of Murray, there was speculation that Markus Nutivaara might be slotted into as David Savard’s partner – at least until Murray was available as an alternative. It’d be a big opportunity for Nutivaara after he averaged just 16:02 minutes in 2017-18, but it’s worth noting that he did a fair amount offensively in that role with seven goals and 23 points in 61 games. Now that Jones is out too, the Blue Jackets need to scramble to find new pairings, but this just makes it more likely that Nutivaara will be on the second pairing, whether it’s with Savard or someone else should Savard get bumped to the top unit. Nutivaara might also be asked to serve on the second power-play unit now that Jones is out.

At least the Blue Jackets also got some positive news on the injury front as Zach Werenski is on track to play in the season opener. He underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum after playing with the problem for most of 2017-18. That injury might have been part of the reason he went from recording 47 points as a rookie to 37 points as a sophomore, so he could have a nice bounce back this season provided he’s healthy. If Columbus had to enter the season without Werenski and Jones, it would have created a massive void, but at least it appears they’re narrowing avoiding that nightmare scenario.

New Jersey Devils

Cory Schneider had an up-and-down 2017-18 campaign, but rather than wonder if he can be consistent going forward, the more immediate question is if he’ll be available. He had hip surgery over the summer and while he has practiced during training camp, he hasn’t gotten into a preseason game. That puts his status for New Jersey’s opener on Oct. 6 very much in question.

Keith Kinkaid would start in Schneider’s absence and given how well Kinkaid did down the stretch last season, if Schneider ends up missing a meaningful amount of time, Kinkaid could take that opportunity to make a strong case to steal the starting gig. Meanwhile, veteran goalie Eddie Lack is projected to make the Devils’ opening game roster if Schneider isn’t ready.

At least the Devils sorted out a different question mark on Sept. 22 when they signed Miles Wood to a four-year, $11 million contract. Wood missed the start of training camp as a RFA contract holdout, but these events might favor New Jersey in the long run. Giving Wood four years is a risk given that he still has more to prove, but the 23-year-old forward had an encouraging 19 goals, 32 points, and 84 penalty minutes in 76 contests last season, so if he continues to develop than he should more than live up to that contract.

New York Islanders

Luca Sbisa joined the Islanders’ training camp on a tryout basis and ended up securing a one-year, $1.5 million contract with time to spare. In doing so, the Islanders have created a logjam on the blueline with eight different defensemen signed to one-way contracts. They also have Dennis Seidenberg participating in their camp on a tryout basis, but it’s hard to see him earning a one-way contract after Sbisa already signed.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 26: New York Islanders Center Mathew Barzal (13) skates with the puck during a NHL game between the Minnesota Wild and New York Islanders on October 26, 2017 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN.The Wild defeated the Islanders 6-4.(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire)

Of course, the big question for the Islanders going into the season is how their top two forward lines will shake out. John Tavares signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs naturally created a big hole that no one on the team is capable of truly filling. The Islanders are fortunate in the sense that Mathew Barzal excelled as a rookie in 2017-18, so they at least have a strong first-line center even without Tavares, but then who do they put on the second line? Brock Nelson might end up getting that gig. He’s been tried out with some of the Islanders’ top wingers during camp, including Anders Lee, Jordan Eberle, and Josh Bailey. Nelson is obviously going to be a huge step down from John Tavares, but taking Nelson on his own merits, he might end up being an okay second-line center.

One player that won’t be trying to fill that offensive void left by Tavares, at least not at the start of the season, is Joshua Ho-Sang. The Islanders have already reassigned him to the AHL, which has to be extremely disappointing for the 2014 first-round pick. Ho-Sang hasn’t been able to establish himself as quickly as some hoped and now it seems that even the fresh start he was provided by the Islanders changing their general manager and coach hasn’t moved things in a positive direction.

New York Rangers

The Rangers will began the rebuilding process last season and gave this new era a face when they hired David Quinn to serve as the new head coach straight from Boston University. A new coach on a rebuilding team creates a golden opportunity for young players and it looks like Filip Chytil has taken advantage of that. Chytil has been one of the Rangers’ standouts and given Quinn’s philosophy of having his best nine forwards serve on the top-nine regardless of positional considerations, Quinn should find a way to give Chytil healthy opportunities in the regular season provided the 19-year-old forward continues to impress.

Not everyone has had as strong a camp though and Jimmy Vesey might not have done enough to earn more than a fourth-line spot out of the gate. Vesey might be playing alongside Vladislav Namestnikov on that unit, which would be a huge step down from most of 2017-18 when Namestnikov was primarily playing alongside Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. Whether you feel the Rangers won or lost the Ryan McDonagh trade with Tampa Bay, it seems evident that Namestnikov was the biggest loser in the shift.

It’s also worth noting that Kevin Shattenkirk made his preseason debut on Sept. 22, which was his first game since Jan. 18 after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus. He got a pair of assists in the 5-2 loss and while preseason statistics aren’t terribly useful, it’s encouraging to see him do well after being absent for so long.

Philadelphia Flyers

It wouldn’t be the Philadelphia Flyers if there wasn’t goaltending drama. The latest chapter starts with Michal Neuvirth, who now appears doubtful for the start of the regular season due to an undisclosed injury. If he can’t play, then the Flyers safest alternative would be Alex Lyon given that he got into 11 games with Philadelphia last season – but Lyon is dealing with a lower-body injury and therefore also not an option.

VOORHEES, NJ - JULY 06: Carter Hart of the Philadelphia Flyers poses for his official headshot for the 2017-2018 season on July 6, 2017 at the Virtua Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, New Jersey. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Carter Hart

That leaves Anthony Stolarz, who is coming off two knee surgeries and played a total of four games in 2017-18 (three in the ECHL), and Carter Hart, the man Flyers fans are putting their hopes and dreams on. Hart has done great in the preseason, but even so it’s reasonable to wonder if it’s really a good idea to send him straight from the WHL to the NHL? It’s asking a lot of him and might not be ideal for his development. The Flyers might end up having to acquire a goalie, which is something that would have seemed crazy just a few weeks ago when it looked like they had an organizational logjam in goal.

Outside of the Flyers’ goalie issues, one emerging storyline has been Corban Knight. He’s 28-years-old, has only played in 29 career NHL games and spent the last two seasons entirely in the minors so he naturally didn’t come into training camp with any special attention paid to him. Knight has managed to claw himself into the conservation for the Flyers’ fourth-line spot though, frequently playing alongside Scott Laughton and Michael Raffl. Knight survived Tuesday’s round of roster cuts, so if nothing else, he would be one of the last players cut if he doesn’t make the team.

Even if Knight makes the team, he wouldn’t have a huge impact, but it would make for a nice feel good story of a guy that kept fighting long after he lost the prospect tag and eventually managed to defy the odds.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Jean-Sebastien Dea has managed to survive the Penguins’ cuts thus far and is consequently one of the final 15 forwards on the roster. He’s coming off his best campaign in the AHL to date with 18 goals and 50 points in 70 games. He also has the versatility to play center or right wing and kill penalties. If he does make the Penguins, it will likely be as a fourth-liner though.

Whatever happens with Dea, the biggest change for the Penguins going into the season will be the addition of offseason signing Jack Johnson. It wasn’t long ago that Johnson was a workhorse that consistently logged an average of over 24 minutes each season for Columbus, but his role declined in 2017-18 to the point where he averaged 19:33 minutes and was a healthy scratch in the playoffs. With that all behind him, it looks like Johnson will enter the season on the Penguins’ second pairing with Justin Schultz. The X-Factor there is the fact that Schultz skipped Wednesday’s preseason game due to a nagging upper-body injury. Penguins coach Mike Sullivan didn’t make it seem like anything serious, but obviously if Schultz ends up being unavailable for the start of the season then Johnson will temporarily play alongside someone else.

Washington Capitals

After winning the Stanley Cup, the Washington Capitals made a point of minimizing roster turnover, so naturally there weren’t a lot of question marks going into training camp. That’s led to a quieter preseason, so there has still been a couple smaller storylines.

For example, Devante Smith-Pelly hasn’t gotten into a preseason game yet and that’s reportedly because he hasn’t lived up to the Capitals’ conditioning standards. At this point it’s not clear if the Capitals will use Smith-Pelly as part of their opening game roster. It’s unfortunate to see this happen given that he was one of the role players that helped push the Capitals over the top with his seven goals and eight points in the postseason. Washington felt good enough about what he brought to the table to sign him to a one-year, $1 million contract over the summer, but now it seems like he might not live up to that deal.

The Capitals might also start the season without defenseman Michal Kempny, but for a very different reason. He’s sidelined after absorbing a high elbow from St. Louis’ Robert Bortuzzo during Tuesday’s game. Although the Capitals have simply termed Kempny’s injury as “upper body,” it’s reportedly a concussion and if that’s true then it’s hard to say how long he’ll be out for. Kempny is another one of those role players that came through for the Capitals during the playoffs. In his case, Kempny logged 17:42 minutes per contest in the postseason, which led to Washington signing him to a four-year, $10 million contract back in June. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that 21-year-old defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler has looked good in training camp and should be included in the Capitals’ final roster if Kempny isn’t available.

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.