RSS Islanders Team Notes

[New York Islanders]

Islanders News: Tsyplakov files for arbitration

Rocky The Other Thompson | Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Also: Rocky Thompson on Brent and Bridgeport.

There is a little more offseason business for the Islanders to do as one of their RFAs, Maxim Tsyplakov, was among 11 NHLers filing for arbitration.

That’s not too crazy — there are far more intriguing arbitration cases with players like Lukas Dostal and Kaapo Kakko — but it does put an endpoint on the negotiation window, as the sides will either reach an agreement or get one handed to them after the arbitration hearing window, which runs July 20 - Aug. 4.

Tysplakov is coming off his ELC ($950k cap hit) as a KHL import at age 26, so arbitration will give him a one-year deal with a new benchmark price after a so-so 10-goal rookie season. The Isles have a little over $3.9 million left in projected cap space with 22 of 23 spots filled, per PuckPedia, though that includes David Rittich in goal and Semyon Varlamov on IR, with a difference of $1.75 million in their cap hit).

Potential callups/replacements who aren’t in that 23 (e.g. Calum Ritchie, Matthew Schaefer when he signs) all have ELC-level rates, so that’s a fair picture of where they are, barring more summer intrigue and given Varlamov’s health is a question mark..

Islanders News​

• So yes, Tsyplakov filed for arbitration. [Post]
• In a rather angst-free season finale of Islanders Anxiety, Dan and Mike discuss the last week of intrigue and how things are just kind of cool right now. [LHH]
• We linked the raw video the other day, but here’s the official site write-up of Rocky Thompson’s media availability. He stressed building relationships with the players who will soon or one day be under his charge in the AHL, and his longtime friendship with mentor Brent Thompson. [Isles] And here’s Newsday version. [Newsday]
• Can Matthew Schaefer make the opening night lineup? [Newsday]
• That question, of course has a bearing on Isaiah George’s chances. [Post+]

Elsewhere​

• Here are all of the league’s arbitration filers. [NHL]
• Lars Ehlers took extra time and made lots of calls to feel like Carolina was the right fit. [NHL] It was an “emotional” departure from Winnipeg for him. [Sportsnet]
• At the other end of the spectrum, Jonathan “The Other” Toews “knew in [his] heart that coming home to Winnipeg was the right fit. [NHL | Sportsnet]
• J.J. Peterka is excited to escape Buffalo and take on a new role in Utah. [NHL]
• Apparently James van Riemsdyk is still playing, now signing with the Red Wings. [NHL]
• Try to excite yourself for the 10 top UFAs still on the market. [Sportsnet]
• R.I.P. Lyndon Byers, longtime Bruin of the ‘80s. [NHL]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/20...ers-news-tsyplakov-arbitration-rocky-thompson

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders & NHL News: CBA sealed, Edmonton gets Howard, prospects jump to NCAA

Just cut the penalties, okay? | Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Also: Gatcomb gets a one-way deal, leaving Tsyplakov as the only arbitration filer.

While the new NHL CBA (now freshly ratified) that takes effect in 2026-27 mostly maintains the status quo but with several improvements here and there (plus a longer regular season), the world of “amateur” hockey continues to churn.

As Canadian junior players make the jump to the NCAA that was not previously available to them before U.S. courts cut the college “student-athlete” charade, a top NCAA player has changed his mind and jumped to the NHL via a trade to the back-to-back Stanley Cup finalists.

Islanders News​

• Will Marc Gatcomb be on the opening night roster? He and the Isles avoided arbitration and he got a one-way deal, but with the competition in camp he could still end up in a “first callup” role. [Post]
• That leaves Max Tsyplakov as the only Isles arbitration filing. His qualifying offer was basically for the minimum, so they have time to work out a better raise or see what an arbitrator makes of his rookie season. [THN]

NHL News​

Isaac Howard, the Hobey Baker Award winner, was traded from the Lightning to the Oilers, with whom he immediately signed an ELC. The Michigan State scorer — who previously transferred from Minnesota-Duluth in the NCAA’s new transfer portal world — had said he wanted to stay at Michigan State to continue the championship chase. Maybe the chance to be a missing piece on a Stanley Cup finalist swayed him otherwise. There were no stories last night shedding light on this process, other than the Lightning acquiring prospect Sam O’Reilly in exchange. [NHL]

• The NHL and NHLPA officially ratified the 4-year CBA extension. They’ll post the full doc later, though most of the key details have already been shared. [NHL]
• Next year’s projected 1st overall pick Gavin McKenna has left the WHL to jump to NCAA Penn State. (For the education, I’m sure. And six figures in NIL money.) Will others join him? [Sportsnet]
• The Canadiens have done a lot, but they still have a hole at 2C like so many teams. [Sportsnet]
• Grading every team’s offseason. [ESPN]
• Evgeny Kuznetsov wants to come back to the NHL, his agent promises he won’t cost as much this time. Duh. [TSN]
• The Avalanche have hired Dave Hakstol as an assistant coach. [TSN]
• Evidently Jeff Tambellini played for the Lightning? He replaces Mathieu Darche as assistant GM there, his “third stint” with the franchise. [Lightning]
• Tyler Johnson, once part of the Lightning reign that is now fading, has retired. [NHL]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/20...d-edmonton-gets-howard-prospects-jump-to-ncaa

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders News: The quiet and the Dobson; Drouin and our Beau lobbyist

Not a Johnson, but also not... | Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

A fascinating trade because the main piece has high potential yet is so uninspiring.

We’ve entered the second-quietest part of the NHL calendar, with the biggest names — to the extent there were any “big” ones — off the UFA market and only the arbitration hearing calendar to keep the usual Canadian professional liars from tossing their phones in the lake at the ol’ cottage.

The Islanders do have Max Tsyplakov on the arbitration docket, so there’s that to look out for, but the chances of that going too off-market or turning into a Tommy Salo situation are slim.

Meanwhile, the biggest Isles move of the summer continues to intrigue will be a fascinating one for the next several years. The team that gets the best player usually “wins” a trade, but in the case of Noah Dobson, there is a cap allocation consideration as well as the unknown futures of the two players they drafted (plus Emil Heineman, we need to somehow factor in his potential contribution even if it will never match Dobson’s).

Interestingly, it’s one of those futures-for-present moves that is getting praise for both sides, though certainly more of that is going to the Canadiens. The “what the hell is this guy anyway?” wild card of Dobson at 25 is what makes it intriguing. If he’s going to be the massive star some are making him out to be, then the trade is a huge win for the Habs, hands down. And yet...while “defensemen take longer to develop” and all that, the truly great ones have shown their potential before 25.

The Athletic actually had a nice breakdown of how things look, and while it gave the typical “if you have a chance to get a guy like this, you take it” angle on the Canadiens, it also conceded the warts in Dobson’s game that have made some of us okay with this deal:

Defensemen get caught flat-footed and puck-watching all the time. Mistakes are bound to happen in a high-paced league filled with scoring threats. However, the number of errors from Dobson was concerning last year, especially for someone asking for such a sizable raise. Technically, he was on the ice for fewer shots and expected goals against at five-on-five this past year, compared to 2023-24. But his fingerprints were on more goals against, which made his errors all the more glaring.

I really don’t know if Dobson will ever figure it out to be a true all-world, two-way guy that Team Canada says has to be on their blueline, but I think the chances are pretty low that the Habs ever deeply regret this trade. With the cap rising, at minimum Dobson should be a flawed but still productive offensive blueliner.

I know Alex Pietrangelo had warts in his game at 21, 22, 23, but he also was farther on the star curve and more competent in his own end (and the PK) than Dobson well before 25. Pietrangelo would not have had Butch Goring diplomatically scratching his head on a weekly basis as he seemed to about “the Dobber.”

Drew Doughty is of course an unfair standard, but he basically arrived at 19 being mocked about his weight and then immediately showed he was a force before he hit age 20. Point being, the truly great ones identify themselves well before 25. They take over games and inspire you with thoughts of “Damn, we could win a CUP with this guy.”

Dobson is somewhere short of that.

At the other end of the high-potential/hype, low hockey-IQ spectrum are the American Johnsons, Erik and Jack (no relation, other than the frustration they exacted on fans). They had skills, yes they did. They had hype, that, too. They had long careers even. But never, ever did they instill the confidence that they could be a #1 on a contender, except among certain GMs who ended up not contending.

Dobson is somewhere above that. But for me these examples help contextualize the decision the Isles’ new regime faced coming in.

Until this year’s trade deadline, I always assumed Dobson would be a long-term Islander, though I did worry he would ultimately be in the bottom tier of the league’s #1 defensemen. As if other teams would say, “Oh, he’s your top guy? That’s swell, but I’m definitely not jealous.”

For that reason, the Isles trading Dobson instead of breaking the bank for him — the Habs GM claims he took less to go to Montreal — follows a certain logic.

However, then there’s also the other variables that will always be there for this asset allocation decision, and the ripple of what Lou left us: With a rising cap that should have allowed a splurge, the Isles only forced themselves into a tough choice among Dobson and Alex Romanov because they have Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock and Scott Mayfield all signed for combined AAV of $15.4 million through the next four years (and for Pulock and Mayfield, five).

That’s not a ton for your top four in the projected 2025-2028 cap world if they’re truly top four, but each of these guys is showing mileage that affirms it’s not 2020 anymore.

Not Only, But Also​

• This Isles fan visited every NHL arena, but the real takeaway here is calling Toronto’s Whatever-bank/tire Cent(e)r(e) “the MSG of Canada.” [Post]
• Rumored to be in their final season, Bridgeport announces “Sound Tiger” Saturdays. [THN]
• Anthony Beauvillier may be a rival now, but he’s still pumping Long Island’s tires as an unofficial ambassador to guys like Jonathan Drouin:

#Isles Forward Jonathan Drouin talked on #NHLTonight on @NHLNetwork about heading to Long Island! pic.twitter.com/L4kMUj0qFi

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) July 10, 2025​

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/2025/7/12/24466184/islanders-news-dobson-drouin-beauvillier

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders News: In praise of Bruce, Jiggs; Tsyplakov on Year 1

We’re entering the final two weeks of August, “players seen skating” is in the air, Olympic orientation camps are around the corner, and the season that seems so far away is inching closer.

Islanders News​

• In praise of Bruce Bennett, who by skill and our great luck, has photographed 50 years of hockey including countless Islanders moments. I always thought about his career launching by covering the dynasty, but of course, it makes sense that he was also so close to the Garden, Philadelphia, (eventually) the Meadowlands and even Hartford, so he could shoot a lot of the early games. He’s now dabbled in bird photography, which is somehow even harder than shooting hockey. [Defector]
• Max Tsyplakov goes on a Russian show and discusses life in the NHL, greasy American food, Patrick Roy, the veterans who help but don’t let him control the playlist, his first suspension and more. [via THN]
• This day (couple days ago) in Isles history: Eliminating the Capitals in 2020, teehee. [Isles]
• Stan Fischler and others discuss Jiggs McDonald, who thanked teams for passing on Mike Bossy, John Tonelli and Mat Barzal. [Isles]

Elsewhere​

• Some 21-year-old named Frank Nazar who I should probably know but he’s a Blackhawk signed a seven-year, $46.13 million extension. [NHL]
• Three questions facing the Flyers including the evergreen one in Philly: What about that putrid goaltending? [NHL]
• Here are four has-beens that have already agreed to PTOs. [NHL]
• Team Canada GM Doug Armstrong seeks players with “ill will” and “determination.” [Sportsnet]
• In very standard fare, Auston Matthews discusses life without Mitch Marner. [Sportsnet]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/is...-in-praise-of-bruce-jiggs-tsyplakov-on-year-1

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders News: Pulock among worst contracts; site changes loom, should be cool

There’s still time, man. There’s still time. Like five years, to be specific. | Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images

Hey friends (and foes), our new site overhaul is scheduled for overnight (Monday-Tuesday, Western Hemisphere times), so I wanted to get one more thread up before that transition happens and in case we have any login hiccups on the other side.

For the NHL sites on the Vox/SB Nation network, these changes come at a good time since we are in the quietest period of NHL news {knocks on wood, fully expects blockbuster trade at 5 p.m.}.

What Should You Do?​

Understand that you will be logged out Aug. 4-5 and will need to log back in. The biggest thing you should do is to review this network-wide post to understand how you’ll log in and retain your user name or archive once the changeover happens. (And yes, I do see the delicious irony in having to close a pop-up ad on a post that tells you how to continue using our site. Ahhh, capitalism.) How you log in after the change will vary depending on how you log in now (e.g. Google and Facebook? Fine; Yahoo or Twitter? You got work to do) or how you first created your user name.

Lord Bossy knows we don’t want to lose anyone to this changeover — well, except you there, in the back. Yeah you, the one with the Muller jersey. Real funny. Go dye your hair.

So bear with us, follow the directions and hopefully we’ll see you on the other side.

Meanwhile…

Islanders News​

Ranking the 10 worst contracts in the league: Once upon a time, “Ryan Pulock [7th-worst] was one half of one of the league’s best shutdown pairs. Even if the production wasn’t there, Pulock looked like a true top-pair stud with his ability to win difficult matchups with Adam Pelech. It’s what made it seem like an eight-year deal at $6.2 million could be a great deal. Today, it looks anything but. In two of the last three seasons, the Islanders have struggled a lot more with Pulock on the ice at both ends of it.” [Athletic]

New prospect Daniil Prokhorov has some options. He’s going to try out for Dynamo Moscow but if that doesn’t work he could go back to Russian juniors or even leap to North America with OHL Sarnia. (He has some interesting traits but is still a longshot, so I wouldn’t spend much time worrying about it, except it’s August and what else are we gonna do?) [THN]

Elsewhere​

• Bill Guerin says the U.S. “has to win” at the Olympics. Okay then! [NHL]
• Speaking of which, Connor Bedard was among 42 invited to Team Canada camp, so isn’t that nice. [NHL]
• 32 Thoughts podcast: a 1.5 hour mid-summer check-in you can probably do without. [Sportsnet]
• The 2016 Draft: Not a great one! (But the Isles have the joy of temporarily employing underwhelming picks 19, 20 and 21.) [Oilers Nation / Hockey Reference]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/20...rs-news-ryan-pulock-worst-contracts-prokhorov

 

[New York Islanders]

Welcome to the new Lighthouse Hockey: A fresh look, fewer ads and a new feature

Things will look a little different around here today.



A few weeks ago we told you something new was coming to Lighthouse Hockey and today it’s here. Things are cleaner, faster and easier to use. There are the same writers, coverage, comments, and community you’ve come to rely on, now with less clutter and clunkiness.



Let’s dive in. If you scroll down the page on your phone or computer, it’s smoother. You’ll notice that the most talked-about stories have a bigger font displaying the number of comments. You’ll also see a section called Active Conversations to point you to the busiest conversations right now.



But there’s two changes we’re most excited to tell you about:

Fewer ads for logged-in users​

Our loyal readers and commenters are the heartbeat of our communities, and with this new design we’re excited to offer them fewer ads when they’re logged in. Specifically:

• Video players will no longer chase you down the page. Just scroll past one and it will be gone.
• Full page pop-ups that would sometimes interrupt your commenting experience have been disabled.

You can log in or sign up here and check it out.

A new feature by the community, for the community: The Feed​

Today we’re launching a brand new space for you to come together. The Feed is a running stream of posts and updates from you, the community, mixed in with links and updates from the team and our staff. Think of it as our community’s group text where you can easily grab your phone and share a link to a story, post a question or write your own post on the day’s news.



You can find it in two places:

• On the homepage, adjacent to the top stories. Community participation is core to who we are, so we want it right on the front page to share your stuff.
• A devoted homepage for The Feed where you can see the full stream of posts coming in from the community. You might want to bookmark that.

Log in or sign up here and you can start posting on The Feed and seeing fewer ads immediately.



Today’s launch is a big deal for our community, and it’s also a kickoff of broader efforts to build around the community we have here. Soon you’ll get alerts when someone replies to your comment or your post on The Feed, with more to come thereafter. We want to put the community in the driver’s seat, so let us know what you want in the comments below or in The Feed.



If you want to dig into more of this updated experience, head over to this post on sbnation.com from SB Nation’s Head of Product Ed Clinton, where he expands on the changes in our ads and design. Ed will be responding to questions in the comments. If you have any questions about how to log in to our new system, check out this article from last week.

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/la...ckey-a-fresh-look-fewer-ads-and-a-new-feature

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders News: Matthew Schaefer is a swell dude

They like Schaefer, they do.

You made it! We made it! Since I was last able to publish, the Islanders dropped the news that Matthew Schafer had signed his ELC. But of course the kid didn’t just sign his first pro contract, he managed to make it a feel-good story by inviting all kinds of kids who’d also lost a parent to join in, ask him questions, and generally not feel alone.

In the Year of Our Bossy, 2025, did you ever expect the Islanders would land a 17-year-old quite like this? More on that in a moment…

But First: The Site Transition​

But first, a note about our site migration. Thanks for bearing with the network overlords as they moved the bells and whistles. If you have trouble logging in, click the notices on the site or, if all else fails, email [email protected].

The site should largely focus like it did before (though we’re told there are now fewer ads and fewer intrusions for those who log in), but there is one notable new area for short-form, breaking news, or other grabass interaction: The Feed.

To test, I posted one late last night here, a link to one of the Matthew Schafer stories that just kind of underlines what a great kid he appears to be. I imagine The Feed will function like that, where you can share quick things or specific ideas, kind of like the FanPosts and FanShots of yesteryear, for you old-timers. Lest it get spammed with crap, I’m pretty sure the most engaged or talked-about Feed posts will rise to the top. In theory.

Islanders News​

And now, back to the daily topics at hand: the suddenly relevant-again New York Islanders…

• Schaefer to wear #48. I’m not really thrilled with the original reason, though I can accept it with the middle man being his brother. And I’m glad we’re past the era of “Lou said you wear 3, so you wear 3.” [Isles]
• Here’s the big one though: Schaefer shared his signing event with kids who’ve lost loved ones. I’m not crying, you’re crying. [Isles]
• He also threw out a first pitch at a Mets game. [Isles]
• This list has the Isles as one of three teams with “tier 1” goaltending. Big question mark there in the backup slot though. [TSN]
• Also in the nice news category, Scott Mayfield, Ryan Pulock and Kyle MacLean played with some Viscardi students who played wheelchair hockey. [Isles]

NHL News​

• A bear did what many of us would do when we see a mascot. [Sportsnet]
• Anton Khudobin hangs up his pads. [Sportsnet]
• Nine significant RFAs remain unsigned, including 21-year-old Luke Hughes and Billy Guerin’s cold-shouldered Marco Rossi. [Sportsnet]
• Speaking of Rossi, what’s the deal here? [Athletic]
• Why some NHLers choose sleep over drinking during the season. [Athletic]
• Vitali Kravtsov returns from the KHL to rejoin the Canucks. [TSN]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/is...islanders-news-matthew-schaefer-elc-great-guy

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders News: Barzal’s contract value; Darche on things

Tough to get good help these days.

There isn’t news, exactly, but there are topics:

Summer topics like Cap Court taking on five contracts, including Elias Pettersson’s, Jakob Chychrun’s and Mathew Barzal’s after an injury-torched season:

He was injured for almost all of last year, so we can probably ditch those disappointing numbers. The year before that, he had 80 points, his best total since his rookie season. There’s a reason new Isles management made it clear Barzal wasn’t going anywhere. And while you don’t want to overplay the “cap is going up” card, we already covered how the center market is about to shift in the Pettersson section.

— Athletic

• Or Ryan Pulock (subject of a different recent contract critique) having a big summer with a firstborn on the way and various training, as one does. [Isles]
• Barzal was one of many topics Jeff Marek brought up with Mathieu Darche on this lengthy interview, beginning about 35 minutes in to this. [The Sheet via Twitter]
• THN broke some of those topics into clickable content: Darche on Barzal, Calum Ritchie’s chance of making the squad out of camp, and Semyon Varlamov’s rehab “I’m told it’s progressing well [but you never know].”

Elsewhere​

• That Athletic Cap Court piece’s discussion of Pettersson linked to something from earlier this year that tried to understand his freefall and determine if it was a true (and early career) decline. Some of the signs do look like they’re lingering-injury-related, which would be bad news if his knee has slowed him down.
• For his part, Pettersson says he’s healthy, working on speed and “wants revenge.” [NHL | Sportsnet]
• It’s summer, so rosterbate over the Canadian Olympic roster. [TSN]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/is...-news-barzals-contract-value-darche-on-things

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders Musing: Who fits where?

As we wait for rookie camp and proper training camp, the evergreen debate is: who makes the team and who plays where?

Some variables include Semyon Varlamov’s health, Mat Barzal’s position (and Jonathan Drouin’s, if the hoped-for chemistry with Bo Horvat doesn’t ignite…and Casey Cizikas’, if his late-last-season shift continues) and Matthew Schaefer’s near future.

THN had a post on this topic and it’s been debated plenty in comments lately here, but you can look at it in a few areas:

Who are the Centers?

Barzal is a candidate to move back to his original position as the Isles discussed a desire for Drouin to setup Horvat at center. But at his signing, the Isles mentioned Drouin’s ability to play center and wing, and of course Barzal is in that same boat.

Meanwhile, Casey Cizikas played his share at wing down the stretch, and the last survivor from the Best Fourth Line in Hockey is getting older.

And then over here you have Kyle MacLean.

Who are the Defensemen?

Tony DeAngelo and Adam Boqvist are the returnees from the crop of mid-season emergency signings/waiver claims. Scott Mayfield was scratched plenty down the stretch so he should not be considered a lock in the regular lineup.

After Alex Romanov, Ryan Pulock, Adam Pelech and DeAngelo, who are the other regulars? Boqvist and Mayfield will almost certainly be on the NHL roster if not every-night players, and Schaefer will of course get his shot to stick.

Other wild cards are Isaiah George, who started really well last season under emergency conditions before fading, and perhaps former NHL regular Ethan Bear, who’s on a two-way deal.

Who are the Extra Forwards?

Is MacLean here? Does Marc Gatcomb retain that energy/grateful-to-be-here extra forward role? Do Pierre Engvall and/or Anthony Duclair return to the doghouse and create extra openings?

Even if you’re not big on the Isles’ offseason, the additions of Emil Heineman in the Noah Dobson trade and Max Shabanov via KHL import means there are two new should-be regulars who should make the fringes of the forward lineup less depressing.

How is the Goalie Load?

Varlamov is rehabbing and old. What are the odds of him returning healthy? If he does, what’s the over/under on his games played? David Rittich, from Jihlava, Czechia, is ready to be backup at age 32, and he’s coming off career highs and lows in save percentage over the past two seasons. The Islanders cannot afford to run Ilya Sorokin into the ground, so they’ll need Rittich to not be so Hogberg-y (2024-25 save percentages: Rittich, .886, Hogberg, .878).

On this Day ​

In 2020: Having dispatched the Panthers in the pandemic play-in round, the Barry Trotz-led Islanders prepared to meet the Washington Capitals in the first round/round of 16. In the Toronto bubble, the Islanders would win Game 1, 4-2, and finish out the series with a 4-0 win in Game 5.

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/islanders-news-headlines/42722/islanders-musing-who-fits-where

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders & NHL News: Looking back at 2019, Pierre, Duclair

From Isles Den on YouTube, on the 2018-19 season: “Nobody saw them coming…”


Also…:

• Anthony Duclair is looking forward to the season with the Isles. [via @RTaub]
• …and Duclair deserves another shot/fresh slate. [THN]
• Revisiting some Isles video content: Alumni browse the hockey card wall. [Isles]
• Summer power rankings: “It’s slightly uncomfortable ranking the Isles this low [24th] because they’re still just a monster Ilya Sorokin season away from pushing very hard for a playoff spot.” [Sportsnet]
• Pierre Turgeon discusses his career, including the impact of Al Arbour, the D*le H*nt*r coward-shot plus some great stuff about driving to the rink with Patrick Roy every day in Montreal knowing that the end was near (his interview starts about an hour into these meatheads’ bro-cast). [Spittin’ Chicklets]
• The Gaudreau widows are announcing a foundation in their late husbands’ name with an interview on a morning show on Johnny’s birthday. [NHL]

Not Isles-related

• Matthew and Brady Tkachuk talk about their teams, the CBA (“less preseason crap”), the Olympics ’n stuff. [ESPN]
• Speaking of them, Matthew is somehow still undecided on abdominal surgery, which would cause him to miss at least two to three months. (Season’s approaching…LTIR shenanigans?). [ESPN]
• The Senators have acquired land in their never-ending arena ambition. [Sportsnet | TSN]
• Looking toward the next draft lottery that the Penguins will win: Can Keaton Verhoeff catch Gavin McKenna as the top prospect? [Sportsnet]
• The Wild will bring Jack Johnson in on a PTO. Dude’s a cockroach. [TSN]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/islanders-news-headlines/42726/islanders-turgeon-duclair

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders News: Bailey & Belmont talk…

We’re a little under two months from opening night, and the news is fairly dry. But we need a fresh thread, so:

• This “walk down the card wall” with Josh Bailey is actually pretty neat (and brief), for its Ice Cheetah redemption arc. [Isles video]
• An outdoor game at Belmont? Isles exec John Collins, the father of outdoor games, says could be… [@RTaub_]
• Shanghai surprise: Gerard Gallant’s newest gig is in the KHL for China’s team….except they play in St. Petersburg. [TSN]
• After recovering from testicular cancer, an injury after he returned, and an offseason trade, Dakota Joshua is ready for a fresh start. [NHL]
• An arbitrator has sided with the Flyers in their contract termination with Ryan Johansen. [TSN]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/islanders-news-headlines/42742/islanders-news-bailey-belmont-talk

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders News: Summer rewind

I mean it’s everything we’ve talked about daily for the past few months, but…the NHL dot-com got around to the Islanders in their 32-in-32 series, so here it is, officially:

NHL Inside Look​

• The Isles’ current top prospects are all recently acquired, including of course the three first-round picks a couple months ago. [NHL]
• The lottery win and drafting of Mathew Schaefer added life, though there was that trade of their previous top young defenseman to shift the retool into future mode. “There’s been some hope restored and there’s a direction with youth involved, and really talented youth,” says Cal Clutterbuck. [NHL]
• Their top three questions: If Schaefer makes it (and how often he plays), the Varlamov health situation and fixing the miserable special teams. On that last point, maybe this partial Anders Lee quote is nothing, but maybe it’s not: “With our new assistant coaches, getting on the same page with them having a plan…” [NHL]
• And EDGE stats: “Forward Anders Lee led the entire NHL in high-danger shots on goal (131) and was tied for sixth in high-danger goals (23) last season.“ [NHL]
• Not new ground here, but: Will Schaefer, who still hasn’t turned 18, make the team? [Sportsnet]
• Old friend Travis Hamonic rides again! He picked up at least one more NHL contract, with Detroit, despite some unconvincing results the last several seasons. [TSN]

asd

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/islanders-news-headlines/42747/islanders-news-summer-rewind

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders News: Cal on all sorts of things; more Pierre

What have we for mid-August topics?

• These guys are basically walking punchable faces, but they get some good interview subjects — in this case, because Cal Clutterbuck has known Paul Bissonwhatever since he was 14. It’s from before the Dobson trade, but Clutterbuck covers a range of topics from being crushed about being traded to the Isles before loving Long Island, his buddy Tavares leaving (and Cal cracking up about the Coliseum chants in Tavares’ first game back), Lou joining, Brock Nelson’s quiet chippiness, Greg Cronin’s self-defeating fire, Capuano putting the Identity Line together, Dobson’s strengths and one weakness, and more. [YouTube]

• A less-noted but still crucially important side effect of the Noah Dobson trade: It keeps the Travis Hamonic (or if you prefer, Oleg Kvasha or Pat LaFontaine or…) trade tree going. [via The LHH Feed]
• Pierre Turgeon and Stephan Matteau representing Canada in the 1982 Little League World Series. [Athletic]
• Hudson Fasching gets another (two-way) NHL deal, with the Blue Jackets. [TSN]

Elsewhere​

• The U.S. has invited 44 players to pre-Olympic camp. [NHL]
• After a year off and a domestic violence incident that stopped his fading career, Milan Lucic gets a PTO from the Blues for some reason. [TSN]
• The Hoffmann family, an odd group that at one point bought up a small Missouri town to turn it into “the next Napa Valley” before abandoning it, is vying to buy the Penguins. Please do! [Sportsnet]
• Possible trade destinations for Ducks RFA Mason McTavish. [Sportsnet]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/is...s-news-cal-on-all-sorts-of-things-more-pierre

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders News: Lottery for the prospect pipeline

The Islanders have not exactly been restocking their prospect cupboard, but it’s crazy what a lottery win and a trade of a top defenseman can do for your prospect rankings.

Not that these lists are authoritative — though they do reflect general conventional wisdom — but the latest Athletic prospect rankings by Corey Pronman have the Isles vaulting up to #9 out of 32 teams, after ranking 25th (which is now Rangers territory) last year. The lede says it all:

Their system isn’t overly deep, but for the first time in a long time, there are a plethora of talented players coming up…

Of course, that is heavily influenced by their top three spots being their top three picks from just a couple months ago, with 1st-overall pick Matthew Schaefer supported by 16th and 17th-overall picks Victor Eklund and Kashawn Aitcheson. Brock Nelson trade return Calum Ritchie rounds out the top four, so the main drivers for this vault up the list have been acquired since March.

If you had to choose, no doubt you’d prefer being the 9th-ranked team in the actual NHL over the 9th-best system, er prospect pool. But if you’re in the running to be mediocre on the ice either way, it’s nice to have some promise in the pipeline.

Islanders News​

Also in the Athletic: Mathieu Darche and Simon Holmstrom happened to cross paths in Italy. “Very different,” Holmstrom said, laughing, regarding Darche and longtime NHL exec Lou Lamoriello, Darche’s predecessor. “I think Darchy comes on and maybe (has) a new mindset and wants to do things a little different, and I think that might be a good thing. I’m very excited to work under him.”

• TV schedule: The Islanders will play 10 times, or thereabouts, on U.S. national broadcasts, whatever that means nowadays. [Isles]
• Catching up with: Bo Horvat. Turns out he and Jonathan Drouin are old buddies: “We’ve played against each other a lot growing up,” Horvat said. “To share that World Junior experience was pretty cool too. He’s a really nice guy, really talented hockey player and we’re lucky to have him.” [Isles]
• Catching up with: Casey Cizikas. He’s super psyched about the lottery win and happy David Rittich has settled in and been absorbed on to Long Island. [Isles]
• Matt Martin has now hosted his hockey camp on Long Island for a decade, or two-thirds of his NHL career. [Isles]
• Islanders “celebrity” “power” couples. I admit I laughed at the clickbait. [FanSided]

Elsewhere​

• EVERYone is talking about Connor McDavid, who basically said he’s gonna wait and see on re-signing with the Oilers. (Don’t blame him one bit — and ooh, how hard was it to say all options are on the table?) With so few game-breaking goalies in their prime right now, he should probably go somewhere that has one…named Ilya. [Sportsnet | Athletic]
• The Wild have finally found agreement with Marco Rossi on a three-year extension with a $5M AAV that puts him at $6M in year three. “If you’ve paid attention to his social media, he has bulked up significantly this offseason with countless hours in the gym and climbing the mountains of Austria.” [Athletic]
• Absolutely heartbreaking look back at a year of grief for the Gaudreau family. I gasped several times…I think if you’ve lost someone very close and well before their time, it will ring very familiar (and maybe you want to avoid it). But if you haven’t…yep, this is what it’s like. [Athletic]
• I feel really freaking old when San Jose’s arena is deemed out of date and due for $300+ million in renovations. (But like the “new” Comiskey Park, it was built right before things to super fancy, so relative obsolescence set in quickly.) A deal with the city commits to renovations and keeping the team there until after I’m retired/gone. [TSN]
• Evidently we’re supposed to care that Patrick Kane wants to make the Olympic team. [TSN]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/is...anders-news-lottery-for-the-prospect-pipeline

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders & NHL News: September time…

A long holiday weekend (with zero hockey news) and a flip of the calendar is behind us, which means anticipation for training camp and all that good fun is just about here.

Islanders News​

• Summer pick Daniil Prokhorovo has turned his KHL PTO into a two-year deal with Dynamo Moscow. That should put him in minor pros with a chance to play in the KHL; and it means he won’t be headed to OHL Sarnia, which also drafted him. [THN]
• Benoit Hogue, the fastest MFer in NHL 94 (did I “coach” him to a 40-goal season in that EA game? Yes. Did Steve Thomas eclipse 60 in that season? Also yes. Did I guide Pierre Turgeon to 180 points as well? Of course), takes a walk down the Hockey Card Wall. The adopted Long Islander says the trade that brought him here was the best thing to happen for him. [Isles]
• Emil Heineman was doing pretty well for Montreal before getting hit by a car. [THN]

Elsewhere​

• The Devils and RFA Luke Hughes reportedly disagree on term, with him trying to line up hitting UFA at the same time as his teammate brother. [NJ via Sportsnet]
• Patrick Kane wants to make one more Olympic team ‘n stuff. [Athletic]
• Zach Hyman doesn’t know if he’ll be ready for the season start after wrist surgery, but he’s on track. [NHL]
• For Mitch Marner, starting a family while getting death threats and unending harassment were good enough reasons to pull up stakes and exit Toronto for Vegas. [NHL | TSN]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/islanders-news-headlines/42774/islanders-nhl-news-prokhorov-hogue

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders & NHL News: Prokhorov signs, Bennett honored

We are definitely in September now, as the Canadian sports news sites have called their staff back to produce The Content. There’s a modest wee bit of Islanders news as well…

Islanders News​

• Just after we talked about Danill Prokhorov getting an opportunity and pro contract with Dynamo Moscow (of the fading imperialist Russian invaders), now news has broken that he’s signed his NHL ELC. Not entirely clear where he’ll be this winter, but for his sake hopefully it’s not Russia! [Isles]
• Bobby freaking Nystrom walks the Hockey Card Wall. I have those cards he spots of him and Westfall and Howatt, though I bought them a decade afterward. He also talks about how Chico stayed on after practice to make those two grunts better. [Isles video]
• Islanders legend and one-time Devil Zach Parise is elected to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. [NHL | Sportsnet]
• And photographer Bruce Bennett! And…Devil Scott Gomez who was definitely involved with us somehow, I think as a mole with the redpants folk. [Isles]
• Ian Laperriere, previously and for quite a while with the Flyers, has taken a scouting gig with the Isles. Probably a Rocky Thompson connection but also maybe a mid-life realization that the Flyers are a terrible cult not to be associated with. [THN]

Elsewhere​

• Nonstop speculation of a far-off free agency departure? Drama around teammates? Quinn Hughes “can handle the noise.” [Sportsnet]
• The league and NHLPA agreed to bump up playoff salary cap compliance to the 2026 postseason. [Sportsnet | TSN]
• Can Kent Hughes get some cap flexibility, say, by trading Carey Price’s final year? [Sportsnet | TSN]
• Dave Lowry returns to Calgary to join their bench. Father of Adam managed 1,000+ NHL games as a player despite being not that strong a swimmer, so to speak. [TSN]
• The Senators will have a red (third) jersey again. Fortunately, it doesn’t harken back to their weird half-stare-at-you logo; unfortunately, it does appear to have some Vegas-style gaudy sparkly gold. [Sportsnet]
• Oilers CEO is totally not nervous about maybe losing Connor McDavid. [NHL]
• Former Predators owner and current Wild owner is totally not nervous about re-signing Kirill Kaprizov. (Impressively, he also gets in a “oh, poor us, we can’t survive in this 25-year-old arena that we just took gobs of millions to name after yet another casino” lament in there. Capitalism, baby!) [NHL]
• Edmonton schlepper talks self into McDavid staying: “There simply is no owner in today’s NHL who will make life better for McDavid than Daryl Katz — an Edmonton native who knows the intangibles count.” [Sportsnet]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/is...ders-nhl-news-prokhorov-signs-bennett-honored

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders & NHL News: Darche on duties; the Price of cap mules

Mr. Islanders and Ken Dryden, ca. 1979.

NFL (and I guess NCAA?) football season has begun, and I understand that is something very important for some of you. I hope your teams are all meeting your dreams (though I know many of you are Jets fans) and your players’ visible concussions are kept to a minimum. Also hope the officiating is better than in, say, the other “football,” but my Twitter feed tells me that’s highly unlikely.

Anyway, the beginning of Repeat First Down season means the NHL is around the corner, too. We aren’t there yet, but we’re getting closer.

Islanders News​

• Mathieu Darche is the latest GM to be featured in Pierre LeBrun’s “GMs take my calls” series. No new ground, really, but he talks about his experience leading up to the position, his approach, very generally on the “cordial” contract discussions that led to the Noah Dobson trade, and more. [Athletic]
• Watch the trailer for On the Island, a behind the scenes look at the New York Islanders. No, I’m not telling you to, that’s just how the teaser is worded. (However, “a new era with unprecedented access” is a wee bit of a hint that Lou Cloister Rules are gone.) [Isles video]
• Kashawn Aitcheson gets a three-game preseason suspension for checking the head. Naughty, they’ll be watching you. [THN]
• Danill Prokhorov’s season in Russia begins this weekend. He is officially signed to his NHL ELC but also loaned back to Russia. [THN]
• Speaking of Prokhorov, ranking the top bazillion NHL prospects under 23 includes a lot of Isles. Matthew Schaefer is already listed at No. 9. Marcus Gidlof is the seventh Islander, down in Tier 6 at 173. [Athletic]
• Jonathan Drouin and Anthony Duclair, old buddies and now Isles teammates, do a promo for their old AAA team. [THN]

Elsewhere​

• Damn! Ken Dryden died, age 78. [NHL] Friends and teammates remember the goalie and thinker. (Also: Fuck cancer.) [NHL]
• The Habs found a taker for Carey Price’s final year — at a bargain price of just a 5th-round pick — which should give Montreal flexibility and has San Jose safely above the cap floor. Here’s a column bizarrely praising him as a hero for agreeing to this paper trade. [Sportsnet]
• The latest in McDavid contract drama: turns out it’s a big decision. [NHL]
• Talking Kirill Kaprizov (headed toward re-signing) and other rumors. [Sportsnet]
• By far the best part of LeBrun’s GM access is insightful quotes like this from the Vegas GM on Mitch Marner: “Just really an elite, elite player.” Thanks! (The quotes do not get much better after that.) [Athletic]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/islanders-news-headlines/42793/islanders-nhl-news-darche-ken-dryden

 

[New York Islanders]

Isles & NHL News: Barzal’s mop returns; Wolf finds a home

Really no Islanders news just yet (but training camp is a week away and the media tours have commenced)…

• So at least here’s a ranking of top “under-the-radar” summer moves that includes Max Shabanov. [Athletic]
• And here are photos of Mat Barzal being Mat Barzal (and with hair) at the NHL’s North American media tour. [Isles]

NHL News

• The Flames have locked up Calder finalist Dustin Wolf for seven years at $7.5M AAV. The 24-year-old didn’t exactly come out of nowhere, but he is a later bloom. You hope there’s no Jim Carey to his story. [NHL] It’s a big deal and turning point for the Flames. [Sportsnet]
• The NHL and NHLPA are ironing out details for a 2028 World Cup, with 50+ cities expressing interest in hosting games. [NHL]
• A side effect of the Penguins’ rebuilding is that there are constant questions whether Sidney Crosby would accept a trade. But he’s not in that space yet. [NHL | Sportsnet | Athletic]
• Jack Hughes talks his brother Luke’s looming extension, though of course the headlines are the no-duh fact he’d love to play with Quinn, too. [Sportsnet]
• An entire column devoted to taking Elias Pettersson to task for not talking about his weight and personal life more often. [Sportsnet]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/islanders-news-headlines/42797/isles-nhl-news-barzal-wolf-hughes

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders News: Rookie camp opens

The season is basically here! Rookie camp has opened, followed by full training camp next week.

Islanders News​

• Here’s the full rookie camp roster, along with other notes like Max Shabanov turning heads, and Josh Bailey joining Johnny Boychuk on the ice. [Isles]
• Matthew Schaefer feels much better prepared for the NHL than he did three months ago, having spent the summer in competitive skates with current NHLers like Nazem Kadri and Sean Monahan, among others. “They’ve helped me so much along the way, and gave me feedback on just about everything.” [Isles | NHL]
• Media availabilities from camp: Schaefer | Calum Ritchie | Kashawn Aitcheson [Isles Video]
• According to this view, Schaefer stood out. [Newsday]
• Denis Potvin’s Hockey Card Wall stroll is all about how he wanted #7, but a veteran (who was soon traded) had it. That smile he gives at the end takes me straight back to the 1980s. [Isles video]

Elsewhere​

• The Wild are at a crossroads as news leaks that Kirill Kaprizov rejected a massive 8-year extension. [Athletic] But Billy “McNulty” Guerin kind of denies it, in an effort to pretend all is fine. [Sportsnet]
• Jack Eichel enters his walk year but is “business as usual” and thinks he’ll be able to stay in Vegas. Don’t falter, Jack, they cut bait quickly. [NHL]
• Falling on hard times after being an All-Star in 2024, Alexandar Georgiev takes a one-year, minimum deal with the Sabres. [NHL]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/islanders-news-headlines/42801/islanders-news-rookie-camp-opens

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders News: Roy has options on eve of training camp

At long, long last, Islanders training camp has arrived. On Monday, the franchise held its annual end-of-summer golf fundraiser with some media availabilities to go along with it. Camp officially opens Thursday (rookie camp finishes up today) but look for more updates and random golf-outing content coming out all week.

Everybody except Semyon Varlamov (“skating” but TBD) is deemed healthy, so let’s get right to it.

• Patrick Roy touched on several topics, including focusing on special teams, early-sketch line combos with Mat Barzal at center and Max Shabanov lining up next to Bo Horvat. All subject to change, of course. [Isles]
• After hardly missing any games early in his career, Barzal reflects on dealing with injuries two of the past three seasons, including playing just 30 games last season. [Isles]
• Officially now, Patrick Roy and Anthony Duclair have cleared the air after Roy regretted ripping him late last season while Duclair was still playing hurt. (Let’s not do that again, either of you, ok?) [Newsday | Isles | TSN | Sportsnet]
• Emil Heineman is excited for his new adventure, and fellow Swede Adam Boqvist says fans will love his speed. [Isles | Post | Newsday]
• Max Shabanov “followed his heart” (and other friendly Russians) to Long Island. Mathew Schaefer envies his hair routine. [Isles | Newsday]
• Schaefer, now Mr. Babysitter for the Martins… [NHL]
• The golf outing featured some shenanigans, and guys only begrudgingly acknowledging Mr. “two holes in one this summer” Barzal as the team’s top post-Clutterbuck golfer. [Isles]
• In case you missed it, the first episode of “On the Island,” which will chronicle the season. [NHL] (The comments in YouTube reflect how overdue this kind of inside look is for many fans who endured the Lou Lockbox era.)

Elsewhere​

• R.I.P. Bob Goodenow, the star agent (e.g. Brett Hull) who took over the NHLPA and gave the association actual teeth after the Eagleson years, through a strike and a couple of lockouts. [TSN]
• R.I.P. Ed Giacomin, one of the few bright spots in Rangers history. [NHL]
• Peter DeBoer begins his campaign for his next job by doing an interview with NHL-dot-com, and sort of kind of regrets throwing his goalie under the bus? “It was on me, it was on all the coaches, it was on all the players, it was on the organization as a whole. We all created the disappointment. We were all to blame, not just one guy.” [NHL]
• Elliotte Friedman muses on what Kirill Kaprizov’s plans are. [32 Thoughts podcast]
• Lane Hutson had to answer questions about whether he’d stick with USA Hockey after his dad popped off about the Calder winner getting “snubbed” from Olympic camp. [TSN]
• NHL shooters discuss the best goalies. [NHL]
• The Hurricanes are proud to unveil a new away/white jersey that is less terrible than some of their past offerings. [NHL]
• Jordan Eberle doesn’t look right in the newest Kraken jersey, either. [NHL]
• The Capitals brought back the screaming eagle for their latest third. [NHL]
• The Red Wings something something “honor tradition” with their centennial jersey. [NHL]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/is...anders-news-training-camp-patrick-roy-duclair