NYI Review, Analysis

[thayner]

Review
The third year of GM TBs reign was marked by some impressive highs and humbling lows. The team was among the most productive in the league offensively with 356 goals scored. Leading the charge was offensive superstar Lonnie Sigouin, who managed 61 goals and added 72 assists to pace the Isles. Conversely, the defensive play demonstrated over the course of the season was disastrous, as the team allowed 352 goals. The beleaguered blueline didn’t help, but much of the blame rests with starting goalie Joel Maurer, who posted an .866 and 4.29 GAA in 54 games. His 22-26-4 record was indicative of his poor play. Ancient Czech backstop Frantisek Saffer salvaged the year by going 16-3-4 with a 3.54 GAA and .892 save pct. Injuries prevented him from playing more often and, at 36, he is not a long term solution. 1st overall pick Oleg Nikulin, who came into the season with much fanfare, arrived out of shape and was promptly shipped to Bridgeport. He went 28-26-54 in 54 AHL games. All of the ups and downs culminated in a dramatic play-off birth, solidified on the last day of the season.

Off-season
It was no secret what areas the Isles needed to address this offseason. To that end, defenseman Jean-Luc Boutin and Olow Sanberg were brought in from Tampa Bay and Colorado via trade. Boutin is an all around workhorse capable of logging big minutes in all situations, while Sandberg is a solid citizen destined for the 3rd pairing. A big splash was also made on July 1st; Vladan Hradecky and Alex Hill were both inked to mammoth deals. Both are similar players (small, puck moving defenseman) so the signing of both was shocking (it was reported that the Isles only wanted one of the two, and were as surprised as anyone to get both). Nevertheless, the additions, combined with incumbents Miroslav Platil and Gregor Mirinov, give the Isles a very good, if somewhat small and unphysical, back-end. Somewhat ominously, the goaltending was not addressed.

Preview
After securing their first play-off birth under the new Boss, the plan in Uniondale is clearly to take the next step this season. The offense looks to be in good hands, with the aforementioned Sigouin combining with Igor Hornak, Kris Howard and Tristian Macdonald to give the Islanders a potent attack. Newcomers Libor Nedorfrost and Oleg Nikulin are young and highly talented. They may play an important role at some point, but are good bets to start in Bridgeport. Joel Maurer will get a second chance at the starting job, mainly due to lack of a better option. Time will tell.

Forwards

Lonnie Sigouin, LW, 25
Team GP G A Pts PIM
NYI 80 61 72 133 30
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forecast 82 55 60 115 38
Blazingly fast sniper broke out last season, setting career highs in every major offensive category. He’ll likely fall back to earth somewhat this season, but ‘Sigs’ has cemented his spot among the NHLs elite.

Kris Howard, RW, 26
Team GP G A Pts PIM
NYI 75 58 48 106 111
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forecast 77 60 48 108 115
Will score, fight, win. At 6’3 & 216 pounds, Howard is difficult to move when he’s in the slot. Hard worker who leads by example. Boasts a heavy shot and soft hands. The 3 time 60 goal man narrowly missed that mark last season.

Igor Hornak, LW, 32
Team GP G A Pts PIM
Clb-NYI 75 46 38 84 69
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forecast 75 49 41 90 52
Slippery Slovak is a pure goal scorer, lethal when he gets in range. Protects the puck well. Adept at finding open ice. At his best when paired with linemates who can get him the puck.

Tristian Macdonald, C, 27
Team GP G A Pts PIM
NYI 82 24 48 72 32
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forecast 81 25 55 80 32
Big, dependable pivot is the defensive conscious (if there was such a thing in Uniondale last year) on the top line. Great teammate and tireless checker who is always in the right position. Very good face-off man. Leads the PK unit. Typically hovers around a point per game, but his value to the Islanders goes beyond statistics.

Lukas Novak, RW, 20
Team GP G A Pts PIM
NYI 82 30 22 52 26
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forecast 82 36 35 71 36
Already has two NHL seasons under his belt and has yet to celebrate his 21st birthday. Taken 20h overall in the 2045 draft, Novak looks like he may end up as a steal. A superb skater with dynamite moves. Possesses a hard, accurate shot; Novak is a 50 goal man in the making.

Jason Duguay, C, 29
Team GP G A Pts PIM
NYI 65 20 36 56 28
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forecast 80 19 51 70 32
Veteran puck distributer blessed with great vision. Not the fleetest of foot, but strong on his skates and good in the face-off dot. Duguay is a playmaking center whose requires a triggerman to excel. Will likely start of the year on the second line.

Pat Stuart, LW, 29
Team GP G A Pts PIM
NYI 72 27 23 50 26
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forecast 70 29 25 54 24
A classic case of all the tools and no tool box. Stuart is a former 7th overall pick who has been teasing scouts for years with an impressive combination of supersonic speed and a rocket shot wrapped up in a 6’3, 224 pound frame. At this point, what you see is what you get- and it will likely leave you wanting more. Nonetheless, Stuart is a solid citizen capable of playing an up and down game and contributing 30 goals a year from the 3rd line.

Oleg Nikulin, LW, 19
Team GP G A Pts PIM
NYI 10 2 2 4 4
BP (AHL) 54 28 26 54 64
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forecast 15 4 5 9 8
The number 1 overall pick from last season had a rocky introduction to the NHL. Arrived in camp out of shape, struggled early on and was subsequently demoted. Started to show signs of his monumental skill level as the season wore on. Nikulin has more natural ability than anyone else on the team, but the Isles are likely to take a cautious approach to his development from here. Should eventually force his way on to the NHL roster.

Kim Lonn, C, 27
Determined checking line center tore his MCL in April and spent the summer rehabbing. Should be ready to go for training camp.

Matt Ward, LW, 35
Signed in the offseason, Ward is one of a seemingly endless supply of ex-Leafs. Solid physical player who takes care of his own end. Offensively he is a non factor.

Gary Gutwald, LW, 32
Long time minor leaguer who sweated his way onto an NHL roster. The 32 year old checker now has almost 500 NHL games under his belt. Once hit 12 goals in a single year, but don’t expect those dizzying highs to repeat themselves.

Yves Watier, C, 24
Split the year between Uniondale and Bridgeport. His best asset is his ability on the PK.

Rhett Reese, RW, 22
Pint sized winger has been productive at the AHL level. Doesn’t have the wheels to excel consistently at the top level, but this third rate sniper can fill in when required.

Defense

Miroslav Platil, 21, D
Team GP G A Pts PIM
NYI 81 16 54 70 220
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forecast 81 14 63 77 128
Platils rookie season was a resounding success, capped off by a Calder trophy for his efforts. Moves the puck well, owns a big shot and has quick feet. Rarely caught out of position. Needs to work on is temper, as evidenced by 220 PIM.

Vladen Hradecky, D, 29
Team GP G A Pts PIM
Nash 82 14 69 83 40
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forecast 82 12 50 62 44
One half of the two significant UFA moves the Islanders made in the offseason. Small but strong for his size. Solid at both ends of the rink.

Gregori Mirinov, D, 29
Team GP G A Pts PIM
Nash 82 15 62 77 61
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forecast 82 14 47 61 80
Diminutive Russian QB plays a cerebral game. Distributes the puck with ease. Greatly increases the efficacy of the breakout. New arrivals this year will cut into his PP time; as such, expect Mirinovs numbers to fall. That being said, the overall effectiveness of his game will remain high. He is a key piece.

Alex Hill, D, 28
Team GP G A Pts PIM
Nash 66 13 48 61 85
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forecast 71 7 39 46 64
The second half of the pair of blueliners signed to big deals this summer. Hill is small and can be overwhelmed down low by bigger forwards. Relies on his quickness and positioning to get the job down. Biggest asset is who well he moves the puck.

Jean-Luc Boutin, D, 29
Big, strong and mobile. Boutin is a minute munching defenseman who is a good bet to be among the team leaders in icetime. Excellent penalty killer and shot blocker. Positionally sound. Adept at breaking up plays and getting in lanes. Along with Pronger, Boutin will provide a physical element.

Olaw Sandberg, D, 25
Solid two way blueliner and former Islander. Will solidify the bottom pairing.

Harold Pronger, D, 27
A good skater who possess only mediocre skills. Will get a roster spot on the basis on his ferocious physical play, something lacking from the rest of the blueline squad.

Goalies
Joel Maurer, G, 28
Team GP GAA Spct W L OTL
NYI 54 4.29 .866 22 26 4
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forecast 49 3.88 .879 26 16 5
Previously serviceable netminder was horrid last year. It was no secret the Isles tried to replace him in the offseason, but as of press time, Maurer was still the de facto #1. May be given the opportunity to rebound with a better support system this year. With Saffer a year older and contemplating retirement, the Isles may be forced to make a move.

Joel Maurer, G, 28
Team GP GAA Spct W L OTL
NYI 54 4.29 .866 22 26 4
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forecast 49 3.88 .879 26 16 5

Frantisek Saffer, G, 37
Team GP GAA Spct W L OTL
NYI 27 3.54 .892 16 3 4
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forecast 15 3.76 .888 8 4 2
Future Hall of Famer saved the Islanders season when Maurer faltered. Oft injured and no longer capable of playing everyday. It is unclear whether Saffer will be back. One of the best goaltenders of his generation, he is reportedly leaning towards retirement. Even if he comes back, the cash strapped Isles may balk at paying his 2.6 price tag.

Prospects

1. Libor Nedorost, 18, Sokolov
Incredibly creative offensive winger managed more than a point per game in the Czech League last year. He has off the charts puck skills.

2. Oleg Nikulin, 19, Bridgeport
See his profile above. 'Niks' is big, strong and unstoppably fast. Heavy shot- very difficult to defend. Needs to mature to make the grade.

3. Trevor Schiender, 18, Sudbury
Tall, lanky pivot was the 8th overall selection in 2046. Very good two way player who had a disappointing year in the OHL. He's a few years away.

4. Stoffe Lundberg, 19, HV71
6'4 offensive rearguard with good skating ability. Was a regular for HV71 last year. Will wait a couple years to cross the pond.

5. Ian Robinson, 20, Bridgeport/Stockton
2046-47 was an interesting year for the 6'2 netminder. He was superb for Lethbridge of the WHL and signed with the Isles in the Spring. He then split time between Bridgeport and Stockton, where he was (confusingly) dominating in the AHL and poor in the ECHL.

6. Fabio Hayes, 21, Bridgeport
Hayes greatest asset is his speed. Keeps things simple. Handles the puck like a hand grenade. Does have potential as a stay at home blue liner.

7. Andre Pollard, 23, Bridgeport
Big bodied enforcer who is competent in his own zone. Can cause havoc in front of the opposition net, but doesn't have much offensive ability.