2009 Mock Draft

I'm going to take a shot at predicting the NHL Draft that will occur June 26th. The Islanders, with the first overall selection, plus the 26th pick, have a lot of options this year. So without further ado, here goes:

1. New York Islanders - John Tavares (F)
2. Tampa Bay Lightning - Victor Hedman (D)
3. Colorado Avalanche - Matt Duchene (F)
4. Atlanta Thrashers - Evander Kane (F)
5. Los Angeles Kings - Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson (F)
6. Toronto Maple Leafs (Trade with PHX) - Brayden Schenn (F)
7. Phoenix Coyotes (Trade with TOR) - Jared Cowen (D)
8. Dallas Stars - Nazem Kadri (F)
9. Ottawa Senators - Ryan Ellis (D)
10. Edmonton Oilers - Simon Despres (D)
11. Nashville Predators - Zach Kassian (F)
12. Minnesota Wild - Jordan Schroeder (F)
13. Buffalo Sabres - Dmitry Kulikov (D)
14. Florida Panthers - John Moore (D)
15. Anaheim Ducks - Scott Glennie (F)
16. New York Islanders (Trade with CBJ) - Oliver Ekman-Larsson (D)
17. St. Louis Blues - Carter Ashton (F)
18. Montreal Canadiens - Peter Holland (F)
19. New York Rangers - David Rundblad (D)
20. Calgary Flames - Louis LeBlanc (F)
21. Philadelphia Flyers - Stefan Elliott (D)
22. Vancouver Canucks - Chris Kreider (F)
23. New Jersey Devils - Kyle Palmieri (F)
24. Washington Capitals - Nick Leddy (D)
25. Boston Bruins - Jacob Josefson (F)
26. Columbus Blue Jackets - Dylan Olsen (D)
27. Carolina Hurricanes - Landon Ferraro (F)
28. Chicago Blackhawks - Drew Shore (F)
29. Pittsburgh Penguins - Calvin De Haan (D)
30. Detroit Red Wings - Tim Erixson (D)

There you have it. One trade; it's basically a foregone conclusion that the Isles will trade up with their extra second rounders to grab a player they love that drops (i.e., Ekman-Larsson). Very successful draft for the Islanders.

News: Islanders Cut Shawn Bates

The Islanders today placed F Shawn Bates on waivers with the intention of buying out his contract. Bates had many memorable moments as an Islander, including his 2002 playoff Game 4 penalty shot goal against Toronto. Bates unfortunately had too many injuries the last few years to be effective, and his roster spot will be given to a young player. Bates will undoubtedly find new work with a team looking for an effective special teams player.

Opinion: Go for Liles, Vrbata

The Islanders are in dire need of a puck moving, offensive, #1 defenseman. Hence the talk about Bryan McCabe. But I think the better option would be to sign John-Michael Liles once he hits UFA status on July 1st. He is young, and the perfect player to fit the Isles' needs. There have also been rumors floating around the internet that the Islanders would be involved with Liles, which I think is the absolute perfect move. Another good signing would be Radim Vrbata, a winger who is pretty young and scored 27 goals last season. He will not be too expensive, and seems like the perfect wish-for-a-prayer signing the Islanders like to make. I think adding Liles and Vrbata, with Bailey and other young players, to the team next year is the right direction for the Islanders.

News: Islanders Extend Qualifying Offers to 6 RFA's

Bruno Gervais, Jeremy Colliton, Sean Bergenheim, Jeff Tambellini, Frans Neilsen, and Ben Walter have ALL received qualifying offers from the Islanders. This will keep them from becoming unrestricted free agents on July 1st; if they are not signed to new deals before then, they will become restricted free agents, which means the Islanders can match any offer submitted by another team. For example, if a team offers Gervais 1 year, $2.5 million, and the Islanders match that offer, he comes back to the Islanders. The Islanders can refuse to match, and would receive draft pick compensation in return.

Reports: Islanders to sign Avery?

From HockeyBuzz to TSN, many sites across the blogosphere have the Islanders signing Sean Avery once July 1st (free agent signing period) rolls around. I have mixed feelings on this...for one, he is a pest and a great player, so I'm sure the Islanders would like to have him for his talent. But he already has had run-in's with Brendan Witt and Rick DiPietro, two Islanders stars, and would cost a good amount of money, AND a roster spot, which I think should be filled by a young player, so the young players can get a chance to grow and learn together.

Report: Islanders readying Offer Sheet for M. Green

According to the popular HockeyBuzz.com, the Islanders could be readying an offer sheet for restricted free agent defenseman Mike Green. Green is the kind of player a team can build around. He is a number 1 defenseman with considerable offensive skill, great skating ability, and he's not a slouch on defense either. The only questions would be 1.) the cost of a contract and 2.) the cost of draft picks (the Isles may have to give three first round picks)...but certainly an intriguing rumor to keep an eye on.

Opinion: Islanders Should Claim Wellwood

It appears that today, the Toronto Maple Leafs have decided to not offer C Kyle Wellwood a contract, and therefore, he has been placed on waivers. I think the Islanders should claim him. He is young, talented, and although he has underachieved, the Islanders can afford to take a shot on a guy who is not too old and has a chance to succeed.