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.

New Islanders Blog

Hello, my name is Joe Lazar. I am a college student at the University of Wisconsin, and am a huge Islanders fan. I have had season tickets for the last 12 years, and consider myself an expert. I am here to share my thoughts, advice, reactions, etc. about the Islanders. I am doing this blog for my own enjoyment, and hopefully, some people can come and enjoy it as well. Let's Go Islanders!