Comments on: New York Islanders 2005-06

By: intelligentscorpio

intelligentscorpio — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 14:49:20 +0000

Mad Man Milbury has finally done some good moves, like Satan, Zhitnik, Lukowich but lost Peca and Acouin and Jonnson. Still Yashin and his 100 million dollars contract is enough to keep the team from porgressing in the near future. Has some good young talent on the roster. Can beat Rangers on a regular basis though.

By: icegirl

icegirl — Wed, 28 Sep 2005 22:08:29 +0000

islesfan4lyfe, you hit it right on the moneeey. We finally got the winger for Yashin that we’ve all been praying for. My boyfriend is OBSESSED with the Islanders and got us a partial weekend plan. I can’t wait to see the Islanders kick some ass this season!

By: BlueOrangeWhite

BlueOrangeWhite — Tue, 27 Sep 2005 12:30:42 +0000

this post is pretty accurate, except for the expectations comment. this team WILL finish between 4-7 in the conference, and WILL be in the playoffs.

there's a great rare isles yearbook from 1976 on ebay

under item number 5246620568

By: BlueOrangeWhite

BlueOrangeWhite — Tue, 27 Sep 2005 12:30:10 +0000

By: islesfan4lyfe

islesfan4lyfe — Tue, 27 Sep 2005 11:47:20 +0000

Alan Hahn's article in Newsday a month back stated that if the Islanders bought out Yashin's Contract after this season, it would be more cost effective because it would be for less money (he played an extra season) and the payments would be spread out over a longer period of time. Also, they would be able to re-sign him for less money. Don't quote me on that. I tried to find the article but it wasn't in the archives. To put it simply, it would make more sense, money wise to buy out his contract after the upcoming season.

Thanks for reading and for your openmindedness!

By: wingerxxx

wingerxxx — Tue, 27 Sep 2005 11:38:33 +0000

Milbury won’t buy him out. If Mad Mike has an Achilles heel, it’s admitting mistakes on his part. Buying out Alexei Yashin would be equilavent to admitting a mistake of epic proportions, dating back to when he signed Yashin to that deal. I wouldn’t worry too much about this, unless Yashin totally and completely goes into the tank this year. Which, with Satan playing with him and from the looks of the preseason…is not likely.

By: cecilturtle

cecilturtle — Tue, 27 Sep 2005 11:22:15 +0000

The Islanders might just be good this year? I look at their roster and I don't see any reason why they wont make the playoffs... Unless they "again" lose all their games against the Rangers this year while the rest of the league is getting an easy two points!

The biggest key to the Islanders is Yashin. If he playes up to the level he is capable of playing??? The Islanders could vie for the cup if the team stays healthy? YOU STATED... THE ISLANDERS CAN BUY OUT YASHINS CONTRACT AT THE END OF THIS YEAR... I do not understand - please explain... Is their a buyout clause in his contract? It is my understanding that this year and this year only... Teams had a one time chance to rid their roster of salaries they deemed too high for their cap. BUT, this time has come and gone!!! If the Islanders were to have bought out Yashin's contract during this short period of time??? they would have had to pay him about 100 million dollars. About 10 mil per year for bout 10 years. If ownership had the money they Sherly (surly) would have bought him out. Well they could'nt, So like it or not? Yashin is 25% of your teams payroll for the next 10 years! It looks like the Islanders will either sink or swim with this very talented kinda soft center. Seriously though, If Yashin playes up to his talent??? The islanders will be very successful this year and for many years to come.

Cecil Turtle.

G-Dam!!! I miss the Rangers / Icelanders rivalry. How have I made it this long without it??? Lets Drop the puck Baby!!!

By: islesfan4lyfe

islesfan4lyfe — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 23:31:27 +0000

Thank you for not being like most ranger fans and actually having an open mind about your cross-town rivals. I agree with most of what you have said. i personally only disagree about Jonsson. He was a good defensive player but was terrible on the power play. He always passed the puck, even whe he had great shots at the net. the defensemen obtained this year, are solid 2 way players that will eat up lots of minutes and be an offensive threat.

The lines can go either way. They have narrowed their roster down to 25 (as of today). The next two games will tell a lot. I hope Gervais or Campoli get a chance.

I do agree that our success depends on Ricky and Alexei. We expect big things from them, and they know it.

By: wingerxxx

wingerxxx — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 23:25:01 +0000

A Rangers fan being the first to comment on the Isle's season preview? Blasphemy! lol Seriously...I do like the Isles chances for this coming season. If anything, because Mad Mike FINALLY got that sniper that Yashin needs to play with to be effective. I wouldn't mind seeing Trent Hunter on that first line...or someone like Blake who can dig in corners and keep Yashin on his toes. I think the Isles are looking ok in their forward ranks.

I think that Kenny Jonsson's loss is a big hit though. He has always been one of the most underrated defensemen in the league. I think it'll hurt just as much as losing Aucoin...although Zhitnik can eat up minutes as well. Niinimaa will have a bigger role this year...which is good, he needed more minutes anyway. Lukowich is someone the Isles could have used in the 03-04 season. I always got the feeling the the Isles had "too many chiefs and not enough Indians" on the blueline in recent years. Lukowich is only about a number 5-6 defender, but definitely steady. As such, this is a pretty decent defense. Sopel should be paired with Lukowich though, not Niinimaa.

The biggest thing that must be watched is DiPietro's play. He is the face and future of this team, along with Yashin.