...The bug is back...

The New York Islanders are six days into training camp with one exhibition game in the books and the team has their first casualty. The oft injured Campoli left last night’s tilt looking shaken up from a hit by Boston’s Michael Ryder. The team has yet to reveal the details of the injury this morning, only indicating that Campoli is undergoing further evaluation back in New York and that has Islander fans everywhere a little nervous to say the least.

I had high hopes for Campoli this season, fingers are crossed in hope that the injury bug leaves him alone from here on out. However, the possible seriousness of his injury makes one ponder on what moves the Islanders may make; will Hillen get a legitimate shot at starting the season with the big team if Campoli is truly down and out for an extended period of time or will Snow focus on trying to get Schneider from the Ducks??....hmmm... that could be interesting.

Here’s hoping the team continues to focus on their youth movement and that they give someone like Hillen, (if he proves that he belongs) a chance to crack the line up. As much as Schneider is still a good defenseman, the team needs to bring along the younger guys in this fanatic’s humble opinion...

On a more positive note, the team seems to be reacting well to coach Gordon’s approach and to the style of play he expects from his players. I am curious to see how the opposing teams will react to it once the regular season begins... Can “overspeed” keep the team in contention for a playoff spot, or will the new concepts be all for not...

...fall is in the air ...

As the Islanders travel to my old stomping grounds in Moncton (oh the memories!!!) and training camp is on the verge of blessing us with an appearance; I cannot help but reflect on the similarities between Islanders fans and the ever changing shades that September inevitably brings to trees everywhere, as leaves slowly twist and turn into vibrant works of art.

As my Friday afternoon moves along ever so slowly, I see this beautiful red leaf and it reminds me of the ever passionate Islanders fan that is always full of hope, watching the puck drop on opening night. The falling yellow one that is whisked away by the breeze brings thoughts of the ever negative fanatic. They just seem to always to be blown away by the prospects of doom and gloom that media forecasts for our beloved Isles. The sun beaming on two orange coloured leaves just makes me think of how resilient the team is going to have to be to weather this coming storm called the regular season.

As hockey season fall’s upon us many questions have yet to be answered. We need to remember that hope spring’s eternal and that one season does not a franchise make. We have plenty to look forward to over the dreary winter blues as the kids will progress, the veterans will lead, and the team will continue its youth movement over the summer months.

One thing that is for certain, this season of change will be fun to arm chair analyse. How will the team progress over camp and over the coming season? Will they regress in order to move forward long term?? Potential story lines abound and I cannot wait to see Coach Gordon’s new system in action. How will the veterans react to continuous fast paced practices, can they adapt?. Can the likes of Tambellini, Comeau and Bergenheim step it up and become contributors to the future success of this franchise and how will Okposo react to a grinding 82 game schedule....I feel lightheaded already. Where is the start of the new NHL season... Are we there yet??

Oh how sweet it is... fall is in the air...

...and here we go...

...with the beginning of rookie camp in Syosset, the Islanders 2008-2009 campaign is finally upon us and we can look forward to a time of year full of promise and hope. All teams are on equal footing in September and all the players coming into camp talk the positive walk. As the thoughts of sugar plums and various rookie prospects full of potential and bright futures dance in my head, I cannot help but reflect on a few pestering points that seem to reverberate through my hockey rotting brain.

Is the team truly in a rebuilding mode or is it a thinly veiled disguise of half truths and broken pieces? The Islanders have stated they are on a youth movement, and want to give their young players more ice time in order to develop. On the surface, I looked at that repeated statement with excitement, anticipation and glee, yet when I delved deeper into it I came across glaring pieces of information that contradict the new Islanders mantra. The Islanders have 9 players over the age of 31 signed to a contract for this coming season...making the average age of the team the 3rd oldest in the NHL for 2008-2009. That fact scared me at first, how can a team that is supposedly so bent on rebuilding through youth be the 3rd oldest team in the league???

The "kids need leadership and guidance" chant reverberated through the internet like a zombie mumbling the word “”brains”” all summer long from fans everywhere. Having to agree with that statement to a certain extent does not mean that I agree with Snow’s position on signing players well past their prime (ala, Doug Weight). Making such moves goes against the philosophy of a youth movement and delays the development of a team as a whole. You want current team veterans to bring them along not a player grasping at his last chance to play in the NHL. This move was done 5 years too late.

Retro reunion- To the fans that are looking forward to the Weight/Guerin reunion, I feel that you are in for one heck of a disappointment this coming season.

Rightly or wrongly, the not too distant future of this team depends heavily on players such as Tambellini, Bergenheim, Comeau, Campoli, Gervais and Okposo, not to mention Bailey and the rest of the 2008 draft class. These players need to not only show they belong, but that they can contribute, excel and flourish at the NHL level for the team’s youth movement to progress and continue. If they fail, it will spell the end of the Snow regime on the Island and will bring about more uncertainty for this struggling franchise.

I am but a simple Islanders fan, all I ask is.....do it right this time!!!

... and here we go!!

The dawn of a new day...

Early morning hits, I wake up, slowly stretching like a fat old cat lying comfortably in the sun. I sense something is different today but I am too confused and tired to realize why. The smells of coffee and burnt toast fill the air of my place, and as I do every day, I walk over to the kitchen window and stare aimlessly outside at what is the end of another fun filled summer. Then it hit me like a bolt of lightning, I was giddy, smiling like the Grinch as he realized how he could stop Christmas.

Hockey is finally upon us!!!

We have the rookie camps on the verge of kicking off everywhere and the main training camps merely days away. Islander fans will be in for what will be an intriguing if not interesting season. Now yours truly will not debate the fact that the Islanders will probably struggle in the standings this coming season but we have reason to be optimistic, watch and cheer.

Bailey, Okposo, Comeau and Tambellini, are but a few of the young storylines that will dominate our landscape over the 82 game grind that awaits our blue and orange crusaders. Is the team on the right rebuilding path? Is Gordon’s “overspeed” concept really a good idea with so many unproven players on a roster and will Dipietro remain healthy for an entire season? The day is flying by and I cannot remove these ponderings from my ever wandering imagination.

I will be keeping a close eye on how the team will handle Josh Bailey, will they keep him or return him to juniors?...I wonder... Will Tambellini finally have a breakthrough season?...I can only hope... will Streit help right the lost ship that was last season’s dreadful powerplay? Let's cross our fingers ....WOW...The mere thought of the upcoming season and need for some serious Islanders hockey is making me feel like a hungry lion glaring at a herd of wild gazelles on the endless plains....

A new day?...Indeed...