GDHQNHL15_4pg-New York Islanders 2

NY Islanders Gameday HQ

ISLANDERS 1666 The number of games that the Islanders will have played at Nassau Coliseum before they relocate to Barclays Center in Brooklyn next season. Projected Roster HEAD COACH: JACK CAPUANO LW C RW 1st Line: Michael Grabner John Tavares Kyle Okposo 2nd Line: Nikolai Kulemin Mikhail Grabovski Brock Nelson 3rd Line: Josh Bailey Frans Nielsen Anders Lee 4th Line: Matt Martin Ryan Strome Cal Clutterbuck D D #1 Travis Hamonic Lubomir Visnovsky #2 Calvin de Haan Matt Donovan #3 Thomas Hickey Brian Strait G Starter: Jaroslav Halak Backup: Chad Johnson Scoreboard 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 PLAYOFF FINISH DNQ Conf QF DNQ DNQ DNQ REGULAR SEASON 34-37-11 24-17-7 34-37-11 30-39-13 34-37-11 POINT TOTAL 79 55 79 73 79 SHOOTOUT RECORD 0-13 4-3 7-4 4-6 8-6 GOALS SCORED 225 139 203 229 222 GOALS ALLOWED 267 139 255 264 264 POWER PLAY % 17.75 19.87 18.52 17.22 16.01 PENALTY KILL % 78.11 80.28 80.51 83.23 76.33 Last year’s fourth-leading scorer, Thomas Vanek, is gone, so the Islanders must hope the newcomers will deliver, along with center Brock Nelson and wingers Michael Grabner and Cal Clutterbuck. None will be front-line weapons, but they can help on lower lines. Meanwhile, Josh Bailey is a solid set-up man. Defense New York spent some money to upgrade its forward lines, but it didn’t do too much to help the defense. Perhaps GM Garth Snow thinks that by upgrading—or at least changing—the goaltending situation, there is no need for personnel movement along the blue line. New York did lose Andrew McDonald, but his 24 points and minus-19 rating in just 63 games aren’t likely to be missed all that much. If Lubomir Visnovsky can coax a healthy year out of his 38-year old body, he and young Travis Hamonic can be a solid pairing. Hamonic is a tough guy on the blue line and was a rarity last year, registering a positive (albeit a plus-2) rating last season. Calvin de Haan and Matt Donovan form a young tandem with some potential. De Haan emerged as a force on defense last year, and the team is hoping the 23-year old continues to progress. Meanwhile, Thomas Hickey was a plus-five last year, while Brian Strait has a good shot and a sturdy frame at the blue line. The Islanders added T.J. Brennan, but he hasn’t seen much action during his two years. Meanwhile it will be interesting to see what Griffin Reinhart, the team’s number one pick in 2012 can do this year. He has potential, but he may not be ready for regular work. Matt Carkner is 33 years old and brings great size (6-5, 233) to the equation. But he amassed 149 penalty minutes in just 53 games and is used more for his ability to rough up opponents than to provide steady play in the defensive zone. Expect him to fill in throughout the year and be ready to go when the Hanson Brothers come to town.


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