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Posts Tagged Kyle Okposo

Yay or Nay: New York Islanders Third Uniform

Nov 17

Posted by Eddie in News | 1 Comment

The Islanders "Fisherman" logo of the mid-90's.

Kyle Okposo poses with the new uniform.

Wednesday, the New York Islanders revealed the new alternate kit they will be wearing during the season. They are no stranger to the alternate jersey universe, as they have graced us with the “Fisherman” logo to your right in the mid 1990′s. That was a logo you’d more see on the jersey of your Sunday night beer league team that is sponsored by a bar than on a professional franchise.

This time around, they changed things up and went with the intimidating but popular black as the main color. They kept the design simple, with an arched “ISLANDERS” across the chest with the number underneath the team nickname and on the sleeve. The shoulders are gray with orange and blue trim. The standard Islanders logo flanks the edge of the shoulders. The numbers are orange trimmed in gray and blue. The neck features the lace-tie which has become popular in recent years. The team had an event at the Nassau Coliseum team store which several players attended including John Tavares, Matt Moulson, Kyle Okposo and their families attended along with fans. Check out the video below from the photo shoot the players did when they first wore the uniform after a recent practice.

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2011-12 NHL Season Preview: New York Islanders

Sep 3

Posted by Matt in Season Previews | No Comments

Michael Grabner of the New York Islanders

The Islanders hope Michael Grabner can build off of his succesful 2010-11 season.

Key Offseason Additions: Brian Rolston, Evgeni Nabakov

Key Offseason Losses: Doug Weight, Rob Schremp, Zenon Kenopka, Radek Martinek

Last Season Ranking: 14th in East

Offense: The Islanders have a solid group of young players, lead by John Tavares who began to really pile on the points during his sophomore season. Tavares will try to improve upon his 67 point campaign while surrounded by the likes of PA Parenteau, Matt Moulson, Michael Grabner, and Blake Comeau. These players are not quite household names yet, but they are good young players who have a lot of potential. Adding Brian Rolston to the mix gives the forward unit a man with much more experience and great leadership qualities.

Moulson, who put together a surprise season in 2009-10 with 48 points, improved on that number last season. His 31 goals and 22 assists were both career highs, and he will be expected to continue that improvement for the Islanders this season. Michael Grabner will be an important piece to the offensive puzzle as well. Grabner lead the Islanders in goals last season as a rookie, with 34, and had 18 assists to go along with it. On a team full of minus players, his team leading plus-13 shows he is an all around player, and important to the success of the franchise.

The health of Kyle Okposo will be a bonus to the orange and blue. Okposo missed the first half of last season after having shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum. He returned to have a modest 20 points in 38 games, but will be counted on to contribute upwards of 50 points this season.

The Islanders could see Nino Niederreiter return for an extended stay in 2011-12 and make the team right out of training camp. The fifth overall pick from 2010 played in only nine NHL games last season, picking up a goal and an assist. Playing full time with the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL, Niederreiter tallied 70 points on 41 goals and 29 assists. When he finally makes the transition, expect his numbers to be consistent with the guys mentioned above. He’s a skilled young player, as you can tell from videos like this, and will fit in nicely playing alongside a young, talented Islanders team.

Defense: The return of Mark Streit, who missed all of last season with a shoulder injury, will be huge for the Islanders defense. He typically hovers in the 50 point range, but more importantly, he can effectively captain and lead the power-play unit to much more success. The loss of James Wisniewski at the trade deadline last season will continue to haunt the Islanders blue line, however. Their defensive units, besides Streit, will be young and inexperienced. The young theme is constant throughout the squad, and on defense, it’s going to hurt more than it will help this year.

Goaltending: The goaltending situation for the Islanders continues to be a question mark. Last season, a total of six goalies started games, with the majority going to Rick DiPietro, Dwayne Roloson, and Al Montoya. Roloson has moved on to bigger and better things, but DiPietro continues to work his way through a lengthy contract. The addition of Evgeni Nabakov never panned out last season, but he is supposedly ready to give it his all in New York this season. Much of the work will likely fall in Nabakov’s lap as DiPietro has not played a healthy season since 2007-08. Regardless of who is net, however, the young squad will make some mistakes that even the best goalie will not be able to recover from. Nabakov, a steady regular season goaltender, will likely bring a solid game to help the Islanders squeeze a point or two out of some close games.

HWB Playoff Prediction: Not playoff bound. Despite having a young group of talented forwards, there is still a lot of work to be done on Long Island. Expect a season long performance much like last seasons.

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Islanders confirm interest in Alexei Yashin

Jul 22

Posted by Chris in News | No Comments

There appears to be some truth to the rumors that Alexei Yashin is considering a return to the NHL after spending the last four seasons playing abroad.

New York Islanders general manager Garth Snow confirmed today that he has had talks with Yashin’s agent, Mark Gandler, about the possibility of Yashin returning to the Islanders.

“I’ve had discussions with both Mark and Alexei,” Snow told Newsday on Friday. “I’d rather keep those conversations private, but Alexei has been skating at our practice rink in Syosset and he looks great. I’ve been on record saying I’d explore all options and any player that would improve our team and help us make that step.”

Yashin spent five seasons with the Islanders before being bought out of his contract at the conclusion of the 2006-07 season. He played in the KHL for the next four seasons.

Yashin’s agent also confirmed the contract negotiations and admitted that the Islanders have offered his client an NHL contract.

“At this time we are negotiating with the Islanders and are seriously considering their offer,” he told the Russian news site Sovietsky Sport. He also stated that the Islanders are the only team showing interest in his client.

At this point, this could all be a ploy by Yashin’s agent to start a bidding war either between rival NHL clubs or between NHL and KHL clubs to drive up the price for Yashin. And even if Yashin signs with the Islanders it will likely be for more than he deserves because the Islanders are currently $9 million below the $48.3 million salary cap floor – which is probably why Yashin is seriously considering the offer.

But at 37-years-old, it’s tough to determine how effective Yashin will be in the NHL after spending four seasons away. In 52 games last season with St. Petersburg SKA, Yashin only managed 15 goals 18 assists in a league largely viewed as having less talented players than the NHL. Could Yashin actually benefit from playing with talented young players such as John Tavares, Kyle Okposo, Michael Grabner and Matt Moulson? More so, will those budding young stars benefit from playing alongside the likes of Alexei Yashin?

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Who’s Injured?

Oct 8

Posted by Matt in Fantasy, News | 2 Comments

Unfortunately, for a number of players, it seems like the injuries are piling on heavy right as the season gets underway. Here’s a look at some of the bigger names who will be missing time to start the season:

Brian Campbell – A sprained knee will keep Campbell out well into November. He was injured in the pre-season against the Penguins.

Marc Savard – Savard is experiencing post-concussion syndrome and there’s no telling when he will return. He’s been doing some light lifting and bike riding, but no high intensity work as of yet.

Jordan Staal -Suffering from an infection on his foot after having surgery late last season to repair a torn tendon. He’s had multiple procedures done to try to get things going, but was recently placed on long term injured reserve, meaning he will miss at least 10 games.

Kyle Okposo -Had successful shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum. He suffered the injury during a practice where fans could attend, and will be out 2-3 months. Expect him back sometime in December.

Vinny Prospal – Prospal is out with a sore right knee. His injury was originally thought to be short term, but no progress has been made. He has yet to start skating again, and will likely be out until the end of October.

Matt Stajan – A separated shoulder, which occurred September 21st, will keep Stajan from playing. Expect a return towards the end of October.

Joffrey Lupul – After missing much of last season with a herniated disc in his back, Lupul will have to sit out a bit longer. He had surgery in December, and hoped to be ready for this season. During his off-season training, Lupul was found to have a blood infection in his back. He’s been placed on injured reserve, and there is no timetable for his return.

Andrei Markov -Markov is recovering from surgery after tearing his ACL late last season. His successful surgery was in the middle of May, and recovery is expected to take 6 months. This places Markov with an expected return sometime in November, depending on recovery.

Michael Leighton – A bulging disc in his back will keep Leighton out for about a month.

Chris Pronger -Pronger is still recovering from off-season surgery on his right knee. He has began skating, but has said he needs to gain more strength before he can return to the lineup.

Mark Streit – A torn left labrum and rotator cuff will keep Mark Streit sidelined for quite a while. His injury occurred during an intersquad scrimmage. After taking a hit from Matt Moulson, Streit fell hard into the boards. Unfortunately for the Islanders, he could be on the shelf for up to 6 months.

Alexandre Burrows -The Canucks winger was placed on injured reserve after having surgery to repair a torn labrum. He’s expected to be out approximately two months.

Peter Meuller – The Avs will be without Mueller indefinitely as he recovers from a concussion suffered during the preseason. There’s a bit of controversy behind this as Mueller was supposed to be wearing the new Cascade M11 helmet, but was not due to fitting issues. The Denver Post blog “All Things Avs” explains it in full detail.

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Islanders add Schremp to rookie lineup

Sep 30

Posted by Chris in News | No Comments

Ever heard of Rob Schremp? The 23-year-old center who tore up the OHL a few years back by posting 145 points in 57 games? The Edmonton prospect was picked up off of waivers yesterday by the New York Islanders. If you aren’t familiar with Schremp, take a look at this video to watch Schremp dazzle in a shootout.

Here’s the problem with Schremp. He blew away the competition in the OHL and averaged 2.5 points per game, but he faltered in the AHL and only managed seven goals and 35 assists last season in 69 games. Plus, Schremp’s ability to backcheck has also been called into question. With more talented players coming up through the ranks in Edmonton, Schremp was never able to crack the lineup for more than a few games a season and never showcased enough talent to stick with the club when he was recalled.

On the positive, coming into New York will allow Schremp the chance to play with other young stars such as John Tavares and Kyle Okposo. The Islanders are a team building from square one, which should ultimately benefit someone like Schremp. It gives him the opportunity to learn on the job along with the other youngsters. The Islanders are willing to give Schremp a chance, let’s see if he takes it and runs with it.

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Preseason Love

Sep 18

Posted by EB in News | 1 Comment

New York Islander's Kyle Okposos is carried off on a stretcher after being hit by Calgary Flame's Dion Phaneuf.

New York Islander's Kyle Okposos is carried off on a stretcher after being hit by Calgary Flame's Dion Phaneuf.

Hockey season is back with the cool air within the rink, the sounds of skates grinding, red lights lighting, and of course, big hits.

Last night in a preseason game with the Calgary Flames hosting the New York Islanders, Dion Phaneuf of the Flames laid a crunching hit on Kyle Okposo. Okposo, who was later carried off on a stretcher, laid on the ice for over 6 minutes.

Immediate after the hit, a scrum unfolded, with Islander teammate Pascal Morency launching over the boards, only to be wrestled down by the 6’3”, 214lb Phaneuf. Even Islander’s newly acquired goaltender Martin Biron got in on the action, but like his teammate Morency, ended up on the bottom of the scrum.

The hit has stirred up some controversy, as the argument of Dion Phaneuf leaving his feet to execute the hit is in question, as well as if Pascal Morency partook in a line change or jumped off the bench. A link to the video is provided here as you may be the judge.

Later throughout the game the Islanders targeted Phaneuf some more, yet he never dropped the gloves. Some may say he was a coward, to make a hit and not drop the gloves is backing down. Some may say keep your head up and the hit would not have happened.

A suspension to Morency may be issued, and perhaps a fine or so to Phaneuf.  Regardless, it seems the Islanders are continuing from last season, and that being on the short end of the stick.

Keep your head up hockey fans and let’s enjoy more games, and more hits, to come.

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New York Islanders

Sep 2

Posted by Matt in Season Previews | No Comments

Jonathan Tavares

Jonathan Tavares

With the number one pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, the New York Islanders selected Jonathan Tavares of the London Knights. The young stud, who will turn 19 on September 20th, was nothing short of a goal scoring phenom in the OHL. This will certainly prove to be helpful for a team which ranked next to last in goals last season.

As we know, however, scoring goals isn’t everything in the NHL. A solid goaltender will help any team improve. Since starting goalie Rick DiPietro continues to fight through injuries, the Islanders spent some money this off-season on a couple solid netminders to hopefully help turn things around.  They initially signed Dwayne Roloson and less than a month later picked up Martin Biron as well, so expect a battle all season long for the number one goalie spot.

While the scoring and goaltending have certainly taken a step in the right direction, the Islanders still have a ways to go on defense. Number one defenseman Mark Streit will be a great help again this season along the blueline, especially on the power-play, but he lacks the support necessary to make a solid defensive corps.

The Islanders are continuing to rebuild around young stars like Tavares and Kyle Okposo, along with some veteran leadership in Doug Weight, but don’t expect them to turn things around overnight. While there will definitely be some improvement in 2009-10, I don’t see them climbing out of a last place finish in the Atlantic Division.

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