Same Old Islanders? Think Again

Barclay Poole
Apr 7, 2001

As the 2000-2001 NHL season draws to a close, the New York Islanders are once again buried in the bowels of the league. Seven straight seasons have passed since the Islanders made a playoff appearance and GM Mike Milbury remains with the team despite a constant demand from fans and media for his firing. Seems like a pretty bleak time to be an Islander fan, right? Wrong! If you have been loyal enough to keep supporting the blue and orange the past decade, hold on tight because the team is about to make a run.

Sure we have all heard this before - hoopla over high draft picks and prospects only to see names like Todd Bertuzzi, Bryan McCabe, Bryan Berard and Ziggy Palffy suddenly traded away. But two things are different now - stable ownership under Charles Wang and a competitive budget.

Charles Wang and Sanjay Kumar are the fourth ownership group the Islanders have had since their last playoff appearance in 1994. Prior to Wang and Kumar, John Pickett, John Spano and Steven Gluckstern were completely detrimental to the organization, each driving the team further into a bottomless pit.

Mike Milbury usually gets the blame, but what organization could be expected to run smoothly with a revolving door of owners, a lack of commitment to the team and a pitiful budget? Since they purchased the team one year ago, Wang and Kumar have shown the financial support and dedication the team sorely needs.

So why did the team sink further this year? Their record and overall work ethic have obviously been a major disappointment. Fingers could certainly be pointed at injuries, but the team simply did not respond to coach Butch Goring early on. With a roster that boasted more depth and talent than last year's, the team lacked work ethic and dedication. Possibly an effect of being a very young team.

Critics could say "same old Islanders." But that is unfair. It is year 1 of the Charles Wang era. Experiences with previous ownerships and philosophies should be thrown out. Though it is unfortunate, the year simply must be chalked up as a learning experience for the team's youth. How many "learning years" did the young Quebec Nordiques go through before they began to prosper? The important thing is that the roster was improved going into the season and assets have remained in tact heading into next year.

So just what do the Islanders have? Three areas strike me as positives. First off, the Islanders have one of the top young talent bases in the league. 19 yr. olds Rick DiPietro, Tim Connolly, and Taylor Pyatt, 23 yr. old Brad Isbister and 24 yr. old Zdeno Chara form a core of future stars few teams can match. Combine such a nucleus with with players like Dave Scatchard, Mariusz Czerkawski, Mark Parrish, Roman Hamrlik and Kenny Jonsson and the future looks bright.

Second, after finishing last in the league the Islanders will have a very high draft pick, probably first overall. With potential phenom Jason Spezza topping the list of junior players, an already strong Islander prospect list has the potential to get quite stronger. But do not count Spezza an Islander just yet. The pick could just as easily be used in a deal to bring an established star aboard. Some big names, including Doug Weight, Alexei Yashin, Michael Peca, Eric Lindros and Jaromir Jagr could be available this summer.

Third, it looks like the Islanders budget will receive another influx of cash this summer. It could not come at a better time. With a fantastic crop of unrestricted free agents such as Joe Sakic, John LeClair, Jeremy Roenick and Martin Lapointe, the Islanders expect to be major players in this summer's free agent sweepstakes. An addition of one or two top free agents will bring the depth, talent and leadership of the Islanders to a competitive level.

Although their record may suggest otherwise, there are not a lot of holes on the Islander team. The most glaring need is a front line center to take the load off Tim Connolly. Roenick would fit this need to a tee. Another experienced winger in the 20-30 goal range would also be welcomed, possibly Martin Lapointe. Overall, the Islanders have enough bodies at forward, they simply need more experience.

Defensively the Islanders are also deep, with youngsters Branislav Mezei and Mathieu Biron joining veterans Hamrlik, Jonsson, Gary Galley, Kevin Haller, Eric Cairns and Chara to form a solid core. The goaltending situation may need some tinkering however. DiPietro's progress will need to be assessed at the end of the season and Chris Terreri will be an unrestricted free agent.

Another key area to fill will be head coach. Milbury took some flack for disposing of Butch Goring earlier in the year, but it was clear the team was not responding to him. Candidates such as Kevin Constantine, Bryan Murray, Robbie Ftorek, Pat Burns and Ted Nolan are all highly qualified to lead this young team to the promised land.

So, Islander fans can take pride in the fact that the pieces of the puzzle are slowly sliding into place. It all starts with ownership and the Islanders take a back seat to nobody with Wang and Kumar. Islander depth is the best it has been since the early 90's and prospects are plenty. Depending on what is accomplished this summer, the playoffs should be a very attainable goal next year and Lord Stanley may not be far behind.

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