New York Islanders

Just to be clear the usual deadline for restricted free agents to receive a qualifying offer is June 25th or the first Monday after the NHL draft. The new CBA does not list any change in this policy. As we all know the 2013 draft is Sunday 6/30 (one day event) so that deadline is likely now 7/1 for Garth Snow to issue a qualifying offer to a growing list of players that now includes David Ullstrom who signed in the KHL. That also still includes all the former Bridgeport prospects who played last season in Europe, IE: Koskinen, Katic, Rakhshani, DiBenedetto, and now Ullstrom. Free agency begins 7/5/13. **************************************** My thoughts on NHL awards for a 48 game cash-grab is it means nothing, same as the season itself. The 48 game playoffs prove what the 82 game playoffs prove, parity is the rule, and any team can beat another in a seven game playoff. **************************************** Unlike 2012, the Islanders will be using the Nassau Coliseum for it's prospect game scrimmage game 7/11/13 at the end of a four day prospect camp. **************************************** Expect the NHL schedule a little later, but with the Islanders preseason game at Barclay's Center on 9/21, and one in Barrie 9/29, camp will begin early in an Olympic year. **************************************** NY Sports & Entertainment Released their video for Nassau Coliseum with the Smg/Ed Snider/MSNBC/Comcast/Philly Live aka Ed Snider's taxpayer funded Lighthouse at old Spectrum Site. The part about " As soon as the Islanders leave " is only exceeded by the part at 50 seconds showing Ed Snider's control of the Coliseum with the Flyers properties.

Forward Danny Briere is preparing to become an unrestricted free agent as part of the Philadelphia Flyers' offseason shakeup of their high-priced roster.

Boston and Chicago …. it is an interesting match up for sure. More so because the east and west didn’t meet at all this season. It is, for all intents and purposes, new territory for both teams. So far, it has been as entertaining as one might expect. I have enjoyed the games and the coverage NBC is providing. I expect this thing to go the distance, and I would not be surprised if there are more overtime games ahead of us. Both Tuuka Rask and Corey Crawford have been amazing in net, and the play has seemed to ebb and flow for both teams as the periods passed. Also, the hitting level and “hate level” is growing, as can be expected. read more

Pittsburgh's Dan Bylsma considered to be a favorite for the position.

The New York Islanders goalie situation is very much unsettled for 2013-14, which is both a natural and potentially a good thing at this point in the NHL cycle. Evgeni Nabokov has not been re-signed, but you have to bet on that being a Plan 1A or backup plan depending on how their exploration of options goes through the next month. If you missed discussion yesterday, Arthur Staple of Newsday had sources informing him that the Islanders are indeed in on the shopping for Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Bernier. But after holding on to Bernier for a few years past his ripening -- because goalie insurance is good to have -- the Kings sound like they're trying to drum up competing bids for a goalie market that is a little flooded. Bernier, who turns 25 this summer, is entering his theoretical prime and yet it's still not clear what one can expect from the guy who was once the Kings' goalie of the future before Matt Moulson's brother-in-law forced his way into that seat. Meanwhile, there are several teams who could use upgrades in goal this summer, but even more goalies who could theoretically offer such upgrades. In market situations like that, teams like the Flyers tend to shoot first, ask questions later. The Islanders tend not to Flyer up the market. So Bernier is probably a longshot unless no one steps up with an ideal offer for the Kings by the draft. Meanwhile: The Islanders' annual prospect scrimmage is set for July 11. Prospects are required to attend three summer prospect camps, so Nino Niederreiter has done his time and will not be there this time. Back to the goalies, here are some Islanders blogs grades on that timeless subject of interminable debate Evgeni Nabokov's 2013 season: IPB | Isles Nation | Eyes on Isles And as for the Flyers, are they in on Bernier? Well ... maybe. Ilya Bryzgalov's agent claims the Flyers told him he would not be bought out. Paul Holmgrem counters that he said no such thing. Flyers Fun, II: Supposedly they're chasing Bobby Ryan again, with the #11 pick in this draft and Braydon Coburn on the table. Flyers Fun, III: Danny Briere has apparently been informed he'll be bought out. Flyers Fun, IV: Oh, and the Flyers have some bonus overages that will carry over to 2013-14. #capmanagement Flyers Fun, V: Sticking with that same source, Tim Panaccio of Comcast, who remarks: "it's always insane covering the Flyers when the draft and free agency roll around. why would we think this summer would be any different?" Cool stuff: The arbitration process, behind the scenes | Yahoo shows a Whalers-themed wedding that went all out | Barclay's setup for hockey in Brooklyn The Stars are still looking at Torts and Ruff in their search for a recycled REAL NHL coach As you know, David Ullstrom is headed to the KHL. Where he'll travel a whole lot. If you missed it, Kirill Petrov is still in the KHL. But his agent is making a little noise about the Islanders next summer. Friedman's 30 Thoughts from this week. Also from him, the NHL sounds set to try hybrid icing in the preseason, then implement it if it works. Two good Cult of Hockey bits: What's up if the Avs really pass on Seth Jones? | And oh, really, the Hawks are losing money? The SB Nation hockey sites are running our annual mock draft, which you can follow along here. We pick for the Islanders on Friday. I mean, the Isles have done okay at #15 in the past. Finally, most of the authors here will do a group video chat Thursday evening, which we should be able to post afterward. If you want us to toss specific questions around, leave them below or here.

The New York Islanders goalie situation is very much unsettled for 2013-14, which is both a natural and potentially a good thing at this point in the NHL cycle. Evgeni Nabokov has not been re-signed, but you have to bet on that being a Plan 1A or backup plan depending on how their exploration of options goes through the next month. read more

Here are your Puck Headlines: a glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media. • Neil Degrasse Tyson with arguably his most brilliant observation ever. [ Neil Degrasse Tyson ] • Bryan Bickell on how Mario Kart helps the team focus. [ NHL ] • Contrary to the opinion of some, Jonathan Toews is having a very, very good postseason. [ MC79 Hockey ] • The Boston Bruins' defence is pretty good, eh? [ CSNNE ] • How the Chicago Blackhawks can get through it. [ Backhand Shelf ] • Bill Daly on the Devils' financial troubles: “Despite recent reports to the contrary, which are inaccurate, we are not concerned about the Devils’ future, or the franchise’s ability to achieve long-term success in Newark." [ Fire & Ice ] • The Phoenix Coyotes prospective new owners finally presented their proposal to the Glendale City Council. It did not go well. Councilperson Norma Alvarez was especially unimpressed. She left the meeting early, saying, "I couldn't take it anymore." [ AZ Central ] • Bryan Murray is trying to move up at the Draft. “I’ve talked to a number of teams and asked them to consider possibility of flipping picks or doing something where they might get what they need out of it and we might get what we need out of it. I don’t know if anybody will consider that, but I know as you get closer to the draft, if you have a pick very high up, it’s very hard to make the decision to move back. I’m not thinking that will happen, but we at least have to make the calls and to suggest we’re open to talk.” [ Senators Extra ] • Henrik Lundqvist denies pushing Tortorella out: "I would never put pressure on the management on decisions like that. I’m just a player. My focus is to play the game and do the best I can on the ice. Whatever [happens] off the ice, I leave to our great staff we have working for this club.” [ NY Post ]

His choice. Wasn't required to go.

Throughout the next month plus, we’ll be reviewing the season that was and over-analyzing the various players that contributed to it. That’s what the offseason is for, after all. This post is part of a series. Read them all here. Evgeni Nabokov — G — #20 2.50 and .910 in 41 games Most often seen: between the pipes, also giving funny interviews with Stan Contract status: UFA this summer, $2.75M salary in 2012-13 ($2.75M cap hit) Obligatory YouTube video of: those refs being very questionable Kevin Schultz, Islanders Point Blank:Thoughts on 2012-13: For better or worse, the Islanders rode Evgeni Nabokov for 41 of 48 regular season games plus another six playoff games in 2013. At the beginning of the year, the question was ‘how much can he play in the shortened season?’  The 48-game season was expected to be tough on skaters and goalies alike, given the condensed schedule. That was the same question that was asked of Nabokov three years ago in San Jose, during a season when he played 71 of 82 and another 15 in the post-season. Clearly, in hindsight, the workload didn’t seem to be the issue. Nabokov is a workhorse in goal and has been one throughout his career. He has 635 regular season starts through 12 seasons, good for just about 53 starts per year. Plus another 86 career playoff appearances for good measure. The problem with Nabokov, and it was one this year, is that he is not an elite goaltender in terms of skill. He’s especially good at handling a large workload and is fairly consistent, but in terms of his ability to stop pucks his save percentage leaves something to be desired. He posted .914 and .910 the past two years with the Islanders, right in line with his career mark of .912 which is neither bad nor astounding. If you’re keeping score at home, those numbers are right in line with the NHL average over the past few seasons. In fact, he’s only posted a mark better than .914 once since the 2004 lockout. All that isn’t to say Nabokov hasn’t been helpful to the Islanders. He has, of course. He’s been a steady presence in net — something that has been missing throughout the rebuild — and has allowed the team to free itself from Rick DiPietro (at least from the NHL roster, anyway). The problem is that Nabokov was an Achilles heel at times this season and at other times he was the solid netminder that the Islanders needed him to be. He was bad in January and February and there’s really no way around it; he had a sub-.900 save percentage during 11 games in February, while the team went 4-9-1 during the month. When he finally turned things around in April, with a stellar .928, the team went 8-4-1 with every loss coming by only a goal. Correlation doesn’t necessarily mean causation, but as Nabokov went, so did the team. It’s hard to put all the blame on Nabokov for the horrendous playoff series he had — 24 goals allowed in 6 games and a sub-DiPietro .842 save percentage — the Penguins do have arguably the most talented forward corps in the NHL.  But a team gets a huge boost in the playoffs based on how its goaltender plays (see: Tukka Rask, Henrik Lundqvist) and Nabokov did the Islanders no favors. Free agency is approaching fast and Nabokov will be unrestricted on July 5, free to sign with any team. It’s hard to tell which way the Islanders will go; whether they bring in an outsider or come back with some combination of Nabokov, Poulin and Nilsson. At this point, it’s clear that Nabokov is not the solution, rather a solution until a better one comes along. Grade: C+ Add your thoughts and post-season grades in the comments.

New York Islanders restricted free agent David Ullstrom has signed with HC Lokomotiv, the KHL team announced. The move does not rule out a return to the NHL -- and the Islanders can still retain his rights by qualifying him -- but Ullström wanted a one-way contract, which he told hockeysverige.se [magic Google Translate link] the Isles would not offer: I am finished with the AHL after playing there on and off for three years. It's no secret that the dream is still to play in the NHL and I think this is the best route for me. This past season was to be a pivotal one for Ullstöm, entering the final year of his entry level contract. Though a productive scorer in the AHL, a concussion in 2011-12 interrupted his rookie NHL season and once the lockout ended he had trouble keeping a spot in the Islanders lineup. Injuries hurt him in 2012-13 too, with a groin injury spoiling much of March and April right after he had returned from a one-off assignment to Bridgeport and looked to reclaim a spot. But another reason he played only 20 of 48 regular season games with the Islanders was he was frequently the healthy scratchgoat after mistakes in the opening months of the season. Ullström did appear in three of the Islanders' six playoff games, but as in the regular season it came in limited ice time. If the coaching staff wasn't comfortable giving him a regular place in the lineup, the management team probably isn't going to be comfortable giving him a one-way deal. As discussed around here for his entry on our Top 25 Islanders Under 25 list (where our crack staff put the 24-year-old at 11), the window of opportunity is getting smaller: Depending on who's observing, David Ullstrom is either getting a raw deal from Islanders coaches, has something to learn about defense and/or the Islanders system, or a little of all of the above mixed with the worst luck of all: injuries. At age 24, this will be Ullström's last year on our Top 25 Islanders Under 25 ballot. He's an RFA this summer due a qualifying offer from the Isles to retain his rights. His window of opportunity isn't exactly closing, but there is plenty of competition around the bend. That competition was in evidence in Bridgeport this year, where Ullström started due to the NHL lockout but where younger players like Brock Nelson and Nino Niederreiter shined. There is precedent for Islanders players going to, or going back to, Europe before returning to the Island, but the success rate is not high. Recent examples who eventually earned new NHL contracts after such detours are Jeremy Colliton and Jesse Joensuu. But the roster-bubble nature of Colliton and Joensuu's respective returns tells you the challenge Ullström has in front of him, even if he plays lights-out for Lokomotiv. For the Islanders, this opens up another spot in the organizational depth chart for 2013-14, but it's a spot that was always going to be in that bubble. Best of luck to him in his new adventure. Thank you to the Islanders organisation, teammates and fans for three unforgetable years. We created memories that will remain forever. Thx — David Ullstrom (@d_ullstrom) June 19, 2013 Ullström was part of the Islanders' big 2008 draft class, which has seen all but four of its 13 players appear in the NHL (not all with the Isles).