New York Islanders 2008-09 Season Preview: Sixth In Eastern Conference

will be placed in roles realistic for their career production. No coach is going to make them consistent scorers unless Scott Gordon and Garth Snow get an amazing bonus that goes outside their respective career resumes. I do not see these players in this teams top nine forwards, if they are in those roles for any extended time the team will not be successful or in playoff contention unless it's in a defensive role to close out games the club is leading. We'll see where and how newly acquired Nate Thompson fits the mix as a center/winger but obviously Scott Gordon wanted him here with his speed and a physical element combined with AHL scoring ability.

Powerplay/Shorthanded:
Too early to tell but virtually nothing short of declining the powerplay would be worse than last year with a unit that allowed fifteen goals with it's man advantage and turned the momentum of several games to the opposition's favor as it took the ice. Mark Streit, Jack Hillen along with Chris Campoli's eventual return and Weight's powerplay talents combined with more chances from the skilled, faster young payers has to get the other clubs defense running around down low to wear them down.

Can Weight and Streit's vision/ability to make a play create more time and open space for this unit that keeps the opposition off balance and backing in? I think so and not because Garth Snow said he solved his powerplay by signing the former Hab.

Streit sounds like a very bright player who knows how to create a chance and has improved every season since coming to the NHL, he's one element to the solution.

All I do know is nothing could be worse than Richard Park, Bill Guerin or Miroslav Satan on the point last year as the unit looked desperate and concerned about turnovers which also included Berard, Bergeron, Campoli and a host of players still here who got a look but seemed lost when the opportunity came for them to get a chance. It would not even shock me to see Snow sign Berard now that he has been released from the Flyers to improve his depth.

The powerplay is going to improve because it's not possible for it to be any worse than it was a year ago, regardless of how little Scott Gordon has had to work on his special teams.

Shorthanded this group has several players who do well in this role that were solid last season that are back, I see no major weakness on paper with this unit to begin the season but over time we will find out trends for 2008-09.

Defense:
Last year this club dropped it's shots against by 198.

The media forgot to pick up on that like they forget the club was in sixth place in January or ignored the six game winning streak when they got past the flu but as flawed as last year's club was they did manage to do this and should do even better now because it's a deeper group with virtually everyone signed for at least two years.

The injuries that define the individual resume of the defense are back with Chris Campoli, Andy Sutton already out and a waiver (Thomas Pock) claimed, if injuries go four or five deep all bets are off on the clubs success but you can write this about practically any team.

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