The Return of Ricky D

Tonight's game in Tampa was a heart-pounding affair with a bizarre ending as the Isles notched a victory in OT after a ten-minute review that came almost two minutes after the play in question occurred. Rick DiPietro and the Isles' defenders came up huge against a star-studded group of Lightning forwards that could comprise the most dynamic top six in the entire NHL. The whole team gutted out another quality performance on the road against a quality team, walking away from this one with two points. Though the Isles are now tied with the Fighting Sidney Crosbies for first place in the Eastern Conference, they have a game in hand.

Positives

Rick DiPietro is back, baby. DP looks a lot like he did before he got hurt, needing only a couple performances before regaining something resembling his old form. He made several really good-looking stops when the Isles were getting outclassed at even strength, especially in the third period. Particularly good was his stop on Marty St. Louis when he had to go East-to-West to get in the correct position.

The PK came up enormous. Constantly aggressive with tons of movement, and Tampa had a great deal of trouble working around it. The biggest moment, obviously, was when the blue and orange killed off a five-on-three that lasted for an eternal 40 seconds and made it look easy. Mark Eaton has been the unsung hero here, proving that the Isles needed to bring him in simply for his ability to clear the zone in these situations. That goes for Milan Jurcina as well.

Nino Niederreiter sure does look like he belongs. El Niño came up big again in subtle ways, always finding the right spot on the ice to make a contribution. On the Isles' first goal, he made the first shot on Dan Ellis before Michael Grabner swooped in to bury the rebound. However, even before that, Niederreiter was strong on the cycle and got himself open in the low slot. He may not be exceptionally noticeable, but give him time: he's already shown he can make it here, and sooner or later, he'll prove he can thrive at this level also.

Just in case you didn't believe, Matt Moulson is for real. The guy knows his way around the front of the net, he works harder than 90% of the other players in the League, and his hands are very, very good. I advocated a long-term extension for him this summer, but it wasn't to be. He has four goals in seven games, and the likelihood is that this'll be his second 30-goal season. We can only hope he's willing to stay on for a reasonable price come season's end.

The team refuses to fold in high-pressure situations. Down two goals? No problem. Third period deficit? No problem. Killing a five-on-three? No problem. Four of your top eight players injured? No problem. Rolling three lines for two periods in the Air Canada Centre? No problem. Five defensemen for two periods against a Tampa offensive juggernaut? No problem. The team just keeps on rollin'. Gotta love the fight in this squad.

Negatives

James Wisniewski needs be more careful. Couple gaffes from him tonight, two of which led to Bergenheim's breakaways. What's surprising about the Wiz through the five games he's played is that he doesn't seem like a traditional Garth defenseman. The Isles didn't miss him very much for the two games he was gone. He does add some good power play skills, but he's almost a liability at even strength.

The Isles need to be more effective as a team at clearing the zone. The problem came up once again this game: the team had a shot to clear, and the player with the puck on his stick was overanxious to start the rush. The funny thing about this phenomenon is that Gordon preaches to keep things simple, but I've seen nearly every member of the squad pass up a very good opportunity to send the puck out of the zone. Eventually, that'll come back to bite them as a team. In the third, the Isles spent way too much time in their own end for this reason.

On the Bolts

Good to see Sean Bergenheim, one of my favorite Islanders of recent memory, continue to do what he's known for doing, even if it's in another uniform. I'm obviously way more happy about this idea because the Isles ended up winning the game. He generated a couple breakaways and nearly missed the shot he ended up scoring on, but he causes so much havoc and frustration through his relentless puck pursuit that all his warts make him a worthwhile player if you can notch the right contract.

As for the rest of that team, it's gonna be a serious contender for awhile. Victor Hedman is already exceptionally impressive for such a young kid. The Isles would've been very well off with him on the team also, though it's not like I'm complaining about Tavares. The addition of Gagné rounds out a ridiculous top six with arguably the most talent in the whole Show. Stamkos is such a beast at this age that it's astounding; the sky is truly the limit for him. Marty St. Louis looks like he'll never get old-- a constant threat every time he's out there. His goal tonight was insane. Tampa, lest we forget, also finished tonight at the top of its own division despite losing in OT.

Next up, the Isles enter the time machine to play the 2008-2009 version of themselves in Miami.

A surprising effort comes up short

I had the pleasure of seeing this game live and in person at the Verizon Center. I was happy to see the Isles make it interesting, but ultimately, they couldn't capitalize on several golden opportunities. While Blake Comeau's penalty was the obvious difference-maker, give some serious credit to Michal Neuvirth. The kid was able to stonewall the Isles in his third NHL game with a (frankly speaking) terrible defensive corps in front of him.

I have some comments about the Isles before I end things with a paragraph or two on the Caps, who I follow by default down here in DC.

Dwayne Roloson kept the Isles in it. Good to see that Rollie hasn't missed a beat. Several textbook saves from him, some of which DiPietro definitely wouldn't have made at this stage of his comeback. Roloson's a reliable option to have in case it hits the fan with DP, and I imagine Nathan Lawson can answer the call for ten or so games in an emergency situation. Many people might've questioned how Dwayne could hold up at 41, but he looks sharp as ever.

Radek Martinek is the Ovechkin kryptonite. I mentioned this in a post over at Islander Mania before the game started, but I'm beginning to notice it at an increasing rate. Despite Ovechkin factoring into both goals tonight, Radek stymied him at several other points in the game. When Ovechkin scored, Eaton was defending him, and there was nothing more the big guy could've done-- Alex is just that good. When Backström scored, Martinek wasn't on the ice. You don't hold the Caps to two goals at home very easily, and Martinek was the biggest part of that tonight.

Nino Niederreiter is probably here to stay. He had his first NHL goal this evening, and he nearly had another one off a great release from the high slot after a faceoff win. His instincts are top-notch, and he still has rhino strength on the puck at the NHL level. I think all of us underestimated his ability to succeed this quickly in the pros. He's gonna be an all-around contributor to this team for a long while.

Michael Grabner has a place here if he works hard. The Isles haven't had a guy with that kind of speed since Palffy left the building. I liked his offensive creativity as well. If he can meld into the system, I like the idea of having him on the team. He gets my tentative approval for now.

The negatives:

Blake Comeau must learn that he can't take that kind of risk in that situation. I understand he was just finishing a check, and it was a very ticky-tack call, but that's the kind of knowledge he will have to gain with experience as a go-to guy in the final five minutes. Comeau will probably never completely eliminate the brain farts from his overall repertoire, but he made great contributions in other areas tonight and peppered the net with some quality shots. He's officially turned the corner, but it's now time to work out the kinks; this is the second really bad penalty from him in a late-game situation.

I don't understand why Andy MacDonald is on PP1, even with Wisniewski out. MacDonald had another sound defensive game tonight, but I put his power play troubles on Scott Gordon. Jack Hillen is a power play quarterback by trade. He anchored an atrocious second unit to the tune of 20+ points last year. If he's gonna be in the lineup, he should be playing the point, especially with Wisniewski sitting out. I'd even argue that Hillen and Weight should be playing the points on PP1, then Jurcina and Mottau should be out there on PP2.

Trent Hunter doesn't appear to belong anymore. It's a speed-oriented system that favors players with quick releases. Hunter, unfortunately, brings neither. He does have virtues: strength on the puck, high character, a good slapshot. The reality is, though, that it's time for him to move on. He's an NHL player, but he'd be better in some other system... Calgary would be good for him, or Jersey might even be the right stop at his price tag.

I've seen enough of P.A. Parenteau. The experiment was nice, but I believe it'll end as soon as John Tavares is re-inserted into the lineup. He's not quick enough with either his feet or his decision-making, he turns the puck over in every zone, he's easily overpowered, and he doesn't play much defense. The team-- get this-- has too much talent for him to stick around. Nice knowin' ya, buddy.

On the Caps:

I still don't understand George McPhee's thinking. Three things were clear after the Capitals dropped their first round series to Montreal: (1) Bruce Boudreau needed to go; (2) the team as a whole needed to get physically tougher; and (3) the defense just wasn't gonna cut it as is. What does he do in response? Returns the same defense corps, puts his stamp of approval on Boudreau's failures with the NHL's most talented squad for multiple consecutive years by keeping him around, and imports DJ King in exchange for one of his most intriguing prospects.

What did we see tonight? King made his debut, had zero on-ice impact, and clearly hasn't effected the top-down change that the team desperately needs if it wants to win the Cup. Boudreau promotes a system sorely lacking in fundamentals that allows Ovechkin and Backström to dance around with the puck and hopefully make something happen through sheer force of skill. The defense is barely able to handle a tenacious Islanders forecheck, leading the crowd to applaud almost every time the puck was skated out of the zone.

Let me ask a stupid question: does a team whose achilles heel is its defense look smart if it returns all of its top four and supports them with two fresh-faced rookies who can't play in their own zone? John Carlson looks lost in every area of the ice except the opponent's blue line. I didn't even know Karl Alzner played in the game until my buddy John told me after it was over. Mike Green had his usual abominable game in his own end. This Tyler Sloan character is not gonna be the elixir. Where was, say, Anton Volchenkov? Andy Sutton? Sergei Gonchar? They certainly had the cap room.

If McPhee wants to take home the Cup, he should flip some of his farmhands and his first-round pick for the best defenseman available come the deadline. Because in spite of an explosive offense-- one that the League is slowly starting to figure out, by the way-- and an encouraging young goaltender, the Caps have no shot at any hardware if they continue along with these six guys on the blue line.

For the Isles, it's on to Pittsburgh, where they can hopefully take advantage of a reeling team that can't seem to find any giddy-up in spite of really positive changes in the off-season.

So let's talk about how good Josh Bailey is.

In spite of the warts all over this game, you have to be satisfied with the pair of balls on this Isles team. Two rousing comebacks in the third, overcoming some serious mistake-filled hockey in the first couple periods. It could've been way better, but this is as satisfying a win as I could remember. Despite the result, there are probably more negative things to take away from this game than positive things, but as you all know, I like focusing on the upside first.

Josh Bailey has become an unbelievable player almost overnight. The mitigating arguments: yes, this is one game; yes, the opponents are a little below par; yes, he's only 21; yes, he has not peaked. Fine. We've been watching his upward trajectory since he was an overmatched, fresh-faced teenager skating around on the third line for a last-place team. He made progress during that lost season, but it was subtle and slow. The next season saw him have a bit of a coming-out party in the middle of the year, stringing together multi-point games for awhile to give us a glimpse of what was to come. By the end of the year, he was noticeably affecting games, but sometimes missing the scoresheet.

These first two games of this season were entirely different, though. It's not just that Bailey has four points so far. If anything, his all-zone contributions and play without the puck have been even better than some of the spectacular plays he's made to score those points. He's forechecking and backchecking with great tenacity, he's throwing hits and winning battles in the corners, and his stick work is better than ever. Top all that off with a great sense of what to do in front of the net, and you've got yourself a pretty good NHL player.

For the record, this is all coming at the center position, where I didn't expect to see him again until two years from now. His faceoffs are still below average, but with the work this guy is putting in, I'm sure that'll eventually change. In the meantime, he's carried the team to three points almost by himself.

Is Blake Comeau really going to spell Kyle Okposo until December? Other than a few minor miscues, Comeau did everything Okposo normally does today. His forechecking is really on point, plus he's making some great defensive plays. It seems like things have officially clicked for him; he knows exactly how to translate his skill set to high-level production.

Comeau is a great example of the type of patience we need to show when young guys clearly have something to offer but aren't quite putting it together. For every Sean Bergenheim, who can't get it together mentally in time to salvage his career, there will be a Blake Comeau. At one time, I was laughed at for calling Comeau a referendum on Todd Bertuzzi. Though Comeau will probably never see 70 points in a season, it's looking more and more like Comeau can mature into a top six all-around power forward. Keep your eyes on this kid, because as I mentioned before, he's the most important forward until Okposo returns.

Andy MacDonald is officially the #1 defenseman until Mark Streit returns. This guy just continues to be steady-as-she-goes in his own end, nullifying oncoming attackers in all sorts of situations. This is my official campaign to get this guy more minutes, considering I'm most comfortable when MacDonald and (begrudgingly) Mike Mottau are on the ice (more on him later). He's showing great stick work and body positioning, and he seems to have no problem taking on the opponent's best players.

My hate for Mike Mottau wanes by the day. A couple minor goofs from him, but other than that, he was sensational. As a last-minute pickup, he's been a godsend so far. Not only is he tough as nails, but he looks right at home in this system in all three zones. He's been sneaky-good on the power play, and he picked up two assists this afternoon.

We're seeing a new and improved Radek Martinek. My pre-season observations told me that Radek was putting a different emphasis on being physical and being offensively-minded this year. So far, he's shown exactly that. He's put a couple good-looking wrist shots on goal, and he was even trying his best to bring the nasty today. When he was faced with a physical challenge, he'd normally back down; these past two games, he's snarled back at the antagonist and answered in kind. Very pleasant to see that this guy's finally playing with a chip on his shoulder. He doesn't look nearly as scared or tentative anymore.

There were, of course, big negatives from this game.

The sloppiness must cease! The own-zone turnovers were horrific, and the neutral-zone turnovers were equally cringe-worthy. There are a lot of new players trying to learn the system, which probably accounts for some of this stuff, but a large portion of these gaffes have come unforced. James Wisniewski and P.A. Parenteau were the big culprits tonight. I'm giving them a couple more games to get it together, but the two of them have now put together two consecutive really bad games in the defensive and neutral zones. A lot of their screw-ups were just inexcusable.

On a team level, a second bench minor in as many games proved extremely costly. Those types of mental mistakes can't continue happening. Last year, the Isles were among the most disciplined teams in the NHL. That needs to continue if they want to stay afloat until Okposo comes back into the fold.

Ricky D must continue adjusting. He gave up two very soft goals today. I understand he's getting back in the groove when it comes to fighting through screens and moving laterally, but as I mentioned two days ago, he can't be weighing down the team while working out the kinks. He made some great, great saves, but the day when he's fully re-adjusted to the NHL game and playing close to how he used to can't come soon enough.

I think El Niño can hold his own, but he needs to show more if he's gonna stay. Niederreiter's been treading water so far and having some nice moments here and there, but we knew he'd be able to grind at this level already. The question is whether he can do something more. Otherwise, the Isles have a guy (Joensuu) who can do all these things in his place while Nino logs key development time in Portland and at the WJC.

In other news, I'm gonna try to get to some college games this week. I have Minnesota and North Dakota on DVR. Comcast sucks, so I missed UNH and Blake Kessel. On a final note, I'm sticking to what I said about Stepan: good player, but he's up too early. I think he'll definitely be a long-term second-line center, but expect the rest of the year for him to continue sort of like Bailey's first season on the Isles.

Josh Bailey is a Man's Man (and Other Observations)

In typical Islanders fashion, game one was an absolute heartbreaker, with the Isles clawing back from being down two goals in the third period only to lose in the shootout. Fun game to watch, though the mental mistakes were very ugly. Turnovers led to two goals, DiPietro leaked another, and Jurcina's failure to clear Morrow from the front of the net surrendered the third. On the positive side, the team was flying all night and overcame the early loss of John Tavares to a mild concussion. Couple key points to take from this game.

Josh Bailey is a man's man. The kid had his best game as an Islander, registering two assists and the only positive rating (+1) on the whole team. He was a man possessed, possibly the best player on the ice for either side. When Tavares went down, he slid into the #1 center role seamlessly. That's something I didn't expect out of him for another two years, but he's well on his way to assuming the role without an issue. I've always felt he'd be capable of 70 point seasons down the road, and he showed why tonight.

James Wisniewski is up to the task. A couple pylon moments from him, but those were far overshadowed by the gorgeous slapshot goal and thunderous hit on Jamie Benn in retaliation for the Tavares cheap shot from Burish. Really good showing from this guy tonight. I have faith that he can spell Streit offensively.

Blake Comeau is ready to take the next step over a full year. A crucial thing, as I have detailed previously, since Comeau will be relied on for everything Okposo used to do at the wing position. He filled in pretty admirably tonight, chipping in a key goal and throwing his weight around with abandon. He also did very well on the penalty kill.

Andy MacDonald looks like he's for real. Did pretty well for himself tonight, logging 23-and-a-half rock-solid minutes. Let's watch his progress over the next few games and see if he solidifies the notion that he'll be taking over for Streit on the defensive side of things.

I don't hate Mike Mottau... as much. When Mottau laid out Frans Nielsen two years ago, "seething hatred" was the best phrase I could use to describe my feelings towards him. Now that he's in an Isles uni, I guess I'll have to get used to seeing him out there every night. He did well in this game, logging a healthy amount of minutes in a system he's had about two weeks to learn.

And now for the negative...

P.A. Parenteau doesn't look like an NHL player. He'll need to be way, way better than this if he wants to stick, especially on the power play. Ugly game from him tonight.

Mark Eaton needs to cut down on the pylon moments. Pens fans were talking about how he wasn't very physical, and they weren't kidding. I hope he gets steadier as the season progresses, because he didn't look like a very good fit out there tonight.

Nino Niederreiter shouldn't be doing this over a full season. I'd rather have Jesse Joensuu do what he's assigned to be doing right now. I've been saying that from jump street. Niederreiter's holding his own, but he frankly doesn't look like he belongs. Juniors is the best route for him.

Rick DiPietro needs to get back in the swing of things. Had his ups and downs tonight. Two goals weren't his fault, two were. If he's gonna stay healthy and get into games, Ricky needs to sharpen up his lateral movement and his reflexes. I think the guy deserves 10 or so games to get his legs back under him before we all call for his head, but the Isles can't afford to deal with him shaking off the rust when they're going to be jockeying for position in this division quite early.

One more thing, before we all freak out...

Derek Stepan still has a long way to go. Rangers fans will undoubtedly proclaim the kid to be the next Guy Carbonneau or something, but it's an 82-game season, and he's still only 18. An auspicious start to his career for sure, but I don't see him being a goal scorer by trade. I wrote on IslanderMania quite awhile ago that I thought Stepan was a no-doubter for a top six role. That obviously hasn't changed. However, I also wrote that he doesn't have the hands to score 30 in the NHL. I still believe that, hat trick be damned. Stepan comes off to me more like a mini-Brad Richards. Good player for sure, but let's not get ourselves carried away over one performance.

Isles Do Right by Martin and de Haan

The news that Calvin de Haan will be sent back to Oshawa for the season and that Matt Martin will start the year in Bridgeport shows that the Isles have the right idea when it comes to developing their young players. Though Nino Niederreiter's inclusion on the Opening Night roster is a little disconcerting, the Isles do have nine games to decide whether they'd like to send him down to Portland for the rest of the year.

With Martin, my rationale for favoring his demotion is well-known to anyone who's been reading regularly. I have confidence that with enough development, Martin has an appreciable shot at becoming a complementary top six player. It's not just that Martin has the perseverance and eagerness to learn that allows him to constantly develop his all-around repertoire, because many players have that type of tireless determination. It's that Martin has the physical ability and intelligence to translate that to tangible results. Every time I've seen him over the past year and a half, he's always come farther, and that continued this pre-season. With his improved skating and his pretty slick passing chops, he's now shown more than just the smallest inkling that he can contribute enough offensively to line up with guys like Josh Bailey.

Martin didn't have to prove that much more than he had by the end of last season. In his very short NHL stint, he already displayed that he could win battles in the corners, assert his will physically, and set strong screens in front of the net. Now, he's added in the ability to skate like a real NHL player and pass with some impressive vision. Provided he can knock in about 15 garbage goals a year, that's enough to get him top six minutes. But why stop there when Martin might have more left in him before he maxes out? That's why he should get more top six time in the Bridge.

As for de Haan, he's extremely talented, but the pre-season exposed both his dire need to adjust to pro game speed and his rust from the time off due to his shoulder injury. There was no reason to toss him into the fold when you already have a solid top four even without Streit (Wiz, Martinek, MacDonald, Eaton), plus two guys who could easily handle bottom six minutes (Mottau, Hillen) and three capable backups (Kohn, Gervais, and Reese). So it's not like you needed to unnecessarily rush de Haan for the sake of the success of the NHL team. He's best off playing a full, dominating season in the OHL with his buddy Tony DeHart, plus he can probably do very well at another WJC.

A nine-game audition for El Niño is a decent idea, but I wouldn't keep him around if he's not gonna merit more than 12 minutes a night. The last thing you wanna do is start molding him into a grinder; this is a top-five pick with some really good potential at a very young age. I trust Isles management to handle this situation the right way, regardless of whether the "right way" turns out to be a full year with the Islanders or a trip back to the Winterhawks. From what I saw, Niederreiter will need some time to make his mark, and the team can ill afford to drag him along while it desperately needs to tread water until its workhorse is healthy.

In sum, though, it's nice to see that the young guns will be developing outside the NHL team, as well they should. Having reliable vets like Sim fill in on the fourth line is always a better option.

A Complete Ranking of Isles Prospects, First Edition (Part I)

This list has been anticipated by about five people for a pretty long time, so without further ado, I will rank the Isles' prospects from top to bottom. In case you don't know how I rank, feel free to consult my post on The Bankability Scale to get caught up. The other aspects of the list should be pretty self-explanatory.

Tier One: Solid Bets for the NHL

1. Travis Hamonic, D, Bridgeport Sound Tigers (AHL)

Drafted: Second Round, 2008

Last Season: Brandon Wheat Kings, WHL; Memorial Cup Finalist; Team Canada, WJC

Viewing Experience: >10 games

NHL ETA: February 2011

Ceiling: A legitimate 25-minute defenseman and one of the top blue liners in the NHL.

Floor: A solid 20-minute defenseman.

Comments: Hamonic spent the past season kicking ass and taking names in three different settings, launching him onto the mainstream radar and into the top spot in a deep Islanders system. It's easier to ask what Hamonic doesn't bring to the table, considering he has such a well-rounded, complete game that it's hard to find flaws unless you nitpick. He was originally known as a stay-at-home defenseman, yet he developed into a monster who can log heavy minutes in all situations and contribute significantly in all three zones. He navigates the penalty kill and the power play with equal aplomb, and he proved himself against elite talents left and right between the WHL, WJC, and Memorial Cup. He guards the front of the net, he plays the body instead of the puck, he has wonderful fundamental skills, and he's blessed with the physical wherewithal to accomplish anything on the ice. By all accounts, his character is off the charts as well. He plays with a noticeable mean streak that will soon grace the ice sheet in Uniondale. My praise for him obviously could not be more effusive.

2. Kirill Petrov, W, Ak Bars Kazan (KHL)

Drafted: Third Round, 2008

Last Season: Ak Bars Kazan, KHL; Team Russia, WJC; Team Russia, SSS

Viewing Experience: 4 games

NHL ETA: Now, if the Islanders can sort out his contract situation.

Ceiling: A legit top six forward.

Floor: Oleg Kvasha, just faster.

Comments: Petrov received a fair bit of accolades during his draft year, but his contract situation caused his stock to plummet. The Isles, with their abundance of picks, took the flyer on him in the middle rounds. From what I've seen, it'll eventually pay off. Regardless of when he shows up in North America for good, screwed-up development notwithstanding, he appears to be the real deal. Petrov is a big-bodied, strong-skating, quick-wristed player who focuses more on the offensive side than the defensive side. He shows good hockey sense and plays with somewhat of a mean streak. The downside to Petrov is that he shows bouts of inconsistency, his passing needs serious work, and he's essentially rotting while his championship Russian team stubbornly refuses to integrate him into the regular rotation. Scott Gordon unusually tipped his hand in praising Petrov during rookie camp, but unfortunately, the public was denied a live viewing of him at Orange vs. Blue (he was held out as a precaution because his shoulder was acting up). There's a reason Garth Snow used Anton Klementyev as a bargaining chip to try and bring him here: he can help the Isles right this second. It's just a question of when he can get to the Island.

3. Calvin de Haan, D, Oshawa Generals (OHL)

Drafted: First Round, 2009

Last Season: Oshawa Generals, OHL; Team Canada, WJC

Viewing Experience: 5-7 games

NHL ETA: 2011-2012 season

Ceiling: A 22-minute defenseman who can handle the other team's top line if he has the right partner.

Floor: An 18-minute defenseman used primarily in offensive situations.

Comments: Calvin's stock suffered a bit this past year because he suffered a serious shoulder injury that required surgery. I ran into him at rookie camp, and he looked about 20 pounds heavier. That being said, de Haan will definitely require a readjustment period to shake the rust off as he dives back into regular hockey. It'll take a miracle for him to make the NHL team, especially over Hamonic.

De Haan is among the smartest prospects in the world at any position, a trait that was particularly on display at the WJC. He makes plays that other defensemen simply wouldn't think to make. He's a very gifted skater and stickhandler who is definitely pass-first rather than shoot-first in the offensive zone. Don't expect him to rack up goals during his NHL career; he'll be much more inclined to pile on in the assists department. His defensive positioning is very fundamentally sound, and he'll hopefully have less issues getting physically overpowered by bigger players now that he's added some weight. De Haan has had a storied tenure headlining for the Generals, and he probably has a good NHL career ahead of him in the near future.

4. Nino Niederreiter, W, Portland Winterhawks (WHL)

Drafted: First Round, 2010

Last Season: Portland Winterhawks, WHL; Team Switzerland, WJC

Viewing Experience: 4 games

NHL ETA: 2011-2012 season

Ceiling: A top six heart-and-soul power forward.

Floor: A premium grinder.

Comments: Niederreiter, the Isles' most recent first round draft pick, embodies every characteristic the Isles seek in their players, which is naturally why all of our forecasts for who they would select turned out horribly wrong. Niederreiter combines size, skating, hands, hockey sense, and sterling character into one very formidable package. The knock on Niederreiter is his acceleration, and rightfully so. His top speed is okay, but he has trouble reaching it in the open ice. His goals are scored in the dirty areas, and he probably won't see many breakaways in the NHL. Nevertheless, he takes his proverbial lunchpail to work every day and simply does whatever it takes to help his team win the game, from scoring to backchecking to winning battles along the boards to hitting people. His mean streak came out during the WJC, where he carried Switzerland to a surprising semifinal finish. He was the hero against Russia, where his two goals capped off a remarkable comeback victory for the Swiss. While he's physically ready for the NHL, I think it's a better idea for him to spend the year dominating juniors and making a return trip to the WJC in Buffalo.

5. Matt Martin, W, Bridgeport Sound Tigers (AHL)

Drafted: Fifth Round, 2008

Last Season: Bridgeport Sound Tigers, AHL; New York Islanders, NHL

Viewing Experience: >10 games

NHL ETA: Cracked the NHL in 2010; 2011-2012 season for a regular shift

Ceiling: A top six enforcer in the mold of Milan Lucic.

Floor: An all-around grinder/enforcer.

Comments: An instant fan favorite the minute he donned an NHL uniform, Martin still has something to prove regardless of his overcoming long odds to make the League as an unheralded fifth-round reach in 2008. After going undrafted at every possible level of amateur hockey, he earned his Isles draft selection and later fought for a cameo appearance in the bigs. Frankly, from the way he was playing, he could've stayed for good. He provided excellent net front presence, much-needed puck protection and physical intimidation, and indomitable work ethic.

Why, then, do I advocate for Martin to spend a majority of the year in Bridgeport? Because I think his untapped offensive acumen could be further developed with spectacular results. While Chris Botta boldly compared him to Milan Lucic awhile back, I believe Martin could become better than Lucic if he maxes out. An unlikely scenario? Absolutely, but one worth a roll of the dice considering James Wisniewski, Zenon Konopka, and Trevor Gillies are ready to bring the nasty for the Islanders this year.

6. Mikko Koskinen, G, Bridgeport Sound Tigers (AHL)

Drafted: Second Round, 2009

Last Season: Bridgeport Sound Tigers, AHL; Utah Grizzlies, ECHL

Viewing Experience: 1 game

NHL ETA: 2012-2013 season

Ceiling: A high-caliber starting NHL goalie.

Floor: A career backup.

Comments: Koskinen is the 6'7" Finnish goalie that the Islanders snatched up with their second round pick in the 2010 draft. He's still lanky, but he's apparently been working a fair amount with Sudsie Maharaj in honing his skills and adapting to the North American game. He's surprisingly athletic and agile for his size, though we're yet to see the effects of his recent hip surgery on his AHL performance. If he has a spectacular year in Connecticut, he could see NHL time in 2011-2012; however, he likely won't be given serious responsibility until the subsequent season. He'd be ranked higher if he had a good performance throughout this past season.

7. Jesse Joensuu, W, Bridgeport Sound Tigers (AHL)

Drafted: Second Round, 2006

Last Season: Bridgeport Sound Tigers, AHL; New York Islanders, NHL

Viewing Experience: >10 games

NHL ETA: Now.

Ceiling: A good all-around third liner.

Floor: A good all-around fourth liner.

Comments: Joensuu is, in my mind, the most consistently underrated Islanders prospect by the fan base at large. With the importation of so many shiny new toys, it's understandable that the masses would get starry-eyed and excited over sublime talents like Kirill Kabanov and overachievers like Anders Lee. However, Joensuu has been overlooked for his performance at the professional level, particularly at the NHL level. What I saw out of Joensuu during his brief NHL stints is exactly what I want out of a bottom six player: consistent net front presence, willingness to grind, a little bit of a mean streak, responsibility in all zones, good hockey sense, and nice size to boot. His skating has improved each season he's been in North America. He has put up some decent point totals in the AHL, and there's no reason to believe he can't be a late bloomer like fellow big man Nikolai Antropov. Will he ever toss up a 70-point season? In all likelihood, he won't. But if he turns in a 35-point season with respectable +/- numbers while bringing all the aforementioned things to the table, I don't see the argument that he doesn't fit, considering that'd be perfect for the bottom six. Just because he's unspectacular doesn't mean he's undeserving of any attention whatsoever.

For Part II, click here.