Tuesday, August 25, 2009

DiPietro Has Been Found Skating

From Katie Strang of Newsday:

Yesterday, however, I spoke to Rick DiPietro about his rehab status. I know this is a topic that causes (and rightfully so) and breeds anxiety among lots of you, so I wanted to hear straight from him (and Garth) about how he's doing.

Basically, this is how Rick explained it to me: He is being cautious and easing his way back onto the ice. He began skating last week, will skate more again this week, get into pads soon and go from there. Given the organization's initial timeline (DP to begin skating in August, will be with team for Camp in September) and their off-season moves (signing both Roloson and Biron to ensure DiPietro doesn't rush back prematurely), it should not be surprising that he is where he is for the time being.

There is more to the story, so please see the rest of her piece. At least we know he's now skating, and that he is doing something hockey related. I hope he does come back on his own term, and in great shape to play this year. He has been missed. He's a competitor, and he's a winner. Given that there is enough goaltenders for him to just stay the course, most fans should only see DiPietro coming back as an added bonus to this season, and not in the games lost to injury column like last year.

Why Go To The Coliseum?

I have also put a recent post about this on HendricksHockey.com. Here are a few excerpts from it:

The average attendance is the lowest in the NHL.

The Islanders haven't had a lot of winning tradition lately.

There is more to do at the Jakie Robinson Rotunda than the Coliseum.

The players are getting better, but the younger fans need to be exposed to generate and "rebuild" the fan base.

Lot's of good stuff. Check it out.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Branching Out

I was asked by Jason at Hendricks Hockey to be there blogger for the New York Islanders. I am truly honored to be a part of it, and will do my best to keep Islanders fans updated both here and on Hendricks Hockey. I am also allowed to write basically anything hockey related. I've been given a lot of freedom. We'll take things slow over there, and see how things progress. Look for more news in the upcoming weeks heading into training camp.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Tavares Already Predicted To Win Calder

1. John Tavares, C, New York Islanders
We know; Tavares is the easy choice. But he’s also the most logical. Not only will he be the NHL’s poster boy for everything Calder this season, the OHL’s all-time leading goal-scorer is already the No. 1 center on his NHL team – and training camp hasn’t even started. Expect J.T. to win his team’s scoring race and make those around him better just about every night. This kid is special because he rises to the occasion when it matters most – the mark of a superstar, albeit in-the-making. There may not be too many occasions worth rising to on the Island this season, but Tavares will be out to prove all year why he’s been touted as the next great goal-scoring center since he was a 14-year-old. Now that’s a personal challenge worth rising to. -John Grigg from the Hockey News.

Islanders fans have at least two reason (Tavares, and Okposo) why they should be watching the Islanders this year. Anyone remember their last Calder winner? Bryan Berard, in 1997. It's been too long since the fans had something to be excited about. Well fans, start getting excited, and when you can, go to a few games, and feel the excitement.

Okposo Could Be On Olympic Squad

According to Craig Custance of the SportingNews:

"Burke said the tryouts for the Olympic team don't begin until the NHL season starts. But it's not too early to do some projecting. Here's a first look at how we see the 23-man roster shaping up."

Kyle Okposo, New York Islanders
Another young player who is on the verge of a break-out season.

Okposo was mentioned as one of the twelve forwards, which means it's his to lose. Many believe that Okposo will have a break-out season, so it will be exciting for Islanders fans just exactly a break-out season will look like.

Nathan Lawson Signed

From Katie Strang of Newsday:

"The Islanders have signed goaltender Nathan Lawson to a two-way contract. Lawson had a 2.16 GAA and a .927 save percentage in 31 games with Bridgeport last year ."

Now that Lawson is signed, that leaves Munroe, and Lawson for Bridgeport, whiich means Mikko Koskinen will likely start in Utah with the Grizzlies. But training camp is near so both Lawson, and Koskinen will battle to be the backup in Bridgeport.

Hope For Islanders

From NHL.com

"With less than a month to go before their first preseason game, one word aptly describes the New York Islanders as they head into the 2009-10 campaign.

Hope.

With owner Charles Wang's Lighthouse Project gaining momentum in recent months, combined with the selection of John Tavares with the No. 1 pick at the 2009 Entry Draft, things could finally be looking up for the former dynasty that last won a playoff series in 1993."

A very good read from Brian Compton. It basically goes over what as gone over the last few months for the Islanders. It covers John Tavares being drafted, the signing of Roloson, and Biron, and the future prospects as well as the future of the Lighthouse Project. For those who are not Islanders fans, it's a very good article to get caught up.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Bertuzzi Signs With Wings


Straight from TSN

The Detroit Red Wings added some size and veteran presence up front by agreeing on a one-year contract with former Red Wing Todd Bertuzzi.

The Grand Rapids Press, The Detroit Free Press and MLive.com claim the team was offering a one-year, $1.5 million contract.

Bertuzzi, 34, scored 15 goals and 29 assists in 66 games with the Calgary Flames last season. He played in eight games with the Red Wings in 2006-07, scoring two goals and four points and tallied three goals and seven points in 16 playoff games. He has played for the New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers, Red Wings, Anaheim Ducks and Flames.

The Islanders selected Bertuzzi in the first round 23rd overall in the 1993 NHL entry draft. He has scored 255 goals with 369 assists in 859 games over his 13 year NHL career.


This is old news at this point but I was not home to post it, and he was one of my favorite Islanders in the mid-late 90's. Bertuzzi has not been the same since he hit Steve Moore a few years back. He is basically a third liner who may have one year left in him. Unless he has a Renaissance year, most fans will probably witness Bertuzzis last stand.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Tambellini & Comeau In The Hot Seat

A lot of Islanders fans are ready to dismiss Jeff Tambellini before the season begins. There is also a concern about Blake Comeau, and the possibility of losing his position to someone like Jesse Joensuu or Trevor Smith if they have a better camp.

For both players, there are no excuses this year. Both Tambellini, and Comeau need to step into their roles this year, and come out of the gate blazing. If they do not, then It will we worst for them then it was last year. Comeau was sent down at the beginning of the season last year because he was not ready with Gordons system. He remained down in Bridgeport until December. Since coming back though, he established new career highs in games played (53), assists (18), points (25), average time on ice (16:16) and shots (78)..(NYI.com)


Tambellini, was reduced to the fourth line for most of the regular season, after signing a two-year, one-way contract. Like Comeau, Tambellini struggled in the beginning of the season, was sent to Bridgeport for roughly a week, and then showed promise after December. Tambellini also established new career highs in games played (65), goals (7), assists (8), points (15), average time on ice (13:06), penalty minutes (32) and shots on goal (98) (NYI.com).

Now in all honesty these numbers are nothing to be impressed about. However, if we take a look from when Gordon decided to give the younger corp more ice time, this is what happened. In 37 games played, Comeau had 4 goals and 14 assists for 18 points. Tambellini played in 33 games, scoring 5 goals (not including shoot outs) and had 4 assists for 9 points. Comeau primarily played on the third line, while Tambellini was on the fourth line.


If they were to continue that pace for an entire season, Comeau could be at 9 goals, 31 assists, for 40 points. Not bad, but definitely needs to score more goals on a third line. Tambellini, would be on pace for 12 goals, 10 assists, for 22 points. That is almost what a fourth line player should be doing. Problem is: Tambellini is not supposed to be on the fourth line.

Towards the end of the season, with Tambellini improving, came some praise from head coach Scott Gordon."Tambellini is starting to find his way around the net." "His consisten
cy with finishing checks, getting in front of the net and in right places has resulted in him getting more opportunities." -Scott Gordon: March 9th, 2009


Comeau does have a slight advantage over Tambellini, in that Comeau is only 23, while Tambellini is 25, and Tambellini is now in a contract year. However, if someone from Bridgeport is looking good during the season, and Tambellini, or Comeau fail to get their careers going, don't be surprised if we were to see a call-up.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Islanders Have Interest In Dandenault

According to Hockey30.com, the Islanders appear interested in defenseman Mathieu Dandenault.

The article goes on that Dandenault may in fact sign with the Coyotes, but nothing has been official. Here are his stats for the last three years:

2008-09 Montreal NHL 41 4 8 12 +7 17 46 8.70 0.29
2007-08 Montreal NHL 61 9 5 14 -11 34 69 13.04 0.23
2006-07 Montreal NHL 68 2 6 8 -8 40 54 3.70 0.12

He's listed as 6' 204 lbs. Maybe as an insurance policy for the Islanders, possibly as a camp invite.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Islanders Most Improved?

From Cjohnson202 of Hockey Leaks:

"I feel confident in naming the following five teams as the most improved."

5. New York Rangers:
4. Toronto Maple Leafs:

3. New York Islanders:

While you won't see the Islanders go from worst to first, the Islanders made big steps on moving towards a winning record. We start in the crease, where the team added not one starting goalie, but two, giving them a grand total of three. When all three are healthy and playing well, the Isles will be able to trade one of them (not Dipietro of coarse) for even more pieces to their puzzle. The team drafted future superstar John Tavares first overall, giving them the franchise player they desperately needed, while Andy Sutton should make their backend significantly better.

2. Montreal Canadiens:
1. Tampa Bay Lightning:

Nice to see some recognition, but I don't think adding two starting goaltenders will help the Islanders with winning records. First and foremost, you can only play one starting goaltender, albeit either Roloson, or Biron is an improvement over Joey MacDonald and Yann Danis. Tavares replacing anybody (except Okposo) on that team is an improvement, and It's not only just going to be Sutton being healthy on the defense that has to help this team. Everyone will have to play close to injury free this year if the Islanders want to make a significant improvement. Drafting Tavares clearly has made a positive out look for this team from other media outlets.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Donovan Making An Impression

From Katie Strang of Newsday:

"Just got off the phone with Assistant GM/Director of Amateur Scouting Ryan Jankowski, who gave me an update on Islanders prospects Aaron Ness and Matt Donovan's performance at the U.S. junior evaluation camp in Lake Placid, NY

Jankowski, who watched both play in two intersquad games, said that while the Islanders have higher expectations for Ness, who the team drafted in the 2nd round of the 2008 draft, Donovan was the one to make the impression."

"We have lower expectations for Matt [compared to Ness] because he was a 4th-round pick and is a guy that will develop over the years, but he was a pleasant surprise for us. We have a lot of patience for a guy like Matt, who is just going into college and has a decent amount of time to develop as a player while working with high-quality coaches and playing against tough opponents. We knew he had high-end skill, but the most important thing was that he could show that at a higher level, which he did." Jankowski said.

I already have Matt Donovan down in a "Prospect Watch" section, which was updated late last season, so look him up. He could be a real promising player for the Islanders in a few years. The determining factor will be how much time is needed for Donovan to shine at the University of Denver. If he does have a good showing this year, watch the Islanders prospect ranking move up the boards a little.

Ice Girl Tryouts Today

Friday, August 14, 2009

The Developmental Year

There are many ways to rebuild a hockey team. You can be like the Canadiens, Rangers, and Bruins and trade and sign players to ridiculous contracts during the summer only to pray the team gels and makes the playoffs. That's a quick fix, and it works for them. The problem is, it did not get them very far into the playoffs. You can be like the Flyers a few years back. Have an injury plagued season, and in one summer, make a few good draft choices, sign and trade for some players, and.... HELLO, right back in the playoffs, like you never left. You can be like the Penguins and just lose for an extended period of time, draft the top prospects.....until you win the Cup.

The Islanders did not have the luxury of being able to rebuild like aforementioned teams. Why? By the time the Islanders finished the 2006-2007 season, they had virtually no prospects in the organization to trade, and Garth Snow realized over the summer that he could not sign high profile players. So a few players left, and then were replaced by players who did not meet expectations. After an injury filled 2007-2008 season where the Islanders finished with 78 points, Snow decided to rebuild, and use the "Plan." It was simple: Draft wisely, develop the draft picks, and sprinkle in a few free agents.

There are three other teams that have recently used the same "Plan" as the Islanders are using now, and it has worked for them: The Washington Caps, Chicago Blackhawks, and yes, the Florida Panthers. As far as I am concerned, these are the teams that the Islanders should be modeling from. They all had the same rough beginning, and with sticking to their respective plans, each team now has either a shot for the playoffs, or they can go deep into the playoffs. Let's compare the Islanders first year of their rebuild to the others.

At the start of each rebuild, each team was short on first round talent. Washington had 3 players, as did Florida and the Islanders prior to the rebuild (The Islanders drafted Bailey to make it 4, but was considered part of the rebuild). Chicago had one: Seabrook. Ironically the first year of their rebuild, the Caps and Hawks finished with 59 points, the Panthers finished with 60, and the Islanders finished with 61. So for me that is par for the course for year one.

In their rebuilding process in 2003-2004, and over the next 4 years, the Caps were able to draft 8 first rounders, including a first overall pick, developed them, and sprinkled in a few free agents.

This is what happened: 03-04: 59pts; 05-06: 70pts; 06-07: 70pts; 07-08: 94pts; 08-09: 108pts.

Chicago was similar. They ended up drafting 5 first rounders, including a first overall pick, developed them, traded and signed a few players, and these were there results.

03-04: 59pts; 05-06: 65pts; 06-07: 71pts; 07-08: 88pts; 08-09: 104pts.

Florida took longer, but still made strides. In 8 years, they have drafted 11 first rounders, developed, made a few trades, and signings with the end results being 93 points last season after beginning the rebuild with 60.

So where do the Islanders fit into their rebuild? Year 2 (05-06 for the other teams). But the Islanders have an advantage over the other teams. If you notice the years, the teams were in a lock out for one year, hence, stalling the development of their players. The Islanders have a chance to be in a rebuild for a shorter amount of time then the others.

Does this mean the Islanders should finish between 65-70 points? Not likely. The Islanders are on pace with Washington's rebuild program, picking up the first overall pick, and now you can include Bailey, and DeHann as the multiple picks for the rebuild. So where should the Islanders land next year? Welcome to the "Developmental Year" Islanders fans.

The Islanders have not had 5 or more first round picks (picked by the Islanders) and play on the same team since 95-96. That's almost 15 years folks. The last time that happened, most of them weren't on the team the next year. This cannot happen with this core. Instead of predicting how many points the Islanders will have or how many goals they will score, management should really look at each player and figure out a solid number and set it as a goal.

So for example, if the Islanders were not as injured last year, could they have scored 210 goals? Sure, sounds reasonable. So why don't they push the goal for 220? Most people are predicting the Islanders to finish between 15th and 13th (too early if you ask me). Why not set a goal for 80 points? Even if they get over 70, they're still ahead of the previous rebuilt teams, probably by a solid year.

Which brings me to this final note. If the "Developmental Year" proves to be a success, don't be surprised if the Islanders actually make the playoffs next year, and possibly make some noise. Who knows, if this team is healthy, and this year becomes a career year for many, you could be looking at a possible Cinderella team. But for now, be patient, let the rebuild, and the Islanders "Plan" continue, and look forward to watching this team. If anything, you'll see improvements, and they'll be fun to watch.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

That Time Of Year

Usually about a month or so before training camp begins, most fans, bloggers, and "experts" start predicting where each team should land at the end of the season. For the Islanders it is not pretty. Most have the Islanders finishing 15th through 13th in the Eastern Conference, and almost guarantee that the Islanders will end up in the lottery, finishing in the bottom five of the League again.

There are a few faithful fans who believe that the Islanders have enough talent to challenge for a playoff spot, however, if I had to put a percentage on that I would say 3 percent. Some fans are already chanting Taylor Hall's name, and cannot wait for the draft to start before this season even begins.

I think it's just out of boredom that this happens, and most fans do not take into account that the Islanders are just starting a rebuilding process that may take some time. So really predicting where a team ends up is so premature and not needed because what most fans should be looking for is growth as an organization instead of the overall points of the team. Having said this, I'm going to be taking a look at how the rebuilding process is coming along, how long the rebuild will take, how far the Islanders are from the playoffs, and what the future may hold for this team.

I'm not predicting the overall points the Islanders will have this year. Instead I would like to set a goal for them to accomplish. In my next post, I will cover the rebuilding process, and compare them to other rebuilding teams of the past.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Satan Still a Possibilty?

From Newsday:

Satan, who played three seasons with the Islanders from 2005-2008, confirmed that his agent, Allan Walsh, has spoken with the Islanders about rejoining the team, but they have yet to resume discussions this week. Walsh first announced the dialogue between the two camps on his Twitter page on July 25, then gave an update three days later, saying, "We are still deep in talks with NYI on Miro."

"I know they spoke about it a few times last week," Satan said. "This week I don't think they have talked. Now, it's quiet again."

I think the Islanders are his last and only team that are "interested" in Satan. I just don't see the Islanders going after a veteran like Miro, when others are still out there to be had. Still anything is possible.



Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Zherdev Goes To KHL

From TSN:

A week after the New York Rangers walked away from Nikolai Zherdev's salary arbitration ruling, the free agent appears headed to the Russian based KHL.

According to RDS.ca, Zherdev is expected to sign a deal with Salavatovo Yuleav Ufa, a team that also employees former NHL'ers Alexander Perezhogin and Alexander Radulov.

Zherdev, 24, appeared in 82 games with the Rangers last season, registering 23 goals and 35 assists for 58 points, along with 39 penalty minutes. He was held scoreless in seven playoff contests.

The 6-2, 203-pounder has skated in 365 regular season contests with the Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets, recording 99 goals and 140 assists for 239 points, along with 203 penalty minutes. The Kiev, Ukraine native was originally Columbus' first round choice, fourth overall, in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

Well, so much for hoping. Zherdev was the only free agent I wanted the Islanders to pursue. There are still a few players out there, but from what I'm reading, it appears that the Islanders will stand pat with the players that they have now. Roughly three+ weeks away from any kind of camp news, so I'll be looking into who will be invited to camp as an unsigned player.


Sunday, August 09, 2009

Afinogenov On Isles Radar.

From SI.com: No word yet on the future home of Maxim Afinogenov, but the erstwhile Sabre is skating with Dynamo Moscow of the Russian league. There are rumors of two or three NHL teams desperate enough for offense that they've given him some consideration (including the Islanders and Rangers) but it's hard to believe either John Tortorella or Scott Gordon would put up with his extended periods of non-involvement. Odds are he'll find somewhere to float in Europe.

My thanks to Spectors Hockey for the link. Afinogenov, is an older version of Zherdev, so he is in the same boat.....no one seems to want him. If he could be more "involved" in say, a training camp invite, then the Islanders can make a decision. Until then, at least we know the Islanders have added him to their list.

Thursday, August 06, 2009

Are The Islanders Still A Basement Team?

From the Hockey News.

The Islanders are predicted to finish 15th in the Conference again according to the Hockey News.

"Why: The John Tavares Era begins this year on Long Island – but unfortunately for Islanders fans, too much of their lousy past remains. Their thin pools of talent at just about every position and their ultra-tough competition in the Atlantic Division makes a playoff spot this year highly unlikely."

I'll have more on this later. They have not posted who will finish ahead of the Islanders in 14th place. My opinion, no way they finish last in the conference again. The Islanders maybe a top 5-10 lottery pick again, but certainly not in last in the conference. I think most Islander fans will be pleasantly surprised his year. More to come on this story. What's your thoughts?

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Tavares Will Need Help

From Ryan Kennedy at the Hockey News.

"Which brings me to John Tavares and the Islanders. Looking up and down the New York roster right now, I’m not sure what GM Garth Snow’s master plan is. Tavares is a preternatural goal-scorer, but he can’t do it himself and the forward corps on Long Island is looking pretty thin."

There is no question that the Islanders, entering the second year of a rebuild, must now filter out some young players who will not be able hold their own on this team. This is the year where the Islanders offense will be looking for an identity: Who will score, who's the playmaker, who's going to crash the net, so on and for forth. The Islanders are thin (literally) in size, and this year will determine whether or not the Islanders are thin in quality.

Doug Weight mentoring Tavares this year will be beneficial for him, as he gets to know what goes on in the NHL for an entire year. But even Weight probably won't be around the whole time. Okposo, and Bailey will have to be healthy to make any kind of impact and make their names in the NHL. More should be expected from Okposo than Bailey, but at the same time, more goals from Bailey is needed.

The young core in Bridgeport are not yet ready. Believe this, the talent is there, it is just not developed enough for any of them to make the jump to the pros. Again what Bridgeport needs to do is show management that they can make the playoffs, and then go deep. Once that happens, then the Islanders can boast having very strong depth in the minors, waiting for their chance.

Having said all this, I agree with what Kennedy said: "
Alex Tanguay, Maxim Afinogenov and Vaclav Prospal are all still out there and the Isles have loads of salary cap space." You can add Zherdev (my choice all along) to that list as well.

The Islanders will have plenty of players being moved during the season to make a trade for prospects, picks, or get a decent player in return. However, if the Islanders don't want to be in the cellar again, then signing another forward with some scoring potential, is necessary for both Tavares and the Islanders.

Tuesday, August 04, 2009

Okposo A Breakout Candidate

From NHL.com

"8. Kyle Okposo: New York Islanders--All the talk on the Island is about 2009 No. 1 pick John Tavares, but Okposo could earn himself a spot on the U.S. Olympic team with a strong start. He was the Isles' best player in the second half of last season, finishing with a team-high 18 goals, and the Isles are counting on him putting it together for 82 games."

Kyle Okposo was ranked 8th out of the 10 players mentioned. For a complete list, click the link above. Kyle will be looked upon as a scorer, and a leader in the locker room for this young team. Not sure if he will be playing on the first line yet or the second, but make no mistake, anything less than 20 goals will be considered a failure his standards.

Zherdev A Free Agent

From Kuklas Korner

New York Rangers President and General Manager Glen Sather announced today that the club has exercised its right to walk away from the arbitrator’s award to Nikolai Zherdev, thereby allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent.

“With the additions we’ve been able to make this summer, we feel we’ve been able to add scoring and offense from the wing position,” stated Sather. “Following the arbitration process and subsequent award given, we feel it is in our best interest to walk away and continue to explore all available options to improve our roster.”

Now the Islanders must go after him. He's the only player I was hoping the Islanders would aquire, although Tanguay, for whatever reason, is also still available. Either one would do, but Zherdev is younger, and has more potential than Tanguay. Hopefully we'll find out where each one ends up.

Monday, August 03, 2009

Blake Comeau Signed

From NewYorkIslanders.com

The New York Islanders announced Monday that they have agreed to terms with forward, Blake Comeau to a two-year contract.

“We are excited to have Blake as part of our line-up,” said Garth Snow, General Manager, New York Islanders. “He is a versatile player who has great promise and is developing into a solid NHL player.”

Good for Blake. The roster is now full. Thompson is the only player with a two-way contract that will probably be sent down, leaving the possibility for one more player on the roster. I'm not sure the Islanders are near the cap floor after signing Comeau so I have to believe that Snow is still working on improving the team. As training camp approaches, I'll be taking a longer look at the Islanders this year, when I know who will be on the team.

Islanders Future is Tomorrow


If there was ever a time for Islanders fans to show their pride, it is tomorrow. The future of the New York Islanders starts August 4th at Hofstra University.

From Lighthouseli.com:

"

Lighthouse supporters, we need you. The long awaited public hearing has been scheduled by the Town of Hempstead, and Tuesday, August 4, 2009 is the day we've all been waiting for. The meeting will be at 9:30 a.m. at the John Cranston Adams Playhouse on the campus of Hofstra University.

The public hearing is the time you need to let your voice be heard. Please make an effort to be a part of history in the making. Bring your friends and family and show your support for Long Island's future. You've been there for us before, and we need you to be there for us again.

Parking for the public hearing will be located on the north side of Hempstead Turnpike on the campus of Hofstra University in the student center parking lot. Signage will be up to direct those attending the hearing.

For more information please visit www.lighthouseli.com or the official blog of the Lighthouse Development Group the Light Post at lighthouseliblog.blogspot.com. Follow the Lighthouse project on Twitter at @lighthouse_li or join the "I support the Lighthouse at Long Island" on Facebook."


For those fans who may not know what this project is about I encourage you to watch the following video here.

It's not just about the Islanders, but for Long Island.

Rangers Now Have Decision

From Larry Brooks of the Post.

"So how complex a decision do you think it will be for GM Glen Sather to decide whether to keep Zherdev or let him go now that arbitrator Elliott Shiftman has awarded the winger a $3.9M contract for the 2009-10 season?

The Blueshirts have until tomorrow morning to either accept or walk away from the decision by Shiftman, who predictably took the easy way out by splitting the difference between the team's $3M submission and what, The Post has learned, was Zherdev's bid of $4.75M."

My belief is that the Rangers will walk away from this one. Brooks goes further into his article saying that Sather has already tried to trade Zherdev both before and after qualifying him. The Rangers have also signed Kotalik to a contract. Finally, there is not enough cap room for Zherdev and the remaining free agents on the Rangers.

I really do hope the Islanders can Sign Zherdev for 4 million, and put him on the top line and improve on the youth movement. He would be a big boost with his offensive numbers and his speed. Also assuming that Comeau cannot get signed yet, it may lead to something else this offseason.