Predictions: Bottom Six Forwards

Last week, we began our season predictions by discussing the projected top 6 forwards for the Islanders on opening night.  Today, we will continue with our predictions by going onto the projected bottom six forwards.


photo by dobbersports

1) Anders Lee

22 goals

18 assists

40 points

Assuming he is given a chance to play, these numbers should be easily attainable for Lee as he continues to fine tune his game in his first full season in the NHL.

2) Frans Nielsen

23 goals

30 assists

53 points

I think Nielsen will see a slight dip in production compared to last years career year.  However, he will still put up very solid numbers as one of the veteran leaders on this young club.


photo by zimbio

3) Michael Grabner

18 goals

15 assists

33 points

While this won't be the most spectacular year for Grabner, I think he will have an effective season.  A definite improvement upon his lackluster performance last year.

4) Cal Clutterbuck

14 goals

9 assists

23 points

Assuming Clutterbuck stays healthy, I think these are realistic numbers for him as they are right inline or slightly lower then his average in his time with the Wild.

5) Casey Cizikas

11 goals

14 assists

25 points

Cizikas himself admitted that he had a bad season last year.  I have faith in him and think he will end up with a nice rebound season this year as he looks to play his part in helping the team get back to the playoffs.


photo by CBS

6) Matt Martin

9 goals

8 assists

17 points

350 hits

Like he done for many years now, I think Martin will chip in his little offense from the fourth line and continue to bang bodies and rank at the top of the league in hits.

Guys who could see time:

1) Josh Bailey

6 goals

25 assists

31 points

I have to put Bailey in this area and not the area above because I can't justify giving him a spot in the lineup over Anders Lee.  I know the team will most certainly disagree with me on this.  However, to me it would be counterproductive.  I think his stats will take a hit with the decrease in his ice time with the added secondary scorers and logjam of forwards in general.

2) Colin McDonald

5 goals

8 assists

13 points

With the logjam at forward I think McDonald will be the odd one out.  Due to that, his stats will likely suffer.  However, with inevitable injuries that occur he will most certainly get some games here and there throughout the season.


photo by ESPN

3) Cory Conacher

5 goals

5 assists

10 points

Barring an awful camp, Conacher will likely be with the team on opening night.  However, unless there is an injury I would be surprised if he is in the lineup.  Much like McDonald above, Conacher gives the Islanders an experienced semi productive guy to go to should injuries hit them instead of having to go to kids who might not be prepared for the NHL yet like they have had to do in years past.

4) Jack Skille

4 goals

3 assists

7 points

Skille will spend most of the season in Bridgeport.  However, much like McDonald and Conacher when injuries occur he will be one of the first to get called up.

5) Harry Zolnierczyk

2 goals

1 assist

3 points

Zolnierczyk really isn't an NHL skill player.  While in the AHL he has proved to have some scoring touch, in the NHL he is more of a 4th line pest and in his limited experience has played that role pretty effectively.  So if called on here I think he could be effective in this role in limited action.

6) Eric Boulton

2 goals

0 assists

2 points

The Islanders resigned Boulton before last season even ended.  While he did have a better season last year then he did during the lockout shortened season two years ago, Boulton's impact on the actual game itself is often negligible.  With the crowded depth chart it wouldn't surprise me at all if Boulton found his way to Bridgeport at times throughout the season.

Isles Invite Colton Gillies To Camp

According to Newsday, the Islanders extended a training camp invite to LW Colton Gillies.  Gillies was a first round pick by the Minnesota Wild in 2007.  Gillies also happens to be the nephew of Islanders and NHL Hall of Famer Clark Gillies.

In 154 career NHL games Gillies has 18 points.  Meanwhile, in 65 games last season for the Rochester Americans of the AHL Gillies had 23 points and 49 penalty minutes.

Should he remain with the team through camp I expect Gillies to be in Bridgeport.  However, with his experience he joins Skille and Zolnierczyk as guys who could see cups of coffee with the team should injuries occur.

#Isles have invited LW Colton Gillies, Wild 2007 1st-round pick, to camp on a tryout.
— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) September 18, 2014

 

Savetheisles Chats With WFAN's Daniel Friedman

Next up we had the chance to chat with WFAN Islanders Columnist Daniel Friedman.  We would like to thank Dan very much for taking the time to talk with us.  If you don't follow Dan on twitter already you can do so here.

STI: For those who might not be familiar with you, could you provide a little background information about yourself?

DF: This is my second year covering the Islanders for WFAN.  Previously, I covered the Isles and Rangers as an intern for Stan Fischler.  I've been blogging about the team for nearly four years now.

STI: How would you grade the Islanders off season?

DF: I would say they get an A-.  Addressed the goaltending in impressive fashion, brought in reinforcements on offense and a few wild cards to create competition in training camp.  I would still like to see Snow bring in some help on defense and clear up the logjam on offense, because right now there are just too many players on one-way contracts.  At this rate, someone's not going to make the team that should - whether that is Anders Lee, Cory Conacher, or Colin McDonald, and that's before you consider their overcrowded blueline.

STI: Do you think Nikolai Kulemin and Mikhail Grabovski will be able to get back to their more offensive numbers from a couple years ago?  Or would the Islanders be expecting too much to expect them to put up numbers similar to those again?

DF: I don't know if they'll duplicate their previous numbers, but I would expect that, at least for Kulemin, the stats should improve.  Grabovski's generally been productive, but Kulemin seems to have really suffered ever since the two were separated.  I think if the Islanders get a combined 90-100 points out of these two they've done well.  If they get more, obviously that's even better.

STI: Anyone who follows you on twitter knows that you are a big supporter of Ryan Strome.  What role do you see for him on the team this season?  What expectations do you have for him?

DF: It's difficult to say right now, particularly because he's playing on the wing and there's such a logjam on the depth chart.  If I had to guess, he'll join Grabovski and Kulemin on the second line, which I think would be a good spot for him.  He'd be with two forwards who play his brand of hockey - speed, skill, and finesse.  In terms of expectations, he's still young so that has to be kept in perspective, but I think at least 41 points (0.5 points per-game) is a reasonable request.

STI: In one of your recent columns for WFAN you spoke about the new owners and how two keys things they face as they come in are providing a commitment to winning and swaying the Long Island fan about the move to Brooklyn.  How do you feel it would be best for them to do these things?

DF: The best way to demonstrate a commitment to winning is not necessarily by spending the most money or making the flashiest acquisitions or hires.  It's by showing you have a good reading of the organization's pulse.  That means, you're putting the right people in key positions and you're making moves when they're necessary.  Of course, you do need to be financially committed and give your front office the flexibility to do as they see fit, but that doesn't mean quite what some people think it does.  As far as the move to Brooklyn is concerned, I think these new owners have to show that they're committed to preserving the team's heritage and that they're going to work with the LIRR and Barclays Center to ensure better transportation methods for those who live further out on Long Island.  That would be a good start.

STI: In that column you also talked about the Andrew Barroway situation.  Ultimately, what do you believe ends up happening with that entire situation?  Do you think the cash payoff will be enough for him to go away?  Or will this be something we hear about for a couple years before it is settled?

DF: I think he eventually gets his 10m breakup fee and we don't hear of this again.  As for how long that process will take, that's not something we know enough to speculate on right now.  All we know is that Barroway's ticked off and he wants some form of compensation.

STI: What was your reaction when you read the article from fortune.com claiming that Wang had a deal to sell the team to a third different party?

DF: It didn't shock me, to be honest.  It's never one group that's "in line" to buy these franchises, you usually have several groups trying to strike that deal.  Generally, these other groups pull out until one (sometimes two) is left standing and it ends up buying the team.  But in the Islanders' case, the process didn't quite go that way - at least according to Barroway and this other group that's surfaced.  The important thing to keep in mind here is that, two years from now, the outcome will likely be the same regardless of these other developments.  Ledecky and Malkin will be the majority owners, Wang will own a minority stake.  The rest will work itself out.

STI: With this being the final season at the Coliseum, do you have a favorite moment or memory that sticks out for you in your time at the arena?

DF: I don't know if I have one favorite memory; it's really a collective group of memories, it's my entire childhood.  I grew up playing and watching hockey and was at the Coliseum on so many occasions.  It's the place where I'd go to dream and to study the players, their movements, their strategies, the place where I'd go to appreciate their ability to play the game I loved at such a high level.  I'll never forget those times shared with family and friends at the old barn.  If there's one moment for me though, it was on Presidents Day in 2007.  The Islanders and Penguins kept trading goals until Mike Sillinger won the game with 26 seconds left in the third period.  The Pens hadn't lost in regulation in over a month, and the win propelled the Isles to a hot streak that ultimately led to a playoff berth.

Ledecky And Malkin Only Purchased 10% of the Islanders?

According to the New York Post, Jonathan Ledecky and Scott Malkin who purchased a "substantial minority interest" in the Islanders last month only actually purchased 10% of the team.  The article states, "Ledecky's group is buying only a 10% stake in the Islanders, and will need to line up additional funding or investors to buy out Wang, according to sources."

This is slightly concerning to me, however, this would at least partially explain the two year wait for them to become majority owners.

Who Is Phil Falcone?

photo by Bloomberg

The New York Post reported this morning that Minnesota Wild co-owner Phil Falcone is interested in selling his minority stake in the Wild in order to become an investor with the Islanders.

Falcone is the founder of Harbinger Capital and LightSquared.  Harbinger Capital is a hedge fund firm based in New York City.  The main thing they are noted for is investing in the public equity and hedging markets.  Meanwhile, at LightSquared they are building a state of the art open wireless broadband network.  This company has come under fire recently for different violations and last month Falcone filed 'divorce papers' from the bankrupt business.

As of last year, Falcone had a net worth of 1.2 billion dollars which made him the 1175th richest person in the world and 377th richest person in the United States.