Good morning,
Let’s start with the good news, NHL prognosticators have the Islanders in the Stanley Cup Final or winning the Stanley Cup. The bad news, NHL prognosticators have the Islanders in the Stanley Cup Final or winning the Stanley Cup. This is unfamiliar territory for an Islanders fanbase galvanized by being an afterthought and underdog. Frankly, it has everyone feeling a bit uncomfortable.
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Today, Isles Fix contributor Ryan Dunnigan will tell us why everyone is talking about prospect Robin Salo. But first, let’s get into the latest news.
🔁 HOUSEKEEPING: After submitting their 23-man roster Monday evening, the Islanders had a few more moves to file with the league.
Cory Schneider signed a 1 year/2-way contract for $750K.
Kieffer Bellows inked a 1 year/1-way contract for $750K.
Michael Dal Colle, who received a one-year deal on Monday, cleared waivers.
Injured Matt Martin and Semyon Varlamov will travel on Wednesday to Carolina with the team, although neither will be ready for the season opener.
🔮 CRYSTAL PUCKS: The start of the NHL season means predictions, predictions, and more predictions. The difference this year is that the Islanders find themselves as a trendy pick to reach the Stanley Cup Final.
ESPN‘s Greg Wyshynski, Don La Greca, Arda Ocal, and Steve Levy have the Isles lifting Lord Stanley this year.
The New York Post’s Larry Brooks has the Islanders bringing the Cup back to Long Island, while Mollie Walker has them falling to the Avs in the Final.
Joe Pantorno of AMNY also has Colorado defeating the Islanders in the Stanley Cup Final in his 2021-22 forecast.
On the individual awards side, ESPN broadcaster Bob Wischusen picked goalie Semyon Varlamov to win the Vezina Trophy. The Fourth Period’s Shawn Hutcheon has Barry Trotz winning his third Jack Adams Award.
Even Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic and his model have the Islanders topping 100 points on the season, the 7th most projected points in the league.
👴🏻 NOT OLD, JUST OLDER: Last season, the Islanders had an average age of 27.8, tied for the 13th oldest team in the NHL. After adding 37-year-old Zach Parise and 44-year-old Zdeno Chara, the team engineered by 78-year-old GM Lou Lamoriello has sauntered their way top of the list with an average age of 29.65.
🏋️♀️ HEAVY LIFTING: The Islanders aren’t only old, they are heavy, tipping the scales at an average 202.6 pounds, behind only the Flames, Ducks, and Rangers.
🎺 HIT THE MUSIC: The NHL returned to ESPN on Tuesday night, as did its classic theme song composed 28 years ago by Bob Christianson. Justin Bieber narrated the story behind the music and the lasting impact it had on a generation of hockey fans. It was very cool, check it out:
😵 LOOK AWAY!: For the second year in a row, the team the Islanders pushed to the limit raised their Stanley Cup banner on Opening Night. The ceremony was the highlight for the defending champions as they fell 6-2 to the Pittsburgh Penguins playing without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
🤢 Former New York Jets offensive lineman turned Islanders die-hard, Damien Woody couldn’t look away and paid the price.
👍🏻 ROBIN GOOD: The Athletic’s Arthur Staple emphasized in his piece on Tuesday that rookie Robin Salo was the talk of training camp. Isles Fix’s Ryan Dunnigan will have more on Salo in Overtime.
IMPRESSED: Isles’ brass was so heavily impressed with the 22-year-old that they decided against signing Erik Gustafsson after he came in on a PTO and had a strong camp. Salo will be one to watch in Bridgeport where he’s expected to get heavy minutes, and if the Islanders get banged up on the blue line, he could be making his NHL debut in 2021-22.
🍸 BAR DOWN: The Isles showed off one of the newest features of UBS Arena, “The Hyundai Club,” with a short video. The clip describes the private area as New York’s coolest new sports bar.
🗓 ISLE REMEMBER: On this date in Islanders history, holdout Pat LaFontaine wasn’t at the home opener, but the '“Karate Kid” Ralph Macchio was, as the team’s celebrity captain welcomed the team’s past captains to the pre-game ceremony celebrating 20 years of Islanders hockey.
🔗 Schwartz: Islanders set to begin season as true road warriors, by Peter Schwartz, WFAN: “We understand the situation,” said Islanders Head Coach Barry Trotz. “This group…they’re not complainers. They just understand that life is not always easy. I think it will be a good thing for us. We’ve been at home for quite a while and I think an early road trip is always good and this will be good for this group.”
🔗 The Perferct Name For The Next Islanders Guide Dog, by Matt O’Leary, Eyes on Isles: “This year, the Islanders teased the fifth annual Pucks and Paws calendar photoshoot. In the shoot, we were introduced to the latest Islanders puppy. He’s a black labrador retriever and will become the third pup after they had both Radar and Tori the past couple of years. They asked fans to vote for his name on Twitter but I think this write-in response is the best choice.”
🔗 Barry Trotz: 'Unfinished business' for Islanders is trip to Stanley Cup Final by Andrew Gross, Newsday: “There’s unfinished business,” coach Barry Trotz said after Tuesday’s practice at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow. “Our unfinished business is we’ve got to take the next step, be it getting to the finals or winning the Stanley Cup. Anything below that is going to be considered a failure within probably the group, probably myself and probably the fan base.”
🔗 Anders Lee, the Identity Line and Robin Salo’s breakout camp: What we learned and what we still need to know about the Islanders, by Arthur Staple, The Athletic: “Not exactly breaking news that a guy with five 20-goal seasons could have a big impact, but seeing Lee in his two preseason games was a reminder of how much the Islanders missed their captain over the back half of last season. We all love to crack wise on Barry Trotz’s choice to essentially replace Lee with Leo Komarov but in hindsight, it’s easy to see why Trotz basically had no options: How do you replace your best goal-scorer, your leader and one of the more imposing players on the ice?”
🔗 McKenna: Ranking NHL Goalie Tandems From Best To Worst, by Mike McKenna, Daily Faceoff: “The Islanders are comfortable using a true tandem and either could win a Stanley Cup. Varlamov is a proven winner and Sorokin will only get better with more time in North America. I expect one of them to take hold of the crease by the end of the season.”
Why Is Everyone Talking about Prospect Robin Salo?
by Ryan Dunnigan, Isles Fix contributor
After last season’s trade deadline, Islanders’ general manager Lou Lamoriello notified the blue and orange faithful that 22-year-old, Finnish defenseman Robin Salo would soon be coming over to the States. At the time, I introduced Isles fans to Salo in this article.
Since then, fans haven’t heard much about Salo. That all changed three weeks ago with the start of Islanders training camp. The prospect was one of the main storylines to come out of camp. He has impressed fans, media, coaches, and teammates, alike.
Fellow defenseman Noah Dobson had plenty of praise for him:
In my first piece, I mentioned Salo might remind fans of Nick Leddy one day. With Leddy no longer on Long Island, finding guys to replace his production is important.
There were a few things that really stood out watching Salo play this preseason. The first is what may remind fans of Leddy the most, and that’s his ability to skate. We have heard about his skating for a while now, but being able to finally see it jump off the screen and translate at the top level was exciting for fans.
Not all players in the NHL have the ability to remove themselves from high-danger situations with their skating alone. Already the 6’1” defender has shown this rare skillset, reminiscent of Leddy in his prime.
Salo also showcased his playmaking ability. He’s shown that he is strong on the puck, has an ability to find space that he can exploit on the ice, and he uses his skating and confidence with the puck to create problems for opposing teams. Salo is also adept at creating space for his teammates while having the vision to find passes that allow them to make that space threatening.
The most surprising aspect of Salo’s game that emerged from preseason is the physicality he brings to the ice. He won battles along the boards consistently. He wasn’t afraid to lay his body on the line, which earned him points with teammates, fans, and most importantly, coach Barry Trotz.
Trotz, like the fan base, was impressed with the youngster. He told reporters, “Robin has done a really good job. He makes good decisions. He’s handled the first couple of games and scrimmages quite well.”
His decision-making is what impressed Trotz the most. As we have seen in the past, it is very difficult for young players to earn the trust of Trotz. He tends to lean on veterans he can count on and trust. Building up that trust will take time, but Salo’s high hockey IQ is building a strong foundation.
Of course, Salo’s play hasn’t been perfect. He made mistakes and took some penalties. There is definitely room for improvement. This, and the fact the Islanders have a crowded blue line after the return of Zdeno Chara, meant Salo did not make the varsity roster and will begin his season in Bridgeport.
But that is not a reason to stymie the excitement over this prospect. He has the potential to be an impact player for the Isles in the future. Salo made it very difficult for the front office to leave him off the roster and has earned all the buzz and excitement that currently surrounds the young man. It seems like just a matter of time before we see Salo flying around UBS Arena in an Isles sweater.
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