Tavares, Streit and Pre-season, OH MY!

First things first, though.

My late, but sincerest condolences to everyone who perished in the plane crash that killed the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl KHL team earlier this month. It's just been such an awful, awful offseason for hockey in general, and this didn't make it any easier. May you all rest in peace. Side note: Of the 36 killed, Pavol Demitra, Karlis Skrastins, Ruslan Salei, and Karel Rachunek, as well as former Islander Josef Vasicek, had played in the NHL previously.



That being said... the show must go on, and it has. The pre-season has started for the Islanders- they face off against the Bruins on Friday night. How exciting, hockey is back once more, and with some good news to announce.

First came John Tavares's six-year, $33M deal that shuts up everyone talking about him possibly making a move up north (*cough*plenty of Torontonians*cough*). The deal keeps the young center on the Island long-term, and is a decent cap hit ($5.5M per year) for a guy who is developing at a steady pace. I, for one, was very happy to see that he is willing to stay for so long, and not only that, but it also means that we have a great young core of Tavares, Matt Moulson (three more years), Michael Grabner (five years), and Kyle Okposo (five years), meaning stability. Stability is exactly what we need.

Josh Bailey was also handed a two-year deal at the deadline, which was surprising. I don't doubt, however, that this year will be the year he needs to prove he's got what it takes to stay on the Island. Since the forward lines got a bit crowded with young talent, there hasn't been much of a place for Bailey, and he always manages to start out hot and then fade into the background. Yes, he could have used a year in junior, but the past is the past, and somehow, the Isles have to find a way to utilize him (and he has to find a way to sustain his early-season success on the ice long-term).
As for Nino Niederreiter, well... he did a fine job in a pair of rookie games against the baby Bruins last week. I only got to watch about half an hour of one game, but I definitely noticed his presence on both sides of the puck. He was constantly moving, setting himself up for good scoring chances, and he had quite a bit of chemistry with this year's first-rounder, Ryan Strome. I wouldn't be surprised if El Nino made it this year- in fact, I'd be shocked if it were the opposite.



And, last but not least, the Islanders announced today that Mark Streit will be the 13th captain in franchise history. Now, I know what you're thinking- 13, bad luck, kill it with fire- but I have a great feeling about this. The veteran defenseman is a great presence on the ice and in the locker room, and has built a rapport with his younger D partners, as well as fellow countryman Niederreiter. I don't think the Isles could have done better with this pick, and I'm looking forward to seeing him healthy on the ice and wearing the "C"!

A Small Word... RIP Wade Belak

The hockey world has been hit hard this offseason.

Within four months, three hockey players have passed away- three young, seemingly healthy players in the prime of their lives.

First was Derek Boogaard. Then it was Rick Rypien. And the night of August 31, it was reported that Wade Belak was found dead in a hotel room in Toronto. The former NHLer was only 35 years old. Earlier today, AP confirmed that his death was a suicide.

Three players. Similar styles of play. All dead within a third of a year.

Clearly, something is very wrong here. I don't even know how to describe it or what to say. The NHL and NHLPA issued a joint statement today that is pretty succinct and nothing groundbreaking- just a promise to re-evaluate existing programs and do whatever they can to get to the bottom of this. Of course, that's all well and good. But with that comes the need to recognize just how many players in general, in the enforcer role or otherwise, who are in need of help.

With that being said, if you would like to try and help things out on a more general scale, my friends Alex and Sabrina have each designed tee-shirts, a portion of the sales of which will go to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. If you can, please buy one and help out. And take a moment to send a little thought or prayer up to the three guys who have left this world.

Rest in peace, boys.