• HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • Site Index
  • NHL Salary Caps
  • Hockey 101: A Beginner’s Guide
  • Join Our Team
  • Free Newsletter
  • Store
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
Home
New York Islanders

The Hockey Writers Q & A: Islanders and Fishsticks?

By Chris Wassel June 30th, 2014

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp
John Tavares Captain

John Tavares is the heart and soul of the New York Islanders, and he will be heavily counted on to lead the Islanders back to the playoffs in 2014-15. (Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports)

It is once again time for another edition of The Hockey Writers Q&A. This time out we take a look at the New York Islanders. For Islander fans, it was a tough and heartbreaking season. However, the 2014-15 campaign definitely renews hope with the possibility of new ownership and a new arena for the 2015-16 season. Previous additions of The Hockey Writers Q&A include:

  • Ed Frankovic — Washington Capitals
  • Paige Lewis — Florida Panthers
  • Caity Kauffman — Tampa Bay Lightning
  • John Forslund — Carolina Hurricanes

Now we set our sights on the New York Islanders with another Q&A chat. This time we talk to veteran beat writer Brad Kurtzberg, who is a jack of all trades and native Long Islander. We pulled no punches with the questions and he fired off a few rounds with his answers so here it goes.

New York Islanders Q&A — Brad Kurtzberg

 
1. Charles Wang is finally going to sell the team. What does this really mean to the fans out on Long Island?

 

Well, until he sells it and until we see how much money the new owner(s) are willing to spend on the team, it means fans are hoping and waiting. After all these years of uncertainty, most Isles fans won’t believe things will be different until they actually change.

 
2. Do the New York Islanders trade their first round pick? Why or why not? If so, do they trade down more than once in the 2014 NHL Draft?

 

Rumors abounded that the Isles tried to field offers for the 5th overall pick but they ended up keeping it and selecting Dal Colle. It was a safe and smart choice. Then the Isles gambled and traded back into the late 1st round to draft to grab Josh Ho-Sang. Ho-Sang is talented but very brash. He could change the tenor of the locker room and certainly won’t be dull, but he has to back up his words and attitude with performance on the ice. 

 
3. New York signed Jaroslav Halak to a four year deal after trading for his rights (via Washington). Do you believe the Islanders finally have a number one goalie to lead the team into the playoffs?

 

Halak is good enough to take a team to the playoffs. Now the Isles need to upgrade their defense via trade or free agency and add another forward to the lineup in order to get to the playoffs. Halak is a huge upgrade from Evgeni Nabokov, but he can’t do it alone. The Isles also need to add a quality backup goalie. They didn’t last year and it really hurt them.

 
4. Yes I said playoffs earlier, what has to happen for the Isles to placate the long suffering fans?

 

Making the playoffs again is a big thing. This team hasn’t won a playoff series since 1993. Al Arbor was their coach. That means Isles fans younger than 30 have almost no recollection of this team winning a playoff series. The team is moving to Brooklyn next season. They really need to create a buzz around this team to help sell tickets and attract new fans to replace those from Long Island who won’t be making the trip as often. Making the playoffs is a minimum requirement.

 
5. At what point is Travis Hamonic allowed to play first pairing defensive minutes consistently?

 

It should be coming soon. Hamonic is a good defenseman and he’s maturing. He’s even shown some brief flashes of offensive ability but that’s not really his game. Hamonic is coming into his prime as seen here.

 

At this point, he should be a top pair defenseman unless the Isles bring in a big name or the pairings just don’t match up.

 
6. Griffin Reinhart will not be traded. What kind of role do you see him having for New York in 2014-15?

 

He’ll probably be on the second pairing by the end of this year. Fans can’t expect too much too soon from a young rookie defenseman. If they’re patient with Reinhart, he should develop into a real stud, but it will take some time and there will be some growing pains.

 
7. Who will ultimately be the backup goaltender on the Islanders since Kevin Poulin and Anders Nilsson are out of the picture?

 

The backup goalie isn’t on the roster yet. They are supposedly interested in Justin Peters of the Hurricanes but we’ll see if he’s made available. It’s important that they don’t skimp on this position.

 
8. Will keeping the 2014 draft pick be worth it in the long run?

 

It has to be. The Isles know the 2015 draft is deeper, but they have to play well enough to avoid making that pick a lottery pick. They couldn’t just send the 5th overall pick in this year’s draft to Buffalo, it would send a horrible message to the team. To take the next step, the Isles need to start trading some prospects and picks for players who can help them win games in the NHL now.

 
9. Bridgeport in the AHL has become kind of a sore spot. What needs to happen down there to at least make it a better place for prospects to play?

 

Injuries to the big club and the AHL club have hurt the situation. The arena is also not in the best area. Still, winning is a great deoderant as they say. If they start winning on Long Island and Bridgeport, people will be willing to go there.

 
10. Lastly, what are your favorite memories from the Nassau Colosseum?

 

My first NHL game was at the Coliseum. As old and unimpressive as the building is by modern standards, it still has some of the best sightlines in the league. The best memory for Isles fans has to be the first Stanley Cup and Bobby Nystrom’s overtime game winner in Game 6 against the Flyers in 1980.

 

 

 

From 1975 to 1985, the Isles were arguably the best franchise in hockey and seeing all-time greats like Denis Potvin, Bryan Trottier, Mike Bossy, and Billy Smith play so well for so long really spoiled the fans of Long Island. The rivalry with the Rangers really was intense and produced some of the best hockey seen anywhere in the late 70s and early 80s.

 

=============================================

 

The question becomes where do we go next. Naturally the answer is even deeper into the Metropolitan Division. This should be fun so stay tuned as you never quite know what will happen during “The Hockey Writers Q&A“.

  • Tags
  • Charles Wang
  • John Tavares
  • Josh Ho-Sang
  • Michael Dal Colle
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Get theScore App Now!
Recent Posts
Jan 19th 7:42 PM
Colorado Avalanche

Wild Acquire Ian Cole From Avalanche for Greg Pateryn

Jan 19th 6:05 PM
Calgary Flames

Flames Need to Be More Disciplined if They Want to Stay Hot

Jan 19th 5:50 PM
Columbus Blue Jackets

9 Blue Jackets’ “Gordie Howe Hat Trick” Fun Facts

Jan 19th 5:40 PM
Toronto Maple Leafs

Babcock Bombs as Former Leafs Coach Tries to Clarify Marner Drama

Jan 19th 5:25 PM
Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights Are 3-0, But Still Have Plenty of Work To Do

Jan 19th 5:15 PM
New York Rangers

Rangers News & Rumors: Essential Workers Night, DeAngelo, Trouba & More

Jan 19th 5:05 PM
Calgary Flames

Flames Should Add Forward Oliver Okuliar to Prospect Pool

Jan 19th 4:55 PM
Montreal Canadiens

Montreal Canadiens: 3 Takeaways from Week 1

Jan 19th 4:45 PM
Hockey History

Top 3 Penguins Trades Under Jim Rutherford

Jan 19th 3:45 PM
St Louis Blues

Blues Weekly: Up and Down Start to the 2020-21 Campaign

Editor’s Picks
World Junior Championship All-Time Leading Scorers

World Junior Championship All-Time Leading Scorers

2021 Guide To the World Junior Championship

2021 Guide To the World Junior Championship

Masthead

Newsletters

RSS Feeds

Privacy Statement

Contact Us

About THW…

Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Updated daily with news and features from over 130 writers worldwide. Over 2 million monthly readers now come to THW for their hockey fix.

© The Hockey Writers 2020. All rights reserved.
logo
  • HOME
  • Hockey Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • North Division
    • Calgary Flames
    • Edmonton Oilers
    • Montreal Canadiens
    • Ottawa Senators
    • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Vancouver Canucks
    • Winnipeg Jets
  • East Division
    • Boston Bruins
    • Buffalo Sabres
    • New Jersey Devils
    • New York Islanders
    • New York Rangers
    • Philadelphia Flyers
    • Pittsburgh Penguins
    • Washington Capitals
  • Central Division
    • Carolina Hurricanes
    • Chicago Blackhawks
    • Columbus Blue Jackets
    • Dallas Stars
    • Detroit Red Wings
    • Florida Panthers
    • Nashville Predators
    • Tampa Bay Lightning
  • West Division
    • Anaheim Ducks
    • Arizona Coyotes
    • Colorado Avalanche
    • Los Angeles Kings
    • Minnesota Wild
    • San Jose Sharks
    • Seattle Kraken
    • St Louis Blues
    • Vegas Golden Knights
  • World Juniors
  • CHL
    • Ontario Hockey League
    • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
    • Western Hockey League
  • THW Podcast Network
  • Store
  • FREE Newsletter
  • Search THW
  • More…
    • Join Our Team
    • The THW Archives
    • Prospects
    • The Goalie Page
    • NHL Salary Cap Information