Charlottetown Islanders: 2016-17 Thread

[wingmanpei]

Not sure if this is an indication of how season ticket sales are going, but just got off the phone with someone from the Islanders' office asking if I was going to renew my season tickets for next season. The last time I got a call like that was in the later years of the Rocket.

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[edguy]

Yeah i can see them being pretty low. Alot of negativity around this team the last month or two, with Sonier, Beck, Cameron all leaving. Questions about commitment of ownership, and with some stars all but guaranteed to not be back in Sprong and McDonald.

Its going to be a rough year for ticket sales in Charlottetown. At least until some trades are made or some nice draft picks to get some hype back

 

[wingmanpei]

I have no problems with the firings of Sonier and the assistants, I think I would have been more upset if they didn't make those kinds of changes, but with that being said, giving Hulton the GM duties doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy feeling either. But time will tell on that.

 

[wingmanpei]

Wow. Going into the draft tomorrow as the host team and to me there doesn't seem to be a lot of hype nor excitement in regards to the team. Usually there is a sense of excitement and optimism in the air going into a draft but it just seems dead this year and this is with the draft being held in our building, couldn't imagine what it would be like if it was being held elsewhere.

 

[edguy]

Great day for the Islanders!! Brisebois and Barter. Plus some great picks! Excited about Alain the most obviously, think he will get a spot in camp. But an under the radar guy for me will be Gorman, our US pick. He seems pumped to be drafted here. Think ge shows up and i think he gets a spot

 

[wingmanpei]

For me hard to say how the picks are without having seen them play but time will tell on how it pans out.

I like Brisebois as he is a good player but am confused as to what direction the team is taking with the trade and also the Kennedy trade. Usually when making that kind of trade for a 19 year old, it is usually done when a team is intending to contend, I am not sure if this team is a contending team when having a 17 year old goalie and not 100% sure if two key players will be back (ie Sprong and Blais). With Blais being under contract to St Louis, who also has an ECHL affiliate, the chances of him not being back may not be in favour of the Islanders. With Sprong, I think he will be back in the league but at the same time if next season he burns another year of his contract ( I am not sure how it works for the 2nd year if a player burns a year in their contract if they get sent back), I gotta wonder if the Pens would want to burn that year in junior or in the NHL where he can develop with them.

They could always move Brisebois at Xmas if it's not a good season for the team, but they would have to get more in return than what they paid for him (1st and 2nd rounder, etc) for it to make sense

 

[edguy]

For me hard to say how the picks are without having seen them play but time will tell on how it pans out.

I like Brisebois as he is a good player but am confused as to what direction the team is taking with the trade and also the Kennedy trade. Usually when making that kind of trade for a 19 year old, it is usually done when a team is intending to contend, I am not sure if this team is a contending team when having a 17 year old goalie and not 100% sure if two key players will be back (ie Sprong and Blais). With Blais being under contract to St Louis, who also has an ECHL affiliate, the chances of him not being back may not be in favour of the Islanders. With Sprong, I think he will be back in the league but at the same time if next season he burns another year of his contract ( I am not sure how it works for the 2nd year if a player burns a year in their contract if they get sent back), I gotta wonder if the Pens would want to burn that year in junior or in the NHL where he can develop with them.

They could always move Brisebois at Xmas if it's not a good season for the team, but they would have to get more in return than what they paid for him (1st and 2nd rounder, etc) for it to make sense

Hulton seems pretty confident both Sprong and Blais will be back.

I would expect Hulton to make a few more moves, including a veteran goalie to split games with Welsh, but Welsh has also shown he can play here and should be trusted until proven otherwise.

The Kennedy trade was just a numbers game, nothing to see here.

Now for Brisebois. He is a #1 dman with huge pedigree. He is exactly the piece this team needs if Sprong and Blais DO come back. If they DONT come back and we arent producing well, we should be able to get a ton for him at the deadline.

 

[wingmanpei]

At this point I think it is still up in the air if either one will be back because if it was certain it would have been announced by now, especially from a marketing standpoint.

In regards to Kennedy I think I would have waited until training camp to do it and get a bit better idea about Blais before moving him, it's not like they got a good value for Kennedy now so don't imagine they could have gotten much worse in the fall. Just my opinion but I think I would have kept Kennedy over Coughler if playing the numbers game. Coughler scored a lot when he first got here but cooled off quite a bit the last dozen games or so. I thought Kennedy improved last season and will continue to do so this year, I wouldn't be surprised at the end of the upcoming season we see Kennedy with more points than Coughler.

I know that Brisebois is a good defenseman and is something the Islanders need, I am concerned about the timing of it in relation to where the team is at, especially if it is his last year in the league. IMO the team is still a ways away from being a top tiered team and that is if things fall into place with Sprong and Blais. If this was a go for it type season, of course by all means but if they don't have the team to go for it, it was a steep price for a one year player in a season that you don't have the team to contend. Yes they could get a ton at Xmas if they trade him but they also gave a lot to get him....if they get 2 first rounders for him, is it that much better than the 1st & 2nd rounders plus Deschenes that they gave up to get him. I know We got Barter and is a bit of an offset but not that much.

 

[Firebrd828]

Your team had nine '96 players last year. The means you're looking at a lot of turnover. Who do you see your OA players being in 2016-17?

 

[wingmanpei]

Just my thought on it....

If Blais is back.....Blais, Kielly, Coughler

If Blais is not back.....Kielly, Coughler, Leblond or Rydstrom

I would prefer Rydstrom over Leblond but Rydstrom would take both an overage/Euro spot. I have no problem using both spots on one player but with the holes in this lineup, it could use both a good Euro and a good 20 year old. This kinda goes back to why I would have rather seen them hold onto Kennedy until the fall to get a better read on the Blais situation. By that time, Blais would have been at the Blues summer camp where at that time they may give the Islanders a better direction on Blais, plus it also allows the Islanders to have a better grasp on their Euro situation after the Euro draft which in turn gives the team a better idea on Rydstrom especially if Blais doesn't return.

Mason McDonald is a '96 as well but is signed by Calgary and by the sounds of things, don't think we will see him back

 

[edguy]

Just my thought on it....

If Blais is back.....Blais, Kielly, Coughler

If Blais is not back.....Kielly, Coughler, Leblond or Rydstrom

I would prefer Rydstrom over Leblond but Rydstrom would take both an overage/Euro spot. I have no problem using both spots on one player but with the holes in this lineup, it could use both a good Euro and a good 20 year old. This kinda goes back to why I would have rather seen them hold onto Kennedy until the fall to get a better read on the Blais situation. By that time, Blais would have been at the Blues summer camp where at that time they may give the Islanders a better direction on Blais, plus it also allows the Islanders to have a better grasp on their Euro situation after the Euro draft which in turn gives the team a better idea on Rydstrom especially if Blais doesn't return.

Mason McDonald is a '96 as well but is signed by Calgary and by the sounds of things, don't think we will see him back

You gotta think Hulton is in the market for a 20year old dman. Leblond isnt 20 worthy, although i said the same about O'Brien and we kept him.. and Rydstrom although he could help his team, we should really be swinging for the fences at the euro draft to get a high end guy.
In my opinion thats the only thing that makes sense, getting an OA defenceman

 

[wingmanpei]

I'm not sure if I am understanding this correctly but did they basically dump head scout Gilles Tremblay in favour of Trevor Birt? At first I thought it was Patrick Lachance but when re-reading their press release on Lachance's hiring, it says he is Head Quebec Scout, not the overall head scout. Birt is the Head Maritime Scout and also Director Of Player Personnel, so does that mean Lachance reports to him and also, that Birt will run the draft?

 

[wingmanpei]

Has there been any kind of training camp schedule released yet? I see on the team's website they have a schedule for the rookie tournament in Moncton but beyond that, nothing that I can see.

 

[Hockeydad67]

Has there been any kind of training camp schedule released yet? I see on the team's website they have a schedule for the rookie tournament in Moncton but beyond that, nothing that I can see.

By the looks of their pre season schedule, the rookie tourney ends Sunday 21st and their first preseason game is the 24th so I would assume on ice and off ice fitness testing on the 22nd, practice on the morning of the 23rd, intra squad game in the afternoon of the 23rd, first round of cuts on the morning of the 24th and announcement of the preseason game roster in the afternoon. Not a lot of time from the end of the rookie tournament to the first preseason game.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

http://charlottetownislanders.com/a...eam-finland-for-2016-ivan-hlinka-memorial-cup

 

[qmjhlisles]

What can you tell us about Saku Vesterinen?

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

What can you tell us about Saku Vesterinen?

Saku Vesterinen is a strong defensive player he has good vision and he makes smart passes.
And he has generally showed great development past season ( 2015-2016) while also playing for the Finnish U17 national team.
Vesterinen isn't top Finnish prospect for 2017 NHL draft and if i should predict where he goes in NHL draft i say somewhere late rounds ( 5-7).

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=325852

 

[edguy]

Apparently Charlottetown is set to acquire Donaghey and Mann-Dixon from Moncton for a 4th and 10th

 

[edguy]

Andd its official

 

[qmjhlisles]

If Donaghey comes back it instantly should make this team a upper tier team. With one of the best D cores in the Q a top 6
Of Briesbois-Thompson
Donaghey-Joseph
Vesterinen-Barter is as solid of blue line there is. Of we get Licky and Blais comes back he and Sprong will absolutely light goies up exciting time for Islanders fans. Hulton is doing an outstanding job so far.

 

[edguy]

Our defense is strong yes.

Its our offense im worried about.. Sprong out till late in the trade period. And if Blais doesnt come back.. our best offensive guy becomes Chlapik and that worries me

 

[qmjhlisles]

Me to we will have trouble scoring no doubt about that.

 

[wingmanpei]

And there is no guarantee that Donaghey will be here either, like Blais, he is a signed 20 yr old

 

[edguy]

And there is no guarantee that Donaghey will be here either, like Blais, he is a signed 20 yr old

As a Sens fan as well. I think its an 80% chance he's back. Would rather him here on the top pair then in Wichita (ECHL) on the 3rd pair..

 

[qmjhlisles]

Anyone make It to the Inter-squad games yesterday any standouts?