IceAce
Strait Trippin'
Even though the title is a "no duh", still a pretty decent read.
http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/eye-on...inue-building-around-centerpiece-john-tavares
http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/eye-on...inue-building-around-centerpiece-john-tavares
The New York Islanders have been drenched in disappointment for nearly all of the 2000s. The recently announced forthcoming changes to the ownership structure will bring some optimism, but the team itself is already starting to look more like it is building toward something other than the futility it has grown accustomed to experiencing.
With an aggressive offseason that included trading for the rights to and signing goaltender Jaroslav Halak and signing unrestricted free agents Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin, the Islanders seemingly got a lot better heading into 2014-15. The organization also has a strong prospect system that is due to graduate some players to the NHL roster. The playoffs look possible for the Isles this season, which will be the team's last on Long Island.
It's the long-term outlook that remains in question, however. Even with the litany of strong prospects in the pipeline, future success depends on those youngsters hitting at the NHL level. That doesn't always happen, of course.
With that in mind, the core as it looks in this piece is likely to shift a fair amount over the next few years. John Tavares is really the only clear centerpiece, with the rest aside from perhaps Travis Hamonic being mostly interchangeable. It's highly likely that players like Ryan Strome and Brock Nelson take another step toward staking their claim as central players as early as next season.
Knowing that, the "Who's next in line" section may be even more important than the current core.
