As an outside observer who watched a good number of Islanders games last year, I don't understand the dislike for Eric Boulton.
He played well last year (from what I saw. Also, look at the player of the game thread from last season in this board), he's one of the few veterans on here, and seems to be well respected and liked by a lot of his teammates (important teammates too like Tavares and Okposo).
The cap hit isn't a problem as it's minuscule. It would be a waste to replace Boulton with someone with a skilled guy from Bridgeport just to have him play on the 4th line.
Because it is still a roster spot. If he plays down in Bridgeport most of the time, sure. But if we are carrying 14 forwards, I don't see why Boulton should get that spot, travel with the team, and be subbed in occasionally to play 6:30 a game.
This is who could make this team as forward:
Tavares, Okposo, Strome, Nelson, Lee, Nielsen, Grabo, Grabner, Kulemin, Clutterbuck, Martin, Cizikas, McDonald, Skille, Sundstrom, Gillies, Conacher
That's 17 players. If he beats enough out to make the 14 because he's playing that well, then sure. But to keep him on in place of one of those
hockey players just for slugfests, then I think we are icing a team that the NHL style is moving away from.
Of the elite teams, where is a player like Boulton? Maybe he played well because we were bad. Now we have depth, and should be emulating the teams that have success in this league, most of which do not employ a player like Boulton. It's like the advice they give to parents: don't raise your kids the way you were raised, because they aren't growing up in the world that you grew up in. Things are different in the NHL now, and we finally have depth to have hockey players up and down the lineup. I simply think there isn't room for him.