From Tambellini to Tavares

Saturday's episode of Hockey Night on Long Island was one that went off in some very interesting directions that nobody expected. Hosts Alex and Steve, along with special guest Tom Mascioli, discussed everything from John Tavares being traded to Jeff Tambellini scoring his first goal of the season, to the NHL All-Star rosters and everything in between. Additionally, the trio was joined by Adam Sherlip of The Hockey Volunteer to discuss his mission to spread hockey to children around the world and his prior involvement wit the Islanders' Project Hope. Also, the guys went deep into bonus coverage to make their picks for the NFL divisional playoff matchups and discuss the Brendan Shannahan news. So, if you missed Saturday's episode of HNLI or want to hear it again, be sure to check out the archives on the show page or subscribe via iTunes by searching "Hockey Night on Long Island" in the iTunes Music Store.

Oh and check out this gorgeous goal by Tavares.....future Islander?

Simon Kills the Kid Line

There is an old expression that says "Don't fix what isn't broken". For the Islanders, it seems as though the team is the farthest thing from broken as of late. Despite an incredible number of injuries, the Isles have won five straight games. So, it would seem that there is no need for change.

According to Greg Logan's latest blog entry, Chris Simon will be returning to the Islanders' lineup tonight after the longest suspension in NHL history (topping the record previously held by none other than Chris Simon). On the other end of this return is Jeff Tambellini, who will be sent back to Bridgeport to make room for Simon. Tambellini had previously been playing with the "Kid Line" along with former Bridgeport teammates Frans Nielsen and Blake Comeau. It was this line that provided the energy that pulled the Isles out of their 7 game skid and put the team back on track.

Now, however, Ted Nolan insists on ripping that line apart to bring back longtime friend Chris Simon. There is no doubt in my mind that this move will prove to be a destructive one for the Isles. Chris Simon is not only a nuisance when it comes to discipline, but is also a detriment to the team hockey-wise too. Between his two massive suspensions, Chris Simon had done absolutely nothing positive for this team. He further proved to me that he is too slow and sluggish to keep up and is past the prime of his career. By inserting him into the spot that Tambellini occupied, Nolan is jeopardizing any chance that the Isles have at making a run for the playoffs.

Prospects Camp Update: Okposo Impresses, Marcou Hits his Stride

The New York Islanders Prospect camp has been underway for 2 days now at Iceworks in Syosset and there are still 4 more days to look forward to. Aside from being a great place to hang out with fellow Islanders fans, the camp is a great chance to see the progress that the Islanders' young guns have made and to see the future of the franchise. So far, we've only seen drills as scrimmages don't start until Saturday, but there is still plenty to report.

Kyle Okposo, the Islanders' 2006 1st round pick, has looked great through the first two days. Kyle's skating ability was surprisingly impressive for such a big guy. He is clearly a strong guy and has a great wrist shot. While Okposo has decided to play at the University of Minnesota for his upcoming season, he could be lighting it up for the Isles in the near future.

As expected, Jeff Tambellini also impressed me. Tambs looked more polished than any of the other prospects, most likely due to the advantage of having a lot more pro experience. He showed his sniping ability by hitting the top corners on just about every shot. His skating was superb. After seeing him perform at this camp, I'd be shocked if he didn't make the big club in the upcoming NHL season.

Max Gratchev, the Islanders' 2007 4th round pick, was very impressive at the camp, particularly on Day 2. He shot the puck very well and hustled through every drill. His skating ability was very good as well, especially his ability to quickly turn and change direction.

As a group, the 4 goaltenders that attended looked extremely unimpressive. On Day 1, it was a rarity to see anybody stop anything. Day 2 was a bit better, but still nobody stood out as a reliable option if DP or Dubie should go down to injury.

Finally, HNLI favorite James Marcou attended as an undrafted and unsigned prospect. While he looked very jittery on Day 1, Marcou found his groove on Day 2. Despite his size, Marcou is very skilled and pulled off plenty of nice moves. And I wasn't the only one who noticed. Isles' prospect Jeff Tambellini agreed that Marcou stood out.

When asked which of the younger players stood out in his mind, Jeff Tambellini responded by saying James Marcou, the 5-7 camp invite from Kings Park. "He's more like 5-5, but he has incredible hands," said Tambellini. "He was making some impressive moves around guys out there."

Remember that the Islanders' prospects camp is still going on. Just come down to Islanders' IceWorks in Syosset to see the future of the New York Islanders.