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Dmytro Timashov Joins Islanders Camp

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The New York Islanders, notorious for failing to announce contract details, had another surprise as the on-ice portion of training camp opened today. According to Andrew Gross of Newsday, recently acquired restricted free agent Dmytro Timashov joined his new teammates. That means Timashov has signed a contract of some sort, whether it be a new NHL deal or perhaps a professional tryout.

The 24-year-old forward was acquired from the Detroit Red Wings last month, brought to New York for nothing more than future considerations. In 44 career NHL games, he has just nine points but does have a certain familiarity with GM Lou Lamoriello from their time together in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization.

Timashov’s contract should be officially announced at some point, along with Mathew Barzal who was also listed on the Islanders’ training camp roster (but has not appeared on the ice yet). Notably, that roster also included Tom Kuhnhackl who had not yet been announced as a re-sign, but could also be participating on a professional tryout.

As always, Lamoriello’s group is the most secretive in the NHL. For now, Timashov at least is taking part.

New York Islanders Confirm Three Signings

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New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello held media availability today, and though he had no update on the negotiations with restricted free agent Mathew Barzal, did confirm several previous reports. Andy Greene, Matt Martin, and Cory Schneider have all agreed to contracts and will be in Islanders training camp, Lamoriello explained to reporters including Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. All three veterans were unrestricted free agents.

News of these deals came months ago at the start of free agency, but none of them have officially been announced yet and likely won’t until the situation with Barzal is solved. The Islanders have just under $4MM in cap space, but since the young center is likely going to take much more than that, some salary cap gymnastics will have to be performed. Johnny Boychuk, who was forced to retire due to the eye injuries he sustained last season, is still technically on the books with a $6MM cap hit for this season. That number can be moved to long-term injured reserve at the appropriate time, allowing the Islanders to stay cap compliant.

Still, there is certainly no guarantee of playing time for any of the three veterans. Greene came to the Islanders from the New Jersey Devils at the deadline and ended up playing in 21 of the team’s postseason matches, but with Noah Dobson continuing to push for playing time and some other young defensemen creeping up the depth chart, the 38-year-old may find himself in and out of the lineup. That doesn’t mean he won’t still be a valuable addition to the team, but at this point in Greene’s career he can no longer be that top-4 presence.

Martin, who has played eight of his ten years in the NHL with the Islanders also suited up for every game in the playoffs, but he too could find himself scratched upon occasion this season. The 31-year-old is an effective enough option on the fourth line but normally doesn’t provide much offense at all (though Martin did score five goals in the postseason). The heart-and-soul winger has a place on the team to be sure, but at some point, the Islanders will want to take a look at some of their younger options like Oliver Wahlstrom and Kieffer Bellows.

If Greene and Martin have at least some sense of playing time, it is something of a mystery for Schneider. The 34-year-old goaltender has a long history with Lamoriello which stretches back to the 2013 trade from the Vancouver Canucks, but New York already has Semyon Varlamov and Ilya Sorokin locked into the two NHL spots. Schneider has struggled the last few seasons and likely is there only as the taxi squad goaltender, moving into the lineup only in an emergency.

Still, his position in the organization is an interesting one, if only because the Islanders have very little in net behind their top two. Jakub Skarek is currently the only other goaltender under contract, and the 21-year-old has barely any experience at the minor league level, let alone the NHL. Varlamov is also the only goalie eligible to be exposed in the expansion draft, meaning Schneider or some other veteran will have to be signed through 2021-22 if the Islanders want to protect their current starter.

East Notes: Schneider, Mittelstadt, Flyers

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Three weeks ago, reports surfaced that the Islanders were set to sign veteran goaltender Cory Schneider in what looked to be a number three role but that hasn’t yet materialized.  However, GM Lou Lamoriello told NHL.com’s Brian Compton that he expects a deal to get done:

There’s a good sort of chance of that transpiring. As you know, I had Cory in New Jersey and I think that he’s trying to resurrect his career, and with our coaching staff, I’ve had several conversations with Cory, so I think that rumor will come to fruition.

The 34-year-old hit the open market when New Jersey opted to buy out the final two years and $12MM of his contract earlier this month following a pair of tough years that saw him post a .897 SV% and a 3.22 GAA in 39 games.  In the ideal scenario for the Islanders, Ilya Sorokin thrives as the backup to Semyon Varlamov and Schneider isn’t needed but if the rookie falters, it appears they’ll eventually have an experienced veteran in place that can be called upon if needed.

More from the Eastern Conference:

  • Buffalo has been active with its restricted free agents lately with new deals for goalie Linus Ullmark plus forwards Sam Reinhart and Victor Olofsson, they still have some work to do. To that end, Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reports (Twitter link) that talks for RFA forward Casey Mittelstadt were supposed to resume last week although clearly, nothing has been agreed upon yet.  The eighth-overall pick in 2017, Mittelstadt has struggled in his two full professional seasons when up with the Sabres but has fared much better with AHL Rochester.  He’s waiver-exempt to start next season so a two-way deal appears to be the likely outcome when a deal does get done.
  • While there are quite a few teams interested in UFA winger Mike Hoffman, it doesn’t appear as if the Flyers are one of them. NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jordan Hall relays that while the team could certainly use the help of the man advantage that Hoffman can provide after they went 4/52 on the power play in the playoffs, they have not reached out to Hoffman’s camp at this time.  While they have a little over $4.8MM in cap room at the moment, a sizable piece of that will be earmarked for RFA defenseman Philippe Myers.

Cory Schneider Close To Deal With New York Islanders

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The New York Islanders are close to adding some more goaltending depth, as Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets a deal is being finalized with Cory Schneider. While LeBrun points out the connection between the free agent goaltender and Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello from their time together in New Jersey, it does somewhat complicate things in New York.

Schneider, 34, was recently bought out by the Devils after struggling with injury and inconsistency the last several seasons, and likely would have to accept the third goaltender role in the Islanders organization. The team already has veteran starter Semyon Varlamov and young phenom Ilya Sorokin in the mix, meaning unless there is another move coming—or the team is going back to the three-headed goaltending option—Schneider would likely have to spend time in the minor leagues once again.

In a condensed 2020-21 season there will be a need for goaltending depth as teams are forced to play games at a heightened pace, but it’s hard to believe that Schneider would be able to displace either of the Islanders two top goaltenders. Though he was once a legitimate starting option who even challenged for the Vezina Trophy, Schneider hasn’t posted a save percentage above .910 since the 2015-16 season.

Of course, the Islanders also employ goaltending guru Mitch Korn, who has resurrected careers before and should be able to help Schneider get things back on track, if not all the way back to his previous level. At the very least, he’ll be some veteran depth in case of injury.

Islanders Notes: Injuries, RFAs, Barzal

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New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello spoke to the media today, giving his thoughts on several topics. As Andrew Gross of Newsday tweets, that included an update on several injured players. Casey Cizikas, Adam Pelech, and Tom Kuhnhackl have all undergone successful surgeries and are expected to be ready for the start of the 2020-21 training camp (whenever that takes place).

While Cizikas and Pelech are heading into the last year of their respective contracts, Kuhnhackl will actually become an unrestricted free agent next month. The 28-year-old forward suited up in three postseason games for the Islanders and could potentially be brought back as a depth option next season.

  • While Kuhnhackl is one of several unrestricted free agent decisions the team has, there are even more to be made on restricted free agents. While players like Mathew Barzal and Ryan Pulock are obviously going to get qualifying offers, that may not be the case for some of the Islanders minor league players. In fact, Lamoriello expects that there will be one or two RFAs not qualified. That may be the case in many organizations around the league as teams navigate their new financial situations.
  • For Barzal though, Lamoriello isn’t worried about the upcoming negotiation. When asked about the danger of an offer sheet, Lamoriello told Gross that he is confident the team will get their players signed. The 23-year-old center is coming off another excellent season and showed he could be a postseason performer as well with 17 points in 22 games.

Finalists Announced For GM Of The Year

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The NHL has released the finalists for the Jim Gregory GM of the Year award, named after the legendary hockey executive that passed last year. Lou Lamoriello of the New York Islanders, Jim Nill of the Dallas Stars, and Julien BriseBois of the Tampa Bay Lightning have been named as the three finalists, with the winner to be announced on Saturday. The award is voted on by a panel of league executives, print and broadcast media at the end of the second round of the playoffs.

It’s easy to point to the hiring of Barry Trotz as Lamoriello’s biggest move as GM of the Islanders, but that’s not all he’s done over the past year to push his team deep into the playoffs. Not only did the legendary executive move to secure more goaltending after letting Robin Lehner walk, but a deadline deal brought over proven playoff performer Jean-Gabriel Pageau.

There’s just something about the postseason that gets Pageau playing his best hockey and he’s proven it once again with a playoff-leading seven even-strength goals already. Pageau is a whopping +11 through 17 postseason games for the Islanders, while also winning more than 56% of his faceoffs. While Lamoriello had to give up a hefty package of draft picks to get him, Pageau won’t be leaving anytime soon; he signed a six-year, $30MM extension with the Islanders.

Nill meanwhile did most of his playoff preparation last summer. The Stars GM brought in Corey Perry and Joe Pavelski to give his club a little more bite and experience. Pavelski especially has been fantastic for Dallas in the postseason, leading the club with eight goals and playing more than any other forward on the team.

While it wasn’t a trade, the patience that has gone into the development of Denis Gurianov is paying huge dividends, with the young forward taking over as a star in this postseason. Gurianov trails only Miro Heiskanen in scoring for the Stars, with 15 points in 18 games.

BriseBois, the youngest and most inexperienced of the three finalists, would be the first to tell you that he inherited an incredible roster. He was part of the team that built it, serving as an assistant GM to Steve Yzerman, but the Lightning were already great when he took over in 2018. Still, BriseBois didn’t sit back and hope that roster would be good enough to make it through the playoffs this season.

Savvy depth adds of Patrick Maroon, Kevin Shattenkirk and Luke Schenn in the offseason are paying off now, while the scrap heap rehab of Zach Bogosian looks like a success. It’s those two deadline deals that have impressed so much though. BriseBois found a way to lengthen out his lineup by adding Barclay Goodrow and Blake Coleman, anything but household names, and it is paying off. The two have combined for just four goals in the postseason, but Tampa has created a group that seems to be dangerous on every single shift regardless of who is on the ice.

Islanders Notes: Salary Cap, Free Agents, Ilya Sorokin

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Many teams are facing troubling cap situations over the next two seasons (assuming the CBA passes and the cap freezes at $81.5MM). Count the New York Islanders among the troubled.

Though they don’t have any exorbitant deals, the Islanders have a whole host of contracts in the $3-6MM range. With $71.38MM already committed to their roster for next season, there’s a decent likelihood that GM Lou Lamoriello will have to let all their pending unrestricted free agents walk, per The Athletic’s Arthur Staple. That would mean Matt Martin, Derick Brassard, Tom Kuhnhackl, Andy Greene, and Thomas Greiss all hitting the open market. Then again, with many teams facing this crunch, free agents may face a depressed market, potentially allowing teams to grab some bargain short-term deals.

  • Greiss is probably the biggest on-ice contributor from that group, though if all goes well, Ilya Sorokin could join the club and take on that role. Martin might be the bigger loss in a spiritual sense. Despite a two-year hiatus in Toronto, Martin has spent nine years in New York, and his grinding style of play has made him popular among the locals. He’s also the most likely to return, as the fourth-liner may not command a whole lot in free agency after marking 0.4 point shares this season.
  • The bigger issue, Staples writes, is with the Islanders restricted free agents: namely, Mathew Barzal. Just two years removed from winning the Calder Trophy, Barzal is in line for a hefty raise, even if he settles for a bridge contract. With Ryan Pulock, Devon Toews, and potentially Sorokin (more on this later) also restricted free agents, the Islanders will look to shed a contract or two to free up enough money to keep these central young players in the fold. The team has been resistant to trading Nick Leddy, but his $5.5MM could be rerouted to players more likely to play key roles moving forward. Leddy remains a viable blueliner, and though they’re not likely to return a significant asset for him, New York can get out from under his contract if they need the money. Another former Blackhawk, Andrew Ladd, would be another trade piece, but at 35-years-old and with only 30 games played over the last two seasons, they’re not likely to find a taker for the veteran forward – nor can they get any savings from buying him out. More likely for Ladd, Staples notes, is landing on the long-term injured reserve, which would allow the Islanders to go over the cap by $5.5MM.
  • Even though signing Sorokin now will burn his one year ELC, the Islanders are probably going to do so anyway to get him in the fold, writes Staple in another piece. It will make him a restricted free agent for next season, but the Islanders appear ready to bring him in to start working with their coaches. Since the KHL doesn’t typically allow opt-outs, New York would rather bring him in and have him ready for next season rather than lose him to the KHL for another season.

Islanders Notes: Sorokin, Barzal, Injuries, Belmont Arena

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While there has been positive more than a month ago, many New York Islanders fans have been excited about the team potentially signing top goalie prospect Ilya Sorokin out of the KHL this offseason. However, with the worldwide issues of COVID-19 and little information since, NHL.com released an interview with general manager Lou Lamoriello in which the GM reiterates that the team expects Sorokin to sign a contract for next season.

The 24-year-old goaltender has dominated the KHL the last few years and is considered the best goaltender outside the NHL. He finished the 2019-20 season with a 1.50 GAA and a .935 save percentage in 40 appearances for CSKA Moscow. In the currently suspended playoffs, Sorokin has won all four of his matchups, allowing just three goals so far, with a 0.73 GAA and a .966 save percentage. Sorokin’s contract expires on April 30th, although with the coronavirus suspending play, that date could be pushed back if the KHL intends to continue their playoffs at some point.

  • Another issue that Lamoriello settled is the future contract of young star Mathew Barzal. The 22-year-old will be hitting restricted free agency this summer and the Islanders have made it clear that they intend to lock him up to a long-term deal, there are plenty of concerns that teams may attempt to raid the Islanders’ team by attempting to sign the young centerman to an offer sheet. However, Lamoriello made it clear in that interview, that the team intends to lock him up before free agency arrives and will match any offer sheet. “It is our intention to not allow it to get to that point, but should that happen, the answer is yes,” said Lamoriello. While Barzal’s numbers haven’t been close to what it was in his rookie campaign when he tallied 82 points due to head coach Barry Trotz’s defensive-first system, Barzal was looking to take a step forward this year, already having 19 goals and 60 points in 68 games.
  • The GM also noted that defenseman Johnny Boychuk and fourth-liner Casey Cizikas are both expected to be ready whenever the season resumes. Both were tough losses that affected the teams’ most recent run. Boychuk went down on Mar. 3 when he took a skate to the eye and had 90 stitches. Cizikas has been out since Feb. 11 with a leg injury. Lamoriello also added that defenseman Adam Pelech is expected to be ready for training camp. The defenseman was signaled as lost for the season after sustaining an Achilles injury on Jan. 3.
  • Lamoriello also adds that the Belmont Park Arena, the Islanders’ future home, is still on target to be completed for the 2021-22 season. The team is currently playing in two different stadiums, including the Barclays Center and Nassau Coliseum. The team broke ground back in September of 2019.

Johnny Boychuk Recovering After Scary Eye Injury

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The hockey world gasped last night when New York Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk rushed off the ice after taking a skate blade to the eye area. The lack of blood and urgency in Boychuk’s gait caused a lot of discomfort among fans and players alike, but the team has given a positive update on his situation. GM Lou Lamoriello explained today that Boychuk needed 90 stitches from a plastic surgeon to fix a laceration on his eyelid, and is expected to make a full recovery. There is no timetable for his return.

The team will not make any regular recalls to fill in for Boychuk, but could bring Thomas Hickey up under emergency conditions if they decide it is required. For now, Noah Dobson is expected to get back into the lineup in his stead and finally get a little more opportunity.

A full recovery is incredibly good news for Boychuk, but also for the Islanders who still rely on him despite his age. The 36-year old defenseman is in the fifth season of a seven-year, $42MM deal signed in 2015, and has 11 points in 64 games.

New York Islanders Pursuing Zach Parise

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According to Frank Seravalli of TSN, the New York Islanders are working to acquire Zach Parise from the Minnesota Wild. The Islanders would be sending Andrew Ladd back in a potential deal, though the trade is not complete at this point and there would likely be additional pieces involved. Parise obviously has a link to Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello after playing the first part of his career in New Jersey. Michael Russo of The Athletic tweets that Parise is willing to waive his no-move clause if it does come together.

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