Practice Update — Line Shuffling, Martinek Hurt
 

Looks like Cappy is trying to shake things up, trying improve the isles 5 on 5 production.

http://islanderspointblank.com/news/...martinek-hurt/
February 4th, 2013 11:50 am
Today at practice, Coach Capuano shuffled the forward lines a bit:
Moulson – Tavares – Boyes/Bailey
Grabner – Nielsen – Okposo
Ullstrom – Aucoin – McDonald
Martin – Reasoner – Cizikas/Boulton

As you can see, Josh Bailey is nearing a return and Colin McDonald has returned from suspension. When Bailey returns, someone will have to move off the roster to make room for him. That could be Radek Martinek, who is having an MRI today for a possible abdominal injury.

I'm assuming Martinek to IR is for Baileys return and when Lubo is set to return it'll probably be the end of Finleys time on the Island and expect him to hit waivers.

I'd really like to throw Bails right on the first line he was doing excellent to end the season last year and I think him on JT's wing would be a great fit. KO could move down to the second/third line which would be better for everyone.

shake things up to get production....

put out Reasoner....




I follow the logic. Anyone else? anyone?


Anyone?

I was a big KO fan, but it's becoming clearer and clearer that he's not going to be the player he was on track to become before his injury. He makes panicked and rushed decisions with the puck and lacks the confidence to drive to the net effectively. He's not an answer for the 1st line.

It's really too bad because 2 years ago, he was tenacious and relentless and just really needed to sharpen his offensive game.

I'm trying to think of one season, including KO's pre-injury seasons, where he got off to a fast start.

U of ND.

I agree with you 100% on KO. I am wondering if KO continues the way he is playing if Snow will trade him. I am not expecting much in return just wondering if they would pull the trigger

The frustrating thing is the way he holds up. If he were a boxer, he'd pull every punch then start chirping whenever he got hit.

He doesn't bowl into the crease, he's not good in corners, he's good on the boards, but only after a few months and I just hate his attitude whenever there's a stoppage.

I think I'm getting sick of this guy.

The last time Snow traded one of his young core players, on a very cheap deal, was when?


When players like ROR, with a career high 55 pts, are holding out for $5m, I expect KO and his contract, will be around a while. At least while he's making $2m-$3m per.

I'd fear for KO's safety, if he were making the $6.6m Stastny makes:amazed:

Yeah. He's really deteriorated as a player. I'm not sure if it's rust, chemistry. Maybe, like MOST players, he won't reach the maximum upside fans hoped for when he was drafted....but let's face it, this is still a good hockey player and a valuable NHL player.

He was horrid the first half of last season, then got on a hot streak at the end of the year. He's always been streaky but this year, he's really been out of sorts. He fumbled the puck all the time, makes poor decisions, bad passes, he's falling and knocked off the puck a lot and can't seem to get his shot off quick enough. That part he's always had trouble with at the NHL level (and, when he does shoot, he hits the post more times than the mesh)

I don't like the chemistry with JT & MM, so hopefully that changes.

Otherwise, I think he's an Islander and can be a valuable Islander anywhere in the lineup, give or take.

Bailey and Okposo will be reunited soon. Much better chemistry.

And a solid Houdini act to boot.

I think KO is a great athlete but he doesnt know the game of hockey well and he does not make good, timely decisions. You see it all the time, skate hard, skate hard, battle, battle, battle, win the battle, then..... fall, or make a bad pass, or make a bad pass while falling.

Competitions a good thing.

At some point, these inconsistent players either become more consistent or they are passed on the depth chart by better players.They either slide down to lower lines or get dealt.

That's what I see too.

The effort is there, but not the results.

At some point, Okposo will heat up. I'd like him to be a player who plays well out the gate, at the start of the season, not the half way point.

In the meantime, I'd like to see Bailey get a shot on the top line when he returns to the lineup. I'm sure Boyes will get a shot as well. They need to try different things because PA's loss is really standing out right now and this team has enough problems to deal with. If it's a revolving door, so be it because I do not like how the top line is constructed right now. If Okposo can suddenly regain his end of season form from last year, he's probably the best option in terms of style of play. If not, then experiment and reward the player who wins the spot.

Agreed. Shuffle the lines to get more production from the first line and to also get Okposo going.

Isles are 5th in the league in goals, and that's after yesterday's shutout. They had been 2nd in the league before yesterday. PA's loss is only noticeable when you look at what he's doing elsewhere. Isles are doing just fine without him.

KO is like a cross between Isbister and Parrish most nights.

I don't see the Isles waiving Finely - he'll get claimed. Snow beefed up the depth by the waiver wire, created competition between some guys that needed a chance or are going to take advantage of the Opportuntiy they just got, and was agreesive in understanding depth might sink or swim a team in this shortened season.

I honestly can't see anyone claiming him if they watched him play! Stranger things have happened though, but someone's gotta make way when Vis arrives

Also when Garth made all these waiver pick ups everyone was unsure whether Viz was goin to come or not.. Now that it's pretty much a lock (hopefully) there are just too many dmen on the roster Finleys gotta go.

2009-10, 6 points in first 6 games, 7 in first 10, 13 in first 20. Not too shabby.

Unless they plan on moving one of the D. In which case they could let Boulton go and Finley could fill the musclehead role.

While I'd love a true first-line right wing, I'm not sure the loss of PA is sending ripples throughout the lineup or dooming the first line. Last season through eight games, the first-line players of PA, Moulson and Tavares combined for 22 points. This season through eight games, the first line players of KO, Moulson and Tavares have combined for...22 points.

Five-on-five hasn't been as dire as some people make it out to be either. Isles have 17 five-on-five goals through eight games, good for eighth best in the league. I'm not sure I'd be screwing around too much with the lines and such if I were Cappy. I agree we could use a more productive player than KO currently is on the first-line right wing. But I'm not really crying over PA either. He's a nice player, but I don't think the first line needs more points, necessarily. It gets points. I think it could use a bit of a different look to maximize each player's ability. Either a flat out sniper that can take JT's passes and bury them from the circles, or a true power forward that can create absolute havoc and control the puck along the boards, freeing up more room for JT. Neither one of those attributes describes PA. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't mind having him on that wing right now, but I don't think he's The Answer is all.

Good post