We’re just a week away before the Isles preseason games commence. There are still a few loose ends to tie up in terms of the makeup of the team, so let’s take a look at what may happen.
Plus or minus Michael Dal Colle plays nine games in? For me this is a big question. Let’s go with the positive and say he shines and he’s making it difficult for Isles management to send him down. What will the Isles do? Pull a Josh Bailey and keep him up or send him down for another year marinating in juniors.
Brock Nelson: Will he sign the contract that the Isles have offered him? He really has no leverage in this case. He’s a restricted free agent and as I have previously written, he may just be looking for more. He has very little time to think about it and for his sake, I hope his agent is not playing a major role in his decision.
How will the defense look? Many fans are nervous at how the defense is looking entering this year. There have been reports of Marek Zidlicky possibly signing with the Isles and somehow Lubomir Visnovsky still pops up every now and then with a hint of returning. I think Calvin de Haan will get every opportunity to show he’s ready for a bigger role and it’s his time for a breakout season.
What will happen to all the forward depth the Isles have? If Nelson does re-sign, Dal Colle or anyone else from the kids that impress and the Isles are healthy to start the season, there’s a log jam at the forward position. This is where I think the Isles might have to make a trade or some kind of transaction (the waiver wire for example) to kill two birds with one stone. Trading (or moving) some forward depth for a defenseman.
A lot of things will pan out over the next few weeks, but I don’t think the Isles will be looking that much different. These are the tough decisions Islanders general manager Garth Snow needs to make to get the season ready. Speaking of Snow, my colleagues Gary and John will be on WGGB this evening with Snow, so don’t forget to check that out. Here is the tweet:
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