NY Islanders Team Report

Before they can determine if John Tavares is going to come to the Islanders, the Islanders went to John Tavares. April 20, owner Charles Wang and general manager Garth Snow traveled to Ontario to personally scout Tavares, the London Knights center whom the Isles are strongly considering drafting with the No. 1 overall selection in the June entry draft. "I told Garth, 'If you draft John, he'd look forward to playing for your organization," Tavares' agent Pat Brisson told Newsday. "If he's drafted by the Islanders, he probably has a chance to play right away and contribute, and it's the New York market. We had a nice talk." Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman and Brampton center Matt Duchene also are rated among the top draft-eligible prospects, and Isles assistant GM Ryan Jankowski also scouted Duchene in the Ontario Hockey League playoffs on April 21. The Isles won the draft lottery after finishing the regular season with the worst record (26-47-9) in the 30-team NHL, but they did post two important "wins" since the playoffs began. San Jose's first-round loss to Anaheim bumped up their first-round pick, which the Islanders acquired just before the trade deadline from Ottawa, to 26th overall. The conditional pick the Islanders received in a late-season trade from Pittsburgh for captain Bill Guerin also has been upgraded from a fifth-round pick to a third-rounder because the Penguins advanced to the second round after eliminating Philadelphia in their first playoff series. SEASON HIGHLIGHT: It's hard to pinpoint many bright spots from a dead-last campaign. But in a season defined by growing pains for a slew of young players, resurgent veteran Doug Weight recorded his 1,000th NHL point in January and wound up third on the team in scoring (38 points) despite missing 29 games because of injury. The 38-year-old center also was rewarded with a one-year contract extension in early April. TURNING POINT: The first red flag flew atop Nassau Coliseum as soon as goalie Rick DiPietro was unable to play in the season opener. The team's franchise goalie underwent two surgeries on his left knee and ended up appearing in just five games because of complications, pretty much torpedoing any chance the Isles had of remaining competitive this season.NOTES, QUOTESG Rick DiPietro, who appeared in just five games all season due to two knee surgeries, has been spotted around Long Island on crutches since the season ended. DiPietro has 12 seasons remaining on his landmark 15-year contract, and he already has undergone two hip surgeries, two knee operations while also missing time with groin and concussion problems. "I'm sure what our fans want to know is whether Rick is on schedule to be with us for the start of training camp. The answer to that is yes," GM Garth Snow told the team-sponsored website islanderspointblank.com. "The plan is for him to begin skating in the summer and then (have him) with us for the opening of camp in Saskatoon.'Former Islander captain Ed Westfall won two Stanley Cup rings with Boston before joining the Islanders in the 1972 expansion draft, and he was a broadcaster during the Isles' Stanley Cup run in the 1980s. Westfall believes ancient and recent history has proven that the Isles are on the right track and can become competitive quickly if the right pieces are added. "I saw it happen in Boston and here on the Island. I played on teams that were worst in the league that became the best in the league. It can happen," Westfall told Newsday. "I'd like to think (the Islanders) will take a page from two teams who are just like them. St. Louis and Chicago were doormats after having a lot of success and now they've turned it around with good management people and rebuilt through the draft."QUOTE TO NOTE: "How could we travel all that way and not say hello?" GM Garth Snow, after he and Islanders owner Charles Wang traveled to London, Ontario on April 20 to scout and speak to potential No.1 overall draft pick John Tavares. ROSTER REPORT MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: D Mark Streit's signing for $20.5 million last summer drew some snickers around the NHL, but the Swiss-born former Canadien proved to be a bargain and far more than the power-play specialist he was branded as in Montreal. Streit led the Isles with more than 25 minutes per game and finished seventh among all NHL defensemen in scoring with 56 points despite missing eight games with injuries. MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYER: LW Jeff Tambellini wasn't a disappointment to those who didn't think he could put up big numbers at the NHL level. But the Islanders have to wonder if it's ever going to happen at this level for the former first-round pick and AHL scoring whiz after Tambellini had just seven goals and 15 points in 65 games. FREE AGENT FOCUS: GM Garth Snow actually went 2-for-2 with the signings of Mark Streit and Doug Weight last summer. And with immediate holes all over, it makes sense that the Isles will look to supplement their young roster again with a few more veteran bargains. After career minor-leaguers Joey MacDonald and Yann Danis were forced into 49 and 31 appearances, respectively, the Isles also might seek to find a proven NHL backup as insurance in case Rick DiPietro continues to be plagued by injuries. With Weight re-signed, forwards Dean McAmmond and Andy Hilbert, defenseman Thomas Pock and the two backup goalies are the only significant regulars eligible to be unrestricted free agents. PLAYER NOTES:RW Blake Comeau returned sooner than expected from a fractured wrist suffered late in the regular season (April 7). He played for AHL Bridgeport in their first-round playoff series against the Scranton-Wilkes Barre Penguins.LW Sean Bergenheim, who missed four games late in the regular season, was not cleared by the Islanders' medical staff to play for Team Finland at the IIHL World Championships in Switzerland. RW Rhett Rakhshani, the Islanders' fourth-round pick in the 2006 entry draft, reportedly has decided to return to the University of Denver for his senior season instead of signing his first professional contract. MEDICAL WATCH:RW Blake Comeau suffered a fractured wrist April 7 in Carolina and missed the rest of the regular season.G Rick DiPietro appeared in just five games because of multiple injuries, and none after Jan. 2, with swelling in his surgically repaired left knee. RW Trent Hunter suffered a fractured left ankle Feb. 21 against New Jersey and missed the remainder of the season.C Dean McAmmond missed the final six games with an undisclosed illness.RW Kurtis McLean suffered a torn Achilles tendon March 12 and was out for the season.D Freddy Meyer missed the final 40 games with a groin strain suffered Jan. 5. C Mike Sillinger underwent season-ending hip surgery for the second straight season on Jan. 26. D Andy Sutton underwent surgery on a broken right foot suffered Dec. 19 and missed the remainder of the season.