The Isles today introduced the newest Captain, Bill Guerin, along with his new 3 teammates, Mike Comrie, Ruslan Fedotenko and John Sim.

From the sounds of the conference, Guerin is humbled and honored to take the C from Alexei Yashin, and move this team forward.

“I’m completely surprised, but thrilled about this tremendous honor,” said Guerin. “I want to thank the organization for the vote of confidence and I will not take this captaincy lightly. Thank you Garth. Thank you, Charles. I’m excited about joining a team with such a wonderful history. I speak for all four of us when I say this is a group of players that wants to be here and play as team.”

Guern and Mike Comrie already reached out to the community and have bought 25 tickets to give to children with cancer for every game this season.  A great step to bring some good news to Islander country.

As for the C, I already hear that many are not happy with that.  They (the unhappy ones) thought that maybe Witt or Silly should get it.  Maybe they should.  But with these guys, I do not expect any animosity.  BIll Guerin is a heads-up classy guy, that has earned respect from everywhere he has been.  He has a couple of Stanley Cups under his belt, and that helps.  And considering the last man that wore the “C”, it is a marked improvement.

Notice that Garth has a real good smile on… He looks real happy, as we all should.  I hear that there is one more big move coming… Will it be that big defensemen that we think will bring the team to an even higher level?  Time will tell.

Well - how did we do, you ask?  When you look at the division, I think we ended up holding our own.  Let’s look at the other 4 teams in the division.

Rangers - signing Drury and Gomez will be big, but between the forwards and Lundqvist, you have the defense, and I can sum that up in one word.  YUK!  I see a lot of 8-7 games in their future.

Devils - Major losses (Rafalski, Gomez) will bring Marty’s numbers back to earth.  He will break the records of Monsieur Roy, but it will not be a walk in the park anymore.

Pens - pretty much the same, just a year older and another step scarier.

Flyers - night and day difference.  Will not be a cakewalk for a while.

If this division is not the best in the NHL next season, I will be severely surprised.  But we should be able to hold our own, and the coaching staff will make sure we do just that.  OK Garth - take the pics and get that D man.

Who needs the Cyclone when you have the job of being an Islander fan.

The excitement that now is a part of being a fan gets into frenzy mode once July 1 becomes upon you.  By the end of the First, it seemed like the Gods threw a giant anvil on our management, making us look like Wile E Coyote standing there with a sign saying “HELP”!

To most fans, that is exactly what they expect of the Islanders.  They just feel that we are not worthy to even be around.  Just another chance for Jim Balsillie to get a franchise and move it to Hamilton.

However, Garth Snow is still getting that NHL media imposed reputation that he is a nobody that can not be able to handle the operation of a franchise, working for a owner that is a total quack.

Guess what folks, we are quacking back!

The acquisition of Guerin and Comrie in the last 24 hours, along with getting some minor league SIZE and strength, SHOULD show people that the Islanders do indeed mean business and will do whatever to recoup for the loss of Smyth, Blake, et al.

Fans, myself included, expected Snow and Company to be active at 12:01 PM on July 1.  I know that they were ringing the phones and making inquiries.  Just the fact that we were at a -5 on the loss department and a 1 on the gain, they thought we were done for the season.  Pack up the truck and leave.  Way to shut them up with the two moves yesterday, and getting “tank” Fedotenko on the 4th.

I think there is more coming.  We do need one more D man, capable of going 23 - 27 minutes a game.  There are a couple out there, and I am sure they are being looked after by Garth and Kenny Morrow, among others.

As the Boss said, keep the patience, things will work out…  I, as you probably too, wanted to see Ryan and Blakey stay, but it is not to be.  I am peeved at Ryan.  I think his short time here, gave the team a reason to strive harder, work more diligently, and show a sense of class and dignity.  Guerin also fits that role, and I really like the fact that he has a ‘no movement’ clause in the contract.  In other words, he WANTS to be here.

Well - I will probably not be around the computer for the weekend.  Have a great time, enjoy the summer heat, but if something important goes over the wire, we will talk about it here.

SO - what do YOU THINK ABOUT THIS????   Come, come, elucidate your thoughts!

OK - With Fedotenko and Guerin in the fold, and a possibility of Mike Comrie - we are not looking as bad as we did 24 hours ago.

If everyone just gets off Snowy and let him do his job - we will be fine…..

More talk to follow… Whaddya think????

Well - it was a fun Sunday for us, wasn’t it.

Smyth - GONE

Blake - GONE

Poti - GONE

Zednik - GONE

Kozlov - GONE

Well - at we least we still have SHAKEY!  And now John Sim to… (saves the stichers on lettering!)

I am totally gutted….  So many movers - so much salary going to these guys.  Do not blame Garth - I am sure that he worked as hard as he could.

But alas - the naysayers and doubters and complainers that we all know and love will be sticking their heads out.

Please vent - I could use the love and support of fellow fans.  I wonder how many people will be calling for their season ticket money back…… It is tough to be an Islander fan today, but chin up!

Will we get Ryan?

Will Jason stay?

Who may look to make Uniondale their hockey home?

Had a couple of thoughts from some questions on other posts…

Trent is staying.  He got a qualifying offer.  Hilbert did not.  I think he will sign again (maybe for even lower).  It all depends on what big names return.

Poti?  He is going to look, but I think he will come back.  He liked LI but if someone gives him big bucks… Expect to see him go…

Asham?  I think he will be back.  Nolan likes him, but he is not the biggest priority in the world.

How this team is made up, really depends on whether 94 signs on the dotted line in the next 36 hours or so.  Supposedly a BIG offer is on the table.  Lawyers seem to be involved.  Not a lot of other information is available, but at least we all know that Garth is serious, and the organization is really serious about getting him back.

Sunday should be an interesting day.  In Canada, TSN will be on hockey patrol ALL day, and will be announcing deals as soon as they become real — and on the 1st, there should be a lot…  Being Canada Day - Canadians will be celebrating while watching the tube.

I will try to put my opinions on the moves from Sunday on Monday morning.  Have a great weekend.

For all of the worry-warts that are concerned that nothing got done with Trent…

Take a chill pill.

Trent is a RFA - and I am sure that the Isles are going to put a qualifying offer in - and he will be taken care of.  I also believe that Freddy Meyer and Andy Hilbert are also part of that equation.

No one is going to be coming to the table and signing him to a large deal. 

Oh wait - we have the owner that does that….

Anyway - relax - he is here for the forseeable future.  He is  a NOLAN type, so why would Garth just let him leave?

People, we are so negative here.. I know - it is the past performance, but take those 250,000 mg and relax.

G

Eklund is reporting that he may see talks with Scotty Gomez heat up, if the Isles can not get 94 signed up.

That would be an interesting choice?  He has good hands, a good face-off man, and plays bigger than his actual size.

It would be a nice transaction; however I want Smyth!

Will add tidbits as the days (and my time) goes by…

I know that in a past entry I said that GS is not trying to show his hand.  I know that in his heart of hearts, that he is working with due dlilgence to get the deals done, to keep our two main UFA to remain with our crest.

Are your nerves as shot with this as mine are?

I know that as a long suffering Isles fan - we have been burned so much that our skin is kind of used to the pain and pressure.  The media bash the upper level management so much - we just wait patiently for the shoe to fit.

Wouldn’t it be nice for that shoe to be the exact opposite?  I am rooting so hard for Garth to change the ways.  To most hockey media - we exist to humor them.  This is the chance for Garth to effectively say to them - respect us or look foolish!

Well - the countdown is now down to under 5 days.  Still no info - and the hand is being kept secret.  A little too much on the quiet side for my taste; but wouldn’t it be nice to see Eklund and all of these other ‘experts’ eat their collective words?

I know that the two sentences that are listed as the title of this entry are on the minds of every fan in Islander country.  It is a big concern.  Fans have to know what is happening.

Most people will give the usual cliche:

No news is good news…

However, you all have to remember, Garth has to be as stoic and non-wavering, as an amaetur working up the ranks of the World Poker Tournament.  He can not use the media to show his hand.  To do that, would be a certain path to post-season suicide.

As of the writing of this entry, we have 11 days.  If you are looking at the various hockey rumor sites (and I KNOW that you are…), you are hearing that Ryan may be going to a few locales, as well as Jason Blake.  Although I enjoy Eklund’s writing, as well as Lyle Richardson on Spector’s hockey rumors, you have to take them at face value, and remember that in many cases, they are just rumors.

Once July 1 comes around, or actually, June 30th, all of the teams that have UFA’s will be dangling carrots to their horses, in order for the players to stay.  We just have to hope that our brain trust knows what they are doing.  They would be absolutely crazy to feel that they are not going to allow #’s 55 and 94 to just walk away without making a deal.  Just do what the Billy Joel song says, but just start keeping the faith.

On other Islander fronts, I would like to say that I am tremendously glad, that Sean Bergenheim has finally reached some smarts, and signed on the dotted line for next season.  All I hope is that Islander management send him gentle reminders every other day until training camp to make his travel plans to New York for his physical.  Keep that alarm clock going.  Bergenheim’s style of play should fit into the Ted Nolan way.  His main focus will be coming out of the gate hitting everything in sight, get the speed going, and show the team that he deserves a spot.

Went to my first Mets game last night.  What a time to wake up, and I, in my egotistical ways, will take FULL CREDIT for it too.  The bats woke up, and the team responded, especially when there were runners in scoring position.  John Maine was brilliant, allowing 4 hits in 7 1/3 innings.  By the way - Citi Field looks amazing.  It is so wild seeing it come to fruition so quickly.

I have been off from work the past couple of days, so it has been nice to enjoy the sunshine, and get things done around the house.  The problem with some of us workaholics is that we fail to take the time to enjoy the little things in life.  Make sure you do that…

Well - will talk again before the month ends.  Especially, if some big news comes on the horizon.

Hockeybuzz is a good thing.  So is Spector’s Hockey Rumours (spelling rumor in Canadian, don’t you know… www.spectorshockey.net)

 Michael Peca may return home (well - sort of…)  Here is the report (links are to the actual articles and Lyle Richardson’s info is below:

PECA TO RE-JOIN THE ISLES?

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks reports the recent buyout of Alexei Yashin by the NY Islanders could result in former Isles forward Mike Peca returning to the team as a free agent. According to Brooks, Peca would be “open to returning to the Isles if contract talks with the Toronto Maple Leafs fail to have a positive outcome.” It’s believed Peca was traded by the Islanders because he and Yashin couldn’t “co-exist constructively” on the ice.

CANWEST NEW SERVICES: Joe O’Connor reports Peca is hoping for a new contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs but acknowledges that his injury-shortened season doesn’t provide him with leverage to seek a raise. Peca played in only 35 games with the Leafs last season.

Spector’s Note: If the Leafs decide not to re-sign Peca I wouldn’t rule out a possible return to Long Island, where he was quite popular in his three seasons there, although his age and injury history have to be a concern. I think the Isles have other priorities to attend to but if Peca’s still available by mid-summer they might be interested.

Wow - the season is less than 24 hours completed, and we are getting such press… Hmmmmm