Tortorella to interview with Islanders on Sunday

From Greg Logan of Newsday:

The big ticket on the carousel of coaching candidates that Garth Snow is running this summer belongs to former Tampa Bay coach John Tortorella, who is scheduled to meet with the Islanders' general manager on Sunday.

Because he stands to collect $1.3 million for the remaining year of his Lightning contract, Tortorella can well afford to be choosy about his next job. That salary is slightly more than twice as much as former Isles coach Ted Nolan was believed to be making, but that's what a 2004 Stanley Cup victory will get you. The Lightning's obligation to Tortorella would be offset by whatever salary he makes in a new job this season.

Read the entire article here.

Tortorella is certainly a qualified candidate to take over for the Islanders. He is an in-your-face coach who prefers to play an up-tempo, aggressive forechecking game, that makes watching the game exciting for fans. His passion and demand for accountability may be just what the organization needs as it tries to turn around its fortunes and rebuild for the future.

Maurice heads list of Islanders coaching candidates

From Greg Logan of Newsday:

Former Toronto coach Paul Maurice has the pole position in the interview process to determine the successor to Ted Nolan as coach of the Islanders. According to an NHL source, Maurice is expected to meet with general manager Garth Snow Monday.

The list of confirmed Islanders coaching candidates now numbers seven. Besides Maurice, the list includes former Tampa Bay coach John Tortorella and his assistant, Mike Sullivan, both of whom have received permission from the Lightning to interview. Snow still is waiting for approval to interview former Atlanta coach Bob Hartley and current Providence Bruins coach Scott Gordon in Boston's organization.

Read the entire story here.

As much as I think Maurice is a capable candidate for this position, I think hiring some new blood like Scott Gordon may be the way to go for the rebuilding Isles.

More on the Nolan/Snow relationship

From Greg Logan of Newsday:

Multiple team sources from the locker room to the front office blamed Nolan for ignoring advice from his handpicked assistants regarding the defensive system the Islanders used and the power-play setup. Miroslav Satan, who scored 17 of his 35 goals in 2005-06 playing down low on the power play, rarely was used that way by Nolan and his production declined to 27 goals, then to 16 last season.

A person close to one top player accused Nolan of "mismanaging his assets." The person added, "Various people on the team caught Ted Nolan in outright falsehoods."

Read more about Nolan/Snow here.

The more you read, the more you think it is better that Nolan and the Islanders parted ways.

Islanders sign Frans Nielsen to four-year deal

From Greg Logan of Newsday:

Restricted free-agent center Frans Nielsen reached agreement with the Islanders Friday night on a four-year contract worth $2.1 million. It has a one-way provision in each year of the deal, virtually assuring Nielsen will be on the NHL roster.

The $525,000 average salary might turn out to be quite a bargain for a 24-year-old player for whom the Islanders have high hopes. In 16 games with the Islanders last season, Nielsen had only two goals and one assist, but he received fourth-line time, averaging 8:42 per game.

Read the entire story here.

Nielsen is a smallish forward, but he has the ability to put some points on the board if paired with the right linemates. The fact that he signed a four-year deal (one-way contract too) should give him confidence. The Islanders also have to be happy with this contract because it is a mere $525,000 per season.

Brian Trottier not mad at Garth Snow

From Greg Logan of Newsday:

Worried that some might misunderstand his comments about the departure of coach Ted Nolan, Islanders Hall of Famer Bryan Trottier sought me out yesterday to explain his feelings in a little more detail. When news of the decision to replace the coach broke, it caught Trottier by surprise and hit him hard because of his friendship with Nolan.

Trottier is a stand-up guy, and he certainly wasn’t going to take a slap at a friend on his way out the door. That reaction not only is understandable, but it’s admirable. But when he read his comments in Newsday, Trottier realized it might appear as though he was at odds with general manager Garth Snow and the organization.

That’s not the case. As director of player development, Trottier is intimately involved in working with the very prospects that Snow is attempting to introduce to the Islanders’ lineup. In our conversation, Trottier emphasized how happy he is in that role, how excited he is to work with the kids and the fact that he is very much in agreement with the direction set by Snow.

Read the entire story here.

Here are Trottier's initial comments which were the reason for his clarification:

"I'm shocked. Absolutely shocked. No clue," said Trottier, who was informed
by assistant coach John Chabot. "I was blown away. I'm wordless right
now."

The original article can be found here.

Trottier was obviously put into a difficult situation with Nolan's firing. He seems to have handled it as best he could.

No doubt that Snow is in charge on Long Island

From Greg Logan of Newsday:

The Islanders' so-called "Committee" is dead. When it became obvious in the middle of last season that the decision-making process was too cumbersome, owner Charles Wang stepped in and clarified the lines of authority, placing general manager Garth Snow in clear control atop the hockey operations pyramid.

There was no formal announcement, but the change obviously freed Snow to act more decisively, as he did on Monday when he told coach Ted Nolan his services no longer were required. It was obvious during the draft and free-agent signings this summer that Nolan already had been rendered powerless regarding personnel decisions, while Snow felt sufficiently empowered to execute his aggressive draft strategy, trading down twice in the first round and amassing 13 picks.

Read the entire article here.

When the GM fires a coach, generally the pressure moves upstairs. So, Snow can expect to feel heat from the fans/media if his next hire doesn't turn out very well.

Kyle Okposo focused on having a successful sophomore season

From Dan Martin of the NY Post:

"I think we can do big things here, and obviously, I want to be a part of that," Okposo said. "You do pay attention to all the stuff that goes on [with free agency] and who goes where, but I can't worry about that. I have too much to do to get myself ready to play well at this level. I still have a lot to prove. No matter what anyone else thinks of me, if I don't perform on the ice, it's not going to matter."

Read the entire article here.

By all accounts, he will surely be given the opportunity to flourish on the Island this season.

Nolan lost the confidence of prominent players

From Greg Logan of Newsday:

As injuries mounted and the season unraveled, another prominent player challenged Nolan's strategic decisions. The coach told the player that Wang was "running the show." Refusing to accept that explanation, the player, who did not want to be identified, went to Snow and arranged a meeting with the GM, Nolan and Wang, who denied interfering."

[Nolan] pretty much tried to say he didn't tell me that and [ portray] me as a liar," the player said. "I put my -- on the line, and it kind of made me see him in a different light."

Another key leader who did not want to be identified also had a falling-outwith Nolan and began to question the coach's methods. "He did some -- things," the second player said. "He wasn't listening to his assistants and he was kind of going the opposite way. Everybody knew that."

Read the entire story here.

If that was the case, then the writing was on the wall for Nolan long before yesterday's dismissal.

Not starting DiPietro cost Nolan in the end

From Larry Brooks of the NY Post:

TED Nolan fired himself the first week of March when he picked against Rick DiPietro for both ends of a home-and-home series against the New York Rangers .

Forget any and all of the mitigating circumstances existing at the time that might have made backup Wade Dubielewicz the rational choice for either or both of the matches, for the moment the head coach crossed the franchise goaltender, he crossed the line.

Read the entire article here.

I have to say, I did think about that decision when I heard of his firing on Monday. That's not to say that was the straw that broke the camel's back, however, it sure didn't help his cause within the organization. Regardless, Nolan and Snow had two different visions of where the Islanders were headed and you cannot have that kind of discord between a coach and GM.

Nolan done on the Island

From Greg Logan of Newsday:

The two-year marriage of inconvenience between Islanders general manager Garth Snow and coach Ted Nolan ended today. Irreconcilable differences over the direction of the franchise led to a mutual decision by Snow and Nolan, who met earlier this morning at Nassau Coliseum, to part ways.

Nolan quickly gained popularity with Islanders fans in his first season when his motivational touch and hard-working style of play produced an eighth-place finish in the Eastern Conference and a playoff berth by a team most experts picked to finish near the bottom of the NHL. But last season’s playoff hopes faded because of injuries and a series of distracting internal disputes between Nolan and Snow, and several key players apparently lost faith in the coach’s methods.

Read the entire report here.

It was known that Snow and Nolan had been squabbling for a while now, so this move comes as no real surprise. In fact, it was probably the right move for the organization to make instead of bringing this controversy to training camp. The Isles need to make sure they hire a new coach who has a willingness to develop young players, as Nolan is considered a coach that prefers playing veterans.

Nolan and Snow feuding on the Island

From Greg Logan of Newsday:

Contacted recently at the hockey camp he runs in Ontario, Nolan was asked if he's confident he will be coaching the Islanders when training camp begins in mid-September. "I'm confident in my ability to coach," Nolan said. "I know I've got one year left on my contract, and I'm going to make it the best year of my coaching career. Hopefully, it will get me another one."

To date, Nolan has received no assurances from the organization that he will be the coach. Snow, who declined comment, is emphasizing the development of young players as opposed to acquiring the veterans Nolan prefers.

Read the entire article here.

If Snow doesn't believe Nolan will play the team's youngsters enough, he is better off bringing in a new coach who will develop these players and build towards the future. The Islanders, as currently constructed, are nowhere near a playoff team and are building for a couple years down the road.

Never mind the fact that the two have been squabbling over other issues as well. In my opinion, this issue needs to be resolved prior to the season, otherwise a circus atmosphere will set in at training camp and the team's focus will be shifted away from the rink.

Sean Bergeinheim fires Mark Gandler

From Greg Logan of Newsday:

Forward Sean Bergenheim, who is the only Islander to file for arbitration, has fired his agents, Mark Gandler and Todd Diamond. General manager Garth Snow was notified of the change earlier this week and just began negotiations that potentially could avert a hearing. Snow declined to name Bergenheim’s new agent.

Read the entire entry from On the Islanders Beat here.

It would be interesting to find out what led to this divorce.

Witt flattered by Islanders

From Greg Logan of Newsday:

Witt wondered, too, which is why the decision by general manager Garth Snow and owner Charles Wang to give him a two-year extension worth $6 million that will keep him on Long Island through the 2010-11 season is so meaningful. “I was surprised when they told me,” Witt said last night from his summer home in Florida. “I was like, ‘Wow.’ Most teams, the way they operate is they don’t make that decision until Christmas when they realize which direction the team is going, and they ask what you can get for them.

“Snowy has always complimented me on the way I play, the ‘warrior-type mentality.’ I appreciate that, and I appreciate Charles agreeing to do it, too. That shows a lot of loyalty, which you do not find in major league sports too often. It’s really nice. I’m honored. They didn’t have to do anything at all, but they chose to and that shows a lot of commitment to me.”

Read the entire entry from On the Islanders Beat here.

The Islanders obviously consider Witt and integral part of the team and have treated him as such.

Snow not interested in big-time UFAs

From Greg Logan of Newsday:

The free-agent market opens Tuesday, but Snow said: "We're not going to be
major players on July 1. We're going to kick tires, and we'll try to make our
team better if it makes sense in our overall plan ... The emphasis for me is on
the plan we've been talking about, which is developing our own players."

Read the entire article here.

Good plan by Snow. The Islanders aren't good enough to attract big free agents unless they overpay substantially, and they have no reason to lock up all that money when they know they aren't going to compete for a cup. With Snow planning on building from the ground up, that should be comforting for Isles fans.

Snow not holding any grudge against Gophers

From Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star Tribune:

Well, in Saturday's second round of the NHL entry draft, the Islanders took Gophers incoming freshman and Minnesota's Mr. Hockey, Roseau's Aaron Ness, with the 40th pick.

But Snow changed his tune Saturday, saying, he blasted the Gophers because in a Star Tribune article the day before, "there were three people that took shots against our organization, against Kyle, and I wasn't going to sit idly by.

Read the entire article here.

While Snow may have expressed his feelings about the Gophers program earlier this season, the fact that he didn't hold a grudge and selected a Gophers player in the 2nd round is a good sign. That means he isn't letting his own personal views get in the way of drafting what his scouts believe is the best player available at that spot.