Islanders Prospect Mark Katic

By Adam Cohen

A third round draft pick in 2007, Katic is your prototypical offensive-defenseman. The draft ranking services all noted his excellent skating ability, on-ice vision and hockey sense. One service even went as far to say, "Katic simply possesses the best skating stride in the entire draft." Amassing 159 points in 227 games with Sarnia, Katic is an offensive threat every time he steps onto the ice. However, one weakness in his game is that he sometimes tries to do too much offensively and can get caught in a bad position. His skating ability helps out here, but still leaves him vulnerable to advancing forwards in transition.

After watching Katic through two summer camp seasons, I agree with the draft reports that were written in 2007. Katic's skating rivals no other defensive prospect the Islanders have currently. His ability to transition his stride is smooth and effective; this allows him to change directions without losing much speed. During scrimmages, he is often leading the attack and did get caught on occasion, but his skating almost always enabled him to get back into position. The question still remains, will the faster, more agile players in the NHL limit Katic's offensive chances due to the fact that he will have to play more positional, or will his speed and skating be good enough to allow him to use his full range of abilities?

Below you'll find a brief interview I did with Katic at last season's rookie camp.

How have the practices gone for you this week?

Katic: "Because of the new coach, I am a little nervous. The practices have been fast, and it's been fun so far."

What are your first impressions of Scott Gordon?

Katic: "He's teaching us a lot of things that we can bring back to our Junior clubs."

One of things that have impressed me about your game is that you are always scanning the ice when you are defending against advancing forwards, more so than any other defenseman I have watched in camp. Can you tell me a little about that?

Katic: "You have to see where the other players are, so if you intercept the pass you know where to put the puck right away. So I try to read the ice and see what everyone else is doing."

Away from the rink, what was your favorite thing that you had a chance to experience while at camp?

Katic: "Probably paintball because I had never done that before. It was fun to be able to shoot the guys on the other team."

Based on comments from some fans in Sarnia, they felt that your coach was not allowing you to jump into the play as much as they thought he should have. Do you agree with their assessment, or is there more to it than they knew?

Katic: "I don't think that was the case at all. My coach was trying to teach me the pro game which is make the pass then jump into the play. It took me a little longer to adjust to that. He says that is how the pros do it; they make the [first] pass and then jump into the hole. He was trying to teach me how to do that, and I thought he taught me very well. I am trying to that a little more now."

In the Junior leagues is the emphasis more on developing players for the pros, or is more on winning?

Katic: "For the younger players, the emphasis is on development, but the older players there want to win. It's a business, and all the players I know want to win. I want to win. There is development, but at the same time we all want to win."

Last season Katic had Brendan Witt for a roommate. He said, "It was a little nerve wracking at first, but once you realize he's a human being just like everybody else, it's a lot easier and a lot of fun to ask him questions about things."

Islanders Prospect Matt Martin

By Adam Cohen
Here's a story I did at rookie camp last season.

Matt Martin, already a fan favorite on Long Island, was drafted by the Islanders in the 5th round of the 2008 draft. The 6' 2", 192lb Windsor native got the chance of a lifetime that season to play on a line with number 1 draft pick Steven Stamkos. By providing toughness to the line, he allowed both Stamkos and Justin DiBenedetto the room they needed to put up big points for Sarnia. In addition, he made life miserable for rival Josh Bailey's Windsor Spitfires during the 1st round of the 2008 OHL playoffs.

I asked Martin about Sarnia's team this season. "We have a lot of good young players that work hard," he said. With the lack of forwards available during the pre-season, a lot line shuffling occurred. Because of this, Matt is unsure whom he will be playing on a line with this season. Assuming they both are back, Martin is expecting to at least be on the powerplay with DiBenedetto and Jamie Arniel.

At the end of the last scrimmage at rookie camp this summer, Martin was working with AHL heavyweight, and newly signed, Joel Rechlicz. Rechlicz, being a left handed fighter, was giving him tips on how to best approach a fight with a lefty and someone with a height advantage over him. The tips were put to good use fairly quickly as Martin went with Richard Greenop of Windsor in pre-season game the day before he flew out to Long Island for Rookie camp. Martin said his father was also a hockey fighter and does boxes with him.

I asked Martin to describe a little about what life is like for someone going through the Canadian Junior Leagues. The families they get put with, called billets, are required to have a desk in their room. They basically watch over the guys to make sure they attend school and keep their grades up. Much like a student athlete here in the States falling grades can cause you to be barred from playing. Mostly they are pretty free to live their lives, making them grow up faster than they might normally do. He found that there was a direct correlation to his on-ice performance and his grades in school.

Stepping out onto the ice in July with Kyle Okposo and Blake Comeau, Martin was impressed with their skills, and how hard they work to get where there are today. At rookie camp, he was looking forward to seeing the rest of the current Islanders and getting advice from them. While they do interviews back in Sarnia, he was not prepared for the intense amount of media on Long Island. With ITV going 24/7, Martin was impressed with the connection to the fans. He also got a lot out of an anatomy talk, learning how all the different parts of the body work together. It put a new perspective on his training to get his body to work more efficiently.

Martin is looking forward to getting back into the swing of the season, and expects nothing less than the best for his season. We wish him the same, and look forward to the day he wears Orange and Blue,

Islanders Rookie Josh Bailey

By Adam Cohen

Here's a story I did at rookie camp last season.

One of the biggest controversies on Long Island last summer was the selection of Joshua Bailey at the number nine spot after trading down twice from number 5. Most Islanders fans were hoping for a splashy pick at number 5, instead they got a carefully devised plan from Garth Snow. Since fans are rarely clued into what their team’s general manager is thinking, they only two possible responses. They can either create an uproar or go along with the ride. This writer chose to go along with the ride and trust the people in charge for the first time in a long time.

Josh Bailey, a 6’1" two-way playmaking center from Bowmanville, Ont., who played for the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL. After amassing 96 points (29 goals, 67 assists) in 67 games that season, Josh shot to the top 15 in the draft ranking for 2008. Much of his success came after the unfortunate passing of Windsor captain Mickey Renaud late in the season. Josh was looked to to hold the team together a lead them towards the playoffs. And that he did. The Islanders were one of two teams to bring him in for an interview prior to the draft which surprised Josh since the Islanders were picking 5^th and he was not being ranked that high. However, Garth Snow and the Islanders had other thoughts. And, thus the controversial pick.

I had a chance to speak with Josh at Rookie camp last season.

Bailey said he likes the fact that the practices focus on skills and system. "You have to play it the way he (Scott Gordon) wants it. And the way [Gordon] plays it, I really like." Bailey said the system focuses on offence, speed and creativity. It fits right into his game.

I asked Bailey how it compares to practice in Windsor. "Practices are different wherever you go," Bailey said. All the coaches he has played under are very strict with their systems. Having this background has helped him to get acclimated to different systems quickly. Bailey said he has had great coaches from Bantam through Junior that have shown him that hockey is not about run-and-gun on your own but having a commitment to the system the coach designs. "Having that same style [on Long Island] is very nice."

Regarding Ken Morrow and Bryan Trottier, who helped run the rookie practices over the summer, Bailey said they have a reason behind everything they tell you. "They never just come up and say random things. If they have something to say, they say it; if not they pat you on the back."

Bailey’s draft page on NHL.com had a quote from him saying the fact that he looks to pass more often than shooting has gotten him into trouble. I asked him if one of his goals is to try and shoot more. "I think I am always going to be more of a passer than a shooter," said Bailey, “but I need to be more of a shooter at times to open up more passing opportunities for me." Since many of his opponents know he likes to pass, they are starting to take away his passing lanes more often. "If I start to shoot more, the passing opportunities will start opening up again."

The Draft is Upon Us

By Adam Cohen

The day of reckoning is almost upon us as they say. In just one week the draft will begin in Montreal. As all Islanders fans know, Garth Snow holds the number one pick in the draft. I'll share my opinion on what I would do if I were the GM next week, but for now I want to examine all the possibilities and what the potential fall out might be should they occur. This isn't just fan reaction, but also how the chosen player might affect the long term future.

The first and most likely scenario is the Garth Snow goes up to the podium and selects John Tavares first overall. Upwards of 90% of Islanders Country wants this to happen. It certainly will mean a big boost in terms of ticket sales. In fact, there might be a rush on the ticket table at the draft party ;). In addition, the Islanders could see immediate boost in draw on the road. They could be scheduled for Sunday afternoon games on NBC and quite possibly play the Leafs on Hockey Night in Canada. I wouldn't hold my breath on this, but with all the hype around Tavares the CBC may just want to have at least one game of his nationally televised.

While all that is very nice, it means little in terms of the on-ice product. As a player, Tavares brings something that hasn't been seen on the Island in a while, soft hands and excellent skill around the net. The last few years have seen a steady decline in goals scored by the Isles that having someone hungry to score is an essential piece to the puzzle. The two issues with Tavares as a player talked about most are his skating and his defensive play. As for his skating, when compared to the rest of his assets, yes it doesn't come close in comparison. That doesn't make it bad on its own. Within Scott Gordon's system it won't be much of an issue. Trent Hunter, who is known for being a bad skater, had an excellent season in a system that most people thought emphasized speed. Does this mean he shouldn't seek to improve his skating? Of course not. Most professional athletes try to improve as much as they can every season. As for Tavares' defensive play, I am going on record as disagreeing with much of what has been written. It is my personal opinion that with all the pressure on him to score, score, score, he might have given up some defensive development to keep his offensive numbers up. I believe Tavares can be very consistent on both sides of the puck unlike what some "experts" think.

The next two scenarios could cause a bigger riot than what occurred last year when Snow traded down to pick Josh Bailey. After the garbage throwing during the 07 playoffs, the booing at last year's draft, and the inappropriate cheering in the Coliseum, Islander fans are starting to get a bad rep like some other teams' fans that shall remain nameless. While a riot might show the passion the fans have for their team, they would be doing themselves a real disservice. Tavares certainly is the one most people want, but Victor Hedman and Matt Duchene each bring something that the Islanders desperately need.

The second scenario that could play out is Garth Snow selecting 6'6" Swedish defensemen Victor Hedman. Hedman brings with him all the makings of a franchise-level defenseman. He is big, strong with very smooth skating. He also moves the puck well and can eat up minutes on defense. Before signing Mark Streit in July of last year, it had been years since the Islanders have had a defenseman who could do it all and do it all well. One of the main problems the Islanders have had the last couple of seasons is keeping the opponents out their crease. Hedman could go a long way towards solving the problem cutting down on goals against. The most repeated negative about Hedman is he is not physical enough given his size. From my observations and reading what people who have played against him, I think this somewhat overblown. Like Tavares' skating, this is something that can be easily improved. Picking a young defenseman won't do a lot to help the Islanders score more goals in the beginning, but could decrease goal against which may lead to being on the correct side of a one goal game more often. Some think Hedman might be the most NHL ready since he played in the SEL last season, but keep in mind defenseman usually take longer to come into their own.

A third scenario would be Snow picking Brampton center Matt Duchene. Regarded as the most complete player in the draft this year, Duchene brings an all-around game that could bring envy to any team that passes on him or doesn't have a chance to pick him. Some scouts feel he hasn't been able to show his full potential playing behind 2008 Vancouver pick Cody Hodgson. From some of my observations Duchene could being back memories of Michael Peca with more offense capabilities. A good skater with great vision and never one to lapse in his own zone, could he be the second coming of Butch Goring? It's certainly possible. The two main issues with picking Duchene in my mind are his height and Josh Bailey. The Islanders lack size down the middle, and 5'11" Duchene won't do anything to solve that. Could he grow? Possible, but not a reason to make this pick. You might be wondering why Josh Bailey would be a knock against picking Duchene. I don't know what Snow's hopes for Bailey are, but if it's top line center, picking Duchene would eliminate that. Duchene has too much of an upside to be slotted on the second line.

Finally any number of different trade scenarios could play out. It's unlikely the fans would be happy with any trade Snow makes. If Snow somehow gets two out of the top three picks, the fans might be willing to forgive a trade. What would the reaction would be if this trade scenario played out. This is something I made up myself and has absolutely no chance of happening, but what if it did. Snow trades the number 1 pick and next year's first rounder along with a player and a prospect to Tampa for the number 2 pick and Steven Stamkos. No matter whom Tampa picks, Snow trades the number 2 pick and a player to Toronto for Luke Schenn and the number 7 pick. Finally he makes his pick at 7. Like I said, it has no chance of happening, but it would make for a very exciting draft.

Stay tuned to find out what I would do in the first round if I was Snow. Also, look for more posts about the prospects from the past season.