Rosner Wrap: Barzal Positional Change Benefit, The Battle Against Alzheimers

Good morning folks. Today is an important day for me as I’ll be participating in a charity softball tournament with New York Islanders media, as well as other media members who cover New York sports to raise money for Alzheimer’s disease research.

Many of us have family and/or friends who have battled and are currently battling this horrific disease.  If you are able to donate anything, it would go a long way. The goal was to raise $5,000 and we have broken that and hope to keep that total climbing and climbing!

WOW!! We’re just under 41 hours away from The 2022 @BKMemorialCup and we’re ALREADY at OVER $5,000 raised! So incredibly proud of everyone involved! Let’s keep climbing! https://t.co/JCV39aoe2l #KoutAlz @RideJOCO @RedVykingGaming pic.twitter.com/V7wyK5R4b4

— Brooklyn Memorial Cup for Alzheimer's (@BKMemorialCup) August 4, 2022

On Friday, New York Islanders prospect Aatu Räty, in pre-WJC tournament, had two goals for Team Finland as they defeated Team USA 5-2. The Islanders top prospect continues to showcase that his fall from grace in the 2021 NHL Draft was not something that should have ever happened. The Islanders are not complaining.

Now let’s get to the stories for the day, shall we?

NYI Hockey Now: “I think it’s going to put him in a situation to have more breakaways, more odd-man situations.” I chatted with Coach Jon Goyens, who gave great insight as to why Mathew Barzal could benefit from a movement to the wing. 

On the latest episode of The Backcheck, I interviewed QMJHL head coach Jon Goyens, who did some fantastic things during the pandemic along with top-flight coaches such as former New York Islanders head coach Barry Trotz. We spoke about the Nazem Kadri situation, Mathew Barzal playing on the wing and Goyens also provided tips for hockey parents.

NYI Hockey Now: Colleague Jimmy Murphy threw out a hypothetical situation Wednesday regarding a Mathew Barzal trade to the Red Wings. The Isles could clear salary cap space, remain in win-now mode, while also addressing the future. Eh.

NYI Hockey Now: Last week, the New York Islanders announced the hiring of John MacLean, also announcing that Brian Wiseman would no longer be part of the coaching staff after signing on the first week of July. Could his resurfaced past have anything to do with the change?

Washington Hockey Now: Roughly a month and a half after hoisting the Stanley Cup in Tampa with the Colorado Avalanche, Washington Capitals netminder Darcy Kuemper got his day with the Stanley Cup back home in Saskatoon — and he made the most of it.

Florida Hockey Now: When Jonathan Huberdeau announced that he would wear No. 10 with the Calgary Flames this coming season, some took his words to mean he would only be there one year. Not so fast.

Montreal Hockey Now: Whether it’s through the NHL trade market, free agency or the waiver wire, Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes continues to clean up the mess left behind by his predecessor, Mark Bergevin. While other NHL general managers like Calgary Flames GM Brad Treliving continue to paint themselves into a pickle because they surrender to the now and not the big picture, Hughes is playing the long game with patience, due diligence, and the knowledge he gained as a longtime NHL player agent.

Vegas Hockey Now: The Vegas Golden Knights have re-signed restricted free agent forward Keegan Kolesar. The deal runs for three years with an average annual value (AAV) of $1.4 million. Kolesar and the Golden Knights avoid arbitration regarding Kolesar’s contract, which was previously set for August 10.

San Jose Hockey Now: The San Jose Sharks were tight against the cap, my belief is Mario Ferraro wanted to sign for a long time. So they met in the middle. “There’s always some anxiety and a little bit of stress because it is my job and it’s something I’m very passionate about,” the RFA told San Jose media after his four-year, $13 million dollar contract was announced. “But it went as it should always go. These things take time and I understand that.”

Vancouver Hockey Now: Canucks of Tomorrow is assessing every prospect in the Vancouver Canucks system and what they are projecting to be in the future. We’ll be looking at the strengths and weaknesses of their game, as well as what the future holds for them if and when they advance through the Vancouver organization. Today, we feature Aku Koskenvuo.