Daily Links

NYHN Daily: Islanders Have Become a Destination, Garland Interest, & More

Published

3 years ago

July 21, 2021

Today is Wednesday and that means it is time for the Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft. You can catch the roster announcement at 8 PM EST on ESPN 2. Through the leadership of upper management and the belief in the players, the New York Islanders have become a team that the league’s best players want to be a part of. According to the Fourth Period, the Islanders have shown interest in Arizona Coyotes forward Conor Garland. These stories and more in today’s daily links!

After back-to-back trips to the NHL Stanley Cup Semifinals, and a brand new arena at Belmont Park, the New York Islanders have become a team that the league’s best players want to be a part of. Vladimir Tarasenko and Gabriel Landeskog are the latest high-profile names that have included the Islanders on their wish list of teams they’d play for. Both have been locked in disputes with their current clubs, with Tarasenko calling for a trade out of St. Louis and Landeskog at an impasse in contract negotiations with Colorado. The fact that the Islanders made their lists is something that just a few years ago would have seemed unheard of. Now after the cap moves made by Lou Lamoriello and recent trades, the pipe dream of bringing in talent like either of those two has gone from wishful thinking to a legitimate possibility. (NYI Hockey Now)

The Islanders have options now that they’ve already cleared nearly $13 million in cap space, with the possibility of more opening up after the NHL Expansion Draft. With that, the Islanders can now re-sign their RFAs and UFAs they want to bring back as well as add outside help. They have already been linked to Zach Parise and Vladimir Terasenko, but now there could be another player the Islanders are eying. The New York Islanders have an interest in Arizona Coyotes RFA Conor Garland, according to the Fourth Period. (NYI Hockey Now)

The Seattle Kraken will finally have a team full of players Wednesday when they reveal their selections in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft presented by Upper Deck (8 p.m. ET; ESPN2, SN, SN NOW, TVAS). “We’ve been preparing for this for a long time,” Kraken general manager Ron Francis said Saturday, “and we’re excited that it’s finally here.” More than 4,000 fans are expected at Gas Works Park on the north shore of Lake Union in the city to hear the names selected by Seattle, which will begin play next season as the NHL’s 32nd team. (NHL)

In the latest edition of Insider Trading the TSN Hockey Insiders discuss the Canadiens’ approach as they wait to see whether Seattle selects Carey Price in the expansion draft, the Jets and Habs being among several teams inquiring about Rasmus Ristolainen, the Coyotes’ continued interest in trading Oliver Ekman-Larsson and much more. (TSN)

A year before Kevan Miller’s July 14 announcement of his retirement from professional hockey, former Boston Bruins defenseman Gord Kluzak was watching from afar as Miller rehabbed the second crack in his kneecap and all the while reliving his own ordeal from three decades ago. A string of left-knee injuries and complicated rehab efforts had plagued Kluzak’s sometimes-stellar career throughout the 1980s, costing him full seasons at a time. A rookie in the fall in 1982, Kluzak’s only full season as a veteran player was in 1987-88 when he played a key role in helping the Bruins end a 45-year playoff hex against Montreal. (Boston Hockey Now)

We don’t yet have a good idea what the Seattle Kraken will do to, for, or with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night. If the Penguins know, they’re doing a good job of keeping quiet, too. We’ve heard multiple takes from different parts of the organization, making the next two days all the more intriguing. It’s PHN’s growing opinion that Marcus Pettersson is a strong candidate. Given the paper-thin crop of available defensemen, Pettersson’s age and skill set make him one of the six best d-men in the draft. That’s both good and bad news for the Penguins. (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)

We are just over two short months away from Philadelphia Flyers preseason hockey. The Flyers officially released their 2021 preseason schedule on Tuesday morning. The Flyers will play the Boston Bruins, New York Islanders, and Washington Capitals in late September and early October. They’ll play each opponent once on the road and once at home. Here is the official press release from the Philadelphia Flyers. (Philly Hockey Now)

Another day, another Washington Capitals mailbag. There are several questions with the expansion draft just a day away, including more on Alex Ovechkin‘s next contract, T.J. Oshie‘s role and Evgeny Kuznetsov trade speculation. Not only that, but the 2021 NHL Draft could present some intriguing options, and the team’s prospects are preparing for a standout season. Readers submitted their questions via social media regarding Washington, and I answer them right here while I enjoy a Cherry Coca-Cola. Without further ado, let’s kick things off. (Washington Hockey Now)

If you want to get a visceral reaction from a Detroit Red Wings fan, just mention Luke Glendening’s name. When it comes to Detroit’s checking center, there are two distinctive camps. Either they love Glendening, or they hate him. No one is sitting on the fence in this debate. The naysayers cite Glendening’s lack of offense. Evidently, they are forgetting that the majority of NHL fourth-line players aren’t on the roster because they graduated, finishing school. The analytics crowd point to his middling puck-possession numbers. (Detroit Hockey Now)

Kyle, Erik, and JD take one last look at the 2021 NHL Draft by discussing how we are currently feeling about the San Jose Sharks heading into the draft. We discuss if they will draft a defenseman with the first pick (7:00), worst-case scenario for the San Jose Sharks (12:00), and do our final big board of our 10 favorite players going into the draft (15:00). (San Jose Hockey Now)