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NYHN Daily: Islanders Pageau Has Surgery, Expansion Draft, & More

Published

3 years ago

June 30, 2021

The New York Islanders are now dealing with the offseason, as their are many things that general manager Lou Lamoriello needs to take care of before the 2021-22 season. Jean-Gabriel Pageau had surgery on his hand and will be ready by next season. There is a case for Nick Leddy and Jordan Eberle to be left unprotected and become an option for the Seattle Kraken. Next season will begin on the road as UBS Arena will most likely not be completed in time for start of season. These stories and more in today’s daily links!

Lou Lamoriello confirmed on Tuesday that Jean-Gabriel Pageau had surgery on his hand on Monday to repair an injury he suffered presumably the playoffs. Jean-Gabriel Pageau had hinted that it was a possibility on Sunday when he met with reporters following exit interviews, but did not say what had ailed him during the New York Islanders postseason run. Lamoriello said that Pageau would be ready 100 percent ready for training camp in September. (NYI Hockey Now)

The NHL Expansion Draft is less than a month away and the New York Islanders will likely lose a piece of the puzzle that got them to the Stanley Cup Semifinals to the Seattle Kraken. While no one can read into the thought process of team general manager Lou Lamoriello, two Islander players that played every day could be unprotected given their struggles this season. There is no easy choice for Lamoriello, but leaving Leddy and Eberle exposed in the draft could protect the Islanders from losing a piece that had been a bigger cornerstone to their success the past two seasons. Here is the case for leaving Leddy and Eberle unprotected in the Expansion Draft. (NYI Hockey Now)

For the second straight year, the New York Islanders are watching the Stanley Cup Final. They were a game closer this year than last at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning, taking them right to the limit of a seventh game. But alas, the result ended up the same. With that being said and a cap crunch looming, here’s how the Islanders offseason will be impacted by some of their biggest looming questions. (NYI Hockey Now)

It seems that is all but set in stone that the New York Islanders will begin the 2021-22 season on the road as construction on UBS Arena, their new home at Belmont Park, is completed in the fall. Islanders president and general manager Lou Lamoriello had been the latest team official to discuss the idea during his final media availability of the season. UBS Arena is expected to open in the fall, but not until November, which would be well after the 2021-22 season’s targeted start date. (NYI Hockey Now)

The Islanders fell just short of the Stanley Cup Final for a second consecutive season. And also for a second consecutive season, the Isles have a tricky path to staying a Cup contender in 2021-22 thanks to the flat salary cap, the Seattle expansion draft in three weeks, and a slew of restricted and unrestricted free agents, just about all of whom Lamoriello would love to retain. Here’s the Islanders president/general manager on a number of topics during his Tuesday conference call. (The Athletic)

Islanders president and general manager Lou Lamoriello did not sugarcoat the difference between what a player or organization wants and the financial realities of the NHL. Re-signing impending unrestricted free agents Casey Cizikas and Kyle Palmieri may be difficult even with mutual interest in both returning to the Islanders. “This is a very special core group,” Lamoriello said on Tuesday during his end-of-season conference call with the media. “We will do everything we can to keep, certainly, the core together. It will be impossible because of the expansion year and also because of free agency. And, also, some of our young players who we think might be ready for NHL time. “So, these will be difficult decisions.” (Newsday)

While the Boston Bruins didn’t live up to their hopes and aspirations while bowing out in the second round of the playoffs, they did end up having some pretty good showings for the NHL Awards.Brad Marchand finished a career-best fifth in the Hart Trophy voting for the NHL’s MVP Award and also finished as a First Team All-Star at left-wing. Defenseman Charlie McAvoy also finished a career-best fifth in the Norris Trophy voting behind a pair of other young D-men in Adam Fox and Cale Makar. (Boston Hockey Now)

Daniel Sprong went from being a part of a minor league trade to finding a home on the Washington Capitals roster. And to take things a step further, he’s made quite a case for himself as a permanent top-6 talent. (Washington Hockey Now)

As the major NHL awards were handed out on Tuesday night, Pittsburgh Penguins center and captain Sidney Crosby on Tuesday missed out on the Ted Lindsay Award, which goes to the Most Outstanding Player as determined by a vote of NHL Players Association. Kris Letang finished ninth, including one first-place vote, in PHWA voting for the Norris Trophy for the top defenseman. (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)

The Florida Panthers have made an addition to their coaching staff, adding former NHL forward Tuomo Ruutu as an assistant coach. Ruutu, 38, has spent the past two seasons with the New York Rangers and was their assistant director of player development last season. (Florida Hockey Now)

Former Detroit Red Wings defenseman Chris Chelios was one of several analysts that will work for ESPN next season when they return as one of the NHL’s two national television rights holders. Chelios will join Mark Messier, Ray Ferraro, Brian Boucher, Kevin Weekes, A.J. Mleczko, Kevin Weekes, Ryan Callahan, Cassie Campbell-Pascall, Hillary Knight and Barry Melrose. (Detroit Hockey Now)

Finally, the NHL has recognized something Vegas Golden Knights fans have known all along: Marc-Andre Fleury is the best goaltender in the NHL. Now he has the hardware to prove it after winning his first Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goaltender. The award completes a career year for Fleury, who won the William Jennings Trophy with teammate Robin Lehner for allowing the fewest goals against in the regular season. Fleury posted a 26-10-0 record, along with career-bests with a 1.97 goals-against average and .928 save percentage. Fleury also recorded six shutouts this season, good for third place in the league. (Vegas Hockey Now)

For Adrian Dater, he believes that Cale Makar was the only logical choice for the Norris Trophy. However, he does not have a vote. He has the stats to back up his claim. (Colorado Hockey Now)

RFA Rudolfs Balcers’s negotiations with the San Jose Sharks appear to be going smoothly. “Rudolf Balcers’s talks with the San Jose Sharks on a new contract are moving forward at a good pace. The Latvian’s camp is aiming for a two-year contract,” Ulvis Brože of Sportacentrs tweeted this morning. “They hope that everything will be signed by mid-August so that Balcers can play in Olympic qualification in Riga.” (San Jose Hockey Now)

Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers won the Hart Trophy unanimously voted as the most valuable player in the NHL on Tuesday. McDavid received each of the 100 first-place votes after he led the NHL with 105 points (33 goals, 72 assists), 21 ahead of teammate Leon Draisaitl. (NHL)

Adam Fox of the New York Rangers won the Norris Trophy voted as the best defenseman in the NHL on Tuesday. Fox was second among defensemen with 47 points (five goals, 42 assists), one behind Tyson Barrie of the Edmonton Oilers. He was plus-19 in 55 games and led the Rangers in average ice time per game (24:42), more than three minutes more than defenseman Jacob Trouba, who was second (21:29). (NHL)

Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild won the Calder Trophy voted as NHL rookie of the year on Tuesday. The 24-year-old forward is the first Wild player to win the award. (NHL)

Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers won the Ted Lindsay Award on Tuesday, given annually to the most outstanding player in the NHL as voted by members of the NHL Players’ Association. McDavid led the NHL with 105 points (33 goals, 72 assists), 21 ahead of teammate Leon Draisaitl, who was second with 84 points. The center led the NHL in assists, even-strength points (68) and power-play points (37) and was second in goals and game-winning goals (11). It was the third time McDavid led the NHL in scoring (100 points in 2016-17; 108 in 2017-18). (NHL)