Auf Wiedersehen Nino

So Nino Niederreiter is officially an ex-Islander, traded to Minnesota in exchange for Cal Clutterbuck and a 3rd round draft pick.

Today's draft day trade brings an end to Niederreiter's Islander career, which, let's just say, didn't go as planned.

Nino played 64 games for the Isles:

 9 in 2010-11, when he scored 1 goal and 1 assist, and 

55 in 2011-12, when he scored just 1 goal, was not credited with a single assist, and finished -29.

He leaves Long Island as the only player in club history to have played as many as 64 games and be credited with one assist (or fewer).  Ironically, he pushed Trevor Gillies out of the record book; Gillies has a bit of a history with Cal Clutterbuck www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hwl85L1E1M 

Niederreiter's 2011-12 season was historical for all the wrong reasons -- 
becoming the only player since +/- became an official stat to go -29 or worse 
with nary an assist.

Nino had a solid, but not spectacular season with Bridgeport in 2012-13, going 28-22-50 in 74 games.

Despite all of this, this trade certainly is not a no-brainer from an Isles perspective, as Niederreiter, who won't turn 21 until September could someday turn into a huge offensive force ... for the Wild.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Isles in mix for Bernier? So says Newsday's Arthur Staple

Story here: http://t.co/HJLaScr4Lx  (no subscription required)

One interesting tidbit in the story is that Bernier has a new agent:  CAA's Pat Brisson, who also is John Tavares' agent.

 

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Hart Trophy Vote

    1.    Alex Ovechkin, WSH    1090    (50-43-40-27-8)
    2.    Sidney Crosby, PIT    1058     (46-42-41-29-12)
    3.    John Tavares, NYI    919        (38-38-33-29-21)
    4.    Jonathan Toews, CHI    886    (39-35-29-29-19)

 

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Capuano 5th, Snow 6th in Coach of Year and GM of Year Balloting

Ottawa's Paul MacLean is the NHL Coach of the Year and winner of the Jack Adams Award.

Islander coach Jack Capuano, who led the team to their first playoff berth since 2007, finished fifth in the balloting:

1. Paul MacLean, OTT 206 (28-19-9)
2. Joel Quenneville, CHI 160 (22-13-11)
3. Bruce Boudreau, ANA 88 (6-15-13)
4. Michel Therrien, MTL 78 (10-6-10)
5. Jack Capuano, NYI 47 (5-5-7)

Ray Shero won the NHL General Manager of the Year Award.  (Doesn't this award need a name?  Bill Torrey Award?)  Garth Snow was named on six ballots, and finished 6th.

                                            Pts.   (1st-2nd-3rd)

 

   1.  Ray Shero, PIT              94   (14-6-6)

   2.  Bob Murray, ANA           88   (11-9-6)

   3.  Marc Bergevin, MTL      75   (7-12-4)

   4.  Stan Bowman, CHI        36   (3-6-3)

   5.  Bryan Murray, OTT        23   (2-2-7)

   6.  Garth Snow, NYI              8   (0-1-5)

Islander forward Frans Nielsen finished 11th in the Selke balloting (won by Jonathan Toews).

 

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Isles Moulson gets most votes, but finishes third in Lady Byng...again

1. Martin St. Louis, T.B. 824 (47-29-21-12-10)   Total votes: 119
2. Patrick Kane, CHI 785 (44-28-20-13-10)        Total votes: 115
3. Matt Moulson, NYI 750 (35-28-27-17-18)      Total votes: 125

Moulson recorded only two minor penalties all season; the last came February 7th at MSG.  Ironically he received a misconduct penalty at the end of Game 1 of the playoffs. Kane had four minor penalties, while St. Louis, who is looking to become the first player since Wayne Gretzky (1994) to win the Art Ross and Lady Byng Trophy in the same season, finished with 14 penalty minutes.

It's the 7th time in the last 8 seasons that either St. Louis or Pavel Datsyuk has won the award.  Datsyuk finished fourth this year.

Mike Bossy (82-83, 83-84 and 85-86) and Pierre Turgeon (1992-93) are the only Isles to ever win the Award.  Two other players with Islander ties have also won the award: Phil Goyette, who later served as the Islanders' first coach, won it in 1969-70 with St. Louis while Butch Goring won it for Los Angeles in 1977-78 before winning four Stanley Cups and a Conn Smythe Trophy with the Islanders.

It's the second straight season that Moulson was name on the most ballots but finished third in the voting by points.  Last year Moulson was named 98 of 147 ballots, to Jordan Eberle's 91 and Brian Campbell's 89 but Campbell won the Award.

 

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Torts fired; Cappy moving up the list

With the Rangers firing John Tortorella today, Jack Capuano is now the 9th longest-tenured (single team) coach in the NHL.

1. Nashville Predators  Barry Trotz  1997            1114
2. Detroit Red Wings  Mike Babcock  2005           622
3. Boston Bruins  Claude Julien  2007                  456
4. San Jose Sharks  Todd McLellan  2008             376
5. Chicago Blackhawks  Joel Quenneville  2008    352
6. Pittsburgh Penguins  Dan Bylsma  2009           318
7. Phoenix Coyotes  Dave Tippett  2009              294
8. Philadelphia Flyers  Peter Laviolette  2009       269
9. New York Islanders  Jack Capuano  2010         195

Interestingly, only five of the eight longer-tenured than Capuano made the playoff this season; three of those five will make the conference finals this season.

Capuano is now also the longest tenured coach of the five winter teams based in New York.

Of the nine New York head coaches/managers, only Tom Coughlin, Rex Ryan and Joe Girardi have longer tenures than Jack Capuano, who assumed his role with the Islanders eight days before Terrry Collins became the manager of the Mets.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick 

Moulson a Byng Finalist -- again.

Matt Moulson has been named a finalist for the Lady Byng Award for the second straight season.  The other finalists are Tampa's Martin St. Louis and Chicago's Patrick Kane.

Moulson recorded only two minor penalties all season; the last came February 7th at MSG.  Ironically he received a misconduct penalty at the end of Game 1 of the playoffs. Kane had four minor penalties, while St. Louis, who is looking to become the first player since Wayne Gretzky (1994) to win the Art Ross and Lady Byng Trophy in the same season, finished with 14 penalty minutes.

There were only three winners of the award in the seven years between the lockouts: Brian Campbell won the award last season; Marty St. Louis won in 2010-11 and 2009-2010, after Pavel Datsyuk had won it in all four years since the lockout.The Islanders have had two players win the award:  Mike Bossy won it three times (82-83, 83-84 and 85-86); Pierre Turgeon won it in 1992-93.  Two other players with Islander ties have also won the award: Phil Goyette, who later served as the Islanders' first coach, won it in 1969-70 with St. Louis while Butch Goring won it for Los Angeles in 1977-78 before winning four Stanley Cups and a Conn Smythe Trophy with the Islanders.

Moulson was actually named on the most ballots in last year's voting (98 of 147, to Jordan Eberle's 91 and Campbell's 89) but finished third in the voting by points.

The award is one of the NHL's oldest, having been presented continuous since 1924-25.  Frank Boucher won it 7x in the 20s and 30s.  Since then only Datysuk (4x), Kelly (4x) and Wayne Gretzky (5x) have won it more often than Bossy.

More from NHL.com here http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=670853

 

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick