On the Islanders Beat

When one door closes, another one opens. The only problem for former Islanders goaltender Wade Dubielewicz is that the door to his future is located halfway around the world. On the other hand, Door No. 2 will pay him much more than what he would have received to remain in the Islanders’ organization.

Agent Kurt Overhardt, who represents Dubielewicz, confirmed reports his client has signed to play with AK Kazan in the new Russian Continental League that is starting up this season. Overhardt declined to discuss specific terms of the deal, but it’s likely his client will make several times what he did after taxes on the $500,000 contract he received from the Islanders last season.

Dubielewicz received a multi-year offer from the Islanders that likely included a two-way provision in the first year that would have consigned him to playing for AHL Bridgeport for most of the season. Joey MacDonald, who has a one-way deal for $500,000 this season, figures to serve as the backup for starter Rick DiPietro.

After going 9-9-1 with a 2.70 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage and allowing a maximum of three goals in his final 14 starts, the idea of returning to the AHL, even for a year, was unacceptable to Dubielewicz. “We did have several talks with the Islanders and unfortunately weren’t able to come to terms,” Overhardt said. “It was one of those opportunities where it seemed like my client couldn’t refuse it.”

Dubielewicz might well have attracted offers when the NHL free-agent market opens on Tuesday. Tampa Bay, Toronto, Vancouver, Buffalo and possibly even the Rangers were considered potential bidders. But while Dubie might be in for a case of culture shock in Kazan, where Islanders’ third-round draft pick Kirill Petrov plays, things are changing for the better in what previously was known as the Russian Superleague.

“The reality of the state of international hockey is that the Russian league is very serious about continuing to grow and bolster its credibility,” Overhardt said. “They’ve changed the format of their contracts. Part of the contracts are now guaranteed with respect to buyouts.

“They’re going to get some quality players that otherwise would be in the NHL. They can pay them better, and it’s a situation where you play fewer games and get paid more. The way the league is being structured, it’s going to be much more of a common thing the next couple of years.”

COMING IN SUNDAY’S NEWSDAY: The Islanders are a tough sell in the free-agent market, as last year’s negotiations with Ryan Smyth and a failed deal at the February 26 trade deadline demonstrate. Check Sunday’s Newsday for the details of the move GM Garth Snow tried to make in February and a look ahead to the opening of the NHL free-agent market on Tuesday and the problems Snow faces.

The handwriting has been on the wall for the past couple seasons regarding the demise of Shawn Bates’ Islanders career. The Islanders are expected to make it official Friday morning when they announce their decision to buy out the remaining year of his contract.

Bates was scheduled to make $1.2 million, but under NHL buyout provisions, he will receiver two-thirds of that amount in equal installments of $400,000 spread over the next two seasons. Last season, Bates appeared in only two games, and he was limited to 48 games the previous season by a groin injury and hernia surgery.

Islanders general manager Garth Snow portrayed the move as another step toward a youth movement. “It was a tough decision because Shawn was a great Islander, and he scored some pretty big goals in the past,” Snow said. “It was a decision based primarily on creating a spot on the roster for a younger player.”

Snow said Bates is 100 percent healthy and has been training in Boston. But there’s only so much room on the current roster, and the 33-year-old Bates didn’t fit in. He spent the past six seasons of his 10-year career with the Islanders and will be remembered most of all for the 2001-02 season, when he scored a career-high 17 goals and 52 points and topped it off by scoring the first playoff penalty-shot goal in club history in the Islanders’ Game 4 win over Toronto in their first-round series.

The following season, Bates led the NHL with six short-handed goals, and as recently as the 2005-06 season, he totaled 15 goals, including a team-high four gamewinners. But he slowed noticeably the past two seasons and had trouble staying on the ice with his injuries.

Snow listed veterans Mike Comrie and Mike Sillinger as the top two centers for the coming season and said Richard Park and Andy Hilbert have the flexibility to play center or winger, and youngsters Frans Nielsen and Ben Walter will battle for a regular shift in the middle. There’s also a possibility the coaching staff could try using winger Blake Comeau in the pivot.

Asked if he believes the Isles are strong enough in the middle, Snow said, “All along, our plan has been to go with some younger players, and this creates more playing time for some of our younger players.” Snow followed that same logic when he decided earlier in the week to pass on the chance to acquire injury-prone veteran center Kyle Wellwood on waivers. Wellwood wound up in Vancouver.

The Islanders’ youth movement gained a little more momentum today when the club announced it has extended qualifying offers to six players, including regulars Sean Bergenheim at forward and Bruno Gervais on defense.

The other four restricted free agents receiving qualifying offers include forwards Jeff Tambellini, Frans Nielsen, Jeremy Colliton and Ben Walter. All saw time in the NHL last season. Only Bergenheim is eligible for salary arbitration.

Anyone who receives a qualifying offer would have to clear waivers in order to be sent down to the Isles’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport and pass through re-entry waivers to return. Thus, there is more incentive to keep them on the regular roster rather than risk losing them.

Of the six, Bergenheim and Gervais likely are assured of retaining their NHL roster spots. Tambellini and Nielsen are being provided a golden opportunity to carve out regular roles on the top three lines. Colliton and Walter will have a chance to compete for a regular role as a fourth center, but they could be exposed to a claim if they don’t make it.

No qualifying offers were extended to defensemen Aaron Johnson, Drew Fata and Matthew Spiller or to forward Steve Regier. They now become unrestricted free agents. It’s still possible they could remain in the Islanders’ system by agreeing to a two-way contract.

In another interesting move today, the Islanders passed on the opportunity to pick up Toronto center Kyle Wellwood on waivers. Some thought he might be part of any draft deal with the Maple Leafs, who traded up from No. 7 to get the Islanders’ No. 5 pick for the cost of a third-round pick this year and a second-round pick next year. When Wellwood was placed on waivers yesterday, I wondered if Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher had made a side deal with Islanders GM Garth Snow to give him a shot at getting Wellwood for just a qualifying offer of slightly less than $1 million.

Apparently not. Wellwood was claimed by Vancouver at No. 10, five spots behind the Islanders in the pecking order. He’s coming off a poor season and has a history of injuries and reporting to camp out of shape. According to a report out of Toronto, Wellwood also is nursing a broken foot suffered a month ago in a soccer game. But he’s 25 and has offensive upside beyond what the Islanders’ center prospects have displayed so far. Clearly, Snow and his staff prefer their homegrown prospects, and this is yet another indication of how serious they are about keeping spots open for them on the NHL roster.

Greg Logan answers your Islanders questions in a special live chat today at 1 p.m.

The Live Chat with Greg Logan scheduled for Monday has been postponed. Please check back soon for a new time and date.

Greg Logan is back from the NHL draft in Ottawa and will be taking your questions on all things Islanders on Monday at 1 p.m. Remember, only legitimate questions will be posted.

In the meantime, you can read his analysis of the Isles' eventful weekend here.

On Friday night, Islanders fans were poised to celebrate if general manager Garth Snow used the fifth pick in the NHL draft to select Russian forward Nikita Filatov, a potential source of goal-scoring and excitement, two qualities long missing from Nassau Coliseum. But the champagne fizzled and the air went out of the balloons when he traded down twice and wound up taking Windsor center Josh Bailey, regarded by many as a reach even with the ninth pick.

Even if Snow had used the fifth pick on tough-guy defenseman Luke Schenn, the player Toronto traded up to get because he’s NHL-ready now, Islanders fans would have celebrated because Schenn was part of the group most teams identified as the elite six at the top of the draft. Still, Filatov would have been the sexy pick in a league that has thrilled to the goal-scoring exploits of MVP Alex Ovechkin and fellow Russians Evgeni Malkin and Ilya Kovalchuk.

But Snow went into the draft with a trade-down strategy designed to stockpile enough draft picks to pump life back into the farm system. Starting with the second round today, Snow made 12 more picks, including the third-round selection of Russian forward Kirill Petrov with the 73rd overall pick.

It was Petrov, not Filatov, who was named top forward at the World Under-18 championships in January, when he scored five goals and added two assists in six games. While some worried about Filatov’s slender 6-foot, 172-pound frame, the 6-3, 198-pound Petrov is built more along the power-forward lines of Ovechkin and is said to play a similar high-energy game.

Although Petrov was the second-ranked European skater behind Filatov, he fell in the draft because he’s under contract to AK Kazan in the Russian Super League for the next two seasons. If he blossoms as expected, Petrov will have the opportunity to make millions at home in a new league that is forming with the aid of money from Russian oil and gas interests. In contrast, Filatov had rejected a contract offer from his Central Red Army team and declared his intention to play in the NHL.

The talent level is similar, and with so many picks on hand, Snow could afford to risk one on Petrov. Islanders fans might have aborted their party plans Friday night, but Snow and amateur scouting director Ryan Jankowski were celebrating today at the Isles’ draft table in Scotiabank Place.

“It was funny,” Snow said. “One team called us after the pick and good naturedly gave me a couple of curse words because that was the player they were about to take. He was rated pretty high. We’re trying to get him to our mini-camp if he can get his visa in July. He’s a player.”

No one was more excited about the pick than Jankowski, who said it’s up to Petrov’s Super League team to decide whether to allow him to attend the July mini-camp or not. “Our European scout only saw him with the Super League team,” Jankowski said. “He was playing with the big boys all last year, and he’s going to play with them next year from what we’ve been told.

“We’ve seen this kid for a couple years with the Russian national team more than with the Kazan team. We’ve seen him be the top forward in the tournament of players in his own age group. That’s been consistent for the last two years.”

The good thing for the Islanders is that they always will own Petrov’s NHL rights, but the danger is that he might never leave home. “This is a roll of the dice in the third round,” Jankowski said. “That’s why we got those extra third-round picks is to do something like this.

“Yeah, it might be a stumbling block, or maybe there’s an IIHF agreement in one year and, ‘Holy cow,’ we’ve got a home run here. You never know what’s going to happen. If we don’t ever see him, it’s a third-round pick. And he’s a first-round talent. If his name isn’t Petrov, he’s a top-15 pick in this year’s draft.”

The Filatov timeline

Before the first round of the NHL draft got underway around 7:20 p.m. Friday night, rumors were circulating that the Islanders had a deal with Toronto to trade down from No. 5 to No. 7. The rumors were reported on the Internet before Tampa Bay used the No. 1 pick on Steve Stamkos, and Snow said his own staff called him even earlier in the afternoon as he was traveling from his hotel to Scotiabank Place to ask about the rumors they were hearing.

If he made the trade before waiting to see if coveted offensive defensemen Drew Doughty, Zach Bogosian and Alex Pietrangelo would be taken in the second, third and fourth spots, it would be an error of monumental proportions. Asked today if the deal with Toronto was done ahead of those picks, Snow said, “Not true.”

Not surprisingly, he admitted the framework for a deal with Toronto was in place, as many outlets were reporting, but he maintained it wasn’t executed until after Pietrangelo was taken fourth by St. Louis and the Isles were on the clock. "I would never do a deal that early because a better deal could come in at the last minute,” Snow said.

“We had talked about something of that nature a couple of days ago, and I said [to Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher], ‘I’ll see you on the floor.’ When I was in my car on the way from the hotel to here, I got about three text messages from my staff wondering if we already had done the deal. I said, ‘No, it hasn’t.’ It got done right before the pick because I wanted to see who went before us. But we were prepared to do different things depending on who got drafted before us.”

Some believe Snow thought Columbus would pass on Filatov with the sixth pick and he would be available at No. 7. But the GM indicated yesterday that Filatov wasn’t his choice and that the trade-down scenario was predicated on Bailey’s availability lower in the first round. Had the Isles been able to trade up for Doughty, Bogosian or Pietrangelo, they likely would have done it, but the cost was too high. Obviously, Bailey had to be ranked at least fifth on their board based on what happened.

Snow’s evaluation of Bailey was much higher than the rest of the league had him pegged, and he stuck by his convictions. “We have a lot of faith in our staff,” Snow said. “He’s going to be a player our fans love.”

Isles files

Snow’s selection in the second round of high school defensemen Aaron Ness probably isn’t going to go over very big in Minneapolis. Ness won Minnesota’s Mr. Hockey award and is headed to the University of Minnesota to play for Golden Gophers coach Don Lucia.

When rookie forward Kyle Okposo dropped out of Minnesota in January this year to sign with the Islanders, Lucia publicly blamed Snow for pressuring the Gophers’ star to quit school. In fact, Okposo was unhappy playing for Lucia, and Snow responded by leveling criticism at the coach’s program and said he’d do the same thing in the future if Lucia remained as coach.

Questioned by Minnesota reporters yesterday, Snow said every case is different, and he supports’ Ness’ decision to play for Lucia and the Gophers. But he added, “Anyone who takes a shot at one of my players or our organization, there’s going to be a shot going back. So, that’s what happened there. The day before there were three people that took shots in an article against our organization and took a knock against Kyle. I wasn’t going to sit idly by. I told the truth. People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.”

Another of the Islanders’ picks yesterday attracted some interest if only because of name recognition. In the third round, the Isles took high school center David Toews, who is the younger brother of Chicago Black Hawks star rookie forward Jonathan Toews. Asked if he believes bloodlines are important, Snow said, “I don’t read much into it. I was a professional athlete, and my brothers weren’t very good athletes.” With a laugh, he added, “No, that’s not true.”

Toews is headed to the University of North Dakota, where there’s a chance he’ll play on a line with Islanders prospect Jason Gregoire.

If there was one other aspect of the Islanders’ draft that stood out, it was their willingness to choose a small, speedy defenseman like the 5-9, 157-pound Ness to go with last year’s third-round defenseman Mark Katic, who is 5-10, 180. Questioned about a possible lack of size on the blue line, Jankowski noted that two other defensemen chosen today, 6-0, 192-pound Travis Hamonic and 6-2, 192-pound Jyri Niemi, balanced the scales.

“We thought we could get our size with Hamonic and Niemi,” Jankowski said. “But you can’t have enough skill guys, and that’s where we’re going to roll the dice. It’s been very clear that we’re going for top-level players with skill.”

From "Section 208"

I've seen a lot of insightful comments on this blog, but this one from "Section 208" bears repeating: "The system needed restocking, but they passed over several potential franchise players in favor of a fair-to-middling prospect who's supposed to be low-maintenance and easy to coach. Says a lot about the institutional desire for control."

Right on.

Blog preview

In case you haven’t had your fill of the Islanders’ draft, I will be posting another blog in a few days explaining what the club saw in top pick Josh Bailey that convinced them to abandon the No. 5 slot…In Sunday’s Newsday, you will find my analysis of Snow’s trade-down strategy along with thumbnail sketches of today’s 12 picks.

Islanders general manager Garth Snow still is working the phones with the likely goal of shopping some of the second-round picks he has stockpiled to move into the latter half of the first round to pick another player.

But here is the explanation he offered in a statement for why he traded dwon twice to take Josh Bailey:

“Josh was the player we targeted from the beginning. He’s a center who makes other people around him better, the type of center we need in our system. He has great offensive instincts, and he can make things happen with his superior vision, character and leadership.”

Snow added that the decision to trade down and stockpile pick was predicated on the fact they were sure they could get Bailey at that point in the draft.

Here is your newest Islander, Josh Bailey.

Josh Bailey.

Honest.

Bailey is a 6-foot, 192-pound center who played for the Windsor Spitfires, the same team that coach Ted Nolan’s son Jordan is on. Bailey scored 29 goals and had 67 assists for 96 points last season. Obviously, the Islanders are hoping he develops into the first-line playmaking center they currently lack.

GM Garth Snow just borrowed a page from the playbook of former Dallas Cowboys coach and GM Jimmy Johnson, who once traded Herschel Walker for a passel of picks and players in an effort to rebuild that franchise. Having already traded down from fifth to seventh, Snow just traded down again to Nashville’s No. 9 spot. In the process, the Islanders picked up the Predators’ second-round pick this year (No. 40).

That gives the Islanders at least three second-round picks this year and possibly a fourth if they choose to use Toronto’s second-rounder this year. Apparently, Boston University center Colin Wilson wasn’t Snow’s guy, either. He just went seventh to Nashville. Phoenix is next up in the eighth spot before the Islanders are on the clock again at No. 9.

The Isles traded down to Toronto’s No. 7 spot and added two draft picks in the process. A team source indicated they are confident they still will get the player they want. The Maple Leafs chose defenseman Luke Scehnn with the fifth pick. Columbus is up next in sixth.

In exchange for the fifth pick, the Islanders not only get No. 7, but they have a choice of possibilities with Toronto. Either they can take the Leafs’ second-round pick this year (No. 60) plus their third-round pick in 2009, or the Isles can take the Leafs’ third-round pick this year (No. 68) and a second-round pick in 2009. They already own two picks in both the second and third round this year and will add one more in one of those rounds, giving them a total of 11 of the first 175 picks.

Columbus chose Russian winger Nikita Filatov, the player most had pegged with the Isles, with pick No. 6. Obviously, Islanders general manager Garth Snow has another player targeted because he would not have risked letting the Blue Jackets take Filatov if he was the player they wanted.

The first four picks went as expected, Steve Stamkos to Tampa, Drew Doughty to Los Angles, Zach Bogosian to Atlanta and Alex Pietrangelo to St. Louis. The Isles are on the clock with a choice of Nikita Filatov or Luke Schenn or the possibility of a trade down.

Scotiabank Place is starting to buzz now as the roll call of 30 NHL teams is taken prior to the opening of the 2008 draft. There’s no indication yet of the trades that are bound to take place tonight, but I did run into Islanders captain Bill Guerin in the interview room.

Guerin said he’s recovering well from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, and he expects to be ready to go when training camp opens in September. He smiled when asked if that was his schedule or the doctors’ schedule but insisted he will be full speed for camp. Guerin said the injury occurred in the first half of the season and bothered him on and off all season, but he doesn’t believe it affected his shot. It was more a matter of learning to live with the pain.

Asked if he’s hopeful the Islanders’ top pick tonight will be ready to play in the NHL next season, Guerin was cautious. “There’s not many 18-year-olds who can play in this league,” he said.

Hey everyone.... the draft is about to start and people are getting excited here at the Coliseum. Hopefully there won't be too many broken hearts tonight. There's even a brave soul rocking a Rangers jersey...I'm guessing if he gets anything broken tonight it won't be his heart....:)

Ok everyone, feel free to leave your comments, just keep 'em clean!

Ryan Jankowsi before the draft said they are working the phones to entertain offers to trade up or trade down. He said he thinks there will be a decent amount of movement, but for the Isles, making a move from No. 5 would have to be at the right price....

With the amount of picks the Isles have in the second and third rounds, I think a trade could be very likely.

Buccigross just called it....Filatov seems to be the crowd favorite, so we'll see if fans will get their wish.

Draft update
Mike Cammaleri to Calgary, 12th overall to LA from Anaheim, and 17th and 28th to Anaheim.

FYI: Bettman got a lot of boo's here at the Coliseum as well

Florida Olli Jokinen to Phoenix for Keith Balllard and Nick boynton and the 49th overall pick.

1. Tampa Bay Lightning select C Steven Stamkos. No surprise there, given everyone considered TB selecting Stamkos as their franchise player a foregone conclusion. Would've been extremely awkward given the investment on all the Seen Stamkos? merchandise. Now things will get interesting.....

2. LA selects Drew Doughty, an offensive defenseman widely heralded for his hockey IQ. He had 13 goals and 37 assists in 58 game playing for the Guelph Storm in 2007-2008.
And LA has nine more picks in the first four rounds.....

3. Atlanta selects Zach Bogosian, another offensive defenseman from the OHL. He was the only defenseman in the OHL to lead his team in scoring. He had 11 goals and 50 assists for Petersborough. Bogosian is known for his physicality, aggressiveness, and natural leadership ability. No big surprises yet, but from here on out, things may get more interesting.

Trade: Montreal trades 25th pick and second round next year to Calgary for Alex Tanguay, and Calgary's fifth-round pick.

4. St. Louis selects Alex Pietrangelo. Once again, a highly-skilled offensive defenseman, who has good size and serious upside, given scouts believe he has only begun to realize into his physical potential. This means Filatov is available....

New York swaps pick with Toronto for pick 7 and either 60th this year and Toronto's 3rd next year, or 68th this year and 2nd next year, at the Islanders discretion.

5. Toronto selects Luke Schenn, a 6'3'', 212 lb defenseman known for his toughness and ability to make the first pass. First non-OHL player drafted.

Columbus trades 19 and 67 to Philadelphia for Umberger and 4th round pick.

6. Columbus selects Nikita Filatov, and the environment at the Coliseum really just took a turn for the worst. Well if it's any consolation, he's looks like a twig ready to be snapped....can't be very durable....just trying to keep things positive here.

Another trade: Islanders trade their seventh pick for the ninth pick and 40th pick.

7. Nashville selects forward Colin Wilson, son of ex-Ranger Carey Wilson, known as a strong, two-way player with hockey smarts.

8. Phoenix selects Mikkel Boedker, a Danish winger from Kitchener. Known for his play-making ability and speed. Also effective as a QB on the power play.

9. Finally, the Islanders select Josh Bailey of the Windsor Spitfires. Don't think many people thought that was coming. Power play QB and skilled play-making center. 29 goals and 67 assists for Windsor last season. Also a teammate of Nolan's son Jordan. We'll be hearing from him live via satellite in a second....

10. Vancouver selects Brampton forward Cody Hodgson, who some compare to Chris Drury. As a player with "the whole package," yet not as much flash, he's rumored to be a sleeper pick this draft.

11. Chicago selects Kyle Beach, known as the "head-case" of this year's draft class, both literally and figuratively. He's had several concussions and on and off-ice problems. People sometimes liken him to a bigger Sean Avery, given his grit and nastiness on the ice.

12. Buffalo selects Tyler Myers, the huge 6-ft-7 D-man from Kelowna, who often elicits comparison to Zdano Chara, but with superior skating abilities.

13. LA selects Regina defenseman Colton Teubert. Not known much for his offensive ability, but a competitive and feisty blue-liner who draws comparisons to Shea Weber.

14. Carolina selects Lethbridge forward Zach Boychuk, known for his speed and athleticism.

Nashville trades 15 to Ottawa for 18 and 3rd in 2009.

15. Ottawa selects Swedish defenseman Erik Karlsson, although he will not play in North America next year; he'll remain with Swedish Elite team Frolunda, which is also where Isles prospect Robin Figren will play next season.

OK, guys, I didn't know this, but they are actually kicking us out of the Coliseum right now, so I'm gonna have to end things here. If the Isles trade back up into the first round, I'll post that info as soon as I can.

Until later.

With the draft just minutes away, here are some video highlights of Nikita Filatov. Do you think this is the guy the Islanders should take?

At 4 p.m. this afternoon, NHL general managers and their scouting staffs will be admitted to Scotiabank Place, and that’s when all the talk about potential trades in the draft, which begins at 7 p.m., will really heat up. The only team that might be situated better than the Islanders at No. 5 is Los Angeles at No. 2.

After Tampa Bay selects Steve Stamkos at No. 1, the Kings have their pick of the top defensemen. GM Dean Lombardi was quoted today saying he expects to stay put and pick a defenseman, likely Drew Doughty, but if he does, it won’t be because he had a lack of offers.

As Islanders assistant general manager and director of amateur scouting Ryan Jankowski said of Lombardi’s statement, “I wouldn’t believe anything I read now. Anything can happen with the possible exception of Tampa.”

As of 3 p.m., Islanders general manager Garth Snow was too busy to put down his phone to take a reporter’s call. But Jankowski stepped neatly into the breach to offer the following assessment of where trade talks stand for the Isles: “Garth is fielding calls, but it’s not quite as active as we thought it would be. It will heat up later when we get to the arena and you can meet with people face to face. Our answer all along has been, ‘Yes,’ to all those proposing to move up or down.”

As much as they might like Russian winger Nikita Filatov, the player projected to go to them in the No. 5 slot, the Islanders are open to anything that will multiply assets and speed the rebuilding process. They also apparently are willing to spend assets to move up. Indications are that they rank Doughty and Zach Bogosian a cut above the other top D-men, including Alex Pietrangelo and Luke Schenn in the top group of four.

Undoubtedly, Atlanta will pluck either Bogosian or Doughty at No. 3. Jankowski said he believes St. Louis is leaning toward defense at No. 4. If the Isles don’t move up, Filatov and either Schenn or Pietrangelo will be there for them. Asked if No. 7 Toronto has reached the point of making any reasonable offers to move up, that was the one question Jankowski deferred, saying, “You have to ask Garth.”

Some scouts have said there is a dropoff from the elite six players at the top of the draft board to the next group, which includes forwards Colin Wilson, Mikkel Boedker, Cody Hodgson, Kyle Beach and Joshua Bailey and defensemen Colten Teubert and Tyler Myers. Jankowski has a slightly different perspective, though he agrees the Islanders won’t trade down beyond the 12th pick.

“We think it extends beyond [the top six],” Jankowski said, “but we have it broken up into little mini-groups up to about Nos. 12 or 13.”

As for Filatov, he has no contract in Russia and has said he wants to play in North America next season even if it’s not in the NHL. But in light of recent reports that Pittsburgh superstar Evgeni Malkin might be offered as much as $15 million per season to play in the new hockey league being formed in Russia, Jankowski was asked if the organization has any misgivings about drafting Filatov.

“We’ve done our research and assessed everything,” Jankowski said. “There could be a problem, not just with Russians, but with any player who becomes an unrestricted free agent. All I can say is: you’ll find out. Nikita expressed very much that he wants to play in North America, and he will play in juniors this year if necessary. He is a good kid.”

Because they have 10 picks in the first six rounds, including extra selections in the second, third, fifth and sixth rounds, the Islanders also are equipped to move up from 36th overall, their first pick in the second round, to get into the late first round if there’s a player they like.

“It depends on what happens with the first pick [No. 5] and whether we use assets to move up or get assets to move down,” Jankowski said. “We think there are good players through No. 36 and even to our second pick in the second round [No. 53]. We have to see if there’s one player we think is important that is sliding. Then, we could use those assets to get in. But we still feel comfortable at 36 with what we feel is going to be there.”

That’s it for now. I’ll head over to the arena later this afternoon and post an update about the time the draft is set to begin if there is any news to report.

Hey guys! Just wanted to give everyone the heads-up that I'll be live blogging the draft Friday night from the draft party at the Coliseum. If you're at the party/event, come say hi, otherwise I'll see you guys on the blog! Looking forward to it:)

--Katie

Russian forward Nikita Filatov was under the microscope at the NHL’s pre-draft luncheon today because he’s the wild card at the top of the draft. Despite misgivings about his slender frame, youthful look and the cultural gap he must bridge, the highlight video that accompanied his introduction supported the growing buzz associated with his name.

Considering Filatov’s fine features, one reporter told him he looked more like a piano player than a hockey player. To which Filatov smiled and said, “Piano player? I no like classical music.”

His English is a little rough around the edges, but he’s far ahead of most Russians when they first enter the NHL and he made it clear his mother, in particular, has been grooming him for the transition to a North American lifestyle. There’s plenty of money to be made in Russia these days, but there was no mistaking his commitment to making the NHL as quickly as possible.

Explaining why he turned down a new contract offer from CSKA, his current team, Filatov said he expected to play about half the games with the Russian Superliga team but only made five appearances, spending most of his playing time with the CSKA junior team for which he scored 32 goals. He also views the NHL atmosphere as far more exciting than it is in Russia.

“It’s the best hockey league here [in the NHL] with all the best players,” Filatov said. “People like hockey here and it shows. In Russia, sometimes 1,000 or 2,000 are at a game. It’s not so good for the player.”

The temptation is to make a cheap joke at the Islanders’ expense about how Filatov might feel about playing a weeknight game at Nassau Coliseum in late October. But highly-touted forwards Steve Stamkos and Colin Wilson, who have played against Filatov in the world juniors, say he’s the kind of player who can put fannies in the seats.

You hear rumors about Los Angeles possibly trading down from No. 2 to get Filatov in exchange for one of the top defensemen and Toronto trying to go up from No. 7 to get Filatov, and you begin to wonder if St. Louis might grab him with the No. 4 pick ahead of the Islanders. If that happened, Isles GM Garth Snow likely would have his choice of defensemen Alex Pietrangelo and Luke Schenn, which many would see as a win-win proposition.

But after meeting Boston University’s Wilson today, I wouldn’t mind if Snow traded down a couple spots to get the center iceman the Isles need while going for defense later in the draft. Wilson exuded confidence and maturity, and there’s no denying his physical presence, as he proved at the NHL combine, where he blew everyone away with his strength.

Asked if he’s ready to play in the NHL now, Wilson said, “The combine really helped me out and helped my draft status. Teams have to worry, ‘Is this guy strong enough?’ But that’s just not an issue with me. They know I’m a strong player, and it’s definitely going to help me.”

Comparing his playmaking skills to his goal-scoring ability, Wilson said he was a playmaker at BU who felt nothing was as satisfying as seeing the opening to make a backdoor pass to set up a teammate, but he pointed out that, in the world juniors, he turned sniper with six goals and one assist.

He’s got “leader” stamped all over him, but you can say that about most of the top prospects. Pietrangelo and Schenn are the defensemen most likely to be there for the Isles unless they trade up for Bogosian. All three have size and skill, and Schenn and Bogosian are notably tough.

Bogosian said he models himself after Chris Chelios “because he’s a warrior,” and E.J. McGuire, the director of Central Scouting for the NHL predicted Bogosian will become a franchise player after being somewhat undervalued in juniors. McGuire said Pietrangelo “could blossom into the best player in the entire draft” with his ability as an offensive defenseman. He added that Schenn is the most NHL-ready player and that he plays a “mean game that can lead to a long career.”

Who knows whether this draft will live up to the hype it has received from NHL scouts, but if these guys play as good a game as they talk, there’s reason to believe a lot of teams are going to walk away happy and the game is about to welcome one of the most exciting draft classes in memory.

Diehard Islanders fans all can cite the litany of draft day foibles during the Mike Milbury regime that ultimately cost the franchise a treasure trove of talent that could have produced a serious Stanley Cup contender. Now, it’s Garth Snow’s turn on the hot seat.

He got off light in his first draft last summer because the Isles didn’t have a pick until the third round, when he went for diminutive puck-moving defenseman Mark Katic. This time around, Snow has the No. 5 overall pick right in the thick of a draft front-loaded with exciting talent.

Check all the scouting services and the hockey media ratings, and there is very little disagreement that the top six players who make this draft special start with center Steve Stamkos and include defensemen Drew Doughty, Zach Bogosian, Alex Pietrangelo and Luke Schenn plus Russian winger Nikita Filatov. To a certain extent, the four teams in front of the Islanders – Tampa Bay, Los Angeles, Atlanta and St. Louis – will help make Snow’s decision for him.

Stamkos will go to Tampa Bay, and the next two picks are expected to be Doughty and Bogosian, although the order is open to debate. St. Louis GM John Davidson could take Filatov but is thought to be leaning toward defense. In most estimates, Snow figures to be choosing between Filatov and either Pietrangelo or Schenn.

Let’s play armchair quarterback and consider the scenarios if Snow exercises the fifth pick rather than trading up or down. Despite Pietrangelo’s impressive offensive ability and overwhelming plus-69 rating over his past two junior seasons, he missed the playoffs with an illness and seems to have fallen behind Doughty and Bogosian. Some believe St. Louis might even take Schenn ahead of Pietrangelo.

If that happens and Pietrangelo is available for the Islanders, that would be the safest pick Snow could make because he’d be getting the offensive defenseman the team needs to quarterback the power play and initiate the offense. But if the Blues grab him, then, the choice is between Filatov, the sexy sniper the Isles desperately need, or Schenn, the defensive stopper who could make life a whole lot easier on goaltender Rick DiPietro, especially because he also can make the first pass out of the defensive zone.

If it’s a choice between the sizzle and the steak, then it’s not hard to imagine Islanders owner Charles Wang pleading with (ordering maybe?) Snow to get him a scorer who sells tickets. We’re talking about a team that ranked 29th in goals last season, and if there’s one thing this draft has in abundance, it’s quality defensemen. With two picks in each of the second and third rounds, Snow can put together a package to get a solid defenseman late in the first round. If Filatov winds up filling the net for another team, he will join the long list of goal scorers who got away, and Snow never will hear the end of it.

It’s harder to quantify the difference Schenn would make over the next rugged defenseman the Isles could grab a little lower, and maybe that would make it a little easier to live with if Snow takes Filatov and he doesn’t pan out. On the other hand, no one wins the Cup without a quality defense. As great as Detroit’s offense might be, it was the Red Wings’ defense that won the Cup this spring by making it difficult for Pittsburgh stars Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marian Hossa and the rest of the Penguins to even get many shots on goal.

In a perfect world, the Islanders could solve that problem by trading up with Los Angeles for the second pick to take Bogosian, who might have the most impressive combination of scoring abililty, booming slapshot and toughness of all the top defensemen. The Hockey News projected such a trade with the Islanders giving up one of their extra picks in the second and fifth rounds. Snow once was teammates with Los Angeles assistant GM Ron Hextall, and the Kings are thought to have an interest in Filatov. Say the Kings draft Bogosian, wait to make sure the Isles get Filatov and then make the swap. Everybody’s happy.

But if the Islanders trade, the odds would seem to favor a downward move. It would be risky to trade away from the top six players, but if they’re not sold on Filatov or Schenn, it’s possible. No. 7 Toronto, No. 11 Chicago and No. 12 Anaheim have indicated an interest in moving up. In that case, Snow likely would demand a top young veteran or a prospect as the price to switch places.

The Maple Leafs still are trying to unload the bloated contract of defenseman Bryan McCabe, who might be interested in returning to the Islanders. But that doesn’t fit with Snow’s youth movement and would be doing a huge favor for Toronto GM Cliff Fletcher. If the Leafs are serious about moving up, they’d have a much better chance by offering center Kyle Wellwood.

Should Snow trade down, it’s hard to see him going lower than 12th. If he drops into the 7-12 range, it brings forwards Colin Wilson, Mikkel Boedker and Cody Hodgson into play, but Snow said, “There’s still good a couple of good defensemen.” He likely was alluding to 6-7 Tyler Myers and Colten Teubert. All are solid players who would fill a need, and if Snow adds some young, NHL-proven building blocks in the process, it’s a defensible move. You know, provided Filatov or Schenn or Pietrangelo don’t turn into superstars.

One thing Snow won’t do is consider trading the No. 5 pick for a first line-caliber center, such as Florida’s Ollie Jokinen ( a former Isle who got away) or San Jose’s Patrick Marleau, both of whom are believed to be available. He can’t talk about specific players from other teams, but Snow said, “It would be highly unlikely that we would move that pick for an older player that may only have one more year on his contract. I don’t see that happening.”

However, with 10 picks in seven rounds, including extra picks in the second, third, fifth and sixth rounds, Snow might not be done in Friday night’s first round after making the fifth pick. “If we saw a player we liked in mid-to-late first round,” Snow said, “having the two seconds and thirds enables us to make a pitch to try to get that pick if there’s a player who’s high on our chart.”

Unlike covering the NFL or NBA, where you have a chance to see many of the top college players on TV and form an opinion, I can’t pretend to know much more than I’ve read about the skills of the top juniors entering the NHL draft. The only one I’ve seen is Doughty, who did nothing remarkable in a game I watched while traveling in Canada.

But based on the conversations I’ve had about the top prospects and my view of the Islanders’ needs, I’d go for the sizzle if it proved impossible to trade up for Bogosian. If it’s a choice between Filatov and Schenn, I’d rather see Snow pick up the second-best forward in the draft. By all accounts, Filatov is highly skilled, works hard and is determined to get his NHL career underway as soon as possible.

If Snow trades down, again, I would go for Wilson, Boedker or Hodgson over a project like Myers. There are plenty of quality defensemen to choose from in the second and third rounds. The worst part about last season’s Islanders was the glaring lack of offensive skill. That has to change as soon as possible.

For those of you who haven’t yet submitted your advice to Garth Snow on the blog, you are invited to do so before 7 p.m. Friday night. In three years, we’ll look back and see how we did compared to the pros.

BLOG PREVIEW: I’ll be in Ottawa today for interviews with the top prospects and will provide regular updates on the blog during the course of the two-day draft.

CORRECTION: A headline in Sunday’s Sports section about the possibility of Alexei Yashin returning to the Islanders was incorrect. No Islanders official was quoted in the story about the team’s recent talks with Yashin’s agent.

Hey Islanders fans! Katie Strang here to moderate a live, interactive Q&A session with Islanders beat writer Greg Logan. I'm sure many of you are anxious to pick Greg's brain about potential draft picks, the upcoming free agency period, and of course, Alexei Yashin. Post your questions and I will do my best to get them answered. We are trying to keep the chat to 30 minutes, however, so keep in mind we may not be able to get to them all. That in mind, fire away and have fun!

There will be a live chat with Islanders beat writer Greg Logan Monday at 1 p.m. Logan will answer your questions on Friday's NHL draft and all things Islanders. Only legitimate questions will be approved.

The buzz about the 2008 NHL draft has been building among general managers and talent scouts for two or three years, and Islanders general manager Garth Snow, holding the No. 5 overall pick, is situated right on the edge of the top tier of so-called “can’t miss” prospects. For a team that has committed to rebuilding with youth and the draft, that means Snow is the one who can’t afford to miss at that prime spot when the first round plays out Friday night in Ottawa.

It’s a foregone conclusion Tampa Bay will select center Steve Stamkos with the No. 1 overall pick. But it’s anybody’s guess what Los Angeles, Atlanta, St. Louis and the Islanders will do in the next four spots. A group of three top offensive defensemen, Drew Doughty, Alex Pietrangelo and Zach Bogosian, has generated most of the buzz along with Stamkos, and lightweight Russian sniper Nikita Filatov is regarded as the best European prospect worthy of a top-five selection.

One of those players will be there for the Islanders, but rumors that Filatov could slide either because of his 170-pound weight and lack of strength or because of the risk associated with drafting a Russian player at a time when his country’s federation has no agreement with the NHL might cause Snow to expand his talent search beyond the consensus top-five prospects.

Given a choice between Filatov and one of the top three defensemen, it sounds as though Snow might lean toward picking a cornerstone on the blue line. “I firmly believe that defense wins championships,” Snow said in a recent interview. Not wishing to tip his hand, he said his choice is “going to be the best available player.”

If the top three defensemen are gone, the question is whether Filatov is the best available player at No. 5. “He’s a dynamic player,” Snow said. “He has speed, can make plays and he’s highly skilled. He’s an 18-year-old, but he’s a special player.

“Some scouts say Filatov’s the second-best player in the draft. If he was in North America, I’ve read a few publications that say it would be between him and Stamkos for the No. 1 pick overall.”

Still, Filatov is a different kind of player than top Russian forwards Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin and Ilya Kovalchuk, all of whom have the size and strength to handle NHL defenses. Is his smallish size a drawback? “No, I don’t see it as a problem,” Snow said.

If the Islanders get a crack at one of the top three defensemen, it will be because either the Kings or Thrashers take a chance on Filatov in front of them. The Blues are expected to go for a defenseman. Of the top three, Doughty’s stock slipped a bit last season, but he was strong in the playoffs. Bogosian drew raves with his combination of toughness and a booming slapshot, and Pietrangelo combines 6-4 size with offensive ability and a phenomenal plus-69 rating over his past two junior seasons.

If they’re off the board, the Islanders still could go for defense, but the choice likely would be between Kelowna teammates Luke Schenn and Tyler Myers. Both are stay-at-home defensemen with size. Schenn is 6-3, 209, and Myers has been compared to Zdeno Chara because of his 6-7 height. But the question is whether the Islanders can afford to choose a defensive defenseman that high in the draft.

“Schenn and Myers are stoppers,” Snow said. “It’s fair to say Doughty, Bogosian and Pietrangelo are offensive defensemen, but all three of those players are really good in their own end as well. They’re all great kids. When you look at all those players you see players who either have worn a letter as a captain or alternate captain or they will be if they go back to junior next year. They’re all leaders in their own right.”

As good as all those players are, Snow said, “Any draft is a crapshoot.” That’s why, if the players the Islanders want aren’t available, it could bring other forwards into the picture, such as Mikkel Boedker, Colin Wilson, Cody Hodgson and Kyle Beach, who has the added element of being a big-time enforcer.

It might be difficult to trade out of the top five in such a strong draft, but Columbus general manager Scott Howson is openly shopping the sixth pick in the hope of acquiring veteran help and some of Snow’s scenarios also include trade possibilities.

“Who knows?” Snow said. “We could trade down, we could trade up. If we have the fifth pick, we know what we’ll do in that situation if certain players go 2, 3, 4. If a player isn’t available that we thought would be, maybe we trade down. If we have a couple players we’re really keen on with the fifth pick and they get taken and there’s another group of players where it’s six of one and half a dozen of the other, then, why wouldn’t we trade down and get another asset?”

In that scenario, the idea would be to trade down and add another first-round pick in the process. The danger lies in dropping too far and missing out on quality at the top of the draft for the sake of quantity.

“That’s the trick,” Snow said.

There will be a story in tomorrow's paper over the whole Snow said/Nolan said Dubie controversy (basically it boiled down to a minor misunderstanding), but a little on tonight's event:

The Islanders Business Club kicked off its second year with an open house at Nassau Coliseum's Expo Hall. And I will say, they really turned it out and delivered a classy affair. 500 people turned out for the lavish event, complete with ice sculptures, jugglers, games, food, and an open bar. Attendees got the chance to hang with GM Garth Snow and head coach Ted Nolan, current Islanders Kyle Okposo and Mike Sillinger, as well as former Isles Eric Cairns, Bob Nystrom, Clark Gillies, and Mike Bossy.

Snow addressed the group with a brief preview of how he envisions the organization will move forward in the coming years. He pointed to the success of both the Red Wings and Penguins in developing from within, and said the Islanders will move in that direction beginning with the draft.

According to Islanders Senior VP Chris Dey, the turnout along with the reception well exceeded expectations.

"This is like an Islanders Business Club version 2.0 beta test," Dey said. "The Islanders are the most visible representation of Long Island nationally and internationally, so we should be an excellent business platform."

The success of the event, Dey said, only affirmed that the program will thrive in the future.

"We can become a leading business platform and business club for Long Island and we're doing it the right way," Dey said. "What we'll be able to do is, 1) expose a lot of people to what we're trying to accomplish with the business club and embrace the business community, and 2) we're going to learn a lot. By doing this event in June, by the time we get to October, we'll really nail it."

-- Katie

The Islanders signed forward Tim Jackman to a one-year, two-way deal today.
Jackman, who signed with the Islanders as a free agent in July 2007, played in 36 games during the Isles' 2007-2008 season; he had one goal, three assists, and 57 penalty minutes.

“Tim proved to be a versatile