Top Shelf : Islanders Daily : 10/1/2013

Mar 24, 2013; Uniondale, NY, USA; New York Islanders defenseman Andrew MacDonald (47) and New York Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic (3) celebrate MacDonald

The news that many fans were anticipating finally arrived yesterday afternoon as the team announced their 23 man roster that will open the season on Friday evening in New Jersey.

Among the survivors were Brock Nelson, Matt Donovan and Kevin Poulin which were all expected and Griffin Reinhart, which was not.

Theory is Reinhart made the roster after a very strong training camp due to the still uncertain status of defenseman Travis Hamonic, who left in the first period of the final preseason game on Sunday and did not return.

Brett Cygralis of the New York Post reported the injury is to Hamonic’s shoulder and he visited a doctor last night with updated news to come from the club today. Art Staple of Newsday speculated that it seems like the team is testing also for a concussion.

Could be both actually with the organization being extra cautious with a player who has already suffered one head knock in his career recently.

What was very telling when reviewing both the main roster and the one that coach Scott Pellerin will finalize in the coming days for Bridgeport is that this organization is stocked at both levels. Speed, grit, toughness and determination litter both squads and this is the first time a lot of fans can remember being so excited about both levels of Islanders hockey.

Of course, the rosters on paper sometimes do not necessarily translate over to play on the ice so the onus will always be on them to perform at their highest level for the longest stretch of consistency possible.

Whatever the news comes back on Hamonic, know this…..also for the first time, the Islanders have plenty of coverage for players getting injured. With superstar in the making Ryan Strome starting in the American Hockey League, this team is the envy of depth I would imagine for plenty of franchises.

And make no mistake about it…..we have Garth Snow and Charles Wang to thank for it.

-Andy (@tazman19)

In Case You Missed It

• Roster post right here with some commentary from the peanut gallery (EOI)
• Pete McEntee takes a look at the forwards in his season preview (EOI)
• Art Staple sums up the roster moves from yeserday (Newsday)
• New NHL tries to have a huge Olympic presence (NY Times)
• Strome misses cut, but short leash might be given to vets (IPB)
• Dominik gives his take also on what was announced (LHH)

Two Minutes For Tweeting

• Yes it most certainly is. I definitely woke up a lot more chipper than in days past and I have hockey to thank for that.

• Government? What’s that? Oh, is it those people in Washington living in those shiny white buildings, collecting a paycheck for doing absolutely nothing? Give me a hockey player any day of the week. ?

• It’s never too early to chirp at your local hockey fan rivals. NEVER.

• And, my point proven yet again…..

• Now that is some serious dedication. Chrissy is a great Isles fan and this will be an absolutely fitting salute to welcome our boys in blue and orange back to the Coliseum ice Saturday for real.

• Of all the predictions I have seen this preseason, that is most certainly the most bold. I like when pundits and fans alike go out on a ledge. Shows that you are not afraid to be wrong and certainly allows you to gloat if you are right.