Top Shelf – Islanders Daily 6/11/13

May 3, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; New York Islanders center

(91) checks Pittsburgh Penguins left wing

(14) in the corner during the second period in game two of the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs at the CONSOL Energy Center. The New York Islanders won 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Astoria, NY – It wouldn’t be a New York Islanders offseason without some controversy; whether it’s a potential trade scenario, a mock draft or a political disagreement involving team, there always seems to be some sort of issue surrounding the Isles during the summer months.

This summer, however, things are relatively stable on The Island as we head toward the meat of the offseason. The future of the team is bright, with a move to Brooklyn on the horizon and a young, exciting team ready to take the ice for the 2013-14 NHL season.

The Isles have approximately $29 million in salary cap space and the assets to trade for a big-name player this offseason, thereby solidifying the end of the rebuild that has been going on for five-plus years.

So what controversy could be brewing this summer for the team, you ask? Oh, right: the uniform debate.

Because seemingly nothing good related to the Islanders can ever come easy, this summer’s point of contention are the rumors regarding a potential uniform design overhaul once the team moves to Barclay’s Center and officially begins a new era as a resident of New York City.

Team owner Charles Wang has stated publicly that the team’s logo and colors will remain untouched upon the move to Brooklyn, but that hasn’t stopped the NHL rumor mill from generating unrest with the Isles fan base.

The concept of a new jersey with a black-and-white color scheme similar to that of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets has been floated in NHL circles, causing a general outcry from die-hard Islanders fans. My feeling is that any kind of change to the logo or colors for the team will be limited to the third jersey—because honestly, a change to the current alternate sweater is more than necessary—but the possibility of a change to the main home and away jerseys is still hanging over our heads.

Like I said, it’s not a typical Isles offseason without some kind of controversy. Let’s hope that this one turns out to be much ado about nothing.

-MW

Links

Summer Report Card: Thomas Hickey (EyesOnIsles)

Off-Season Q&A : New Jersey Devils (EyesOnIsles)

Garth Snow with Islanders Boosters: High On Matt Donovan; de Haan ‘Unlucky’ (Lighthouse Hockey)

Eulogy: Remembering the 2012-13 Pittsburgh Penguins (Puck Daddy)

Mark Streit Making Bad Decision Not Re-Signing With New York Islanders (Rant Sports)

Floating Around The Twitter-Sphere

It’s a well-known fact that whoever runs the Twitter account for the Los Angeles Kings does a great job mixing information and humor. Apparently, that style has rubbed off on a few other NHL teams, such as the Columbus Blue Jackets and Edmonton Oilers. If only more teams took Twitter a little less seriously and used it as a method for posting tweets like these…then again, maybe that’s asking for too much considering that most teams likely have trouble logging in to the Twitter machine in the first place.

If you’re looking for some light reading during the offseason, here’s the information o the new NHL CBA, as presented by CapGeek.com. (In this case, “light” means “ponderously heavy,” so prepare yourself for a large dose of legalese.)

One of the more sobering aspects of the NHL playoffs is each team’s announcement of players who had been battling injuries during the postseason. After each series ends, the training staff completes medical evaluations of the players and releases the details of injuries that had plagued the team. Look no further for proof that hockey players are the toughest players in professional sports.

Everyone has a reason for choosing a side in the Stanley Cup finals; it just so turns out that this reason is more cinematically themed than most. (Also, I concur with Danny’s choice.)

Last Night In The NHL

Now it’s getting awkward. Without an NHL game to talk about in this section of Top Shelf for the second consecutive day, the section title of Last Night In The NHL is a bit of a misnomer. Then again, if you’ve read this far you’re probably trying to get your NHL fix in any way possible, even if it means ignoring the reality that playoff hockey won’t resume until Wednesday night. That being said, here’s a quick video clip from NHL.com that showcases a few mock draft top-five lists (for those of us in need of something, anything NHL-related)…

As always, thanks for reading us at EyesOnIsles. Keep it right here for all of your NHL playoff coverage and Isles offseason news. Be sure to check the menu bar at the top of the page for ways to connect with the EyesOnIsles staff; we’re always happy to talk hockey.