Trade: Aaron Johnson

Calgary obtained defenseman Aaron Johnson on Thursday from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for winger Kyle Greentree. Johnson had played in 38 games last season with the 'Hawks but had yet to suit up for a game this season. Last year Johnson notched 3 goals and 5 assists for 8 points in those contests.

A 184 game veteran, Johnson was originally selected in the 3rd round, 85th overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by Columbus. He has 10 goals and 26 assists for 36 points on his career. The Flames will be Johnson's fourth team after the Blue Jackets, Isles and Blackhawks.

We wish Aaron the best of luck in chilly Calgary!

More FI Movement

There has been a handful more Former Islander happenings of note over the last week. Let us take a look at the activity:

A pair of FIs inked with the Atlanta Thrashers including center Jason Krog, a one-time Thrasher and young goaltender Peter Mannino. Krog, an AHL powerhouse, suited up for the Vancouver Canucks last season netting a goal. A sporadic NHLer, Krog has played in 202 games scoring 22 goals and adding 37 assists for 59 points. An undrafted acquisition by the Isles during the 1999-2000 season he has played for the Blue & Orange, the Ducks, the Rangers, the Thrashers and the 'Nucks. The terms of Krog's deal are unknown but it is probable that the contract features a two-way deal in which he would have an AHL salary schedule and an NHL salary schedule in case he finds his way to the big leagues. If not Krog should be back with the AHL Chicago Wolves, the team with which he took league's scoring title during the 2007-08 season. Another unsigned Isles acquisition, young goalie Mannino has already found a new squad. Mannino played in 3 games with the Isles last season compiling a 1-1-0 record with a 4.52 goals against average and an .885 save percentage. Since the 2008-09 campaign was Mannino's introduction to the NHL that win served as the first of his career. The terms of the deal were not yet unveiled and only time will tell if Mannino finds some more NHL starts in his future.

Chicago defenseman Aaron Johnson avoided salary arbitration and signed a 1 year, $540,000 deal with the Blackhawks. The move all but guarantees that Johnson will find some more playing time with the 'Hawks next season. He played in 38 games for Chicago during the 2008-09 season netting 3 goals and adding 5 assists for 8 points.



Boston inked defenseman Drew Fata to a 1 year deal on Tuesday July 7. Monetary and other terms of the deal have not yet been released. The tough blueliner has only ever played in the NHL for the Isles despite having signed with the Phoenix Coyotes after the 2007-08 season. Originally picked in the 3rd Round, 86th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, Fata eventually signed with the Islanders and played in 8 games over 2 seasons scoring 1 goal and 1 assist for 2 points.

Goaltender Yann Danis signed with the rival New Jersey Devils on Friday July 10. Terms of the contract have not yet been released. With backup goalies Scott Clemmensen bailing ship and Kevin Weekes in limbo Danis may have lined himself up to be Martin Brodeur's new backup tender. Considering Danis came into last season with only 6 games of NHL experience under his belt he increased his ability exponentially with 31 appearances (29 starts) compiling a 10-17-3 record with a 2.86 goals against average and a .910 save percentage. Originally an unsigned pick up by the Montreal Canadiens Danis has had the privilege to play for the Blue & Orange and the Rouge, Blanc et Bleu. He has a career 13-19-3 record in 37 games (34 starts) with a 2.84 save percentage, a .910 save percentage and 3 shutouts.

Check back soon for more signings and movements at FIW.

Former Islander UFAs and Signings

With the free agency market having opened on July 1 things have been busy for Former Islanders. Here is a look at the action to date:

Edmonton signed defenseman/winger Jason Strudwick to a 1 year deal worth $700K after the 12 year veteran put up a career best 9 points (2 goals, 7 assists) on 71 games last season. A fusion player who can play the blueline or a 4th line winger role has played in 559 games for the Isles, Canucks, Blackhawks, Rangers and Oilers. Over that span Strud has posted 13 goals and 34 assists for 47 points. Strudwick was original taken in the 3rd Round, 63rd overall in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft by the Islanders.

Veteran defenseman Adrian Aucoin bailed on Calgary and is heading to the Phoenix Coyotes on a 1 year, $2.25 million deal. Aucoin had spent the last 2 seasons with the Flames after suffering back injuries as captain in Chicago. Aucoin has revived his career and last season posted a respectable 34 points (10 goals, 24 assists) on 81 games. Originally taken in the 5th Round, 117th overall in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft by the Canucks, Aucoin has played for the 'Nucks, Lightning and Isles as well as the Blackhawks and Flames. Aucoin has played in 851 games scoring 108 goals and adding 228 assists for 336 points. He has posted back-to-back 10 goal seasons for only the second time in his career.

Winger Ruslan Fedotenko opted to take a pay cut if that meant staying with the championship Pittsburgh Penguins as the forward signed off on a 1 year deal worth $1.8 million, a nearly half a million dollar cut from last year's contract. Fedo played well in his first season in Pitt notching 39 points (16 goals, 23 assists) on 65 injury-shortened games. He also notched 14 points (7 goals, 7 assists) in the team's 24 game playoff run. A 597 game veteran, Fedo has 139 goals and 139 assists for 278 points and can now boast of his 2 Stanley Cup rings. Fedotenko has played for the Flyers, Lightning, Isles and Pens.

The Colorado Avalanche have offloaded "Captain Canada" Ryan Smyth and his hearty $6.5 million dollars due next year and the $10 million due for the next 2 years after that in exchange for Los Angeles defensemen Tom Preissing, Kyle Quincey and a 5th Round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Smyth played well this past year leading the team with 59 points (26 goals, 33 assists) on 77 games but never really met up to the Avs' expectations as the team has failed to make the playoffs for 2 straight years. On the flipside the woeful and youthful Kings have been trying to bolster their team with a veteran presence. A 920 game veteran Smyth has 310 goals and 350 assists for 660 points on his career. Originally selected in the 1st Round, 6th overall in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft, Smyth played his first 12 seasons in the league with the Edmontion Oilers before going to the Isles late in the 2006-07 season. Smyth bailed on the Isles lures to keep him and opted for a 5 year deal with Avalanche and now finds himself in exile from the Mile High City after a failed experiment. Smyth was one of the major catalysts as the Oil made it to Game 7 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final - the closest taste of success for the vaunted winger.

A pair of notable FIs have decided to take their chances at arbitration. Young d-man Denis Grebeshkov has spurned Edmonton's lowball offers and has decided to leave the decision up to the league about how much he deserves. Greb is coming off a breakout year in which he compiled 39 points (7 goals, 32 assists) on 72 games. He now has 176 games under his belt with 10 goals and 53 assists for 63 points. A former 1st Round pick, Grebeshkov was taken 18th in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft by the Los Angeles Kings. Greb has played with the Kings, Isles and Oil. Slightly more seasoned is Chicago d-man Aaron Johnson who is looking for a pay raise. Johnson had a hot start last season with the Blackhawks before tailing off midway through and then being demoted. He notched 3 goals and added 5 assists for 8 points on 38 games. Johnson has played in 184 games scoring 10 goals and adding 26 assists for 36 points. Johnson was originally taken in the 3rd Round, 85th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. He has suited up for the BJs, Isles and 'Hawks.

Check back soon as the players continue to fall into place for the 2009-2010 season.

Playoff FIs: Western Conference

Let us take a look at the Former Islanders who should be gracing the NHL squads during the push for Lord Stanley's Cup - the pantheon of sports trophies. The glittering epitome of silver beauty. The greatest guerdon known to living man. Digression. The teams have been arranged by conference and according to rank. Here is the Western Conference:

Western Conference

#1 San Jose: The best team in the league and Stanley Cup favorite, the Sharks feature a lone FI in defenseman Brad Lukowich who wound his way to NorCal during the offseason trade that sent blueliner Dan Boyle packing from Tampa Bay. Luko suffered some major injury time playing in only 58 games this season. In those games he managed only 8 assists. We will have to wait and see if the true impact for Lukowich will be his presence on the blue line.

#2 Detroit: The perennial powerhouse Red Wings feature a lone FI, as well. A large part of the team's Cup-winning success from last postseason, goaltender Chris Osgood is going to try to regain last season's awesome form which may be a daunting task in light of his less than stellar season. Ozzie split time with Ty Conklin managing starts in only 44 games and appearances in 46. Over that span Osgood sported a 26-9-8 record which looks deceivingly good. Beneath the surface Ozzie surrendered an average of 3.09 goals per game while stopping shots at only an .887 clip, the latter of which being the worst of any season for the veteran goalie. He managed only 2 shutouts. Only time will tell if Osgood can find his true self.

#3 Vancouver: On the other side of the coin is stellar goalie Roberto Luongo who came back from injury to dominate the Northwest Division. Luongo went 33-13-7 on the season in 54 starts. At one point Lu had won 12 of 13 games helping the Canucks rise from potentially out of the playoffs to division champs. Lu pulled off a 2.34 goals against average, a .920 save percentage and a single season high 9 shutouts. Questionable to make it back for the playoffs is winger Taylor Pyatt who lost his fiancee to a car accident shortly before the end of the season. T-Py played in 69 games posting 10 goals and 9 assists for 19 points. Also questionable is defenseman Rob Davison who played in only 23 games on the season with the 'Nucks recording 2 assists. Davison has not seen ice time with the team since February 10.

#4 Chicago: The fate of Blawkhawks' d-man Aaron Johnson is currently unknown for the playoffs but we will keep a watch on whether the blueliner makes an appearance. Johnson started the season off hot for the 'Hawks and then rapidly cooled off. With 7 points in the first 17 games of the season Johnson seemed poised for a big year but fell apart soon thereafter managing only 1 point in his next 21 games. Johnson only played in 38 games recording 3 goals and adding 5 assists for 8 points.

#5 Calgary: Calgary made some major moves during the season including the acquisition of center Olli Jokinen which, when you look at the record (8-11), not only caused a late season slump but also lost the Flames the division crown and home advantage in the first round. O-Jok headlines a trio of Flames' FIs which also includes winger Todd Bertuzzi and d-man Adrian Aucoin. Jokinen is making it to the playoffs for the first time in his 799 game NHL career though he backed into it via the trade north from Phoenix. Jokinen finished his weakest season in the last 6 years with 57 points (29 goals, 28 assists) on 76 games. Bertuzzi started the season off hot, a streak tempered by injuries and fatigue. He finished the season respectably with 44 points (15 goals, 29 assists) on 66 games. Bert is looking to regain some form in the playoffs. D-man Aucoin had another 30+ point season managing 10 goals and 24 assists for 34 points on 81 games.

#6 St. Louis: With captain and d-man Eric Brewer out indefinitely following December back surgery the cinderella Blues feature no FIs.







#7 Columbus: Making their first appearance as a franchise in the NHL playoffs the Blue Jackets feature a trio of FIs. First off is winger Raffi Torres who was instrumental late in the season for the BJs. Torres scored 12 goals and 8 assists for 20 points on 51 injury-shortened games but it was his 6 games winners, including 4 in March, that helped vault Columbus into the playoffs. Center Michael Peca played another grinder of a season scoring 4 goals and adding 18 assists for 22 points on 71 games. Of those goals scored by Peca 2 were game winners. Finally, late season pickup goalie Wade Dubielewicz will be warming the bench for rookie sensation Steve Mason. It is unlikely Dubie will see much playing time. During the season he started 2 games and appeared in 3 going 1-2-0 with an obese 3.56 goals against average and a sickly .870 save percentage.

#8 Anaheim: If it were not for a late trade the Ducks would not feature an FI, but alas they received center Petteri Nokelainen from the Bruins before the deadline. Noky played pretty well in his 17 games with the Ducks scoring 4 goals and adding 2 assists for 6 points. On the season the muscular winger had 9 points (4 goals, 5 assists) on 50 games. Look for him to lead the Ducks' 3rd line in the first round of the playoffs.

Check back soon as we will be following all the matchups here at FIW.

Monday January 19

There were 7 games up for grabs Monday as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day brought kids out to daytime games around the United States. Former Islanders made it a point to help their teams kicking in their support in 4 of those outings. Let us take a look:

Boston defenseman Zdeno Chara notched a goal and added a powerplay assist but the St. Louis Blues stunned the Eastern Conference leaders pulling off a 5-4 SO victory over the hosts. The Blues scored 2 goals in the last 80 seconds including a tying tally with 1 second remaining in regulation to pull of the comeback. Chara has 10 goals and 18 assists for 28 points on 46 games. For the 5th straight season and 6th in the last 7 Chara has scored 10+ goals.

Dallas winger Mark Parrish assisted on the 1st of only 2 Stars' goals as they fell to the host Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2. The helper snapped a 19 game assist-less streak dating to November 28. Parrish now has 6 goals and 4 assists for 10 points on 30 games. Parrish now has 10+ points in each of his 10 seasons. The assist, which came on the powerplay, was his first extra man helper since February 19, 2008 while still with the Minnesota Wild.

Buffalo center Tim Connolly kept up his good play with another goal as the Sabres edged the host Florida Panthers 3-2 in the SO. With 3 goals over the last 2 games Connolly now has 5 goals and 5 assists for 10 points on 12 games. The goal was the 75th of TimCo's 450 games career. For the 2nd straight season and 7th time on his 8 season career Connolly has notched 10+ points. Receiving the primary assist on the tying Panthers' goal was winger Richard Zednik. Zed now has 6 goals and 10 assists for 16 points on 34 games. He has notched a point-per-game over the last 5 contests with 1 goal and 4 assists. The helper made it Zednik's 9th straight season with 10+ assists.

Chicago d-man Aaron Johnson snapped an 8 game assist-less and point-less streak helping out on the lone Blackhawks' goal as they fell to the visiting Minnesota Wild 4-1. Johnson has 8 points (3 goals, 5 assists) on 26 games. For the 4th time in his 5 seasons, and his first since 2006-07, Johnson has reached the 5+ assist mark. He is currently only 2 assists away from tying his single season high of 7 from the 2006-07 season while still with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Check in soon for more updates, recaps, highlights, etcetera at FIW!

Saturday November 22

With a dozen games on tap on Saturday it was a ripe opportunity for Former Islander action, or so one would think. FIs made it to the scoresheet in only 5 of those tilts and even then the action was paltry at best. Here is a look at their contributions:

Less than 5 minutes in to play Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo was sidelined with a groin injury. A tweak seems to have rattled and rendered the starter unable to play for at least the next week. MRI findings were slight for injury but he will be reevaluated upon return home to Vancouver. Luongo faced and stopped only 1 shot and backup Curtis Sanford carried the rest of the load as the Canucks downed the host Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1. On a slightly sarcastic note, Luongo dropped his goals against average to 2.17 and increased his save percentage to .928 while keeping his record static at 11-5-2. We are wishing Roberto a speedy recovery.

Not injured, but not very effective, was New York Rangers' goaltender Stephen Valiquette who stopped 32 of 36 shots as the host Ottawa Senators thumped the Blueshirts 4-1. Vali dropped his 2nd straight start and now has a 2-2-0 record on the season with a .911 save percentage and a 2.60 goals against average. After starting the season on a mild hot streak Valiquette has surrendered 9 goals in his last 2 starts, both in the month of November.

Chicago defenseman Aaron Johnson had an assist on his team's 2nd goal as the Blackhawks overcame a 4-2 deficit to pull off a 5-4 OT win over the host Toronto Maple Leafs. Johnson snapped a 5 game point-less stretch and now has 7 points (3 goals, 4 assists) on 17 games. The helper was the 25th of Johnson's career and came in game #163. Receiving the lone assist on Toronto's 3rd goal was winger Jason Blake. Blakey has seemed to struggle this season but now has 3 goals and 7 assists for 10 points on 18 games. He has, however, managed 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) over the last 4 games.

St. Louis d-man and captain Eric Brewer was credited with the primary assist on the team's game winning powerplay goal as the Blues edged the host Minnesota Wild 2-1. Brewer has a less than stellar 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) on 18 games this season. Getting involved in the Blues' first goal is a surprise call up Steve Regier who received the secondary assist. On 3 games with the big club Regier has wowed with 3 goals and 1 assist for 4 points. The helper was the first of Regier's NHL career.

Washington d-man Tom Poti scored the first of only 2 Capitals' goals as they were thrashed by the host San Jose Sharks 7-2. Poti snapped a 5 game goal-less and point-less run and now has 3 goals and 3 assists for 6 points on 15 games. The 3 goals already surpasses his 2 goal effort from last season, a feat that took 71 games to accomplish.



Check back soon for more updates and highlights at FIW.

Sunday November 9

Wrapping up a volatile weekend the NHL had 5 games on the Sunday schedule. Former Islanders were still making noise contributing in 3 of those competitions. Here is a look at their efforts:

Chicago defenseman Aaron Johnson netted the game winner with 57 seconds remaining in the 1st period as the Blackhawks downed the visiting Calgary Flames 6-1. Johnson snapped a 4 game goal-less run and now has 6 points (3 goals, 3 assists) on 11 games. The game winner was the 3rd of Johnson's career and his first since November 26, 2005 while in his second season with the Columbus Blue Jackets - a span of 125 games without a winning tally. Johnson also had a +3 rating on the game to improve to a team best +11 on the season. Johnson has been a pleasant pick up for the 'Hawks who signed the UFA in the offseason after the Isles cut ties with him.

Only 3 games back from a back injury suffered in the opening game Florida defenseman Bryan McCabe started making some offensive noise again. McCabe received the secondary assist on the game winning goal as the Panthers nixed the host Anaheim Ducks for a 3-1 victory on the heals of the hat trick but winger David Booth. McCabe now has 2 assists on 4 games this season and looks to turn around from the unexpected injury that sidelined him for nearly a month.

Phoenix center Olli Jokinen capped off an impressive offensive weekend with a 3 point effort as the Coyotes doubled up on the visiting San Jose Sharks for a 4-2 win. O-Jok had 2 goals and a powerplay helper to lead the offensive charge. Jokinen now has 16 points (7 goals, 9 assists) on 13 games this season and has managed 5 points (3 goals, 2 assists) over the last 2 games. O-Jok is tied for the team lead in goals and paces the team in helpers and points. He has also notched 7 of his points (3 goals, 4 assists) with the extra man.

Check back soon for more updates and recaps.

Monday November 3

Former Islanders were busy yet again despite a slow 3 game night around the NHL. FIs made boxscore contributions in 2 of those tilts and newsworthies in the other one. Here is a look:

New Jersey backup goaltender Kevin Weekes gave a noble effort in his first start of the season but the Devils' lack of offense let him down as the visiting Buffalo Sabres walked out of Trenton with a 2-0 victory. Weekes stopped 28 of 30 shots, including 19 of 20 in the 1st period, to keep his team in it throughout. Weekes is now 0-1-0 on the season with a 2.00 goals against average and a .933 save percentage. The next Devils game is on Wednesday and with all the silence shrouding the elbow injury to starter Martin Brodeur it looks like Weekes may be starting at lesat another competition.

Congratulations to Columbus Blue Jackets' center Michael Peca who played in his 800th career game last night against none other than the Isles - a 4-3 OT win for the Orange and Blue. Peca did not make an offensive impact but he did log over 16 and a half minutes in his 7th game of the season. Peca would likely have reached the 800 game milestone a couple of seasons ago had it not been for serious injuries sidelining him for extensive stretches. Speaking of injuries, winger Raffi Torres returned from his most recent one after suffering a shoulder boo boo on opening night. Torres was not expected back until mid-November but made enough strides physically to return sooner. Torres clocked nearly 17 minutes of ice time and took 4 shots.

Chicago defenseman Aaron Johnson received a secondary assist on the team's 2nd goal as the Blackhawks thumped the visiting Colorado Avalanche 6-2. Johnson snapped a 3 game point-less stretch and now has 2 goals and 3 assists for 5 points on 10 games. Contributing for the Avs was winger Ryan Smyth who received the primary assist on their 2nd goal. Smyth also snapped a recent 3 game point drought and now has 8 points on 4 goals and 4 assists. Smyth has suited up for all 12 Colorado games this season.

Check in soon for more news, updates and highlights at FIW.

FI Leaders: The Opening Weeks

Here is a quick recap of the offensive and goaltending leaders among Former Islanders:

Forwards and Defenseman

Goals: Todd Bertuzzi (CGY) - 6 goals (9 games)

Assists: Olli Jokinen (PHX) - 6 assists (7 games)

Points: Jokinen - 7 points & Ryan Smyth (COL) - 7 points (9 games)

+/- Rating: Roman Hamrlik (MTL) - +6 (8 games)

Penalties in Minutes: Eric Godard (PIT) - 37 minutes (10 games)

Average Time On Ice: Zdeno Chara (BOS) - 26:40 ice time (10 games)

Shots On Goal: Jason Blake (TOR) - 33 shots (8 games)

Shooting Percentage: Aaron Johnson (CHI) - 40% (2 for 5)

Powerplay Goals: Bertuzzi - 4 powerplay goals

Powerplay Assists: Jokinen & Chara - 3 powerplay assists

Shorthanded Assists: Hamrlik & Tom Poti (WAS) - 1 shorthanded assist

Goaltenders

Most Wins: Roberto Luongo (VAN) - 4 wins (8 starts) & Chris Osgood (DET) - 4 wins (6 starts)

Most Losses: Luongo - 4 losses

Goals Against Average: Valiquette (NYR) - 1.44 (2 starts)

Save Percentage: Valiquette - .939

Shutouts: Luongo & Valiquette - 1 shutout

Shootout Save Percentage: Chris Osgood - 100% (2 for 2)

Saturday October 25 - 15 Games!

Every single NHL team was playing on Saturday in a rare night for hockey. The 96 goals scored among the teams was the most since January 23, 1993 when 12 games accounted for 103 goals. With every team in play the atmosphere was high for FI contributions and they did not disappoint. FIs made impacts in 9 games. Let us take a look at those accomplishments:

New Atlanta defenseman Mathieu Schneider scored his first goal and had his first multi-point effort since joining the squad during the preseason. Schneids knocked home a powerplay goal and added a powerplay assist but all was for nought as the Boston Bruins slipped by the visiting Thrashers 5-4. Schneider now has 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) on 8 games with Atlanta but has since his offensive contributions tempered by his -8 rating. That could be the kind of season Schneider is looking at: 40 points, -30something but we can hope not.

A game after being scratched for his inconsistent effort Toronto winger Jason Blake was back on the boxscore. Blake had a powerplay assist on the opening tally as the Maple Leafs outlasted the Ottawa Senators for a 3-2 victory. Blakey now has 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists) on 7 games and is among team leaders in shots on goal (29) and +/- rating (+1). One could imagine the healthy scratch was a warning and is not going to become a common occurrence for the high-priced Blake.

In only his 2nd game back after his 5 game suspension for assaulting a referee (argued down from 10) Columbus center Michael Peca made an impact offensively. Peca assisted on the lone Blue Jackets' goal as they fell to the host Minnesota Wild 2-1. Having playing in only 3 games so far this season, Peca has 1 helper this year. He has, however, also amassed an impressive 24 penalty minutes.

Also making his first notching his first point of the season was Los Angeles center Derek Armstrong. Army assisted on the too-little-too-late goal as the Kings fell to the host Nashville Predators 5-4 as LA does its tour of the Midwest. With the helper Armstrong snapped a 7 game point-less streak dating back to last season. More shocking than Armstrong not having recorded a point until game 7 of the season is that he has only taken 4 shots in that time.

In his first game back after being sidelined for almost 2 weeks with a leg injury Washington forward Viktor Kozlov started contributing again. Kozlov assisted on the Capitals' 5th goal as they survived a last minute comeback by the host Dallas Stars to pull off a 6-5 OT win. Kozzer has 2 assists on 4 games this season but has yet to net a goal despite having thrown 6 shots on goal.

D-man Aaron Johnson is turning out to be a nice offseason pick up by the Chicago Blackhawks. Johnson dropped in the 'Hawks 2nd goal as they were edged by the visiting Detroit Red Wings 6-5 in SO. Johnson has had goals in back-to-back games and now has 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists) on 6 games this season. He is currently tied with marquee d-man Brian Campbell for the team's goal scoring lead among blueliners and is only one assist behind him for blueline scoring. This was the first time Johnson has ever had goals in consecutive games, a major accomplishment considering he has never had more than 3 tallies on a season before. Also getting involved was teammate Brent Sopel who assisted on the team's 4th goal. Sopel has 1 assist on 7 games this season snapping a 6 game point-less drought to start the year and an aggregate 8 game drought dating back to last season.

Ryan Smyth was the hero of the night in Colorado netting the winning goal in the 5th round of the SO as the Avalanche slipped by the visiting Buffalo Sabres for a 2-1 win. With the game in his hands, Smyth knocked home the winning goal. He also stirred up a little controversy after supposedly knocking the knob of Sabres' goaltender Ryan Miller's stick knocking him off balance when the Avs scored their lone goal of regulation with less than 7 minutes to play in regulation. Smyth received the secondary assist on that goal. Smyth has had an impressive start to the season with 7 points (4 goals, 3 assists) on 8 games. He has notched all 7 of those points in the last 6 games despite not having scored a point in the prior tilt. On nights that Smyth has recorded at least one point the Avalanche have a 4-1 record and a are a total of 25-5 including last season!

Calgary winger Todd Bertuzzi woke up from a 2 game slumber to net his team-leading 6th goal (tied with Jarome Iginla) as the Flames steamrolled past the host Phoenix Coyotes 4-1. Bert opened the scoring only 3:25 in to regulation with a powerplay goal, his 4th of the season. He now he has 6 goals on 8 games to start the season. Bert is scoring at a 30% rate having compiled 20 shots. He does, however, have a -5 rating. It took Bertuzzi until game 26 of last season to record his 6th goal.

It was a matchup made for FIW as the Vancouver Canucks hosted the Edmonton Oilers. There was a combined 7 FIs (4 Vancouver, 3 Edmonton) between the two teams. Four of those players made impacts. Canucks' goaltender Roberto Luongo stopped 25 of 28 shots for his fourth win of the season as Vancouver knocked off the Oil 6-3. Luongo stopped a 2 game losing streak and now has a 4-3-0 record with a 3.29 goals against average and an .889 save percentage. If it were not for the fact that the Canucks' offense has been much more potent than expected, Luongo would not even be able to boast of a winning record considering his recent poor play. In only his 2nd game since being called up from the Manitoba Moose, center Jason Krog knocked in a powerplay goal to cap the scoring. Krog has 1 goal on 2 games this season and the tally was his first in the NHL since February 3, 2006 while with the New York Rangers. Take it a step further and the extra man goal was Krog's first since before the lockout on November 21, 2004. At that time Krog was still playing with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. As well, Saturday's powerplay goal came in Krog's 200th career NHL game. Lighting things up for Edmonton was winger Robert Nilsson who torched Luongo for a goal and an assist. Snapping a 3 game point-less run, Nilsson now has 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists) on 7 games this season. The multi-point effort was Nilsson's first since March 28. And finally, surprising everyone is Denis Grebeshkov who is 1 point off the team leader and is currently tied for the lead in scoring among Oil defenseman with Sheldon Souray. Greb helped himself again netting his first goal of the year. He now has 5 points (1 goal, 4 assists) on 7 games. Grebeshkov as well snapped a 3 game drought. The goal came on only his 2nd shot of the season.

While things will not be this busy again this season, please check in soon for more updates and highlights at FIW.

Wednesday October 22

With 5 games on Wednesday night things seemed primed for some major Former Islander contributions. Alas, an FI accomplishment occurred in only 20% of those games or 1 contest for those of you allergic to simple math. Let us take a look:

Chicago defenseman Aaron Johnson netted an insurance goal as the Blackhawks blanked the visiting Edmonton Oilers for a 3-0 win. Johnson received the 3rd star of the game honor and is playing very well on the Chicago blueline racking up 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) on 5 games with all 3 points coming in the last 4 tilts. The goal snapped a 38 game drought dating back to March 29, 2007 while Johnson was still with his original squad, the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Check in soon for more updates at FIW.

Saturday October 18

Busy, busy, busy. The NHL was buzzing on Saturday with 13 games including 12 nighttime matchups. One week removed from a full 15 game schedule, the competition definitely seems to be heating up. Former Islanders are making their efforts known and continued to make noise in 6 of those rumbles. Here is a recap of their workload:

Colorado winger Ryan Smyth continued to show off what he can do when he is healthy as he notched the Avalanche's 4th goal of the game as they beat the host Dallas Stars 5-4. Smyth popped in a powerplay goal for his 2nd tally of the season. He now has 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists) on 5 games with all 4 points coming in the last 3. All 4 of Smyth's points have come on the man advantage.


Washington defenseman John Erskine made his first offensive impact of the year receiving the primary assist on the game tying goal as the Capitals eventually fell 4-3 to the visiting New Jersey Devils in the SO. Erskine now has 1 assist on 4 games this season.




Detroit goalie Chris Osgood improved to above .500 by holding off the pesky New York Rangers for a 5-4 OT win. Ozzie stopped 28 of 32 shots faced to improve to 2-1-1 on the season. He currently has a 3.25 goals against average and an .884 save percentage. Osgood has not dropped a decision in regulation since the season opener going 2-0-1 over his last 3 starts.


Quiz: Who has as many goals as Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, combined? Answer: Miroslav Satan. Miro continued his quick start by netting the game winning powerplay goal midway through the 2nd period as the Pittsburgh Penguins knocked off the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1. Satan has 3 goals and 2 assists for 5 points on 6 games. All 3 of Satan's goals and 1 assist have come on the man advantage. Also getting involved in the extra man action was former teammate and current Leaf Jason Blake. Blakey had an assist on the opening goal of the game, a powerplay special courtesy of Nik Antropov. Blake has 1 goal and 2 assists for 3 points on the first 5 games of the year.

Chicago d-man Aaron Johnson assisted on a Brian Campbell goal for the 2nd time is as many games. Johnson now has 2 assists on 3 games with the Blackhawks and helped his new team as Chicago fell 4-3 in SO to the host St. Louis Blues. The last time Johnson had assists in consecutive games was between March 28-31, 2006 while in his sophomore year with the Columbus Blue Jackets.


Calgary winger Todd Bertuzzi kept his scoring streak going on Saturday netting his 5th goal in 4 games as he opened the scoring with a powerplay goal only 4:17 in to play as the Flames fell to the host Edmonton Oilers 3-2. Bert has 5 goals on only 5 games to lead the Calgary offense. As well, Bertuzzi is riding a 3 game powerplay goal scoring streak. Considering he has only taken 13 shots, Bertuzzi is doing remarkably currently scoring at a 38.5% rate.

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Wednesday October 15

With the last of 3 presidential debates taking center stage on Wednesday it is easy to overlook the 5 NHL games that were going on around the league but not for Former Islander Watch. We were keeping our eyes on the debate and the games to make sure you get your accurate and up to date FI news. Three FIs made offensive impacts in 2 games around the league. Let us look at their workloads:

Boston captain Zdeno Chara assisted on his team's 2nd goal, a powerplay tally, as the Bruins battled back from a 3-0 deficit to tie but eventually lose the game 4-3 in SO to the host Montreal Canadiens. It was the first matchup of these two Original Six squads since their heated 7 game first round playoff battle from last spring at it got feisty as times. Chara is off to a modest start with 2 assists in his first 3 games. Both of those helpers have come with the man advantage.

Highly ranked in preseason predictions, Chicago have been off to a slow start going winless in their first 2 games but the Blackhawks turned their luck around in game 3 knocking off the visiting Phoenix Coyotes 4-1. Conversely, the defeat was the first for the Coyotes in 3 tilts. Getting involved was Chicago defenseman Aaron Johnson who assisted on the 'Hawks' 4th goal. Playing in only his 2nd game with Chicago, Johnson has recorded his first assist for the team. The assist happened to come on fellow d-man Brian Campbell's first goal as a 'Hawk after he struggled through his first 2 games to make an impression. Also getting involved was Phoenix FI Olli Jokinen who had a powerplay assist on the lone Coyotes' goal. O-Jok's tenure with Phoenix has started off nicely with the center riding a 3 game point scoring streak to start the season. Jokinen now has 1 goal and 3 assists for 4 points on 3 games. All 4 of those points have come on the man advantage. Despite the loss, things are looking up for Phoenix as Jokinen has seemed to have taken the reins of this team providing them that much needed depth down the middle they have lacked for so long. Hmm... in fact this new version of the Coyotes seems a lot like the Florida Panthers team that Jokinen led for so long except with talented young players who actually contribute!

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