Auf Wiedersehen Nino

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

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

Nino played 64 games for the Isles:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

Hart Trophy Vote

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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