Josh is a Keeper, but right Now?

Well, I've been wanting to post something about Josh Bailey for a while now and I am finally getting the opportunity (or time). Last summer you all may remember how the Islanders traded down twice in the draft after holding the 5th pick overall. And pretty much everyone, including me, raked the Islanders over the coals for not selecting Nikita Filatov. Well, it's time I gave the Islanders credit for finally making a good selection. Josh Bailey is a keeper.

Not only has he shown signs of maturity at such a young age, but he's shown flashes of brilliance with a high level of ability and skill, as well as hockey sense. I am finally giving GM Garth Snow and the scouting staff a thumbs up on this one.

That being said, I am worried about the kid. He only has one assist in the last 5 games and he's still struggling to score his first NHL goal. Recently, in a big interview involving former NHL coach Barry Melrose, he remarked on #1 overall pick Steven Stamkos and said he believes the kid is not ready to play in the NHL. Melrose believes Stamkos is not yet physically mature at 18 years old to beat out defensemen in the NHL who are 6'3" and bigger. I don't know if the same can be said for Bailey, but there may be some validity to it.

I'm on the fence because I don't believe Bailey had nothing left to learn from going back to junior and playing with the Windsor Spitfires, who are a powerhouse and possible Memorial Cup favorite this year. And I think he could have received a great experience in going to the World Juniors.

Now that he and the Islanders are struggling a little, there are some whispers he still could be sent to play with team Canada in the upcoming weeks. My question is would the Islanders reconsider and bite the bullet of the first year of his contract by sending Bailey back to Windsor following the tournament? The time for the Islanders is not now. It is the future as they rebuild. Josh Bailey is part of the Islanders future. I just don't want to see the Islanders rush a kid like they have so many times in the past.

HNLI Appearance: I am pleased to announce that I will be co-hosting the Hockey Night on Long Island Show this coming Saturday, December 13th at 3:30pm. I will be joining Steve with what should be another packed hour of Islanders talk. So make sure you tune in. Just follow the link I've provided to the show page.

Other news & notes: I am pleased to see Blake Comeau back up and scored a goal last night at Philadelphia. Sorry to see that it was at the expense of Jeff Tambellini, who was sent down to Bridgeport for a 2 week conditioning stint. Time is starting to run out for Tambellini, who can't seem to translate his AHL game to the NHL. It seems to me that he is just not big enough to get to where he needs to be on the ice so he can get off that great shot of his.

I am so jealous of the Boston Bruins and all their fast, big, young talent with guys at every position like Lucic, Kessel, Wheeler, Chara, Krejci and Savard. If only the Islanders could build a similar team.

When the Islanders drafted Bruno Gervais and Chris Campoli in the late rounds they saw something they liked about these kids but lets face it, they both were project defensemen. In my book, it takes a project defenseman a good 200 games in the NHL to really take that next step. Last night Campoli played his 200th game. What bothers me is I feel like they both still can be useful players but neither one has really stepped it up consistently yet. Plus, they both as witnessed by their horrible plus/minus are constantly on the ice for opposing goals.

I saw the recent articles by Chris Botta and Darren Dreger about the two unsigned college seniors that the Islanders and reportedly just about every one else are interested in. From everything I have heard, Matt Gilroy, the BU defenseman grew up on Long Island AND was an Islanders fan. So I believe if the Islanders offer him a fair deal it should be a given that he will sign on board here. Like everyone else I'm not so sure about Tyler Bozak.

Something that I really believe will be a savior for the Islanders going into the future will be the development of home grown Long Island talent. Just like the Islanders thanked him in 1980, you can give another big thank you to the efforts of Bob Nystrom, and Gerry Hart, for beginning to plant the seeds for youth hockey back in the late 1980's. Now we are seeing a boom in hockey players from Long Island good enough to turn professional. The Islanders need to capitalize on this movement. It is something that I believe can continue to revitalize the organization as they move forward into the future. Adding a kid like Gilroy and making a summer pitch for Mike Komisarek, if he is still available, would be a start in the right direction.