Free Agency Opens Tomorrow

In case you were unsure about the date, the NHL's free agency period opens tomorrow, July 1st. General Manager Garth Snow will have some work to do this off-season, as his Islanders will look to bulk up their defense, as well as trying to improve other areas. Hopefully Garth can find some nice value forwards too, as the team has been woefully lacking in left-side scoring over the past few seasons (though Matt Moulson's breakout campaign last year was a delightful surprise). Overall team speed may need to be addressed too.

While we all wait on the team's minor league prospects to develop, many fans feel that making the playoffs in 2010-2011 should and can be a realistic goal for the team. With a deep free agent class about to set off a spending frenzy, we'll be watching and hoping that Garth is active in the coming days. If he is, we'll have the news right here as soon as any deals are confirmed.