Kyle Bats With the Minnesota Twins

Kyle Okposo checked in with Islanders TV recently when they filmed a fun, short clip of him taking batting practice with the Minnesota Twins. Kyle, as most of you know, is originally from St. Paul, Minnesota and has told me many times that he is a big Twins fan.

The Twins, currently in first place in their division, let Kyle take some batting practice swings against manager Ron Gardenhire. The clip, which can be seen here, also shows Kyle meeting some of his hometown baseball heroes, such as Joe Mauer. It looks like it was a fun day for all involved.

As I am also a big baseball fan (the Twins being one of my favorite teams), it is only right that I offer an opinion on Kyle's baseball 'skills':

My crude MLB scouting report on Kyle Okposo (20-80 scale): Batting: 70, Throwing: 20. I think he'd better stick to hockey. :)

Will Travis Hamonic Make the Team?

"I definitely feel ready." - Travis Hamonic

With each passing day we get closer to September and training camp, and while most people are not yet thinking about hockey, I am. Though I love summer weather and all of the outdoor activities that come with it, I look forward to getting back ice-side and seeing young players compete for jobs with our Islanders.

And one positional battle that I'm especially looking forward to seeing involves young defenseman Travis Hamonic.

If you recall, Hamonic was drafted during the second round of the 2008 NHL Entry draft in Ottawa, Ontario. At draft time he measured in at 6'2" and 215 pounds, but told us this summer that he was specifically trying to bulk up.

"I’m going to continue to put on a couple more pounds of muscle mass and grow and get stronger and get fitter in the weight room," he said after his Long Island Blue vs. Orange scrimmage appearance. He mentioned that he would be spending time in Winnipeg this summer skating with pros in order to prepare himself for the coming preseason camp.

"It's going to be all mindset and physical set," Hamonic continued. "I've got to make sure that I come in knowing that I have an opportunity to make the team. The coaching staff is definitely going to do what they feel is right with me and I'm going to do it with a smile on my face."

Hamonic went on to further make his case by saying "I've had a lot of success in Juniors," but now that he's 20 years old "things have changed from last year" and it's time to "turn a page" into professional hockey.

Well, Hamonic did turn a page of sorts this spring when the Islanders inked him to a 3-year entry level pro contract. So the Islanders are obviously happy with his development to this point, but while the ink was drying on the paperwork they went out and radically reshaped their defense. So the question to be asked is not if Hamonic can make the team out of camp, but will he?

Most of the projections I have seen put Travis as an eventual top 4 defenseman. But with the signings of Mark Eaton, Milan Jurcina, and the trade for James Wisniewski it seems as if Travis is bound to get squeezed down the depth chart, if not out of the picture for this season completely. With a healthy Radek Martinek back and Mark Streit going nowhere, I'm also wondering what will come of the Hillen/MacDonald/Gervais battle for the last spots on D.

So, is Hamonic destined for Bridgeport (AHL) this season? Well, if he looks as improved in camp as he did on both sides of the puck in the scrimmage, it will be tough to ship him out. If there are a flurry of early injuries at the NHL level then he'll definitely be in the mix. But I think even if he comes out and knocks everyone's socks off this preseason, the Islanders will still be hard pressed to move him ahead of their veterans. In a fact, a mandatory year of pro development at Bridgeport may already be the plan for the 20-year old, as far as we know. And this is why I love the preseason. Because the only way we're going to know is by letting it all shake out next month.

Let's Learn More About Brock Nelson

When we last saw Brock Nelson, he had taken part in the Islanders summer Orange-Blue scrimmage and was preparing for World Juniors evaluation camp. We had a chance to speak with Brock after his Long Island appearance and get his thoughts on a few things, and we have an update on his recent performance.

If you remember, the Islanders selected Nelson with the final pick (30th) in the first round back in June's entry draft. Admittedly, we didn't know much about the young centerman at the time.

Currently enrolled at the University of North Dakota and already taking summer classes, Brock first told us about his draft day experience. He mentioned that it was a bit of a surprise and an honor for the Isles to move up and snatch him in the first round. Nearing the end of Day 1, he and his family expected to hear Brock's name called on the second day of the draft, but felt elated when they heard the New York Islanders select him just before the end of the round.

It was equally thrilling for Brock to get the chance to play in an NHL arena (at the scrimmage) just weeks removed from high school, though he admitted that he didn't get to speak very much with the Islanders coaching staff or some of their young stars. He did speak a bit about his congratulatory phone call from Kyle Okposo, who just wished him the best and told Brock to have fun at this time in his life.

With regards to the scrimmage itself, we can happily report that Brock did not look out of place, but noted that the one area he wishes to improve is his overall strength. He knows that the NHL game is much faster than anything he has experienced to this point in his career. He was also sure to praise Long Island and its fans; always a good move in our book. He mentioned the prospect fishing trip and their Mets game as two of the week's highlights.

More recently Brock has shined at the World Junior development camp in an attempt to make that squad in December. His 2 goal, 1 assist (in 3 games) performance in Lake Placid apparently impressed both the USA coaching staff and that of the Islanders. The talk now is of how much an asset his large frame may be to the Isles in the future. He told us that he models his game after Anze Kopitar's; not a bad player to emulate.

As the summer drags on, we'll have a few more tidbits from other prospects who participated in the scrimmage. Come September and October Okposo Net expects to bring you greater and more frequent access to Islanders players and prospects unlike ever before. We are getting very excited about the coming season, and we hope you are too.

Garth Listens to Us

It was just mere days ago that we implored general manager Garth Snow to pick up the pace on the trade front. Well, tonight (7/30) he listened, acquiring defenseman James Wisniewski from Anaheim for a conditional third round draft pick in 2011. It's a small price to pay for improving the blueline corps, and we applaud Garth.

Looking at the numbers, last season Wisniewski netted 3 goals and 27 assists. Looking back over his last 3 NHL campaigns, if he remains healthy he appears to be good for around a 30 point season with a few goals sprinkled into that total. Furthermore, word on J.W. (sorry, we're getting tired of typing his surname) is that he can actually play defense. In the team-issued press release regarding the deal, Garth Snow was quick to point out that Wisniewski brings an "added element of toughness" to the team.

It remains to be seen what this means for one of the other Islanders d-men, most likely Bruno Gervais. Will there be another transaction to follow in order to solve the sudden logjam? We await Garth's next move.

Follow Up: Perception Is Reality

Rather than just bemoaning the current state of the Islanders (hey, it's what we do best), we should have taken another step and suggested some ways to improve. Well, our good friend Rob McGowan of the The Hockey Writers has just done that. Please check out his newest piece at once.

As stated yesterday, we too would have liked to have seen Alex Frolov come to the Island. We agree with Rob's initial suggestions, but would stay away from Paul Kariya. Remember, McGowan is referring only to currently available free agents. In any event, take a few moments to read and share your thoughts with Rob.

Perception Is Reality

The New York Islanders are having a fairly good summer, though you wouldn't know it if you talked to many of their fans this offseason. Garth Snow set out to improve his team's spotty defense; he added free agents Mark Eaton and Milan Jurcina to help. It is also expected that at least one of team's highly touted defensive prospects will see time in Uniondale during the upcoming season. Garth addressed team toughness a bit by adding "Big Z" to the mix. (At least they'll have someone watching the prized forwards' backs this season, if nothing else). The team also retained 30-goal scorer Matt Moulson's services without having to endure a messy arbitration hearing. The affable winger received a one year deal worth $2.45 million. Sounds good, right?

But to hear many Islanders fans speak, the offseason has been one of loss and management buffoonery. Exiled from the club over the last three months have been former great Bryan Trottier, assistant general manager Ryan Jankowski, and broadcaster (and all around good guy) Billy Jaffe. Whether these forced departures were executed based on merit, economics, or who-know-what else, the timing of each was like a monthly slap in the face to the team's loyal fans.

As if that wasn't bad enough, there was the entire Ilya Kovalchuk sideshow that the Islanders somehow drew themselves into. Rumors circulated that the Isles were a bidder for his services, then had made an offer, then had done nothing at all. Fans, desperate for a magic bullet, lapped up these stories each day. It all amounted to nothing. The Islanders would have been better served to have never made a peep about Kovalchuk.

To top it all off, a further indignation was suffered today when Alexander Frolov signed with the New York Rangers. Your opinion may differ, but we think the winger would have been the perfect addition to the young Isles squad. We love good players coming off of a down year, and Frolov fit a need for the Isles. He would have beefed up the scoring from the left side, and he would have come fairly cheaply (he signed for 1 year/$3 million). But now he's with the Islanders' archrival.

The truth of the matter is that Garth Snow has been patient and mostly done what he has promised. But this upcoming season is the one where it is all supposed to come together. Scott Gordon will enter the third and final season of his coaching contract, and the fans are expecting a playoff birth. The promise of 'potential' can only take you so far before people expect results. And we are fast approaching that time.

Say what you will about how fickle and pessimistic the fans can be, but the harsh reality is that it has been almost 20 years since they have had something go berserk (in a good way) over. As one fan told us, the team has essentially become the "Los Angeles Clippers of the NHL." Ouch.

Maybe Garth Snow needs to snap us all back to reality and tell us to stop living in the past, much the way Nick Saban did with Alabama's college football program. But he can have the same effect without saying anything at all. He needs to again deliver a transformative transaction. Have a moment that will not only change the roster of the team, but the culture around it. We understand he doesn't want to lose his way with the rebuild. But he also noted that he would make intelligent signings (which he has) and trades to augment the process. On the last point, he has come up a bit short.

Perhaps it's too late for it to happen this offseason, but we're a long way from the start of 2010-2011 playoff hockey. Until the Islanders secure their spot, the negative perceptions, whether fair or not, will continue to be the reality on Long Island.

The Curious Case of Kirill Kabanov

Most of the talk following the successful Blue versus Orange scrimmage last week has centered around young prospect Kirill Kabanov. We had a few minutes alone with Kabanov after the scrimmage and asked him about his life leading up to his selection. He shed some light on what it's like to grow up playing hockey in post-Soviet Russia, as well as his desire to make the NHL. While he can at most times be charming and engaging, there still seems to be an impish side to him lying just beneath the surface.

The impression that most people took away from his performance last Saturday night - and it was a performance - is that Kabanov is a uniquely talented showman. He loved being the center of attention, it seemed, and wanted to give the people what they paid to see. He tried shootout moves that dazzled, even if ultimately failing to put the puck in the net. But Kirill must know by now that hope is a plentiful commodity these days on the Nassau ice, and Kabanov did his best to add his brand of fuel to the speculative fire.

Afterward, Kabanov told us that practices in Russia can be a toil. Up at 6 AM, 4 hours on the ice a day before a full day of school, sometimes even waiting at the rink to practice. And that's before you factor in Moscow's traffic, which he said might mean another 3 or 4 hours per day in a car.

But since he has been a child his coaches have reared him on the dream of becoming an NHL player. Pressed for examples of his favorite players, he named two in Valeri Kharlamov and Ilya Kovalchuk; one a fine product of the old Soviet system and the latter a modern-day great. His commitment to his rigorous schedule and belief in reaching his goal seems genuine, contrary to the pre-draft cautionary tales that were as much associated with his name as his talent.

However, when confronted directly on that unsavory topic, Kabanov tried to deflect by half-heartedly saying things like "Sure, I'll do my best" and insisting that he really is, after all, a "good boy."

At this point in his development he has said all the right things about the Islanders, the fans, and New York. He went so far as to pledge that by this time next year he'll have a map of Long Island tattooed over his heart. One wonders, though, if this is genuine affection or just flattery.

You hope that for the sake of the young man and his team that it is all legitimate, because it would be a real shame if he wound up the NHL's version of 'Nook LaLoosh'. There is no question from the brief sample we saw that the talent on the ice is real. Does Kabanov have the complete package, including the maturity, to become a star? Time will tell.