Sean Cuthbert and Stefen Rosner are back in the studio with Islanders beat reporter Ethan Sears to discuss the upcoming season.
1:40 -Sean, Stefen and Ethan discuss their early takeaways from camp, especially after one full week of rookie camp. Ethan points out Isaiah George, William Dufour and Matthew Maggio and Stefen talks about new Bridgeport head coach Rick Kowalsky’s first time leading a rookie camp.
5:20 -Sean, Stefen and Ethan get into the main takeaways of training camp, including the bottom pair on defense, and Noah Dobson and Alexander Romanov’s confidence and growth. Dobson put up 49 points on one of the league’s worst power plays, had a lot of ups and downs (he went 19 games without a goal mid-season), so it’s promising to imagine what a better power play and little more consistency will do for Dobson.
“Bo Horvat – we all talked about it when they traded for him – the kind of player who the Islanders have needed to add for a long time and Pierre Engvall is the kind of player who has that top-six potential.”
– Ethan Sears on Bo Horvat and Pierre Engvall’s full-season impacts
10:35 -The boys talk about the new(ish) faces at camp in Bo Horvat and Pierre Engvall. Both players fit in seamlessly and have long contract extensions (8 years, $8.5M AAV and 7 years, $3M AAV, respectively) to prove their impact.
13:30 -Sean asks Stefen and Ethan about Lane Lambert’s second year at the helm.
17:00 -Ethan and Stefen talk about early line combinations and defense pairings. Although they obviously won’t be the opening day lines and pairs, the organizational philosophy of putting veterans and rookies together is very smart. They also talk about the importance of keeping Engvall with Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri. Because of how well that Nelson line ended the season, bringing Engvall back gives them a chance at a full season of dominance.
20:00 -Sean brings up the uncertainty surrounding Anders Lee and Oliver Wahlstrom’s positioning in the lineup. Ethan Sears brings up Lee’s advanced stats, and the underlying metrics that point to him not on a career decline (he had a career high in expected goals last season). Wahlstrom should have a chance to prove himself alongside Barzal and Horvat, even though he looks his best alongside Jean-Gabrel Pageau.
30:55 -Sean asks Stefen and Ethan about the overall “vibe” seen with the players so far at training camp and changes seen in the playing structure. Stefen points out the early emphasis on defensive breakouts and forwards getting open in transition, which something the team struggled with mightily last year.
34:15 -Sean asks the boys about what to expect from the early preseason and seeing some prospects getting playing time.
40:00 -Hero of the Week!
43:30- Questions Brewin!
Catch Hockey Night in New York with hosts Sean Cuthbert and Stefen Rosner live from Floored Media in Rockville Centre Sunday nights at 8PM ET throughout the season.