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Barclays Inaugural Season…Could Be THE Season for Islanders

A new era in Islanders hockey

Members of the media take a guided tour of the Barclays Center during the start of New York Islanders first preseason skate at the arena. The team will call the Barclays Center home at the start of the 2015-16 season. (Sept. 12, 2013) (Credit: James Escher)

Members of the media take a guided tour of the Barclays Center during the start of New York Islanders first preseason skate at the arena. The team will call the Barclays Center home at the start of the 2015-16 season. (Sept. 12, 2013) (Credit: James Escher)

 

Tradition has a new home, along with a new sweater, helmet, and last minute trades. Before we know it the puck will drop in Brooklyn for the first time in a regulation season game. The New York Islanders have been in the news as of late, with the passing of all star coach Al Arbour on August 28, and recently the trade of longtime Islander Michael Grabner.

On September 16, the Islanders unleashed their brand new third jerseys.  The black and white (similar style of the NBA Brooklyn Nets) themed sweater was traditionalized with an Al Arbour memorial shoulder patch, bringing some of the old into the new.

In larger news, it was an interesting off-season for the Isles with the historic signing of the first Chinese player Andong Song to the massive trade of Michael Grabner with the Toronto Maple Leafs. In exchange for Grabner the Isles picked up Taylor Beck, Matthew Finn, Christopher Gibson, Tom Nilsson and Carter Verhaeghe.

Beck, 24, forward, appeared in 62 NHL games last season with the Nashville Predators, scoring sixteen points (eight goals, eight assists). Nashville selected the St. Catherines, ON, native in the third round (70th overall) of the 2009 NHL Draft.

Finn, 21, was Toronto’s second round pick (35th overall) in the 2012 NHL Draft. The Toronto, ON, native spent his first professional season with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL last season, totaling one goal and two assists in 28 games. The defenseman led the Guelph Storm to an OHL Championship in 2013-14.

Gibson, 22, goaltender from Karkkila, Finland. Played in 45 AHL games with the Marlies last season, he posted a 24-17-3 record with a 2.42 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage. The Los Angeles Kings selected Gibson in the second round (49th overall) of the 2011 Draft.

Nilsson, 22, played 44 AHL games with Toronto last season. Nilsson was a fourth-round selection (100th overall) in the 2011 Draft.

Verhaeghe, 20, forward from Toronto, served as captain of the Niagara IceDogs of the OHL last season. The Maple Leaf’s third-round (82nd overall) selection in the 2013 Draft, Verhaeghe won gold with Team Canada at the 2013 Under-18 World Junior Championships.

Along with the Grabner trade the Islanders had quite a bit of action right before the opening of training camp. Brock Nelson signed a three-year contract for $7.5 million and PTO invite Steve Bernier signed a one-year deal.

The Isles proved to the league last season that they are here to win, although the playoffs ended in the first round, the Isles showed they have what it takes to be a Stanley Cup contender. With depth in their goaltending team, and the strong defense and offense led by Captain John Tavares, the question is can the boys bring the cup home to Brooklyn this season?

The Islanders take the ice for the first time this upcoming Monday for a preseason game against the Philadelphia Flyers.

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