New York Islanders In Good Place With Roy
Stefen Rosner of NHL.com : The good news for the New York Islanders is that they are believed to be in a solid position with the team. Now comes the hard part. Can the Islanders improve on last year and more than just squeeze into the playoffs?
“He’s got the fire,” said Hockey Hall of Fame center Pierre Turgeon, who played with Roy for the Montreal Canadiens in 1995. “He’s emotional. He’s got all of his emotions under him. He wants to win. He was the same as a player. It was all about one thing. He wants to win.”
There are few coaches who love hockey like Roy. It comes through in his practices and how he coaches on the ice. The hope is that the Islanders can turn that 8-0-1 finish into a more consistent 2024-25 start. His player experience is as important as his coaching experience.
New York will need both to be more successful this upcoming season.
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James Hagens And The Top Pick
Mark Masters: It is well known that Hagens projects out to the number one pick for the 2025 NHL Draft. The playmaker from the US National Team Development Program Under-18 Team racked up 102 points in 58 games.
He was the player who averaged more than three points per game (22 in seven contests) at the 2024 World U-18 Championships.
Clearly, he wanted revenge against Canada and he showed up in a big way on Saturday. Now, it is a long way till next June but Hagens is clearly at the head of the class when it comes to the number one draft pick. Boston College has quite a player for a Freshman this Fall.
The One That Got Away
Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey NOW: If there is one thing Doug Wilson regrets then that is letting Joe Pavelski walk away in free agency. The San Jose Sharks Center was a mainstay until 2019. Pavelski retired as the top scorer from the 2003 draft (1068 points and 476 goals).
People often forget that Pavelski did not get chosen until the 205th pick that draft. Finds like that are rare although not impossible.
Yes, it remains hard to believe 204 prospects were drafted before Pavelski. The Center retired having one of the best sets of hands in power-play situations.
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Not seeing Pavelski on the ice this season will still feel a little odd.
