Comparing Brock Nelson and Chris Kreider's deals

Chris Kreider's Cap Geek page  

 I was perusing the Cap Geek numbers for former Fighting Sioux forward Brock Nelson and for former Boston College Eagles Chris Kreider and I was a bit shocked at the difference in numbers. It will be interesting to see how these two players’ careers play out.

 Brock Nelson's Cap Geek Page 

 

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Islanders won't pressure Nelson

This is the worst time of the year when fans of college hockey teams have to worry if they are going lose their favorite college hockey players. According to Chris Botta, who is a writer for the New York Times and the New York Islanders had this to say about Fighting Sioux forward Brock Nelson on his twitter feed. 

This past week, DU lost  blue chippers Jason Zucker and Drew Shore in a matter of couple of days. So you never know what will happen and fans always seem to worry up until the puck drops in October.

Evander Kane runs over Al Montoya

This happened in last night's game. Winnipeg Jets forward Evander Kane ran over Islanders starting goalie Al Montoya, Montoya would leave the game with an apparent upper body injury. If I had to guess if there was a suspension coming to Evander Kane. I would say I have no clue. 

UND’s Nelson, O’Donnell garner WCHA weekly honors

Image via WikipediaGRAND FORKS, N.D. – Outstanding performances by Brock Nelson and Brendan O’Donnell in a sweep at Alaska Anchorage have netted the North Dakota forwards Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) weekly honors, announced today by the conference office.

Nelson was named WCHA Offensive Player of the Week, while O’Donnell garnered WCHA Rookie of the Week honors. It was the second straight week in which Nelson captured at least a share of the award after being named WCHA co-Offensive Player of the Week one week earlier. A sophomore from Warroad, Minn., Nelson collected four goals and an assist in UND’s two wins at UAA last weekend. In Friday’s 5-2 victory, Nelson potted a pair of power-play goals and led all players with eight shots on goal. In Saturday’s 4-1 win, Nelson had two more goals, including the game-winner, and added an assist.

Nelson leads the WCHA with 12 goals during league games and has a team-leading 14 goals overall. His nine power-play goals lead the nation and are more than halfway to the UND single-season record of 17, shared by Ryan Duncan (2006-07) and Doug Smail (1979-80). A first-round draft pick of the New York Islanders in 2010, Nelson has 11 points (7g, 4a) during a current 4-game point streak and has four 2-goal games in his last six outings.

O’Donnell scored a pair of goals on Friday and was a +2, helping spark the eventual UND win. The Winnipeg, Manitoba, native scored twice in the game’s opening minutes, with the second goal holding up as the game-winner. A sixth-round draft pick of Tampa Bay in 2010, O’Donnell now has three goals in six games since returning from a six-game injury absence.

Bemidji State senior defenseman Brad Hunt was named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week.

Nelson, O’Donnell and the 19th-ranked Fighting Sioux (8-7-1, 6-6-0 WCHA) host Nebraska Omaha on Friday and Saturday at Ralph Engelstad Arena.

MEN’S HOCKEY – DECEMBER 6, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NHL re-alignment, NHL opts for four conferences

According to the USA Today this is the  NHL is going to look like next season. The good news is that everyone will play everyone twice a season. 

East 1: New York Rangers, New York Islanders, New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Carolina and Washington

East II: Florida, Tampa, Montreal, Toronto, Buffalo, Ottawa and Boston.

Central: Columbus, Detroit, Winnipeg, Nashville, Dallas, Minnesota, St. Louis and Chicago

West: Phoenix, Anaheim, Los Angeles, San Jose, Vancouver, Colorado, Edmonton and Calgary

Here are a few more detail from Darren Dreger of TSN.

  

He's back... Sid blows the door off of the Islanders

The face of the NHL is back and what a start for the Penguins Sidney Crosby; talk about coming back with a vengeance, two goals and two assists and eight shots on goal and Crosby logged 15:54 of ice time.

I think most of us will realize that the game of hockey is better off with Sidney Crosby in the line up. Crosby had been out of the lineup since January 5th, 2011 when he suffered a concussion after being driven hard into the boards by Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman.

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Ryan Strome shootout goal.

Check out this sick goal by New York Islanders prospect Ryan Strome, who was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2011 NHL Draft. The video was taken at the New York Islanders development camp at the Nassau Coliseum over the weekend. Ryan Strome is known for highlight goals [click to view].

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Jason Gregoire: Snow Has Been “First-class” College draft picks weighing all of their options

Image via WikipediaChriss Botta an Islanders blogger has an interesting blog post about former Fighting Sioux Forward Jason Gregoire and former UNH defenseman Blake Kessel. It would appear that some hockey prospects aren't too keen on playing for the New York Islanders. My question to Jason Gregoire is why didn't you just stay and play another year for the Fighting Sioux hockey team?

Chris Botta; NYI Point Blank ---- For Jason Gregoire and Blake Kessel, it’s nothing personal with the Islanders. Four years after being drafted by the Islanders, three years into their college hockey careers, Gregoire and Kessel appear to be simply utilizing their Collective Bargaining Agreement rights to consider offers from the other 29 teams in the NHL. They hope you’d understand.

“The ideal for me would be to sign with the Islanders,” Gregoire told Point Blank in a phone conversation last night. “They are the team that drafted me and, from the beginning, I’ve had a great relationship with the team. I was at three prospect camps, got to know the area and the staff and come through the ranks with the guys. I have nothing but great things to say about the organization and I’m happy that no doors are being closed.”

It’s not difficult to read between the lines. Gregoire left North Dakota last week, Kessel withdrew from New Hampshire earlier this week. Unable to come to terms with the Islanders on Entry Level contracts to this point, Gregoire is taking advantage of a clause in the CBA that allows college players to become free agents four years after they were drafted. Kessel is said to be considering the same. Both Gregoire and Kessel played a year in the United States Hockey League before starting college.

Here is a link to a story that was also in the New York Times Slap Shot blog that was written by Chris Botta as well. [Slap Shot Blog]

Ness signs contract with N.Y. Islanders

This is one of those moves I would classify as being a head scratcher of the silly season, the underperforming Aaron Ness has decided to fore go his final year of eligibility to sign with the hapless New York Islanders.

Roman Augustoviz, Goal Gophers - Junior defenseman Aaron Ness on Wednesday signed a three-year entry level NHL contract with the New York Islanders.

The Islanders took him in the second round of the 2008 NHL draft. The 5-10, 177-pound Ness scored two goals and had 12 assists for 14 points this past season with the Gophers.

Ness, 20, will join the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the Islanders' AHL affiliate for the rest of their hockey season.

In his three-year career, Ness played in 111 games and had six goals and 37 assists for 43 points.

Ness said he was ready to take the next step in his hockey career. "I've still got to make improvements in a lot of areas," Ness said, "But my dream it to play in the NHL and this is best opportunity to keep progressing."

He was it was his decision to leave the university, not the Islanders' pressing him. "After three years, I had a lot of fun and got a lot better," Ness said. "But I asked around to see what I had to do.

"I had a great three years," Ness said. "And realistically, if I had to do it all over again," Ness said, "I would do the same thing. I had great coaches, great fans. Everything is put on a platter for you to succeed. I would have wanted to do better in the playoffs, to go further, but it happens."