A Quick Look at the 2009-2010 NYI - Part II

Today I will be taking a quick look at lines three and four for the upcoming 2009-2010 NHL season. If you haven’t already seen lines one and two, be sure to check below!

Line 3:

Left Wing: Jeff Tambellini, Center: Frans Nielsen, Right Wing: Blake Comeau

Tambellini: Under Ted Nolan, Tambellini failed to make any impact at the NHL level, and was constantly being demoted back to AHL duty. After the firing of Nolan, and the hiring of Gordon, it became apparent that Tambellini was finally going to be given the opportunity to perform at the NHL level for a full season. After a somewhat disheartening season, Tambellini is going to get his final opportunity to prove himself with the big boys. I truly believe he has the ability to become a goal-scorer, however, he will need to add some weight in order to bump around with the big boys. His shot is world class, as you can tell by the three astounding shootout snipes he had from well-behind the hash-marks against elite goaltenders such as Marc-Andre Fleury and Henrik Lundqvist, however, he needs to develop that confidence he has in the AHL. I truly hope he proves his worth, because he has the ability to be a great player.

Nielsen: I am a tremendous Nielsen fan. After watching him play last season, I truly feel that Islanders have a great center in Nielsen who is great both on the offensive side of the game, as well as the defensive side of the game. Gifted with great skating ability and speed, Nielsen also has a great vision of the game and has no problem skating the puck into the opponent’s zone. His point production was rather decent last year, up until the dirty hit that was laid upon him by Mottau of the New Jersey Devils. If Nielsen is able to stay in the line-up for a full NHL season, there is no reason why he won’t be able to put up at least 50 points, especially considering he will be manning an important position on the second power-play unit. I hope he continues to develop at the current pace, as he will be a very successful player for the Islanders, and an important piece to the rebuild.

Comeau: Finally, Comeau has signed on to the Islanders for two more years at a very affordable rate. Comeau is a big player in the mold of a power forward who is also fortunate enough to be a fairly decent skater. If Comeau wants to become a great player in this league, he needs to learn to drive the net rather than spinning off and looking for a pass. He has the frame to do so, now he just needs to grow into his frame. Comeau has the ability to develop into a second-line player; however, he will be put on the third line for most of the season because of the players ahead of him on the depth chart. If he plays up to his potential, and with a full season in the NHL, Comeau should be able to score fifteen or more goals. Let us hope that he finally learns his niche on the team, and develops his frame for the rigorous season.

Line 4:

Left Wing: Jon Sim, Center: Richard Park, Right Wing: Tim Jackman

Sim: With one year remaining on his absurd three-year deal, Jon Sim will be given the opportunity to prove himself once more as an NHL caliber player. After being assigned to Bridgeport for the remainder of the 2008-2009 season, Sim easily became their best player and their most lethal goal scorer. That is obviously not saying much for an NHL caliber player who simply just lost his ability to compete in the NHL. It is the hope of the Islanders that Sim is able to drop a few pounds and come into training camp in good enough shape to compete in Gordon’s high-tempo style of play. For a guy who has the ability to score more than fifteen goals in a season, it is the hope of Islander fans that he returns in great shape. On top of that, Sim rarely shy’s away from defending his teammates, and considering the Islanders’ lack of fighting ability, he might be pleasantly welcome.

Park: A heart-and-soul player that you simply cannot dislike, Park has the ability to move up and down lines and compete in any position that any coach asks of him. He is a talented and speedy, but small player who is one of the best penalty killers on the team, and still can manage to put back a few goals per season. Although his talent dictates him to be a third or fourth liner, Park is the kind of player that can step up his game when necessary and fill in for any injured player. As the anchor for the fourth line, we can expect the same heart-and-soul; speedy play from Park this year and every year he competes in the NHL.

Jackman: Signed to another one-year, one-way deal, Jackman is going to be a great presence on the fourth line this upcoming season. After showing up last season in top shape, it can be expected that Jackman will further improve his physical abilities in preparation for this upcoming season at the NHL level. He is a great skater, a player who doesn’t mind to throw his weight around, and every now and then he can even drop the gloves with some of the middleweights. While he would like to score a little bit more each year, Jackman understands and relishes his role with the New York Islanders. It is a lock for him to be the fourth line right wing, and I feel that he will do a great job at his position. Furthermore, as someone who can play the penalty kill, we may see him prove his worth even more this year. Best of luck to him.

That’s all for today’s quick look into the third and fourth lines for the 2009-2010 NHL season. Be sure to check back soon for a quick look at the Islanders defensive corps. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to shoot me an email at IslesNet@Gmail.Com.

-Justin M.