“Isle Be Watching You” – Garth Snow
Alright, so obviously this is not a direct quote from Garth Snow himself, however, it still does not take away from the fact that there are several under-the-radar names that Garth Snow and Scott Gordon will be keeping their eyes on during this year’s training camp. Although we are already a week into the Islanders training camp, this player is still working his tail off, and still trying to make a name for himself in Saskatoon.
Matt Moulson: A 6’1, 210 pound speedy and skillful left-winger, Matt Moulson excelled in his four years at Cornell University, averaging over 35 points each season he was there. His senior year, as captain, Moulson put up 38 points and was a leader in every aspect of the game.
Although drafted 263rd overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2003 National Hockey League Entry Draft, Moulson and the Penguins never came to terms on a contract, and he became a free-agent after the three year window had passed. On September 1st, 2006, Moulson came to terms with the Los Angeles Kings on a three-year, entry-level contract, and he was immediately sent to the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, as expected.
For all of the 2006-2007 season, and a majority of the 2007-2008 season, Moulson spent his time with Manchester, and he put up some very promising numbers (57 points and 56 points, respectively). When he finally got the call to come up to the big club throughout the 2007-2008 season, Moulson was able to put up 5 goals and 4 assists during his 22 game stint, including a goal in his NHL debut against the San Jose Sharks.
The 2008-2009 season would prove to be more difficult for the left-winger, as he was expecting to earn himself a full time position with the Los Angeles Kings. Although he held reasonable expectations, he failed to live up to his potential and was once again placed in the minors, only to appear in 7 NHL games over the course of the entire season.
On July 1st, 2009, Matt Moulson became a free agent. On July 6th, 2009, Moulson opted to sign a one-year, two-way contract with the New York Islanders in hopes of establishing himself as an NHL player on a team that severely lacks offensive firepower.
As he enters this year’s training camp with his second NHL team, Moulson hopes to be able to crack the Islanders line-up. Currently, the Islanders depth chart up the left wing includes Jeff Tambellini, Sean Bergenheim, Blake Comeau, Jon Sim, and Jesse Joensuu, so it is obviously going to be quite a tough road for Moulson. To be fair to him, though, the Islanders depth chart up the left side does not nearly compare to that of the Kings (or many of the other NHL teams), therefore it is a smart career choice for him to take his shot here on Long Island. If anything positive comes out of this, it is that the other left-wingers vying for spots are going to have to work harder to beat out one other player.
Whether or not he cracks the lineup is still to be decided, but one thing is for sure, both Scott and Garth are going to be keeping a close eye on him.
-Justin (IslesNet@Gmail.Com)
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