With the NHL regular season right around the corner, TSN. Air Max 97 Womens Australia .ca profiles each team leading up to puck drop. Next up are the New York Islanders, a team that has higher expectations after some quality offseason work. Catch up on their summer moves and the issues they face this season, as well as Craig Buttons analysis of their top prospect and an analytical breakdown by TSNs Scott Cullen. Division: Metropolitan GM: Garth Snow Head Coach: Jack Capuano 2013-14: 34-37-11 (8th in Metropolitan) Playoffs: Did not qualify Goals For: 216 (17th) Goals Against: 261 (28th) Powerplay: 17.8% (17th) Penalty Kill: 78.1% (29th) That Was Then: After 4-4-3 start to the season, Islanders general manager Garth Snow decided to shake up his roster and make a move that could help put his team in the playoffs for the second straight season a€“ a feat the Islanders hadna€?t accomplished since 2004. Snow traded forward Matt Moulson, the Islandersa€? first-round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft and a 2015 second-round pick to the Buffalo Sabres for two-time 40-goal scorer Thomas Vanek. The move was immediately questioned as Moulson was coming off a strong 2012-13 campaign, in which he posted 15 goals and 44 points in 47 games, and Vanek a€“ like Moulson - was set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. In Vaneka€?s first three games with the club, the Islanders went 2-1 with the Austrian scoring one goal and adding two assists. The Islanders then went into a nosedive, losing 15 of their next 17 contests, including a season-worst 10-game losing skid. By the end of January the Islanders were reeling; their record sat at 21-28-8, well out of a playoff spot and the team was in the midst of a five-game losing skid. Looking to address their future, the Islanders offered Vanek a substantial contract extension. Reports put the extension in the range of $50 million over the next seven seasons, identical to the number offered by the Edmonton Oilers and matched by the Sabres in 2007. Vanek, however, declined the offer and Islanders set out to find a trade partner for the veteran forward. To make matters worse for the Islanders, their leading scorer John Tavares suffered a torn MCL and torn meniscus while playing for Canada at the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games. Tavares was third in the league in points at the time of the injury. On trade deadline day, the Islanders traded Vanek to the Canadiens for 2012 second-round pick Sebastian Collberg as well as a second-round draft pick and a conditional fifth-round draft pick in 2014. The Islanders finished the season 26th in the league, 11 points out of the second and final wild card playoff spot. Kyle Okposo finished as the teama€?s leading scorer with 69 points, three points ahead of Tavares who missed the final 23 games of the season. Scott Cullens Analytics Predators 2013-14 Stats by Quarter Games GPG GAA SH% SV% SAF% PTS% 1-20 3.05 3.25 7.8% .911 48.9% .425 21-41 2.62 3.52 7.2% .912 45.7% .390 42-62 3.10 3.38 8.1% .904 48.2% .500 63-82 2.80 3.10 6.6% .917 52.0% .625 NHL AVG 2.67 2.67 7.8 .922 50.0% .562 Key: GPG= goals per game, GAA= goals-against per game, SH%= even-strength shooting percentage, SV%= even-strength save percentage, SAF%= score-adjusted Fenwick percentage (differential of shot attempts faced vs. shot attempts, excluding blocked shots, adjusted for game score), PTS%= percentage of available points. Analysis: Games 1-20: Subpar goaltending and possession leads to a tough start. Games 21-41: Goaltending continues to struggle, possession gets worse, record collapses. Games 42-62: Possession and shooting improve a bit, enough to tread water despite worse goaltending. Games 63-82: Best possession and goaltending segment of the year, leads to winning record despite goal deficit. Key 2014 Additions: G Jaroslav Halak, C Mikhail Grabovski, RW Nikolai Kulemin, G Chad Johnson, LW Cory Conacher, D TJ Brennan Key 2014 Subtractions: G Evgeni Nabokov, G Anders Nilsson This Is Now: Garth Snow started his attempt to revamp the Islanders roster early in the off-season; trading for two pending free agents in goaltender Jaroslav Halak and defenceman Dan Boyle. The Islanders signed Halak to a four-year, $18 million contract ahead of free agency. With Boyle, the Isles had less success and attempted to trade the veteran after he rejected a two-year deal from the club. In free agency, the Islanders made a major splash in signing former Toronto Maple Leaf teammates Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin to four-year contracts. The team also signed Chad Johnson to a two-year contract, cementing their goaltending tandem. In Grabovski and Kulemin, the Islanders receive a pair who combined for 59 goals and 115 points in the 2010-11 season with the Leafs. Kulemin scored 30 goals that season, but has yet to score more than nine goals in any season since. Grabovski spent last season with the Washington Capitals, scoring 13 goals and 35 points in 58 games. The two figure to align on the Islanders second line as they reunite after a year apart. The additions of Grabovski and Kulemin should strengthen the Islanders top-six, which already included Tavares, Okposo and former 30-goal scorer Michael Grabner. Halak and Johnson form the Islanders new goaltending duo, after the assembly of Evgeni Nabokov, Kevin Poulin and Anders Nilsson posted a combined 3.00 goals against average and a .898 save percentage last season. The remaining question mark for the Islanders is on defence, where their group remains unchanged despite the attempt to sign Boyle. The lone defenceman the Isles added in free agency was T.J. Brennan, who could push playing time after winning the Eddie Shore Award as the outstanding defenceman of the AHL with the Toronto Marlies last season. Unless Brennan makes the roster, the Islanders hope the upgrades at goaltender and forward suffice for standing pat on defence. DEPTH CHART Forwards Left Wing Centre Right Wing Brock Nelson John Tavares Kyle Okposo Josh Bailey Frans Nielsen Michael Grabner Anders Lee Mikhail Grabovski Nikolai Kulemin Matt Martin Casey Cizikas Cal Clutterbuck Cory Conacher Ryan Strome Colin McDonald Eric Boulton Johan Sundstrom Jack Skille Defence Left Right Lubomir Visnovsky Travis Hamonic Calvin De Haan Thomas Hickey Matt Donovan T.J. Brennan Brian Strait Matt Carkner Griffin Reinhart Ryan Pulock Goaltenders Jaroslav Halak Chad Johnson Kevin Poulin Craigs List TSN Director of Scouting Craig Buttons Top Prospect: Griffin Reinhart There is not much flash in Griffins game but here is a tremendous amount of substance. Excellent sense and feel for situations and is very calm, composed and settled under pressure. He has the ability to quiet things down, so to speak, and get the game back into balance when hes on the ice. Excellent agility and balance and with his size, he is a very difficult defenseman to beat one-on-one and to break down. He plays with a self-confidence and assuredness that says, Dont worry, I have this under control. For Islander fans, think of what Ken Morrow brought to four Stanley Cup teams, and you can get a picture of what Griffin means to a team. Fantasy - Cullens Player to Watch - Brock Nelson Coming off a strong rookie season, during which he contributed 26 points in 72 games, with strong possession stats (52.6% Corsi) and is looking at a much better opportunity in his second season. While there is competition among a suddenly-deeper group of Islanders forwards, Nelson may get a chance to skate on left wing with John Tavares and Kyle Okposo on the Islanders top line and that opportunity is too good to ignore. A full season in that spot, along with power play time, would give Nelson a chance to double last seasons output, but even if he doesnt end up making a jump that big, hes a promising young forward who should continue to play a more significant role as he matures. Nike Air Max 1 Australia . - The Raiders have released guard Mike Brisiel after two disappointing seasons in Oakland. Nike Air Max Australia Online . A little more than one year after missing a last-second tip-in that would have given the Wolverines a share of the Big Ten regular-season title, the 6-foot-8 forward scored on a layup with 7. http://www.outletairmaxaustralia.com/air-max-thea-buy-australia.html .Y. -- Nothing seems to phase No.TORONTO - For only the third time in the franchises 20-year-history, and first since 2002, the Raptors are slated to select outside of the top 19 in the first round of Thursdays NBA Draft. A year ago, as newly appointed general manager Masai Ujiri bided his time and sat out of a lacklustre 2013 draft, this scenario seemed highly improbable. The Raptors, like every other team in the association, had at least one eye on this years rookie crop, one of the most highly touted and eagerly anticipated ever to enter the league. The rest is history. Ujiris team overachieved in his first year on the job and as a result, they will miss out on this drafts biggest prizes: hometown phenom Andrew Wiggins, NBA ready star Jabari Parker, the intriguing Australian Dante Exum and, depending on your aversion to risk, Joel Embiid. Even so, their reality doesnt sound half bad. Instead, they find themselves nearing the end of an extensive pre-draft process, intending to add a complimentary piece to their winning program. This is not a bad year to be in such an advantageous position. Although Ujiri has called this draft "a little overrated", its one with solid depth specifically at the wing positions, one of Torontos most glaring needs heading into next season. Provided the Raptors hang onto the 20th overall pick, as expected, they will hope to hit a home run although they wont necessarily be swinging for one. Their philosophy throughout this process, one that has seen them audition roughly 60 prospects over the last four weeks, has been consistent with Ujiris management style. As always, hes ambitious albeit realistic and well prepared while knowing full well hell have to roll with the punches. And on draft day, specifically what figures to be one of the most eventful and unpredictable in recent memory, there will be more than a few punches to roll with. "Its a huge process for us," Ujiri acknowledged just ahead of the teams final pre-draft workout Monday afternoon. "It just builds and builds and builds. Hopefully by [Tuesday], Wednesday morning, well have gathered all the information that we have." "And theyll mess it up with a trade or something," he joked. Indeed, the Raptors are at the mercy of the 14 teams that occupy the 19 slots ahead of them. So much of this is a poker game, only the guys youre playing with, 29 other executives, are not sitting across from you at the table. The "homework" that Ujiri references is far more involved than just player scouting but also anticipating the motives of every other team, which will ultimately determine who is available to them at 20. Thats the biggest challenge. Its feasible to look at the Bulls, slated to draft 19th overall, and their roster to determine who or what they might be targeting with their pick. Accounting for a possible trade, an unknown team with unknown interests moving up, is not so simple. So Ujiri and his staff have put together their wish list. On Monday, it was 10 players long, as the draft approaches it figures to be cut in half. Theyll weigh the pros and cons, ranking each prospect while keeping a keen eye on the ones that could fall to them unexpectedly. "Our mindset is we get the best guy, best talent available and we try to do our homework as much as we can," Ujiri said. "Weve done our homework on the top guys because you never know what can come up in the next couple days. Our job is to do our homework. We really have to be prepared for this draft." Among the 60 or so prospects the Raptors have brought in over 11 workout sessions this month, theyve seen about a dozen that figure to be selected somewhere between the middle of the first round to the beginning of the second. Here are a few names that may interest them should they be available at No. 20. Tyler Ennis - PG, Syracuse, freshmanLast years stats: 12.9 points, 5.5 assists, 3.4 rebounds, 2.1 steals When the Brampton-native auditioned in Toronto as part of the Raptors first workout crop this spring, it seemed like a pipe dream to think he could fall to his hometown team at 20. At worst, Ennis was believed to be a lock to go in the top half of the opening round. Since then, his stock seems to have dropped, a likely result of fellow prospect point guards Elfrid Payton and Shabazz Napier rising up draft boards. The correlation is understandable, though its hardly an indictment on the NBA player Ennis could become. The qualities that make thhe 19-year-old such an intriguing prospect wont necessarily jump out at you in a workout. Nike Air Max 95 Australia. While Payton and Napier are probably quicker, flashier and more athletic players, Ennis is still considered to be the best pure point guard in the draft. Hes a natural leader with a nose for the game, something that is evident on the court in live action more so than in drills or smaller scrimmages. He has a fan in the Raptors, who have been tracking his progress for a long time. "From what Ive seen, hes very poised, he plays very calm and thats the first thing I noticed," Ujiri said ahead of his workout in Toronto. "[He] can get his teammates involved and then when he needs to score, he takes care of business which I think is a good trait to have as an NBA player." The Raptors top priority is re-signing Kyle Lowry, they also have to make a decision regarding Greivis Vasquez, a restricted free agent, but Ujiri has made it clear he intends to select the best player available, regardless of position. If Ennis name is on the board, Canadian angle aside, they would have a hard time passing up on him as Lowrys back-up or possible insurance should the incumbent go elsewhere. K.J. McDaniels - SF, Clemson, juniorLast years stats: 17.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.8 blocks, 1.1 steals Given his elite athleticism and upside as a lockdown defender at one of the NBAs most crucial positions, its hard to fathom why McDaniels is routinely overlooked in this draft. With each year at Clemson, accompanied by increased playing time, McDaniels has expanded his game and appears to be well on his way to becoming an impact rotation player in NBA. Questions surround his offensive versatility, efficiency and whether or not hell be able to knock down the NBA three with consistency. Still, with his athletic gifts, size and commitment to defence, he would be a welcomed addition to Dwane Caseys roster. "I think hes a dynamic player," Dan Tolzman, the Raptors director of scouting, said earlier this month. "Its hard to see how good he is in this [workout] setting because in five-on-five, with help-side defense, thats where he flourishes. I think with the way the spacing in the NBA is, rotations and defensive principles are so important. A guy like him, he can fly in from the wing and get blocks off the board like nothing. I think plays like that, thats what gets guys time in the NBA." Kyle Anderson - G/SF, UCLA, sophomoreLast years stats: 14.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 6.5 assists Not only is Anderson the most unique player in this draft but hes poised to become one of the most unique in the association. The 20-year-old wont blow you away with speed or athleticism but he has a tremendous command of and vision for the game, a point guard in a 6-foot-8 body with a massive 7-foot-2 wingspan. The question is, where will he play in the league and what position will he guard? Although, in todays position-less NBA, it doesnt seem to matter all that much. "I think he can definitely play the point, I think its the defending the point thats the thing," Tolzman said of Anderson. "So many point guards are scoring guys now. So that means you have six-foot, 6-1, 6-2 guys on the floor who are just there to score and then youd have a guy like Kyle who is on the floor to do the actual running the team at the point. And on offence that sets up fine but then on defence you can just switch men." Outside of their point guards, the Raptors dont have anyone that can handle the ball and initiate the offence in a pinch. Although it may be more of a challenge to fit Anderson into your system than, say an athlete like McDaniels, there is undeniable value in having a player that combines size, versatility and court vision, something that made Boris Diaw such an integral part of the Spurs championship run. "Hes the definition of versatility, really," Tolzman added. "I mean that guy, he can play just about every position on the floor. Just the pace that he plays at and the level of IQ that he plays with and the composure that he shows when handling the ball its at NBA level, no question. Hes like a throw-back player to the fullest. Hes an old school-type guy." Others to keep an eye on: Wichita State forward Cleanthony Early, Swiss forward/centre Clint Capela, Michigan State power forward Adreian Payne, Tennessee forward Jarnell Stokes, Missouri guard Jordan Clarkson. ' ' '