The New York Islanders’ playoff push is about to receive a big boost. According to the team’s general manager Lou Lamoriello, All-Star forward Mathew Barzal was cleared to resume skating and is expected to be back in the lineup sooner than later.

Barzal hasn’t played since mid-February after suffering a lower-body injury in a 6-2 loss to the Boston Bruins. The Islanders initially designated him as “week-to-week,” but the 25-year-old ended up missing more time than expected.

“How long it takes, I couldn’t tell you, but he will begin skating either today or tomorrow. We’ll just go from there,” Lamoriello told reporters when asked about Barzal’s status.

Despite being out for a month and a half, Barzal remains second on the Islanders in points with 14 goals and 37 assists.

While the NY Islanders managed to weather Mathew Barzal’s absence quite well, going 11-6-2 in his absence, there is no doubt that his return will mean a lot for the team. They are currently holding a wild-card spot in their hands, but have the Florida Panthers and the Pittsburgh Penguins breathing down their neck.

Barzal was drafted 16th overall by the Islanders in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut during the 2016-17 season and 362 points in 420 career games. He signed an eight-year, $73.2 million contract extension with the franchise last offseason.

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The Vancouver Canucks spent months trying to get a deal done with All-Star forward Bo Horvat but failed. The New York Islanders, on the other hand, managed to do it in less than a week.

The Islanders announced on Sunday that they had signed Horvat to a long-term deal just six days after being traded to New York by the Canucks. Horvat inked an eight-year extension that will keep him with the franchise through the 2030-31 season.

The Islanders didn’t reveal the financial details of the agreement, but the reports say the total worth is $68 million, with Horvat receiving $8.5 million on average annually. This is $4 million more than the reported contract extension offer he had from the Canucks.

The team’s general manager Lou Lamoriello didn’t confirm or deny the numbers involved but did hint that keeping Horvat past this season didn’t come cheaply.

“All I can tell you, it’s too long, and it’s too much money,” Lamoriello jokingly said when asked about Horvat’s deal.

The Islanders sent highly-rated prospect Aatu Raty, forward Anthony Beauvillier, and a first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft to Vancouver for Horvat’s services. The two-time All-star has 31 goals and 23 assists for a total of 54 points this season.         

The post Islanders and Bo Horvat Agree to 8-Year, $64 Million Extension appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New York Islanders will have to play out the 2020-21 NHL season without their usually reliable captain Anders Lee. According to the team’s general manager Lou Lamoriello, Lee is dealing with a torn ACL and will have to undergo surgery that will sideline him for the rest of the year.

Lee, who already racked up 12 goals and seven assists this season, suffered the injury last week in a 5-3 win over the New Jersey Devils. He is set to have the procedure on his knee in the next few days.

“You never replace the player that you lost,” Lamoriello told reporters. “He’s our captain. He’s our leader on and off the ice, and he’s the voice of the players with the coaches and management, so that’s a little different.”

Lee was placed on the long-term injured reserve following the injury, allowing the Islanders to get $7 million in cap-relief. This should allow the team to pursue a replacement for the 30-year-old star, with former NHL MVP Taylor Hall emerging as the most obvious candidate.

Lee spent his entire NHL career in New York, having played 520 games in an Islanders jersey. He scored 184 goals and dished 136 assists for a total of 320 points since entering the league.

The New York Islanders, who had a surprisingly deep playoff run last season, are playing well in 2020-21 and were on a nine-game winning streak at one point. They currently own a 19-7-4 record in the East Division and are tied with the leading Washington Capitals at 42 points.

The post Islanders Captain Anders Lee Apparently Out for the Season appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After making a surprising run to the Conference Finals this season, New York Islanders hope they can even go a step further in 2019/20. However, in order to do so, they know they will have to make an effort to retain their core players.

Speaking with reporters earlier this week, Islanders’ general manager Lou Lamoriello said that the organizations will make an effort to re-sign all of their top free agents this offseason and believes this is a doable task.

“Right now, all I’m doing is focusing in on communication with each and every one of our restricted free agents and also unrestricted free agents and seeing exactly what we can get done,” said Lamoriello. “We did not have any communication during the playoffs intentionally, and right now we’re talking.”

“I feel that we’ll get all our players signed in due time,” he added.

The most notable of the pack is All-Star Mathew Barzal, who is entering the restricted free agency. Barzal has first led the team in the regular season with  19 goals and 41 assists (60 points) before adding 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) in the postseason. He will be also the most challenging to keep, as he’ll most likely command top money for his services.

Defenseman duo Ryan Pulock and Devon Toews are also set to become restricted free agents, while defenseman Andy Greene, forwards Matt Martin, Tom Kuhnhackl and Derick Brassard, and goalkeeper Thomas Greiss enter unrestricted free agency.

Islanders’ position becomes even tougher, considering they are already dealing with a tight budget. But that won’t stop Lamoriello from giving his best to keep the talented squad together.

“Right now, we’re focusing on trying to keep our team together,” he concluded.

The post Islanders Confident They Can Re-Sign All-Star Mathew Barzal and Other Free Agents appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After a five-year hiatus, the Tampa Bay Lightning are headed to the Stanley Cup Final again.

Tampa Bay defeated the New York Islanders 2-1 in overtime on Thursday, winning the best-of-seven series 4-2.

The Lightning’s game-winner was netted by Anthony Cirelli 13 minutes into overtime.

Cirelli took advantage of a tired Islanders team, creeping behind them and putting himself in position to score. The pass came from Barclay Goodrow to Cirelli, who put the puck in the back of the net before anyone on the Islanders team, including goalie Semyon Varlomov, could adjust.

But the star of the game for the Lightning was goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, who put up 26 saves in the game, holding the Islanders to a single goal.

Next up in the playoff bubble in Edmonton are the Dallas Stars, who are back in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 20 years. The Stars easily handled the Las Vegas Golden Knights, winning the series in just five games.

The last time the Lightning made it to the Stanley Cup Final they lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015. Tampa Bay has one Stanley Cup title. They defeated the Calgary Flames in the 2004 final.

The post Lightning Eliminate Islanders, Will Face Stars in Stanley Cup Finals appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Dallas Stars forward Denis Gurlanov scored three minutes into overtime to lift the Stars to a 3-2 win over the Las Vegas Golden Knights, sending them to the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Stars eliminated the Golden Knights in five games and will represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 20 years.

It has truly been a strange season for Dallas, that came with many ups and downs, making the trip to the finals even sweeter for the team and fans that have been long for the ride.

The Stars started off the season winning only one of their first nine games and ended the season with a six-game losing streak. However, they played like the best team in the league between those two strange periods of losing.

Dallas then fired their coach in December and have been led to the finals by interim coach Rick Bowness.

Gurianov’s goal in overtime came after a frantic third period in which the Stars were down 0-2. Jamie Benn and Joel Kiviranta netted two goals in the final period, taking the Stars into overtime where Gurianov would seal the deal and punch the team’s ticket to the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Stars will face the winner of the Tampa Bay Lightning-New York Islanders series, which Tampa Bay leads 3-1.

The post Dallas Stars Headed to Stanley Cup Finals for First Time in 20 Years appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Merely two weeks after becoming the team’s president of hockey operations, Lou Lamoriello decided to shake up things within New York Islanders and fire coach Doug Weight and general manager Garth Snow.

Islanders will immediately begin the search for a new coach but won’t have to look for a new GM, since Lamoriello decided to take those responsibilities on himself. It was announced that both Wright and Snow will remain with the organization in a different capacity.

Doug Weight leaves the head coaching job with the Islanders after just one season, leading the team to 35 wins and seventh place in Metropolitan Division. Garth Snow, on the other side, leaves his post after serving 12 years with the franchise. Under Snow, the Islanders managed to reach the playoffs on four occasions and win one playoff series.

“The New York Islanders would like to thank both Garth and Doug for their dedication to the franchise,” – said Lamoriello in a statement. “Both started their tenures with the franchise as players and grew as tremendous leaders to the positions they held.“

New York Islanders hired Lou Lamoriello on May 22, 2018, after the Hockey Hall of Fame inductee finished his stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Islanders decided to give Lamoriello “full authority over all hockey matters,” and give him the freedom to reshape the organization the way he wants.

The post New York Islanders Part Ways with Coach Doug Weight and GM Garth Snow appeared first on SportzBonanza.

New York Islanders announced that the team has agreed on a five-year contract extension with defenseman Scott Mayfield. Mayfield, participated in 29 games this season, averaging 17:34 time-on-ice per game and contributing with two goals and eight assists. According to reports, the deal is worth around $1.45 million per year and will keep Mayfield with the Islanders through the 2023-24 season.

“When I started playing pro hockey it was to win a Stanley Cup & I think we have a good chance here.” – said Mayfield about signing an extension. “It’s a vote of confidence from the organization, up in the front office down to the coaches & players as well so I’m really excited.“

New York Islanders selected Scott Mayfield as 34th overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. He signed a contract with the team in 2013 and started playing for their AHL affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers. He debuted for the Islanders in the 4–0 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets in April 2014 and continued to receive occasional recalls. He got to play a larger role in the 2016–17 season, after defenseman Dennis Seidenberg suffered an injury. Mayfield ended the last season with 2 goals and seven assists.

The Islanders aren’t having the best season currently, sitting at the 6th place of Metropolitan Division with 20-17-4 record. At the beginning of the season, the team looked in good shape with 15-7-2, but the last 17 games (5-10-2) put it all to rest. The worse thing is that the Islanders now lost 4 straight and allowed 21 goals. If the team doesn’t pick things up, they are faced with missing another playoff run.

The post New York Islanders Defenseman Scott Mayfield Agree on a Five-Year Contract Extension appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New York Islanders’ playoff push is about to receive a big boost. According to the team’s general manager Lou Lamoriello, All-Star forward Mathew Barzal was cleared to resume skating and is expected to be back in the lineup sooner than later.

Barzal hasn’t played since mid-February after suffering a lower-body injury in a 6-2 loss to the Boston Bruins. The Islanders initially designated him as “week-to-week,” but the 25-year-old ended up missing more time than expected.

“How long it takes, I couldn’t tell you, but he will begin skating either today or tomorrow. We’ll just go from there,” Lamoriello told reporters when asked about Barzal’s status.

Despite being out for a month and a half, Barzal remains second on the Islanders in points with 14 goals and 37 assists.

While the NY Islanders managed to weather Mathew Barzal’s absence quite well, going 11-6-2 in his absence, there is no doubt that his return will mean a lot for the team. They are currently holding a wild-card spot in their hands, but have the Florida Panthers and the Pittsburgh Penguins breathing down their neck.

Barzal was drafted 16th overall by the Islanders in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut during the 2016-17 season and 362 points in 420 career games. He signed an eight-year, $73.2 million contract extension with the franchise last offseason.

The post NY Islanders’ All-Star Forward Mathew Barzal Cleared to Resume Skating appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Vancouver Canucks spent months trying to get a deal done with All-Star forward Bo Horvat but failed. The New York Islanders, on the other hand, managed to do it in less than a week.

The Islanders announced on Sunday that they had signed Horvat to a long-term deal just six days after being traded to New York by the Canucks. Horvat inked an eight-year extension that will keep him with the franchise through the 2030-31 season.

The Islanders didn’t reveal the financial details of the agreement, but the reports say the total worth is $68 million, with Horvat receiving $8.5 million on average annually. This is $4 million more than the reported contract extension offer he had from the Canucks.

The team’s general manager Lou Lamoriello didn’t confirm or deny the numbers involved but did hint that keeping Horvat past this season didn’t come cheaply.

“All I can tell you, it’s too long, and it’s too much money,” Lamoriello jokingly said when asked about Horvat’s deal.

The Islanders sent highly-rated prospect Aatu Raty, forward Anthony Beauvillier, and a first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft to Vancouver for Horvat’s services. The two-time All-star has 31 goals and 23 assists for a total of 54 points this season.         

The post Islanders and Bo Horvat Agree to 8-Year, $64 Million Extension appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New York Islanders will have to play out the 2020-21 NHL season without their usually reliable captain Anders Lee. According to the team’s general manager Lou Lamoriello, Lee is dealing with a torn ACL and will have to undergo surgery that will sideline him for the rest of the year.

Lee, who already racked up 12 goals and seven assists this season, suffered the injury last week in a 5-3 win over the New Jersey Devils. He is set to have the procedure on his knee in the next few days.

“You never replace the player that you lost,” Lamoriello told reporters. “He’s our captain. He’s our leader on and off the ice, and he’s the voice of the players with the coaches and management, so that’s a little different.”

Lee was placed on the long-term injured reserve following the injury, allowing the Islanders to get $7 million in cap-relief. This should allow the team to pursue a replacement for the 30-year-old star, with former NHL MVP Taylor Hall emerging as the most obvious candidate.

Lee spent his entire NHL career in New York, having played 520 games in an Islanders jersey. He scored 184 goals and dished 136 assists for a total of 320 points since entering the league.

The New York Islanders, who had a surprisingly deep playoff run last season, are playing well in 2020-21 and were on a nine-game winning streak at one point. They currently own a 19-7-4 record in the East Division and are tied with the leading Washington Capitals at 42 points.

The post Islanders Captain Anders Lee Apparently Out for the Season appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After making a surprising run to the Conference Finals this season, New York Islanders hope they can even go a step further in 2019/20. However, in order to do so, they know they will have to make an effort to retain their core players.

Speaking with reporters earlier this week, Islanders’ general manager Lou Lamoriello said that the organizations will make an effort to re-sign all of their top free agents this offseason and believes this is a doable task.

“Right now, all I’m doing is focusing in on communication with each and every one of our restricted free agents and also unrestricted free agents and seeing exactly what we can get done,” said Lamoriello. “We did not have any communication during the playoffs intentionally, and right now we’re talking.”

“I feel that we’ll get all our players signed in due time,” he added.

The most notable of the pack is All-Star Mathew Barzal, who is entering the restricted free agency. Barzal has first led the team in the regular season with  19 goals and 41 assists (60 points) before adding 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) in the postseason. He will be also the most challenging to keep, as he’ll most likely command top money for his services.

Defenseman duo Ryan Pulock and Devon Toews are also set to become restricted free agents, while defenseman Andy Greene, forwards Matt Martin, Tom Kuhnhackl and Derick Brassard, and goalkeeper Thomas Greiss enter unrestricted free agency.

Islanders’ position becomes even tougher, considering they are already dealing with a tight budget. But that won’t stop Lamoriello from giving his best to keep the talented squad together.

“Right now, we’re focusing on trying to keep our team together,” he concluded.

The post Islanders Confident They Can Re-Sign All-Star Mathew Barzal and Other Free Agents appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After a five-year hiatus, the Tampa Bay Lightning are headed to the Stanley Cup Final again.

Tampa Bay defeated the New York Islanders 2-1 in overtime on Thursday, winning the best-of-seven series 4-2.

The Lightning’s game-winner was netted by Anthony Cirelli 13 minutes into overtime.

Cirelli took advantage of a tired Islanders team, creeping behind them and putting himself in position to score. The pass came from Barclay Goodrow to Cirelli, who put the puck in the back of the net before anyone on the Islanders team, including goalie Semyon Varlomov, could adjust.

But the star of the game for the Lightning was goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, who put up 26 saves in the game, holding the Islanders to a single goal.

Next up in the playoff bubble in Edmonton are the Dallas Stars, who are back in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 20 years. The Stars easily handled the Las Vegas Golden Knights, winning the series in just five games.

The last time the Lightning made it to the Stanley Cup Final they lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015. Tampa Bay has one Stanley Cup title. They defeated the Calgary Flames in the 2004 final.

The post Lightning Eliminate Islanders, Will Face Stars in Stanley Cup Finals appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Dallas Stars forward Denis Gurlanov scored three minutes into overtime to lift the Stars to a 3-2 win over the Las Vegas Golden Knights, sending them to the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Stars eliminated the Golden Knights in five games and will represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 20 years.

It has truly been a strange season for Dallas, that came with many ups and downs, making the trip to the finals even sweeter for the team and fans that have been long for the ride.

The Stars started off the season winning only one of their first nine games and ended the season with a six-game losing streak. However, they played like the best team in the league between those two strange periods of losing.

Dallas then fired their coach in December and have been led to the finals by interim coach Rick Bowness.

Gurianov’s goal in overtime came after a frantic third period in which the Stars were down 0-2. Jamie Benn and Joel Kiviranta netted two goals in the final period, taking the Stars into overtime where Gurianov would seal the deal and punch the team’s ticket to the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Stars will face the winner of the Tampa Bay Lightning-New York Islanders series, which Tampa Bay leads 3-1.

The post Dallas Stars Headed to Stanley Cup Finals for First Time in 20 Years appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Merely two weeks after becoming the team’s president of hockey operations, Lou Lamoriello decided to shake up things within New York Islanders and fire coach Doug Weight and general manager Garth Snow.

Islanders will immediately begin the search for a new coach but won’t have to look for a new GM, since Lamoriello decided to take those responsibilities on himself. It was announced that both Wright and Snow will remain with the organization in a different capacity.

Doug Weight leaves the head coaching job with the Islanders after just one season, leading the team to 35 wins and seventh place in Metropolitan Division. Garth Snow, on the other side, leaves his post after serving 12 years with the franchise. Under Snow, the Islanders managed to reach the playoffs on four occasions and win one playoff series.

“The New York Islanders would like to thank both Garth and Doug for their dedication to the franchise,” – said Lamoriello in a statement. “Both started their tenures with the franchise as players and grew as tremendous leaders to the positions they held.“

New York Islanders hired Lou Lamoriello on May 22, 2018, after the Hockey Hall of Fame inductee finished his stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Islanders decided to give Lamoriello “full authority over all hockey matters,” and give him the freedom to reshape the organization the way he wants.

The post New York Islanders Part Ways with Coach Doug Weight and GM Garth Snow appeared first on SportzBonanza.

New York Islanders announced that the team has agreed on a five-year contract extension with defenseman Scott Mayfield. Mayfield, participated in 29 games this season, averaging 17:34 time-on-ice per game and contributing with two goals and eight assists. According to reports, the deal is worth around $1.45 million per year and will keep Mayfield with the Islanders through the 2023-24 season.

“When I started playing pro hockey it was to win a Stanley Cup & I think we have a good chance here.” – said Mayfield about signing an extension. “It’s a vote of confidence from the organization, up in the front office down to the coaches & players as well so I’m really excited.“

New York Islanders selected Scott Mayfield as 34th overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. He signed a contract with the team in 2013 and started playing for their AHL affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers. He debuted for the Islanders in the 4–0 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets in April 2014 and continued to receive occasional recalls. He got to play a larger role in the 2016–17 season, after defenseman Dennis Seidenberg suffered an injury. Mayfield ended the last season with 2 goals and seven assists.

The Islanders aren’t having the best season currently, sitting at the 6th place of Metropolitan Division with 20-17-4 record. At the beginning of the season, the team looked in good shape with 15-7-2, but the last 17 games (5-10-2) put it all to rest. The worse thing is that the Islanders now lost 4 straight and allowed 21 goals. If the team doesn’t pick things up, they are faced with missing another playoff run.

The post New York Islanders Defenseman Scott Mayfield Agree on a Five-Year Contract Extension appeared first on SportzBonanza.