By Brian Bohl
UNIONDALE, N.Y.-Heading into the All-Star break, the Islanders were in danger of falling out of contention in the parity-laden Eastern Conference before the trade deadline approached.
Coach Ted Nolan instead has seen his team bounce back from last month’s seven-day hiatus by playing their most consistent hockey this season. They have not suffered a regulation loss since Jan. 16, going 4-0-3 while picking up 11 points in the past 14 contests.
That resurgence could make the Isles buyers rather than sellers before 3 p.m. on Feb. 27, which marks the NHL’s deadline for acquiring players from other teams. Heading into Monday night’s action, Nolan’s group is just two points behind Carolina for the conference’s eighth and final playoff position.
While making the post-season remains an arduous task, the way the Islanders have been winning could facilitate Alexei Yashin’s departure this off-season, regardless of the final record.
Yashin, one of the league’s highest-paid players, was named the captain in training camp to help make him more of a vocal leader. The added responsibilities yielded immediate results during the season’s first quarter, when the 33-year old center netted 10 goals and 18 points in his first 22 games after teaming with Jason Blake on the first line.
Blake thrived with the combination, earning his first All-Star selection. But Yashin, who signed a 10-year, $87.5 million contract in 2001, has seen his numbers steadily drop after suffering a knee injury. He missed eight games after first spraining his right knee and the condition forced the team to put him back on injured reserve last week.
Team owner Charles Wang could soon start talks with general manager Garth Snow about possibly buying out Yashin’s contract this summer. He still has four seasons and $26.5 million remaining on his original pact-a steep price for the 13 goals and 25 assists he produced in 42 games this season before going on the shelf for the second time.
In the new salary cap era, it is becoming obvious the Islanders can generate offense without the former 40-goal scorer. A buyout could allow the organization to take that earmarked salary and acquire a solid stay-at-home defenseman. It also could allow them to potentially add a younger forward to bolster offensive depth.
Before the team sat Yashin down on Feb. 1, the former second overall draft pick scored only one goal in his last 18 games. He scored goals in his first two games back from his first absence, but tallied only one more since, including a 12-game scoreless stretch.
“Yashin wasn’t playing the way we expected him to and the way he expected to,” Nolan said at the time of the move. “So we’re going to give him some time off to make sure he’s 100 percent before he comes back this time.”
Yashin’s last home appearance came against Detroit on Jan. 30. The Islanders blew a three-goal third period lead to the Red Wings before losing in overtime, costing them a potentially valuable point. In 16:45 of ice time, Yashin registered just one shot. His cold-steak has led to questions about if he rushed back too soon from the injury, though the quiet Russian chose to talk more about the total team effort than his individual play.
“We have to learn from our mistakes and play for 60 minutes,” Yashin said after the Red Wings game. “Things happen. We just have to play strong in the third period. We must have lost focus.”
Should the Islanders not finish in the top eight, it will mean a second straight post-season spent on the golf course. Since the end of the lockout in 2005, the franchise has gone through three coaches, two general managers and brand new defensive corps.
A silent April means all of those changes did not improve the club, and the blame could next fall on the team’s highest-paid player. Yashin’s salary puts him near the top of the league leaders, while his production the past four seasons includes a high of just 28 goals (set last season).
His numbers reflect that of a productive second-line center, not that of a superstar and franchise cornerstone. A disappointing finish could mean Yashin’s days playing on Long Island are numbered.