What the Andy Sutton signing means for the Islanders

I really liked the signing of Andy Sutton. As they say, you can't teach size and at 6-6, Sutton is one big dude. You add in a nice mean streak and the Ludwig-like willingness to block shots and you have a great policeman on the ice for the team.

Isn't it amazing that shot-blocking is almost a found art these days? In the "old NHL", it seemed that you had a few guys like Jay McKee and Sean Hill who were willing to block shots, but very few others. Maybe that was because with all of the hooking and whatnot that was going on it was hard enough to block a shot when you're holding a guy by the sweater.

I was asked by a friend if the Isles overpaid for Sutton. That's a tough one. Being below the salary cap allows Garth Snow the ability to pay higher salaries to the guys that they feel are the best fit for the kind of team Ted Nolan wants to put on the ice. So in that regard, I guess that would make the Islanders a better alternative than another squad who offers less. Coach Nolan had a quote that I read where he said that Andy Sutton is the kind of player the team wants to "commit" to. To me, telling a player that you want to commit to him is not different than committing to a spouse in a lot of respects. Sutton is no different than any other player that signed with the Islanders this off-season--he has something to prove (in his case, that he can stay healthy while playing a rough and tough style)--and having a team court you and give you the opportunity has to be attractive.

Some other interesting news over the weekend:

Steve Zipay in Newsday is reporting that the new upgrades at the Coliseum won't be in place until 2011 at the earliest. Wow. The Giants can get a new stadium and the Yankees can get a new stadium and the county can't agree to do something beneficial for the rink and the surrounding area for 18 months. I am so glad that I am not paying taxes in Nassau County. That's all I can say about that.

Eklund is also reporting that the Islanders are talking to Jason Allison, a guy who hasn't played in like forever because of injuries and personal issues that kept him out of the league last year. I really liked him when he played for the Bruins and Capitals because he was productive as heck and looked like he was able to skate just a little better than I could. Not sure how he will fit into the New NHL where skating is a priority but much like I said with Andy Sutton, you can't teach goal scoring and production.

Anther rumor online that got some traction in the Canadian press was that Michael Peca was looking to sign with the Rangers. Not sure if this was floated to get the Leafs to move or not, but it seems entirely likely to me. The Rangers are paying Drury and Gomez a ton of money and you know Jagr is getting his chunk already. If they had to trade Matt Cullen to move his salary, I am guessing that the Rangers are up on that cap pretty hard.

With any of these rumors, you have to take them with a grain of salt; for lack of a better cliché. All we can do is wait and see how it all goes down.