5 BOROUGH SPORTS

(newyorkislanders.com)The New York Islanders announced today that forward Michael Grabner has agreed to terms on a five-year contract. “I’m really happy knowing I’ll be staying here on Long Island, especially after Wednesday’s news of a new arena,” Grabner said. “We have a lot of young, talented players who came together last year and I am thrilled to have the chance to be a part of getting this team back to the playoffs.” Grabner, 23, led the Islanders as well as all NHL rookies during the 2010-11 regular season with 34 goals, while his 52 points ranked third amongst league rookies and fourth overall on the team. The Villach, Austria, native also led all rookies and finished second in the NHL with six shorthanded goals.  He ranked first amongst rookies and tied for second overall with seven shorthanded points. “Michael showed last season that he is an elite player in this league,” said Islanders General Manager Garth Snow. “In addition to providing speed and skill to our offense, he’s worked hard to elevate the defensive side of his game to become an all around player.”

Just more great news from Long Island. Before last season, Michael Grabner was a former first round pick looking for a way to stay in the NHL. The Vancouver Canucks had just released him (the franchise who drafted him 14th overall in the 2006 draft) at the end of the 09-10 season. Then the Florida Panthers gave him a chance during training camp, but they also waived a few weeks before the start of the season. This was when Isles’ GM Garth Snow pounced on the opportunity to bring one of the fastest skaters to the Island. Boy did Grabner make Snow look like a genius. Now Grabner is one of the top young players in the league and is a finalist for the Calder Trophy. His 34 goals was the best among rookies. With Tavares and Moulson locked up with nice contracts, this franchise looks to have a bright future. Grabner deserves this contract and Islanders’ nation couldn’t be more excited to have him here.

This entry was posted on May 13, 2011 at 9:38 am and is filed under Islanders. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.