Organizational-depth news, albeit maybe not great news for some of the younger kids: The Islanders claimed Thomas Pock from the Rangers. Adds a guy with the skill set to play up there, one who hasn’t quite seized the opportunity yet. This might work out. (Trying to think: this is at least the third defenseman in about a decade who’s gone between the NY teams on the wire: Rich Pilon went west, while Eric Cairns went east. Not much interchange otherwise.)
Now, do they keep him as an eighth defenseman (if everyone’s healthy), or does he kick people down the depth chart? TBD.
That news hadn’t broken yet while the boys went through their first practice, the two groups going through drills, working on systems, a little bit of one-on-one competition, under the watch of Jack Capuano, Pat Bingham and Kevin Colley. New Utah assistant Jeff Dwyer was also around. I didn’t catch anything too surprising. Not exactly midseason form out there, but not terrible.
A couple of people tossed in some unsolicited Scott Gordon praise. Nothing we didn’t already know.
No Haley, who’s still got the hand wrapped up. No Marcinko, who’s here but was sick. No Callahan, who was on waivers. No Walter, who, as Greg Logan reported, was also on waivers, but who is also hurt. EditIggulden remains up but is also injured Greg Logan reports that Iggulden cleared and was assigned; we hear the injury will keep him out a few days. Other guys up there are supposedly banged up, too.
Was told that that Valentine’s Day game will indeed be moved to get Fairfield on ESPN, but the reschedule-date might be different from what got spread around.