Bailey is making mistakes, turning over the puck, now he's playing wing and not getting much PP time. Time to send him to Bridgeport. I checked CHL eligibility rules for those who don't know, and he IS eligible to be sent to the AHL. He turned 20 years old before December 31st of this year, and that is the eligibility rule. This shouldn't be viewed as a demotion for Bailey, it should be viewed as the right move to get this kid's confidence back. Send him to the American League for the rest of the season and let him dominate down there, get top ice time and PP time. He's going to get buried behind Tavares, Nielsen, and Weight. And when Hunter comes back, he will be getting Bailey's PP time mark my words.

Bailey shouldn't have been here last year, they force fed him and it was the wrong move. I think they realized that mistake by not forcing de Haan onto the roster this year. Now do the right thing and send Josh down and get this kid back on track. He is still an important part of our future.

he does seem rather lost out there...but I think I like to see him play with okposo first again, give him a chance with guys that are actually good. I mean come on, he's playing with bergenheim not exactly a finisher. If they do send him down, I hope they bring up martin...

Who has Josh been playing with mostly? Thanks in advance.

http://islanders.nhl.com/club/recap.htm?id...4;NYI|home


oops, my bad....he was playing with tambellini tonight...

Yep, what's done is done.
Maybe they can stick with him and let him play out of it.

Where was everyone last year when we were barking for them to send him back after 9 games?

Let's hope the usual suspects running things that we've goofed on ad nauseam
simply learn from their mistakes and NEVER rush a id for marketing purposes.

Come on Shooter. Weight and Tambellini actually played well tonight, that comment is not fair to them. Bailey is completely lost out there right now. He's a guy whose whole game is to make the guys around him better, and how can he do that when he can't even get out of his own way?

Steve, you're right. However, my whole feeling about wanting him to stay around last year was because... well, who the hell else did we have? He got icetime by default. Now Tavares is taking his ice time, so it's a big difference this season.

man, you all just need something negative to talk about. The kid is in his sophomore slump. I've seen some great stuff from him in the past, and I completely expect that once he figures out how to bring his style to the NHL he will settle down and be really good. Bailey has great vision and has shown to be a fantastic assist man.

He is being forced to change his style and shoot more, which isn't a bad thing, but it will definitely affect how he'll perform. It's a young team and there are a lot of players learning how to be NHL professionals. It's a part of the process and I can't unerstand why no one gets this.

I get that everyone wants to talk about every little detail about every player, but it seems more like its about finding who is under performing and trashing them. We are rebuilding. They showed a cool stat before the caps game tonight about how even after the caps got Ovechkin, they still were really bad for 3 more years before they made a playoff run. We just started the rebuilding process last year, so guess what, it's going to take some time. You need to appreciate the small things in the players development. There's not going to be anything else to feel good about, so appreciate what you can.

He's been terrible this year. But he hasn't had Okposo to open some space for him adn make him look better. I don't think anyone is giving up on him. He needs more seasoning and strength.

I don't believe that Tavares has been all that great either, but he gets a lot of chances for whatever reason and he manages to get some goals.

I don't know what game some of the people were watching, but sitting in section 113 row Q tonight, 2 things were painfully obvious...

1- Bailey did not look good. He was easily bodied off the puck and didn't make many good passes.

2- Weight AND Tambelini were JUST AS BAD. Now I know Doug is coming back from the H1N1, but Tamby was back to his "play 35' from the net" self tonight. He made NOTHING HAPPEN.

I wouldn't be opposed to sending Bailey down, especially if he's going to be moved to wing. That won't work. But if Schremp isn't going to get PT to see what he can do, wtf is going on around here? I'd rather just sit guys like thompson, Sim and Jackman and play Martin, Schremp and Jesse J. I know it leaves no toughness, but right now we don't have any anyway.

Really? You don't know the reason Tavares is scoring goals? :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Let's do it, send him down. Bailey is so yesterday, out of style!!

I agree with both Snowman39 and Islanders4Cups.


The odd part with Bailey is the fact that he got stronger and I don't remember him being taken off the puck this much last season and I don't remember any six or eight game stretch where you really didn't know if he played. In fact I don't remember more than a few games.

You don't all of a sudden lose vision and that was one of his positives from his rookie season. I do think if he is going to play he needs some skill players on his line, I mean I don't know what type of player he is but Robby Schremp should be with him or even (Like I4C said) a Joneau, I still would like to see Comeau.

Schremp and Comeau are not Gordon guys, and when you aren't one of his guys he makes that clear.

We do have some lines that go to the net, we are doing things the right way, to have a little more skill (Even a game here or there) is okay. We can literally dress a different line-up for two games... take out a Thompson (Has played well in his role), Jackman (same thing), Sim and put in Schremp, Jonesau and Comeau or Schremp and Comeau and Trever Smith and see the difference.

I feel that it is okay to go a different direction with one line. One line that has produced at a very very low level. It doesn't effect the PP too much ( I feel these guys would be better). It doesn't effect the DEFENSE of the team or the top line.

Have a different identity for one line, for two games, against teams you need to score against, I feel is a GREAT thing and a different dynamic. Also ALL these players have played in the system and play in it down below.

Bailey is non existent though. Bergie has been rough but you know he suits up.

Josh Bailey, Time to go
===================
Bye Bye :santa:

Usually, when people say that the don't notice players, I nod my head, understanding that it's probably an exaggeration.

Thus far in the season, I literally have not noticed Bailey, not even once.

I sometimes forget that he's actually on the team.

It is time to send him down and get his wheels going. Obviously something isn't working for him this year, and he needs to get his head back. Call it the sophomore slump, I dunno, but he's not playing.

We could definitly afford to do this. Bailey's expected role as a second-line center is being filled by Frans, who has been playing well (and much better than Joshy) since his return from injury.

He's a young kid, and he understands that. He's got a good head on his shoulders. I'm sure that if the management was to make the right decision and send him down to the Bridge, he would understand. It wouldn't be one of those situations where a players self-confidence is destroyed.

Josh can handle being sent down. And hopefully after a few weeks, he can handle being brought back up.

All very good points.
Sophomore slump? Probably.

But I also agree with I4C, Snowy and Tinman.

Last year, who else did we have? But still, he was forced, tough call.
This year as Tinman pointed out, Bailey got stronger but as he and I4C posted,
Bailey has been bodied off the puck rather easily. Doesn't mean he's not working hard.
We know he has a strong work ethic.
Just want to see signs of him using that hockey sense to get better body position, make better decisions and open up ice for him to use his hands offensively.

The Bailey thing is a tough deal, I don't think you send him down after 10 games. With the team we have you give him till at least the Olympic break to work out his issues, maybe a healthy scratch a game or two over that course but I don't think Bridgeport is the answer right now.

Maybe if he was handled different last season but I agree that Snow's ego is in play, sending him down now would also symbolize that Bailey was rushed last year(which we all know he was). If the org was more run from a pure NHL level then this wouldn't be an issue but if that was the case Bailey would have been in Juniors last year.

His faceoff % is much better this year so lets hope that he gets the other part of his game figured out by the end of Dec....if not then maybe its time to send him down. Its not like anyone is tearing it up down there and Bailey is keeping them down there, maybe Schrimp's ice time is suffering and maybe thats who you sit him for. :dontknow:

Looks like CBJ is taking it easy on Filatov, trying to bring out the best in him with patience.

I was against Bailey staying up last year and am upset yet again I have been right. Bailey needed to grow up. The Isles don't think that far ahead (unless it's planning a FMIV Bobblehead Night).

Send Bailey down as you HAVE TO, to let him grow as a player in a low pressure environment where he can learn to be successful (though there's NO substitute for what juniors provided.....but Wangsnowkowski burnt that bridge and then took turns taking dumps on it).

The most important thing is developing the Josh Bailey we'll see in 2012 and beyond. The Isles were more concerned about their image in 2009. Thus this franchise will NEVER be successful with these twits running things.

I understand that this fanbase is always quick to nitpick on a lot of players that really don't deserve the criticism (as what people are doing with Tavares right now), but let me assure you that this is not one of those times.

First of all, to say he's in a sophomore slump, wouldn't that mean he would have had to have a good rookie year to begin with? To be in a sophomore slump that would mean that you didnt spend year 1 in a "freshman slump". This isn't based on 11 games, this is based on all of last season and 11 games of this season. In preseason (playing against mostly AHL and junior players), Bailey looked very good at times. The kid just turned 20 years old this month. HE IS NOT READY FOR THE NHL. He was not ready for the NHL last season. I will admit there were plenty more people saying that last season before I admitted it, and they were right. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out whats going to happen. He's going to get lost in the shuffle at some point, and that is the absolute worst thing that can happen. Developing this guy should be this organization's #1 priority, even over Tavares, because at least Tavares is producing. Bailey is doing nothing.

As 14C, Tin, and Steve have all pointed out, Bailey put on a lot of muscle and he seems to be getting knocked off the puck even easier. This kid needs to get his confidence back.

And just for the record for a lot of you guys who may not understand this, getting sent to the minors isn't always a bad thing. Maybe it's bad when you're 28 years old, but not when you're 20 and you should have been playing there to begin with.

Most notibly, I read Botta the other day and he mentioned he spoke to an NHL scout at the Ranger game. The subject of Bailey came up and the scout said "they're turning him into a 3rd liner'. That cannot happen. This kid needs seasoning, he needs to play in a place where he can score some goals and produce offense. That's not gonna happen here.

For the record I don't think being sent to the minors is a bad thing but in this case I don't think it makes sense at this point with this team. If this was a veteran team and he was causing more harm to the team then good, then of course send him down.

What is the huge difference between him playing here with this team and players then going to the Bridge? What happens if his demotion causes him to press and ruins his confidence even more? The Isles promoted the he'll out of him last year and told the kid basically that he'll be learning on the job. If the Isles didn't get Tavares then they would still be parading Bailey around as doing fine just having "growing pains". But now that we see how a top draft choice plays it just highlights the fact that Bailey should have never been playing here last year.

Do I think at this age and point in his career should he be playing in the AHL, YES! But I also think you have too look at how he's been handled since April 2008 and where this team is today and judge how to best develop him in that scenario not what should have happened since 2008.

It didn't hurt Mickey Mantle or Willie Mays careers :blink:

Mickey Mantle was great on the Sound Tigers

I agree that they are making Bailey into a 3rd line players and that's wrong. His confidence is what's at the heart of the problem and he needs to shoulder more responsibility, it's been the only way he knows his whole life. making this guy a wing has it's +/-. On the plus he can break the top two lines and get a bigger role and stay on the 2nd PP unit and he doesn't win many faceoffs, but the minus is his vision and that goes to the center, and his defensive ability, both the qualities of a good center, but with Nielsen and Tavares ahead of him he's #3. Now if Nielsen wants to become a winger we might have a better solution there.

The kid is going to be great, we all know it and we're impatient, so we debate a thread like this. We continue to give Tambellini forever, we sure could spend a little more time waiting for Bailey.

I think Bailey has more talent and ability than Franz and will develop IF HANDLED CORRECTLY into a far superior player than Franz will. Franz to me has never been anything more than a POTENTIAL 3rd line center. That is his top end at best, just like Bergie and Hunter...3rd liners tops.

Bailey can develop into a top 2 center for this team. BUT here is the question...how does playing him on wing help that? IF he isn't going to play top 2 minutes at center, send him down to Bridgeport where he can. He can work the PP and get more minutes and work on his game. I don't see it ffffing with his confidence, but then again I don't know the kid. I think a good two months in the minors might be the right recipe if he doesn't show improvement by mid Dec.

I see no point in having him on the wing or a 3rd line. If we are trying to BUILD, how does him playing there help us long term? It stunts his development imho. Playing behind Franz or on his wing is a mistake.

Agreed 100%.

I'm taking full credit for that Bailey goal tonight btw.

:rofl: :rofl:

That's good because I gave the credit to the win in DC to my attendance. So we are good like that :rofl:

I'm not ready to say that about Nielsen yet. The kid has talent and still has potential to be a top six player.

on a bad team, sure. Not on a good one.

:thumbsup:

I admit this is a good point. I think that having patience with a young developing team goes completely against blogging about every minute detail of every minute of every day. When guys play well they are gods, when they don't, they are bums.

Is mInUte and Minute spelled the same?

That was the best game he turned in this year. The most aggressive, hard working effort and he got rewarded with a goal.

A good game from Bailey, a good sign for the Islanders.

Initially, I agreed with most in this thread when they were saying he should go dopwn and was rushed. However, after some more thought, I am changing my mind.

Here's why:

Thinking back to last year at this time, Kyle Okposo was in the same boat. He was "rushed" and he was struggling. People were saying many of the same things about him at the time. He didn't hit his stride until the 2nd half of the year and then he REALLY kicked it inito high gear and put any such talk to bed for good. Bailey, I feel, is going through the same growing pains. Despite yesterday's goal, he may struggle for awhile more before everything clicks in the 2nd half.

I'll have to say though, with all the talk of how he bulked up and was ready, I am a bit disappointed thus far and that is what is probably fueling much of this talk.

Young kids need to play with good players. Dumping him or anyone on a line with AHL caliber players will not help him progress.

Patience, my friends, patience.

He sees the ice well, his passes are crisp and he buried one after getting the message from Coach Gordon (you know, the guy who has stunted everyone's development / NOT) to shoot more.

He will be a second liner at worst and IF he overcomes the dreaded "P" word (potential) he will be a fine NHL'er.

Just not yet, but soon.

I'm taking full credit for Bailey's goal.

Sorry.

I finally used the SAP feature on my TV and the lemon turned into a "Mandarin".

:banana:

I do NOT belong to the Sunshine Club, but I will say with Nielson's skill, if he drives harder to the net and more aggressively takes chances on offense or has a sniper on his wing, he's top six on a decent team. He's just gotta be more aggressive with the puck while using his smarts.

Bailey needs to be more aggressive and start using his frame more as well.

And Steve has to stop with the tiny oranges and embrace the big ones from Florida.

I do NOT belong to the Sunshine Club :dontknow:

No, you're more of a full moon.

;) :yea: :goofy2: