At the same time, general manager Garth Snow still is shopping around for an enforcer, and if a scoring winger became available for the right short-term price, the GM might make a move. Any more free-agent signings would have ramifications for the three RFAs, but the one most at risk appears to be Comeau.

Here's why. Thompson has an arbitration hearing scheduled Monday, but he is assured of having a contract. No team can walk away from an award of $1.5 million or less, and Thompson is certain to get less than that amount, which means he will be an Islander next season. Indications are the Islanders are confident they will reach a deal with Hillen in the near future.

But there is a significant difference between what Snow has offered Comeau and what his agent, Kurt Overhardt, is asking. A multi-year, one-way deal offered by the Isles was rejected because of financial differences.

Under club policy, any player who isn't signed by the start of training camp won't be signed the rest of the season. That policy was enforced three years ago in the case of Sean Bergenheim. If the Comeau negotiations drag out to that deadline, he runs the risk that Snow will make a move for an enforcer or a scoring forward sometime sooner. If that happens, Comeau's options would be a two-way contract or a season in Europe.

Faced with a similar situation last year, forwards Frans Nielsen and Jeff Tambellini took the Islanders' one-way contract offers for the chance to prove themselves. Nielsen signed for a bargain price of $525,000 per year but got the security of a four-year deal. Tambellini got two years at $587,500 per. It's believed the Isles' offer to Comeau is reasonably higher than his qualifying offer of $605,000 that was rejected and would take him up to unrestricted free agency in two years.

Comeau is a promising prospect with upside, but the fact is that, in 104 NHL games, he's totaled 15 goals and 25 assists. He has more to prove, and the Islanders are asking him to do it at their price.

ISLES FILES: Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro still is scheduled to begin skating in August, but if you recall, that's when he began skating last season after knee surgery. He worked out on his own throughout training camp, played only the last exhibition game and didn't start until the fifth game of the season. After three games, he was back on the injured list and headed for surgery again. That's the scenario Snow wants to avoid, and it's why he signed Biron when the price was right. The signing eliminates completely any need for DiPietro to return before he is sound and in top playing condition. If he holds up when he returns, then, maybe Biron will fetch a high draft pick from a team desperate for goaltending…Okay, now I really am going on vacation for a while. But other Newsday reporters will be following the Islanders and posting right here. There will be more news this summer, especially at the Aug. 4 Town of Hempstead hearing at Hofstra University's Adams Playhouse. If you have bookmarked this page in the past, the changeover to a new blogging system at Newsday has resulted in a change of address. Here is the new address for Islanders Beat: http://www.newsday.com/islandersblog. Have a great summer.

The signing today of former Philadelphia starting goaltender Martin Biron on the heels of the signing of former Edmonton starter Dwayne Roloson is evidence of that. Loaded with high draft picks and a desperate need for scoring, size and toughness, general manager Garth Snow spent the first picks of the second and third rounds on goaltenders Mikko Koskinen and Anders Nilsson. On top of that, he signed AHL veteran goaltender Scott Munroe, and he has Nathan Lawson already in Bridgeport.

That means the Islanders have three goaltenders (DiPietro, Roloson and Biron), the Sound Tigers have three (Munroe, Koskinen and Lawson) and the Isles have at least three prospects in the system (Nilsson, Kevin Poulin and Stefan Ridderwall). Their better-safe-than-sorry approach is a direct reaction to what happened last season when DiPietro pushed to be on the Opening Night roster before he really was ready to play.

He backed up the first four games, started the next three, leaving the third game after one period, and then made two more starts the rest of the season, the last of which was on Jan. 2. After two operations on his left knee last year, it's confirmed he underwent a third procedure on the knee before he was seen on crutches at a rehab facility used by the Islanders in early April.

DiPietro's father, Richard Sr., recently assured that his son is making good progress and that the problem with his left knee finally was "cleared up" after a series of medical consultations that correctly identified the problem. He was uncertain about his son's rehab timetable but was confident Rick won't return until he's truly sound this time.

That's the good news. At the same time, seeing is believing, and Snow has acted in prudent fashion to fortify what coach Scott Gordon identified at the end of last season as the most important concern facing the Islanders.

I spoke to Biron earlier tonight for a story that will appear in Thursday's edition of Newsday. He didn't go into free agency thinking about the Islanders, but when Philadelphia signed Ray Emery and Brian Boucher as its goaltending tandem and he didn't receive the kind of long-term deal he wanted, the Islanders began to make more sense. His agent, Mark Witkin, also represents Roloson, so, he had some insight into the opportunity the Islanders represent in this situation.

Biron never would have signed a one-year deal for $1.4 million with the Flyers, but as he said, "We looked at the opportunity with the Islanders in a different light."

He understands that DiPietro could be ready to come back at any time, and when he does, three veteran goaltenders on the NHL roster will be one too many. No coach can be expected to get regular work for three goaltenders. Yet, Biron took the chance on joining the Isles because he obviously expects to get a chance to showcase himself for the rest of the league and possibly land that long-term deal next July.

"I expect to play for many years," said Biron, who turns 32 next month. "I played the last two years with the Flyers and learned tremendously. We went to the playoffs two consecutive years, reached the conference finals last year and then lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champions in a long series this year. I feel I'm at the peak of my experience and maturity.

"This situation gives me the best opportunity to play and keep my level of play up…This was something that was good for both sides."

Biron was 29-19-5 with a 2.76 goals against average in 55 games with the Philadelphia Flyers last year.

"Adding Marty gives us three bona-fide number-one goalies," General Manager Garth Snow said in a press release. "We learned about the importance of stability in our line-up from last year and he now allows us to have another quality starter."

Read between the lines there. Signing another legitimate No. 1 guy like Biron in addition to Dwayne Roloson means the Islanders cannot be fully convinced or encouraged about Rick DiPietro's health and/or progress.

--Katie Strang

King, 48, has been part of every Islanders radio broadcast for the past 15 years, including the last 11 years on a full-time basis as analyst and color commentator. Mears, 29, has handled the radio play-by-play duties for the past three seasons.

Although Rose and Jaffe are a superb television team, their style is tailored to that medium, describing instant replays, diagramming plays and conversing about the game. A radio broadcast is more detailed and more wordy in terms of play-by-play description, while the TV crew relies more heavily on the pictures to tell the story.

Madison Square Garden holds the Islanders' television and radio rights and made the simulcast signal available to the Islanders in similar fashion to what it has done with the NHL Buffalo Sabres. MSG is owned by Cablevision, which owns Newsday. Cablevision also owns the NHL Rangers and NBA Knicks, but it maintains both TV and radio broadcast teams for those franchises.

It's still possible King will do pregame and postgame radio shows, and he might even land a full-time job elsewhere in the organization. Most likely, Mears will try to continue his hockey announcing career elsewhere.

Hard to believe that, at a time when the franchise has an opportunity to turn things around with the drafting of John Tavares, it cuts back the number of people who tell the team's story to the public. Who will conduct the postgame soirees at Doolins' Pub after home games at the Coliseum now that King and Mears are out of the picture? They were devoted members of the franchise "family," and no one worked harder at their jobs.

In a story in Wednesday's edition of Newsday, King describes the announcing job he held as his "dream job" and said he would be "thrilled" if he's allowed to remain in the organization in a fulltime capacity. Mears also thanked the Islanders for the opportunity they gave him and said he will miss the relationship he and King developed with the fans.

"I'd like to convey my appreciation to the fans," Mears said. "We had a lot of fun in conversations , in e-mails, on Facebook and talking at Doolins' Pub. I'm happy the team is headed in the right direction. It was great to work with Chris King, and I'm happy to call him and his family my friends."

While the camp mostly was devoted to drills and system work, it was heartening to see the improved skill level from last summer. Here's a brief rundown of what to expect in terms of the pace of development for many of the players who attended, excluding those who already have signed professional contracts and those who attended on a tryout basis:

Forwards

Casey Cizikas -- Fourth-round center from 2009 draft, who was placed on probation for his manslaughter conviction in Canada, has the chance to get on with his life and hockey career now by spending one more season with Mississauga St. Mike's in the Ontario Hockey League.

Jason Gregoire -- Third round left wing from 2007 is 20 but likely will play two more years at the University of North Dakota.

Anders Lee -- Sixth-round left wing from 2009 will leave behind his high school football career and spend this season devoting himself to hockey with Green Bay in the USHL. He then is expected to attend Notre Dame the following two seasons to continue his development.

Matt Martin -- Fifth-round left wing from 2008 would like to start season in Bridgeport but is holding out for a better deal from the Islanders. If he doesn't sign by the end of training camp, he'll head back to Sarnia for another OHL season.

Kirill Petrov -- Third-round right wing from 2008 suffered a fractured collarbone last season and got into only six games with Ak-Bars Kazan in the Kontinental Hockey League. He has three years remaining on his KHL deal and, hopefully, will play a major role for Russia at the World Juniors and a larger role in the KHL.

Rhett Rakhshani -- Fourth-round left wing from the 2006 draft is the senior captain at the University of Denver and likely will join the organization after his college season ends. Could finish the year in Bridgeport.

Doug Rogers -- Fourth-round center from 2006 heads back to Harvard for his senior season. Probably needs a big season to be signed.

David Toews -- Third-round right wing from 2008 likely will play at least two more years at the University of North Dakota. Needs to overcome injury problems to earn a regular role in the lineup.

Corey Trivino -- Second-round center from 2008 should win a major role on depleted Boston University team that lost several players to graduation. Trivino is stronger and has recovered from knee injury last season and should begin to show scoring potential. Figure at least two more years of college hockey.

David Ullstrom -- Fourth-round winger from 2008 will begin his first season in the Swedish Elite League. It's expected he will make the jump to North American pro hockey in one more year. Should play for Sweden at World Juniors.

Defensemen

Calvin de Haan -- Surprise No. 12 overall pick in June is expected to spend the next two seasons with OHL Oshawa, working to gain strength and experience.

Matt Donovan -- Fourth-rounder from 2008 moves from a successful season in the USHL to Denver University, where he will be a freshman. Should play at least two seasons of college hockey.

Travis Hamonic -- Second-rounder from 2008 heads back to Moose Jaw in the Western Hockey League for one more season. He must be signed by June 1 next year and certainly could join Bridgeport at the end of the season.

Blake Kessel -- Sixth-rounder in 2007 figures to spend the next two seasons at the University of New Hampshire after a so-so freshman year.

Anton Klementiev -- Fifth-rounder in June got visa to leave Russia in time for final day of minicamp. He plans to play for OHL London for the next two seasons.

Aaron Ness -- Second-round pick from 2008 had a successful freshman season at the University of Minnesota and likely will spend the next couple of seasons there maturing and working on his strength and his shot to complement his skating and skill.

Jyri Niemi -- Third-rounder from 2008 missed minicamp with an injury but returns to Saskatoon in the WHL for his final season. Like Hamonic, he must be signed by June 1, 2010 and might join Bridgeport at end of season. Expected to play for Finland at World Juniors in Saskatoon.

Jared Spurgeon -- Sixth-rounder from 2008 missed minicamp after undergoing shoulder surgery but will play his final season with WHL Spokane. He's in the same situation as Hamonic and Niemi as a player who must be signed by June 1, 2010.

Goaltenders

Anders Nilsson -- Third-round pick in June is expected to move up to the Swedish Elite League as a backup this season with the plan of becoming a starter the following season before moving to North America.

Kevin Poulin -- Fifth-round pick from 2008 returns to Victoriaville for another season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

BLOG UPDATE: Starting Wednesday night, Newsday will be making the move to a new blog operating system. The launch date has been pushed back a couple of days, but a change definitely is coming soon. Considering all the complaints I have received in the past from regular Islanders Beat commenters about problems created by those who post vulgar comments that disrupt the generally good hockey talk, I am happy to say the new system will require anyone who wishes to submit a comment to register. This should go a long way toward eliminating some of the electronic graffiti we have experienced in the past, and I hope I will be able to spend far less time attempting to police the comments section. To the many people who have maintained a commitment to discussing the Islanders with passion and respect for the opinions of others, I thank you and ask that you lead the way in registering to be a part of Islanders Beat in the future.

CONDOLENCES: Recently, one of the regular commenters here shared the sad news that a fan we all know as "Cincy" suffered the passing of his wife. I know that I speak for all the regulars here in saying that we send our condolences and heartfelt good wishes. We've all missed the intelligent and insightful commentary from "Cincy" but recognize from all that he brought to the blog what a good person he is and how hard this time must have been for him. Be well "Cincy."

VACATION NOTICE: I will be stepping away from the blog to use up my vacation and comp time before the start of training camp. However, others at Newsday will pick up the slack here while I am away, and I'm sure I will check in from time to time if there is any major news to report or comment about. Wishing you all a pleasant summer ahead and thanking you for your continued support.

Mon., Sept. 14 -- Isles vs. Vancouver at Terrace, B.C., 10 p.m.
Wed., Sept. 16 -- Isles at Edmonton, 9 p.m.
Thur., Sept. 17 --Isles at Calgary, 9 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 19 -- Isles vs. Calgary at Saskatoon, Sask., 9 p.m.
Sun., Sept. 20 -- Isles vs. Edmonton at Saskatoon, Sask., 9 p.m.
Tues., Sept. 22 -- Isles vs. Los Angeles at Kansas City, 6 p.m.
Wed., Sept. 23 -- Devils at Isles at Nassau Coliseum, 7 p.m.
Tues., Sept. 29 -- Isles at Devils at Prudential Center, TBA

Comeau and Hillen both are viewed as part of the Isles' rebuilding project, and it's possible they might play larger roles next season. Both were extended qualifying offers for two-way deals, but that's just a first step in negotiations. Defenseman Hillen's qualifier was $803,250, while left wing Comeau was offered $605,000. That's a starting point for both.

Three years ago, Bergenheim reached a contract impasse and headed for Russia and then Sweden. He wanted to return at midseason, but Wang and general manager Garth Snow told him to come back to the table the following summer. It was a wasted season for his NHL development, and Bergenheim eventually switched agents.

In this case, agents Kurt Overhardt, who represents Comeau, and Neil Sheehy, who handles Hillen, each have a good working relationship with Snow, who clearly views their clients as important pieces for the Islanders. No doubt, both players are seeking one-way contracts and likely a level of security in terms of the years going forward.

For Comeau, who improved over the second half of the season once he learned coach Scott Gordon's system well enough to return from Bridgeport, a one-way deal is not going to be an issue. He will be one of 12 or 13 forwards on the NHL roster. The Islanders already have six defensemen on one-way deals, so, it might be more of a concern for Hillen, but maybe they will carry seven defensemen.

Essentially, these negotiations, as most do, come down to a matter of money that should work itself out because both players want to be part of the Islanders' future core. "I'm confident it will get done," Overhardt said of Comeau's contract.

Sheehy was equally certain Hillen isn't going anywhere else next season. "I'm confident we'll come to a resolution," Sheehy said. "I'm comfortable saying we'll have something done. Garth's a solid guy, and he's been a solid GM. I like what he's doing with the team, and I think Jack Hillen will be part of it."

When he was taken in the second round (40th overall) of the 2008 NHL draft in Ottawa, I was stunned by his small stature. Despite his credentials as Mr. Hockey in Minnesota that year, I found it hard to picture him going into the corners in the NHL and coming out in one piece no matter how much skill he might have.

But the player who showed up at minicamp this summer was noticeably bigger, and his skill with the puck and on his skates was as impressive as any of the Islanders' prospects. Ness still is listed on the roster as 5-10, 157 pounds, which is what he measured at the NHL combine more than a year ago. He actually seemed shorter than that at the time.

Now, he's up to a solid 175 pounds, and he's maybe a little over 5-10. Most importantly, he made some terrific tape-to-tape breakout passes during last Sunday's scrimmage, and he skates the way Fred Astaire danced, showing dazzling footwork at times in some of the drills coach Scott Gordon runs. The coach cautioned that you can't have too many undersized defensemen in the NHL, but he obviously liked what he saw of Ness.

As a freshman, Ness had 2 goals and 15 assists in 37 games for the Golden Gophers, and he played on the second power-play unit. Beyond that, he obviously spent time on his strength and conditioning. "It was huge for me," Ness said. "I got a chance to work with first-class trainers, and it was good for me because I was not the biggest guy in the world. That was a key for me all year. I put on close to 20 pounds. At the combine, I was 157 pounds, and now, I'm 175. I feel that much stronger and more confident.

"In the corners, I can handle guys a little better and keep them under control. Before, I'd bounce off them. Just a little more weight on my feet, and now I don't get knocked off the puck as easily. It's really helped, and I'm going to continue to do that."

Adapting to the speed of the college game was no problem for Ness because he's fast and he moves the puck as quickly as anyone, but the big thing was learning to handle bigger, stronger players. That always will be a challenge for him at each level, but Ness is aware of that and knows he must continue to build strength.

Asked how he might fare against the size he will face in the NHL, Ness said, "I think I have to get stronger now and then one day, if I do get here, just use the assets I have, the quickness and good stick position. Just use what I do best."

Growing up in tiny Roseau, Minn., Ness worked with to develop his talents with his father, Jay, who played at North Dakota University and was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in 1982. Explaining his brilliant skating, Ness said, "That's just from all the ice time I've had. When I was a little kid growing up in Minnesota, it was free ice whenever you want. I'd skate five, six hours a day when I was five years old.

"My dad would come out with me, and we'd do skating drills, and I've always had great coaches, guys like [NHL veteran] Aaron Broten. He coached me in Bantams. It's something I've always worked on because I knew I wasn't going to be 6-4 or anything. In order to play in this league, I have to be quick. That's my strength."

With his skating ability and quickness, Ness figures to be an ideal fit for Gordon's system in terms of having the ability to pinch quickly and to turn and get back if the Islanders fail to contain the puck in the offensive end. But he has to be a solid offensive contributor to succeed in the NHL. As a senior in high school, he had 28 goals, but he produced only two as a freshman for the Gophers.

"I've always been a passing defenseman," Ness said. "But I want to go back home to Minnesota and be working on it [scoring] and be a guy who can shoot the puck, too, so they're not going to cover all the passes where I don't have a play. I'm going to work on my shot a lot more. If I get stronger, that will help my shot."

The Islanders will be watching Ness' progress closely at Minnesota. Obviously, it will take at least one and possibly two years before he's ready to turn pro. Asked if he has a personal timetable to make the jump to pro hockey, Ness said, "Not at all. It's a hot topic, I guess. But I'll take it one year at a time. I don't think you can look ahead too much. Whenever I feel ready and they feel I'm ready, then, we'll give it a go."

How will he know he's ready? "Just strength and confidence, too. If you believe you can play in the league, then, you're going to have a good shot. You need determination, a lot of grit and just getting bigger and stronger."

The home opener against defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh on Oct. 3 is a way to start John Tavares' rookie season with a marketing bang. It will mark the first time Tavares faces Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, and it will mark the return of former captain Bill Guerin for the first time since his trade to the Penguins on March 4. Here is a link to the full schedule.

Judging from the way the NHL stacked Tavares' early appearances in Canada, one could get the impression the league wants to make the most of "Tavaresmania" before the bloom is off the Islanders' rose. It's a quirky schedule to say the least.

The Islanders' second game is Oct. 8 in Ottawa; they visit Montreal twice in four days the first month (Oct. 22 and 26), and Tavares, who grew up in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga, visits the Maple Leafs twice before Christmas (Nov. 23 and Dec. 9). The Islanders' final road game in a Canadian city in the Eastern Conference comes New Year's Eve in Ottawa. Tavares' other appearance in Canada comes March 16 in Vancouver to start a three-game trip.

The early road schedule is brutal. The Islanders play 14 of 17 games on the road from Nov. 4 to Dec. 9. That includes seven straight games from Nov. 11-23 that see them hopping all around the country, working south from Washington to Carolina to Florida and then jumping all the way up to Boston on one trip. They'll likely come home for a couple days rest and then loop through the midwest to Minneapolis and St. Louis before a pit stop in Toronto on the way back.

After a couple of games at home, the Islanders then make a bus trip to New Jersey, take a few days off and then play four in seven nights at Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Philadelphia and Toronto.

The first four Islanders-Rangers games will be over by the day after Christmas (Oct. 28 and Dec. 17 at the Coliseum and Dec. 16 and 26 at MSG). They don't meet again until March 24 at the Garden and March 30 at the Coliseum. It was better last season when the rivals met once per month for the first six months of the season.

The break for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver goes from Feb. 15-Feb. 28. Islanders fans can see coach Scott Gordon appear as an assistant on the U.S. Olympic team's bench, and there's a good possibility forward Kyle Okposo will make the lineup if he gets off to a strong start this season.

If by some miracle the Islanders are in playoff contention at the end of the season, the schedule turns favorable with 15 of the final 25 games at home. It then ends the way it began with a visit from Pittsburgh on April 11.

Tavares said he's in no rush to start spending the fortune earned through all his junior accomplishments as the Ontario Hockey League's all-time leading scorer. "It's a great opportunity to play in the National Hockey League and be a pro, but I want to stick with what got me here and the work habits I've had and everything I've put into the game of hockey," Tavares said. "It's really not going to change the way I live my daily life or approach the game."

Over the course of the Islanders' six-day minicamp, Tavares had a chance to see a little bit of Long Island as well as to become familiar with coach Scott Gordon's system and members of the coaching, training and conditioning staffs. He plans to return home to Mississauga, Ontario to work on his offseason conditioning but said it's possible he'll show up early on the Island before camp begins in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Reflecting on his minicamp experience, Tavares said, "This gives you a taste or an idea of what it's going to be like with practice and the lifestyle and how things go at the rink. Being more comfortable with people [in the organization] makes it a lot easier coming to camp. I still have to work on a lot of things, getting physically stronger and getting my pace up to NHL standards."

Gordon liked what he saw of Tavares in his first up-close look at the No. 1 pick. "I love how he competes in the offensive zone around the net and his ability to protect the puck and put the puck into places that make it hard for a defender to go up against," Gordon said. "Sometimes, it looks like he has three sticks, and the defender has one stick with his ability to do the things he does with the puck. His nose around the net is obviously a unique talent, and that and to me that was the most obvious thing about his talent that really stood out."

At the same time, Gordon noted how much of an improvement Josh Bailey, last year's first-round pick, has made since the end of the season in terms of improving his strength and speed after his rookie season in the NHL. Because of everything Tavares has undergone in his junior career, Gordon suggested, he might be a step ahead of Bailey when it comes to grasping the work that still is required to succeed at the NHL level.

Although Tavares isn't taking anything for granted, making the Islanders' NHL roster should be just a formality. Assuming all goes as planned, Gordon will have two top young centers to begin to build around in Saskatoon.

But last season, DiBenedetto and Martin did just fine without Stamkos. Martin jumped up to 35 goals and 65 points, which is one reason why he's trying to negotiate with the Islanders for better than a fifth-round contract, as detailed in today's Newsday. DiBenedetto matched his previous season total of 93 points to rank third in the Ontario Hockey League, and his number of goals improved from 39 to 45. Not only that, but when he joined Bridgeport on an amateur tryout contract after the season, he potted his first AHL goal in Game 3 of the Sound Tigers' playoff series against Wilkes-Barre Scranton.

He might only be a sixth-round pick, but DiBenedetto's numbers suggest he has real scoring potential. "Yeah, his performance in junior would lead you to believe he's going to have some level of success wherever he's going to play," Islanders coach Scott Gordon said after watching DiBenedetto this week in minicamp, which ends today. "Hopefully, he has it early for us…That's a guy you don't have to tell to compete. He just does it instinctively."

The way DiBenedetto responded to the public perception of him after Stamkos was gone is just one example of his competitive nature. "My main goal was to quiet the critics," DiBenedetto said. "I know a lot of people were saying me and Matt Martin were feeding off Steve Stamkos. He's a great player and we loved playing with him, but at the same time, we wanted to form our own identity. I think we did that.

"I was third in the OHL [scoring only 11 points behind No. 1 overall pick John Tavares of the Islanders]. I worked really hard in the offseason. When you read magazines and stuff and you see your name as just being there because of Steven Stamkos, you kind of use it as motivation. That's what I did during the season…Me and Matt knew we were good players, and we got drafted because of us. But we needed to go out and prove it, and we did that."

Gordon has praised DiBenedetto's work throughout this minicamp, and if he gets off to a strong start in Bridgeport, he easily could wind up on the shuttle to Long Island when injuries require a callup. For now, DiBenedetto is just trying to make a good impression and learn Gordon's system.

But when he sets his mind to prove something, he has been successful. Asked how he views himself, DiBenedetto said: "I think I could be used in different situations. I think I'm a smart player out there, smart enough to make good plays."

NHL SCHEDULE: The league announcement of the 2009-10 schedule is set for 3 p.m. this afternoon. It's already known the Islanders are opening at home against Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh and former Islanders captain Bill Guerin and Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin on Oct. 3. The full schedule will be available here as soon as possible when it is officially released.

In other words, free agency for the Islanders pretty much began and ended with the signing of goaltender Dwayne Roloson to serve as the backup for rehabbing Rick DiPietro or as fulltime starter until DiPietro's return. There's not going to be any scoring help added from the outside by all indications nor any size on defense.

Islanders general manager Garth Snow is believed to still be shopping for help in the enforcement department. Giant Andrew Peters is available, but he's limited as an actual hockey player. Snow most likely will explore the trade route to add a legitimate veteran enforcer while the Islanders continue working to bring along Joel Rechlicz in that role. It's uncertain whether Snow will try to bring in a player on the NHL roster or park another tough guy at Bridgeport, but something probably will happen before training camp opens in September.

The only other remaining business this summer is to complete negotiations with restricted free agents Jack Hillen, Blake Comeau and Nate Thompson, the latter of whom has filed for arbitration. Power forward prospect Matt Martin also remains on the radar until the end of training camp, when he would have to be signed or return for another season in juniors. Stay tuned on that one. It could get interesting.

DAVID TOEWS WORKS TO MAKE HIS OWN NAME: While older brother Jonathan Toews helped lead a renaissance in Chicago that saw the Blackhawks reach the Western Conference finals, David Toews struggled to stay relevant in his first season in North Dakota University's powerful hockey program.

Thanks to a shoulder injury before the season began, the 5-11 forward had trouble making the jump to the college game, and when he later suffered another shoulder injury and a wrist injury, he lost his spot in the lineup and spent the end of the season watching from the stands. Tough baptism.

"The team was rolling, and I never really got back in the lineup because I had some injuries," Toews said after a recent Islanders minicamp session. "It came down to crunch time, and coach didn't want to change things. It was bad luck, but it was a great experience. I learned a lot from the older guys and it was a fun year for us having won the WCHA."

In Sunday's minicamp scrimmage, Toews rotated at right wing with four other players on the winning Blue team and wound up contributing a goal on a penalty shot. It was a solid performance and a refreshing change of pace after a tough season. The Islanders drafted Toews in the third round in 2008 not for his bloodlines but for his creativity and skill on offense. That's why his final stats last season -- 5 goals and 11 points in only 23 games -- were a little disappointing.

As the younger brother of a budding NHL star, David Toews has his own set of high expectations, but he also can benefit from his brother Jonathan's experience. "He's always got pointers and tips for me, things he helps me work on," David said. "He lets me know about things to work on to get to the next level and what to expect. It's fun getting together in the summer and being able to work on different things together. I always look forward to the summer and seeing him again."

Islanders No. 1 draft pick John Tavares named the older Toews as something of a role model when they were on Team Canada for the World Juniors a couple of years ago. Having lived through his older brother's transition to the NHL, David Toews said it should be comparable to what Tavares is facing this season. The hope is that the Islanders improve the way the Blackhawks have with young players such as Toews and Patrick Kane.

Asked what his brother said was the toughest part about adjusting to the NHL, Toews said, "I think the quickness of the puck and how it moved. The strength of the guys in the NHL, you're playing against men. It's definitely an adjustment to the speed of the puck and the speed of the plays you need to make. It's something he really stressed about being able to get shots off. The best players in the league are the guys who can make plays the quickest and shoot the puck as accurately as possible. It's all about the little things. It's fun to hear what Jon has to say, and it's fun watching him and seeing how he's improved and trying to build off that."