I knew he had 10 before. He texted me asking if he could take it because I think he has worn it his entire career... When he asked there was no doubt that he could have it and I had to switch numbers.
That situation could open the door for another savvy move by the Islanders. While Skinner is hardly the goal scorer he once was, he could be a low-risk proposition. Skinner would get a chance to go to a playoff team, with eyes on a middle-six role. Meanwhile, the Islander could get a motivated player with a chip on his shoulder. Skinner would be eager to show that he still has what it takes to be successful at the NHL level.
Now a sophomore at Boston University, Eiserman serves as an alternate captain on one of the youngest teams in college hockey. Leadership hasn't come from the letter on his sweater - it's come from his habits. "I think I've grown a lot this year," Eiserman said via NewYorkIslanders.com. "I'm a lead-by-example kind of guy, so I have to dial in the details and do everything right."
That's it. The situation has been frustrating as coach Patrick Roy has given Tsyplakov an opportunity to play in various roles. But nothing has seemed to work. Tsyplakov has been a healthy scratch at times and at others, playing minuscule minutes on the fourth line. For instance, the Russian import played just 6:43 on January 19 against the Vancouver Canucks.
