Even with the Islanders' recent struggles in the 2010-11, some of the youngsters have proven a lot and produced a great amount of points through the difficult times.
In this piece, I will grade all of the Isles' forwards from A-F.
Josh Bailey: Josh is a very talented winger for the Islanders, but hasn't proven much this season. After being sent down to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, he recorded quite amount of points which led to the Isles calling him back up. Since being back on the Island, he only has three goals. Bailey's going to have to prove a lot more to stick around next season. C
Blake Comeau: Comeau brings a great amount of size and physical play to the Islanders team, and doesn't let the youngsters get pushed around. He can also put the puck in the net when a goal's needed, but he's in a scoring slump as of late. Only time will tell if Blake will be in an Isles uniform next year. C+
Trevor Gillies: Trevor, a fan favorite, brings great energy to the game and doesn't back down from anything. The problem is, he's having trouble producing which causes him to sit in the press box most of the season. If he goes to the net and works hard, the goals will come. D
Michael Grabner: For a guy that was picked up off waivers in the beginning of the season, Grabner isn't bad at all. His 15 goals show why he was picked to participate in the skills competition at the 2011 All Star Game. A
Zenon Konopka: Just like Gillies, Konopka brings great energy to the atmosphere and can get physical at times. He has an outstanding face off percentage, and his only disadvantage is scoring some goals. B
Matt Martin: After being called up from Bridgeport in late October, Martin put a few pucks in the net and earned himself some fights. As of late, he hasn't been producing much or getting into scraps, but he's a great fore checker in which case the Isles need. C
Matt Moulson: The former 30 goal scorer has 17 goals on the season, one away from his buddy John Tavares. Moulson gets in the dirty areas and can certainly put pucks in the back of the net, but the question remains: Will he be traded? A
Frans Nielsen: Nielsen only has five goals this season, but it doesn't matter to him or his coaching staff. He's been listed as a "play maker" thus far in the season as he kills penalties, gets the puck to the net, and sets up great plays. Scoring doesn't matter to him, what matters is giving the team a chance to win every night, and Frans does that. B-
PA Parenteau: For a former AHL'er and third liner on the Rangers, Parenteau shows that he belongs on this Islander team. From playing physical to setting up plays and scoring, PA brings it all. A-
Rob Schremp: Rob has a great set of hands, and it comes in handy at times. But with only seven goals, Schremp's going to have to prove more than his hands to get him a spot on the Isles roster next season. C
John Tavares: Tavares has great hand eye coordination, and can make some great plays. His lack of skating fast effects him at times, but he can definitely light the lamp as he leads the team with 18 goals. A+
* = Not listed due to number of games played:
Kyle Okposo*
Trent Hunter*
Jeremy Colliton*
