ISLANDERS 101

Many New York Islander fans may not be too happy over how general manager Garth Snow and the rest of his staff have tackled free agency this season.

Although the Islanders haven't really made any 'key' signings, what they've done isn't all bad if you look around the rest of the division. Many of the teams have gotten worse thanks to free agency. However, we'll start with the Pittsburgh Penguins, who have had the best offseason to date of any team in the Atlantic Division.

The Pens got things going early, making a deal to acquire Tomas Vokoun from the Washington Capitals for a seventh round draft pick. Vokoun could be one of the better backup goaltenders in the league behind Marc-Andre Fleury.

Pittsburgh made another trade right before the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. They made a blockbuster deal sending center Jordan Staal to Carolina. Losing a player like Staal would sound like a negative, but the Penguins brought back great talent in the deal.

The Penguins acquired Brandon Sutter, along with defensive prospect Brian Dumoulin and the eighth pick in the draft, which turned into defenseman Derrick Pouliot. Sutter is a proven two-way center, making him a better fit for the third line than Staal. That deal, along with the Penguins shipping veteran defenseman Zbynek Michalek to Phoenix, freed up the necessary cap space to lock up Sidney Crosby to the monster deal he signed last week.

In free agency, the Penguins only lost two players, while adding seven, including ex-Islander Dylan Reese.

Although they didn't sign anyone expected to be a major contributor, this team already has plenty of offensive talent and just needed role players to wear down their opponents.

The two players they lost were forwards Steve Sullivan and Aaron Asham. Asham signed with division rival the New York Rangers, which is the only team in the Atlantic he hasn't suited up for yet.

Tags: Aaron Asham, Brandon Sutter, Dylan Reese, Garth Snow, Hockey, Jordan Staal, Marc-Andre Fleury, New York, New York Islanders, NHL, Pittsburgh Penguins, Steve Sullivan, Tomas Vokoun, Washington Capitals, Zbynek Michalek

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