Weird Islanders' first guest, Carey Harber, joins Mike and Dan again to talk about Justin Papineau. The Chris Osgood trade was a much-vaunted return, but it turns out it didn't materialize.
With young Rick DiPietro (presumably) ready for starting duty, the Islanders opted to trade Osgood to St. Louis to acquire one of the Blues' most attractive players. Papineau was able to display flash skills, but it was often in exhibition games or very rarely during the regular season. After two up-and-down seasons between Long Island and Bridgeport, he was sidelined for several months with a major injury. After the 2005 lockout, he headed to Europe for an extended tour. But somehow he became something of a symbol of a very strange transitional period in the history of the islanders.
Papineau was one of many Islanders prospects who were touted as the future of the franchise but ultimately fell through the cracks. If you think the current Islanders prospect pool is the worst in the NHL, go back to the early 2000s, which was a truly terrible time. If Janne Niinimaa is the leading scorer in his series in the playoffs, there will be a problem.
Carey, thank you for coming. It's always fun to talk to him and we've been waiting a long time to talk about this and go to Papineau. Between this and the Osgood episode, it feels like that strange circuit has been closed.
Don't miss our live event on March 30th at 4pm at New York's brand new Offside Tavern. Bring your Weird Islanders jerseys, shirts, and swag. Because we want to hear from you in a live podcast coming soon.
Weird bonus material!
- The Blues acquired Papineau, who was drafted in 1998 and did not sign with LA. In a preseason game in Worcester, Papineau scored five points against the Boston Bruins.
- Papineau arrived from St. Louis for Chris Osgood on the same day Brad Isbister was traded to Edmonton for Janne Niinimaa. Let's talk about big waves of change.
- In his first game as a Bridgeport Sound Tiger, Papineau scored two goals, including becoming the first player in team history to score on a penalty shot.
- Papineau's first post-trade call-up came at a critical time for the Islanders, who were in a heated race for the playoffs.
- His first full season got off to a strong start, scoring three goals in three preseason games. However, the regular season is a different story.
- A two-goal game against the Oilers in January 2004 made Steve Sterling look like a genius.
- He also scored a goal in the first game against Peter Laviolette of the Islanders, earning the win.
- Papineau signed a new contract with the Islanders in July 2004, but never played for the big club again. That was all he had with the Islanders, from the 2004-2005 lockout to the 2005-2006 season when he spent five months with a severe shoulder injury.
- He definitely had talent around the net. This goal came in a crushing defeat to the Rangers.
- One more thing: His final goal as an Islander was a beauty against Tampa Bay.
- After spending a season in Switzerland for Basel, Papineau was based in Germany for the next three seasons, playing for the Grizzlies Wolfsburg and Adler Mannheim Eagles.
What are “strange islanders”?
was everytime We welcome suggestions to discuss other strange islanders. Remember the criteria. Candidates must meet one of the following two criteria:
- He played for the Islanders for less than one season or in very short stints spanning multiple seasons.
- Be a veteran NHLer who doesn't have much to do with his time with the Islanders.
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Visit your friends!
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Pinot Project has Rosé, Pinot Grigio, and Pinot Noir, which was named to Wine Enthusiast's 2022 Top 100 Best Buys. All cost less than $15 a bottle and are available at local wine shops and UBS Arena.
- The Islanders Anxiety Podcast is available on Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN).
- Theme song: “Knuckles” Written by Bjorn Falk. Hear more of his music on Spotify and Bandcamp.
- Drums SF via Zapsplat.com. Jingle Bells effect also via ZapSplat.
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