Strang reports that her source who is close to the situation says Niederreiter has become unhappy with how his role with the club has developed and feels he is better suited playing elsewhere.  But wait there’s more.

This is where the story becomes bizarre and keep in mind there are always two sides to every story.

The former first-round, fifth overall pick of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft spent over half of the 2011-12 NHL season playing with the Islanders.  Niederreiter suited up for 55 games despite only being 19-years old and still eligible to return to his junior club.  Clearly the Islanders management thought this kid was good enough to stick around and develop at the NHL level.

Or so one would think.  Strang has heard that the Islanders were keeping him around to use his base salary to help propel the club over the salary cap minimum; a level they managed to stay at but just barely.

In those 55 games last season, Niederreiter managed just one goal, was a minu-29 and averaged just over 10 minutes of ice-time per night.  Not bad for a fourth line player but not enough for a player of Niederreiter’s potential to continue to develop. Especially when you consider he was playing for the lowly Islanders last season, who could use the help in a couple of years.

Two seasons ago he appeared in 9 games for the Islanders and notched a goal and an assist while averaging over thirteen minutes per game.

This season, the Swiss native has been producing at an efficient level for the Islanders AHL affiliate, Bridgeport Sound Tigers.  Through 39 games the now 20-year old has 19 goals and 17 assists for 36 points.  And he never got an invite to Islanders camp.

There appears to be some bad blood between Niederreiter and Islanders GM, Garth Snow for the once sought after prospect to not get invited to camp and given a legitimate shot at cracking the big club’s roster.  Furthermore, Strang’s source says that Snow was made aware of the request last week and has no intent on making a deal to please the Niederreiter camp; at least not at the moment.

As mentioned, there is another side to this story and hopefully we’ll get Snow’s version in the near future.

Be sure to check out our New York Islanders site - Eyes on Isles for more news and analysis on the team.

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Jan 10, 2012; Uniondale, NY, USA; New York Islanders right wing Nino Niederreiter (25) shoots on goal during the third period against the Detroit Red Wings at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Islanders won 5 – 1. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-US PRESSWIRE

Only a handful of games into the season and it is apparent that the lockout has allowed certain players to shine. For the past couple of seasons the New York Islanders have had trouble putting a string of wins together. In return, they have drafted a group of highly talented hockey players. Nino Niederreiter, a 20 year old from Switzerland, was drafted by the Islanders 5^th overall in the first round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Last year, “El Nino” played 55 games with the Isles but only registered one goal. This stat does not seem impressive, and it shouldn’t, but Niederreiter struggled because of his age.

Every player matures at his own rate. Although he didn’t turn any heads last year, in only two games Niederreiter has already begun doing so this season with the Islanders AHL affiliates, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. In two games, Niederreiter has notched two goals and two assists, leading his team to two victories. Niederreiter is now starting to shine because he has been given the opportunity. Unlike his days in the NHL last season, Nino is a leader on and off the ice, and is looked at to be a large part of the Sound Tigers potentially championship winning season.

A reoccurring problem in the NHL, and in all sports, is pushing rookies to perform at the top level. Nino has shown off his talents, so there is no doubting they are there, but after last season he may not be ready to use them against the pros. Playing this season in the minors will help him to remove any kinks left in his game, and return with force when the NHL resumes. There are many players in similar situations as Niederreiter, even some in the Islanders organization.

The Islanders have a plethora of young talent that could bring back a dynasty to the Island. The team Bridgeport has assembled is stacked all the way threw with top prospects from the past few years. Along with Niederreiter, players such as Travis Hamonic, Casey Cizikas, Calvin de Haan, Johan Sundstrom, and Anders Nilsson have all showcased their talents on the world stage in the World Junior Championships; now they are expected to grow into NHL stars.

In order for these players to grow, they need time to gain experience in the AHL. The lockout is good for no one, but it will give teams like the Islanders additional time for their players to complete their game. Come the return of the NHL, fans will be expecting familiar faces from their AHL team to be with the big club. In a perfect world, the NHLPA will accept the new 50/50 offer when they discuss it Tuesday night over a conference call, and we can resume play on the 2^nd of November. If this is the case, it will be very interesting to see who stays in the minors to develop and who is called up.