Welcome to the second edition of the Drive4Five mailbag! In this series, we will be answering questions that are asked to us on our Instagram, @drive4five, through the question and answer feature on Instagram stories, both about the New York Islanders and hockey in general. This will be a collaborative effort by all the writers on the website as each week you will see different people answering the questions! If you want to ask a question to potentially be featured in next week’s mailbag, make sure to check our Instagram for the next time we post the question and answer box on our story! If you want to check out what we had to say in the first mailbag, you can check it out here!

From @barzalandersfan__13: “Should Brent Thompson be fired?”

“To be honest, I think Brent Thompson has run his course in Bridgeport. He had a successful season in 2011-12, but the roster was filled with guys who we now see on with the New York Islanders. To be fair, however, Thompson isn’t really a defensive forward guy, and based on who has he is given in Bridgeport, that is what he has had to deal with over the past few years. If you are interested in potential candidates to replace him if he is let go, I wrote an article talking about potential replacements and Thompson’s time in Bridgeport.”
-Christian

From @juliann.1318: “What do you think our long-term plan for MDC is?”

“It might be time to label Michael Dal Colle as a bust. The 2014 5th overall pick only has 17 points in 85 NHL games for the New York Islanders to date. Head coach Barry Trotz has benched him multiple times this season but has used him throughout the lineup. Ultimately, however, anything more than third-line minutes is unrealistic for the young winger. He’ll have to beat our Kieffer Bellows and Andrew Ladd if he wants to remain an Islander, though. If not the plan should be to trade him before he becomes an RFA after next season. A third or fourth-round pick is a fair asking price in my opinion.”
-Ben B.

From @bobbyteetz18: “What are the chances of Oliver Wahlstrom and Kieffer Bellows playing in the playoffs?”

“Both don’t have much NHL experience so it’s likely Trotz sticks with the proven players in the lineup that have played most of the season. However, Bellows and Wahlstrom will both travel to Toronto, meaning if there are injuries, or players struggling, either one could definitely see the playoff ice for the first time in their respective careers. Plus, they can be filled into the lineup based on what player gets injured, sick, or is off their game. If Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Derick Brassard, or other players known for scoring goals, Trotz can likely look to Bellows to have that same play-style. If a more all-around player is needed, Wahlstrom may be chosen.”
-Ben K.

From @tonyverola: “Who do you think will have a better career, Ilya Sorokin or Igor Shestyorkin?”

“This question gets asked a lot. To answer simply, it is way too early to project who will have the better career. Both goaltenders have had exceptional careers in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). But, you have to give the edge to Igor Shestyorkin right now since he has some NHL experience, very minimal, but we have seen him play and he has been dominant in his twelve games with the Rangers.
On the other side of the coin, Ilya Sorokin will be playing in the Islanders’ defensive system, while Igor Shestyorkin will be playing on a primarily offensive team. This gives Sorokin quite the advantage coming in. However, we believe both goaltenders will be top-five goalies within a couple of years, and it is too early to give a definitive answer until we see them both get some more NHL action.”
-Shawn
Thanks to everyone who submitted questions, and make sure to keep an eye out on the Instagram story for the next time to submit questions, and check back next week for the next installment of the Drive4Five Mailbag!

SEF