Islanders ready to move on without Tavares, Clutterbuck says

EAST MEADOW, N.Y. -- Cal Clutterbuck knows what the "experts" think, the pundits who say the New York Islanders don't have a chance of qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season.

He's used to it.
"I think it's a comfortable place to be as an 'underdog,'" the 30-year-old right wing told NHL.com at the Islanders practice facility on Thursday. "For whatever reason, this team, this franchise, has never really been given the respect that it kind of deserves, I think. It happened to us the last year at the Nassau | Three questions facing New York Islanders]*
"We went two rounds [in the playoffs] the next year and probably could have been up 3-1 in the Tampa series (the Islanders lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Second Round in five games). We're used to that mentality. We're used to people really not giving us the time of day, so we'll grab hold of that."
The Islanders will be without center John Tavares for the first time since 2008-09; their former captain and the No. 1 pick of the 2009 NHL Draft signed a seven-year contract with his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs as an unrestricted free agent July 1. Clutterbuck, a close friend of Tavares, said he feels no animosity or sense of betrayal.
"I know he was really undecided right until the end," Clutterbuck said. "The last time I had talked to him was later in the week [leading into July 1]. We talked and I knew there was a chance that he was leaving, but he wasn't sure. I could tell; there was uncertainty in his voice and his tone. Obviously he took some time to make the decision for himself. He earned the right. I've spent some time with him since then, and he seems like he's happy with the decision. As a friend, that's all you can really ask for.
"There's been a lot of guys that have meant a lot to this organization leave lately. Whether it's by choice or not, it's something that you've just got to deal with. I think he felt that there was obviously some burning desire inside him to go to Toronto. I think it was something that he couldn't ignore. You can't blame a guy for following what he wants to do. You don't want him to be here and be miserable for another eight years. It is what it is, and then you move on."
Even without Tavares, the Islanders have a chance to produce plenty of offense. Center Mathew Barzal, who turned 21 on May 26, won the Calder Trophy last season after leading New York with 85 points (22 goals, 63 assists) in 82 games. Forward Anders Lee scored 40 goals for the first time in his NHL career. Defenseman Ryan Pulock had a strong second half and finished with 32 points (10 goals, 22 assists) in 68 games.

The Islanders also have the reigning Stanley Cup-winning coach behind their bench; Barry Trotz resigned as coach of the Capitals on June 18 and signed with the Islanders three days later. Trotz was hired by general manager Lou Lamoriello, who was hired as president of hockey operations May 22, and fired GM Garth Snow and coach Doug Weight on June 5 after New York (35-37-10) missed the playoffs for a second straight season.
"I've obviously admired him as a coach for a long time," Clutterbuck said of Trotz. "It's good to see him finally break through last year and win a Cup. He just brings a lot of experience. He's coached teams that have been extremely talented and he's coached teams that have been expansion teams, low-budget teams in Nashville for a long time and did a great job with them. They were one of the toughest teams to play against when I came into the League. He's kind of seen both sides of it and I think he's got a wide range of skill. He seems like a great person, a guy that guys will definitely want to go out there and play for."
"Things kind of got away from us a little last year. The slide that sometimes is three, four games turned itself into 20 pretty quickly for us. I think there's got be a lot more of everybody pulling the rope mentality. I think there's going to be some important roles for everybody on the team to kind of grab on to and take hold of. I think the team defense and the team product is going to be different, but improved."
One of the reasons for the Islanders' success in 2015 and 2016 was the effectiveness of their fourth line; Clutterbuck, Casey Cizikas and Matt Martin routinely created havoc and sparked their teammates. Martin is back after being acquired in a trade with the Maple Leafs for goalie prospect Eamon McAdam on July 3.
"Obviously we've worked well together in years past," Clutterbuck said. "Having him back, the fans are probably excited; they see the Matt Martin for John Tavares trade as a 1-for-1. But he's a great guy. He means a lot to the team, he really does. We missed his presence the last couple of years. I'm definitely happy to have him back."