Bring Back the Captain

He won't be able to shut down the top players of other teams or come up with a big power play goal from the point, but a Denis Potvin return to the Islanders is very possible and the team should make it happen.

The Islanders now have a void in their television broadcast booth since Billy Jaffe is not being retained. Chris Botta at www.islanderspointblank.com is reporting that MSG Network had a deal in place to re-sign Jaffe but that the Islanders put the kibosh on it because they thought he wasn't positive enough on the broadcasts.

While that's debatable, the Islanders, who reportedly have final say over the broadcast talent, can please their entire fan base by bringing Denis Potvin back to the organization and have him set next to Howie Rose in the broadcast booth.

In case you didn't know, and all of you Ranger fans out there prefer to forget this, Potvin captained the Islanders to four consecutive Stanley Cup titles and his number 5 hangs from the rafters at the Nassau Coliseum. After his playing days were done, Potvin moved on to South Florida where he became the television analyst for the Florida Panthers but also did some other broadcast work including as an analyst for the NHL on Fox.

He would be the ultimate perfect fit for the Islanders right now. Not only would he be a superb analyst on television, he could, once again, become an ambassador for the franchise. As the Islanders try to get their arena situation cleared up, Potvin could be a catalyst to re-energize the franchise.

Long-time Islander fans would be drawn back instantly because of his presence and newer Islander fans would be subject to some great stories from the team's glorious past.

It could also be a big immediate business boost for the Islanders. Since they are going back to their retro-jerseys, bring Potvin back to the franchise would probably mean some extra jersey sales.

And let's not forget about the rivalry with the Rangers. That would be given some fresh life again. Those "Potvin $%#@^" chants at the Garden have been a little weak over the years!

But seriously, bringing Denis Potvin back to the Islanders is a no-brainer. All they have to do is make it happen!