Top 20 on the Islanders: #9 Michael Grabner

Michael Grabner skates for Islanders (Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images)

          Next up on the top twenty list is quite possibly one of the fastest men to put on a pair of skates for the Isles.  He was an NHL all-star last year, and he has put up his second consecutive solid season this year.  The number nine player on the Isles, is right winger, Michael Grabner.
          Grabner was drafted in the first round (14th overall), by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.   He played for the Canucks in the 2009-2010 season.  While there he played in twenty games, getting five goals and six assists, for eleven points.  He then left Vancouver for the Florida Panthers, where he never made it on their NHL squad.  Subsequently, Florida put Grabner on waivers, where he was then picked up by the Islanders on October 5th, 2010.
          Since being claimed, Grabner has been a big part of the Islanders.  Last year, Grabner put together an all-star year compiling thirty-four goals and eighteen assists, for forty-two points.  He has slowed down a little bit, but has still had a good second year as an Islanders.  So gar this year, Grabner has sixteen goals and eleven assists.  
          If Grabner can improve on one part of his game, he could become a star.  That part is scoring on his many breakaways.  If you watch the Isles consistently, you will notice that in most of them, Grabner gets at least one breakaway.  This is because he is one of the fastest players in the league this year.  If he could find a way to bury more of his chances in the back of the net, he could become a big time goal scorer. 
          Grabner is already a solid player for the Islanders.  With a few more breakaways going his way, he can become an elite player with the Isles.