Matt Moulson 2010-11 SEASON REVIEW:

Matt Moulson
Date of birth: November 01, 1983 (2010-11 Season Age: 26/27)

Place of birth: North York, Ont., Canada
Height: 6-1
Weight: 210
Shooting Hand: Left
NHL Season: 2nd full NHL season
Drafted: Penguins In the 9th Round (263rd Overall) of the 2003 NHL Draft 
Acquired: Signed by the Islanders in 2009

2010-11 Season Stats:
New York Islanders   NHL:   GP: 82  G: 31  A: 22  P: 53  PIM: 24

Short-Term Status: 

He will remain on the top-line with John Tavares and continue to be one of the key members of the Islanders organization. He fits in well with the team and although he is still relatively young at 27 years old, he is one of the older and more experienced players on the team. He is going to produce the same way he has for the last two years, I am sure of it.

Long-Term Status:

Matt Moulson in my opinion is vital to the Isles future and although, down the road, he might not always be a lock for 1st line minutes, his style of play is very useful and should keep him in the Islanders top-six for a long time. 

Contract Status:

LENGTH: 1 YEAR(S)     VALUE: $2,450,000     TYPE: STANDARD     EXPIRY STATUS: UFA
SEASON	AHL SALARY	NHL SALARY	P. BONUSES	S. BONUS	CAP HIT
2010-11	$2,450,000	$2,450,000	$0	$0	$2,450,000
EXTENSION SIGNED: 1/27/2011 3 year extension LENGTH: 3 YEAR(S)     VALUE: $9,400,000     TYPE: STANDARD     EXPIRY STATUS: UFA
SEASON	AHL SALARY	NHL SALARY	P. BONUSES	S. BONUS	CAP HIT
2011-12	$2,500,000	$2,500,000	$0	$0	$3,133,333
2012-13	$3,000,000	$3,000,000	$0	$0	$3,133,333
2013-14	$3,900,000	$3,900,000	$0	$0	$3,133,333

Review: 

Around early-January there were big-time rumors going around that Matt Moulson would be moved to the Boston Bruins, mainly due to the fact that Moulson's contract was set to expire, but as Islanders fans collectively held their breath, Garth Snow and Moulson were able to agree to a three-year extension. The extension came after a long and bumpy rode in the minor leagues for Moulson which makes it all the more sweet for the 27 year old. Last season, Moulson was the talk of the NHL; going from a no-name minor leaguer to a 30 goal scorer in the NHL. There was some concern regarding Moulson's ability to continue his success, but he was able to quiet the critics by putting up another 30 goal season this year. As one of only eleven players in all of the NHL to have 30 goals in both the 2009-10 and 2010-11 season's, he has proven to be one of the better goal scorers in the NHL. What makes it even more impressive is the fact that at no point in his career (before the NHL) had he scored 30 goals in a year (at any level), yet he was able to get two 30 goal season's back to back in the best league in the world. What I personally love about Moulson is the fact that every day he brings a consistent and strong effort...literally every day. He was one of only two Islanders to play every game this season and he is the only Islander to play every game for the last two seasons. Considering the injury problems the Isles organization has had for the past few years, its nice to have one of your key players be out there night in and night out. Playing in 164 straight NHL games without injury is impressive but the fact that he has played well in almost every single one, is something hard to find. The only flaw that he has is his skating which often times can look sluggish but not because of a lack of effort, his stride is just sloppy. Its most noticeable in the neutral zone, or when he is trying to beat an opponent to a puck. Luckily for Moulson and the Islanders once in the offensive zone, he is able to play a very strong and savvy style which consists of going to the dirty areas and winning battles. Although a good portion of his goals are "garbage goals", he has a very good shot that can beat a goalie easily. If he was able to hit the net more often (2nd on the team in Missed Shots), it would increase his goal totals even more. This season had to be a good one for Moulson as it was needed to prove last year was no fluke and he was able to do it without a problem.
Season Grade (A+ to F-): A

Great year from Matty Moulson and it proved that without a doubt he is a legit top 6 forward in the NHL. He also seemed to round out his game a bit as he looked better in his own zone than his first season. Thanks to his new extension he will be with the Islanders for at least the next 3 years.

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