Cizikas is an Islander

Casey Cizikas has agreed to terms on an entry-level contract with the New York Islanders.

Cizikas, 20, is one of the Isles blue chip prospects and has really turned up his game.  Last season for the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors of the Ontario Hockey League, Cizikas scored a career-high 29 and 35 in 52 games this season. In addition, he had an impressive playoff run with 19 points in 16 OHL games.

Although the Majors lost to the Saint John Sea Dogs in the Finals, Cizikas has proven to be the potential asset the Islanders thought he was when they selected the 6’0”, 185-pound forward in the forth round, 92^nd overall in the 2009 National Hockey League Draft.  A draft position that was later than anticipated after Cizikas was involved with an incident that had him brought up on manslaughter charges in 2007 in which a Brampton Ontario court gave Cizikas a sentence of one year probation and 100 hours of community service.  He has put the past behind him and made strides to reclaim the possibility of a bright NHL career.

He finished his OHL career with Mississauga with 88 and 115 in 237 games.  His playoff performance yielded 18 and 27 in 47 games.  Much like Anders Nilsson, Casey Cizikas needed to be signed by Tuesday or the Islanders would have lost his rights and he would have gone back into this year’s draft.

In addition, Cizikas won a Silver Medal for Team Canada at the 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship.

As for me, I’ll be away until June 6^th.  I am sure that I will be able to catch us up on more exciting Islander news at that time.  Thanks for checking me out and I’ll be back soon.