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Isles prospect Kirill Kabanov oversleeps again, earns bag skate and criticism

2010 NHL Draft Portraits

poses for a portrait during the 2010 NHL Entry Draft at Staples Center on June 26, 2010 in Los Angeles, California.

Harry How

New York Islanders 2010 third round pick Kirill Kabanov is having a training camp to forget. On the first day of rookie camp, Kabanov over-slept and was held off the ice from workouts. Now with the rest of the NHL vets in place and working out, Kabanov has done it again and over-slept causing him to arrive late to practice this morning (subscription required) and winning him a bag skate from head coach Scott Gordon.

For an 18 year-old kid, oversleeping is practically a way of life but when you’re a talented prospect with a history of personal discord, a kid with first-round talent that wasn’t taken until the third round, making sure you’re up early enough to get to practice on time should be of more importance. While the Isles are going to be patient with him and try to not run him out of town too soon, Chris Botta of Islanders Point Blank says that Kabanov, while good, should just go back to juniors now.

Make no mistake, Kabanov deserves a year or two of chances to overcome his. But he has not earned the privilege of playing a hockey game over the next week alongside Streit, Tavares, Okposo, Bailey and DiPietro in a New York Islanders uniform before New York Islanders fans.

Late twice in the first ten days of his pro career? The Islanders have had a few troubled souls and wacky characters on their roster the last two decades; I don’t recall anything like this. Today’s 30-minute bag skate (with pushups!) a punishment? You’ve got to be kidding. Kabanov is a hockey player. Deny him the ice. Deny him entry into the locker room.

Botta was very stern and direct in his takedown of the Kabanov situation and I can’t say that I disagree with what he’s saying, although his tone is that of an angry father and it’s not without just cause. There are other guys in the locker room that doing everything possible to try and make the team and a kid with the talent to eventually be an NHL contributor that opts to not take that seriously isn’t someone that should be around.

Kabanov will grow up eventually and start to take things more serious. Until then, people are going to get upset at him for not getting it done right away. Lots of fans and others will call it a “mistake” that the Isles drafted him when they did or at all. It’s just too early to say things like that now. Everyone grows up eventually, Kabanov just has to make sure he does it before he runs out of chances to make a positive impression on everyone with his game on the ice.

(Photo: Bruce Bennett - Getty Images)