Height: 6'0"
Weight: 194 lbs
Birthdate: December 11th, 1977 (33 years old)
Birthplace: Englisberg, Switzerland
Acquired: Signed Free Agent, 2008
2010-2011 Team: New York Islanders (injured reserve)
2010-2011 Stats: N/A
2011-2012 Team: New York Islanders
Team Role: #1 Defenseman
Last year: With James Wisniewski in the mix, everyone thought the line of Streit and Wiz was going to be one of the best offensive defense pairings in the entire league. They would have been right, but Streit suffered a freak injury following a check by Matt Moulson in a scrimmage during training camp. Streit tore his labrum and was unable to play last season. Streit spent the season rehabbing his shoulder both on Long Island and in his homeland of Switzerland.
Expectations: While most people figured Streit would be extremely rusty to start the season and might not even be himself again, Streit proved everyone wrong with his play during the offseason. He seemed to not miss a beat when he scored 3 points in his very first game back against the New Jersey Devils. He continued his strong play throughout the entire pre-season and looks to have regained his old form, give or take a few mistakes he made here and there. Streit will return to his rightful role as the team's #1 defenseman, and will QB an Islanders PP that looks to be its strongest in a very, very long time.
Projections: GP 74 - 14 G - 44 A - 58 P
Thoughts:
AT: After such a shocking injury last season, the progress Streit has shown in his rehabilitation has me completely confident in his ability to return to not only the point he was once at, but an even more superior level than prior. Streit is this team's captain, this team's best defenseman (although Hamonic taking that title from him this season is entirely possible), and one of the best players on this team. Losing him last season was, in my opinion, the biggest reason the Islanders went on such a horrific losing streak. With Streit back, the sky is the limit. It's time for him to show us why we really missed him so much last season.
CH: Streit has showed no signs of rust during pre-season, which was an extremely pleasant surprise. He is the clear number one defenseman on the Islanders, and with his increased role of becoming captain will play a huge part in whether the Isles are successful this season or not. Last season, the Isles truly missed his transitional play, powerplay prowess and ability, leadership ability, and one-on-one play in the defensive zone. The fact is that the Islanders are a better team with Streit in the lineup, and he should provide a big boost in regards to movement in the standings. That said, even with his fantastic pre-season, there should be a little grace period for Streit to re-acclimate himself to the NHL game. Once he does that though, like Alex said, the sky is the limit.
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