Evening Snapshots: Front Offices, NWHL, and the Islanders

News and notes from around the hockey world this evening:

• The Hockey News conducted a survey asking fans to rate the performance of each NHL team’s front office. Over 1300 people participated in the survey and ranked front offices on six distinct categories: roster building, cap management, drafting/developing, trading, free agency, and vision. The Nashville Predators earned the highest public opinion, followed by the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Tampa Bay Lightning. On the other end of the spectrum, the Colorado Avalanche had the worst public opinion ratings, just behind the Vancouver Canucks and the Detroit Red Wings.
• The National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) has expanded its official rosters from 17 players to 25 players. Previously, the league had two tiers of players: roster players and practice players. Practice players would only play in games if a roster player could not. Moreover, practice players did not get paid for practicing unless they also played in a game. Now, all players are considered roster players, but only 17 will suit up for a game—important because players are now played per game rather than through a salary.
• The New York Islanders may be one step closer to moving out of the Barclays Center. Randi Marshall of Newsday reports that New York State will officially begin requesting proposals for developing valuable land next to Belmont Park—home of the Belmont Stakes. The Islanders have been rumored to be discussing a Belmont Park-located arena, and the State’s proposal request will propel those talks.