What's Next For Former Islander Josh Bailey?

Former New York Islanders forward Josh Bailey is still an unrestricted free agent. Is there a next stop?

Have you ever wondered where the idea of playoff beards originated? Believe it or not, its roots can be traced to Nassau Veterans'Memorial Coliseum; even before the Isles won their first Stanley Cup. Left wing Clark Gillies is credited with the idea; designed to enhance camaraderie as the players embarked on their trail to The Stanley Cup.

No, our former New York Islanders buddy Josh Bailey never will be mistaken for James Bond. Nor Sherlock Holmes, for that matter.
The "Islanders-only" forward never looked like a man of mystery, but suddenly, over the past weeks, he has taken on the title of Mister Melodrama. Now you see him; now you don't!

Which is another Long Island-ese way of saying we don't know from day to day what gives with Pal Joshua.

One minute he's still Isles property, and then next, he's featured as the newest Chicago Blackhawk, ready to provide superstar-rookie Connor Bedard lessons in the A,B,C's of NHL hockey, if not the D,E,F, and Gs's of the ice games.

Whoops!

Hold on a minute.

The Blackhawks bailed on Bails, and now he's swimming in the never-never-land of free agency; or something like that. Will someone -- how about Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek -- toss Josh a life preserver?

Make no mistake; Josh still wants to play; and I'm not joshing either.

I know this for a fact because Bailey was hanging out in the UBS Arena press room between periods during the Isles-Canes series. After virtually all the media types had exited, one NHL team executive remained.

It happened to be Carolina's much-lauded general manager Don Waddell. Bails went over to Don, introduced himself, and a brief conversation ensued.

Of this much, I can assure you, Bailey was not trying to sell Waddell aluminum siding for his Raleigh garage.

My opinion is right here; Josh Bailey still wants to play and believes he can help another team, and that other team isn't Chicago. Likely not Carolina either.

What remains to be seen is whether the Coyotes, Sharks, Ducks, or even Red Wings might want to get the all-Islander for a song and a dance and a few non-Monopoly dollars thrown in for good measure.

Okay. Okay, already, but what if nobody wants Josh as a player? It could happen -- and then what?

We know he's insightful. We know that he's respected in the UBS dressing room, and we know -- 'way beyond a shadow of a doubt -- that the Islanders need a guy with a Ph.D. in Power Play. Maybe he could conceivably fix what last season was virtually unfixable.

Bailey even could wind up with the title "Player-Assistant Coach."

That actually happened in 1961-62, to the Rangers, no less.

The Canadiens unloaded their Hall of Fame defenseman Doug Harvey to the Blueshirts and general manager Muzz Patrick knighted Harvey with the title of player-coach.

"Doug did so well for me," Patrick recalled, "that he not only got us into the playoffs -- which was a major feat then -- but he won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman. And he also made a star out of Rod Gilbert."

Really, it's possible -- if not believable -- that Josh Bailey could wind up as "The Seventh Man On The Bench." Sometimes player; all-the-time assistant coach.

As the song goes, Josh, old pal, "It Could Happen To You!"

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