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BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Doug Weight will fill in as the New York Islanders interim coach for their game at Buffalo on Tuesday night, filling in for Jack Capuano who is sick with the flu.

Capuano traveled with the team to Buffalo following the Islanders' 6-0 home loss to Ottawa on Monday afternoon. He was too ill to attend the Islanders skate Tuesday morning, and remained at the team hotel for the game.

Weight is in his first year serving as Islanders' senior adviser to general manager Garth Snow and an assistant coach. A four-time NHL All-Star, Weight retired in May after playing three of his 19 NHL seasons with the Isles.

The Islanders are in the midst of contract negotiations with goaltender Evgeni Nabokov, a source confirmed to ESPN NewYork.com’s Katie Strang.

The 36-year-old Nabokov, who has missed the last three games due to the flu, is 14-14-0 for the Islanders this season with a 2.24 goals-against average, .925 save percentage and two shutouts.

Earlier this month, Islanders GM Garth Snow told Strang that he has “no intention” of trading Nabokov.

Nabokov spent part of last season in the KHL. He wanted to join the Red Wings, but was claimed by the Islanders off waivers. Nabokov was upset, and declined to report, so the Islanders tolled his contract.

Nabokov decided to come to training camp at the start of the 2011-12 campaign, and has emerged as the Islanders’ No. 1 netminder.

The Islanders' improbable playoff hopes took a nosedive Monday, when the team was bludgeoned 6-0 by the Senators.

Ottawa's Jason Spezza and Erik Karlsson tallied to give the Sens a 2-0 lead 1:35 into play -- forcing 21-year-old goaltender Kevin Poulin from net -- and both players finished pair of goals each.

It was the Islanders' sixth shutout loss at home this season, and second time by a 6-0 margin.

The 25-26-8 squad, which has not strung together two straight wins over the last nine-game stretch, failed miserably facing an opportunity to pull within four points of the eighth-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Eastern Conference.

Forward P.A. Parenteau was ejected with a game misconduct midway through the third period after a frustrated outburst directed toward a referee.

With eight points separating the New York Islanders from the eighth and final playoff spot, no one is ready to concede the season just yet. Still, looking ahead to next season is part of the fun for any franchise and with the draft creeping closer, it appears the Islanders might be able to find a very helpful player come June 2012 ... even if they don't have a top pick.

Former NHL scout and current ESPN Insider contributor Grant Sonier released his first mock draft of the year Thursday, and more telling than where the Islanders were selecting (No. 5, based on Monday's standings) was who they might be targeting.

Sonier slots D Ryan Murray of the Everett Silvertips (WHL) to the Isles at No. 5. Here's the write-up:

"This is a franchise that is in need of a steady, smart, puck-moving D-man to accent the fine young talent it has up front. Murray is a little bit of a jack of all trades from the blue line -- albeit a highly skilled jack -- for a smaller sized D-man."

Murray skated with the Canadian U-20 team at the World Juniors this season, a notable achievement for a player in his draft year. Here's what Sonier wrote about Murray in his Top 50 prospect rankings:

"An excellent showing at the WJC, where the maturity and composure he displayed earlier this season continued to shine. Many will have him higher on their list [Sonier ranked him No. 6], but I think he lacks the offensive dimension of [Mathew] Dumba and [Morgan] Rielly. His defensive hockey sense separates him from most in this draft, though."

While the Islanders do have some young D prospects (Calvin de Haan, Scott Mayfield) outside of the NHL roster, after spending top picks on Nino Niederreiter and Ryan Strome it figures that Garth Snow and Co. could target an able-bodied blueliner in this year's first round. Good news there: One of this draft's strengths is a deep selection of solid defensemen.

In addition to Murray, Mathew Dumba, Morgan Rielly and Griffin Reinhart all fall in Sonier's Top 10 prospects. Even if the Islanders do make a late push, it seems like they should still be able to pick up a good building block come June.

Perhaps to the chagrin of so-called housebound "agraphobes" everywhere, New York Islanders center John Tavares was named the NHL's First Star for the month of January.

It was a tremendous start to 2012 for Tavares, as the award wraps a 31-day stretch in which he notched a league-best nine goals and 13 assists, and earned his first trip to the All-Star game.

Tavares currently sits tied for fourth in the NHL points standings with 53, six behind league-leader Evgeni Malkin.

The Islanders will take on the Devils on Oct. 2 in the first-ever NHL game at Barclays Center.

The preseason tilt is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.

The $1 billion Brooklyn arena will officially open on Sept. 28 with the first of multiple JAY-Z concerts.

“We’re extremely excited to play the first NHL game in the new, state-of-the-art Barclays Center,” Islanders GM Garth Snow said in a statement. “We already have some of the most passionate fans in the league supporting our young team, and we are looking forward to expanding our base into Brooklyn.”

“We feel Brooklyn is an untapped hockey market that offers the Islanders with an exciting opportunity to grow its fan base,” Nets CEO Brett Yormark said. “Barclays Center will also afford current Islander fans with great accessibility, as the Long Island Rail Road and nine subway lines will come directly to the arena at the Atlantic Terminal transit hub.”

The Islanders had hoped to begin a $400 million renovation on decrepit Nassau Coliseum, but the project was voted down. Their lease there expires in 2015.

“They still have 3 1/2 years to go,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said recently. “I find it hard to believe that there won't be a solution to that building situation. Long Island deserves a new building, not just for hockey, but for concerts and family shows and the like. And I've got to believe the people in charge of those things will tend to it in due course.”

New York was represented well on Sunday in the NHL All-Star game with the Rangers Marian Gaborik earning MVP honors and the Islanders John Tavares tallying some points of his own.

Barring a miraculous run in the remaining 34 games of the season, the Islanders appear headed for yet another season without playoff hockey. Save for John Tavares’ electric play and another standout year for Matt Moulson, the struggling team looks bound for another Top-5 draft pick. Below are three vital questions for the Isles to answer after the All-Star break.

1. Can they make things interesting?

Following a dreadful first half last season, the Islanders flourished in absence of pressure and picked up their play after the break. Although they still finished 27th in the league, the team was not mathematically eliminated until the last week of the season. Can they show the same fight this year?

2. Will Evgeni Nabokov be traded?

Despite his contentious waiver claim last season, Evgeni Nabokov has moved on to emerge as the Islanders starting goaltender of 2012. The 36-year-old netminder has won four of his last five starts and was named the NHL’s 3rd star last week. Will the Islanders dangle him as trade bait as the deadline nears? Or will they ride him out for the remainder of the season with Al Montoya backing him up?

3. Can Tavares keep this up?

En route to his first All-Star nod, Tavares has put together a stellar 20-goal, 49 point campaign through 48 games. The 21-year-old center, whose league-best 12-game point streak was snapped Monday is on pace for a 33-goal, 51-assist season in his third year pro. Tavares has flourished as the team’s top talent and one of the league’s rising young stars – can he continue to carry the Islanders offense the rest of the season?

Islanders goaltender Evgeni Nabokov has been named the NHL's 3rd star of the week, the team announced.

Nabokov, claimed off waivers by the Islanders last season, has recorded four straight wins for the Islanders, including one shutout against Washington January 17. The 36-year-old Russian has surrendered only two goals in his last three starts.

Although mired at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings for most of the season, the 19-21-6 Islanders -- 6-4-0 over their last ten games -- have clawed themselves into 12th place, nine points removed from the 8th place Capitals.

Riding a three-game winning streak, the team faces a home-and-home set against the Maple Leafs Monday and Tuesday before heading into the All-Star Break.

Some omissions from ESPN Insider's Neil Greenberg's Top 25 Under 25 list -- a ranking system based on highly-detailed statistical analysis -- garnered more criticism than others. But apparently the most vicious vitriol came from Islanders fans furious over John Tavares' absence.

Hence, Greenberg's defense in the article, "Why John Tavares is good, not great." Essentially, he substantiates his choice -- which also ranks Jonathan Toews ahead of injured superstar Sidney Crosby -- based upon his CPI (Clutch Performance Index) and Corsi percentage.

My take?

He belongs on the list. So do Matt Duchene, Jami Benn and Jeff Skinner.

Granted, I'm not one for complicated mathematical schemes -- as my college statistics professor would gladly vouch -- but I tend to take such analyses with a grain of salt. There are some categories that I believe have great value (a team's goal differential, for example ) and some I find to be pretty misleading ( a player's plus-minus rating).

Here's what I can tell you about watching 21-year-old John Tavares since he was taken first overall in the 2009 draft. Despite the floundering Islanders' dreadful past three seasons, Tavares has improved steadily with few marquee players around him.

He made huge strides -- both literally and figuratively -- in his pace and skating from year one to year two. He has grown tremendously in the strength department from his sophomore campaign to his third year pro. In talking to a couple of his teammates this week, the one thing they have all mentioned when asked what's impressed them about his game?

His strength on the puck and ability to win battles. The fierce competitive nature has always been there, but now he has the muscle to back it up.

Just as he did in his first two seasons with the team, he is leading the team in scoring. With 16 goals and 27 assists in 43 games, Tavares earned a well-deserved All-Star nod for this month's festivities in Ottawa, Ontario.

Let's face it. The Islanders have stagnated at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings in all three seasons since he was anointed The Chosen One on Long Island. The conditions for his development have been far from ideal, but instead of crumbling under the circumstances, he has thrived.

I'm not suggesting he should be mentioned in the same conversation as Crosby or Ovechkin, or even past No. 1 pick Steven Stamkos. But Top 25 Players Under 25?

He belongs on that list.

The Islanders avoided their sixth shutout loss at home -- but just barely.

Newly-named All Star center John Tavares spoiled Pekka Rinne's perfect day, extending his point streak to nine games (five goals, 11 assists during that span) with a third-period tip-in goal with 3:58 to play.

But Nashville dominated play and Rinne stopped 36 shots in a stellar performance, leading his Nashville club to its fifth straight win.

21-year-old goaltender Kevin Poulin had a rough outing by comparison and was returned to the AHL's Bridgeport Sound Tigers after the game. Coming off four straight wins in the AHL -- including three consecutive shutouts -- Poulin gave up three goals on the first six shots he faced.

The young netminder made his first start for the Islanders since December 15 -- a 3-2 loss to Dallas.

Every day must feel like Friday the 13th for Rick DiPietro.

The 30-year-old goaltender appears headed for yet another injury-shortened season. After spending the past month on injured reserve, DiPietro will undergo sports hernia surgery next week to repair a lingering groin injury, a source confirmed to ESPNNewYork.com.

DiPietro, whose albatross 15-year $67.5 million deal has him singed through 2021, told Newsday's Arthur Staple he has no plans to retire.

There have been few bright spots for the Islanders lately.

John Tavares has been one of them.

Amid a disappointing season rife with dashed expectations and false hope, Tavares has blossomed into what one teammate deemed “a legitimate superstar."

The 21-year-old center’s production has not been dampened by the team’s downtrodden first half; instead Tavares has shouldered the load with a team-leading 40 points -- 15 goals and 25 assists.

The newly-named All-Star, who has a whopping 13 points in the past seven games, has ascended in his third year as a pro.

“If you look at All-Stars, it’s what an individual does for their team,” coach Jack Capuano said. “We’ve got guys who are having good years, don’t get me wrong, but John has elevated his game and taken it to another level.”

Gone is the precocious 19-year-old who broke into league as a supremely talented No. 1 draft pick who at times seemed burdened by his own expectations.

Tavares no longer struggles with the pace or size of the game. Now his teammates marvel at his strength on the puck, his ability to win battles down low. His sheer determination has always been there, sure, but now his game has matched his forceful will.

“I just think it’s a combination of everything I’ve learned the past two and a half years,” Tavares said. “I’ve gotten stronger, I’ve learned the things I’ve had to work on and I understand the game better -- getting through the whole 82-game season, the grind and the toll it can take on you mentally and physically.

“I just feel like I’m getting stronger out there and more comfortable and it’s translating on and off the ice for me,” he said.

Tavares’ strength on the ice has been complemented with significant growth off the ice. He exudes a reserved self-assuredness and has learned to keep an even keel rather than suffocate under the weight of self-criticism.

“His first year, when things wouldn’t go right, he’d get frustrated. Nothing crazy, by any means, but I think he has such a level head now,” said good friend and linemate Matt Moulson, who has a team-leading 20 goals. “Obviously that comes with maturity as a player and as a person.”

Like the rest of his Islanders teammates -- who find themselves in last place in the Eastern Conference with an abysmal record of 15-20-6 -- Tavares is frustrated by the team’s position.

“You’d love to be in a playoff spot. It’s been up and down all year for everybody. We just want to find some consistency and get on a roll, make things interesting for ourselves,” he said.

Tavares will do everything he can to make that happen -- with the assurance of an All-Star.

“He’s not much of a gloater, but I know he’s proud,” Moulson said of Tavares' accolades. “I’m extremely happy for him. He’s worked extremely hard to get where he is. It’s good to see him get some recognition. He’s one of the best in the league.”

Third-year center and former first overall draft pick John Tavares has been named an All-Star.

The 21-year-old leads the Islanders in scoring with 14 goals and 25 assists in 40 games this season.

Tavares is the 26th-place Islanders' lone representative for this month's festivities in Ottawa. Tavares' good friend and linemate Matt Moulson likely garnered consideration as well with his 20-goal first half.

Tavares, who leads Islanders forwards with an average 19:39 in ice time per game, has recorded 10 multi-point games this season, including two four-point efforts and one hat trick.

One of ESPN Insider's advanced stats specialists, Neil Greenberg, took a crack at compiling the league's 25 best players under the age of 25 (Insider). While the most controversial ranking is the selection of Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews ahead of Sidney Crosby -- for which Greenberg sites Crosby's uncertain health -- the omission of one John Tavares has earned the ire of the Isles faithful.

Ahead of the JT? Caps goalie Michal Neuvirth, Predators forward Sergei Kostitsyn and Jets center Bryan Little.

To be fair to Greenberg -- who has written some interesting pieces in the past -- his list weights players with a string of steady production in the past, not their potential ceiling as prospects. In essence, it's looking at what players have done instead of what they could do. Apparently the author prefers a bird in hand. That said, he explains that Tavares' puck possession stats, in terms of Corsi -- an advanced metric that measures the difference in shots generated for and against a players' team when he's on the ice -- are poor compared to the other players on the list, which is why Tavares misses the cut, despite having 160 points in 201 games.

Take a look at the full list ... and you'll probably want to swing by the comments section as well. If there's any consolation, the list doesn't include any Rangers or Devils either.