Observations:

June 2015 – Poulin had a very nice rebound year for a sub-par Bridgeport team posting a 0.912 save percentage in 45 games as the starter. His save percentage was the best he has posted in the AHL since 2011-2012, so perhaps the disastrous 2013-2014 season served as motivation to improve his game. He is scheduled to be a RFA and if the Islanders want to go with the cheap backup Poulin may be their first choice. There will likely be competition at training camp, but there is no reason Poulin could finally secure the backup role. Pat Quinn

July 2014 – Poulin has signed a one year two way contract with the Isles. He could provide a good third option should injury strike Halak or Johnson. He should get the bulk of the work in Bridgeport which can only help him improve. Poulin is still young at 24 so don’t count him out of an NHL job someday.

June 2014 – Poulin becomes an RFA on July 1st and after he was sent down to the AHL late in the season it may not be a stretch to think the Isles have given up on him. With the Halak signing the chips seem to fall with Poulin a definite third on the depth chart. There is still much that could happen but I would assume the young net-minder will be included in a trade before an attempt is made to re-sign him. Brad Wilson

March 2014 – It has been a tough season for the Isles organization. Unfortunately, for Poulin that isn’t about to change. Optics would suggest that he has not done well in his return to the AHL. The Tigers were on a seven game win streak when the NHL regular arrived. Some excitement had to be allotted to the Bridgeport faithful as they now had an extra push to try to pull off a miracle late season charge. The Tigers would have to nearly run the board and get some help from teams ahead of them to make the playoffs. All this without their top three scorers. Then it all fell apart. Four straight losses for Poulin and his mates. To his credit, the Isles backup has done his part. In the seven game win streak the Sound Tigers allowed 2.42 goals against per game. After the Poulin addition, 2.5 goals against. The issue is this – during the win streak, 30 goals were scored by the boys in blue. That’s a very comfortable 4.28 goals per game. During the four game slide, six goals total hit the board for the good guys. A terrible 1.5 goals per game has brought the Tigers crashing back to earth. Although, it is a more realistic output considering the players they are missing. Theory – Scoring three goals or more should give you a chance to win any game. Reality – Poulin may need to trade his paddle for an Ovechkin curve and pot a few himself to reach that mark consistently. Brad Wilson

March 2014 – Poulin has been loaned to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL. Isles coach Capuano said the move was made to, “get him some games” but one has to wonder if it is to give Nilsson a chance down the stretch. Neither of the young goaltenders have yet to take the reigns and show that they can replace Nabakov as the teams starter next season. Poulin has shown flashes but not enough to cement the job. Brad Wilson

December 2013 – Poulin had a huge statement game against the Sharks, turning aside 46 shots in a 3-2 shootout win. It quite possibly may have been his best in an Islanders jersey. The Isles desperately need some magic to happen and a little stellar play from one of their netminders could go a long way. With this win, Poulin should wipe away any edge Nilsson had built in the ‘battle of the backups’. – Brad Wilson

October 2013 – Poulin once again pushed aside fellow prospect, Anders Nilsson, to take the back-up job in New York. Poulin will play second fiddle to Nabokov and should see somewhere in the range of 20 starts this season. Brad Wilson

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March 2013 – Although his AHL numbers (and performance) have been steady, Poulin still lacks consistency. Nevertheless, the Isles elected to demote Rick DiPietro and promote Poulin over fellow goalie stud Anders Nilsson. Two games into his NHL career, the results have been modest. Still need to see more games before passing judgment. It would help if he could string together a handful of starts, rather than play once every two weeks behind Nabokov. – Dobber

December 2012 – Many ‘poolies’ are looking for someone to take the reins on Long Island as a long-term starter option, currently Poulin is the choice of many. He started his pro career strong in both the AHL and NHL after being a late blooming, ‘sandwich’ pick for the Isles. Has had a couple minor injury setbacks but nothing to worry about. His best feature is his ability to instill calmness in the crease and being consistent with his play, shift to shift, game to game, very similar to Carey Price. This feature is extremely important behind a young, developing defense that the Islanders are currently working on. Poulin needs to take the reins in Bridgeport to secure his opportunity above Anders Nilsson, but his last five starts have ended in losses, though his last outing was a 50 save shoot-out loss. Jason Banks

Fantasy Outlook: B –

Serves as a solid depth goaltending option who has the potential to earn valuable starts in the case of injury to the Islanders’ starter.

Footage:

Kevin Poulin makes a fantastic cross crease save on Jason Arnott.

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Kevin Poulin Statistics

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