Isles showing progress, but it's painfully slow

If Charles Wang had gotten his way, the Islanders would be jetting all over China, bringing hockey to the owner's birth country - though perhaps not bringing the sort of calm, measured approach to a hockey season that the Islanders would want.

But in keeping with Wang's thoughts yesterday on the Lighthouse and the future of the Islanders in the area, the team is here. The Islanders are here for training camp (though they intended to spend part of it in China until the plan fell through), they are here until 2015 and Wang, despite spending the better part of the last two years trying to find an exit strategy, seems resigned to these facts.

Resigned is not really a word to describe Wang - his enthusiasm for his team is still present, even as he told reporters yesterday that he hasn't spoken to Town of Hempstead supervisor Kate Murray since she unveiled the town's plan for the Coliseum property in June, and that Wang is "keeping all his options open."

He has made changes, and they are positive: A new players' lounge and training space, with a couple new leather lounge chairs and a couple new whirlpool tubs, a $250,000 outlay from Wang's pocket to go along with the $10 million-20 million he burns up on the team every year.

"We're trying to show what kind of organization we are, one that treats its players well," Wang said, adding later that he's been wanting to make such upgrades to the Coliseum but SMG, the Philadelphia-based firm that has managed the building since 1979 - and reaped nearly all the revenues from parking and concessions - never wanted to spend the dough on its main tenant.

Since December, when outgoing Nassau County executive and Lighthouse supporter Tom Suozzi helped negotiate a better lease deal for Wang, the Islanders owner gets the revenues from parking and concessions for all Coliseum events.

And Wang knows his team had nothing to show prospective free agents who came to tour the place. Garth Snow sat on the dais with Wang Tuesday and offered the analogy of someone choosing between "a Ritz-Carlton and a Motor Lodge, for the same price."

Paul Martin, the former Devils defenseman, got a huge contract offer from Snow on July 1; Martin was impressed, but chose the new building and better roster of the Penguins.

The Islanders are building the roster, slowly. Snow announced an entry-level deal with first-round pick Nino Niederreiter, who could be the third consecutive top pick to make the opening night roster; encouraging, but slow progress.

Wang is willing to spend on success. Snow has always maintained that he has no financial restrictions, either in-season or in the summer; Wang reiterated that stance, saying he'd approve a trade that added salary "if it was the right thing for down the road, not just for one year."

Instead of running to any corner of the continent - Saskatoon, Moncton, Kansas City - to showcase his team, Wang is stuck at home. He seems to be making the most of it.