Grabner showing his stuff with Islanders

Michael Grabner got what he hoped for in last night's All-Star skills competition. The speedy Islanders rookie had to rely on the choices of his team captain - Eric Staal, in this case - to put him in either the fastest skater, hardest shot or breakaway competition. Staal smartly went with the skating skill.

"I'm hoping for fastest skater," Grabner said this past week before departing Long Island for Raleigh as the lone representative of the Islanders. "I think that would be best."

And it was. He won the competition, beating out Edmonton's Taylor Hall in the final round.

Grabner had an epic run of missed breakaway chances during the past month, even as he showcased the speed and skill that has led him to 15 goals in his first full NHL season.

"He's got a lot of talent, for sure," frequent linemate Frans Nielsen said. "And he's missed about 20 breakaways, so you can imagine how many more goals he'd have."

It's been a strange journey for Grabner. He went from the Canucks, the team that took him 14th overall in the 2006 draft, to the Panthers in June, on the eve of the most recent draft; after a disappointing training camp with the retooling Panthers, Grabner was waived and then scooped up by the bargain-hunting Isles.

He had only three goals in his first 15 games, slumping along with the rest of his teammates. When Jack Capuano took over for Scott Gordon, Grabner began working more consistently with Nielsen. Even though Grabner's ice time didn't increase - he's been playing between 10 and 14 minutes a game - his scoring chances have.

SEE PHOTOSTop 10 Islanders of all-time

"He's not doing it by getting more time. He's doing the right things and he's getting rewarded," Capuano said.

Grabner had a tough time cracking the loaded Canucks forward group, playing only 20 games with Vancouver in his first three pro seasons. The summer trade to Florida should have been his chance, but he didn't show enough ability to finish.

"I didn't even know I had to go in waivers. I thought I was just going down [to the minors]," he said. "I didn't have a good camp with Florida. It was tough, but it was good to get the opportunity here, another new start."

Playing alongside Nielsen, the Isles' jack of all trades, has helped things click.

"We kind of think the same way," Nielsen said. "We both like to use our speed. I think he's got a little more than me, so I'm always looking for him. It's like, you're surprised he was available on waivers, but we're glad he's here. He's done a lot."

The whirlwind of the last seven months - which included the Isles' 1-17-3 skid shortly after he arrived, and Gordon's firing - led to what Grabner might have hoped was a short break this weekend, especially with his girlfriend due to give birth to the couple's first child in a couple months.

"This is still a break for me," he said. "This weekend will be fun, a chance to be with some guys I knew from Vancouver, with all the great players. It will be a blast."