Niederreiter awaits word on his future

MONTREAL - Before playing his ninth game of the season Wednesday, Swiss rookie Nino Niederreiter said he still had not received any indication from either Islanders GM Garth Snow or the coaching staff as to whether he'll remain with the big club or return to his junior club Thursday.

The NHL allows teams to send back prospects to their junior teams before they play their 10th NHL game without officially starting the first year of their entry-level contract.

"It's going to be what is in the best interest of him and his career and where we are as far as the players we have here now and what we have in Bridgeport. I can say that if we made a decision to keep him for the rest of the year, I'd be comfortable with that," Scott Gordon said before Wednesday night's game against the Canadiens.

"I know it's the ninth game, so you see whether you go back or not, but I'm just going to play hockey and see what happens," Niederreiter said.

Niederreiter faced Montreal's Mike Cammalleri for the first time since the two were involved in a preseason skirmish on Oct. 2.

Before the game, Niederreiter said he would not retaliate for the slash that earned Cammalleri a one-game suspension to begin the season.

"It's gone," Niederreiter said. "I'm not going to go after him. I'm just going to play hockey."

Cammalleri also expressed a desire to put the incident behind them.

"I'm just preparing for this game. It's not about me or one player on their team. There are much bigger things so I've been preparing for it just like any other game."

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Josh Bailey returned to the lineup since suffering a hip pointer last week against Toronto.

Bailey said he thought he'd be ready to play earlier, but the injury kept nagging. The Islanders played it safe with the 21-year-old forward, and in retrospect, he's glad they did.

"Absolutely,'' he said. "It was a risk-reward situation and the risk was just too high."

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Bridgeport forward Matt Martin was called up to play in his first NHL game of the season, replacing Michael Grabner (groin), who did not make the trip to Montreal,

"I just want to play my game and show I belong," Martin said.

Gordon said Martin likely would've made the team out of training camp had he not suffered a foot injury.

"I healed up and now I feel as close to 100 percent as I probably will all season," Martin said.