Despite major challanges, Kyle Dubas has passed the tests

[stealth1]

What Lou did in NYI in the short term was impressive! At the same time, he shot his wad an is not toast. And Dubas is the opposite. Makes me think if we could combine the two GM's taking the best part of each, we'd have the best GM ever.


Understandable. At the same time, I can't see myself saying that this team can't possibly succeed this coming season. The team is still stacked with talent and if the goaltending pans out, we could go all the way.

They could but they have yet to show they have that next level of play. They do have a great top 6 but I wouldn't say they are stacked for talent. Their depth isn't that good and the defense is aging.

 

[Nineteen67]

They could but they have yet to show they have that next level of play. They do have a great top 6 but I wouldn't say they are stacked for talent. Their depth isn't that good and the defense is aging.

Stacked with talent is somewhat misleading. They have two superstars, a few good players and bunch of guys.

 

[Gary Nylund]

How are we set up well for the future?

5/6 members of our defense are 30 plus

Our entire bottom 6 minus jarnkrok are on contracts that expire after this year ( and the majority of them are making 1.5 mill or less so not like there's a lot of wiggle room)

We're taking two massive gambles on goalies and so far we have one draft pick since 2018 on the roster and he is currently ( until we trade Holl) the 7D

All our superstars contracts are also running out and they'll all get paid more within 3 years.

We're not really set up well for the future because we've traded so many high round picks away

We also have Sandin and Liljegren, not a horrible mix of youth and experience and hopefully Niemela will be a player.

It's not uncommon for the bottom 6 to be a revolving door, I'm not too concerned about that.

The goaltending is a big question mark, no argument from me there.

Every team has to resign players so that's no different for us, I don't see a problem here.

If you compare our pick situation with other top contenders, I think you'll see that we're in better shape than all of them except possibly Carolina. I looked at it a while ago and IIRC, some of the top teams have one or zero 1st round picks coming in the next 3 years. It's pretty common for the top teams to have less of a prospect pool than the bottom feeders so nothing unusual here.

IMHO we're set up well for the future. Not perfect but still, not bad at all. Compare to NYI, now that's a team who's future looks dim indeed. Compare to whoever you like, I don't think you'll find many teams in better shape than us ATM.

 

[notDatsyuk]

What Lou did in NYI in the short term was impressive! At the same time, he shot his wad an is not toast. And Dubas is the opposite. Makes me think if we could combine the two GM's taking the best part of each, we'd have the best GM ever.

Islanders have better goaltending, better defence, better role players, and a lot more cap space. We have Matthews, Marner, and Nylander.

 

[Gary Nylund]

They could but they have yet to show they have that next level of play. They do have a great top 6 but I wouldn't say they are stacked for talent. Their depth isn't that good and the defense is aging.

Stacked is a subjective term so OK. What if I were to say that pound for pound, player by player we have one of the most talented rosters in the league. Would that be wrong?

Islanders have better goaltending, better defence, better role players, and a lot more cap space. We have Matthews, Marner, and Nylander.

How do you think they'll do relative to us next season?

 

[Nineteen67]

Islanders have better goaltending, better defence, better role players, and a lot more cap space. We have Matthews, Marner, and Nylander.

Matthews Marner and Rielly

 

[notDatsyuk]

How do you think they'll do relative to us next season?

Hard to tell until we see what they do with their cap space, but I would guess we score more goals, give up more goals, and win more games in the regular season; and not do as well in the playoffs.

(I'd like to be wrong about the last.)

 

[andora]

How do you think they'll do relative to us next season?

I think leafs better regular season but i think the islanders could beat this team in a playoff series if they are in

 

[notDatsyuk]

Matthews Marner and Rielly

I'm not sure Rielly is better than either Pelech or Pulock, but that's ok. My point was basically that we have better top end offence.

 

[stealth1]

I'm not sure Rielly is better than either Pelech or Pulock, but that's ok. My point was basically that we have better top end offence.

Which works in the regular season and wins games for you. The problem is the playoffs were depth is crucial to not only winning but also going deep. They still lack that depth.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Hard to tell until we see what they do with their cap space, but I would guess we score more goals, give up more goals, and win more games in the regular season; and not do as well in the playoffs.

(I'd like to be wrong about the last.)

I think leafs better regular season but i think the islanders could beat this team in a playoff series if they are in

I think we're close to a lock to make the playoff and NYI will be a bubble team.

As far as playoffs go (assuming NYI makes it), our history makes it easy to say that we'll lose no matter what so all I will say is that I hope that trend ends next spring. It's so depressing (and understandable) that most of our fan base has zero optimism for the playoffs, I just want this nightmare to end.

I refuse to accept that we can't win though and if we started the playoffs against NYI, I would bet on us. But they have to make it first.

 

[andora]

I think we're close to a lock to make the playoff and NYI will be a bubble team.

As far as playoffs go (assuming NYI makes it), our history makes it easy to say that we'll lose no matter what so all I will say is that I hope that trend ends next spring. It's so depressing (and understandable) that most of our fan base has zero optimism for the playoffs, I just want this nightmare to end.

I refuse to accept that we can't win though and if we started the playoffs against NYI, I would bet on us. But they have to make it first.

Personally nothing to do with history but i like new yorks model in a playoff situation

Lots of good workers, a good defence that can skate and use body and sticks effectively and a very strong still to hit peak goaltender

I personally am just a very big fan of pelech and what he can do and how he plays and he is a great person to have to match up to top players

 

[Gary Nylund]

Personally nothing to do with history but i like new yorks model in a playoff situation

Lots of good workers, a good defence that can skate and use body and sticks effectively and a very strong still to hit peak goaltender

I personally am just a very big fan of pelech and what he can do and how he plays and he is a great person to have to match up to top players

Fair enough. I can't say I have a ton of confidence in our group in a playoff situation, I just see all that talent we have and cling desperately to the hope that they will figure it out.

 

[andora]

Fair enough. I can't say I have a ton of confidence in our group in a playoff situation, I just see all that talent we have and cling desperately to the hope that they will figure it out.

Outside the top 4 i dont see a team oozing with talent like some others do

I see a group desperately neesing an identity and energy to play hard in between the hashmarks, below the red line and in front of our net

I am really hoping a couple of our kids can come up and play like free spirited assholes - play with pace and pulse

 

[Gary Nylund]

Outside the top 4 i dont see a team oozing with talent like some others do

I see a group desperately neesing an identity and energy to play hard in between the hashmarks, below the red line and in front of our net

I am really hoping a couple of our kids can come up and play like free spirited assholes - play with pace and pulse

Well, a big part of our talent is obviously inside that top 4 which is why top to bottom, our talent level is one of the best in the league.

 

[saffronleaf]

Coombas

 

[Captain Crunch]

We also have Sandin and Liljegren, not a horrible mix of youth and experience and hopefully Niemela will be a player.

It's not uncommon for the bottom 6 to be a revolving door, I'm not too concerned about that.

The goaltending is a big question mark, no argument from me there.

Every team has to resign players so that's no different for us, I don't see a problem here.

If you compare our pick situation with other top contenders, I think you'll see that we're in better shape than all of them except possibly Carolina. I looked at it a while ago and IIRC, some of the top teams have one or zero 1st round picks coming in the next 3 years. It's pretty common for the top teams to have less of a prospect pool than the bottom feeders so nothing unusual here.

IMHO we're set up well for the future. Not perfect but still, not bad at all. Compare to NYI, now that's a team who's future looks dim indeed. Compare to whoever you like, I don't think you'll find many teams in better shape than us ATM.

But one big difference is we have never gotten past the 1st round. It’s much easier to accept trading your draft picks to help make a run in the playoffs, but that hasn’t been the result with us.

 

[Gary Nylund]

But one big difference is we have never gotten past the 1st round. It’s much easier to accept trading your draft picks to help make a run in the playoffs, but that hasn’t been the result with us.

True enough. My overall point is still valid though, all things considered we are well set up for the future, which includes next season. We're one of the cup favourites, laugh all you want but it's true so that's one thing. And it's not like we're poised to slide from being one of the top teams either as most of our core is hitting their prime. Then if you compare us to other other top teams, they're just as badly off if not worse then we are futures wise.

So overall, we're in a pretty good spot. The big issues are goaltending and the fact that we have a massive monkey on our back so things could be better but what can I say, every team has their issues to deal with, just like we do.

 

[Felix the Cat Potvin]

Should probably stop trying to compare Lou and Dubas as they've taken opposite approaches and are thus so hard to compare.

Lou went all out to win the cup, he took his shot, had some short term success winning a few playoff rounds but long term, the team is now weighted down with shitty veteran contracts and they're not winning anything for some time to come. Dubas has taken a different approach and while there has been zero playoff success, the team is well set up for the future with most of it's core hitting their primes, and the team once again being one of the top favourites to win the cup next season. Right now, most of the jury is leaning towards hanging Dubas but the jury is still out, the body of work is incomplete and if we win the cup this season, all those who want to hang him today will no doubt be among his biggest fans.

Such nonsense in this post about "opposite approaches." Dubas and Lou have both been trying to win. We've given up a couple firsts and a bunch of other draft picks trying to win, just like Lou. The only reason our team is "better set up for the future" under Dubas is because of players he inherited from Lou! What a twisted and intellectually dishonest argument.

The opposite results, to clarify, have been that the Islanders have won 6 playoff rounds ("a few" in your words) compared to our 0, when Lou took over a team that looked to be on the decline (losing Tavares), and Dubas took over pretty much the best possible situation a GM could take over. While Islanders fans have gotten to enjoy extended playoff runs under Lou, we've gotten to enjoy reading repetitive nonsense about us being a top team in magical fairy land.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Such nonsense in this post about "opposite approaches." Dubas and Lou have both been trying to win. We've given up a couple firsts and a bunch of other draft picks trying to win, just like Lou. The only reason our team is "better set up for the future" under Dubas is because of players he inherited from Lou! What a twisted and intellectually dishonest argument.

The opposite results, to clarify, have been that the Islanders have won 6 playoff rounds ("a few" in your words) compared to our 0, when Lou took over a team that looked to be on the decline (losing Tavares), and Dubas took over pretty much the best possible situation a GM could take over. While Islanders fans have gotten to enjoy extended playoff runs under Lou, we've gotten to enjoy reading repetitive nonsense about us being a top team in magical fairy land.

You seem angry, not sure why. I think we can agree that we're well set up for the future, much better than NYI which is all I've been saying.

We've been a top team in the regular season for some time now. It's not as satisfying as winning in the playoffs of course but it's strange that someone using the phrase "twisted and intellectually dishonest" referring to this as a "magical fairy land". The fact that we have been consistently excellent during the regular season is a big reason why we're again among the cup favourites but you go ahead and dismiss is at having no meaning if you like.

 

[All Mod Cons]

Team is well set up for the future and we might win the cup this year so probably too early to label Dubas a failure.

Lou's gone so don't really care about him.

Dubas has done nothing to set us up for the future. That was all done by GMs before he took the gig. Other people's work.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Dubas has done nothing to set us up for the future. That was all done by GMs before he took the gig. Other people's work.

Mostly, sure. Though might be more accurate to say other people's tanking. But it's not like Dubas has gone all in and now we're going scorched earth or anything. We're still a top contender and are well positioned to be a top contender for years to come, that's all I'm saying.

 

[Trapper]

Mostly, sure. Though might be more accurate to say other people's tanking. But it's not like Dubas has gone all in and now we're going scorched earth or anything. We're still a top contender and are well positioned to be a top contender for years to come, that's all I'm saying.

Years to come is debatable. 2 years before Nylander and Matthews hit UFA.
Calgary should be a lesson that it can all change like that.
For those that say it also might not, sure, but it also might.
As I’ve said before, I’d have no interest paying Nylander 9 million. Like Gaudreau, Nylander has already held out and doubt any discounts are on the horizon.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Years to come is debatable. 2 years before Nylander and Matthews hit UFA.
Calgary should be a lesson that it can all change like that.
For those that say it also might not, sure, but it also might.
As I’ve said before, I’d have no interest paying Nylander 9 million. Like Gaudreau, Nylander has already held out and doubt any discounts are on the horizon.

Sure, if our stars walk then we're screwed. But you could say that about any team and while sure "it might happen", more likely is that it doesn't happen.

 

[Menzinger]

Islanders have better goaltending, better defence, better role players, and a lot more cap space. We have Matthews, Marner, and Nylander.

There was a 31 point gap in the standings between the two teams this past season.....