I think Islanders are the dark horse of the East this season.

[Rehabguy]

Idk what length of hair has to do with all of this (as someone who sports such 'flow').

I wouldn't have opened this thread; you'll be defending it all season. Not a good optic.

Well, one for the most part you know I'm kidding, and two I'm sure you keep your mane quite tidy and presentable more Chris Hemsworth as Thor in appearance rather than homeless guy who hasn't taken a shower in months.

As for tough threads to defend, I care not. I'm used to taking contrarian positions especially when they are easy to defend. This is not the fish stick era of Islanders we are talking about here but the Islanders who are still making a realistic Cup run. Yes I do believe in what I opened this thread with.

They are being called a Dark Horse this year solely because of the unfortunate circumstances from last year otherwise they would still be considered a team justifiably still in the hunt. I can't understand how some fans can place the Islanders as a bottom dwelling team when they had just made the Eastern Conference Finals 2 of the past 3 seasons. That's ridiculous regardless of how competitive the East is this year. They beat all these so called "beast" teams in the past and they will do it again.

 

[Pure Slaughter Value]

They are being called a Dark Horse this year solely because of the unfortunate circumstances from last year otherwise they would still be considered a team justifiably still in the hunt. I can't understand how some fans can place the Islanders as a bottom dwelling team when they had just made the Eastern Conference Finals 2 of the past 3 seasons. That's ridiculous regardless of how competitive the East is this year. They beat all these so called "beast" teams in the past and they will do it again.

It's still early but there are a lot of "experts" picking us to finish 7th in the Metro. There's nothing new or shiny about us, we didn't sign any star fa's or have a lot of young talent.

Just a solid top 6 that's top 5-10 in the league with a goaltender who's top 3-5 in the league. For some reason a lot of experts feel that doesn't translate to a playoff spot. Defense doesn't win championships

Meanwhile teams that have improved their offense still have defenses and goaltending that are suspect. That will kill a team more often than not.

I've maintained the same line of realistic thinking the last four years. We are a bubble playoff team that can beat almost anyone in a seven game series. There's only one team in the East that's scary and their roster has been turned over enough that maybe this is the year some other team can break through.

We'll see.

 

[BB88]

Well, the Isles are one of the best teams in hockey the past 3 years and they look fantastic this year in a handful of preseason games with the focus on mobilizing the defense, very mobile fairly young defense and tough as nails with strong centers and a hotshot goaltender. It's not going to be an easy year for the opposition. It's just so nice seeing the Islanders playing a more offensive minded system again.

Who on earth puts any value on pre season?

 

[Rehabguy]

Who on earth puts any value on pre season?

The only value I put in it was to observe how they were tweaking the system. How they tweaked the system would determine the Isles fate the system. So far, I like. I like alot.

 

[Rehabguy]

It's still early but there are a lot of "experts" picking us to finish 7th in the Metro. There's nothing new or shiny about us, we didn't sign any star fa's or have a lot of young talent.

Just a solid top 6 that's top 5-10 in the league with a goaltender who's top 3-5 in the league. For some reason a lot of experts feel that doesn't translate to a playoff spot. Defense doesn't win championships

Meanwhile teams that have improved their offense still have defenses and goaltending that are suspect. That will kill a team more often than not.

I've maintained the same line of realistic thinking the last four years. We are a bubble playoff team that can beat almost anyone in a seven game series. There's only one team in the East that's scary and their roster has been turned over enough that maybe this is the year some other team can break through.

We'll see.

I think the Isles are built about as good as any team can be built for a playoff run. They are a character team from top to bottom with the right blend of skill and toughness. They got rid of the old guys, except Parise who for some reason doesn't want to act his chronological age. I agree in an 82 game season that doesn't always translate to a higher standings during the regular season. But like we all know when under the pressure of the playoffs, defense wins championships but in the Isles case it had to be more balanced. Trotz system was just too conservative, too restrictive.

I like the fact that the Isles are playing a more offensive minded system with the talented D getting more involved in the rush- how that translates in the long term, we shall see. They are looking a little more like other good scoring teams when the D is activated. Our forwards will have to step it up this season and get their mojo back. 3 years under Trotz and honestly they lost a bit of their creativity, it will come back. With this revamped system teams mlght find the weaknesses. There always is a cost. It is still early in the season and who knows what holes that will open in their defenses. BUT that is where Sorokin comes in and he's the biggest piece of the puzzle if the Islanders are going to open up on the offensive side of things.

I feel really good about this season. I think the Isles are legit.

 

[Foppberg]

I love a poster who’s unwavering optimism cannot he taken down by the crabs in the HF bucket. God speed.

 

[Riseonfire]

Other teams too.

Hf doesn’t discriminate against the islanders.

I’m glad you’ve cleared this up for us all.

I guess I’ll just take my decade + of experiences here and throw them in the trash because Super6646 assured me HF doesn’t hate the Isles.

 

[BelovedIsles]

Well, one for the most part you know I'm kidding, and two I'm sure you keep your mane quite tidy and presentable more Chris Hemsworth as Thor in appearance rather than homeless guy who hasn't taken a shower in months.

As for tough threads to defend, I care not. I'm used to taking contrarian positions especially when they are easy to defend. This is not the fish stick era of Islanders we are talking about here but the Islanders who are still making a realistic Cup run. Yes I do believe in what I opened this thread with.

They are being called a Dark Horse this year solely because of the unfortunate circumstances from last year otherwise they would still be considered a team justifiably still in the hunt. I can't understand how some fans can place the Islanders as a bottom dwelling team when they had just made the Eastern Conference Finals 2 of the past 3 seasons. That's ridiculous regardless of how competitive the East is this year. They beat all these so called "beast" teams in the past and they will do it again.

Lol to the hair stuff. Truth be told, you're correct, sir. I spend a good 10-15 mins keeping that flow 'tidy.'

To each his own, you've got 80 (+?) more to go; have at it.

I don't see them as a bottom dweller, nor do I see them as an authentic contender. Somewhere in that murky, grey area of mediocrity. Hoping they prove me wrong, and you right!

 

[TheGoldenJet]

Two Eastern Conference finals in 3 years and saying a team is good is a weird statement? Cmon! The Isles are a true contender, a powerhouse even.


Isles are much better than those 3 teams. Possibly the most balanced team in the East and now with the shackles off their offense they are will be a force to be reckoned with. Is almost laughable when you consider the Isles were being told to play pretty much all defense until the other team makes a mistake. This year is going to be so great. You'll see.

They tried to send me back to rehab, but I said no, no, no.

 

[GlassesManbad]

They better be good now. That is one aging team in a bad cap situation.,

 

[AlaBlueShirt]

I particularly think the Isles are better than Cryptoguy's Rangers. Some of those guys would never even make it into the Isles line-up because of their hygiene. Get a friggin haircut you bums! Skating around like a bunch of girls. What's next pony tails?

I mean seriously, does this guy think his do makes him look pretty? This is fugly. See a barber you dirtbag!



And look at this guy. I bet he uses a curling iron. What’s with these guys. It’s like they’re living in the 60’s. Pretty soon Miller is going to sport a huge Afro.

Bro really came in to the thread declaring the islanders as a contender. Then you search for interview clips of the rival team and start reviewing their hair.
Btw, is the 9 million man gonna top his 59 points from last season?

 

[rangersfansince08]

I particularly think the Isles are better than Cryptoguy's Rangers. Some of those guys would never even make it into the Isles line-up because of their hygiene. Get a friggin haircut you bums! Skating around like a bunch of girls. What's next pony tails?

I mean seriously, does this guy think his do makes him look pretty? This is fugly. See a barber you dirtbag!



And look at this guy. I bet he uses a curling iron. What’s with these guys. It’s like they’re living in the 60’s. Pretty soon Miller is going to sport a huge Afro.

You're embarrassing yourself here.

 

[Rehabguy]

Rehabguy singing to himself Elton John’s “Can you feel the love tonight”.

Hugs and kisses Ranger fans

PS: not saying those 2 are bad players indeed they are rather the opposite, but only that they can take a few classes at Lou Lamiorello’s School of Personal Hygiene.

But I would like to know why Ranger fans believe the Isles will not end up in playoff contention. I think that’s absurd.

 

[miscs75]

But I would like to know why Ranger fans believe the Isles will not end up in playoff contention. I think that’s absurd.

They think because they underachieved last year due to multiple issues that it was the hard truth crashing down instead of last year being a fluke based off the track record of previous seasons. All of this while completely ignoring the fact that next to no teams in the league have comparable depth when it comes to the defense and goalies.

 

[Martin Skoula]

They think because they underachieved last year due to multiple issues that it was the hard truth crashing down instead of last year being a fluke based off the track record of previous seasons. All of this while completely ignoring the fact that next to no teams in the league have comparable depth when it comes to the defense and goalies.

No one has a geriatric Zach Parise on their top line either.

 

[Golden_Jet]

They better be good now. That is one aging team in a bad cap situation.,

Same age as leafs opening night, same bad cap situation.

Average Ages For All 32 Opening Night Rosters For 2022-23 Season

With opening night rosters now set for all 32 teams, we can begin to take our annual look at the makeup of each of the teams at the start of the 2022-23 season, including the average age for each o…

novacapsfans.com

 

[GlassesManbad]

Same age as leafs opening night, same bad cap situation.

Average Ages For All 32 Opening Night Rosters For 2022-23 Season

With opening night rosters now set for all 32 teams, we can begin to take our annual look at the makeup of each of the teams at the start of the 2022-23 season, including the average age for each o…

novacapsfans.com

Not even close...Check out the long-term deals. And the actual core is younger. One could argue given we know Leafs can pay to the cap max, they have more cap than anyone in the next 2 years.

 

[1specter]

Same age as leafs opening night, same bad cap situation.

Average Ages For All 32 Opening Night Rosters For 2022-23 Season

With opening night rosters now set for all 32 teams, we can begin to take our annual look at the makeup of each of the teams at the start of the 2022-23 season, including the average age for each o…

novacapsfans.com

1. That number is outdated and now it shows 27.8 as the average age.

2. 8/12 Leafs forwards are 27 or younger, and the average age of the top six is 26.6, which will skew even younger once Robertson replaces Malgin which looks like it's gonna happen.

3. The defense is older with Brodie, Holl, Muzzin and Gio being 30+, but Holl will probably get replaced by Liljegren once he's back (and Holl is UFA this summer), and Sandin will also be integral to the defense core moving forward. Gio is on league min til 2024, and Brodie and Muzzin will also be UFA in 2024.

5. The only 'older players' with any term on the team are Tavares and Jarnkrok. Most of the Leafs long-term deals are for players who are still in their primes or entering their prime.

6. Islanders average age is 28.7 on CapFriendly currently. Their top six has an average age of 30.3, and in total 9/12 forwards are 30+. Many of these players are also locked in still for another 3-4 years. They have a young defense though compared to the Leafs.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Definitely more of a contender than Buffalo, NJ, Ottawa, Detroit, or Columbus. Better than Washington too

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Rehabguy singing to himself Elton John’s “Can you feel the love tonight”.

Hugs and kisses Ranger fans

PS: not saying those 2 are bad players indeed they are rather the opposite, but only that they can take a few classes at Lou Lamiorello’s School of Personal Hygiene.

But I would like to know why Ranger fans believe the Isles will not end up in playoff contention. I think that’s absurd.

Ranger Fans? You mean, the majority of fans here?

2023 HFBoards Stanley Cup Favourite #20

So the Sens edge out the Islanders by ONE vote to take 19th. Massive changes there this offseason, lets see if it works. Anyways 20 is NEXT 1 Colorado 65% 2023 HFBoards Stanley Cup Favourite #1 2 Tampa 70% 2023 HFBoards Stanley Cup Favourite #2 3 Carolina 41% 2023 HFBoards Stanley Cup Favourite...

forums.hfboards.com

The consensus is they will be the 20th best team, thus missing the playoffs. Sorry to burst that fantasy bubble you had that it was just Ranger fans.

 

[Golden_Jet]

1. That number is outdated and now it shows 27.8 as the average age.

2. 8/12 Leafs forwards are 27 or younger, and the average age of the top six is 26.6, which will skew even younger once Robertson replaces Malgin which looks like it's gonna happen.

3. The defense is older with Brodie, Holl, Muzzin and Gio being 30+, but Holl will probably get replaced by Liljegren once he's back (and Holl is UFA this summer), and Sandin will also be integral to the defense core moving forward. Gio is on league min til 2024, and Brodie and Muzzin will also be UFA in 2024.

5. The only 'older players' with any term on the team are Tavares and Jarnkrok. Most of the Leafs long-term deals are for players who are still in their primes or entering their prime.

6. Islanders average age is 28.7 on CapFriendly currently. Their top six has an average age of 30.3, and in total 9/12 forwards are 30+. Many of these players are also locked in still for another 3-4 years. They have a young defense though compared to the Leafs.

Yep it’s a week old,( VERY outdated) if Murray doesn’t LTIR, then the same as 7 days ago.

 

[Rehabguy]

Ranger Fans? You mean, the majority of fans here?

2023 HFBoards Stanley Cup Favourite #20

So the Sens edge out the Islanders by ONE vote to take 19th. Massive changes there this offseason, lets see if it works. Anyways 20 is NEXT 1 Colorado 65% 2023 HFBoards Stanley Cup Favourite #1 2 Tampa 70% 2023 HFBoards Stanley Cup Favourite #2 3 Carolina 41% 2023 HFBoards Stanley Cup Favourite...

forums.hfboards.com

The consensus is they will be the 20th best team, thus missing the playoffs. Sorry to burst that fantasy bubble you had that it was just Ranger fans.

Ranger Fans? You mean, the majority of fans here?

2023 HFBoards Stanley Cup Favourite #20

So the Sens edge out the Islanders by ONE vote to take 19th. Massive changes there this offseason, lets see if it works. Anyways 20 is NEXT 1 Colorado 65% 2023 HFBoards Stanley Cup Favourite #1 2 Tampa 70% 2023 HFBoards Stanley Cup Favourite #2 3 Carolina 41% 2023 HFBoards Stanley Cup Favourite...

forums.hfboards.com

The consensus is they will be the 20th best team, thus missing the playoffs. Sorry to burst that fantasy bubble you had that it was just Ranger fans.

You mad bro?

I never said it was just Ranger fans. Where did you get that? In fact I don’t even know or care what most Ranger fans think most days nor what fans of other teams think. Do you think year after year this correlates to anything that actually happens on the ice.

I’m just trying to wrap my head behind some of these naysayers logic and requesting that someone enlighten me with what possible logic they are using to assume a team that was a semi-finalist 2 out of the last 3 years would suddenly become a bottom dweller when

A. They have even greater offensive potential than in years past.

B. They’ve actually gotten quite younger compared to last year.

C. Most of the veteran players in key positions are still in their prime

D. They have Sorokin between the nets.

There was no wholesale sell off in the off season. They added Romanov and Salo. Subtracted Chara and Greene. And unlike the last couple of years it looks like Sorokin will be playing the majority of games and not splitting the load between Varlamov and himself regardless if one goaltender was not winning.

The only thing I hear now is “oh the East is so competitive”. Yes and an eastern conference finalist, NY Islanders is one of the major reasons why it is so competitive. The team is better not worse than last few years. What makes you think your team can beat the Isles in a grueling physical 7 game series when so many fan favorite teams have failed the last 2-3 years. Learn from history!

 

[mm11]

They better be good now. That is one aging team in a bad cap situation.,

Did some dime store math: Let's see Isles average age 28.8 Leafs 27.9 Rangers 26.11 Not a significant difference if you ask me. Isles have some older gents coming off the books very very soon and one 37 year old vet on a one year deal. Isles have project 1.9 million plus in cap space; Leafs: projected cap sace 1.4 million plus Rangers cap space at approx 189k! Not sure how you determined your narrative? feel free to fact check me as did this while working....... Cheers mate

 

[1specter]

Yep it’s a week old,( VERY outdated) if Murray doesn’t LTIR, then the same as 7 days ago.

Glad you responded to absolutely nothing else. Typical pot stirrer who just mentions Leafs in a negative frame without actually adding anything to the discussion.

 

[blinkman360]

I have no idea how this year will go for the Isles, but I will say I'm pretty damn happy with the core of the team that's in place. The top-4 D all under 30. Our top-pairing in their prime years and our 2nd pairing both 22 years old. Our #1C is locked up long term at a reasonable hit(talk all the shit you want on the guy, I think even Rags fans know he would be a big time scorer if he played in Manhattan). Our C position is deep and locked up for a while. If it starts getting too "old" we could always look to sell high on a guy like Nelson and move Raty into place, who's one of the better C prospects in the league. Oh, and we finally have an elite G who, while he came over late, is still only 27.

There are still some holes with this team, and things we'll need to address(like making sure we lock up Sorokin next summer). We all know that chances are, no matter what happens this year, we still need a star winger. Maybe Wahlstrom can be that guy, maybe Dufour. Chances are he'll have to come from outside the organization. Either way, I don't think you'll find many Isles fans who aren't happy with the core that's in place, or many Isles fans who feel like we're in for some kind of cap nightmare. The nightmare already happened and is over....it was trading Toews.