Isles Should Rebuild

[majormajor]

I can give you 7 more years why PLD isn’t worth the risk. If LA buys him out and he’s willing to take a 1 year prove it deal at low cost but not for $8.5x8 or whatever that current mess is. That just screams terrible asset management if you’re picking up that contract.

The premise is that the Kings pay you to take the risk, that and Dubois for most of his career is fine at $8m, it's risky but there is upside in the trade.

 

[miscs75]

The premise is that the Kings pay you to take the risk, that and Dubois for most of his career is fine at $8m, it's risky but there is upside in the trade.

Dubois problems are between his ears. He’s had issues with his attitude and bounced around as a result. Keep him far away at that cost.

 

[Rpenny]

For me this is "one of those threads". Taking a look at their roster and only 1 or 2 keys guys are over 30. All core guys should be in their prime. I think the OP means shake up the roster where you trade a guy like Horvat or Barzel to add someone of the same ilk or something

 

[TGWL]

For me this is "one of those threads". Taking a look at their roster and only 1 or 2 keys guys are over 30. All core guys should be in their prime. I think the OP means shake up the roster where you trade a guy like Horvat or Barzel to add someone of the same ilk or something

I don't think that's what the OP means when they have Islanders potentially winning the draft lottery.

 

[ScaredStreit]

Dobson
Horvat
Barzal

That's it. Those are your ONLY bargaining chips.

Honourable mention to pelech and pulock who may garner something as well.

The issue is aside from Wahlstrom, there is NOBODY on the team under the age of 25 not named Dobson that will interest anyone else based on age, term and AAV.

A rebuild could/should happen but Lou won't do it and by the time he's dead or moved on the assets mentioned will have devalued themselves to the point that it would be a nil return.

Brock Nelson is 30+ goal 2nd line center who makes $6million AAV. He absolutely is a bargaining chip.

 

[Machinehead]

I really don't get the Devils fans hate of Lou. How many cups did he bring to NJ? The idiot Ranger fan (who I will not name) is talking like he knows GM's. 1 cup in 82 years, yeah, your opinion means dick. Head back to the furnace son.

I would imagine it's similar to how Yankees fans feel about Brian Cashman.

You win a few championships in the right circumstances where what you're doing is revolutionary. Then you proceed to sit on your hands and watch grass grow for a decade and a half, while the game has caught up and then sped past you.

 

[HBK27]

There's just no way the Islanders can bottom-out with this roster - too good of goaltending and a lot of vets on long-term contracts. Better off just trying to take a few more shots at the playoffs the next few seasons and hope they can go on a run. If they are out of it at the TDL, maybe they can recoup some assets by dealing expiring contracts but I think they'll remain in the mix.

I really don't get the Devils fans hate of Lou. How many cups did he bring to NJ? The idiot Ranger fan (who I will not name) is talking like he knows GM's. 1 cup in 82 years, yeah, your opinion means dick. Head back to the furnace son.

I'll always appreciate what Lou did for the franchise - completely turned the organization around as soon as he was hired and had an incredible ~20/25 year stretch. Yeah, he probably could've recouped some assets instead of continually letting UFA's walk. He also did not leave the franchise in good shape by the time he left, though that was also partially the price to pay for such a prolonged period of success.

The Schneider trade definitely bothered me. It was a solid enough hockey deal, but clearly not the direction the team should have gone in and it essentially forced Brodeur's exit from NJ. He should've been able to go out on his own terms with the team - and playing goal as the team entered a rebuild phrase while chasing 700 wins probably would've been the best way to go out. Would've been a win-win situation. The Schneider trade also delayed an inevitable rebuild and may have cost NJ a shot at McDavid & Matthews.

 

[Osakahaus]

For me this is "one of those threads". Taking a look at their roster and only 1 or 2 keys guys are over 30. All core guys should be in their prime. I think the OP means shake up the roster where you trade a guy like Horvat or Barzel to add someone of the same ilk or something

Its basically "they haven't done crap in a few years, why keep them?"

Reality is that they've ran into Carolina twice in a row, you know, an ACTUAL cup contender, and a lot of the bottom 6 guys need to be replaced. I will be honest, if you think Pierre Engvall is killing the islanders, you did not watch this season.

 

[MattMartin]

I would imagine it's similar to how Yankees fans feel about Brian Cashman.

You win a few championships in the right circumstances where what you're doing is revolutionary. Then you proceed to sit on your hands and watch grass grow for a decade and a half, while the game has caught up and then sped past you.

I get it and all brother, but how can you be mad at someone who brought you 3 cups? I'm completely lost. It seems every "dynasty" does this though. The Penguins and Caps are doing the same exact thing at the moment. We know it's time for a rebuild, it's just not as easy and easy to come back from as people make it out to be. See the Sabres, Red Wings, Senators, Coyotes, etc. The same people complaining about Lou forget he brought in players who for many years would never, ever sign here. BTW, I wasn't calling the Islanders a dynasty.

 

[Osakahaus]

Brock Nelson is 30+ goal 2nd line center who makes $6million AAV. He absolutely is a bargaining chip.

He's also a bargaining chip this offseason given the cap situation

 

[Voight]

It's Lou you already know whats going to happen.

Aging roster: Check
Barren Prospect Pool: Check

Lou's response: Trade prospects/Picks for aged veterans.

The only real question is what franchise will he have left worse off the Devils or the Islanders lol

Devils arguably didn't recover until last year

 

[Osakahaus]

Devils arguably didn't recover until last year

Devils had every chance to recover but the people in charge clearly don't know how to make a good roster. Its easy to make Lou the scapegoat. Its tougher to admit that the Devils had flaws ever since Lamoriello left and they had plenty of time to patch them up.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Rebuilding is done in two scenarios. One, you try, but just suck. Two, your best players choose to leave. Tavares left, which would've been the rebuilding time, but as has been said, Lamoriello is not a rebuilder. He got lucky that Stevens was awarded as compensation for the Blues signing Shanahan. Had it been Brind'Amour and Joseph instead, there's probably no Cup, let alone 3, but the Devils would've just kept on keeping on.

However, most GMs are not rebuilders. Even the rebuilders aren't rebuilders. At best, they're reluctant rebuilders. There's no guarantee it works. No guarantee you have a better team 7 years from now than you have today. Or that you have the job in 7 years.

The Islanders have already invested too much in their current group to do any real bottom up rebuild. They're years and years away from that being a legit option.

 

[Rebels57]

Ownership will need to sack up and can Looney Lou first.

 

[StreetHawk]

Rebuilding is done in two scenarios. One, you try, but just suck. Two, your best players choose to leave. Tavares left, which would've been the rebuilding time, but as has been said, Lamoriello is not a rebuilder. He got lucky that Stevens was awarded as compensation for the Blues signing Shanahan. Had it been Brind'Amour and Joseph instead, there's probably no Cup, let alone 3, but the Devils would've just kept on keeping on.

However, most GMs are not rebuilders. Even the rebuilders aren't rebuilders. At best, they're reluctant rebuilders. There's no guarantee it works. No guarantee you have a better team 7 years from now than you have today. Or that you have the job in 7 years.

The Islanders have already invested too much in their current group to do any real bottom up rebuild. They're years and years away from that being a legit option.

Also, look at the last decade of the drafts. There are like 9/10 franchise guys since like 2014. Leon, McDavid, Eichel, Mathews, Tkachuck (if he was taken where he was rated), Makar, Heiskenan, Pettersson, J. Hughes, Bedard. Some very good players in that mix like Marner, Svech, Dahlin.

On average it is 1 franchise type player and 1 very good player in the top 5. So, if you are not lucky enough with the lottery to land one of those 2 players, it's a very long rebuild.

I mean, Anaheim has gotten in 5 drafts of missing the PO, Zegras, Drysdale, MacTavish, Mintyukov, Carlsson. Who is the sure fire franchise guy of this group moving forward? And that is with a worst, 2nd worst, and 5th worst finish in the overall standings. Plus what they get as a 3rd worst finisher this draft.

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

I guess I'm in the minority here but I think the Isles have a pretty good core and they don't need a re-build but a fairly in depth re-tool.

Barzal, Horvat, Dobson, Romanov, Sorokin is a good start. They absolutely need 1 or 2 more high end forwards and obviously that is a tall ask but let's just say they went out and signed 2 of Reinhart/Guentzel/Stamkos (YES I KNOW IT'S SUPER UNLIKELY).

Like I think that's the making of a good top 6 forward and top 4 defense group.

I think you need to trim the amount that's being being spent on the Pageu/Lee/Nelson/Palmieri type players... who are good but they have too many of them at substantial costs which is hindering their ability to get top talent.

Probably would see if possible to trade out one or both of Pelech/Pulock if you aren't confident about these guys rebounding. If they are playing to what they have shown in the past then their long term deals are assets and you want them on the team but they are both 29 and making around $6m AAV for basically forever so if they aren't going to be defensive pillars for you then you have to move on... but they also have NTC's so there's that.

Anyway, all to say I think they have some good young-ish pieces that can be built upon rather than tear it all down

 

[Riseonfire]

Everyone is missing the big picture.

Real Estate and the 2026 All Star Game. The Isles are NOT going to rebuild until after the all-star game year. Too much money invested in the stadium and surrounding area to just let the product on the ice die. I'm not saying the team is amazing, but it's competitive.

Once all that passes and the coffer is refilled, I can see a GM change and rebuild.

 

[TheNewEra]

I wonder if the islanders try and trade for Marner

 

[Dr Salt]

Blowing up a core like that is so much easier said than done

 

[StreetHawk]

Blowing up a core like that is so much easier said than done

Plus the new lottery rules really do favor the bottom teams. 4 drafts and 8 winners, with 7 of the 8 being bottom 3 teams and the other #5 in NJ. Prior 5 lotteries before new rules, was 3/10 in bottom 3, 2 more in bottom 5 and other 5 were outside bottom 5 when just looking at the top 2 picks.

Small sample size, but if you want a top prospect in the draft, have to be like 60 point bad. Kind of the cutoff the past few years when it comes to the bottom 3 teams.

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

It's a tough spot for a rebuild.

Barzal, Horvat, Sorokin, Pulock and Pelech are all under 30 and signed long-term. Dobson & Romanov RFA's as well. I don't think it makes sense to blow it up.

Cap going up helps, and if they shed a couple veterans, there's plenty of cap space to work with. I think you just look for ways to improve the team. You need some luck for those opportunities to come up for sure, but some teams going through rebuilds wish they were in the Islanders shoes.

 

[Osakahaus]

It's a tough spot for a rebuild.

Barzal, Horvat, Sorokin, Pulock and Pelech are all under 30 and signed long-term. Dobson & Romanov RFA's as well. I don't think it makes sense to blow it up.

Cap going up helps, and if they shed a couple veterans, there's plenty of cap space to work with. I think you just look for ways to improve the team. You need some luck for those opportunities to come up for sure, but some teams going through rebuilds wish they were in the Islanders shoes.

The isles ace is also that their core issues are on depth. I have no doubts they try to keep Romo and Dobson long term, the real situation is just finding that depth again. They also do need a good 2nd line winger besides Palms, so i'm gonna assume they do something about that.

I get the argument for rebuilding but OP is doing it based off of facing Carolina two years in a row where the entire team has Milo Murphy's law around its neck.

 

[Osakahaus]

Everyone is missing the big picture.

Real Estate and the 2026 All Star Game. The Isles are NOT going to rebuild until after the all-star game year. Too much money invested in the stadium and surrounding area to just let the product on the ice die. I'm not saying the team is amazing, but it's competitive.

Once all that passes and the coffer is refilled, I can see a GM change and rebuild.

They probably do a "soft" rebuild, which means bye bye Nelson and Pageau

 

[BKarchitect]

They probably do a "soft" rebuild, which means bye bye Nelson and Pageau

I’d try to shed one of Pulock or Pelech as well, although the market may be softer there because of the term remaining on their deals. I’d probably prefer to keep Pulock if I’m the Isles (RHD). Pelech isn’t old per se but he hasn’t looked like that elite top four defensive stopper he garnered a reputation for in a couple of seasons. There could still be a team out there with a leaky defensive core willing to bet on his reputation and offer something decent, especially if the Isles take a bit of salary back too.

Lee obviously you are stuck with but Nelson, Pageau and Pulock/Pelech deals could let you get a bit younger and faster and/or give you assets and cap space to play with in order to pivot with the current core but take a fresh approach.

 

[HFpapi]

I agree the Isles should rebuild and not be on the treadmill but then you've got to really rebuild. That means Barzal and Dobson.

A rebuild while hanging on to them will take too long (nothing else will command A+ prospects or top 10 picks) which means they'll be close to ageing out when you're ready to compete anyways so it's redundant to rebuild around their timeline.

The Isles have to go scorched earth or otherwise try to retool around a Barzal/Dobson/Horvat/Sorokin core and be at best a wildcard team.