Roster/Rumors/Speculation/Trade Talk - 2023-24: Hotel California

[Big L]

This thread lately with the Sorokin, Snow, Duchene, Trotz, Malkin, etc. talk:

View attachment 826053

I’d like to buy an argument.

 

[PK Cronin]

I’d like to buy an argument.

No you don't.

 

[The Real JT]

I’d like to buy an argument.

No you don't.

I hereby refer you to the Department of Redundancy Department.

 

[Doshell Propivo]

All of your posts are predicated on taking the opinions of dozens, if not hundreds of people, and turning them into a single hive-mind opinion that you can poke fun at. It's getting real old.

Stupid posts will get fun poked at them.

 

[CupHolders]

This thread lately with the Sorokin, Snow, Duchene, Trotz, Malkin, etc. talk:

View attachment 826053

Who’s the guy on the left, sitting opposite of Ryan Pulock?

 

[Strickland]

The Athletic ran a piece speculating about potential Hanifin returns. If this is what people think Hanifin could get, what could the Isles get added to this for Pelech?

That 2026 first could be as consequential to this organization as the 1981 trade with the Rockies if the Tampa team continues to age.

Howard would be the Isles best prospect and one who could push in the next year or so for that spot next to Horvat/Barzal. Perbix is a young and improving RHD, something worth its weight in gold in this league.

 

[JTToilinginToronto]

View attachment 826144

The Athletic ran a piece speculating about potential Hanifin returns. If this is what people think Hanifin could get, what could the Isles get added to this for Pelech?

That 2026 first could be as consequential to this organization as the 1981 trade with the Rockies if the Tampa team continues to age.

Howard would be the Isles best prospect and one who could push in the next year or so for that spot next to Horvat/Barzal. Perbix is a young and improving RHD, something worth its weight in gold in this league.

Probably one of Howard or the first plus the second. One would think Hanifin has more trade value than Pelech.

 

[PK Cronin]

View attachment 826144

The Athletic ran a piece speculating about potential Hanifin returns. If this is what people think Hanifin could get, what could the Isles get added to this for Pelech?

That 2026 first could be as consequential to this organization as the 1981 trade with the Rockies if the Tampa team continues to age.

Howard would be the Isles best prospect and one who could push in the next year or so for that spot next to Horvat/Barzal. Perbix is a young and improving RHD, something worth its weight in gold in this league.

Hanifin is better offensively, he's younger, and I believe healthier so it's safe to assume he's going to get a bit more.

 

[Top Corner]

Lou should've bought NVDA

Still shaking my head that I had 1000 shares at $14.00 in August 2012 , sold at $13.00 only to look back and see they've split 4-1 and trading at $800 US$ 11 1/2 years later. If I could have held them I would have enough to buy 1% of the team

 

[LeapOnOver]

Lamoriello won as many playoff series in his first season as Capuano and Snow had their entire time at the helm of the Islanders.

Year 1 the team had the best regular season I've ever seen as a fan who is in their mid 30s. Then they won a playoff round.

Year 2 was a decline in the regular season for sure but they didn't "luck into" the playoffs. They were the 7th best team in the East in terms of points percentage, which is the only accurate way to read the standings that has differing amount of games played. They made it to the ECF after having to play an additional abbreviated playoff round too. In the second and third round they knocked off the #3 (Washington) and #1 (Philadelphia) seeds.

Year 3 they actually had a higher points percentage than in year 1 but finished fourth in the East. They knocked off the #1 seed (Pittsburgh) and then the #3 seed (Boston). Comparing their path to the ECF to Montreal isn't fair. Montreal made the playoffs because the Canadian division was weak, while the East was actually strong. Montreal's point percentage that year was worse than the Islanders the year prior and they were the 18th best team in the league with Dallas and the Rags finishing above them in the standings but not making the playoffs due to stronger divisions.

Year 4 was just bad, but were plagued with having to play a bunch of games with AHL players making up a massive chunk of the roster, something no other team had to endure. It's not excusing the poor season, but it played a factor for sure.

Year 5 they sneak into the playoffs and get knocked out in the first round.

The Islanders have made the playoffs 4 out of 5 years with Lamoriello at the helm, making the ECF twice, while adding key players at the deadline multiple times and rotating through three different starting goaltenders. The way you're framing those seasons is in a way to try and diminish what they were and there's just no reason to do that. Past success doesn't guarantee future success so we don't need to shit on the past to say it's time to move on now.

Glad you had the energy to do this, cause i didn't. And to have a poster say "it was obvious this was a bad roster" is pathological liar territory.

 

[LeapOnOver]

We've had this discussion before. I will not move you from your point of view, and you won't move me from mine. All I would say in response is that, again, what has happened in the past has an impact on what happens in the future, and so if you buy, as you most certainly do, that the ECF runs should be treated as any other season and as significant accomplishments, my response would be that how Lou has attempted to build on those "accomplishments" has been a complete failure and has left the Isles with no cap room, bad contracts and a decimated farm system. If you feel that that is a fair return for those runs then so be it because, short of another pandemic, we won't be seeing anything like them again any time soon.

The old, "results are all that matter, except when they don't" rigamarole. I've said it before and I'll say it again, there's no team in the NH L that had made back to back conference finals and has cap space. Why do you continue to singularly paint this as a problem with Lou when it's par for the course in the NHL? Two of the last four cup winners have won by being over the cap, lol.

 

[LeapOnOver]

No, I don't think they'd go 8-0 during those games but they could've won some of them instead of being handed automatic losses. We're talking about an illness that impacted people's respiratory system too, so even when cleared it doesn't mean players were 100%. Then there's the impact of the rotation of players coming in and out. For example, If the Islanders were missing 9 regulars from their lineup but the rest of the lineup wasn't necessarily the same the entire time. You have Bailey in one game and then out the next, you have Nelson out and then in. That makes it pretty much impossible to get any consistency or chemistry going.

And that's not to mention the fact that other teams were given points by facing the Islanders during that time period, while also not having to face the same level of adversity in their own season. It's possible that the teams they were chasing wouldn't have accrued as many points had they not been gifted wins against the Islanders (and another team that I can't remember) or weren't given the pause to have their players fully recover from the illness.

The last part that is that you're using COVID as a reason the Islanders went on their runs but it's not based on anything but what you think was going to happen. They were struggling when the season paused so they were fortunate to get into the playoffs, but you don't know for certain that they wouldn't have made it anyway. It's also completely ignoring that the team performed better than other teams in the same given timeframe and that they beat higher seeded teams multiple times in the playoffs for two straight years (including perennial playoff contenders).

So while the COVID "excuse" might not be super great for that 2021 season going off the rails, at least there's tangible evidence of the impact COVID had compared to the fictitious alternate timeline in the ECF years that is consistently presented by fans who want to downplay those runs.

I think that 2021 team wasn't as good as the previous versions so I'm not confident they make the playoffs even without COVID, but I know that the COVID situation didn't help them out and the NHL f***ed up by not suspending their season sooner because it created an unbalanced situation.

Again you are a hero for responding... I'm just biting my tongue... or in this case pinching my fingers?

 

[PK Cronin]

The old, "results are all that matter, except when they don't" rigamarole. I've said it before and I'll say it again, there's no team in the NH L that had made back to back conference finals and has cap space. Why do you continue to singularly paint this as a problem with Lou when it's par for the course in the NHL? Two of the last four cup winners have won by being over the cap, lol.

So many teams were cap crunched because of the flat cap, it was an unprecedented time that nobody could've seen coming. Some GMs handled it better than others but if you were trying to be competitive you had no choice but to be at the cap max.

 

[MJF]

So many teams were cap crunched because of the flat cap, it was an unprecedented time that nobody could've seen coming. Some GMs handled it better than others but if you were trying to be competitive you had no choice but to be at the cap max.

As I’ve said before, most teams are cap crunched with their top players. Those types of players will always be in demand. The Islanders are cap crunched with their bottom 6, plus Lee and Pulock.

On the other hand Nelson, Horvat, and Sorokin are on reasonable contracts. Nelson’s is actually a bargain.

 

[YearlyLottery]

As I’ve said before, most teams are cap crunched with their top players. Those types of players will always be in demand. The Islanders are cap crunched with their bottom 6, plus Lee and Pulock.

On the other hand Nelson, Horvat, and Sorokin are on reasonable contracts. Nelson’s is actually a bargain.

The Lee and Pageau contracts are destroying them. Pageau has never been the same since getting injured in the playoffs.

 

[doublechili]

As I’ve said before, most teams are cap crunched with their top players. Those types of players will always be in demand. The Islanders are cap crunched with their bottom 6, plus Lee and Pulock.

On the other hand Nelson, Horvat, and Sorokin are on reasonable contracts. Nelson’s is actually a bargain.

It's complicated. For example, the Devs' salary issues revolve around their biggest contracts being to Meier and Hamilton, two top players who have big question marks. Lee is a bad contract, right now, no question. In the bottom 6 JGP is too, but that may be injury-related (he was really good early on in the contract before getting hurt, and I have no problem allocating a bigger salary to a high end 3C). Pulock isn't a bad contract (he could be dealt at the TDL for a nice return - but probably won't be). But with Pulock, Pelech, Mayfield and even Romanov, the Isles have 4 D who are not wizards with the puck, and now you probably want 3 of those on the back end. Part of the Isles' problem is that Lou built the roster on a style of play favored by him and Trotz, and in response to getting beat physically in 2 losses to TBL, and the league then went in another direction. I'm old school and in my heart prefer the kind of style that Lou does, however he's probably too loyal and inflexible and glacial in his movements for a cap world that requires constant re-tooling. Hence the team now is short on guys who are skilled with the puck on their sticks, and that's the new NHL.

 

[LeapOnOver]

As I’ve said before, most teams are cap crunched with their top players. Those types of players will always be in demand. The Islanders are cap crunched with their bottom 6, plus Lee and Pulock.

On the other hand Nelson, Horvat, and Sorokin are on reasonable contracts. Nelson’s is actually a bargain.

And as I've said before, that's just not factual. An entire roster makes you cap crunched. You may not like the allocation, which is fine, but those players alone don't make us cap crunched. Your point is better than the "wah wah we have no cap room" argument. At least you can intelligently relay that you aren't happy with how the money is allocated, but these other posters just whining about not having cap room...you AREN'T SUPPOSED to have cap space, lol. If you aren't spending to the cap, you aren't trying.

 

[MikeyMike01]

Lamoriello won as many playoff series in his first season as Capuano and Snow had their entire time at the helm of the Islanders.

Year 1 the team had the best regular season I've ever seen as a fan who is in their mid 30s. Then they won a playoff round.

Year 2 was a decline in the regular season for sure but they didn't "luck into" the playoffs. They were the 7th best team in the East in terms of points percentage, which is the only accurate way to read the standings that has differing amount of games played. They made it to the ECF after having to play an additional abbreviated playoff round too. In the second and third round they knocked off the #3 (Washington) and #1 (Philadelphia) seeds.

Year 3 they actually had a higher points percentage than in year 1 but finished fourth in the East. They knocked off the #1 seed (Pittsburgh) and then the #3 seed (Boston). Comparing their path to the ECF to Montreal isn't fair. Montreal made the playoffs because the Canadian division was weak, while the East was actually strong. Montreal's point percentage that year was worse than the Islanders the year prior and they were the 18th best team in the league with Dallas and the Rags finishing above them in the standings but not making the playoffs due to stronger divisions.

Year 4 was just bad, but were plagued with having to play a bunch of games with AHL players making up a massive chunk of the roster, something no other team had to endure. It's not excusing the poor season, but it played a factor for sure.

Year 5 they sneak into the playoffs and get knocked out in the first round.

The Islanders have made the playoffs 4 out of 5 years with Lamoriello at the helm, making the ECF twice, while adding key players at the deadline multiple times and rotating through three different starting goaltenders. The way you're framing those seasons is in a way to try and diminish what they were and there's just no reason to do that. Past success doesn't guarantee future success so we don't need to shit on the past to say it's time to move on now.

Difficult to have a meaningful conversation with people who can’t even get the basic facts straight.

 

[BelovedIsles]

https://x.com/isleswhitesuv/status/1762322492423561671?s=46&t=e53YMc8QvhbnNhejf7Ejcw

Just wow, what a f***ing wizard. The blend of puck possession, speed, hands, strength, will, and awareness.

 

[BelovedIsles]

This thread just loves vitriol and histrionics.

 

[impaaaaaact]

Isles scout in Ottawa for two days. Players that make sense (from a Lou perspective) IMO would be Tarasenko, Giroux, Norris, Chychrun, and Pinto.

- Norris injured last night, can take him off list
- Pinto is a pipe dream, Ottawa trying to retool the same way we are
- Giroux has an NMC

So we’re down to Chychrun and Tarasenko, although Norris probably made the most sense before the injury. My guess is Tarasenko is still the target, which could be a nice small add to aid in a push if we win the next game. But we’ll see

 

[Strummergas]

Isles scout in Ottawa for two days. Players that make sense (from a Lou perspective) IMO would be Tarasenko, Giroux, Norris, Chychrun, and Pinto.

- Norris injured last night, can take him off list
- Pinto is a pipe dream, Ottawa trying to retool the same way we are
- Giroux has an NMC

So we’re down to Chychrun and Tarasenko, although Norris probably made the most sense before the injury. My guess is Tarasenko is still the target, which could be a nice small add to aid in a push if we win the next game. But we’ll see

Isles also play the Sens in a little over two weeks. Could just be that too.

 

[impaaaaaact]

haven’t heard about scouts at games for any of the other teams we’re playing…

Isles also play the Sens in a little over two weeks. Could just be that too

 

[JJ18Sniper]

Isles scout in Ottawa for two days. Players that make sense (from a Lou perspective) IMO would be Tarasenko, Giroux, Norris, Chychrun, and Pinto.

- Norris injured last night, can take him off list
- Pinto is a pipe dream, Ottawa trying to retool the same way we are
- Giroux has an NMC

So we’re down to Chychrun and Tarasenko, although Norris probably made the most sense before the injury. My guess is Tarasenko is still the target, which could be a nice small add to aid in a push if we win the next game. But we’ll see

Norris was someone I could see being dangled in a Pageau + deal for cap reasons. They have him playing 3C with close to an 8M aav as Pinto has moved up on their depth chart.
I believe he had a shoulder injury last year and with the injury last night... he's probably off the list as you suggested.

 

[saintunspecified]

So we’re down to Chychrun and Tarasenko, although Norris probably made the most sense before the injury. My guess is Tarasenko is still the target, which could be a nice small add to aid in a push if we win the next game. But we’ll see

Last year when NYI's PP was dragging the team down, those players made some sense as targets. This year they do not.