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

[SI90]

"Internal house cleaning" Barzal extension?

Now would be the best time value wise for the franchise.

 

[seafoam]

I'd be more than ok with this!

Pagnotta has become more of a hack recently so don’t get your hopes up!

 

[JJ18Sniper]

Internal house cleaning... I'm going to guess is Romanov and Dobson extensions. The long shot is a Barzal extension.
If Kadri is grouped into the sequence of announcements then there is a cap dump trade in addition (Beau or Bailey).

 

[doublechili]

Is he doing it on purpose to gain some advantage, or is he simply doing business in an old-school manner that produces fewer leaks?

I think it’s the latter.

Or maybe a little of both? The fact is, anyone can look at CapFriendly, and teams know what holes other teams need to fill. And the RFAs, number of contracts, etc. are all known too. FWIW, only 4 teams have more cap space than the Isles as things stand right now. There are 10 teams that are OVER the cap, and another 11 teams with less than $5M in cap space. If Lou is calling other GMs offering Bailey/Beau, teams know that. So to some extent everyone knows the deal, and lots of teams are trying to move salaries. But to Lou, sharing info unnecessarily is part of the whole package, like a beard or a high uniform number.

 

[Mike C]

Pagnotta has become more of a hack recently so don’t get your hopes up!

One of my life's philosophies is " high hopes, low expectations "

 

[Mike C]

That's your philosophy? Quit on things when they frustrate you? The divorce rate is already high, but do you want it to be 100%?


Front-runner fans are as bad as it gets, and I'm sure like most of us we don't know why we become fans of teams, but once they're in your heart you can't let go.

And I'm legit all for hope...But only when there's sincere cause for it, and there's a real fine line between those two things. From about 1995 through 2015 there was legit no hope...And any fan that said there was, back then or now, is actually in denial. The only hope to have back then was that new owners would come along, and thank god they finally have. Now we can have hope that we can actually win it all, but that doesn't mean you check your brain at the door and blindly agree with every single move Malkin, Ledecky, Lou, or anyone else makes.

The last few years were the best years of Islander hockey since the early 90's and if you checked my posts from about 2018-2021, my mood (and thus posts) followed. I know I'm pretty much persona non grata around here and it is what it is. However I'm not going to sit here and talk about hope when Milbury is trading Luongo/Jokinen for DiPierto/Parrish...No more than I am going to say that everything Lou does is godly - Even if he is a vastly superior GM.

If anyone thinks I'm too harsh, critical, or anything else, then I've said on multiple occasions that I'm not their cup of tea and they should ignore me. But the funny thing is that many don't...So when people ask me why I follow a team that causes me angst, they should consider why they don't just easily ignore a poster here who does the same to them.

Other fans may like just seeing hockey or just making the playoffs. I'm only in it to see the Isles win a Cup before I die, so you're damn right if the intensity of my posts follow the intensity of my expectations.

To thine own self be true buddy!

 

[JJ18Sniper]

We didn't have the assets to compete with Florida.

 

[PK Cronin]

If Lou’s strategy really is To keep contracts secretive as long as he can so he can have an advantage while trading ; doesn’t it become a disadvantage when the whole world knows that’s exactly what you’re doing?

It can't become a disadvantage, it would just cease being an advantage.

The RFA contracts and needing to move a body out make things a little gray, giving Lamoriello some (not much) wiggle room if needed. Most teams know what the RFAs will likely cost but when pennies matter I can see why he wouldn't be in a rush to let everyone know.

 

[impaaaaaact]

We didn't have the assets to compete with Florida.

That’s a Blues guy right? Wonder if we’re going after Krug

 

[JJ18Sniper]

That’s a Blues guy right? Wonder if we’re going after Krug

Yep, he's also "Strick" on the Cam & Strick podcast.

 

[GOLFWANG]

"internal house cleaning" idk why but to me that more means like that a player or two is moving or getting waived?

I feel 100 percent Romanov, Dobson, and Bellows were signed.

I feel like a trade might be in place but he is trying to do better but can't find better and a trade will happen in a few days. (all in all I think we are going to lose whatever trade is about to happen).

 

[Rehabguy]

What irks me most about Kadri coming to the Isles is that he could have been acquired by the Isles in a trade with the Maple Leafs for John Tavares if he had been honest with the team. We would have had him at his prime but now the Isles are overpaying for what he brings and in the long term a 6 million/5 yr deal would be terrible for a 32 yo with the Isles limited cap space.

 

[xECK29x]

I do have a weird feeling we’re going to see the Islanders announced their own transactions within the next hours or days

My gut was always the first week of August. I want to say it was a similar timeline last year.

 

[SI90]

My gut was always the first week of August. I want to say it was a similar timeline last year.

I have the same memory. Beginning mid August last year. Plus, now everyone is talking about what the isles may or may not be doing to maybe Lou kills the noise by announcing his moves.

 

[SayItAintSoJohnny]

Beauvillier is only 25 and for a team that lacks speed, we SHOULD be getting something back if we move him- I hope Lou realizes this. It would be awfully sad if he is being moved simply for "cap space".

Ideally, it is Josh moved even if it is retaining a million and getting little to nothing back.

Islanders trade F Josh Bailey and RW Richard Panik to the Anaheim Ducks for a 2023 6th round draft pick- Retaining a million means the Ducks essentially get a 50 pt scorer for only 4.5 million cap hit and 3 million in cash next two seasons. Ducks have plenty of cap space and only have 12 forwards signed- they can bury Panik of course for us and it saves another 250K towards our cap; which is why we only get a meager 6th round pick back for Josh

Islanders sign C Nazem Kadri to a 5-year $35 million contract- No, I don't like the years, but I can live with it since he only got 7 million per

Islanders sign RW Sonny Milano to a 1-year $1.5 million contract- A free-agent forward to compete with Bellows for a mid-6 role

Islanders re-sign RFA's Kieffer Bellows (2 yrs, $1,7 million), LD Alexander Romanov (2 yrs, $4.5 million) and RD Noah Dobson (3 yrs, $12.5 million) to new bridge contracts- They are able to lock all three of them up for a modest 7-7.5 million in cap

Islanders sign D Ryan Murray to a 1-year $800,000 contract- Islanders add a veteran to compete with Aho/Salo for the 3rd line and extra defender spots

2022-23 Islanders:

Brock Nelson (6)- Mathew Barzal (7)- Kyle Palmieri (5)
Anders Lee (7)- Nazem Kadri (7)- Oliver Wahlstrom (.9)
Anthony Beauvillier (4.15)- Jean-Gabriel Pageau (5)- Sonny Milano (1.5)
Zach Parise (.7)- Casey Cizikas (2.5)- Cal Clutterbuck (1.75)

Matt Martin (1.5)- Kieffer Bellows (.85)

Adam Pelech (5.75)- Ryan Pulock (6.15)
Alexander Romanov (2.25)- Noah Dobson (4.15)
Ryan Murray (.8)- Scott Mayfield (1.45)

Robin Salo (.8)

Ilya Sorokin (4)- Semyon Varlamov (5)

**Bailey retention (.5)

Total: 81.7 million


Note: Islanders trade Aho for a bag of pucks...

 

[SI90]

I want Anton Stralman as our 6th defenseman

 

[seafoam]

Seems like the cat is out of the bag…

 

[impaaaaaact]

Parise - Kadri - Barzal
Beauvillier - Nelson - Palmieri
Lee - Pageau - Wahlstrom

Assuming Bailey is moved for cap space, this is how I’d personally like to see the top 9. Barzal plays with someone who actually shoots the puck and can take some attention away from him - Parise has the IQ and hustle to play with them. Wahlstrom gets Lee screening on his shots. Beau/Nelson/Palmieri was our second most effective line combo last year according to moneypuck. This, minus Chara and Greene, plus Romanov is going to lead to a LOT more goals next season

 

[The Real JT]

Not that any of these guys are wrong but how many more of these pundits with zero connections are going to tweet about the imminent signing of Kadri?

 

[JTToilinginToronto]

Bailey and Bellows to team X for future considerations.
Kadri signs here.

No need to get more complicated than that. That solves the cap issue and the abundance of forwards problem. That also allows us to make Nelson a winger, which could be the solution needed to give Barzal a goal scorer ironically.

Nelson - Barzal - Wahlstrom
Beauvillier - Kadri - Palmieri
Lee - Pageau - Parise
4th line
Johnston

Pelech - Pulock
Romanov - Dobson
Salo - Mayfield
Aho

Sorokin / Varlamov

 

[MJF]

Not that any of these guys are wrong but how many more of these pundits with zero connections are going to tweet about the imminent signing of Kadri?

As many as can retweet each other

 

[seafoam]

Seems like a Kadri signing is imminent, which now raises the question of who is going to shift to wing?

Bazral [ ]
Cizikas [ ]
Kadri [ ]
Nelson [ ]
Pageau [ ]

 

[mm11]

Nelson - Barzal - Wahlstrom i would like to see this. Nelson can take draws in the defensive zone.

 

[saintunspecified]

Seems like a Kadri signing is imminent, which now raises the question of who is going to shift to wing?

Bazral [ ]
Cizikas [ ]
Kadri [ ]
Nelson [ ]
Pageau [ ]

It's barzal. Why would it be any of the others?

 

[mm11]

Seems like a Kadri signing is imminent, which now raises the question of who is going to shift to wing?

Bazral [ ]
Cizikas [ ]
Kadri [ ]
Nelson [ ]
Pageau [ ]

Barzy need to patrol the center position. I do like the competition, let the guys battle it out in camp. Who wants to play center more? Show us! Our boy Brock may have to slow down the bong hits this summer out in Warroad.