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

[isles55]

Props to Lou for walking away from a deal that made no sense in the long-term, despite it immediately making the team better.

 

[JKP]

"You know who has no obligation to follow Lamoriello’s rules, including how trade and contract talks must be conducted?"

Chris Botta. Because Lou doesn't know that he exists. But keep trying Chris.

I think there's a part of Chris just trying to carry some water for his pals in the media since they can't complain out loud. It does come off whiney, though. And I kinda like Botta otherwise.

 

[DerekKingSnipes]

"You know who has no obligation to follow Lamoriello’s rules, including how trade and contract talks must be conducted?"

Chris Botta. Because Lou doesn't know that he exists. But keep trying Chris.

The thing is everyone talks about nobody wants to play here, come here as free agent etc. but Pageau didn’t have to stay, neither did Palmieri, Sorokin didn’t have to come over to play here, Varly came here as FA, Parise decided to stay and chase cup when I’m sure he could have done same somewhere else.

 

[islesfan186]

Not getting kadri is not what’s inexcusable: doing absolutely nothing is.

Bingo. Fire one of the greatest coaches in the game and trade a first round pick for a #4 defender.

When you’re trying to sell tickets and the idea of improving a team after a disasterous last season, this is a prime example of what NOT to do.

Ledecky and Malkin really need to evaluate if this is the direction they’re wanting to go and if Lou is the guy to do it.

I didn’t really watch much of last season because of my work schedule and the fact that ESPN+ blows, but man, I find myself totally uninterested in the upcoming season already

 

[JKP]

Props to Lou for walking away from a deal that made no sense in the long-term, despite it immediately making the team better.

Did he walk away? Or could he just not find the right price to shed salary...?

 

[saintunspecified]

Almost nobody wanted him here at 7x7. Imagine if that happened and we sent Bailey and first to the Habs? Ha.

I would have been okay with the 7 x 7, but not the additioal first to shed salary. The key to surviving long term UFA contracts is having cost-controlled players filling in. But once you don't have that, like, at all it's a big problem.

Did he walk away? Or could he just not find the right price to shed salary...?

Is there a difference? It's part of the total acquisition cost. Calgary didn't pull any rabbits out of hats.

 

[isles55]

Did he walk away? Or could he just not find the right price to shed salary...?

Well even if he accidentally made the right move, I’m still happy.

 

[JKP]

Is there a difference? It's part of the total acquisition cost. Calgary didn't pull any rabbits out of hats.

If he's cost $8M x 4 and it cost us Beau to get the cap space, I think that's more palatable to many folks here than 7x7 and a first rounder to get space, say. I guess my point was perhaps Lou was fine with the 7x7, which is what many were arguing was the real issue.

 

[Nosebleed40]

So, they’re basically rolling out the same team. Good luck with that.

 

[impaaaaaact]

A non exhaustive list of offensive players that changed teams this offseason:

Johnny Gaudreau
Nazem Kadri
Max Pacioretty
Alex Debrincat
Oliver Bjorkstrand
Kevin Fiala
Vincent Trochek
Claude Giroux
Ilya Mikhyev
Andre Burakovsky
Mason Marchment
Dylan Strome

Players that the Islanders and their 23rd ranked offense added this offseason:

 

[Throttle]

The fact the rest of the team didn’t improve makes trading a first for Romanov that much more brutal. When it happens, this will be a long rebuild.

Really, a 22yr old D-man is 'brutal' for a rebuild?

 

[periferal]

An L for not getting Kadri even though i know this board was split on him.

A W for my crusade against the awful media this sport has.

Huh? There are a handful of GMs in the NHL who guard their moves tighter than the FBI. What is a reporter who's job it is to get information and write articles (for a media outlet that has huge expenses) supposed to do?

 

[Top Corner]

It is. I agree. Without making a move and just having everyone healthy, plus Salo instead of Greene, this is a wild card team.

You don’t want a wild card team when you are trading first round picks

 

[periferal]

But seriously, I wonder if Lamoriello circles back on J.T. Miller.

But according to Vancouver there was never any circling to begin with.

 

[SI90]

All these insiders are clowns. Reporting things as facts without knowing shit.

Ultimately Kadri would have helped the team but that contract would have hurt. I feel it was in our best interest that he signed up elsewhere. The problem is Lou needs to make some f***ing moves. We can’t run it back with the same club as last year and expect to be a lot better.

This whole Kadri saga was ridiculous.

 

[MJF]

I am/was split on Kadri. While the playing style would fit and help immediately, the position (even though you can never have too many centers) and presumably AAV and term would create other issues down the line.

At a minimum, I would like to see Barzal, Dobson and even Romanov locked up to long-term deals that are fair for both the players and team. No reason not to get that done.

Then keep looking for a potential hockey trade, if the right deal comes along.

To me, the perfect player to play alongside Barzal is Nikolaj Ehlers. He was the guy I wanted in that draft. I would move Beauvillier+ for him right now. In a perfect world, I would trade Bailey and Beauvillier for Ehlers and Dillon. That solves both of the Isles remaining issues (topline forward and LHD) and helps the Jets add secondary scoring for lines 2 and 3, while moving out an extra defenseman. I believe it also saves the Jets real $$$.

Otherwise signings like Stasny and/or Rodrigues and a LHD for competition would be fine with me. Bring in a few good players upfront and let them battle it out in camp and preseason. Then just trade or send the odd player or two out to the AHL (where they might even be claimed and the contract is gone).

Stop making sense.

 

[periferal]

Flames lost the face of their franchise and still had a better offseason than us.

Post of the day.


Also....

 

[IslesNorway]

A non exhaustive list of offensive players that changed teams this offseason:

Johnny Gaudreau
Nazem Kadri
Max Pacioretty
Alex Debrincat
Oliver Bjorkstrand
Kevin Fiala
Vincent Trochek
Claude Giroux
Ilya Mikhyev
Andre Burakovsky
Mason Marchment
Dylan Strome

Players that the Islanders and their 23rd ranked offense added this offseason:

Now how many of those would significantly improve the Isles AND fit under the current cap??

 

[Satan'sIsland81]

I guess I am in the minority, but I cannot even tell you how happy I am right now. I thought (mistakenly again trusting all the insiders and writers) this was a done deal. I personally did not really want Kadri at any cost, but certainly not for 7 years. He does not fill any of our lineup holes. We already have two centers better than him and somebody would be playing out of position to accommodate a 32 year old who had exactly one year in his career worthy of that contract. For once, Lou made the right decision to stay away from this overrated guy. Now we can hopefully focus on making a move to fill the actual hole we have, on wing.

 

[SI90]

Weekes Shannon and Pagnotta all reporting it was a done deal. They need to be called out. Shit is infuriating.

 

[isles55]

We need another defenseman and we should have the cap space after our RFAs are signed. We should sign de Haan if he’ll come cheap another, but depth is needed regardless.

 

[DerekKingSnipes]

Bingo. Fire one of the greatest coaches in the game and trade a first round pick for a #4 defender.

When you’re trying to sell tickets and the idea of improving a team after a disasterous last season, this is a prime example of what NOT to do.

Ledecky and Malkin really need to evaluate if this is the direction they’re wanting to go and if Lou is the guy to do it.

I didn’t really watch much of last season because of my work schedule and the fact that ESPN+ blows, but man, I find myself totally uninterested in the upcoming season already

There we’re like six games on ESPN + .

the direction is to win with the team, we will never know how involved in free agency were were but this is essentially team we expected to be cup contender before last season. Romanov is 22 and fills huge hole in solidifying top four defense, they need a top winger but this team is a playoff contender as is and we will see what shakes loose during season around league. I’m ok rolling dice to start year on maybe Beau having year where he gets to 25-30 goals, or Dobson continuing to progress to 60-70 point season, or Barzal getting back to a point a game player etc. and we will fill holes during year.

 

[Kevin27NYI]

Huh? There are a handful of GMs in the NHL who guard their moves tighter than the FBI. What is a reporter who's job it is to get information and write articles (for a media outlet that has huge expenses) supposed to do?

Get better intel or don’t report.

 

[DerekKingSnipes]

Really, a 22yr old D-man is 'brutal' for a rebuild?

I have client who is Habs fan and loved Romanov. He just said best thing about him is winning teams have a guy like him, he isn’t flashy but skates well, moves puck well and loves to hit. He plays his butt off and said most nights when Habs were bad he was seemingly only guy there that brought it every night and thought he is going to be great compliment to Dobson. We will see I guess.

 

[SayItAintSoJohnny]

I am not upset at all for not getting Kadri at that number, he is the one UFA who I KNEW WAS GOING TO BE AN OVERPAY and wanted no part of it.

I am not sure TJ Miller or Patrick Kane is going to be able to be shaken loose now this late in the offseason, so I would just as soon sign our 3 RFA's and add 2 veterans on the cheap for battles; specifically to compete with Bellows for a middle 6 wing spot and to battle Aho/Salo for the 6th and 7th spots on the blue line...

Evan Rodrigues would be the RH shot I would look to add to the forward group to battle with Bellows for the last remaining spot.

If it were me, I would surround Barzal with the two shooters and give him the best chance to succeed. Bailey/Rodrigues are interchangeable; whichever works best and I move Parise to 4th line to give it some more pop...would even consider burying Martin...

Palmieri/Barzal/Wahlstrom
Lee/Nelson/Bailey
Beau/Pageau/Rodrigues
Parise/Cizikas/Clutterbuck

Bellows/Martin

On defense I would sign Ryan Murray.

Pelech/Pulock
Romanov/Dobson
Murray/Mayfield

Salo/Aho

Sorokin/Varlamov

Romanov, 2 years $4.5 million (2.25)
Dobson, 3 years $13.5 million (4.5)
Bellows, 2 years $1.75 million (875K)
Rodrigues, 1 year $1.5 million
Murray, 1 year $800K

Should have 1-2 million to play with after...

Done