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

[Mike C]

I do see a slight resemblance but no sorry. Mine is an actress not a singer . Unlimited guesses for a limited time

One of Roman Polanki's young protégés?

 

[WangMustGo]

Caught the last 30 mins of the draft coverage on ESPN+, they said some things regarding a full rebuild that made sense. They talked about how a full tear down rebuild is very time consuming and doesn’t guarantee any level of success. They mentioned how after 25 straight years of making the playoffs, Detroit opted for a rebuild, haven’t made the playoffs since 2016, haven’t won a round since 2013, and won’t be making again this year. Rebuilds are painful for everyone and don’t guarantee success. Certainly not quickly. Unless you’re the rangers and every top guy just goes there. Depending what happens this off-season, maybe the isles don’t need a tear down rebuild. Maybe Lou’s retool on the fly will get us somewhere. Idk.

I dont think a full rebuild makes sense. A retool is what I think we need. Identify the 4-5 players you want to build around. Over the next couple of years you move on from the older core and get younger and faster. Detroit and Buffalo are prime examples of why I dont want a rebuild, even Edmonton would still be a bottom 5 team without Mcdavid.

 

[xECK29x]

This thread is going way off the rails, reel it in please.

 

[Mike C]

Hey guys, at the end of the day. We are all diehard Isles fans and only want the same thing - WIN- win a cup if possible. lol.

Everyone has a different opinion on how to get there, which is why we all come to these sites to play GM for a bit

great point!!

 

[Tahoeblue]

Was not crazy about the Romanov deal when it happened. Warmed up to it as the season started and obviously disappointed at the moment. With that being said, it doesn't mean he can't develop into the dman we hoped we were acquiring. That falls on the coaching staff. I know the NHL isn't a developmental league but they need to teach on the fly, unlock the potential, and put players in the best position to succeed.

I think Lou really thought he would be the rock defensively for Dobson and both looked shaky at times together. Others may know how long Lane kept them together. If the team falls out I would like to see them paired together again. Rooting for Romanov as I think he has only played a couple hundred of games so far.

Surprised like others that we didn't pick up a depth dman piece. Happy Lou was not trigger happy with Bolduc. Hoping he can really be an effective player in the bigs.

Follow up on my own post. Anyone know why Romanov is wearing a full shield and for how long? I hated wearing one. Thanks

 

[The Real JT]

I’m one of those guys. Yeah I like first round picks.

My first take on the Horvat deal was not positive mainly due to his pending UFA status. Once he signed I felt better. I worried about the loss of the first rounder but Beau wasn’t going to make it here and Raty’s skating was very worrisome to me. We got the best piece of that deal by far.

Next move Engvall. I don’t value third round picks all that much and for an established forward with a skill set we lack that’s a solid trade.

I’ll also give Lou credit for not panicking by giving up even more assets for a high priced rental that might not be here next season.

I don’t have a problem with Lou holding onto Mayfield but if he walks in the offseason it won’t look good.

As for Varly, if there was a second round pick to be had for him he should’ve been flipped. The Isles aren’t winning a Cup with Varly so why not restock? Maybe that pick could’ve helped unload Bailey in the offseason.

When it’s all said and done Lou gets a B grade from me at the TDL. Even though I’m far from convinced that gets us a playoff spot, it’s way better than I expected.

 

[Mike C]

Follow up on my own post. Anyone know why Romanov is wearing a full shield and for how long? I hated wearing one. Thanks

Took a wicked Kessel shot to face in late Jan. Shield was 4-6 week Dr ordered over break.

Kid came back after that and played the rest of game. Mad respect for his overall toughness and willingness to play with pain

I’m one of those guys. Yeah I like first round picks.

My first take on the Horvat deal was not positive mainly due to his pending UFA status. Once he signed I felt better. I worried about the loss of the first rounder but Beau wasn’t going to make it here and Raty’s skating was very worrisome to me. We got the best piece of that deal by far.

Next move Engvall. I don’t value third round picks all that much and for an established forward with a skill set we lack that’s a solid trade.

I’ll also give Lou credit for not panicking by giving up even more assets for a high priced rental that might not be here next season.

I don’t have a problem with Lou holding onto Mayfield but if he walks in the offseason it won’t look good.

As for Varly, if there was a second round pick to be had for him he guts should’ve been flipped. The Isles aren’t winning a Cup with Varly so why not restock? Maybe that pick could’ve helped unload Bailey in the offseason.

When it’s all said and done Lou gets a B grade from me at the TDL. Even though I’m far from convinced that gets us a playoff spot, it’s way better than I expected.

One of the beat guys suggests we look at Varly as a rental that didnt cost anything and insurance for Sorokin. Injury insurance and 3 back to backs in March

 

[SI]

All fair points. Really respect your takes and this is another.




I view the team through this prism - Does this team have enough talent and good coaching to win the Cup. Right now I say absolutely not.

That said they do have the talent where I think they should be in the playoffs. If you believe that then we've had too many crap games vs lesser opponents like the Jackets and Blues where you really have to question the effort/coaching that we've been getting.

Have things been moderately better lately? Yes they have, but certainly possible that Horvat is the #1 reason why. Collectively for the season the Isles are playing .547 hockey, but since Horvat came aboard they are now playing 0.625 hockey (even without Barzal). If they played like that all season they'd be above the rangers in the standings.




Here's the thing that drives me crazy....

All we hear from Lou is how much he believes in this team, and he fact that he's kept this team together and refuses to trade any roster player, or let them walk in free agency, further confirms he thinks they should've be a Cup contender this season.

Yet you go and fire a hall of fame coach in Trotz who led this team to 2 conference finals. Not sure there was anyone better to coach this team, but fine - You thought he wanted to be a GM, the room tuned him out...Whatever. I hated it the moment it happened, but change can be ok so was waiting to see who got next shot.

That said instead of replacing Trotz with a coach with a nice pedigree, what does Lou do...Replace him with a FIRST TIME coach!?! When you are trying to win the Cup is this a smart thing to do? No it is not.

You said it above: "I don't know if he is the right person for the job - I need more time to evaluate, like making the playoffs and then the playoffs." Why is a supposed Cup contending team hiring a guy who we need more time to figure out if he's a good coach?

Last offseason 10 teams hired new coaches, but only 3 gave their HC spot to a first time coach: The Blackhawks, Red Wings, and your New York Islanders. The first two are knee-deep in rebuilds so that makes more sense. Lou refuses to rebuild so you know that's not us, yet he fires a hall of fame coach to and goes with a rookie head coach. For me that's GM malpractice.

Then Lou compounds that mistake by trading yet another 1st rounder which is a great asset and trade it for an inconsistent 22 year old D-man with limited upside?

If the mouth-breaking "In Lou we trust" crowd would pause for a second, you would see both moves a terrible in and of themselves, but even worse when you consider this aging roster should be going for a Cup right now, or rebuilding. Both the Lambert and Romanov moves are honestly the kind moves that Milbury would've made, and why we should probably acknowledge that Trotz was better as a coach than Lou is as a GM. And if that bears out then we're probably fooling ourselves that Lou can lead this team back to the Conference finals...Much less further.

I was not a fan of the Trotz firing either - Lane was someone who other teams have sniffed around on - he has been in this league a long time. I thought Joel Q was going to be the choice. But let’s see how this shakes out.

I did like the Romanov deal at the time and like that we have him but not at the cost of the pick we have up. It is the fall out from having to trade Toews. I hope they have something in Bolduc or Odelius.

 

[12Dog]

I know Lou likes to keep his options open and have the cap space available should an opportunity arise, but utilizing some of his cap space to be the retainer in a 3 way deal to help recoup some assets would have been nice

 

[Kevin27NYI]

I know Lou likes to keep his options open and have the cap space available should an opportunity arise, but utilizing some of his cap space to be the retainer in a 3 way deal to help recoup some assets would have been nice

Did any west team add and use a third party from the East? Because I wouldn’t do it to help any East team

 

[MarsTBOW]

OK so now what.... Bring up Bolduc and send the Smurf Down? Him or Salo I would rather see. His slight offense pluses do not out weigh how he gets thrown around and falls down at crucial moments especially in his own zone. Aho has helped Dobson Settle into some bad Habits. Not blaming Aho for this, but this is what has happened. It's what my eyes tell me...

 

[SI]

There might be some criticism and wanting of more at this deadline, but I for one love the Horvat trade and extension - it’s a great move by Lou. Engvall is an underrated move, someone who can add some speed and skill to this lineup. He is not someone who is going produce big numbers but will be a very good add to the top 9.

I like Parise - Nelson - Palmieri together and once Maty returns I think him, Lee and Horvat will be a tough line. Third line of a Pageau Engvall and Holmstrom can be a very tough line to play against. I don’t mistaken this as a Stanley Cup roster by any stretch but hoping for a good run.

I hope this off-season we see cap of 84.5 - 2m increase - it will allow them to add a top 6 F, resign Mayfield and here is to Dufour and Bolduc being NHL players

 

[The Wahligator]

I hope this off-season we see cap of 84.5 - 2m increase - it will allow them to add a top 6 F, resign Mayfield and here is to Dufour and Bolduc being NHL players

I don’t see how we add anything- to my calculations we’re gonna need just about every cent to just keep our guys. Maybe I’m missing something.

 

[Richie Daggers Crime]

Lou won't even let reporters know that he's done for the day.

As if he might gain some advantage over other teams with them thinking he *might* pull off a deal AFTER the trade deadline...

Imagine being this blinkered.

 

[IslesNorway]

I was vary of the Horvat trade at first but he has breathed some life into this lineup, and signing him makes the deal fine. But the Islanders are caught in no man's land at the moment, and it remains to be seen if Lou can take us away from there. This deadline was an opportunity to bring in some draft capital, but he did nothing of the sort, so clearly he has faith in this team.

That means that come the summer, the Islanders stand to lose Varly and Mayfield for nothing. Parise will be back for sure. I'm okay with letting them go but if the Isles miss the playoffs, miss out on the 1st rounder this year and have done nothing to acquire assets it is poor, poor asset management. I've no doubt Lou wants all our UFAs back but then we tie up more 30-somethings to long term deals on an already aging team. That is poor asset management too. And don't mention the cap. Whatever cap space is available is not enough to make this team a contender anytime soon. Lou will have to get really creative here.

The core is fine, but there simply isn't enough room in the lineup or cap space to surround them with a good supporting cast.

 

[CupHolders]

You guys need to realize that the coaches might actually like some things that Aho can do. My conjecture of what that is…

- He seems to have good coverage - probably the thing coaches prefer the most as it means you are on the first step of executing the game plan.

- He actually wins a lot more puck battles than you would expect, once he does he doesn’t really dither… gets the puck moving in the right way.

But before anyone claps back at me. Yes I would 100% want him upgraded.

- He easily gets overpowered in front of the net.

- Is prone to “inexperienced” give aways. Even if he is older, he has not had as much professional playing time.

- Pretty much seems responsible for a high danger scoring chance or two per game.

But as of now, there is no plan to put anyone else in for him. Ultimately, Bolduc will push him further down the lineup. Hopefully as soon as next year even. But even Bolduc had trouble with reads and executions when faced with the Canucks quick forecheck.

 

[JPIsles18]

I’m one of those guys. Yeah I like first round picks.

My first take on the Horvat deal was not positive mainly due to his pending UFA status. Once he signed I felt better. I worried about the loss of the first rounder but Beau wasn’t going to make it here and Raty’s skating was very worrisome to me. We got the best piece of that deal by far.

Next move Engvall. I don’t value third round picks all that much and for an established forward with a skill set we lack that’s a solid trade.

I’ll also give Lou credit for not panicking by giving up even more assets for a high priced rental that might not be here next season.

I don’t have a problem with Lou holding onto Mayfield but if he walks in the offseason it won’t look good.

As for Varly, if there was a second round pick to be had for him he should’ve been flipped. The Isles aren’t winning a Cup with Varly so why not restock? Maybe that pick could’ve helped unload Bailey in the offseason.

When it’s all said and done Lou gets a B grade from me at the TDL. Even though I’m far from convinced that gets us a playoff spot, it’s way better than I expected.

I agree with this. Picks are generally overrated.

For instance, historically, the pick the Isles gave up to get Horvat (assuming it's in the teens), has about a 10% chance of becoming a star, and roughly a 65% of becoming an NHL regular. The reason 1st round picks should be valued is because if you hit on that 10%, you have a cost-controlled star for about 7 years. The cost-controlled star is exponentially more valuable than Horvat at 8.5x 8 in the cap world.

The Isles window is now, so a trade like this makes sense. Only question is whether Horvat was the right player to spend it on. My inclination thus far is yes, but time will tell.

If you look at the last few cup winners, the secret formula tends to winning the cup is having as many value contracts as possible. The Avs last year had Nate Mackinnon, Devon Toews, Val Nichuskin, Andre Burakovski, Nazem Kadri, Bowen Byram. All these players provided elite or almost elite level contributions at far below market value. Even Makar at 9 million was a bargain.

This year's version of that are the Bruins. Almost everyone on that team is below market value.

The Isles unfortunately don't have many "good" value deals at the moment. Nelson, Parise, Wahlstrom (when healthy), Dobson, and most importantly, Sorokin are the only good value deals on the team. Sorokin is the big one. But he too will get a large deal at the of next season, and that will take away a huge competitive advantage the Isles have. One they haven't been able to take advantage of because there isn't a lot of "value" on this roster. A big reason for this is is poor drafting and not having enough lottery tickets in the draft.

The Lightning for instance are nearing the end of their window, because they no longer have the value contracts they had during their cup runs. They have re-signed their core pieces to large deals. But they've won their cups. My biggest gripes about Lou is that we haven't, and we've been treating our roster like we have with market value or just above market value for a middle of the lineup players like Palmieri, Pageau, etc.

Time will tell if this team has enough pieces to be relevant this season and beyond. Not looking great, but anything can happen.

 

[Olliemets]

Was not crazy about the Romanov deal when it happened. Warmed up to it as the season started and obviously disappointed at the moment. With that being said, it doesn't mean he can't develop into the dman we hoped we were acquiring. That falls on the coaching staff. I know the NHL isn't a developmental league but they need to teach on the fly, unlock the potential, and put players in the best position to succeed.

I think Lou really thought he would be the rock defensively for Dobson and both looked shaky at times together. Others may know how long Lane kept them together. If the team falls out I would like to see them paired together again. Rooting for Romanov as I think he has only played a couple hundred of games so far.

Surprised like others that we didn't pick up a depth dman piece. Happy Lou was not trigger happy with Bolduc. Hoping he can really be an effective player in the bigs.

Agree on all counts. Well said. Romonav is still young and has shown flashes of why LL acquired him. Needs to be better.

I really like Bolduc and thankfully he wasn't dealt for a short-term fix. He may be taking the Mayfield slot next year.

IMO Mayfield should have been dealt, as if he walks for nothing we missed an opportunity and it would be another display of terrible asset management. Perhaps he takes a home town discount to stay as he's stated he loves living here.

 

[YearlyLottery]

You guys need to realize that the coaches might actually like some things that Aho can do. My conjecture of what that is…

- He seems to have good coverage - probably the thing coaches prefer the most as it means you are on the first step of executing the game plan.

- He actually wins a lot more puck battles than you would expect, once he does he doesn’t really dither… gets the puck moving in the right way.

But before anyone claps back at me. Yes I would 100% want him upgraded.

- He easily gets overpowered in front of the net.

- Is prone to “inexperienced” give aways. Even if he is older, he has not had as much professional playing time.

- Pretty much seems responsible for a high danger scoring chance or two per game.

But as of now, there is no plan to put anyone else in for him. Ultimately, Bolduc will push him further down the lineup. Hopefully as soon as next year even. But even Bolduc had trouble with reads and executions when faced with the Canucks quick forecheck.

If the Islanders make the playoffs I think the defensive deficiencies of Aho and Dobson are going to be on full display against Boston or Carolina. I also think Romanov is going to show up big defensively. Bolduc should just be up for Aho at this point.

 

[eoin92]

If the Islanders make the playoffs I think the defensive deficiencies of Aho and Dobson are going to be on full display against Boston or Carolina. I also think Romanov is going to show up big defensively. Bolduc should just be up for Aho at this point.

After the trade deadline, are the rosters expanded? Can’t thing bring Bolduc up without having to send anyone down? Maybe they bring him up and cycle him in.

 

[CupHolders]

If the Islanders make the playoffs I think the defensive deficiencies of Aho and Dobson are going to be on full display against Boston or Carolina. I also think Romanov is going to show up big defensively. Bolduc should just be up for Aho at this point.

Those teams are definitely aware, and already target Aho and Dobson. Boston getting Hathaway and Bertuzzi is because of how effective the Cizikas line (and even Palmieri even) were at hitting their dman.

Long-term with Dobson you hope he puts on another 15 pounds.

Agree on Romanov - Going into a more defensive structure, he has had his two best games. I also won’t be surprised to see him take a jump in his development.

Hopefully, with a Barzal, Pageau return and
Engvall introduction… this lineup will have enough puck transporters to make up for the only thing I can think of that Aho contributes.

 

[MJF]

If the Islanders make the playoffs I think the defensive deficiencies of Aho and Dobson are going to be on full display against Boston or Carolina. I also think Romanov is going to show up big defensively. Bolduc should just be up for Aho at this point.

I agree with your point about Romanov. He has been steadier since the team has gone to a 1-3-1 in the D zone and not having one man so high up in the zone to exit with the puck should it get to him. Also has been steadier since the switch from Mayfield and Dobson to Pulock as a D partner.

 

[periferal]

I was not a fan of the Trotz firing either - Lane was someone who other teams have sniffed around on - he has been in this league a long time. I thought Joel Q was going to be the choice. But let’s see how this shakes out.

I did like the Romanov deal at the time and like that we have him but not at the cost of the pick we have up. It is the fall out from having to trade Toews. I hope they have something in Bolduc or Odelius.

So Lane was an assistant coach that other teams "sniffed" around on, but he never got close to a head coaching gig for 10+ years...And you're ok with your GM installing him to lead a team he believes is a Cup contender? I legit don't know how a fan could be ok with hiring a rookie coach who has to learn on the job for a team that the GM says has Cup aspirations. This isn't the Panthers of last year who had to walk away from Quenneville and put in a nobody coach because of a crazy situation. A third of the league changed coaches last offeason so there were other experienced/qualified options to be had, and Lou goes with someone who will probably never have another head coaching gig in the NHL again. It's scarily a move that Milbury or snow would've done.

The Romanov deal is a trainwreck across the board. We just have to admit it. You should never be trading a top 15 pick for a guy that tops out as a 2nd pairing defenseman (but is currently playing like an AHL one). I know some hold out hope that we actually got the 2nd coming of Kasparaitis, but many nights Romanov is as bad as Aho. Even if he puts it together this is a "win now" team so we needed D-man that didn't need more time to develop.

Consider this...We gave up the #13 overall for Romanov. The Kings gave up #19 overall and Brock Faber and got Fiala - Who leads the Kings in scoring. Lou continues to overpay in basically every deal. He never maximizes the assets he gives up and when you have barely any futures to trade in the first place he is always chasing his tail and never quite seems to solve the holes we have (And in the case of Romanov, he didn't solve one at all).

There might be some criticism and wanting of more at this deadline, but I for one love the Horvat trade and extension - it’s a great move by Lou. Engvall is an underrated move, someone who can add some speed and skill to this lineup. He is not someone who is going produce big numbers but will be a very good add to the top 9.

I like Parise - Nelson - Palmieri together and once Maty returns I think him, Lee and Horvat will be a tough line. Third line of a Pageau Engvall and Holmstrom can be a very tough line to play against. I don’t mistaken this as a Stanley Cup roster by any stretch but hoping for a good run.

I hope this off-season we see cap of 84.5 - 2m increase - it will allow them to add a top 6 F, resign Mayfield and here is to Dufour and Bolduc being NHL players

And even assuming that happens, how is that team in 23-24 going to be any better than this squad that is struggling to make the playoffs in a stacked Eastern Conference?

It's all not good enough and time many take off the rose-colored glasses they wear when discussing the GM.

 

[Big L]

 

[CupHolders]

So Lane was an assistant coach that other teams "sniffed" around on, but he never got close to a head coaching gig for 10+ years...And you're ok with your GM installing him to lead a team he believes is a Cup contender? I legit don't know how a fan could be ok with hiring a rookie coach who has to learn on the job for a team that the GM says has Cup aspirations. This isn't the Panthers of last year who had to walk away from Quenneville and put in a nobody coach because of a crazy situation. A third of the league changed coaches last offeason so there were other experienced/qualified options to be had, and Lou goes with someone who will probably never have another head coaching gig in the NHL again. It's scarily a move that Milbury or snow would've done.

The Romanov deal is a trainwreck across the board. We just have to admit it. You should never be trading a top 15 pick for a guy that tops out as a 2nd pairing defenseman (but is currently playing like an AHL one). I know some hold out hope that we actually got the 2nd coming of Kasparaitis, but many nights Romanov is as bad as Aho. Even if he puts it together this is a "win now" team so we needed D-man that didn't need more time to develop.

Consider this...We gave up the #13 overall for Romanov. The Kings gave up #19 overall and Brock Faber and got Fiala - Who leads the Kings in scoring. Lou continues to overpay in basically every deal. He never maximizes the assets he gives up and when you have barely any futures to trade in the first place he is always chasing his tail and never quite seems to solve the holes we have (And in the case of Romanov, he didn't solve one at all).




And even assuming that happens, how is that team in 23-24 going to be any better than this squad that is struggling to make the playoffs in a stacked Eastern Conference?

It's all not good enough and time many take off the rose-colored glasses they wear when discussing the GM.

This is the second time in the past few days you’ve mentioned Fiala.

The early part of this very thread was started around the time of the trade. Plenty of reports at that time had Fiala wanting to go to the Kings.

Could the Isles have acquired him? Yes. But you wouldn’t have been all too pleased if he didn’t extend here and Vanek-ed his way to LA.

EDIT: Just went over some of those posts… you yourself were against acquiring Fiala at that time, and paying him that amount... Lol, So what are you going on about now?