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

[MarsTBOW]

Tuesday is Lou's Day, expect something...

Dippin' Dots

Tuesday is Lou's day, because He thinks it's Monday....

 

[JKP]

Thanks. So Q would need to approach the league and request that the suspension be lifted.

That was my interpretation. Before he's allowed to talk to anyone.

 

[Mr Misunderstood]

We are all chatGPT GMs:

Prompt: Imagine you are the general manager of the New York Islanders hockey team in the NHL. What would you do to make the team better with the goal of winning the Stanley Cup?



As the general manager of the New York Islanders, my goal would be to build a team that can compete at the highest level and ultimately win the Stanley Cup. Here are some steps I would take to make the team better:

1. Strengthen the forward group: The Islanders have a solid group of forwards, but they lack a true game-changer. I would look to acquire a top-six forward who can consistently put up points and create offense. This player would need to have a strong two-way game and be able to contribute on the power play.

2. Improve the power play: The Islanders' power play has been a weakness in recent years. I would bring in a coach with a proven track record of success on the power play to help improve the team's performance in this area. Additionally, I would look to acquire players who have a history of success on the power play.

3. Upgrade the defense: The Islanders have a solid defensive group, but there is always room for improvement. I would look to acquire a top-pairing defenseman who can eat up minutes and contribute offensively. This player would need to be strong in his own end and be able to play in all situations.

4. Develop young players: The Islanders have several promising young players who could become key contributors in the future. I would invest in their development by providing them with top-notch coaching, training facilities, and resources. This would help ensure that they reach their full potential and become important pieces of the team's success.

5. Foster a winning culture: Winning is not just about talent, it's also about culture. I would work to create a culture of accountability, hard work, and resilience. This would involve setting high expectations for players and coaches, providing them with the resources they need to succeed, and rewarding them for their achievements.

By following these steps, I believe the New York Islanders could become a true contender for the Stanley Cup.

Analytics still can't figure out #5

 

[Doshell Propivo]

And what are you suggesting...? That if Lou was replaced and the new GM started to do a rebuild immediately that Isles fans would leave in droves?

Yes

 

[MJF]

Quenneville would be a horrible fit for this team…

Who is a good fit for this team?

 

[mm11]

Mark Hunter will be GM and sweet Lou the Pres. Just because

 

[MJF]

What do we mean by the term "withstand a rebuild?" Will the team move/fold/get sold if we rebuild? Of course not. So in that sense, yes, we can "withstand" a rebuild

Don't you think that was a major problem for the Islanders under past owners? Moreso than the roster?

But it would come at a cost. Mainly PR and attendance issues.

When is that not an issue for any team?


Rebuilds are not a magic pill. No owner likes telling their fans they feel the team needs to go in a different direction and ask for their patience. But fans can see through a plan that has a low-mid percentage chance of succeeding. In poker, when you have a weak hand are you going to play the percentages and throw in your cards or try to bluff your way to a pot?

 

[periferal]

Jeez. This is bad. I'm certainly not a doctor, but procedure this significant and that keep a player out at least a year can certainly be career threatening. I hope it's not. Landeskog is to me what hockey is all about - A great player who has even better intangibles.

 

[leeroggy]

I would be very surprised if Lambert is let go, I do see a new assistant to replace McLean.

Fixing the power play:

There's two facets to this that are killing it; how we enter the zone and a lack of player movement when in possession. Both of these are linked to how we utilize Barzal on the PP.

I've said it many times before; we rely on Mat to enter the zone with possession and too often the other team lines up at the blueline and Mat passes to the stationary forward on the boards and the PKers are jumping on that person. I'd rather we have another player carry up and time it so there's a deep dump in with Barzal speeding to retrieve it. Once that happens a number of times, you get the PKers to start to shade and that opens up the player on the boards to have time to carry it in more. We've been far too predictable on entries.

The second part is how stationary we are and constantly forcing seam passes because we don't have players interchanging positions. All of you know my lacrosse background and I can't understand why the Isles don't incorporate some Man-up lacrosse approaches in the toolkit.

Wheeling the perimeter quickly to get the defense having to communicate and shift is one thing. And most importantly, sending cutters through the middle to open up the skip passes. A stationary PP is the EASIEST thing to defend and I can't understand why they keep doing it. If Barzal is hanging out on the wing with the puck, it makes the movement even more important.

Crashing the net when he is not out there seems to work more than anything else we've done too.

 

[mm11]

Jeez. This is bad. I'm certainly not a doctor, but procedure this significant and that keep a player out at least a year can certainly be career threatening. I hope it's not. Landeskog is to me what hockey is all about - A great player who has even better intangibles.

agree, think Lou and co were kicking tires on Landeskog if he became a URFA a few years ago. I'm speculating ofcourse.

 

[Doshell Propivo]

Don't you think that was a major problem for the Islanders under past owners? Moreso than the roster?

Definitely.

When is that not an issue for any team?

It is. But not every team went through what the Islanders did the last 20 years or so. And we know that that the team has problems at the gate, especially when the team sucks. Years of missing the playoffs would = 5,000 fans in the stands during the week.

Embarking on another rebuild at this point would be very bad optics.

 

[Doshell Propivo]

Rebuilds are not a magic pill. No owner likes telling their fans they feel the team needs to go in a different direction and ask for their patience. But fans can see through a plan that has a low-mid percentage chance of succeeding. In poker, when you have a weak hand are you going to play the percentages and throw in your cards or try to bluff your way to a pot?

We have high-quality, core players in their prime, or just entering their prime signed long term. I disagree that this team has a low-mid percentage chance of succeeding. It's not like we're Chicago. In fact, I'd argue that right now, a rebuild is way more of a crapshoot then trying to build on what we have here.

 

[DerekKingSnipes]

Who is a good fit for this team?

There is going to be a new GM, the longer we don’t hear has me convinced of this. My guess is they want to talk to Gilman from TO and or Botterill in Seattle but obviously need to wait for them to be out of playoffs. A new GM is going to want their guy, I don’t think Lambert did bad job for rookie head coach and wouldn’t be against him returning. Perhaps there is mutual interest with Lambert and Nashville assuming Lambert wasn’t given a contract extension and has no contract with isles as has been speculated. If it’s not Lambert it’s going to be a retread coach with experience for sure.

 

[MarsTBOW]

Oh No...
There is some smoke about Dubas now lol

Why is there speculation about Kyle Dubas to the NY Islanders?

The Toronto Maple Leafs season isn't over yet, but that hasn't stopped speculation from stirring as to what a second-round playoff exit to the Florida Panthers

eyesonisles.com

 

[xECK29x]

Oh No...
There is some smoke about Dubas now lol

Why is there speculation about Kyle Dubas to the NY Islanders?

The Toronto Maple Leafs season isn't over yet, but that hasn't stopped speculation from stirring as to what a second-round playoff exit to the Florida Panthers

eyesonisles.com

Those jokers litterally just saw us posting about this and created an article lol

 

[TeamKidd]

Those jokers litterally just saw us posting about this and created an article lol

careful, they may be some of our best posters.

 

[MJF]

We have high-quality, core players in their prime, or just entering their prime signed long term. I disagree that this team has a low-mid percentage chance of succeeding. It's not like we're Chicago. In fact, I'd argue that right now, a rebuild is way more of a crapshoot then trying to build on what we have here.

We don’t. We have a high quality goaltender. Beyond that we have a 1C who still hasn’t lived up to the hoopla he gets on this board, Horvat who has to figure out his game again, Nelson, who is a legit 2C but our best player, a solid top 4 D, several redundant bottom 6 players, and 2 intriguing prospects who I believe have a real future (Dufour and Bolduc). To me we’re an underwhelming collection of player.

Those jokers litterally just saw us posting about this and created an article lol

Is this our path to Mitch Marner?

 

[IslesNorway]

There is going to be a new GM, the longer we don’t hear has me convinced of this. My guess is they want to talk to Gilman from TO and or Botterill in Seattle but obviously need to wait for them to be out of playoffs. A new GM is going to want their guy, I don’t think Lambert did bad job for rookie head coach and wouldn’t be against him returning. Perhaps there is mutual interest with Lambert and Nashville assuming Lambert wasn’t given a contract extension and has no contract with isles as has been speculated. If it’s not Lambert it’s going to be a retread coach with experience for sure.

I don't see Lou firing Lambert. He fired Trotz to promote him and he made the playoffs in his first season as HC, so no complaints from that point of view. One can only assume that he is learning from his mistakes because very few head coaches set the world afire in the first season. As long as Lou remains in charge Lambert is the coach for next season. The assistants will surely be fired, though. No one can be in charge of that power play and expect to keep his job, nor should he.

 

[MJF]

There is going to be a new GM, the longer we don’t hear has me convinced of this. My guess is they want to talk to Gilman from TO and or Botterill in Seattle but obviously need to wait for them to be out of playoffs. A new GM is going to want their guy, I don’t think Lambert did bad job for rookie head coach and wouldn’t be against him returning. Perhaps there is mutual interest with Lambert and Nashville assuming Lambert wasn’t given a contract extension and has no contract with isles as has been speculated. If it’s not Lambert it’s going to be a retread coach with experience for sure.

I was ambivalent about Lambert through the middle of the season. His highlight was recognizing the attempt to wring more offense out of this roster wasn’t working and switching back to what worked in the past-3 men back in a 1-1-3 in front of Soroky. Then came the playoffs and Lambert’s stock dropped culminating with him freezing in the 3rd period of Game 6. I’m ready to move on.

 

[bstash19]

If the Isles had the Detroit Redwings history for the past thirty years, then yes this fanbase could better withstand a rebuild. But they don't, and I think it's a fair thing to take into consideration.

Also if we had a fairly steady hand at the wheel, in Steve yzerman.

If we were to do a rebuild, it’s not like Lou would be the one to see it all the way through.

 

[periferal]

Let’s wrap this up…

 

[doublechili]

There is going to be a new GM, the longer we don’t hear has me convinced of this. My guess is they want to talk to Gilman from TO and or Botterill in Seattle but obviously need to wait for them to be out of playoffs. A new GM is going to want their guy, I don’t think Lambert did bad job for rookie head coach and wouldn’t be against him returning. Perhaps there is mutual interest with Lambert and Nashville assuming Lambert wasn’t given a contract extension and has no contract with isles as has been speculated. If it’s not Lambert it’s going to be a retread coach with experience for sure.

Yeah, it does make one wonder, doesn't it? I posted something similar almost a week ago, and now it's been 10+ days since the season ended and not a peep from the coach or the GM. Gilman and Botterill would be right at the top of the list, and FWIW each of those organizations have a top coaching candidate too (Carbery in TO and Leach in SEA). Of course, maybe TO will tap their own guys? Or maybe they want a new direction and they hire the Lamoriello team.

 

[doublechili]

Let’s wrap this up…

Geez, Joseph Will backed up by Murray? They'd better have a high quality Zamboni driver in reserve.

 

[The Real JT]

So Woll Will start. Or is it the other way around?

 

[leeroggy]

Geez, Joseph Will backed up by Murray? They'd better have a high quality Zamboni driver in reserve.

Yes, but the driver is 3 years older now and coming off Zamboni IR . . .