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

[SI]

Agree on the PP though the bar is set low using last season as a comparison. I see Horvat and Barzal finding chemistry and Dobson becoming the PP QB we need.

Now the bad news: Last year the Isles PK was #9 in the NHL but only 1 percentage point from #13. Stalwarts from that unit, Cizikas and Clutter have lost a step. Speed and reflexes are critically important on the PK. I see the unit regressing.

I don’t see the regression that you see from Cizikas. With Horvat, Cizikas, and Pageau - their faceoff dominance will also help. You cannot forget about Nelson as part of the PK too.

It’s all about the PP right now. If they can improve and get mid table - I’d be happy.

 

[The Real JT]

I don’t see the regression that you see from Cizikas. With Horvat, Cizikas, and Pageau - their faceoff dominance will also help. You cannot forget about Nelson as part of the PK too.

It’s all about the PP right now. If they can improve and get mid table - I’d be happy.

Cizikas is an interesting case. There were flashes last year of prior season’s performances but night in and night out I saw what looks like to me, an age related decline. Getting paired with older versions of Martin and Clutter certainly didn’t help.

On a more positive note, a healthy Sorokin should keep the PK unit from faltering too much.

 

[Richie Daggers Crime]

I could ask who hired Trotz, or just post from now on using only Rage Against the Machine lyrics. Hm.

 

[MJF]

Double down now…and your selections were based on off-season ‘winners’ and ‘losers.’

So you’ll just hang back and submit your choices in Game 72?

 

[Rehabguy]

I could ask who hired Trotz, or just post from now on using only Rage Against the Machine lyrics. Hm.

I heard 3 other teams sent trained monkeys to stand in line for that obvious gift but Lou sent himself just to make sure he got there first. Some would say that was a brilliant move. I say he was just one step ahead of the trained monkeys.

As for when LL fired Trotz. I think even the trained monkeys thought that was a bad idea.

 

[leeroggy]

 

[Richie Daggers Crime]

I heard 3 other teams sent trained monkeys to stand in line for that obvious gift but Lou sent himself just to make sure he got there first. Some would say that was a brilliant move. I say he was just one step ahead of the trained monkeys.

I'm not sure what this means, but one guy hired Trotz and the other guy hired Capuano.

 

[doublechili]

I'm not sure what this means, but one guy hired Trotz and the other guy hired Capuano.

Not to mention, one guy is already in the HOF and the other guy has spent the last 5 years in sweatpants sitting on his couch watching "Days of Our Lives" re-runs, eating hunks of cheese like they're apples, and waiting for a phone call from a hockey person who's not Doug Weight.

 

[leeroggy]

Not to mention, one guy is already in the HOF and the other guy has spent the last 5 years in sweatpants sitting on his couch watching "Days of Our Lives" re-runs, eating hunks of cheese like they're apples, and waiting for a phone call from a hockey person who's not Doug Weight.

And trying to be the next Al Bundy

 

[Throttle]

This move is not without risks. However, EK's contract and San Jose's unwillingness to eat much of the contract limited the number of teams he could've been dealt to. The Pens got rid of a lot of bad contracts in the move. Granlund would have been a buyout or cost a 2nd rounder to dump. Petry would have required a sweetener as well. He turned negative assets and cap space into the 22-23 Norris winner. That's not to say it's a risk free move. I agree that EK is not an ideal defenseman. He is quite bad defensively.

But this is what was available for them now. It's an aging core with a closing window. They got the best player on the market. This contract will likely not look good in two years. But does it matter? They were up against the cap and save money for this year while acquiring a 100 point defenseman.

He has also revamped the entire bottom 6 depth, which was the Pens main issue. Right or wrong, I love a GM who is able to identify problem areas and try to fix them. We are still waiting for a scoring winger and a true puck moving defenseman/PP QB. One day, perhaps.


This is the most blatant case of not understanding causation vs correlation.

Or maybe some of the players that ‘sucked’ or were holding other players back, weren’t really the issue in the end? Maybe it’s some of the core players just aren’t who fans (and the organization) want them to be…

 

[Throttle]

So you’ll just hang back and submit your choices in Game 72?

Maybe just pick them before Game 1 independent of faux winners and losers based on offseason transactions.

 

[Sparksrus3]

This has got to be the worst Islanders HF boards summer since I have been here . At least the new top prospects thread shows us there is no hope for the future . LGI

 

[Kevin27NYI]

This has got to be the worst Islanders HF boards summer since I have been here . At least the new top prospects thread shows us there is no hope for the future . LGI

Was gonna start a puckdoku thread once they had isles on

 

[Top Corner]

I'm not sure what this means, but one guy hired Trotz and the other guy hired Capuano.

I’m sure candidate Snow didn’t have the budget to hire Barry”s shorts let alone the full Monty ! All things equal, Snow nor Lou have done anything special. I think the Habs have hired the type of GM this franchise needs

 

[Fist of Fury]

What difference does it make in regards to what spot you make the playoffs? Who gives a shit.

I read this message in Tony Montana style. That's right.

 

[Seph]

Wait… are you implying that Lehner was the difference in GAA and not the system Trotz put into place. R E A L L Y??? I can’t believe that some people are now arguing that the Isles success based on one of the leagues lowest GAA was a result of Lou’s choice in goaltenders versus Barry Trotz’s system. And they’re calling me revisionist? The entire system was based upon keeping shots against our goalies along the perimeter and not give any opposing players a “good look”. When you do that of course the goaltenders stats will improve.

I didn't at all claim it was solely Lehner, nor at any point did I claim Trotz wasn't a significant factor. You're the only one claiming it was due to a single factor. Accusing me of saying it was solely Lehner is a pretty obvious false dichotomy, but that is a very common play made by trolls so I'm hardly surprised to see it.

Lehner played at a Vezina finalist level that year, and still put up good stats the following year playing behind a terrible defense in Chicago. And Varlamov's stats in the same system the following year were lower than what Lehner had done. Claiming Lehner wasn't a factor at all is at best a highly revisionist take. And while I do believe that Trotz was also a significant factor, Lamoriello was the one that hired Trotz, not Snow. In fact, when Snow had the chance to hire Trotz he instead made the choice to stick with Capuano, who had just coached the Islanders to a 79 point season and a bottom 5 finish, so, even your revisionist take is hardly the case against Lou that you think it is.

 

[Throttle]

Here’s someone applauding Lou for not resigning the neck tattoo and signing as a UFA Varlamov, which eventually led Sorokin coming over during all convenient times to start a NHL career: the bubble.

 

[IslesNorway]

This has got to be the worst Islanders HF boards summer since I have been here . At least the new top prospects thread shows us there is no hope for the future . LGI

Seven years of mediocrity ahead. Gonna be a lot of fun on here!!

 

[The Real JT]

Seven years of mediocrity ahead. Gonna be a lot of fun on here!!

Why so pessimistic? I have it at only 4-5 years.

 

[WangMustGo]

Seven years of mediocrity ahead. Gonna be a lot of fun on here!!

Bring back Snow! I want 12 years of guaranteed mediocrity!

 

[MJF]

Bring back Snow! I want 12 years of guaranteed mediocrity!

Fine. As long as Charles Wang isn’t part of Snow’s return, because Wang was the majority of the problem.

 

[leeroggy]

Fine. As long as Charles Wang isn’t part of Snow’s return, because Wang was the majority of the problem.

If Wang wasn’t willing to lose a lot of money we’d be the Kansas City Islanders
The Lighthouse was a legitimate attempt to be what Belmont is today
If you want a real scapegoat, Kate Murray and the Town of Hempstead should rank high on your list
Snow did what he could but I don’t see a lot of interest in the league to interview him for vacancies

 

[JPIsles18]

Or maybe some of the players that ‘sucked’ or were holding other players back, weren’t really the issue in the end? Maybe it’s some of the core players just aren’t who fans (and the organization) want them to be…

Yes, the problems were Crosby, Malkin, Letang, and Guentzel.

It wasn't Granlund, Kapanen, McGinn, Carter, Petry, Dumolin.

The argument "it wasn't the awful players' fault, it's the really good ones' fault" is a new one.

 

[MJF]

If Wang wasn’t willing to lose a lot of money we’d be the Kansas City Islanders
The Lighthouse was a legitimate attempt to be what Belmont is today
If you want a real scapegoat, Kate Murray and the Town of Hempstead should rank high on your list
Snow did what he could but I don’t see a lot of interest in the league to interview him for vacancies

Then so be it. But the fact is Wang wasn’t willing to cut the cord with his cable contract, which was suggested by Rick DiPietro on the radio back in 2017. That asset gave the Islanders more value than anything else. Wang wasn’t leaving a dime on the table and not you, Rich Torrey, or Howie Rose will convince me otherwise.

I’m not interested in relitigating the entire sorry episode. You can believe what you want. They’re here now and their future on Long Island has never been more secure.

 

[Throttle]

Yes, the problems were Crosby, Malkin, Letang, and Guentzel.

It wasn't Granlund, Kapanen, McGinn, Carter, Petry, Dumolin.

The argument "it wasn't the awful players' fault, it's the really good ones' fault" is a new one.

Except I wasn’t talking about PIT…