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

[DerekKingSnipes]

I agree with this. Most recently, Engvall and Horvat are significant upgrades over the players they replaced. I do find fault with not adding a vet for the third pair but Lambert's insistence on playing Aho over Bolduc and perhaps Salo makes that his fault as well.

Aho played well in second half last year but hasn’t built on that thus far but Salo isn’t better and as someone who watches Bridgeport I don’t see Bolduc as this big prospect he’s seen as with the fanbase. Maybe they can import a veteran in that spot if we can shift cap. George and Odelius seem to be the left shot prospects to really have hope for IMO.

 

[crashthenet]

Aho played well in second half last year but hasn’t built on that thus far but Salo isn’t better and as someone who watches Bridgeport I don’t see Bolduc as this big prospect he’s seen as with the fanbase. Maybe they can import a veteran in that spot if we can shift cap. George and Odelius seem to be the left shot prospects to really have hope for IMO.

I respect your opinion however, he is a weak defender and a transition killer. He was last year as well. He can't handle net front and routinely gets dummied along the boards.

Bolduc looks like he could be a bottom pairing guy with regular playing time. And some coaching/development. I thought the same of Salo last year. A player who can actually pass the puck somewhat effectively.

I, like you, hope George and Odelius make it. I have little confidence in Lambert and staff to develop them though.

 

[MJF]

Aho played well in second half last year but hasn’t built on that thus far but Salo isn’t better and as someone who watches Bridgeport I don’t see Bolduc as this big prospect he’s seen as with the fanbase. Maybe they can import a veteran in that spot if we can shift cap. George and Odelius seem to be the left shot prospects to really have hope for IMO.

Bolduc needs more playing time. He’s young and would be better served by going back down to the AHL. As long as the Isles keep Aho as the 6th D, guys like Grant Hutton, Cholowski, or LaDue are be better suited to sit here as the 7th defenseman. If they are forced to dress they won’t be any worse than what Bolduc has shown.

 

[Osakahaus]

I respect your opinion however, he is a weak defender and a transition killer. He was last year as well. He can't handle net front and routinely gets dummied along the boards.

Bolduc looks like he could be a bottom pairing guy with regular playing time. And some coaching/development. I thought the same of Salo last year. A player who can actually pass the puck somewhat effectively.

I, like you, hope George and Odelius make it. I have little confidence in Lambert and staff to develop them though.

George will force himself. same with Odelius. The youth must overtake players at this point.

 

[PWJunior]

George will force himself. same with Odelius. The youth must overtake players at this point.

While I think the Isles did the right thing selecting a slew of LHD's with an eye to the future, I think it may be time to invest a top pick (assuming the 1st isn't traded) on a premium LHD in what looks like a strong defensive 2024 draft class.

We need a slam dunk like a LH Dobson level kid for that side. Pelech has been getting dinged up the last 2 years, Romanov is still a work in progress, and I am not a fan of Aho. Bolduc still needs time and those kids are still years away.

We're set at RHD for now, but adding a 2nd round RHD upside kid wouldn't hurt.

This defense badly needs an upgrade on Aho and health for Pelech. Dobson is the new alpha and doesn't turn 24 until January, he is carrying the defense offensively already.

 

[Osakahaus]

While I think the Isles did the right thing selecting a slew of LHD's with an eye to the future, I think it may be time to invest a top pick (assuming the 1st isn't traded) on a premium LHD in what looks like a strong defensive 2024 draft class.

We need a slam dunk like a LH Dobson level kid for that side. Pelech has been getting dinged up the last 2 years, Romanov is still a work in progress, and I am not a fan of Aho. Bolduc still needs time and those kids are still years away.

We're set at RHD for now, but adding a 2nd round RHD upside kid wouldn't hurt.

This defense badly needs an upgrade on Aho and health for Pelech. Dobson is the new alpha and doesn't turn 24 until January, he is carrying the defense offensively already.

they also need more offensive defensemen in general. Gustaffsson was right there on a PTO two seasons ago btw...

 

[NC 1972]

And you forgot the better Aho!

He was never on the Islanders.

 

[DerekKingSnipes]

Bolduc needs more playing time. He’s young and would be better served by going back down to the AHL. As long as the Isles keep Aho as the 6th D, guys like Grant Hutton, Cholowski, or LaDue are be better suited to sit here as the 7th defenseman. If they are forced to dress they won’t be any worse than what Bolduc has shown.

Bolduc needs waivers and he’d never make it through, I agree though he would need the playing time. I personally would trade Bolduc for a veteran, I don’t think Bolduc is going to be much but again im not a scout either.

 

[WangMustGo]

Bolduc needs waivers and he’d never make it through, I agree though he would need the playing time. I personally would trade Bolduc for a veteran, I don’t think Bolduc is going to be much but again im not a scout either.

Why would you trade him for a veteran? This team needs to get younger. The last thing this team needs is another middle of the roster veteran.

 

[NC 1972]

Aho played well in second half last year but hasn’t built on that thus far but Salo isn’t better and as someone who watches Bridgeport I don’t see Bolduc as this big prospect he’s seen as with the fanbase. Maybe they can import a veteran in that spot if we can shift cap. George and Odelius seem to be the left shot prospects to really have hope for IMO.

But they are just that prospects, Bolduc was seen in the same light and now people are hoisting praise on other prospects, that's the way it goes until they arrive in the big show and the warts are exposed. We have discussed this time and again young Kids need time to develop there game and strength at every level and especially D-men it has been discussed at nauseum the Denis Potvin quote pertaining to D-men. It says and I paraphrase they need 250-300 games before they understand the game at this level. There's always going to be hope with prospects. But few young D-men burst onto the scene without putting in their time in the minors.

George will force himself. same with Odelius. The youth must overtake players at this point.

I believe Bolduc is part of the youth no?

 

[Osakahaus]

I believe Bolduc is part of the youth no?

Bolduc is but he is running out of time and a case. then again this is also on Lame Lambert's end.

 

[NC 1972]

Bolduc is but he is running out of time and a case. then again this is also on Lame Lambert's end.

I don't see that at all Bolduc has played a grand total of 27 NHL games and you feel he's running out of time ?

 

[PWJunior]

But they are just that prospects, Bolduc was seen in the same light and now people are hosting praise on other prospects, that's the way it goes until they arrive in the big show and the warts are exposed. We have discussed this time and again young Kids need time to develop there game and strength at every level and especially D-men it has been discussed at nauseum the Denis Potvin quote pertaining to D-men. It says and I paraphrase they need 250-300 games before they understand the game at this level. There's always going to be hope with prospects. But few young D-men burst onto the scene without putting in their time in the minors.

Dobson is in that 250-300 range and it's looking like he is actually going to grow into the projected Pietrangelo 2.0 comp when drafted. He is a star and the linchpin of this defense group. We sorely lack a LHD prospect with a premium pedigree anywhere close to Dobber and I think it's the biggest need besides an offensive gamebreaker to ignite this offense.

I am typically loathe to selecting a LHD in the 1st unless they are special, we need a quality one and need one soon. Someone with legit offensive upside who isn't a defensive liability and not a smurf (my personal bias against mighty mites). I was a big fan of Mintyukov in 2022, this Sam Dickinson kid out of London gives me similar goosebumps. We'll need a top-5/10 pick to get a kid like that, maybe the hockey gods won't shit on us for once and give us a draft lottery win or something. They f'ing owe us with the bullshit luck given to everyone else in the damn division.

 

[Mr Misunderstood]

Draft talk in November. We're back baby!

 

[Osakahaus]

I don't see that at all Bolduc has played a grand total of 27 NHL games and you feel he's running out of time ?

Its from Lambert, not him. He really needs more play in general. I know he can also rip the puck

Dobson is in that 250-300 range and it's looking like he is actually going to grow into the projected Pietrangelo 2.0 comp when drafted. He is a star and the linchpin of this defense group. We sorely lack a LHD prospect with a premium pedigree anywhere close to Dobber and I think it's the biggest need besides an offensive gamebreaker to ignite this offense.

I am typically loathe to selecting a LHD in the 1st unless they are special, we need a quality one and need one soon. Someone with legit offensive upside who isn't a defensive liability and not a smurf (my personal bias against mighty mites). I was a big fan of Mintyukov in 2022, this Sam Dickinson kid out of London gives me similar goosebumps. We'll need a top-5/10 pick to get a kid like that, maybe the hockey gods won't shit on us for once and give us a draft lottery win or something. They f'ing owe us with the bullshit luck given to everyone else in the damn division.

Dobson's development has been very good and a key reason why this team isn't completely dead yet. However, I still see our core issues from certain players both playing injured (Mayfield and Pageau dont seem 100%), and the Aho/Mayfield pairing being absolutely awful. Do we really need another offensive defenseman? Absolutely. But if I wanted to ask for a guy like Haakanpaa or Matheson? I'd do it.

 

[impaaaaaact]

Wow, Shayna Goldman just absolutely skewered Lou in The Athletic. Just really succinctly laid out all of his decisions and why we are where we are. Looks… really bad

 

[Osakahaus]

Wow, Shayna Goldman just absolutely skewered Lou in The Athletic. Just really succinctly laid out all of his decisions and why we are where we are. Looks… really bad

Shayna still hasn't deleted her Tarasenko to Carolina tweet. Why should I care what she says anymore?

 

[MJF]

Shayna still hasn't deleted her Tarasenko to Carolina tweet. Why should I care what she says anymore?

Have you read the story? I think Goldman nailed it 100%. It touches on a lot of things many have said here. We have a collection of bad contracts, we overinvested in grit. So much so that we now have two 4th lines. Lou is responsible for hiring Lambert’s assistant coaches. Lou got victimized by the flat cap. And mainly, Lou shouldn’t be allowed to go forward as GM any longer.

 

[The Real JT]

Have you read the story? I think Goldman nailed it 100%. It touches on a lot of things many have said here. We have a collection of bad contracts, we overinvested in grit. So much so that we now have two 4th lines. Lou is responsible for hiring Lambert’s assistant coaches. Lou got victimized by the flat cap. And mainly, Lou shouldn’t be allowed to go forward as GM any longer.

Why so despondent?

We now have great depth for our fourth line. Let’s call it a 5th line!

 

[Lek]

Hmm...we could drop our third line to the fourth, and our fourth to D and get rid of three D we do not want....and then get a real third line.

Wow, Shayna Goldman just absolutely skewered Lou in The Athletic. Just really succinctly laid out all of his decisions and why we are where we are. Looks… really bad

The story none of the beat writers could (or would) do.

 

[Osakahaus]

Have you read the story? I think Goldman nailed it 100%. It touches on a lot of things many have said here. We have a collection of bad contracts, we overinvested in grit. So much so that we now have two 4th lines. Lou is responsible for hiring Lambert’s assistant coaches. Lou got victimized by the flat cap. And mainly, Lou shouldn’t be allowed to go forward as GM any longer.

and Shayna can be talking out of her ass because I still think neither Martin or Clutterbuck survive the 2024, and Pageau probably gets dealt. There is reason to be negative and then there's being irrational for a very meh start.

Lou is done after 2023. I doubt he will have the reigns as a GM because his contract is over. Just get the team to a younger general manager. If they miss the playoffs, oh well. Shit happens. Point fingers at Ilya and the bottom 6 being poor. Does it excuse the construction? Not at all. But did we expect to see Lee regress from Zacha injuring him, or Pageau being unable to score? How about the team facing severe issues due to the salary cap.

 

[gordie43]

and Shayna can be talking out of her ass because I still think neither Martin or Clutterbuck survive the 2024, and Pageau probably gets dealt. There is reason to be negative and then there's being irrational for a very meh start.

Lou is done after 2023. I doubt he will have the reigns as a GM because his contract is over. Just get the team to a younger general manager. If they miss the playoffs, oh well. Shit happens. Point fingers at Ilya and the bottom 6 being poor. Does it excuse the construction? Not at all. But did we expect to see Lee regress from Zacha injuring him, or Pageau being unable to score? How about the team facing severe issues due to the salary cap.

Lee becoming Josh Bailey was not on 2023/2024 Bingo Card

 

[Kevin27NYI]

I actually didn’t like her article.

 

[Throttle]

I can see the fan base has moved into the ‘fire at all costs’ GM position. Only took 5 years from the last guy.

The franchise is doomed with Lou…

 

[MJF]

and Shayna can be talking out of her ass because I still think neither Martin or Clutterbuck survive the 2024, and Pageau probably gets dealt. There is reason to be negative and then there's being irrational for a very meh start.

They’re here now ffs. Waiting for their contracts to expire and for Pageau to get traded likely means this season is a wasted year.

Again, do you have a problem with what Goldman wrote?