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

[Osakahaus]

Sam Reinhart was a 50-60 point player before getting to Florida and never scored more than 25 goals in a season. I'm pretty sure you would've been upset with Lamoriello for acquiring that type of player with a first round pick.

One of those pieces highlighted isn't even on the team and I don't think Ekblad is as important as Montour or Forsling. Still, even with those three key pieces it took the team a decade to figure out how to become a serious contender. Last year they squeaked into the playoffs behind the Islanders if you recall, so it's not even like they've been a perennial contender for a long time.

It's obvious that you need talent to win the cup, but it's not like this Florida team is stacked with players they drafted. How you accumulate the talent doesn't matter, as long as you do it. If three hits in drafts a decade ago is "drafting well" then I'm not sure we even agree on what that looks like.

At some point you do need more "hockey trades".

Luosto was gained by trading away Trochek

Forsling was a waiver claim

Bennett and Reinhart were mentioned beforehand

OEL and Kulikov on the cheap

Florida is a unique case of buying and trading a roster through existing parts. why cant we do that?

 

[seafoam]

At some point you do need more "hockey trades".

Luosto was gained by trading away Trochek

Forsling was a waiver claim

Bennett and Reinhart were mentioned beforehand

OEL and Kulikov on the cheap

Florida is a unique case of buying and trading a roster through existing parts. why cant we do that?

Lamoriello is too loyal, he would have re-signed Trocheck and Huberdeau.

Also helps that players like Tkachuk, OEL, Kulikov probably all saw Broward/Miami-Dade counties as attractive places to play hockey (warm weather, no taxes, no attention in public, etc.)

 

[MJF]

At some point you do need more "hockey trades".

Luosto was gained by trading away Trochek

Forsling was a waiver claim

Bennett and Reinhart were mentioned beforehand

OEL and Kulikov on the cheap

Florida is a unique case of buying and trading a roster through existing parts. why cant we do that?

The Panthers had to replace Dale Tallon, their previous GM-a hockey lifer, with Bill Zito, an accountant in a previous life.

 

[periferal]

Nope. Horvat and Reinhart could be construed as similar trades. Same with Bennet and JGP.

While FL was finding their way, the Isles were going deeper into the playoffs. FL had to work around Bob’s crap hit and went value hunting. The Isles locked in what to them was a solid 4 line team. The Isles stalled and FL kept refining.

Remember, FL backed into the playoffs last year thanks to PIT. They made a huge statement trade when they weren’t going to win with a perimeter player.

Lou is running out of time to make that statement trade.

Legit curious when you have the "timer being up" on Lou...

 

[stranger34]

And he’s being paid as a Top 5 goalie now, he better be one. He’ll get criticized just like Bob was since signing in FL. The team paid him a ton of money and he annually underperformed to where the team was reaching to AHL goalie fodder and a G prospect just to make the playoffs.

It’s also partly why FL had to value buy players bc Bob was immovable, they needed to cover his underperformance in net and work around his anchor cap hit.

He finally found his mental game this playoffs. Good for him. But the team and fans expected that day one of his deal, not year 6.

As a general strategy I’m not a fan of building around goalies paid as much as Bob and Sorokin. I’d rather a defensively sound deep team with good goaltending on mid range contracts… essentially Trotz era Isles roster design.

 

[NC 1972]

The best (and worst) part of that whole thing is the Isles actually drafted Wally before Dobson…

They were either 100% in their minds picking both of them or picked Wally 11OV on maybe the chance someone wanted to make a trade for the 12OV (Dobson).

And if I recall they took there time before making the Dobson pick as if waiting for a trade

 

[beach]

You are sort of arguing with yourself over how much Wahlstrom sucks so I won't touch on that since I agree. Being a physical player is not a negative thing.

Fighting does not equal physical. Willing to use your body to play hockey is being physical. Anders Lee is a physical hockey player as well. Seems like we have different definitions of the word. I do not reserve the word physical for bottom six players. Matthew Tkatchuk for example is a physical hockey player.

He didn't even use the word physical....

As a general strategy I’m not a fan of building around goalies paid as much as Bob and Sorokin. I’d rather a defensively sound deep team with good goaltending on mid range contracts… essentially Trotz era Isles roster design.

That's the Canes, and we all saw what happened there.....

 

[MJF]

He didn't even use the word physical....


That's the Canes, and we all saw what happened there.....

Trying to win with a Corey Crawford type of mid goalie is not a recipe for long term success.

The goalie is your last line of defense. Building your team from the net, out still requires a stud in goal plus strong skating, talented forwards who are willing to play a 200 foot game.

 

[CupHolders]

Didn't they have him hang around with Clark Gillies, hoping some of Jethro would rub off on him?

Well yeah… because it worked so well when they drafted Dave Chyzowski and said he’s their new Gillies. Even giving his number 9.

Fun fact, Isles beating the Rangers in the last game of the season to push them to a numerical tie, but Quebec got the first overall pick on the tiebreaker. Quebec drafted Sundin.

 

[YearlyLottery]

He didn't even use the word physical....


That's the Canes, and we all saw what happened there.....

I wanted to quote this because your post is insightful, detailed, and overall brings a ton to the conversation.

 

[stranger34]

He didn't even use the word physical....


That's the Canes, and we all saw what happened there.....

Except Freddy is the 32nd highest paid goalie. He’s not mid. I’d be happy with a #1 between 10-20.

 

[Osakahaus]

Well yeah… because it worked so well when they drafted Dave Chyzowski and said he’s their new Gillies. Even giving his number 9.

Fun fact, Isles beating the Rangers in the last game of the season to push them to a numerical tie, but Quebec got the first overall pick on the tiebreaker. Quebec drafted Sundin.

There's honestly a lot of sad drafts from the late 80's and early 90's with the isles. worse than the late 2010's and early 2000's isles picks.

 

[stranger34]

Trying to win with a Corey Crawford type of mid goalie is not a recipe for long term success.

The goalie is your last line of defense. Building your team from the net, out still requires a stud in goal plus strong skating, talented forwards who are willing to play a 200 foot game.

Corey Crawford has won two Stanley cups. Sign me up for that kind of short term success.

 

[periferal]

Corey Crawford has won two Stanley cups. Sign me up for that kind of short term success.

Yeah...Put Kane, Toews, Hossa, Seabrook, Sharp, Keith, Saad, Versteeg, Bufuglien, Hajlamarsson, and more all in their primes on any team and I think Tommy Salo could've won 2 Cups.

Heck - If you put that group in front of ugly Sorokin and we probably win the Cup.

 

[MJF]

Corey Crawford has won two Stanley cups. Sign me up for that kind of short term success.

Corey Crawford had 3 Hall of Famers in front of him. Until the Isles find that kind of elite talent they’d better have a stronger goaltender than that.

This team cannot have a Neil O’Donnell just don’t lose it for us type of goalie with the team defense they have now.

 

[beach]

I wanted to quote this because your post is insightful, detailed, and overall brings a ton to the conversation.

Well, at least one post in the reply thread was.

 

[seabass45]

Nice quote from an old friend, Florida has been really good at finding these guys.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1801736609903354301

 

[periferal]

Nice quote from an old friend, Florida has been really good at finding these guys.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1801736609903354301

Love him. When they win will be so happy for him. What a quality person (and he's been through so much). Need more like him.

 

[Chockey22]

He didn't even use the word physical....


That's the Canes, and we all saw what happened there.....

or it's the Avalanche, or Vegas - both cup winning teams

 

[BelovedIsles]

Nice quote from an old friend, Florida has been really good at finding these guys.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1801736609903354301

One of my fav all-time Isles. Would’ve liked to see him on those ECF teams.

 

[LeapOnOver]

I want a playoff spot locked up by Thanksgiving

The idea is that the Isles shouldn't have to be playing playoff intensity in February. By the end of March I would like to see the team comfortably out of wild card territory. This way every game down the stretch is not a must win, and the coach can start managing ice time, resting our players when needed, and giving a more balanced workload to the goalies. Mat Barzal said as much about not having to play balls to the wall down the stretch on cleanout day.

I get it, but there's probably only 2 or 3 teams that don't have to do that in each conference. It's just the nature of a sport that has a lot of parity. You should be playing balls to the wall every game, regardless of your spot in the standings.

 

[12Dog]

There's honestly a lot of sad drafts from the late 80's and early 90's with the isles. worse than the late 2010's and early 2000's isles picks.

Torrey stated how much harder it was to draft when the age of draftees was changed

 

[YearlyLottery]

I get it, but there's probably only 2 or 3 teams that don't have to do that in each conference. It's just the nature of a sport that has a lot of parity. You should be playing balls to the wall every game, regardless of your spot in the standings.

I think the difference MJF would like is to have the team actually in a spot rather than going on insane runs just to make the playoffs which is what happened the last two seasons. I agree with this thought process as well since the team will be better rested and it will show they have more talent as well.

 

[MJF]

I think the difference MJF would like is to have the team actually in a spot rather than going on insane runs just to make the playoffs which is what happened the last two seasons. I agree with this thought process as well since the team will be better rested and it will show they have more talent as well.

If you look back over the 82 game seasons since the pandemic ended the top 3 teams in the Metro and Atlantic Divisions usually have a sizable separation from the wild card teams. I don't think it's a far fetched ask that the Islanders be one of those 6 teams.

 

[CupHolders]

If you look back over the 82 game seasons since the pandemic ended the top 3 teams in the Metro and Atlantic Divisions usually have a sizable separation from the wild card teams. I don't think it's a far fetched ask that the Islanders be one of those 6 teams.

I don't think anyone disagrees with wanting that. The differences come from people agreeing if it's possible to achieve that with...

A) Making adjustments and building off of some form of this group (Retool, if you will)

or

B) Completely blowing it up and starting from scratch (Rebuild)

and/or the following qualifier

C) Is Lou SPECIFICALLY capable of doing (A) or willing to do (B)?

I guess that's how I summarize the past few seasons of debate anyway. All other possibilities are just... aliens!