Roster/Rumors/Speculation/Trade Talk - 2024-25: Re-Tool, Re-Group, Re-Mix, Re-Build

[12Dog]

I mean, on the one hand it’s good Lou recognizes the need to get younger and retool; on the other hand he didn’t really do much at the deadline to show that was the case. And, the presser with Malkin around likely shows ownership has no intention to move on from Lou. So, it’s on Lou to accelerate a retool this offseason

Exactly
He says he wants to get younger and faster, yet is trying to re-sign Palmieri and only dealt Nelson cause if he let Nelson walk for nothing like Tavares, I’m guessing UBS would be really empty next year.
He’s either a liar or delusional with this roster
And Malkin finally showing his face, at this juncture? Lou ain’t going anywhere
For the life of me I cannot understand where his vision and belief in this team comes from, what team is he watching?

 

[beach]

It's official, it's a retool. The burn it down contingent ain't gonna like it, but they don't seem to like much anyway.

Are you kidding? This is great!! I love perpetual mediocrity!! A couple of tweaks here and there and I'm sure the Isles can potentially make the playoffs on the last day of the season for the next decade, before being quickly dispatched in the first round. So exciting!

 

[SayItAintSoJohnny]

I believe Lou about as far as I can throw him. Report after report suggests he wanted to bring back Nelson and Palms, two players who will turn 34 and 35 years old next season- way before this time next year by the way; that is not a way to "get younger".

It isn't about who you would or "could" realistically sign this offseason in their stead, but rather who you were going to be able to draft and what other prospects you could have acquired to get younger. That is the formula we have to use and instead he continues to sign or re-sign mediocre talent, many of which are aging.

I worry he will trade away our current collection now of 4 first rounders in the next 3 years after the Nelson trade. Case in point we haven't had a first round pick in 5 of the last 9 drafts (since 2016) and also no 2nd round pick in 2 more of those (we also don't have one in 2026)...

Nothing to really show for it except Dobson and Holmstrom in NINE YEARS. Obviously the verdict is still out on some of those picks of the last 3 years (Eiserman, Nelson and Odelius, etc) but it sure would have helped- since we struck out on so many others; many of which aren't even on our team anymore (Bellows, Wahlstrom, Salo, Wilde, Raty); if we had kept some of those 7 other picks, including FIVE first rounders...

Lou needs to go and seeing this presser with Malkin in tow is even more depressing...

 

[JPIsles18]

And at the core I agree with a lot of what you're saying. However, one thing I keep seeing here is that Nelson "saved" Lou by turning down his contract offer (supposedly 3x $7.5M) Yet, if the Isles signed Nelson to a 5x $7.5M contract, we'd be seeing posts complaining about the term and saying, "we should've offered Nelson 3x $7.5M and if he turned it down, then trade him". And do we seriously think Nelson will sign a 3 year contract this summer? Seems to me that the Isles offered Nelson a contract below what the market will provide on 7/1, and Nelson turned it down. If the Isles offered a 5 or 6 year contract and he turned it down, then we could talk about saving.

Yeah, the reports coming out appears that the Isles offered Nelson more than 7.5/year for 3 years. Up to this point in his career he has been a 30-40 goal scorer over the last few years on a team that routinely struggles to score. While I understand the want to resign him, Lou doesn't appear to understand aging curves. Thankfully Nelson saved Lou from Lou. I am bearish on the UFA and RFA market. Teams will have more cap space to bring back desirable players. I don't think we'll be able to affordably replace Nelson and/or Palmieri.

Last night's press availability was telling I think. 3 years too late, but it appears he understands that the team isn't as good as he thinks it is. It's also not as bad as others think it is. I'd like to see Lou swing some deals for undervalued players. He hasn't done that often. Instead he has spent heavily on known and relatively expensive commodities (Horvat, Palmieri, Pageau). This year we've seen him bring in Perunovich, Boqvist, etc. Even Engvall was worth a shot before he unnecessarily signed him to 7 years.

Well run teams seem to find the diamonds in the rough. Florida has done it with Forsling and Verhaeghe. Stars were able to quickly retool by adding the likes of Johnston and Robertson through the draft. There are ways to do it. Lou just needs to get more creative than he has been.

 

[Lek]

as for Nelson...maybe as he said he wanted a teams top prospect and maybe was not getting that Wed., or Thursday, or maybe he just wanted Nelson, which in any event, does no longer matter unless you want to keep torturing yourselves.

I really think a lot now depends on what his plans are for the summer based on what he said. Maybe keeping Nelson while gutting some other forwards was his plan....who knows. Hell, maybe the seeds were planted for his return in the off-season (highly doubt it) but who knows.

Look, we can speculate and bitch all we want but not one of use truly knows, nor does it matter at this point.

So, how about we enjoy the fact that we did get a nice return for Nelson, not how, just that we did.......enjoy some Avs games and pull for Nelson (yes, despsit it all, still bit sad he is gone = a good Islander, and want him to win)....and here is novel idea - pull for the Islanders to make the playoffs.

Time to stop the relentless bitching about so much we can not control, at least till the off season....

 

[Strummergas]

Are you kidding? This is great!! I love perpetual mediocrity!! A couple of tweaks here and there and I'm sure the Isles can potentially make the playoffs on the last day of the season for the next decade, before being quickly dispatched in the first round. So exciting!

You don't have to like it. I didn't think you would anyway. And why do you give a f*** what I think? I have no control over or influence on how the front office operates.

 

[Isles72]

I have to wonder if Scott Malkin flew across the Atlantic then across the country to make one last pitch to Nelson and to a lesser extent Palms

 

[MJF]

I'll bet JFresh only sees Mat Barzal play when the Isles are facing the Leafs.

 

[MJF]

Could either be a sign of support for Lou, or a meeting to ask why 90% of what's left of the fanbase is furious

Fixed it for you.

 

[MJF]

Well...i actually liked Lou's presser...and do not disagree with what he said...2nd and 3rd round draft picks were not going to move a needle.

Guess we wait and see what transpires over the summer.

My take is that Lou was looking for young players, not draft picks, from any trade after Nelson. To me, draft picks are assets that can either be traded or used to select players. I don't see why Lou would be reluctant to make those type of deals in a seller's market. But he's holding on to his annual pipe dream of sneaking into the playoffs and surprising teams en route to the Stanley Cup.

 

[MJF]

Recycled quote from 2020.

 

[MJF]

Says the team has to get younger. Tried to extend a 33-year-old and is working on an extension for a 34-year-old.

When Lou says these things, I'd like it if a reporter pushed back at him once in a while.

 

[MJF]

I’ll believe it when I see it. He wanted to sign Nelson and palms which doesn’t scream retool or align with much of what he said.

2nd and thirds don’t move the needle? What exactly does he think he is going to get in the off-season for these guys? Last year he loved this same roster…now it’s time for change. He’s full of BS.

I really hope Malkin with Lou is not a sign of endorsement.

On the money!

 

[MJF]

I have to wonder if Scott Malkin flew across the Atlantic then across the country to make one last pitch to Nelson and to a lesser extent Palms

Maybe he's building a mall in Silicon Valley.

 

[Zeeker]

Says the team has to get younger. Tried to extend a 33-year-old and is working on an extension for a 34-year-old.

When Lou says these things, I'd like it if a reporter pushed back at him once in a while.

It’s painful to listen to Gross fumbling and stuttering every question he asks

 

[impaaaaaact]

It was telegraphed that they were trying to sign Palmieri to an extension. So, you aren't gonna get teams interested if they think he is off the market. He definitely gets more than Beau got and Beau got a 2nd.

And Lou just confirmed they are "talking" with Palms currently and that there is still a chance an extension "might not happen". If it doesn't happen, which is still a risk, we piss away a 2nd and possibly more.

If he walks for nothing I will absolutely lose my shit. He could sign with the Devils in the offseason without having to move. I’m getting the feeling he’s seriously lowballing him, like 3x3 kind of stuff.

People bring up the Boeser report but I wouldn’t be surprised if Palmieri was valued higher by some GMs given his playoff experience and track record. I think at the very least he was getting a second plus. Missing the playoffs + letting him walk would be insane

 

[Zeeker]

If he walks for nothing I will absolutely lose my shit.

I won’t. At this point the trade deadline is in the past.

Now it’s: does this team need to re-sign 34 year old Palmieri? I’m not gonna shed tears if the answer is no.

Albeit, if we sign some other mid-30s forward to replace him, I agree with you.

 

[MJF]

It’s painful to listen to Gross fumbling and stuttering every question he asks

Gross isn't the only reporter there. One of the others can ask a follow-up.

 

[Chockey22]

At this point we probably will have to use Pulock or Dobson to acquire that first line forward. We have 3 first rounder's as well in 2026 and 2025.

Not that i see it happening but would be nice if we could sign Boeser or Marner then turn around and use Pulock(more likely in this scenario) or Dobson to find some very cap friendly contracts for our second line

i think we should stay away from Boeser; he’s slow, defensively weak, and I have a feeling any long term contract for him will age very badly, very quickly. He’s the exact type of signing that will keep the team mired in the mediocre middle

 

[SI]

I think we can be confident that Palmieri will either get overpaid in years or dollars. Hopefully not both.

I don't think so—listen to the presser. Lou is adamant. He says twice, "We would like Kyle back, but it needs to be under our terms and what is best for this franchise." He explained that they wanted Brock back, but under their terms, the deal wasn’t enough, so they had to move him.

Jason Zucker's contract extension in Buffalo—two years at a $4.75M AAV—is probably a good example of what the Isles would like to re-sign him for.

 

[rockymtnoyster]

 

[Arsenalogist24]

21 still hasn’t signed that please don’t trade me contract

 

[The Real JT]

If he walks for nothing I will absolutely lose my shit.

I won’t. At this point the trade deadline is in the past.

Now it’s: does this team need to re-sign 34 year old Palmieri? I’m not gonna shed tears if the answer is no.

Albeit, if we sign some other mid-30s forward to replace him, I agree with you.

@Zeeker , until HFboards changes their policy, I am unable to like you post more than once.

I’m indifferent to re-signing him at this point. That is, unless it’s anything more than 2 years or $4M/year. Then I’ll hate it. If he walks, I won’t hate it either but frankly that’s inconceivable to me based on Lou’s inactivity at the TDL and his track record on re-signing veterans.

 

[Throttle]

He will this offseason. I hope.

He’s a Lou-type defenseman. He ain’t going anywhere.

I’ve advocated since Lou paid him based on an offensive defenseman trajectory and all of a sudden, he brings minimal offense, he should be traded. His windup is too slow for the current game and his accuracy is terrible. So, my guess is the coaches told him to shore up his defensive game vs trying to fix his offensive one.

He did play very well in last season’s playoffs though.

 

[Throttle]

Exactly
He says he wants to get younger and faster, yet is trying to re-sign Palmieri and only dealt Nelson cause if he let Nelson walk for nothing like Tavares, I’m guessing UBS would be really empty next year.
He’s either a liar or delusional with this roster
And Malkin finally showing his face, at this juncture? Lou ain’t going anywhere
For the life of me I cannot understand where his vision and belief in this team comes from, what team is he watching?

Lou went younger and faster: Engvall, McLean, and Duclair are the fruits of that movement. And it ain’t good results.