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

[saintunspecified]

At this stage of his career, Holms as LW2 does not give me a warm & fuzzy feeling.

Quite the opposite actually...

And imo Holmstrom looks lost playing on the left side.

I think the LWs (Duclair, Lee, Engvall) will be in a blender.

 

[MJF]

And imo Holmstrom looks lost playing on the left side.

I think the LWs (Duclair, Lee, Engvall) will be in a blender.

If they all play to the backs of their hockey cards it still will not be enough.

 

[Throttle]

The Isles have no shot at the cup with the current roster and are far more than one player away from seriously competing. Trading a 1st to get a 2nd liner or top 4 dman is not gonna move the needle.

Rebuild, hey why not?

 

[leeroggy]

Boy am I glad I’m not dating. Good luck with those women.

It's amazing out there. I'm 66 tomorrow and two women around 60 CANCELLED dates when I offered to pick them up . . . any woman my age who complains about 'where are all the good guys?' gets the same response . . . "they aren't available because there's a smart woman who never let them get away . . . are you a smart woman or a dummy?"

 

[saintunspecified]

If they all play to the backs of their hocmey cards it still will not be enough.

Holmstrom when from 1.4 shot attempts per game in '22-'23 to 2 shot attempts per game in '23-'24.
Barzal also had a very significant increase in shots attempts per game. There's movement there. Also, they could get into camp & Lee or Palmieri could look cooked. Stuff goes downhill after 30.

I think Barzal's consistent improvement will lead to a career year at some point more due to luck more than any additional improvement. Put his increased shot totals with a lucky shooting year, and he can score 30.

 

[IslesNorway]

The Islanders have done nothing but trading away 1st rounders for the past five or so years, and look where it's taken us - to hockey No Man's Land. We are just about good enough to scrape into the playoffs and miles away from making headway there.

Of course, they can trade away more 1sts and get more players who need signing to expensive multi year deals (ie. Ehlers) who may make us a bit better but not to the extent they are suddenly championship material, and being up against the cap that seems very unlikely that any major moves can be done without giving up an important roster player.

What they need is a plan. A real plan that goes beyond trading away next year's pick and looking at how this roster can be turned around and getting rid of expensive dead meat. That should be more important than trading away 1st rounders for players who'll demand 8 year extensions to keep us exactly where we are.

 

[The Real JT]

The Islanders have done nothing but trading away 1st rounders for the past five or so years, and look where it's taken us - to hockey No Man's Land. We are just about good enough to scrape into the playoffs and miles away from making headway there.

Of course, they can trade away more 1sts and get more players who need signing to expensive multi year deals (ie. Ehlers) who may make us a bit better but not to the extent they are suddenly championship material, and being up against the cap that seems very unlikely that any major moves can be done without giving up an important roster player.

What they need is a plan. A real plan that goes beyond trading away next year's pick and looking at how this roster can be turned around and getting rid of expensive dead meat. That should be more important than trading away 1st rounders for players who'll demand 8 year extensions to keep us exactly where we are.

I agree for the most part though there’s an alternative and unlikely scenario that I liken to drawing an inside straight.

1. Sorokin has a Vezina caliber year.
2. Most of these players outperform their expectations: Barzal, Horvat, Dobson
3. No substantial downturns from Nelson, Palmieri, Cizikas, Pulock and Pelech.
4. No injuries

It’s not impossible but I sure wouldn’t bet on it. We’ll know where we stand after 20 games. Like most recent seasons I suppose.

 

[replayer]

I agree for the most part though there’s an alternative and unlikely scenario that I liken to drawing an inside straight.

1. Sorokin has a Vezina caliber year.
2. Most of these players outperform their expectations: Barzal, Horvat, Dobson
3. No substantial downturns from Nelson, Palmieri, Cizikas, Pulock and Pelech.
4. No injuries

It’s not impossible but I sure wouldn’t bet on it. We’ll know where we stand after 20 games. Like most recent seasons I suppose.

I don't even think it's that hard to imagine a scenario where the team does well.

1. Sorokin plays up to his talent.

2. The PK isn't historically bad and the PP gets better. Bump the PK up to even average and have the PP hit a little bit better. We can compete with almost all teams at 5v5. We gave up 63 PPG last year and scored only 47.

 

[MJF]

I agree for the most part though there’s an alternative and unlikely scenario that I liken to drawing an inside straight.

1. Sorokin has a Vezina caliber year.
2. Most of these players outperform their expectations: Barzal, Horvat, Dobson
3. No substantial downturns from Nelson, Palmieri, Cizikas, Pulock and Pelech.
4. No injuries

It’s not impossible but I sure wouldn’t bet on it. We’ll know where we stand after 20 games. Like most recent seasons I suppose.

Sure. Maybe we’ll get lucky.

 

[mm11]

Think there is an element of luck to every Stanley cup champ season. Between staying healthy, numerous pipes staying out in key moments etc etc

 

[LeapOnOver]

Think there is an element of luck to every Stanley cup champ season. Between staying healthy, numerous pipes staying out in key moments etc etc

Can cut and paste the same thing every year:
1. goalie plays great
2. rookies step up
3. core steps up
4. older players don't regress

I'm not sure why people even write it at this point. There aren't a lot of new people here. We all know this, lol.

 

[Kevin27NYI]

At this stage of his career, Holms as LW2 does not give me a warm & fuzzy feeling.

Quite the opposite actually...

I get it, but it’s gonna rotate. Duclair played with Kuch and Point. There’s always a third wheel on a line. Engvall works on that Nelson line well but he’s gotta be moved around because it gets stale but that’s every team. It’s rare to have a 6 top pair.

Even the Cats had a third wheel around. You know who played a lot with Tkachuk and Bennett this year ? Nick cousins, 800K with Ottawa late August, early September signing.

Now their top line is sick with Varghaee, Reinhart and Barkov but that’s the way she goes.

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

Key:
Sorokin

If he had spent last season playing like the season before, everything would have looked different. If he gets back to that, all other problems take a back seat and even a continued poor PP (although, a PP with Barzal, Horvat, Nelson, and Dobson WILL get its fair share of goals) and poor PK (gotta solve this) won't dent things too much.

Hopes on the side:
- There's a world where Holmstrom goes from 25- to 40-point player. It's one of those things we're not reckoning with. But it's a backdoor possibility.
- If you get 70-77 games out of each of Dobson, Romanov, Pulock, Pelech, Mayfield, and Reilly, there should be enough solid D to assist Sorokin in regaining his form and picking up 38-40 wins in that time period.
- My gut feeling is that we're going to see Karlstrom in the middle at some point and we're gonna like him. But this said, if there's one player in the system who I see going above and beyond, and forcing his way into a look on the Island, I'm thinking it's gonna be Maggio. It'll first happen in the back half of the season, but I'm feeling it.
- Time for Dufour to be a 30-goal guy on the farm. He needs to define his outlook moving forward this season.

 

[impaaaaaact]

Key:
Sorokin

If he had spent last season playing like the season before, everything would have looked different. If he gets back to that, all other problems take a back seat and even a continued poor PP (although, a PP with Barzal, Horvat, Nelson, and Dobson WILL get its fair share of goals) and poor PK (gotta solve this) won't dent things too much.

Hopes on the side:
- There's a world where Holmstrom goes from 25- to 40-point player. It's one of those things we're not reckoning with. But it's a backdoor possibility.
- If you get 70-77 games out of each of Dobson, Romanov, Pulock, Pelech, Mayfield, and Reilly, there should be enough solid D to assist Sorokin in regaining his form and picking up 38-40 wins in that time period.
- My gut feeling is that we're going to see Karlstrom in the middle at some point and we're gonna like him. But this said, if there's one player in the system who I see going above and beyond, and forcing his way into a look on the Island, I'm thinking it's gonna be Maggio. It'll first happen in the back half of the season, but I'm feeling it.
- Time for Dufour to be a 30-goal guy on the farm. He needs to define his outlook moving forward this season.

The thing about Karlstrom is that he's on a one way deal. I don't know if we see him called up unless someone is out for the year - if a center goes down we have the luxury of moving Barzal or McLean up the middle at this point.

I think if we see Karlstrom or Foudy it'll be from the jump, and it will be at the expense of McLean's roster spot as there are currently only 4 centers in BPT. We have 5 players signed for $775,000 - Fasching, Mclean, Foudy, Karlstrom, and Gatcomb. Those 5 will be playing for the 12th and 13th forward spots. With how Mclean played down the stretch I think it's probably unlikely that we see either, barring injury.

 

[gordie43]

I don't even think it's that hard to imagine a scenario where the team does well.

1. Sorokin plays up to his talent.

2. The PK isn't historically bad and the PP gets better. Bump the PK up to even average and have the PP hit a little bit better. We can compete with almost all teams at 5v5. We gave up 63 PPG last year and scored only 47.

This is how the team improves. The PK was such a momentum killer last year, being able to kill penalties will already improve this team.

Maybe this will be the year the isles will have a functional PP and PK at the same time.

 

[crashthenet]

The Islanders have done nothing but trading away 1st rounders for the past five or so years, and look where it's taken us - to hockey No Man's Land. We are just about good enough to scrape into the playoffs and miles away from making headway there.

Of course, they can trade away more 1sts and get more players who need signing to expensive multi year deals (ie. Ehlers) who may make us a bit better but not to the extent they are suddenly championship material, and being up against the cap that seems very unlikely that any major moves can be done without giving up an important roster player.

What they need is a plan. A real plan that goes beyond trading away next year's pick and looking at how this roster can be turned around and getting rid of expensive dead meat. That should be more important than trading away 1st rounders for players who'll demand 8 year extensions to keep us exactly where we are.

The 4 firsts that were traded - Ridley Greig, (28th) Chase Stillman (29th), Frank Nazar (13th) and Axil Pellika (17th). Would have been nice to grab Nazar but Romanov was a necessary piece. I am not second guessing the Horvat trade.

Not disagreeing about the plan piece but trading those picks for the players received isn't an issue.

 

[MikeyMike01]

It's amazing out there. I'm 66 tomorrow and two women around 60 CANCELLED dates when I offered to pick them up . . . any woman my age who complains about 'where are all the good guys?' gets the same response . . . "they aren't available because there's a smart woman who never let them get away . . . are you a smart woman or a dummy?"

The juice isn’t worth the squeeze these days.

 

[saintunspecified]

- Time for Dufour to be a 30-goal guy on the farm. He needs to define his outlook moving forward this season.

Oddly this seems to me the most magical wish of all.

If NYI are going to be lucky this year, this is how it happens:
- Pelech's health stabilizes
- Sorokin plays to his ability (as you mention)
- Nelson's play does not fall off a cliff

If NYI are going to 'luck out' in seasons after this year, they'll need:
- Eiserman to hit (if he's really that good a scorer, it really should not take very long). EVERY team needs a pick like him to hit.
- NYI fill out their bottom 6 with cheap home-grown players (I'm confident about Danny Nelson, but they need 1-2 others to hit)
- NYI can retain Dobson & Romanov + have some cap room left over to improve.

It may not be likely, but it is feels like a very live possibility to me that the outlook going into 2025-26 is much better than the outlook going into this year. As the cap goes up and the year goes by the chances of moving the last years of Lee and JGP go way up, and the buyout costs go way down.

Unlike this offseason, the skill of the GM could make a really big difference,

 

[Throttle]

The 4 firsts that were traded - Ridley Greig, (28th) Chase Stillman (29th), Frank Nazar (13th) and Axil Pellika (17th). Would have been nice to grab Nazar but Romanov was a necessary piece. I am not second guessing the Horvat trade.

Not disagreeing about the plan piece but trading those picks for the players received isn't an issue.

The plan was to compete bc that’s what the owner wanted in opening a $1B arena, which has resulted in playoffs 5/6 years under Lou. Most owners don’t tear that down until it gets diminishing returns with no hope. Like SJ.

The isles have hope with Sorokin (hopefully returns to form), Dobson (learns to play d and omits major gaffes), Horvat (better playoff effort), and Barzal (shoots more, better playoff effort, doesn’t stop playing after blowing load in early parts of games).

Add in something from Roy, Isles will make the playoffs and maybe this is season they go back to winning some rounds (my guess is they don’t play CAR bc I’m going to say CAR goes sideways this season).

 

[The Real JT]

Can cut and paste the same thing every year:
1. goalie plays great
2. rookies step up
3. core steps up
4. older players don't regress

I'm not sure why people even write it at this point. There aren't a lot of new people here. We all know this, lol.

Damn it. I’m busted.

You ain’t wrong.

 

[doublechili]

Think there is an element of luck to every Stanley cup champ season. Between staying healthy, numerous pipes staying out in key moments etc etc

True - things are very different now than pre-Cap. Starting with the 1968 expansion, the next 20 Cups were won by 5 teams - dynasties ruled. If I counted correctly, the past 20 Cups have been won by 14 different teams - plenty of one-and-done champs. With a Cap, teams can't compile depth of talent to provide certainty year to year.

In the "hope" category, I think starting the year with Roy and his staff might be underrated. Save us, Tommy Albelin!!

 

[LeapOnOver]

Damn it. I’m busted.

You ain’t wrong.

You ain't wrong either, brotha!

 

[Kevin27NYI]

Think there is an element of luck to every Stanley cup champ season. Between staying healthy, numerous pipes staying out in key moments etc etc

Can cut and paste the same thing every year:
1. goalie plays great
2. rookies step up
3. core steps up
4. older players don't regress

I'm not sure why people even write it at this point. There aren't a lot of new people here. We all know this, lol.

Just for the record, this goes for every team in the NHL

 

[LeapOnOver]

Just for the record, this goes for every team in the NHL

I thought I wrote that, but I guess not. I meant to type "can cut and paste the same thing every year for every team." Anyway, yeah obviously.

 

[Osakahaus]

Key:
Sorokin

If he had spent last season playing like the season before, everything would have looked different. If he gets back to that, all other problems take a back seat and even a continued poor PP (although, a PP with Barzal, Horvat, Nelson, and Dobson WILL get its fair share of goals) and poor PK (gotta solve this) won't dent things too much.

Hopes on the side:
- There's a world where Holmstrom goes from 25- to 40-point player. It's one of those things we're not reckoning with. But it's a backdoor possibility.
- If you get 70-77 games out of each of Dobson, Romanov, Pulock, Pelech, Mayfield, and Reilly, there should be enough solid D to assist Sorokin in regaining his form and picking up 38-40 wins in that time period.
- My gut feeling is that we're going to see Karlstrom in the middle at some point and we're gonna like him. But this said, if there's one player in the system who I see going above and beyond, and forcing his way into a look on the Island, I'm thinking it's gonna be Maggio. It'll first happen in the back half of the season, but I'm feeling it.
- Time for Dufour to be a 30-goal guy on the farm. He needs to define his outlook moving forward this season.

I think that if we can just get Ilya to even be a .915 goalie, we are fine

also I think that Tsy/Holmstrom/Engvall all get about 36-45 points, which is very good

Karlstrom will end up being an AHL replacement who dazzles like Fasching, and maybe we do see more of Dufour and Maggio.