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

[MJF]

The faster Malkin commits to a re-(insert whatever verb makes you the least upset), the faster attendance and revenue will recover. We have many "win now" pieces that contenders will pay a premium for, and we can use them to emerge in 2-3 seasons as a much younger team with playoff aspirations. Alternatively, we can keep Lou around and let the value of these pieces decline or walk for nothing, and then we'll be in the basement for a decade.

To paraphrase Benjamin Franklin,

Rebuilds come about like bastard children, half-improvised and half-compromised.

Lou may not have intended for the Isles to be a lottery team but we may stumble our way into it. Like it or not, trading Nelson and Palmieri at the deadline, and maybe another core piece signals a re-something for the roster. Right now there is no help in Bridgeport and we’re waiting for Cole Eiserman and maybe Quinn Finlet and they’re both college freshmen. That’s at least 2 years before we see them sign contracts. With that time the Islanders can only do a few things, shuffle bottom 6 guys in and out of the AHL, wait for Pageau and Lee’s contracts to expire to help untangle our cap mess, and look for that elusive hockey trade Lou’s been trying to make for the last 4 years. Not a pretty picture.

Ideally Lou will step down and not be the GM to straighten out the mess here.

 

[MJF]

Is there any truth to the rumor circulated by Darren Dreger that Woody Johnson is in late stage negotiations with Malkin to acquire a majority stake in the Isles?

If you’re going to float rumors out there could you at least connect us to Steve Cohen.?

 

[Glory Days]

Is there any truth to the rumor circulated by Darren Dreger that Woody Johnson is in late stage negotiations with Malkin to acquire a majority stake in the Isles?

No but if you think Malkin selling is a fairy tale you might be surprised.

Let's say that is true . . .

Why would that be an improvement in changing things in the organization? If Woody has been interfering with the Jets the way he is, how is that better?

Unless Malkin has cash flow/liquidity issues, why is he selling as the Belmont Park Village opening shortly (is the Hotel construction still on?) will provide cash flow?

The hotel is either completely off or on hold. Malkin is a builder. It has been10 years since he announced he was buying the team. His shopping village is opening. Time to possibly take some chips off the table.

 

[Glory Days]

We can discuss trading Nelson, Palmieri, Pelech, etc. for futures, but is there any chance that actually happens if Lou is GM and the team is not mathematically eliminated from playoff contention at the TDL? I guess if some contender needs a C and has some young depth on the wing maybe they trade a young player who can compensate for Nelson's offense, for example. But I think the more likely scenario is to see a Nelson or Palmieri traded as part of a deal for a pending UFA who's a few years younger than them and that Lou thinks he can re-sign. Like a Kuzmenko, perhaps.

Re: Malkin potentially selling the team, in this valuation ranking the Isles come in 15th in the NHL (barely squeaking into the valuation playoffs as a wildcard franchise) at $1.68 billion, but importantly the value increased 49% in the past year.

NHL Valuations Ranking List

That valuation sounds low.

Scott Malkin Nearing 10% Sale Of New York Islanders At $1.75 Billion Valuation

The value of NHL teams continues to escalate.

www.forbes.com

 

[periferal]

Fraudnotta reads boards and tweets on it. Observant.,Hand clap.

But he has a lot of followers, so regardless if he's reporting something or just speculating it gets more people to focus on the Isles and what terrible GMing they've been getting. That is only positive if the goal is to get a "buzz" around Malkin's cranium so he can actually do something as opposed to sitting back and waiting on the opening of his new mall.

No but if you think Malkin selling is a fairy tale you might be surprised.

Oh? Can you put some meat on the bones of this non-fairy tale? Any actually inside information or sources that Malkin is willing to sell...Or is this just your opinion?

 

[impaaaaaact]

For conversation sake. Kevin Fiala anybody? Certainly pros and cons with this player.

gotta consider any perennial 70 point guy on this team. Doesn't even pretend to play any defense and apparently doesn't set his alarm clock but was a PPG player in 2 of last 3 seasons. My brain wants to make some sort of Dobson + Engvall for Fiala + something else work but in all honesty no one is taking on that contract right now

 

[seabass45]

We can discuss trading Nelson, Palmieri, Pelech, etc. for futures, but is there any chance that actually happens if Lou is GM and the team is not mathematically eliminated from playoff contention at the TDL? I guess if some contender needs a C and has some young depth on the wing maybe they trade a young player who can compensate for Nelson's offense, for example. But I think the more likely scenario is to see a Nelson or Palmieri traded as part of a deal for a pending UFA who's a few years younger than them and that Lou thinks he can re-sign. Like a Kuzmenko, perhaps.

Re: Malkin potentially selling the team, in this valuation ranking the Isles come in 15th in the NHL (barely squeaking into the valuation playoffs as a wildcard franchise) at $1.68 billion, but importantly the value increased 49% in the past year.

NHL Valuations Ranking List

I think there's definitely a chance. This will be the fourth year since they last made the EC finals, and they've undergone two coaching changes and made a few additions to the roster since then. The thought process to this year was that a full year of Roy and a return to Vezina caliber form for Sorokin would give the Isles a significantly better chance to break through in a wide open EC. Well, Sorokin has returned to form but the team can't score. If that continues and they're sitting outside the playoffs in February, what more can they do? At that point they're clearly not one player away. You can't argue for re-signing the same UFAs and running the same team back next year. You have a big chance to replenish the prospect pool, open up cap space, and maybe figure out what pieces might fit better with the team that remains.

 

[Throttle]

No question Nelson nets a first +. I don’t know that Palms gets a first though. If he is healthy and on a 30 goal pace I suppose it’s possible, but I think a 2nd+ B prospect is more likely.

Palms has a history of delivering in the playoffs, he probably nets a first. We’ll see.