Roster/Rumors/Speculation/Trade Talk - 2024-25: Re-Tool, Re-Group, Re-Mix, Re-Build
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Glory Days
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doublechili
For all intensive purposes, your nuts
- Apr 11, 2006
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Bit of a stretch maybe, but I'll go with "making the playoffs".
Much like with all the preview guides before a season, any such rankings tend to have a "new and shiny" plus given to the believed up-n-comers.
But what is the end goal in deciphering a GM's work?
Are they gonna say that Grier and Briere are "closer to winning it all"?
Or that they have the luxury to invest a lot in the future goal of winning it all thanks to years of considerable and often ugggggly sucking?
I don't buy a "Who knows what Lou's plan is?" take. And certainly not in conjunction with "Let's give this guy basically a failing grade".
It's very easy to see what Lou does. Within the confines of cap limits, some of which have ultimately been (needlessly?) self-imposed, he incrementally adds to a core group that he decides to go with year for year. And his Islander teams seem to find a way into the playoffs. Only one exception to that in 6 seasons - and the exception verifies the rule. (This one exception even happened to be the one season where loads of Covid-related situations saw us come out of the gate with Covid-man-games-lost that led the league before the break in the schedule came and changes were made.)
So, if you are to weigh getting to the dance as a major plus for a GM in comparison to those GMs that don't get to the dance, which is a very logical way of seeing things from the outside looking in, then Lou is ultimately way ahead of a lot, if not most, of his GM brethren.
There's a certain amount of disingenuousness to giving the guy a D.
I didn't hear the show on Sirius.
But my biggest question in deciding on how well GMs are doing their summer work would have to be, "Considering where his team was last season, what has the GM done to give the impression that the attained level of success (or lack thereof) can be maintained (or halted), and then even improved upon."
In which case, if we're honest, none of the moves this summer are the kind that should give the impression that the team is going to take a step back. Everything felt like a logical step in at least achieving incremental improvement upon last season's playoff-reaching group.
As with every season, the proof will be in the pudding over 82 games.
But it sure feels like we've been hearing lots of great things about how good the up-n-coming Devils, Sabres, Sens, Red Wings, etc. are gonna be for years now.
Their exciting GMs seem to get an amount of attention, praise, and respectability that you're not gonna see for Lou, although his franchise consistently finds ways to the postseason while those others just don't.
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islesfan3913
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- Apr 5, 2011
- 7,657
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I’m really hoping we see a trade for a top six left winger right before camp. Could be similar to when we got Boychuk and Leddy years ago a few days before the season started and really raise us up another level.. While I don’t think that would make us a cup contender by any means, I do think it would make us what should be a safe playoff team without really any holes.
Richie Daggers Crime
Boosted 9 times double masked they/them
It doesn't seem particularly realistic considering the cap situation.
BelovedIsles
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- Oct 22, 2005
- 20,768
- 5,956
Honestly, I like the Duclair signing. He’s highly skilled and on a value contract. I think he will add a dynamic to the top line. The top line actually has three skilled players; it’s been years since we could say that.
Top Corner
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I think, if I listen to the same show, it essentially mentioned that their wasn’t a lot he could do with his cap and contract situations but I guess that boils down to himself getting into it and not finding ways out of it.
IslesNorway
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How on earth are we gonna do that? When we got Boychuck and Leddy we took advantage of other teams cap issues, but now we have cap issues of our own. Face it, the Isles roster is set. There will be no more add-ons to this team. The only excitement left is seeing who of Wahlstrom, Tsypkalov and Fasching makes the team. There's only room for two.
impaaaaaact
Registered User
Lou calls Tsyplakov “a bit of an unknown”, says Wahlstrom “will be given every opportunity”, and says “it will be an interesting training camp”. Sounds like an open competition for that last top 6 spot to me.
islesfan3913
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- Apr 5, 2011
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That’s why I said I’m “hoping”, didn’t say it would be realistic. But there is at least a path since we can afford to offload JGP and put MacLean as the 4C.
Throttle
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- Sep 22, 2020
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Tsyplakov ain’t staying around past November unless he’s playing 10+ minutes a night in the NHL.
islesfan3913
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- Apr 5, 2011
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I think the competition is mostly going to be for the 3RW spot rather than a spot in the top six. Wahlstrom is strictly a RW and Tsyplakov has only ever been a left handed RW as well. Palmieri can play the left side if needed but I can’t imagine the team putting him on his off-wing just to give Wahlstrom/Tsyplakov a shot in the top six. If Tsyplakov shows he can play LW then that could change things, I feel like Lee is destined to be on the left side on that second line as much as I dislike it.
Exactly. No creating one hole just to cover another.
This is basically set in stone
Duclair-Horvat-Barzal
xxxxxxx-Nelson-Palmieri
xxxxxxx-Pageau-xxxxxxxx
xxxxxxx-Cizikas-xxxxxxxxx
And the candidates here are Lee, Engvall, Holmstrom, MacLean, Tsyplakov, Wahlstrom, Fasching, and Gauthier.
Considering Lee and Engvall aren't being paid for 4th line duties, the competition is really down to, like you're saying, that 3rd line RW spot.
MacLean and Holmstrom look like the most logical options for the 4th line right now.
I'm thinking they'll know before November.
If he's a Soshnikov, he'll be gone just as quickly.
Still, again, he was the biggest European UFA of last spring's crop. Gotta hope that means he's good enough to jump right in and be a player.
Judging by his highlights, I think it's a big if.
But heck, he may prove himself to be a plugger more than anything else.
These options for the wings are pretty horrifying, imho.
JJ18Sniper
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Only
The only potential adjustment that I could see is Duclair on the 2nd line if they don't mesh well, or need to spread things out.
Mr Misunderstood
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iggy
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- Aug 2, 2005
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It's true. And a lot of teams look far worse at C, D, and G. So it's really not that bad of a position to be in to start the year. I think this year is more about whether Pelech, Pulock, and Sorokin can all put together bounce back seasons. If they can, and the players who have been healthy stay healthy, NYI will be fine even with meh wingers. I'm more concerned about Pelech, and JGP than I am about the wings.
impaaaaaact
Registered User
I'm not sure why this has been presumed to be set in stone. Lou hasn't said Duclair is playing on the first line, nor has Roy or Duclair himself. I believe Rosner has projected this to be the case, but for as much as I appreciate the non-stop content he pumps out, I don't exactly consider him to have his finger entirely on the pulse.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think I remember Barzal stating that he both prefers to play LW and to play with a left handed RW because it makes one-timers easier to set up - believe he was talking about playing with Holmstrom at the time. I still see it as:
Barzal - Horvat - xxxxx
xxxxx - Nelson - Palmieri
xxxxx - Pageau - xxxxx
xxxxx - Cizikas - xxxxx
- I think it's possible for Duclair to end up on any of the top three lines. My guess has been that he's slotted for the second to get some speed on that line, and I'm not writing off the third line just because he's had past success with Pageau. But most likely scenario to me is that he's skating with Nelson and Palmeri.
- One of the reasons that Cizikas worked (to an extent) on the top line was his role as a puck retriever - going hard on the forecheck into the corners and getting the puck back for Barzal and Horvat. By all accounts this is what Tsyplakov (a left handed RW) excelled at before new coaches came in and gave him a new role... that, and scoring on one timers. So if he has the foot speed to stick around I think it's totally possible/plausible that the plan is this:
Barzal - Horvat - Tsyplakov
Duclair - Nelson - Palmieri
Lee - Pageau - Engvall
Maclean - Cizikas - Holmstrom
And Wahlstrom will be around for camp to try and win a job with the most likely scenario for that being that Tsyplakov doesn't work out. If he does, Wahlstrom will be waived and Fasching will be the 13th forward.
I agree with you about Rosner. But I think Duclair is a very good bet to start out with Barzal & Horvat. Engvall is wasted on a line with Barzal (his best skill is transition). Lee, who isn't a great fit, but imo is a more likely 2nd option than Tsyplakov. I think Tsyplakov looks like a pretty strong dude, but I think KHL goal scoring #'s need the context that Reid Boucher had 44 goals in 64 games, and that Nigel Dawes is all-time 2nd in KHL goals.
impaaaaaact
Registered User
Yeah, I think it’s totally possible he’s there too. Putting him on the second line would give us 3 lines with one of the fastest players in the league on it for whatever that’s worth, and Barzal and Horvat have produced regardless of who they’ve been paired with. Hell I could see Holmstrom be given another shot on that line. Duclair’s speed will play on any line, so why not put him on the line that can use it the most?
Alas, we never know what's been going on behind the scenes.
As such, we're left assuming that either Lou and Roy like what's actually here in the organization or any attempts to improve via lateral moves that make sense financially have been fruitless.
Sadly, aside from Horvat, Barzal, and Dobson - all of whom are as certain to get their 60-85 points as any players in the league - you can make good arguments to believe that every other player on the team is line for anything from a slight uptick to a true drop in production.
And if particularly Nelson and Palms find themselves putting up 10-15 points fewer than last season, we're likely out of the playoffs.
That's basically how thin this whole offensive construction is.
***
There are a couple of UFAs out there on the market right now who'll likely sign somewhere at some point for 850k or less who I'd definitely see in our top 12 and would much rather have here than Fasching, Gauthier, and Wahlstrom.
There are still a number of teams out there with younger RFAs who are in the same boat for them as Wahlstrom is for us.
Tsyplakov is an absolute unknown. Can't remember the last time the Isles signed a player like this (in any era) where it worked out for us.
And Holmstrom is at a point where he should actually be taking the next step, but could very well end up burried on the 4th line, if not flipping in and out as forward 12/13.
***
Barring a trade, I'd not be surprised if we kick off the season with a 3rd line of Lee-Pageau-Engvall. That would mean we're going into the season with Duclair and a bit of an unknown as the top 2 left wings.
Yikes, I say!
Richie Daggers Crime
Boosted 9 times double masked they/them
He was basically a nobody until he blew up last year. I'm not particularly hopeful.
NYI need to improve their goal diff, not their offense. If Nelson, Palmieri, and JGP turn the puck over like they did last year while scoring less, it definitely will be a problem. If things go well both scoring and goals against will be down. There's far more room (in relation to potential) to decrease goals against than improve offense.
