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

[periferal]

Oh, so a letter to the fan from a GM and President no longer with the team. Does a regular season banner qualify as a Cup? This is now your standard? LMAO.

Once again you're more interested in trying to win an argument here than not only having a discussion, but actually digesting the point.

You were arguing that "no team has done a rebuild with a new $1B arena, $1B steady ownership group, a team that has made the playoffs 5/6 seasons of the GM," but....That's exactly what the rangers did.

The argument isn't how successful they were at that (although they did make the conference finals 2 of the last 3 years), but rather that the New York rangers, a franchise worth double what the Islanders are, did in fact engage in a full rebuild. Period.

 

[leeroggy]

I'm way more confident of their projectibility as NHL players (not top-6 or top-4) than the home run swing and misses like of Dufour or Iskhakov

Dufour was drafted in the 5th round . . . come on.

 

[JKP]

Haven't been around much in a while. I see the same argument is still going on.

Personally, curious to see what this team is like once we get Barzal and Duclair back and Pelech back in. They've been in most games despite missing 2/3 their top line and most of the left side of the D. If they can get healthy and get a little 3rd period confidence back, I think they might go on a little run and surprise. Cheers!

 

[Throttle]

Once again you're more interested in trying to win an argument here than not only having a discussion, but actually digesting the point.

You were arguing that "no team has done a rebuild with a new $1B arena, $1B steady ownership group, a team that has made the playoffs 5/6 seasons of the GM," but....That's exactly what the rangers did.

The argument isn't how successful they were at that (although they did make the conference finals 2 of the last 3 years), but rather that the New York rangers, a franchise worth double what the Islanders are, did in fact engage in a full rebuild. Period.

Oh, they did. What franchise players do they have that align with the list you provided? Where are the Cups they won as a result of the full rebuild?

My guess is the NYR can rebuild all day long bc they can cover in UFA all day long bc players want to play for a premium franchise in a premium city.

I’m not seeking to win your narrative, just pointing out that your narrative is myopic and when you try to push it onto how the Isles should run things, you can’t support it w/o high level statements (rebuild!) or sidecar analysis that introduces new info, separate from your rather long list of ‘do it this way just like they did.’

Haven't been around much in a while. I see the same argument is still going on.

Personally, curious to see what this team is like once we get Barzal and Duclair back and Pelech back in. They've been in most games despite missing 2/3 their top line and most of the left side of the D. If they can get healthy and get a little 3rd period confidence back, I think they might go on a little run and surprise. Cheers!

It’s gonna be pitched as the in-house trade deadline strategy. We get our healthy players back.

 

[Throttle]

Many teams fall into the trap of a perpetual rebuild, but I don't believe it's necessary to go "all-in" on a teardown.

The team can make more calculated, thoughtful moves at the Trade Deadline (TDL) this season and reassess what's available in the trade and free-agent markets during the offseason.

If struggles continue, they can maximize returns in 2026 for players like Anders Lee and J-G Pageau, who will be on expiring contracts. By then, Ryan Pulock and Adam Pelech will also have shifted from full No-Trade Clauses (NTCs) to Modified NTCs (16 teams), making them easier to move if needed.

This franchise doesn't have the luxury of a full teardown. Decades of mismanagement and poor ownership have left scars that are still healing. Trading two pending UFAs who are top-six forwards is a manageable step toward overturning the roster, managing the cap, and restocking picks and prospects without dismantling everything.

It doesn't have to be all or nothing. The team can take what it can get for veterans like Kyle Palmieri, Brock Nelson, and, in my opinion, Semyon Varlamov—who would likely be the best goalie available at the TDL. Combine those returns with a potential top-10 pick in a strong draft class, then use the freed-up cap space to improve the roster.

I’ve argued that Pulock should have been traded once it was clear he was no longer your offensive defenseman and power play QB. Lou holds, Vegas sells.

That’s what he was paid for. Now, that’s not what he is doing. He’s doing a solid overall job, but that’s achievable at a lower cap hit.

He had a solid end of year last year and was excellent in the playoffs, but the isles have to get better value out of these ‘investment’ contracts that Lou gave out, where the player(s) have underperformed.

 

[Lek]

Haven't been around much in a while. I see the same argument is still going on.

Personally, curious to see what this team is like once we get Barzal and Duclair back and Pelech back in. They've been in most games despite missing 2/3 their top line and most of the left side of the D. If they can get healthy and get a little 3rd period confidence back, I think they might go on a little run and surprise. Cheers!

Agree.....you have to wait at least until those three are back before you throw in the towel on the season. But....it is not going to look great if they do not come back soon, or this team as is can't start to play above five hundred if not just by a little bit. This is the year to shake the tree a bit, either way as well as next as more big contracts come to a finish.

 

[Rehabguy]

Nah - I'm open to a honest conversation. You have no interest in that as the ONLY thing you do is color some good debate with "all or nothing" one-liners that ignore the conversation.

Try putting a paragraph or two together one time that shares your thoughts and opinions as opposed to just bashing anyone else on this board.

Word. We need a lot more positivity on these boards and less of the smear campaigning and hate to say it, it always seems to be the same person. I've made it a point to never attack a fellow Islander fan on these boards because aren't we all one big happy family? The view I have consistently held that seems to draw the ire from some posters is that perhaps Garth Snow was nowhere near as bad a GM as some were making him to be and that perhaps Lou Lamiorello was nowhere near as good a GM as some were assuming he would be. Admittedly I may have overreacted to the relentless attacks by referring to a few Islander fans as nothing more than sebaceous rodents but now that a few years have passed can anyone really say I was wrong in holding that view regarding Snow/Lou? I believed it back then and I still believe it now.

That said, I remember a time not too long ago when I used to call you Cap't Abe for your relentless pursuit to get Garth Snow fired and a new GM to be hired. Now that that had happened you are calling for the same thing with the current GM. What makes you think a change in GM is going to solve all this team's problems once again. If anything it created new problems. On that same vein what makes you think just doing a full turnover of the roster will only result in a net positive. Things could become worse.

 

[MJF]

It's not the coach

It's probably not the coach, but I can't say that for certain. Roy's game management is questionable at best. His line matching is awful. For example, after an opponent's icing early in the 3rd period with the Isles pressing, only up 1-0, there is never a good excuse for him to leave Martin-MacLean-Wahlstrom out there to take an offensive zone faceoff.

 

[Rehabguy]

I'm not too worried about nuances of Roy's coaching or the small seemingly bad decisions he may or may have not made during the game but the body of his work in his short stay here thus far is very commendable. His ability to go on a winning streak at the end of last season just to make it to the playoffs was admirable. He's got a tall order ahead of him. The biggest challenge as we can all see is changing the mental game of this team. To undo the damage of that playing not to lose by protecting small leads mentality that plagues this team causing these late 3rd period collapses. They had 6 years of that pounded into their heads. I like the more offensive minded, creative system he is instilling in this team. It hasn't cost this team in GAA. It's exciting to watch and when our more skilled players return I'm confident they will be winning again. It's going to take time. I'm willing to give him more time.

 

[Throttle]

Agree.....you have to wait at least until those three are back before you throw in the towel on the season. But....it is not going to look great if they do not come back soon, or this team as is can't start to play above five hundred if not just by a little bit. This is the year to shake the tree a bit, either way as well as next as more big contracts come to a finish.

There’s caution there on having cap space. It’s how you use it effectively, something the Isles are not doing.

The minute the Isles had some cap space, Lou gave Duclair the biggest deal of his life after his 8th team.

So, it’s not nirvana bc if you top it up wrong, you are back in the same place, different parts.

 

[impaaaaaact]

I agree with those saying moving Nelson and Palmieri makes the most sense long term, but the reality is ownership is going to want to be as competitive as possible next year with the ASG coming to UBS and it’d be incredibly hard to replace ≈65ish goals in one offseason- we’d likely be in the bottom third of the league next year if we move those guys.

Great!

 

[doublechili]

Also, the Rangers and their fans know they can simply purchase their way to being a contender. What are they without Panarin and Fox? The Sabres, most likely.

Yeah, if the NYI were the NYR and the playoffs seem unlikely it would be a no-brainer to trade Nelson and Palmieri at the TDL if you figure you can just go ahead and use their freed-up cap space on a UFA like Marner, etc. a few months later.

You get a haul of futures AND you improve the team for opening night next season.

 

[doublechili]

Ironically, the idea that a total tear-down rebuild is the only way to go is almost a Lou-like rigid mindset, which is the reason the league has passed him by. He wants to move at a glacial pace in a league that demands constant roster manipulation to improve the team and maximize assets.

With a salary cap the key thing is flexibility and constant shuffling (re-tooling! ), and Lou seems to still have the old mindset that you slowly build this unstoppable, cohesive family of players. Yeah, you need to constantly draft well so that you have a stream of replacements and can therefore let guys walk (or trade them for more assets, better yet), but that has to be just part of the overall plan of action. Get a mix of different kinds of players, including some elite talent. It's okay to have a couple of defenders who trade some defense for offensive/puck-moving flair. Trading for solid players/citizens like JGP, Palmieri and Horvat is fine but maybe mix in a moody elite talent guy. It's okay to acquire depth during the summer with the idea that you'll trade some of it away at the TDL for assets.

 

[The Real JT]

Trading for solid players/citizens like PGP, Palmieri and Horvat is fine but maybe mix in a moody elite talent guy. It's okay to acquire depth during the summer with the idea that you'll trade some of it away at the TDL for assets.

Big thumbs up for acquiring that moody elite talent guy as long as it’s not Laine.

Now that I think of it, #91 was that guy way back when.

 

[mm11]

Big thumbs up for acquiring that moody elite talent guy as long as it’s not Laine.

Now that I think of it, #91 was that guy way back when.

Ho sang was moody. Let's go isles!

 

[Rehabguy]

Ho sang was moody. Let's go isles!

So was Kvasha

 

[Chockey22]

Yeah, if the NYI were the NYR and the playoffs seem unlikely it would be a no-brainer to trade Nelson and Palmieri at the TDL if you figure you can just go ahead and use their freed-up cap space on a UFA like Marner, etc. a few months later.

You get a haul of futures AND you improve the team for opening night next season.

It would be nice to use their freed up cap space on an elite talent like Marner or Rantanen, but there's a good chance that close to 7-8 million of their freed up cap space will be used to bring back Dobson, Romanov, Tsyplakov and Holmstrom. I would think it would also take moving Pelech or Pulock, and one of Varlamov, Mayfield, Cizikas or Engvall to open up the space needed to sign either of those two, assuming of course they are even interested.

 

[leeroggy]

Big thumbs up for acquiring that moody elite talent guy as long as it’s not Laine.

Now that I think of it, #91 was that guy way back when.

This guy was REALLY MOODY . . .

 

[periferal]

Oh, they did. What franchise players do they have that align with the list you provided? Where are the Cups they won as a result of the full rebuild?

Again you're twisting your own point. You said, "No team has done a rebuild with a new $1B arena, $1B steady ownership group, a team that has made the playoffs 5/6 seasons of the GM," but....That's exactly what the rangers did.

What players the rangers now have and how they performed on the ice after the rebuild started is a totally separate argument. The #2 overall NHL franchise in net worth is the #1 media market in the NHL decided to rebuild. You said no team in such a situation would do that. They did.

Period. Full stop. Own it.

 

[SI]

I’ve argued that Pulock should have been traded once it was clear he was no longer your offensive defenseman and power play QB. Lou holds, Vegas sells.

That’s what he was paid for. Now, that’s not what he is doing. He’s doing a solid overall job, but that’s achievable at a lower cap hit.

He had a solid end of year last year and was excellent in the playoffs, but the isles have to get better value out of these ‘investment’ contracts that Lou gave out, where the player(s) have underperformed.

I disagree

That type of D man gets much more $ than 6. Pulock is your shutdown RHD, who can play in all situations - logging 22-23 minutes a game. RHD are a premium and will always get more than their left handed counterpart.
His role is not an easy one to replace - leave Pulock alone

 

[Throttle]

Exactly why you trade him - he’s a premium value and the Isles are doing much with him or without him.

Ps - keeping the same players - the overpaid ones - and justifying why they are so critical is the reason the team is where it is.