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

[The Real JT]

That’s encouraging to hear from Brock.

Oh wait, that’s a quote from Tavares before he left. Never mind.

 

[periferal]

I think the rationale with re-signing Nelson is that if you *don’t* re-sign him you have a massive hole at 2C next season, which for a team as low scoring as the Islanders makes it a big shoe to fill.

Younger options (i.e. Mittelstadt, Zegras, etc.) are just as expensive and not as productive as Nelson so how do you reasonably upgrade/re-tool that position without dealing someone like Dobson?

@periferal I get you’re probably in the camp of crash and burn, but the fact of the matter is they aren’t going to run Pageau out there as a 2C next season so unless they are planning on moving Barzal back to center, Nelson (in a vacuum) is one of the best center options available this summer.

Personally, I *would* interested in Mittelstadt as a 2C and Frederic as a 3C. This allows you to flip Nelson and Pageau for picks/prospects and fill their holes with younger, cheap to acquire players with potential to bloom into a bigger role.

Use the assets from Nelson and Pageau to add scorers on the wings.

Here's the problem...

The Isles roster is both broken and stuck. I'd so much rather admit that then keep trying to do the same thing over and over again. This team is nowhere near a Cup with Nelson at #2C...So we should bring him back again next year and be nowhere near a Cup again (and again, and again, and again)? When does it stop? Doing the same broken thing over and over makes so much less sense than trying to do something new - Even if new means it's going to get very ugly in the short-term.

At some point you have to stop trying to fix a pipe with duct tape and actually replace the pipe. Lou simply keeps adding non difference making players to this roster, and then signing bad contract after bad contract. Meanwhile the results on ice are stagnant at best. If we don't get rid of Lou guess where the 25-26 Islanders are going to be in the standings a year from now?

So I'd much rather (get rid of Lou), get young assets from Nelson/Palmieri, not have a good #2 center next year, and possibly be in a race to get McKenna, Belchetz, or Roobroeck...Then run everything back for thr 4th year in a row and know that we're a fringe playoff team at best (with less good assets in the organization).

If you want to win a Cup then I literally think it's insane to keep things as they are. I'd rather be the last place team in the league and have a chance at drafting the true future difference-makers at 18 then just missing the playoffs year after year as one of the older teams in the league (with basically no farm system to give hope for the future).

I legit don't know how anyone who wants to win a Cup could argue for Lou to come back and keep doing what he's been doing. If Trotz never came here this team might not have made the playoffs in the 6 years under Lou. We're seeing that bare out now when Lou doesn't have a Hall of Fame coach to overcome his repeat GM mistakes.

 

[IslesNorway]

Nelson should be traded no matter what. Heck, they might even offer him a new deal in the summer, but by all means trade him now. The Islanders desperately need the assets and if Nelson really wants to stick around he might take a lesser deal in the summer. If not, then at least they got assets in return.

 

[doublechili]

View attachment 975981

That’s encouraging to hear from Brock.

Oh wait, that’s a quote from Tavares before he left. Never mind.

And why we should put basically zero stock in anything we read until the thing actually happens, one way or the other.

 

[doublechili]

I wonder what it would take to get the WAS 1st round pick in 2026.

Maybe they'll surprise again, but I also wonder if that pick could end up being a high one? Not that I see Lou sending anything to a divisional rival at the TDL, but maybe at the draft?

 

[MarsTBOW]

The part that was left out of the quotes we have been reading.
It does not change my mind about the fear of losing him for nothing, however he does mention about his Kids being settled in Long Island....

“Everything will sort itself out. Lou a great guy. I love playing for him. He’s a great guy. He’s given me a great opportunity the last seven years. He’s an influential guy in hockey in general. My agent has a great relationship with him and communicates with him and I know everything will kinda sort itself out.”

“Being familiar with the Island, different things and kids are settled down there, that’s a factor for sure,” Nelson said.

 

[xECK29x]

Not to detract from the Brock and Noah Show, but apparently we're the 12th fastest skating team in the league (the chart goes slowest at the top to fastest at the bottom):

View attachment 975949

I'd hate to see the 20 teams behind us.

Seriously, I get that this is a measurement of bursts and not necessarily true speed, but OTOH I'd guess that COL and EDM were the fastest teams in the league and they're #1 and #3 here, so....

HockeyBuzz.com - Trevor Neufeld - How Useful is Speed? The fastest to slowest teams in the NHL listed

www.hockeybuzz.com

No doubt we have added a lot more speed in to the lineup, especially short burst acceleration which the NHL EDGE model favors.

 

[Arsenalogist24]

The part that was left out of the quotes we have been reading.
It does not change my mind about the fear of losing him for nothing, however he does mention about his Kids being settled in Long Island....

“Everything will sort itself out. Lou a great guy. I love playing for him. He’s a great guy. He’s given me a great opportunity the last seven years. He’s an influential guy in hockey in general. My agent has a great relationship with him and communicates with him and I know everything will kinda sort itself out.”

“Being familiar with the Island, different things and kids are settled down there, that’s a factor for sure,” Nelson said.

I’m sure it’s considered, but deciding factor? Many kids have been uprooted for less, and they’re young.

Sign up before the deadline or enjoy your next stop for playoff push. Can always check in again July for free agency

 

[YearlyLottery]

No doubt we have added a lot more speed in to the lineup, especially short burst acceleration which the NHL EDGE model favors.

And surprise surprise since adding speed the team had the best month of the entire season.

 

[impaaaaaact]

Petterson looks just fine lmao. Maybe he really just doesn’t want to be in Vancouver

 

[impaaaaaact]

No it doesn't, and here's why...

The Islanders are not coming close to a Stanley Cup while Nelson is still productive. That means you are literally holding a very valuable asset and just letting it slowly decay until it has no value - When instead you could actually get rid of that assets while it is very valuable and help this team increase its chances of winning long-term.

Given those two choices, there isn't a choice - Just an obvious path to take.

And you can see that Nelson is already starting to fade. The next contract he gets will probably be his last in the NHL. And if you resign him, the moment you do it cuts his value to other teams down by half at least given the contract he will get.

Lou has already proven he does not know how to maximize the salary cap to the Islanders benefit so there's zero reason to resign any player who will only make that worse, and especially when you trade him for younger assets that is how you will increase the odds of opening up a new Cup window as soon as possible.

The Isles should've traded Tavares when they had the chance and he was in his prime. Nelson is leaving his prime for a team nowhere near a Cup. To not trade him is true GM malpractice.

I mean, we’re gonna get like the 25th pick in a weak draft and some B- prospect. Trading Nelson isn’t going to save the franchise or anything - the return won’t be a third of what we could’ve gotten for Tavares and I think it’s dangerous to constantly compare the two without making that distinction.

Is it better to get something for nothing if he’s definitely leaving? Yes, you 100% trade him if he won’t re-sign. Will signing him to a 3 year deal ruin the franchise? No, and it would probably be like the 7th most questionable Lou contract.

But all that being said, it seems like Lou is on that same page… he’s not going to let him walk, and I don’t think Nelson is signing here. So we’ll get that late pick and that Bednarik type guy and everyone will be happy

 

[impaaaaaact]

Seems like McCann is available - that would make Nelson the #2 available center

 

[periferal]

I mean, we’re gonna get like the 25th pick in a weak draft and some B- prospect. Trading Nelson isn’t going to save the franchise or anything - the return won’t be a third of what we could’ve gotten for Tavares and I think it’s dangerous to constantly compare the two without making that distinction.

Nelson was the 30th pick overall.

Also if Lou is smart he'd ask for a 2026 pick.

And again...It's not about getting a 1st round pick - It's about getting assets for Nelson. You could turn around a flip that 1st + more for a much better/younger player.

Is it better to get something for nothing if he’s definitely leaving? Yes, you 100% trade him if he won’t re-sign. Will signing him to a 3 year deal ruin the franchise? No, and it would probably be like the 7th most questionable Lou contract.

Not sure what you mean by "ruin the franchise," but this is a team that survived Milbury, Snow, Wang, and a fake owner, so not too worried about them existing.

That said once again...The Isles are NOT winning a Cup while Nelson is still a good player. In sports when "inches" could decide a playoff spot, or even the Cup itself, I want my franchise to have every possible advantage it can, and getting a 1st+ for a player that is already fading and won't bring us a Cup is beyond a no-brainer.

But all that being said, it seems like Lou is on that same page… he’s not going to let him walk, and I don’t think Nelson is signing here. So we’ll get that late pick and that Bednarik type guy and everyone will be happy

Any other GM in the league we would not be having this conversation as we'd know Nelson would be out the door, but with our GM who obsesses over facial hair, low jersey numbers, and not announcing signings to his own fanbase, I won't believe Lou is "on the same page" until he actually deals Nelson (and Palmieri).

This is the same human being who let an "in his prime" Zach Parise walk from the Devils for nothing, so I won't believe any deal will happen...Until it happens.