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

[BelovedIsles]

For me, EP has too many red flags for 11.5.

I suppose I’m leaning towards a retool. We talk about a step back, well, this season certainly is.

Nonetheless, I’d be congruent with a full rebuild, as well. I want a direction, meaning, purpose. Not this meandering, rudderless approach in mediocre waters.

Rebuilds can wear you down and require several factors to fall into place. With that said, if you can appreciate the little rewards, eg gradual development from a specific player, it softens the process.

 

[SI90]

Coach Roy is all of us

 

[periferal]

Staple has reported 2nd and a prospect

What I’m hearing about the Islanders post-NHL trade deadline and beyond

Isles GM Lou Lamoriello says he knows the team needs to get younger — but how will they accomplish that this offseason?

www.nytimes.com

Well worth it for a 34 year old player who’s best production has come with Brock Nelson

"As noted on Friday, the Islanders could have done more; Lamoriello, in remarks to reporters in San Jose on Saturday evening, said the price he set for Kyle Palmieri wasn’t met, so he didn’t make that other move to unload another pending unrestricted free agent."

Trading Palmieri for a 3rd to get an asset and open up cap space for next season would have still been the best move for the franchise. Instead Lou, with maybe a year or two left in his career, more interested in setting the tone to let other GMs know he won't be taken advantage of going forward.

That's ego over franchise.


__________

So, that part was decided. Lamoriello, as he said quite plainly Saturday, wasn’t moving Nelson unless he got a team’s best prospect in return.

“We had to get back a top prospect,” Lamoriello said. “Any of the teams that we talked to, it had to be their top prospect. And I feel very fortunate for the organization that we were able to get a quality player who plays that position and is able to basically come right into the lineup.”

Had that not materialized, Nelson would still be an Islander and possibly walk out the door for nothing in July.


I still cannot get over this. Our GM literally doesn't know how to build a team so we need to reply on our players to save us from him.

Malkin needs to wake up quick.


____________

• That scenario is basically how the Palmieri situation played out. He hasn’t extended, though he would like to remain an Islander. Lamoriello understood that but also, if he’d gotten his asking price in a trade, Palmieri would have been dealt Friday. That didn’t happen — there weren’t a ton of teams interested and a second-round pick plus a low-level prospect was the common return in talks, per league sources — and so Palmieri, still unsigned, stayed.

It’s not how every GM does business this time of year. Many would take an unsigned player and get what he could for them. But Lamoriello is not any old GM, so he drew his line in the sand and waited for someone to cross it.


Again...Are we here to do what's best for the franchise or not hurt your own ego?



______________

• As to other changes, it seems pretty clear that Pierre Engvall will be bought out. Scott Mayfield is a possibility too, with the same five years left on his contract at a palatable buyout number. The Isles would be paying both guys for a decade if they’re bought out: Engvall $1 million per year and Mayfield $1.167 million per, but the combined cap savings would be $4.33 million each of the next five years.

So the guy who made these moves is the same guy we want making bigger moves going forward? Sheesh.


________________

• And about Lamoriello’s future, it seems clear he’s operating as if it’s his job through the coming offseason. He made it clear too that he answers to principal owner Scott Malkin, who made the trip to California to be around the team. If there were any uncertainty around Lamoriello’s future, he likely wouldn’t give any hints, but the show of solidarity could very well mean something.

Well I hope that is the case. I've been worried lately that Malkin turned over controlling interest of the team to Lou.


________________

Malkin’s presence is meaningful in another way. A league source indicated that Malkin may be more hands-on than he’s been in recent seasons, both with hockey operations and the team’s business operations.

Hmmmm...This could be good or bad:

• Good - If Malkin isn't just sitting back collecting money from the team/real estate and actually more interested in how the team performs, and prepared to make moves if he doesn't like what he sees.
• Bad - If he thinks he knows better than expiernced NHL executives and tries to insert himself in team moves like Jerry Jones or something.

________________
Attendance hasn’t been good this season — in sheer average numbers and percentage of capacity, the Islanders rank in the bottom third of the NHL — and the prevailing sentiment of many diehards is that the team isn’t doing enough to stave off irrelevance.

Good. This is probably the thing that woke Malkin up a bit so fans should keep staying away and stop pending money on the team until is being run by a competent President/GM.


________________

If Malkin is committed to keeping Lamoriello for another year, then it makes sense to be at more games and around the team more. And to be more visible around Lamoriello too with the changes that are being discussed in the offseason.

...Or be around the team to find out what's wrong, see that it's Lou, and them fire him.

 

[gordie43]

Coach Roy is all of us

It seems like Lou and Roy cannot get together on roster construction. How they have not called up anyone from Bridgeport when MacLean is sick doesn’t make any sense.

Feel bad for Mayfield. Looks like he just doesn’t fit with Roy’s game plan. Wonder who goes first Lou or Roy?

 

[LeapOnOver]

I don't understand some of you guys here. You are stand on the table demanding picks and as soon as we get them, you want to move them and along with probably our best trading assest in Dobson, one of our best youngsters in Nelson and picks for 1 player who by the way has some major questions and is making $11.6M and not considered a leader.

How about we just start adding with our 2 1st rounders and our remaining draft picks and get good young talent to go along with promising youngsters in D.Nelson, Eiersman, Finley and Richie...Let's fill the cupboard with first...

Because anybody under 40 is talking about this on Instagram or Tik Tok. The rest of us know that a full cupboard means shit when you are in the ground. Cancer is gonna take my dad in the next couple years....f*** prospects.

 

[Glorydays22]

Because anybody under 40 is talking about this on Instagram or Tik Tok. The rest of us know that a full cupboard means shit when you are in the ground. Cancer is gonna take my dad in the next couple years....f*** prospects.

Sorry about your Dad, but that has nothing to do with the right thing this organization should be doing....The right this is to build through the draft and youngsters.

Shit, I'm 55, and I understand hating to wait for this team to be good. But I'm willing....For me I'm lucky enough to have seen the isles dynasty and believe me it was incredible.

 

[SI]

I don't understand some of you guys here. You are stand on the table demanding picks and as soon as we get them, you want to move them and along with probably our best trading assest in Dobson, one of our best youngsters in Nelson and picks for 1 player who by the way has some major questions and is making $11.6M and not considered a leader.

How about we just start adding with our 2 1st rounders and our remaining draft picks and get good young talent to go along with promising youngsters in D.Nelson, Eiersman, Finley and Richie...Let's fill the cupboard first...

Flipping assets is the key to accelerating a rebuild.

If you're referring to the trade I proposed, keep in mind that the Islanders still have their own 2026 first-round pick, and in that deal, they’d be shedding Pierre Engvall’s contract.

Some might argue that the proposal isn’t enough, but let’s take a closer look at the player in question.

EP40's stats over the last 4 seasons

• 2021-22: 80 GP, 32 G, 36 A, 68 PTS
• 2022-23: 80 GP, 39 G, 63 A, 102 PTS
• 2023-24: 82 GP, 34 G, 55 A, 89 PTS
• 2024-25: 58 GP, 13 G, 24 A, 37 PTS (so far)

Is he closer to the player we've seen in 2024-25, or the one he was in the previous three seasons?

IMO, he’s much closer to the player he was before this year. He’ll be 27 in November and still has plenty of good hockey ahead of him.

Additionally, his $11.6M AAV will look much different in two seasons. Right now, that cap hit takes up 13% of the $88M cap, but as the cap rises—projected to hit $95M (12%), then $104M (11%), and possibly $113M (10%)—that percentage shrinks significantly.

An $11.6M cap hit at $88M or $95M isn’t the same as at $104M or $113M, making his contract far more manageable in the long run.

 

[IslesNorway]

It seems like Lou and Roy cannot get together on roster construction. How they have not called up anyone from Bridgeport when MacLean is sick doesn’t make any sense.

Feel bad for Mayfield. Looks like he just doesn’t fit with Roy’s game plan. Wonder who goes first Lou or Roy?

I think you're spot on with this. Clearly Roy does not approve of some of the players Lou has given him and knowing that Lou signed some of them to lengthy contracts only makes the situation so much worse.

If there is to be any progress at all then three things needs to be ironed out and made perfectly clear:
1.Does Lou keep his job after the season and for the next years?
2.Does Roy keep his job after the season and for the next years?
3. What type of team does Roy want going forward? Players who do not fit his mould, or are not deemed good enough, need to be moved. There is no point in Lou wheeling and dealing without the explicit consent of the coach, IF he is the coach of the future.

The other alternative is firing Lou and starting all over again, with or without Roy.

 

[Lek]

I think you're spot on with this. Clearly Roy does not approve of some of the players Lou has given him and knowing that Lou signed some of them to lengthy contracts only makes the situation so much worse.

If there is to be any progress at all then three things needs to be ironed out and made perfectly clear:
1.Does Lou keep his job after the season and for the next years?
2.Does Roy keep his job after the season and for the next years?
3. What type of team does Roy want going forward? Players who do not fit his mould, or are not deemed good enough, need to be moved. There is no point in Lou wheeling and dealing without the explicit consent of the coach, IF he is the coach of the future.

The other alternative is firing Lou and starting all over again, with or without Roy.

Not sure how Roy is doing it. Always trying to stay on the positive side publicly when clearly you can see he would like to lay into them. To that list - 4) Roy needs to pick his own coaches. McyMac needs to go.

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

50 goals in final 21 games prediction watch:
- 44 goals to go in 18 games.

 

[Isles72]

its unlikely to happen but right about now would be a good time to fire both Lou and Roy and head into the spring with a fresh set of eyes towards the future . By now , Ledecky and the Collins fella have probably had a morning coffee or two by themselves writing some names down on a napkin who they can see as the next gm

and regarding Engvall . I dont feel like seeing his name at the bottom of our roster with a 10 year buyout cap hit while visiting puckpedia / or other like cap tracking sites . Stuff him in the AHL and learn from your mistakes ; eventually he'll have just 1-2 years left when you can potentially include him in a trade to get rid of him .

 

[icelander25]

its unlikely to happen but right about now would be a good time to fire both Lou and Roy and head into the spring with a fresh set of eyes towards the future . By now , Ledecky and the Collins fella have probably had a morning coffee or two by themselves writing some names down on a napkin who they can see as the next gm

and regarding Engvall . I dont feel like seeing his name at the bottom of our roster with a 10 year buyout cap hit while visiting puckpedia / or other like cap tracking sites . Stuff him in the AHL and learn from your mistakes ; eventually he'll have just 1-2 years left when you can potentially include him in a trade to get rid of him .

Completely agree on Engvall. It’s not like we need the extra $750,000 next year to compete and we’ll save ourselves long term. I don’t even mind buying him out in 2 years when we start to get back into the playoff race, but there’s reason we shouldn’t just eat a couple years of his contract.

 

[Glorydays22]

Flipping assets is the key to accelerating a rebuild.

If you're referring to the trade I proposed, keep in mind that the Islanders still have their own 2026 first-round pick, and in that deal, they’d be shedding Pierre Engvall’s contract.

Some might argue that the proposal isn’t enough, but let’s take a closer look at the player in question.

EP40's stats over the last 4 seasons

• 2021-22: 80 GP, 32 G, 36 A, 68 PTS
• 2022-23: 80 GP, 39 G, 63 A, 102 PTS
• 2023-24: 82 GP, 34 G, 55 A, 89 PTS
• 2024-25: 58 GP, 13 G, 24 A, 37 PTS (so far)

Is he closer to the player we've seen in 2024-25, or the one he was in the previous three seasons?

IMO, he’s much closer to the player he was before this year. He’ll be 27 in November and still has plenty of good hockey ahead of him.

Additionally, his $11.6M AAV will look much different in two seasons. Right now, that cap hit takes up 13% of the $88M cap, but as the cap rises—projected to hit $95M (12%), then $104M (11%), and possibly $113M (10%)—that percentage shrinks significantly.

An $11.6M cap hit at $88M or $95M isn’t the same as at $104M or $113M, making his contract far more manageable in the long run.

You can bury Engvall in the minors or just buy him out.

This logic of, well the cap is going up, is the same crap we heard from isles management. Then you turn around and we have salary cap issues AGAIN.

You can throw all the numbers and stats, but I use my eyes and listening to his GM, past and present players. I don't want him. For $11.6M, I'll look elsewhere where there are no red flags.

 

[Nassau Revisited]

season 2 of Lous 7 year deals for Engvall and Mayfield and they are already helmet scratches. A true master class in being a GM

 

[Mr Misunderstood]

Here's the list of this summer's UFAs:

2025 NHL Free Agents

Tracking the status and signings of all NHL free agents.

www.spotrac.com

Morgan Geekie is really the only name that stands out to me. Basic stats wise he’s having a decent year and is only 26yo. Boston sold Marchand but didn’t re-sign Geekie or trade him? What’s his deal?

 

[saintunspecified]

From everything I can see, NYI will have approx 12M in cap room to spend with these assumptions - Holmstrom and Tsyplakov sign for approx 3.5M ea, and Dobson & Romanov cost approx 15M. That means assuming not dealing Pelech, Pulock, or Mayfield, and burying or buying out Engvall. If NYI spend 6 million for 6 players playing the third line, extra forward, and 6th/7th D, that leaves them 6M.

The problem is that the center UFA market is totally bare.

Here's how I would approach the offseason: the only high profile UFA I work on is Marner, and everything else flows from that. Assuming he's at 12.5, that means NYI would have to shed about 6.5M by a variety of means. Barzy would move back to C for combos

Lee-Barzal/Horvat-Marner
Duclair-Barzal/Horvat-Holmstrom

If that doesn't work out, and it probably won't, I wouldn't overpay for Ehlers, or Boeser. I'd round out the 4th line, and have a competition between Ritchie and Nelson for a C spot.

Only in the 2nd situation would it make any sense to resign Palmieri, for at most 2 years.

Basically, for me, the only reason to accelerate from a plan focusing on 2026-2027 to a plan focusing on 2025-2026 would be signing Marner.

 

[saintunspecified]

Morgan Geekie is really the only name that stands out to me. Basic stats wise he’s having a decent year and is only 26yo. Boston sold Marchand but didn’t re-sign Geekie or trade him? What’s his deal?

If he's gonna play in the top-6 it's a bad team if he's at C. Defensively he's no better than Mittelstadt, but without the playmaking or puck transportation.

I'm not a big Ritchie guy, but Geekie is still basically Ritchie's floor.

 

[WangMustGo]

Yeah, the two are not mutually exclusive.
They would complement each other - they play opposite sides of the PP.
In the simplest way to see it - Barzal can transport and EP40 can finish.

And I don't want to get into a meaningless back and forth with you about Barzal.

I understand what we need to see from Barzal, which is production.
He needs to produce—period end of story.
He was a PPG player last year and I believe he can get there again.

An EP 40 trade

• Replaces nelson
• Gets the team younger
• Makes them better
• Strengthens the PP and PK
• Allows them to jettison a bad contract like Engvall - which would be added in the deal, not only for cap but more so actual dollars. That is a lot of $ on that contract and I can see Vancouver buying out Engvall in the offseason.
• Sign me up for EP 40 for Dobson, Engvall, + (pick) + (prospect) this offseason

Holmstrom - EP40 - Barzal
Lee - Horvat - Palmieri
Cizikas - Pageau - Appleton or Frederic
Duclair - Ritchie - Tsyplakov

That is a good forward group.

EP40 sucks EP40 sucks EP40 sucks. Say it again. He is not the player he once was. He is damaged goods. Stay far away from him. I’m ok trading Dobson, but if you can’t get a top line player back get top tier prospects/picks. Go get Perfetti, Lambert, and a first round pick. Opens up a ton of flexibility and gets us a huge injection of young talent.

 

[seafoam]

I really hate buyouts.

I'd much rather try and trade Engvall and/or Mayfield for another team's bad contract that may be shorten in length but deeper in AAV.

 

[Chockey22]

From everything I can see, NYI will have approx 12M in cap room to spend with these assumptions - Holmstrom and Tsyplakov sign for approx 3.5M ea, and Dobson & Romanov cost approx 15M. That means assuming not dealing Pelech, Pulock, or Mayfield, and burying or buying out Engvall. If NYI spend 6 million for 6 players playing the third line, extra forward, and 6th/7th D, that leaves them 6M.

The problem is that the center UFA market is totally bare.

Here's how I would approach the offseason: the only high profile UFA I work on is Marner, and everything else flows from that. Assuming he's at 12.5, that means NYI would have to shed about 6.5M by a variety of means. Barzy would move back to C for combos

Lee-Barzal/Horvat-Marner
Duclair-Barzal/Horvat-Holmstrom

If that doesn't work out, and it probably won't, I wouldn't overpay for Ehlers, or Boeser. I'd round out the 4th line, and have a competition between Ritchie and Nelson for a C spot.

Only in the 2nd situation would it make any sense to resign Palmieri, for at most 2 years.

Basically, for me, the only reason to accelerate from a plan focusing on 2026-2027 to a plan focusing on 2025-2026 would be signing Marner.

If Lou signs Tsyplakov for 3.5, it will be an Engvall-like screw up. He should be getting league minimum.

 

[icelander25]

If Lou signs Tsyplakov for 3.5, it will be an Engvall-like screw up. He should be getting league minimum.

He's not that bad, but I'd say max he gets is 2.5-3 mil. Holmstrom probably makes up a little of that and gets to 4 mil on a 4-5 yr deal tho

 

[LeapOnOver]

Sorry about your Dad, but that has nothing to do with the right thing this organization should be doing....The right this is to build through the draft and youngsters.

Shit, I'm 55, and I understand hating to wait for this team to be good. But I'm willing....For me I'm lucky enough to have seen the isles dynasty and believe me it was incredible.

Dynasties don't happen anymore. Can't blame Lou for being a dinosaur if people still think that way here. You get as close as you can and pay everything to get that push. Every team does it. Lou didn't do it enough.

 

[periferal]

I really hate buyouts.

I'd much rather try and trade Engvall and/or Mayfield for another team's bad contract that may be shorten in length but deeper in AAV.

Totally agree. But the only thing I hate more than buyouts is...Giving up (good) draft capital to get rid of a bad contract.


The fact that we're even discussing this at all is maddening. When a non-playoff team needs to be dumping contracts...

 

[periferal]

He's not that bad, but I'd say max he gets is 2.5-3 mil. Holmstrom probably makes up a little of that and gets to 4 mil on a 4-5 yr deal tho

Tsyplakov is basically invisible - Not a defensive liability, but doesn't bring much in the way of offense.

It's always big picture...There's really nothing that special that Tsyplakov brings that couldn't be mostly done by a 4th liner making 2M less. This is how you work the cap - Roll as much of it towards your top line players.

Otherwise you have the Lou/snow method...Sign like 6 guys each to the 3-5M/year range and you're wasting like 20M of cap space on average players. That's not how you build a winner...It's how you build what you're seeing on the ice these days at UBS.

 

[Chockey22]

Tsyplakov is basically invisible - Not a defensive liability, but doesn't bring much in the way of offense.

It's always big picture...There's really nothing that special that Tsyplakov brings that couldn't be mostly done by a 4th liner making 2M less. This is how you work the cap - Roll as much of it towards your top line players.

Otherwise you have the Lou/snow method...Sign like 6 guys each to the 3-5M/year range and you're wasting like 20M of cap space on average players. That's not how you build a winner...It's how you build what you're seeing on the ice these days at UBS.

I completely agree with the general argument here about how to build rosters, but disagree that Tsyplakov is not a defensive liability. He is definitely a defensive liability - and Roy even called him out on it last night. That second goal was due to 2 poor defensive plays by Tsyplakov on the same shift, and he does stuff like that every single game.
The fact that we managed to snag a sought after Russian should not blind us to the fact that he’s simply not that good, and could be replaced in any given offseason by signing a fourth liner. In fact, I’d bet that if we’d simply played Foudy this season in place of Tsyplakov, there would be no meaningful difference for the Islanders this season.
It was a great shot bringing him over, and for 1 million certainly has a spot on the roster - but if he’s in the 3-4 range, that continues the awful roster construction we’ve come to expect from Lou.