We didn’t know what we had

[forecheck]

It's simple to me: our stars are paid like they've already been proven difference makers in the playoffs but they haven't been. This was huge risk taken. And let's not forget that Dubas bought zero UFA years with that Matthews' deal and only 1 with the Marner deal. If those deals were max term deals, I think we all could be a little less impatient waiting for the playoff beast to awaken in those players. There's only 3 more years remaining on that Matthews' deal and we're hearing that it's likely that there aren't going to be major changes this off-season.

I am going to look at it that there are only 3 more years of suffering before we can blow up this mess and move on from these selfish losers .

 

[Gallagbi]

Revolving door isn’t how a team builds chemistry. In a sport that relies so heavily on being able to read and anticipate the moves around you, this makes it very hard to build cohesion and play connected.

Would be interesting to see the tenures of all the long standing Lightning, Bruins, Islanders etc vs Leafs.

Mass turnover every year almost never works. So many things have to go right, and that’s not a recipe for success.

Depth and balance + elite talent at the top. That’s what wins.

You could always keep your depth. There's less motivation to move on from everyone if we're still playing.

I said yesterday that we could likely bring back our whole roster minus Andersen. I think we'd all want to move on from Thornton regardless.

 

[justashadowof]

Dubas would have to take the Leafs to 2 consecutive Stanley Cup Finals to equal the same number of playoff series wins as Lou has had since joining the Isles.

 

[egd27]

You can look up how many coaches get sacked every year and how soon they have replacements in place. I don't remember time that someone was straight out sacked for better option.

I recall Ftorek being fired right before the playoffs in favor of Robinson (who coached the team to the Cup).

Can't seem to recall who the GM was though.

 

[Gallagbi]

It's simple to me: our stars are paid like they've already been proven difference makers in the playoffs but they haven't been. This was huge risk taken. And let's not forget that Dubas bought zero UFA years with that Matthews' deal and only 1 with the Marner deal. If those deals were max term deals, I think we all could be a little less impatient waiting for the playoff beast to awaken in those players. There's only 3 more years remaining on that Matthews' deal and we're hearing that it's likely that there aren't going to be major changes this off-season.

He bought 1 UFA year with Matthews and 2 with Marner, personally I don't care about the length of the deals right now. If they can't figure it out they'll be out before the deal expires either way

I don't love either contract, I think we overpaid, but it's up to these players to live up to the contracts they felt they deserved. If they do, we'll be alright. If they dont, we need to move on. It's really that simple IMO

 

[sparxx87]

You continue to display a shocking amount of ignorance and arrogance.

Komarov was a healthy scratch for half of the season. He was on waivers multiple times this year. I like the guy and am glad that he's getting ice time in the playoffs, but he was objectively a massive overpayment. If you cannot even acknowledge that simple little fact then you are simply incapable of critical and objective thought and are wasting everyone's time.

The fact that you can't even critique Lou for dealing Toews for a pair of 2nd and try to defend him by shifting the blame on Snow - the guy who built nearly the entirety of the current Islander roster btw, is pathetic.

Actually, I spoke not a word of whether I thought Toews deal was good or bad. I simply (and very politely) told you that you should do a little more research as you’d misrepresented some of the moves and didn’t understand the situation under which the decisions were made.

You proceed to get aggressive with me rather than just acknowledging you spoke out of turn... and now you’re just making shit up.

Have a great day!

 

[forecheck]

I recall Ftorek being fired right before the playoffs in favor of Robinson (who coached the team to the Cup).

Can't seem to recall who the GM was though.

Lou also fired Julien from the Devils a week before the playoffs when they were the 2nd ranked team in the EasternConference .... Lou only cares about success. He is a Ruthless competitor.

 

[sparxx87]

You could always keep your depth. There's less motivation to move on from everyone if we're still playing.

I said yesterday that we could likely bring back our whole roster minus Andersen. I think we'd all want to move on from Thornton regardless.

As it pertains to the current situation, yeah, you might be right.

..but big picture, you get what I’m saying, right?

 

[egd27]

who's "MaMa"?

Guessing 34 & 16?

 

[justashadowof]

I am going to look at it that there are only 3 more years of suffering before we can blow up this mess and move on from these selfish losers .

This is whole different level of fan suffering. Actually it's different than any time in the past 54 years. It's talented enough to waltz through a regular season with an easy playoff qualification but so unsuited to playoff competition that it beat the odds of never eking out even one single playoff win in 5 consecutive seasons. The team hit the fricking jackpot on elite talent 5 years ago then messed up to a degree that it's a sadistic tease instead of a bottom feeder.

 

[egd27]

See I do think dubas is that nice of a guy.

There's an old and pretty famous adage about nice guys and where they finish. Could be a reason it's been around for so long.

 

[forecheck]

I give Dubas credit ... He seems like a very smart young man ... But honestly he is unqualified for a NHL GM position ... He is a politician and salesman and he sold all his nonsense to those that mattered ( MLSE - Shanahan ) . He is likely asking himself .." How much longer can I fool these guys ?"

 

[Kurtz]

Actually, I spoke not a word of whether I thought Toews deal was good or bad. I simply (and very politely) told you that you should do a little more research as you’d misrepresented some of the moves and didn’t understand the situation under which the decisions were made.

You proceed to get aggressive with me rather than just acknowledging you spoke out of turn... and now you’re just making shit up.

Have a great day!

Thanks, I will!

Out of curiosity, are there any moves that Lou has made for the Islanders that you consider to have been bad?

 

[hoglund]

Guessing 34 & 16?

Could be, I wish people wouldn't use abbreviations.

 

[ER89]

There's an old and pretty famous adage about nice guys and where they finish. Could be a reason it's been around for so long.

Nah I personally don't buy it. Ujiri is a nice guy and he's a boss. The adage confuses nice for naivete.

 

[justashadowof]

There's an old and pretty famous adage about nice guys and where they finish. Could be a reason it's been around for so long.

It's strange. Depending on which circles you run in "nice guy" is one of a lukewarm compliment, a backhand insult or an outright condemnation.

As a lukewarm compliment, it's saying that the "niceness" is the individual's most enduring quality. I'm not sure I want that to be my most enduring quality.

As a backhand insult, it's suggestive that you're harmless and without impact on the world.

As a condemnation, it says you're so weak and soft that your gentility is actually harmful and undermining in a harsh and competitive world.

 

[Kurtz]

Nah I personally don't buy it. Ujiri is a nice guy and he's a boss. The adage confuses nice for naivete.

It's bunk. There has been research into this, and "nice guys" rise to the top of business organizations far more often than jerks do.

Sociopaths do too, but that's a different conversation.

 

[cupcrazyman]

And they’re in the conference finals

Technically it's Round 3

There were no conferences this year.

 

[cupcrazyman]

So you would take any GM over Dubas? Do people just ignore the good things he's done?

-Losing in Round 1 ( Again)
-No draft picks
-Salary Cap Hell

What's good about that ?

 

[deprw]

not hindsight at all , you said when you have a chance to sign a num 1 C you do it so Dubas should have also signed Petro and then figured out how to fit him if we're going by your logic

Without flat cap maybe we would have, who knows. I think we had to and have to alter our plan, because of that. You have to account that last summer was pretty bad time to trade away salary and adding UFA players.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Why do people think Lou is this master negotiator?

I don't.

It's clear Dubas is vastly inferior at this part of the job.

The GM is responsible for the cap. He blew it.

 

[Kurtz]

-Losing in Round 1 ( Again)
-No draft picks
-Salary Cap Hell

What's good about that ?

We have a championship-level roster right now - we just have to be smarter with our peripheral moves. Had we signed Perry instead of Thorton/Vescey for example and brought in a real PP coach instead of bloody Malhotra, we'd be in the final 4 right now, and all you emo bastards would be drowning yourself in champagne rather than bitter ale.

Now is Dubas actually capable of being smart around the edges? So far no - I think he's got 1 more year to get it right.

 

[Superstar]

I thought he did that one already?
Didn’t he play that hand?

If skill doesn't work next year, maybe Dubas could go back to more grit the year after...

 

[supermann_98]

As a whole his career was elite. His biggest asset has always been the contracts he didn’t sign (Gomez,Clarkson,Parise…) so he always kept the team competitive.
His stint in Toronto wasn’t bad but wasn’t great. The issue is we needed his presence most the year after we let him go

This exactly. He should have been kept around until the 3 RFA's were signed at least, instead of handing the keys to those negotiations to an inexperienced rookie who got taken to the cleaners.

I understand Dubas had interest from Colorado and whoever else but tell him his primary role is player development and the draft while Lou handles the big team. You want to up and move to another city rather than be the heir apparent GM in Toronto? We wish you good luck

 

[Throw More Waffles]

He bought 1 UFA year with Matthews and 2 with Marner, personally I don't care about the length of the deals right now. If they can't figure it out they'll be out before the deal expires either way

I don't love either contract, I think we overpaid, but it's up to these players to live up to the contracts they felt they deserved. If they do, we'll be alright. If they dont, we need to move on. It's really that simple IMO

The players don't feel they deserve those contracts. They know they're overpaid. They just took advantage of a rookie weakling.