ISLANDERS

Bottom line…it should be a desireable job. Owners not afraid to spend and stay out of the way, a world class arena, much better prospects pool than last season (though they have to do something about Bridgeport), and Barzal, Horvat, Romanov, Sorokin. Lou hamstrung them with a few awful contracts but they should have some scratch to work with and now you got the first pick in the draft.
guinness77 said:
Win hopefully didn’t come with a loss. Barzal took a slapper off the knee towards the end of regulation. Didn’t look good.
Click to expand...
Ironic, I forgot I posted this. It wasn’t good, he missed the rest of the season.
 
When I saw this topic, I wonder are they still a thing? The curse of Brooklyn (malocchio 👀) is on them for leaving us.
 
Chriscin33 said:
The silence with the Isles hiring these executives is deafening. Can’t believe they haven’t secured anyone yet……..
Click to expand...
It's not entirely clear whether Lou will actually be completely out of the picture. No one will want to deal with a reporting structure that has him in a vague role above them.

You guys are lucky they declined to interview me. First thing I do is see if Blackhawks or Utah want Barzal for their pick.
 
L J S A said:
It's not entirely clear whether Lou will actually be completely out of the picture. No one will want to deal with a reporting structure that has him in a vague role above them.

You guys are lucky they declined to interview me. First thing I do is see if Blackhawks or Utah want Barzal for their pick.
Click to expand...
They need a clean break from Lou and the new voices they bring in need autonomy to do their jobs. And I agree about Barzal, he is a nice piece on a good team but not the main star on a team like the Isles. It was not a coincidence that probably his best season was being the 2nd line center his rookie year when Tavares was the number 1 center.
 
L J S A said:
It's not entirely clear whether Lou will actually be completely out of the picture. No one will want to deal with a reporting structure that has him in a vague role above them.

You guys are lucky they declined to interview me. First thing I do is see if Blackhawks or Utah want Barzal for their pick.
Click to expand...
Whoever would trade Barzal would instantly make my 16 year old daughter’s most hated list.
 
kranmars said:
Whoever would trade Barzal would instantly make my 16 year old daughter’s most hated list.
Click to expand...
He is dreamy . . . but he's worth more to a team with potential scoring threats already in place. (Or an expansion team wanting a marketable star.)

If I could get a top four pick for him as center piece of trade I'd bring in Hagens and then go into full-tank mode* for McKenna.



*Team would have to lower parking prices for next season though.
 
Chriscin33 said:
They need a clean break from Lou and the new voices they bring in need autonomy to do their jobs. And I agree about Barzal, he is a nice piece on a good team but not the main star on a team like the Isles. It was not a coincidence that probably his best season was being the 2nd line center his rookie year when Tavares was the number 1 center.
Click to expand...
The biggest reason that was Barzal’s best season was because he was playing in Capuano’s system, plain and simple. He has played in Barry Trotz’s system and other defensive systems since. This team was clearly playing its best hockey when Barzal was between injuries last year. And, please tell me who other than Horvat (who inexplicably gets separated from 13 too often) has played wing with him for the majority of his career?

This team is clearly better when Barzal is in the lineup and he has the one thing almost none of these guys have…speed. This team has been a perennial wild card team or worse lately because they are not fast and their defensive system and backline aren’t where they were during the covid years.

This team should have 4 untouchables currently on their roster. Barzal, Horvat, Romanov and Sorokin. When you bring the Ritchies, Eisermans, and Nelsons up, these two guys have to be there because they’re both leaders and still young enough to stick around another 5 years (unless the wheels fall off completely).
 
guinness77 said:
The biggest reason that was Barzal’s best season was because he was playing in Capuano’s system, plain and simple. He has played in Barry Trotz’s system and other defensive systems since. This team was clearly playing its best hockey when Barzal was between injuries last year. And, please tell me who other than Horvat (who inexplicably gets separated from 13 too often) has played wing with him for the majority of his career?

This team is clearly better when Barzal is in the lineup and he has the one thing almost none of these guys have…speed. This team has been a perennial wild card team or worse lately because they are not fast and their defensive system and backline aren’t where they were during the covid years.

This team should have 4 untouchables currently on their roster. Barzal, Horvat, Romanov and Sorokin. When you bring the Ritchies, Eisermans, and Nelsons up, these two guys have to be there because they’re both leaders and still young enough to stick around another 5 years (unless the wheels fall off completely).
Click to expand...
IMO, the only untouchable is Sorokin and maybe Romanov to a lesser extent. Everyone else is replaceable and while I like Barzal, you can find someone else to do what he does (speed, etc.) for much less then 9 million a year.
 
L J S A said:
He is dreamy . . . but he's worth more to a team with potential scoring threats already in place. (Or an expansion team wanting a marketable star.)

If I could get a top four pick for him as center piece of trade I'd bring in Hagens and then go into full-tank mode* for McKenna.



*Team would have to lower parking prices for next season though.
Click to expand...
I was shifting between responding with a laugh or thumbs up.

I went the safe route with a thumbs up, but the “dreamy” comment was funny. My daughter treats her Barzal jersey as one would a newborn baby.
 
And I would consider trading him for a combination of picks and young talent if the right deal came along from a team that has high end young talent. He is a very good player but he is paid on the Islanders like the leading guy and I don’t think they serves his role best nor has he excelled at it with a supporting cast that I will acknowledge has been less than ideal. I envision him best served as a second line center behind guys like Hughes, Aho or even Tavares. I don’t think he is a wing. With all of that being said, it is very plausible that the Isles can sign a top FA like Marner or Ehlers and keep Barzal to play that secondary role and I would be all for that. It would be nice for them to get the high end scoring punch they have lacked for so long and sprinkle in the youth that is coming.
 
Last edited:
Chriscin33 said:
And I would consider trading him for a combination of picks and young talent if the right deal came along from a team that has high end young talent. He is a very good player but he is paid on the Islanders like the leading guy and I don’t think they serves his role best nor has he excelled at it with a supporting case that I will acknowledge has been less than ideal. I envision him best served as a second line center behind guys like Hughes, Aho or even Tavares. I don’t think he is a wing. With all of that being said, it is very plausible that the Isles can sign a top FA like Marner or Ehlers and keep Barzal to play that secondary role and I would be all for that. I just want them to get the high end scoring punch they have lacked for so long and sprinkle in the youth that is coming.
Click to expand...
Mitch Marner is gonna make at least $3-4 million a year more than Barzal and look at their stats in the playoffs and tell me who’s had more of an impact. Marner ALREADY makes more than him. He is soft and he also plays with Matthews and a system that is perfect for a guy like him. Hes quick and he scores but he is not the guy I would want to build a team around. Ehlers is hurt all the time. He’s a great player, but Winnipeg is another team that underperforms and hes a prime example of why.

I know you don’t want to hear this but Barzal is a guy you build around, he’s a guy who, really important to me, WANTED to play here and he’s a guy who’s frequently stepped to the plate when called upon. He’s still young. You can’t just trade a guy like him for unproven picks and prospects. You need guys who can skate in the league now. Look at Wahlstrom, who was a higher pick than he was.

Horvat should be getting that C and Barzal and Romanov the As. I like Holmstrom too, he’s a very valuable (and young) penalty killer who can score, but if the right deal comes across, you have include him. Draft the defenseman, try to get up for Hagens and if you don’t, you have 2 1st rounders next year in a very deep draft.

Just to add, Hughes is a good player, but he is small and another injury prone player. Tavares is old. He can still score (I wish to god he was on the 2 ECF teams) but he’s slow as shit. Aho is going nowhere as long as the Hurricanes have their window still open. There just aren’t any guys out there who’ll make the kind of impact Barzal does and, his contract isn’t as bad as you say it is and the Cap should be going up again.
 
Last edited:
guinness77 said:
Mitch Marner is gonna make at least $3-4 million a year more than Barzal and look at their stats in the playoffs and tell me who’s had more of an impact. Marner ALREADY makes more than him. He is soft and he also plays with Matthews and a system that is perfect for a guy like him. Hes quick and he scores but he is not the guy I would want to build a team around. Ehlers is hurt all the time. He’s a great player, but Winnipeg is another team that underperforms and hes a prime example of why.

I know you don’t want to hear this but Barzal is a guy you build around, he’s a guy who, really important to me, WANTED to play here and he’s a guy who’s frequently stepped to the plate when called upon. He’s still young. You can’t just trade a guy like him for unproven picks and prospects. You need guys who can skate in the league now. Look at Wahlstrom, who was a higher pick than he was.

Horvat should be getting that C and Barzal and Romanov the As. I like Holmstrom too, he’s a very valuable (and young) penalty killer who can score, but if the right deal comes across, you have include him. Draft the defenseman, try to get up for Hagens and if you don’t, you have 2 1st rounders next year in a very deep draft.

Just to add, Hughes is a good player, but he is small and another injury prone player. Tavares is old. He can still score (I wish to god he was on the 2 ECF teams) but he’s slow as shit. Aho is going nowhere as long as the Hurricanes have their window still open. There just aren’t any guys out there who’ll make the kind of impact Barzal does and, his contract isn’t as bad as you say it is and the Cap should be going up again.
Click to expand...
I am not anti Barzal in anyway. We just have our own views on him as a player but I agree he has been loyal and represented the organization very well. The bottom line is we both want the Islanders to be relevant and compete/win a Cup in the foreseeable future and if he is part of that I would embrace it. And I agree about Horvat with the C.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top