News Article: ESPN 2016-17 season preview: New York Islanders

[cagefighter91]

http://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/17729456/2016-17-nhl-season-preview-new-york-islanders

Click to read more...

 

[islesfan186]

http://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/17729456/2016-17-nhl-season-preview-new-york-islanders

ESPN knows **** all about hockey. I stopped reading when I got to the line where it said "In a division in which everyone else seems to be on the rise, that's not good news". Yes, please tell me how the NY Rangers, a team that is over reliant on their goalie (who's not getting any younger) and have 2 absolutely anchor contracts in Girardi and Staal is on the rise? Philly made 0 additions. What's to say their play at the end of last season was not a fluke? Columbus is a crap shoot. The Canes still (why?!) have Ward as their starter. I'm sorry, I don't see it. I honestly think the only team that truly got better in the division is the Devils. The Pens and Caps I think will still be the 2 "powerhouses" in the division.

 

[SLAPSHOT723]

ESPN means nothing to hockey unless it's Pierre LeBrun.

 

[PWJunior]

ESPN knows **** all about hockey. I stopped reading when I got to the line where it said "In a division in which everyone else seems to be on the rise, that's not good news". Yes, please tell me how the NY Rangers, a team that is over reliant on their goalie (who's not getting any younger) and have 2 absolutely anchor contracts in Girardi and Staal is on the rise? Philly made 0 additions. What's to say their play at the end of last season was not a fluke? Columbus is a wild card. The Canes still (why?!) have Ward as their starter. I'm sorry, I don't see it.

Let me guess, it's written by Burnside? What a joke he is, always has been. Always goes out of his way to bash the Isles, he can go sodomize himself.

 

[Skip To My Lou]

lol Burnside

 

[Felix Unger]

Can't see NYI finishing 7th. 5th? Yeah, that's possible if both Philly and Carolina take big steps. I think it's going to be a dogfight with Philly, Carolina, and NYR.

It's true, NYI are down a 2nd line center. That means something. But NYI also have probably the 2nd most solid D corps top to bottom in the division (after Washington).

 

[BarBeauWahlDobLok]

Okposo is really not much of a loss. I hated losing Martin, but he's replaceable. I hated losing Nielsen, but he's replaceable, too. At worst, the Islanders are third best in the division. The Rangers' lineup is nothing impressive, Carolina doesn't scare me in the least, and Philly sill has its goaltending woes.

Okposo is a stupid player. He hasn't decent skill with the puck on his stick, but he makes so many bonehead decisions. It's not like we lost a superstar. Ladd isn't a superstar, but he is better than Okposo.

 

[islesfan3913]

lol what a **** article. Not even worth pointing out the flaws if the writer isn't even going to put effort in or if he has an obvious bias.

 

[19 in a row]

Even if he hates the Isles at least he could do a little more research.

- Where is the mention of any of the kids who may contribute this year as the team develops? Mentions Seidenberg as a negative due to age and mobility but no mention of Pulock, Barzal or any other young kid we have. Do we have the same team as last year minus the 3 who left and the 3 new guys he mentioned.. which leads to..
- PAP not mentioned anywhere in article?
- Bailey had 2 goals in the playoffs not 1 (hey everyone here seems to love to bash bailey and 2 is not impressive but hey at least give him credit for what he did). Nit picky yes, but the whole article was poorly done and showed zero insight.

 

[Space Herpe]

ESPN is to Hockey as
1) Mullets are to the 1930s
2) Rolling Stone magazine is to music
3) Darth Milbury is a girly man
4) Hamburgers are to hotdogs

 

[19 in a row]

Okposo is really not much of a loss. I hated losing Martin, but he's replaceable. I hated losing Nielsen, but he's replaceable, too. At worst, the Islanders are third best in the division. The Rangers' lineup is nothing impressive, Carolina doesn't scare me in the least, and Philly sill has its goaltending woes.

Okposo is a stupid player. He hasn't decent skill with the puck on his stick, but he makes so many bonehead decisions. It's not like we lost a superstar. Ladd isn't a superstar, but he is better than Okposo.

I agree on Okposo and Martin (although loved them as players on my team) being replaceable but the one that hurts is Frans.

That being said call me crazy (it wont be the first time someone has) but I think we are better this year than last at this point.

- young D maturing
- young forwards ready to contribute from day 1 or just a call away at BST
- a bunch of guys had down years by their own standards
- 4 vets added that will provide grit/leadership/experience

Good depth that will get us through injuries... JT and Leddy/Hammer are only the only ones that we might not be able to weather for a long stretch.
I will take the over and go big, on where he picks us.

 

[blitzkriegs]

Okposo is really not much of a loss. I hated losing Martin, but he's replaceable. I hated losing Nielsen, but he's replaceable, too.

I think every preview has gone down this route. They are going with surface area level reviews, so they just see KO as this amazing top 10 winger on paper. The player on the ice, oh, different story.

It's funny how all the media were clamouring over Ladd last year and heading into the deadline. Now, the Isles signed him to deal HE WAS EXPECTED TO GET and it's like they signed Clarkson or something.

 

[BarBeauWahlDobLok]

I think every preview has gone down this route. They are going with surface area level reviews, so they just see KO as this amazing top 10 winger on paper. The player on the ice, oh, different story.

It's funny how all the media were clamouring over Ladd last year and heading into the deadline. Now, the Isles signed him to deal HE WAS EXPECTED TO GET and it's like they signed Clarkson or something.

I agree. Journalists take a big hit when they can't put reality over reputation. Ifor you want to get an idea how irresponsible, arrogant, overpaid, and underqualified journalists are, just watch Amanda Knox on Netflix. Yeah, it's not sports, but journalism is journalism.

 

[Kevin27NYI]

If this writer told me hat his boss gave him 15 minutes to write a negative preview, I'd believe him in a heartbeat.

Other then that as an explanation though, why did he bother writing?

Awful.

 

[gbislander]

http://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/13664380/2015-16-nhl-season-preview-new-york-islanders

Here's his preview from last season. Some legitimate questions raised (?), but was kind of off the mark prediction wise.

 

[RMimagery]

Thanks for the laughs Burnside. Consecutive 100 point seasons.

This no talent is stealing money from ESPN

 

[BMOK33]

Its manageable to think we may end up 5th...but 7th is absurd. That means you have only Columbus behind us. I see no way Carolina, Philly, and NJ all finish above the Isles...one of the three might, not all 3. And I've seen some of the more reliable people like Melrose, Buccigross, and Levy say they think Carolina suffers a big sophomore slump this year. Philly has a better veteran presence and may sustain what they had. The Devils I don't see a big improvement except their offense maybe. The Rangers are a huge crap shoot, they may end up 3rd or may end up 6th...it really depends if they fall off a cliff which I think is very possible. Pitt/Wash are 1-2 no doubt.

 

[JKP]

7th???

 

[13th Floor]

I think every preview has gone down this route. They are going with surface area level reviews, so they just see KO as this amazing top 10 winger on paper. The player on the ice, oh, different story.

It's funny how all the media were clamouring over Ladd last year and heading into the deadline. Now, the Isles signed him to deal HE WAS EXPECTED TO GET and it's like they signed Clarkson or something.

I also like the Nielsen angle too. For years we have been screaming from mountaintops how good Nielsen is, but the rest of the league just tussled our hair like a little dork brother. Now we lose him and suddenly our team can't compete at all. We are suddenly at the bottom of the division because our back to back 100 point seasons will turn into 80 point seasons from the loss of a player who nobody really cared about 1 year ago.

Don't get me wrong the loss of Nielsen is big, but it's humorous to read articles that only paint one side of the story. Nobody actually highlights a plan that we may have to replace him. On the same vein, everyone laughs about the Ladd contract we gave out while in the same breath also laughing about not signing Okposo and Nielsen to contracts that are going to see them decline as well. It's the nature of UFA, but in Islanders world, we can't win. Had we signed Okposo and Nielsen to large contracts, we would have been laughed at for bringing back the same team that wasn't good enough and for giving them foolishly large UFA contracts. Let them walk and bring in another large UFA contract, still laughed at. Let them walk and bring in nobody from UFA to save our money and we would be laughed at for getting much worse with no replacements.

At some point we all can just sit back and wait for the season to start so we can prove it on the ice. This team is far deeper than last year.

 

[Space Herpe]

I have a bad feeling about this season.

Don't know why....just do.

This season is gonna be a step backwards. I wish I knew why I felt this way.

 

[lazycop]

Regarding JT: 'He already is the subject of no small amount of rumor vis-a-vis his next port of call.' Must be a Leafs fan. I stopped reading there.

And when the hell was Matt martin ever a 'key piece' of this team?

 

[A Pointed Stick]

Remember this is ESPN, the peewee herman of sports media.

 

[blitzkriegs]

I have a bad feeling about this season.

Don't know why....just do.

This season is gonna be a step backwards. I wish I knew why I felt this way.

I don't - I like this team and it's design. Should repeat 100 points and be in the 2nd/3rd round of playoffs.

 

[blitzkriegs]

I also like the Nielsen angle too. For years we have been screaming from mountaintops how good Nielsen is, but the rest of the league just tussled our hair like a little dork brother. Now we lose him and suddenly our team can't compete at all. We are suddenly at the bottom of the division because our back to back 100 point seasons will turn into 80 point seasons from the loss of a player who nobody really cared about 1 year ago.

Don't get me wrong the loss of Nielsen is big, but it's humorous to read articles that only paint one side of the story. Nobody actually highlights a plan that we may have to replace him. On the same vein, everyone laughs about the Ladd contract we gave out while in the same breath also laughing about not signing Okposo and Nielsen to contracts that are going to see them decline as well. It's the nature of UFA, but in Islanders world, we can't win. Had we signed Okposo and Nielsen to large contracts, we would have been laughed at for bringing back the same team that wasn't good enough and for giving them foolishly large UFA contracts. Let them walk and bring in another large UFA contract, still laughed at. Let them walk and bring in nobody from UFA to save our money and we would be laughed at for getting much worse with no replacements.

At some point we all can just sit back and wait for the season to start so we can prove it on the ice. This team is far deeper than last year.

I agree. This team is a better wellrounded than last year and overall depth.

Team is potentially primed to make a midseason acquisition too as some teams may get a head start on Vegas draft.

Hey, the Wynn had them at 23/1...

 

[PWJunior]

Remember this is ESPN, the peewee herman of sports media.

I think I read that Burnside was an Isles fan growing up. Not only is he laughably misinformed, he's a ****ing traitor too. LeBrun is decent, Burnside is a tool. I think Burnside hangs out with Ray Ferraro and Glenn Healy, the bitter loser trio.