Islanders Point Blank: Isles coaching purge continues ( assistants out)

[Instant]

NYI have one of the worst prospect pools in the entire league. Despite this Lou has yet to fire the scouting staff and relieve the Director of Player Personnel of his duties.

And how do you imagine that would work? Let's just fire all of the scouting staff 10 days before the draft? It was said here quite a few times that with this draft Lou'll have to go with the personel hired by the previous GM. It will happen, we have to just give it time.

 

[Instant]

What? How are we one of the worst?

You don't think so? Really?

 

[Strummergas]

'bout damn time!

 

[Rehabguy]

He better get rid of Scott Gomez

 

[doublechili]

And how do you imagine that would work? Let's just fire all of the scouting staff 10 days before the draft? It was said here quite a few times that with this draft Lou'll have to go with the personel hired by the previous GM. It will happen, we have to just give it time.

Yeah, my guess is that when Hunter becomes available he is Director of Scouting/Asst GM and everyone (or almost everyone) else goes bye bye.

 

[Big L]

Conversely, if you know you’re about to get fired, what’s the motivation for doing your job well until then?

 

[Isles72]

Yeah, my guess is that when Hunter becomes available he is Director of Scouting/Asst GM and everyone (or almost everyone) else goes bye bye.

and it wouldnt surprise me if lou's been in constant communication with hunter to pick his brain on a few items and keeping him abreast of where things are at if he was indeed coming aboard in mid july . lou might get his take on the players ranked in the isles 11-12 slots and compare notes with kautenen and klatt

 

[islesfan3913]

You don't think so? Really?

No, I don’t. We’re not top, but certainty not the worst. We might not have top prospects, but we have ones who should become NHL players. There’s plenty of worse systems in the league.

 

[danteipp]

Yeah, my guess is that when Hunter becomes available he is Director of Scouting/Asst GM and everyone (or almost everyone) else goes bye bye.

Hopefully that is indeed the case. I would feel very comfortable with Lou focusing on the big picture, having the new cap guru hired to try and do a little payroll cleanup and then Hunter running the scouting.

Then fill in all of the remaining spots in the organization from the Isles down to Bridgeport. Once the coaching and scouting is overhauled, we will actually have a big-time, competent organization for the first time in what, approximately 25 years?

 

[PWJunior]

Hopefully that is indeed the case. I would feel very comfortable with Lou focusing on the big picture, having the new cap guru hired to try and do a little payroll cleanup and then Hunter running the scouting.

Then fill in all of the remaining spots in the organization from the Isles down to Bridgeport. Once the coaching and scouting is overhauled, we will actually have a big-time, competent organization for the first time in what, approximately 25 years?

Agreed. It takes time for even the great Mike Holmes to 'Mike Holmes' the shit out of a new foundation. Build it to last Lou, that'll be your legacy.

 

[danteipp]

and it wouldnt surprise me if lou's been in constant communication with hunter to pick his brain on a few items and keeping him abreast of where things are at if he was indeed coming aboard in mid july . lou might get his take on the players ranked in the isles 11-12 slots and compare notes with kautenen and klatt

I would assume that Lou has had "casual" conversations with Hunter as well. Obviously within a limited scope, so as not to cross the line. But at least getting a general feel for some of the prospects to be focused on in the first two rounds.

Lou also has whatever knowledge he has accumulated and obtained, just by being around scouts and draft preparation for the last year with the Leafs. He probably has ample information to work with from his time with Toronto, what the Isles have compiled and what his sources are telling him.

I am sure there is also no shortage of scouts and hockey professionals who owe Lou some favors and will chip in some info. He should be able to compile a solid opinion of what to do with the top picks, then let the current staff do their best with some of the later picks.

 

[Instant]

No, I don’t. We’re not top, but certainty not the worst. We might not have top prospects, but we have ones who should become NHL players. There’s plenty of worse systems in the league.

I don't agree. For a team with such a big amount of high first round picks from the last few years, our prospect pool looks laughable. We desperately need new eyes and new system of developing young players.

 

[24diving]

I don't agree. For a team with such a big amount of high first round picks from the last few years, our prospect pool looks laughable. We desperately need new eyes and new system of developing young players.

Since 2013 the team only had one pick higher than 15th. Not exactly a big amount of high firsts

 

[islesfan3913]

I don't agree. For a team with such a big amount of high first round picks from the last few years, our prospect pool looks laughable. We desperately need new eyes and new system of developing young players.

We haven't exactly had high first round picks in the last few years as 24diving mentioned. Bellows, Barzal, Beauviller, Dal Colle, Ho-Sang, and Pulock were our first round picks in the last five years. Dal Colle was 5th and Pulock was 15th. Those were the highest picks. We’ve also drafted guys like Aho, Golyshev, Koivula, Vande Somple, Wortherspoon, Toews, Sorokin, and Soderstrom in later rounds and all of those guys are legit prospects. Again, not high end guys, but they all should at least play in the NHL at some point.

 

[redbull]

NYI have one of the worst prospect pools in the entire league. Despite this Lou has yet to fire the scouting staff and relieve the Director of Player Personnel of his duties.

that's not exactly true or fair - and frankly, i'd love to see an accurate ranking of prospect depth. Over the years, looking at what is generally considered "best" seems like a bigger guess job than figuring out Vegas would be in the cup finals. For years BUF and WPG have had the best prospects, some work out, some don't. Craig Button says Philly has like 8-9 NHLready top-level defensemen with high-end prospects really close as well.

As far as the Isles go, we don't have MUCH, but, Sorokin is one of the top goalie prospects in the world. He's not 18 either, he's got the chance to be an elite goaltender. We are weak on defense prospects, that's for sure, but Pulock is already on the team and Toews will likely make the team next year - after that, not much.

At forward, you have to include Beavillier, Barzal with a Kieffer Bellows prospect. Isles are a very young team in key positions so it's not like they desperately need 5-6 players to help the team get better.

A new coach, a top dman and good goalie will go a long way.

I've been highly critical of the team the last few years because I knew we were wasting JT's cap hit and enormous holes weren't being addressed - but having Lou in charge changes EVERYTHING.

I expect the whole psyche of the team to be elevated significantly, team confidence and output. I saw this happen in TOR, they were a complete disaster when Lou came on board. They made the current Isles look like the New England Patriots - then suddenly, all the toxicity went away, slowly. Suddenly players that were a disaster started to play much harder, much better (Rielly, Gardiner, Bozak, JVR) as guys like Kessel, Phaneuf were dealt and players like Robidas, Lupul just went away. Dubas built the Marlies into a championship team and a couple of years later, the team looks completely transformed.

And Lou was a KEY PIECE of this, integral piece.

 

[IslesNorway]

NYI scouting is no worse than the rest of the league. I suppose a lot of scouts will be let go after the draft but that seems to happen each year anyway. A new head scout will most certainly be in place shortly afterwards but I think it also comes down to chemistry. Lou probably spends a hell of a lot of time with his scouts leading up to the draft and can't fire them now - it would be madness.

 

[PWJunior]

NYI scouting is no worse than the rest of the league. I suppose a lot of scouts will be let go after the draft but that seems to happen each year anyway. A new head scout will most certainly be in place shortly afterwards but I think it also comes down to chemistry. Lou probably spends a hell of a lot of time with his scouts leading up to the draft and can't fire them now - it would be madness.

I think Isles scouting has been underfunded. I used to think their draft tendencies were about preference, we never drafted Euro's and I'd suspect that we barely had any scouting presence in that region. Look at how we always went to the Waterloo well in the later rounds.

I think Lou knows he has to pump some money and resources into that department, Malkin seems to have given him a green light for whatever he wants to do too.

 

[Instant]

Since 2013 the team only had one pick higher than 15th. Not exactly a big amount of high firsts

But then you look at the drafting since 2010: Niederreiter, Strome, Reinheart, Dal Colle. So, for 4 of the last 7 years the Islanders picked from the first five. That's not a big amount of high first?

We haven't exactly had high first round picks in the last few years as 24diving mentioned. Bellows, Barzal, Beauviller, Dal Colle, Ho-Sang, and Pulock were our first round picks in the last five years. Dal Colle was 5th and Pulock was 15th. Those were the highest picks. We’ve also drafted guys like Aho, Golyshev, Koivula, Vande Somple, Wortherspoon, Toews, Sorokin, and Soderstrom in later rounds and all of those guys are legit prospects. Again, not high end guys, but they all should at least play in the NHL at some point.

That depends on what timeline you're operating. I believe that 2010 is a good year to start - we got Tavares the year prior, so we should have started building a team around him. We had four high picks (4th, 5th, 4th and 5th) - not only none of these guys cracked 60 points in the NHL, Griffin Reinheart has exactly 2 points in his 37 NHL games. For some reason we're actually did much better with the late first round picks: Pulock, Barzal, Beauvillier (I'm adding him in grudgingly here) and Bellows. The last one is still a mystery, but let's say he's not gonna suck. Because apparently that's the crossbar. For them to not suck.

You need those high end guys to build a contender. 4 high first round picks and we wasted all of them. That wouldn't happen if we had a good system in place.

 

[Jester9881]

Nothing wrong with the Isles scouting staff other than it's thin and under utilized in certain areas (Europe). I bet LL doesn't change much on the scouting side.... it's the player development side that has been horrid. AHL coaching staff and player development personnel should be concerned (Cairns and Reasoner). I'd bet good money this is where Mark Hunter comes in, maybe also as a scout or as both director of amateur scouting and player development.

Whatever happens, I expect some of the biggest changes to happen in player development.

 

[Jester9881]

He better get rid of Scott Gomez

Curious why you feel that way? I suspect he was the reason the PP turned around early on in the season.

 

[24diving]

But then you look at the drafting since 2010: Niederreiter, Strome, Reinheart, Dal Colle. So, for 4 of the last 7 years the Islanders picked from the first five. That's not a big amount of high first?.

I went back 5 years worth of drafting not 8 like you, because anyone drafted more than 5 years ago really shouldn’t be considered as part of the prospect pool. At this point they would have either made it or busted.

 

[Instant]

I went back 5 years worth of drafting not 8 like you, because anyone drafted more than 5 years ago really shouldn’t be considered as part of the prospect pool. At this point they would have either made it or busted.

Oh, yes, you can't include busted prospects while trying to judge the drafting staff, that would be irrational

 

[Jester9881]

I think Isles scouting has been underfunded. I used to think their draft tendencies were about preference, we never drafted Euro's and I'd suspect that we barely had any scouting presence in that region. Look at how we always went to the Waterloo well in the later rounds.

I think Lou knows he has to pump some money and resources into that department, Malkin seems to have given him a green light for whatever he wants to do too.

The Devils have I believe six Euro scouts, the Islanders have one. Toronto has a Director of Euro Scouts and an assistant Director of Euro scouts to go along with a half dozen just dedicated to Europe. This is a big problem.

As far as the Islanders prospect pool ranking.... I agree it's pretty bad at the moment. Take into account the parameters of who is still considered a prospect and who graduated over the past two years and you're left with who? Keiffer Bellows, Ilya Sorokin, Linus Soderstrom and maybe Devon Toews as high end prospects? Not the worst in the league, but certainly has to be in the back half.

But considering the fact that they have four high picks in this coming draft and Pulock, Beauvillier, Barzal and Pelech all graduated in the past two years and are pretty important players? I don't think this is too much of an issue.

 

[Richie Daggers Crime]

This is like those Purge movies, which look interesting and look like something I'd want to watch, but actually never put any effort into seeing them, so I must not find them that interesting looking really.

 

[24diving]

Oh, yes, you can't include busted prospects while trying to judge the drafting staff, that would be irrational

This isn’t about the drafting staff. This conversation was about the prospect pool and it’s quality. You claimed the isles should have a better prospect pool based on all of the recent high first round picks.