Speculation: Offseason Thread Pt IV

[Frankie41987]

Yea that totally wasn’t Lou the runner up in trades for Stone and O’Reilly or attempting to sign Panarin, just a big conspiracy by insiders and beat reporters in putting our name out there.

What exactly are Trotz and crew? Never EVER have there been such monumental staff acquisitions for this club.

It’s been one year and I’ve seen the Islanders linked or mentioned with almost every major available player available, that has never happened during my years of hardcore fandom.

With all these players we almost got, maybe someday we will almost win the cup. Also, Lou was never touted by "insiders" to be the runner up for O'reilly. Again, Lou has done a wonderful job improving the front office and coaching up and down but that's half the job. If he can't improve the on ice roster then he should be the head of hockey ops, not GM. Almost getting players mean nothing, if he has been trying all year and coming up short then that's just not getting the job done. Of course there is still time to improve the roster but we will see if he can get creative enough to do it in a market that you can't just lure FA's with loads of money.

 

[MJF]

Mid July, not looking good on the roster augmentation front. Yet, we’ll read that we have until October. I’ve read similar spins here (and elsewhere) for years. We shall see.

For years this team was run by two incompetent GMs and owned by an incompetent owner.

Haven't the current owners and GM earned a little bit of patience from the fans?

 

[MJF]

In one offseason the Rangers landed Panarin, Trouba, Fox, Shestyorkin, and KK.
It's been two drafts and two free agencies. The trade front will go colder once camp starts. Lou doesn't like the deadline so this is the same team as last year.
I don't care about 103 points. Fluke year that won't happen again. Right now we look like a lottery team. Not sure if that was Lou's plan all along.

This is one of the most ignorant, least pragmatic views you can find on social media.

 

[MJF]

The Islanders have been a punchline for almost 30 years it will take some consistency/ winning and serious culture change for them to get media coverage. Hopefully they are on the right track but it will just take time. I have said this to my friends = until the Islanders are able to sign a big name player / top free agent as the (Mets did when they got Pedro) no one will run to play here not even for more money and the arena fiasco only adds to the problem. I hope Trotz can repeat his magic as this is the same exact team as last year with no offensive additions/ help as of yet. We all hope the power play will improve with better coaching but I find it hard to believe that these guys will suddenly find the back of the net with pucks, IMO the team desperately needs a finisher on the PP as of right now we still have none.Time will tell but the this team will not surprise or shock opponents early on as they did last year because teams now know what to expect and will not take us lightly. This will be an up hill battle and if the roster stays as is ( I would love to be wrong ) but I expect a step back from last year, time will tell

And even if we were to rid ourselves of the stench of the last 30 years it wouldn't matter as far as coverage in the NY media is concerned. It's hockey. In this town hockey is a nuisance to the radio shows and the newspapers.

 

[Top Corner]

It’s incredible how so many people crap on those who have hated how long it’s taken Snow to do anything that would cut possible years off of building this franchise to a semblance of what it once was. To be fair, Snow had no experience and a Wang factor to deal with but when new owners came in there were no excuses but he continued to be lethargic in decision making and loyalty flaws possibly that blurred his vision so he needed to go.

In comes Lou after being exiled from Toronto and a rare coin in the form of Trotz appears in front of him so he snatches it up and us Isles fans are elated. The chants begin, “In Lou we trust “

Then the work to save JT begins but there isn’t much time to save this ship but at least he tried and we can’t blame him for that.

Barry then takes the pieces he has and puts together a super jet to take us through the year but knowing it may not be good enough for the return flight if we don’t add.

From all accounts this is what Lou wanted to do at the trade deadline and offseason but until now he hasn’t !

So since before the deadline , are the Lou supporters saying there wasn’t a deal that would be fair for both clubs when every other team did something? To me it can only be a few things

1. Asset pool not strong enough to make moves without taking from Peter to pay Paul

2. Lou’s overly cautious and timid to pull the trigger

3. GMs are not fond of making deals with Lou and look elsewhere

But to date let’s be honest , Lou hasn’t really done a lot yet and that could change but be sure that this needs to if we want to be considered anything other than the doormat we’ve been looked at in the past

To be fair to the other GMs before Lou , they’ve not had the budget Lou has had

 

[PK Cronin]

It’s incredible how so many people crap on those who have hated how long it’s taken Snow to do anything that would cut possible years off of building this franchise to a semblance of what it once was. To be fair, Snow had no experience and a Wang factor to deal with but when new owners came in there were no excuses but he continued to be lethargic in decision making and loyalty flaws possibly that blurred his vision so he needed to go.

In comes Lou after being exiled from Toronto and a rare coin in the form of Trotz appears in front of him so he snatches it up and us Isles fans are elated. The chants begin, “In Lou we trust “

Then the work to save JT begins but there isn’t much time to save this ship but at least he tried and we can’t blame him for that.

Barry then takes the pieces he has and puts together a super jet to take us through the year but knowing it may not be good enough for the return flight if we don’t add.

From all accounts this is what Lou wanted to do at the trade deadline and offseason but until now he hasn’t !

So since before the deadline , are the Lou supporters saying there wasn’t a deal that would be fair for both clubs when every other team did something? To me it can only be a few things

1. Asset pool not strong enough to make moves without taking from Peter to pay Paul

2. Lou’s overly cautious and timid to pull the trigger

3. GMs are not fond of making deals with Lou and look elsewhere

But to date let’s be honest , Lou hasn’t really done a lot yet and that could change but be sure that this needs to if we want to be considered anything other than the doormat we’ve been looked at in the past

To be fair to the other GMs before Lou , they’ve not had the budget Lou has had

He produced a better team, with less talent in his first season as GM than I've seen in my entire life. He's earned some patience for just doing that. Lamoriello was probably cautious given it was a new team he was less familiar with and was sorting out the front office stuff in addition to the on ice product.

 

[Satan'sIsland81]

Glad you won't be watching since they won't be exciting and you've lost interest. Maybe the Rags will be fun and exciting and you can go over to their board!

I always love how on this board if you point out that our GM has done nothing and has failed to upgrade the team, you get the response of "he tried," "he was in on every major player," "he was the runner up for this guy and that guy." Then when you point out a team that has ACTUALLY ACQUIRED multiple new players to upgrade their team, you are told to go watch or root for that team. You can only laugh at the absurdity.

 

[Satan'sIsland81]

He produced a better team, with less talent in his first season as GM than I've seen in my entire life. He's earned some patience for just doing that. Lamoriello was probably cautious given it was a new team he was less familiar with and was sorting out the front office stuff in addition to the on ice product.

That was last year. What will the excuse be this year, when he makes no moves in the offseason (draft or free agency), and then probably does nothing again next year at the deadline? He will still be "sorting" things out?

 

[PK Cronin]

I always love how on this board if you point out that our GM has done nothing and has failed to upgrade the team, you get the response of "he tried," "he was in on every major player," "he was the runner up for this guy and that guy." Then when you point out a team that has ACTUALLY ACQUIRED multiple new players to upgrade their team, you are told to go watch or root for that team. You can only laugh at the absurdity.

My comment to the poster is directly tied to something they posted.

If Lamoriello couldn't get something done and it's not because of something in his control, why would I be upset about it? Every team and situation is different. The Rangers have a leg up on us no matter what. They play in one of the best cities in the world, at one of the world's most famous arenas, are an original six franchise, have tons of amenities to offer, and haven't been a complete disaster for 30 years, with two more (at least) seasons being played in two different arenas (neither of which are suitable for an NHL franchise). Why am I going to be upset about Lamoriello not being able to do the impossible, getting a big ticket free agent to sign here, after only having one season to turn things around? Why do you think it's so easy?

I generally don't care about the moves that are made in the off-season. You don't win the cup in July. I'm willing to wait and see what the issues are and then criticize the moves. I'm not sure how rational it is for you and others to continually come in and shit on anything and everything, but then you keep coming back for more. If you don't like the owners, arena, GM, the team, the additions, the subtractions, why are you still watching?

It's okay to criticize or question, but not everything needs to be turned into some type of catastrophic event.

That was last year. What will the excuse be this year, when he makes no moves in the offseason (draft or free agency), and then probably does nothing again next year at the deadline? He will still be "sorting" things out?

There won't be an excuse. Not sure why you think there will. Also, it's an explanation, not an excuse. You guys just keep looking the other way about the team having the most successful season in 30 years and pretending like that doesn't mean anything about the job he's done. If you want a GM who makes moves to just make them root for Columbus or something, I hear they're in great shape.

 

[Uncle Duke]

2. Lou’s overly cautious and timid to pull the trigger

He just put a legit $12.5M offer out there for an $11M dollar player but he's overly cautious and can't pull the trigger. Do you think at all before you write or are you just here to troll?

 

[xECK29x]

I always love how on this board if you point out that our GM has done nothing and has failed to upgrade the team, you get the response of "he tried," "he was in on every major player," "he was the runner up for this guy and that guy." Then when you point out a team that has ACTUALLY ACQUIRED multiple new players to upgrade their team, you are told to go watch or root for that team. You can only laugh at the absurdity.

You don’t have to post here you know if we are all a bunch of sucker dumbs dumbs

 

[buud]

I am GLAD that LL is being selective. We certainly don't need to overpay for more middling forwards.

LL most certainly has an eye to the expansion draft, and is hopefully looking to add 'protectable' pieces. Probably every GM is doing that, so it's not going to be easy.

Even if we strike out this off-season, I am ok with the team as is. See if they can replicate last year's success, decide who to keep, and then make some big moves.

Let's see how the PP is, too. Can make a huge difference.

 

[xECK29x]

Let's see how the PP is, too. Can make a huge difference.

Hiller is going to be a huge factor here, just look at the PP% of the teams he has coached on, one of the best PP coaches in the league.

 

[Lame Lambert]

This place is insufferable. 103 point season, 2nd round of the playoffs, and now we’re about to break ground on a 1.3 billion dollar arena complex. This is the most competence we’ve seen in 30 YEARS, and you people are f***ing whining about it.

 

[MJF]

This place is insufferable. 103 point season, 2nd round of the playoffs, and now we’re about to break ground on a 1.3 billion dollar arena complex. This is the most competence we’ve seen in 30 YEARS, and you people are ****ing whining about it.

Some Isles fans are friggin exhausting.

 

[xECK29x]

Some Isles fans are friggin exhausting.

And I’m just sick of it, it’s going to be a long summer

 

[Satan'sIsland81]

My comment to the poster is directly tied to something they posted.

If Lamoriello couldn't get something done and it's not because of something in his control, why would I be upset about it? Every team and situation is different. The Rangers have a leg up on us no matter what. They play in one of the best cities in the world, at one of the world's most famous arenas, are an original six franchise, have tons of amenities to offer, and haven't been a complete disaster for 30 years, with two more (at least) seasons being played in two different arenas (neither of which are suitable for an NHL franchise). Why am I going to be upset about Lamoriello not being able to do the impossible, getting a big ticket free agent to sign here, after only having one season to turn things around? Why do you think it's so easy?

I generally don't care about the moves that are made in the off-season. You don't win the cup in July. I'm willing to wait and see what the issues are and then criticize the moves. I'm not sure how rational it is for you and others to continually come in and **** on anything and everything, but then you keep coming back for more. If you don't like the owners, arena, GM, the team, the additions, the subtractions, why are you still watching?

It's okay to criticize or question, but not everything needs to be turned into some type of catastrophic event.



There won't be an excuse. Not sure why you think there will. Also, it's an explanation, not an excuse. You guys just keep looking the other way about the team having the most successful season in 30 years and pretending like that doesn't mean anything about the job he's done. If you want a GM who makes moves to just make them root for Columbus or something, I hear they're in great shape.

Who said anything about him being able to control where Panarin signs? Correct me if I am wrong, but I dont think I have seen a single post bashing Lou as a failure for not getting Panarin. Where he does deserve bashing for his failure is his lack of any kind of move that he DOES have control over, trades, offer sheet, etc. In 14 months on the job, he has made one trade, bringing back Matt Martin for an ECHLer. I want you to look around the league and see how many trades have been made in the last 14 months, actually how many have been made in the last 2 months for that matter. You are telling me he could not have made ONE, I mean a SINGLE trade to upgrade the team in 14 months with all of the other moves we have seen around the league? You have to give to get. We cannot expect to keep EVERY SINGLE PROSPECT AND DRAFT PICK, and ever upgrade the team to take that final step from second round playoff team to cup contenders. That is on him to make that happen. Again, before the inevitable responses come in, I am not saying trading Dobson or Wahlstrom or Sorokin, but the goal is to win the cup, not to stockpile prospects and draft picks for this future that never seems to come for this team. And if he cannot make any trades, then there are plenty of players he could offer sheet, Laine, Rantanen, Point and more. All of these players would be MONUMENTAL upgrades on our current top 6. I DONT CARE ABOUT FIRST ROUND PICKS ANYMORE. If he is unwilling to do any of these things: trade or give offer sheets, then please tell me what exactly he is doing to upgrade the team?

 

[Satan'sIsland81]

This place is insufferable. 103 point season, 2nd round of the playoffs, and now we’re about to break ground on a 1.3 billion dollar arena complex. This is the most competence we’ve seen in 30 YEARS, and you people are ****ing whining about it.

The goal is to win the cup not get to the second round of the playoffs once every five years. Once you become a playoff team, the idea is to upgrade. That is what every team around the league tries to do...except this one, which has not made a trade or addition to the team in a full year.

 

[xECK29x]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I dont think I have seen a single post bashing Lou as a failure for not getting Panarin

You definitely have blinders on

then please tell me what exactly he is doing to upgrade the team?

I don’t know man, go @Staple or something we are just fans here. But he clearly is going after the best of best players and staff available on a constant basis

 

[Lame Lambert]

The goal is to win the cup not get to the second round of the playoffs once every five years. Once you become a playoff team, the idea is to upgrade. That is what every team around the league tries to do...except this one, which has not made a trade or addition to the team in a full year.

We missed the playoffs 2 years straight; the 2nd round is a significant improvement. Stop whining about not making offseason moves when the season doesn’t start for 3 months. You were probably whining in 2014 before we got Leddy and Boychuk too.

 

[MJF]

The goal is to win the cup not get to the second round of the playoffs once every five years. Once you become a playoff team, the idea is to upgrade. That is what every team around the league tries to do...except this one, which has not made a trade or addition to the team in a full year.

By not trading that means Lou isn’t trying to win the cup???

Take a lap bruh

 

[Satan'sIsland81]

We missed the playoffs 2 years straight; the 2nd round is a significant improvement. Stop whining about not making offseason moves when the season doesn’t start for 3 months. You were probably whining in 2014 before we got Leddy and Boychuk too.

The usual Leddy/Boychuk response...the one day of big moves we have made leading up to a season in 10 years. (Of course nobody ever mentions these are the two most frequently mentioned players by these same posters that should now be traded away, you can only laugh). And yes the second round is a significant improvement, you are right. So then tell me, is the goal now to to take the next toward cup contention when we are maybe 2-3 players away from that level, or to be complacent and content with that, do nothing and then regress like we did EVERY SINGLE time after a positive season under Garth Snow. I had hoped that had changed.

 

[Lame Lambert]

By not trading that means Lou isn’t trying to win the cup???

Take a lap bruh

Moar trades = better team. It’s a proven fact.

 

[MJF]

Moar trades = better team. It’s a proven fact.

It’s science

 

[Satan'sIsland81]

By not trading that means Lou isn’t trying to win the cup???

Take a lap bruh

So answer the question, tell me what he is doing. He will not/cannot sign any free agents (in the case of the top ones, out of his control, I agree), he does not make any trades and he will not do offer sheets, so please directly answer this question: with PLAYER PERSONNEL, what exactly is he doing in the last 14 months to make this team a contender?