Speculation: Tavares Tells Toronto, "I'm YOUR Huckleberry Now". Fans leaguewide mourn.

[Ranksu]

They might not have been the favorite, but there have definitely been times the Blues have been Cup contenders since their first couple of years in the league (and you can make a strong case they weren't actually contenders back then even though they were in the finals).

Please can you educate me, when Blues have been Stanley Cup contender if not include 1967-1970 seasons.

* * *

But this is OT and doesn't belong in this thread. I tho agree that with Tavares we would definetely go straight contender status.

 

[TruBlu]

Weren't they guaranteed a SCF appearance then?

 

[EastonBlues22]

The Blues have won the President's trophy as the best team in the league. That should automatically make you a contender, no? They've made it to the third round a few times, including being one win away from the finals once. Do none of those qualify?

More to the point, if you won't take my word for it, then there's really reason to try to convince you. There's no way to "prove" it. Anything used to support the notion can be argued against (Best team in the league? Didn't go deep in the playoffs. Went deep in the playoffs? Wasn't very good in the regular season, or they weren't able to do that multiple years in a row). If you want to be skeptical about this, you're going to continue to be a skeptic.

There's good hockey to watch tonight, both in the NHL and for the Memorial Cup. I'd rather spend my time doing that.

 

[EastonBlues22]

Weren't they guaranteed a SCF appearance then?

The expansion teams were in one bracket, and the established team in the other, so it was guaranteed that at least one expansion team would be in the finals.

The Blues still had to win their way there, but there was pretty much no way they were beating whatever established team came out of the other bracket.

 

[stl76]

Exclusive: Lou Lamoriello will be hired to run Islanders' hockey operations

Exclusive: Lou Lamoriello will be hired to run Islanders'...

More details are to come in the next few days, but there was contact last week between UFA-to-be John Tavares and former TOR GM Lou Lamoriello.

I'm not exactly sure how it will all work, but we've all believed Lamoriello will eventually run the NYI hockey operations department...and it's believed he represented the Islanders when he spoke to Tavares.

 

[67Blues]

I'd say the chances of Tavares hitting free agency took a serious hit with big Lou calling the shots for NYI

 

[Stealth JD]

Lamoriello is an antiquated dinosaur. I don't think this particularly impacts the Isles chances of resigning Tavares, unless 'Ol Lou can strap on the pads and play #1 D or #1G for 70-games next year. Tavares is 6 weeks away from complete freedom to do whatever he wants, including return to the Islanders. Why give up that right with this news?

 

[Dbrownss]

I'd say the chances of Tavares hitting free agency took a serious hit with big Lou calling the shots for NYI

Why? He left the devils fairly pathetic and walked into the leads getting very lucky in the draft. Not saying he's terrible but it's not like he's some miracle performer

 

[stl76]

Why? He left the devils fairly pathetic and walked into the leads getting very lucky in the draft. Not saying he's terrible but it's not like he's some miracle performer

He's highly respected around the league and will take over some/all the important decision making for the franchise from Snow...the fact that Snow's role will be reduced in some way can't hurt the chances Tavares re-signs in NY. Far from a sure thing, but I think the chances of Tavares re-signing just went up (even if only slightly).

 

[BlueDream]

I think Tavares would be an idiot to not at least test the market.

I'm still trying to think of a reason for him to stay with the Islanders...

1. Money? No. He can get big bucks from many different teams.
2. Certainly he has a better chance of winning elsewhere

I have yet to come up with a logical answer as to why he would.

 

[Dbrownss]

He's highly respected around the league and will take over some/all the important decision making for the franchise from Snow...the fact that Snow's role will be reduced in some way can't hurt the chances Tavares re-signs in NY. Far from a sure thing, but I think the chances of Tavares re-signing just went up (even if only slightly).

If I'm Tavares....so. Is he willing to commit another 8yrs of his life to that organization based on a guy's reputation? Especially this close to FA. I agree that this only helps, but this isn't the Islanders acquiring Karlsson and a true #1 goalie

 

[EastonBlues22]

I think Tavares would be an idiot to not at least test the market.

I'm still trying to think of a reason for him to stay with the Islanders...

1. Money? No. He can get big bucks from many different teams.
2. Certainly he has a better chance of winning elsewhere

I have yet to come up with a logical answer as to why he would.

The obvious one is that he has already established a life for himself there, and there's a reasonable chance that he'd prefer to stay put than start over from scratch somewhere else.

I'm not saying that as a fact, but if he didn't particularly want to move, that could be all the reason he actually needs to stay.

 

[67Blues]

Why? He left the devils fairly pathetic and walked into the leads getting very lucky in the draft. Not saying he's terrible but it's not like he's some miracle performer

He's head and shoulders above Snow and if Lou is running the show and not Snow, that should be a huge nudge back to keeping him in the Isle fold.

 

[Brian39]

New York is a pretty great place to live if you have a bunch of money and he seems (or is rumored) to enjoy the relative anonymity of playing for the Isles instead of the Rangers. If that is true, the Isles are still a great fit for him personally. There is also something to be said for being a 1 franchise guy. All things being equal, I'd prefer to get to the top of the hill for the team who drafted me instead of having to join a new team to get it done. He is the undisputed face of the franchise for the Isles in a way he may not be for another team. There is personal pride in proving you can be the guy to build around instead of being the final piece. There will be some degree of pride-swallowing if he goes somewhere else. I'm not saying it will be embarrassing or he should be at all ashamed, but these are all considerations.

 

[Brian39]

Why? He left the devils fairly pathetic and walked into the leads getting very lucky in the draft. Not saying he's terrible but it's not like he's some miracle performer

Lou's team identified Andersen as a legit #1, traded a 1st and 2nd to get him and then locked him up for 5 years to a fair deal. He also oversaw the drafting/development of Brodeur and acquired Schneider to replace Marty. I can't think of a better GM to trust to fix goaltending issuse, which the Isles have in spades.

Edit: He got there about a month after Marner was drafted, so I deleted that part.

 

[Dbrownss]

Marner is looking like a very good pick beyond just luck. Lou's team identified Andersen as a legit #1, traded a 1st and 2nd to get him and then locked him up for 5 years to a fair deal. He also oversaw the drafting/development of Brodeur and acquired Schneider to replace Marty. I can't think of a better GM to trust to fix goaltending issuse, which the Isles have in spades.

Yea, I was thinking about Andersen after I posted. I'm just saying this isnt some quantum shift. It's obvious Islander need goaltending help but they also need defense.

 

[Brian39]

Yea, I was thinking about Andersen after I posted. I'm just saying this isnt some quantum shift. It's obvious Islander need goaltending help but they also need defense.

It's a massive upgrade over Snow though and he's a guy who is best known for addressing their biggest needs (goaltending and defense). I'm not saying that it guarantees a Tavares extension or that he is the best GM in the league. But it is a massive step forward from the worst GM in hockey and has to show Tavares that the team is committed to winning.

 

[67Blues]

I wonder how long before Marty's phone starts ringing with an offer from Lou? Is Brodeur's contract up?

 

[TK 421]

This is a last gasp attempt by the Islanders to keep JT and this close to FA he'd have to be a fool to not to see what offers will be on the table unless he was looking for excuses to stay.

 

[jbron]

Doubt Tavares would have met LL if he didn't plan on resigning. Better yet, doubt LL takes the job without a good indication that Tavares resigns. Lou's son is assistant GM of the Islanders and for sure he wouldn't join the Islanders if he didn't feel he had the power or players to make an impact.

 

[Dbrownss]

It's a massive upgrade over Snow though and he's a guy who is best known for addressing their biggest needs (goaltending and defense). I'm not saying that it guarantees a Tavares extension or that he is the best GM in the league. But it is a massive step forward from the worst GM in hockey and has to show Tavares that the team is committed to winning.

Seems "desperate"though with JT having 1 foot out the door. Well see I guess

 

[Majorityof1]

Doubt Tavares would have met LL if he didn't plan on resigning. Better yet, doubt LL takes the job without a good indication that Tavares resigns. Lou's son is assistant GM of the Islanders and for sure he wouldn't join the Islanders if he didn't feel he had the power or players to make an impact.

That's a ridiculous statement. Tavares could easily want to hear what Lou said without already having decided to sign. The point of the meeting was probably to explain the new direction. But that doesn't mean Tavares won't want to hear what other teams say. The best course of action when you are unsure of a decision is to get as much information as possible. At this point, it behooves Tavares to wait and get info from other teams unless Lou blew him away with his plan.

As for Lou, maybe he wanted to stay a GM rather than be retired to a non-essential front office position in Toronto. If the Isles offered him that chance, a ton of money and an opportunity to work with his son, his decision could very well have zero to do with Tavares. When he signed in Toronto, he didn't have a Tavares-caliber player. They just drafted Marner, but didn't have Matthews yet. So its not like he needs a star player to take on a rebuilding job.

Yes, this move makes it more likely that Tavares stays because Lou has a good rep and isn't Snow. However, it is far from guaranteed at this point. Assuming otherwise is jumping to conclusions.

 

[stl76]

I wonder how long before Marty's phone starts ringing with an offer from Lou? Is Brodeur's contract up?

Marty's phone may have already been ringing with interviews for GM positions (Minnesota, Carolina, etc), but I doubt it was Lou on the other end.

Lou's son Chris is currently the islanders Director of Player Development and was the GM of an AHL team for 14 years. I gotta think that, assuming that he wants to be an NHL GM some day like his dad, Chris Lamoriello would be next in line/groomed to be islanders GM whenever Lou/Snow are finished...

 

[Ranksu]

0.1% change Tavares comes in Blues.

Hey, change is a change.

 

[Ranksu]