There is a better than 50/50 chance that you are right. Listening to and reading many of the Isles-related podcasts and blog posts there is a hope and a belief that Barzy is going to take it to the next level and Pulock is going to become a 1st pair stud and Trotz is going to squeeze every last bit of production out of every last player and on and on. But listening to and reading between the lines, you can tell that there is a genuine fear that it will be a train-wreck of a season. I'm hoping for the former and dreading the latter.
It'll most likely be somewhere in the middle. I expect the system to improve and the goals against to be significantly reduced. There's enough firepower up front to score some goals but at the end of the day, the lack of talent on D and in goal, lack of depth on D and 50% of the forwards being has-beens or goons will result in a long season. About 85 points. 10th or 11th in the conference. Essentially meaningless games after Christmas.
The "consensus" also was that Nelson, Reinhart, Dal Colle, Ho-Sang, Strome, etc. would be stars. I can go back farther and talk about Torres, Nilsson, Connolly, etc. The fact is that most draft picks DON'T become top line players. Especially not in their rookie season. Every single season Islanders fans pin their hopes on prospects. And more often than not, we get kicked in the teeth... But then September rolls around and we get all excited about the next draft pick and how he's doing in preseason.
One bad year will only help us. Look at the top ten kids this year. Ask Tampa if a bad year or two can help you in a hot and heavy draft. If we can pick top 5 it was worth it this year.
Scoring 20+ goals in the NHL is rare. Only about 100 players do it every year. Not many teams can boast more than three 20 goal scorers. If you're scoring 20+ you're most likely a "top line" player.
Your "somewhere in the middle" is the consensus "good" amongst the media wonks, I think, and that is only possible with Barzy lighting it up and Pulock coming along faster than we could have hoped. Still too many holes elsewhere. Another season in the middle with another 10-15 first rounder is the last thing I want (we won't be as lucky as we were this year). Hoping for Trotz magic or total tank. Well, not hoping for total tank, actually dreading it as I said, but would dread mushy middle more.
I hope you're right but these are the kinds of expectations that too many of the faithful have IMHO. The worst NHL player on the worst NHL team is a great hockey player at pretty much any other level. The point is, being great and rising above NHL average is tough, even for the supremely talented. And then there are the intangibles. Our young talent still has a ways to go and expecting them to be NHL elite right now is going to lead to some disappointment, I think.
Well I brought up those players as it relates to the conversation. First round picks that failed to live up to expectations. Players where the "general consensus" was that they'd be stars before playing a single NHL game. For every Barzal there's a half dozen who disappointed.
| Games | GA | GAA | |
| Weight | 122 | 406 | 3.32 |
| Capuano | 206 | 560 | 2.77 |
| Trotz | 328 | 805 | 2.45 |
Fair point. Although he scored more than 20 only once his career and didn't do it in his rookie year. 20 goals by itself may not make someone a first liner but look at the players who consistently score 20+ goals. Most of them would be considered top liners.
