Newsday: Analysis: How Islanders’ optimism proved unfounded

[periferal]

http://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/islanders/analysis-how-islanders-optimism-proved-unfounded-1.12865075?utm_content=buffercb1c3&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

The most notable part about this article is its tone given that Staple wrote it. It feels to me like he took jabs at snow & capuano that he wouldn't/didn't have the freedom to before. Maybe it's nothing, but I've been reading Staple before and he would never say things like this:


"Garth Snow’s decisions to let Kyle Okposo walk in free agency in favor of Andrew Ladd, to wait until close to the start of free agency to engage in serious contract talks with Frans Nielsen and to maintain the three-goaltender situation until just last week have not helped his team."

"Jack Capuano and his beleaguered coaching staff have struggled to find a way to get the Islanders to play with consistent pace and push the play in all situations..."

"And the roster, from captain John Tavares on down, has been better of late but not consistently good enough to succeed in the difficult Eastern Conference."


Feels like to me Staple wrote with a freedom that I haven't seen from him before. I'd love to think that he was told to report more freely from Ledecky, knows snow's days are numbered, or both.

Click to read more...

 

[PK Cronin]

I think he gets a bad wrap and he's always been fairly consistent. He's not offering much opinion there, as always, he's just stating facts. On twitter he's gotten more loose with his opinion this season, but I think he's trying to find his way through that particular platform. His job isn't to give his opinion, but to report the facts surrounding the team. He reported those before and currently, it's unfortunate that fans can't seem to grasp the difference between a beat reporter and a opinion based columnist.

 

[IslesNorway]

The more of these types of articles the better. Puts pressure on ownership to do something

 

[majormet]

My guess is that the Isles may end up making Ken Hitchcock their president once he leaves ST Louis next year. Hitch would not be the coach, but I think that is going to be the big move to change things in the offseason.

Cappy really needs a guy like Lorne Henning on the bench. Cappy is an analytics guy and rah rah coach, which actually works, but there needs to be that guy on the bench that detects and adjusts.... Henning was that guy for Al Arbour and when you hear him talk, he would fit that job perfectly.

 

[blitzkriegs]

My guess is that the Isles may end up making Ken Hitchcock their president once he leaves ST Louis next year. Hitch would not be the coach, but I think that is going to be the big move to change things in the offseason.

Cappy really needs a guy like Lorne Henning on the bench. Cappy is an analytics guy and rah rah coach, which actually works, but there needs to be that guy on the bench that detects and adjusts.... Henning was that guy for Al Arbour and when you hear him talk, he would fit that job perfectly.

Hitch has already committed to an executive job with the team - so, not happening.

 

[blitzkriegs]

http://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/islanders/analysis-how-islanders-optimism-proved-unfounded-1.12865075?utm_content=buffercb1c3&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

The most notable part about this article is its tone given that Staple wrote it. It feels to me like he took jabs at snow & capuano that he wouldn't/didn't have the freedom to before. Maybe it's nothing, but I've been reading Staple before and he would never say things like this:


"Garth Snow’s decisions to let Kyle Okposo walk in free agency in favor of Andrew Ladd, to wait until close to the start of free agency to engage in serious contract talks with Frans Nielsen and to maintain the three-goaltender situation until just last week have not helped his team."

"Jack Capuano and his beleaguered coaching staff have struggled to find a way to get the Islanders to play with consistent pace and push the play in all situations..."

"And the roster, from captain John Tavares on down, has been better of late but not consistently good enough to succeed in the difficult Eastern Conference."


Feels like to me Staple wrote with a freedom that I haven't seen from him before. I'd love to think that he was told to report more freely from Ledecky, knows snow's days are numbered, or both.

Don't get the obsession with the guy and what he writes. If anything he deserves an award for all the crappy 'fans' he deals with on Twitter - reading the comments and even the questions is embarrassing.

He's just stating the facts in this piece. That's it. They are obvious to all and he put them in a column. Yippee. Doubtful it has anything to do with Ledecky - more that the team botched the offseason and it shows in the standings - again, obvious facts.

He's just missing the PAP thing and the Barzal thing.

 

[LeapOnOver]

This is actually one of the few fine examples of journalism. Facts and stats stated in comprehensible sentences with very little injection of emotion. The difference between a blogger and an actual real journalist. If only more journalists got back to facts the world would be a better place.

 

[SI90]

Art trying to get his credentials pulled so he doesn't have to deal with this **** show anymore. Probably would prefer covering chess tournaments in Central Park

 

[Jester9881]

He's just stating the obvious..... I get that he probably sugar coats things to keep the team happy, but he's also got a professional reputation to uphold. I'm still fine with letting Okposo walk, but everything else was a comedy of fail. I never thought Snow could have an off season worse than 2013 when he failed to get us a goaltender a year after breaking into the playoffs. This one was worse in so many ways, and mostly revolve around one needless roster decision to hold onto a 3rd goaltender.

Without Berube, the goaltending would have sorted itself out, and Snow wouldn't have had to waive PaP to make room for Quine/Prince and Barzal/Beauvillier. How much better would that top line and PP look right now? How much better would their goal differential and PK look? Total disaster, and for no good reason. To hold onto a goalie that might be a decent backup? I'm getting furious just typing it out.

 

[teknics]

Art trying to get his credentials pulled so he doesn't have to deal with this **** show anymore. Probably would prefer covering chess tournaments in Central Park

It's time to let the Botta thing go already.

 

[redbull]

I live in Toronto, the media is all-too-often full of themselves and the narratives that run talk radio are self-serving and self-indulgent. They fall in love with themselves and think they actually matter at times.

But I get to hear Babcock speak to the media every day, what seems like 4-6 microphones/iPhones in his face. He's asked every question in every way. He's very confident/arrogant but he knows the team and the game and is very calculated in what/how is said.

But the fact is, very little (if any) of what's written matters to Lou Lamoriello, Mike Babcock and Brendan Shanahan. It's clear they have a plan, a mission and go about their day. Babcock is a master at shaping the narratives, diffusing issues. Lamoriello is even better - for example, nobody's been able to figure out where Joffrey Lupul is. Just like Stephane Robidas last year. They have unsigned players practicing with the team all season (Brandon Prust, Kari Ramo) while other players mysteriously sit on the roster and never play (Frankie Corrado and Josh Leivo)

Point being, Staple doesn't matter to the Islanders and either did Botta. I don't think media pressure would make a difference to anyone, including Ledecky. If it did, then this is not the owner or GM the team needs.

This Isles team was trending in the right direction, for sure. There was some poor drafting/player development or just current assessment mis-steps that caused this disaster season - all this past summer. It's a parity league, small things are big things.

I think Frans' absence is the most significant. He just wasn't replaced at all, and he drove a line on his own, at BOTH ends of the ice and special teams. Okposo-Ladd, I still consider that a wash, give or take. I think the team misses Martin but more from a character/chemistry/identity aspect.

Even Ledecky has been around long enough to understand what the team lost. How they needed to BOTH retain Frans, Okposo, Martin and ADD a top line winger so none of this should be surprising to anyone.

I think what Ledecky needs to do is clean house. Get a fresh set of eyes on the team from an organization aspect (GM, player development) as well as coaching, special teams. Someone else needs to assess. Because maybe approaching Frans and KO with an extension a year PRIOR and maybe dealing Strome/Nelson or dealing Frans/KO in the past off-season or other moves that weren't done may have made a difference.

All we see is what's in front of us and it's completely unacceptable.

The Isles are better than a bottom three team, for sure. But they aren't a playoff team, not this year and not next (not as currently constructed) - that's for sure...and that's why the organization needs an overhaul.

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

Interesting sidenote:
Seems like the Isles are on pace to have 19(!) players with 20 or more points by the end of the season.

This said, JT is off to solely (barely) 62 and then only Bailey and Nelsen look to be on pace for 50+.

The defense has contributed a good bit and the picture there is similar. The top 6 are all on pace for 20 points, but Leddy would lead the way as is with just about 33.

This naturally has no telling bearing on the team's finish in the standings, although the pace was clearly worse just 5 or 6 games ago.

 

[Chardo]

Interesting sidenote:
Seems like the Isles are on pace to have 19(!) players with 20 or more points by the end of the season.

This said, JT is off to solely (barely) 62 and then only Bailey and Nelsen look to be on pace for 50+.

The defense has contributed a good bit and the picture there is similar. The top 6 are all on pace for 20 points, but Leddy would lead the way as is with just about 33.

This naturally has no telling bearing on the team's finish in the standings, although the pace was clearly worse just 5 or 6 games ago.

I question whether anyone, except maybe bottom pair dmen, even belongs in the league if they can't score 20 points in a season.

 

[majormet]

I question whether anyone, except maybe bottom pair dmen, even belongs in the league if they can't score 20 points in a season.

In all fairness, you do have a lot of teams that roll out 3 lines and barely use the 4th line so it is hard to get 20 points that way.. reason why the Islanders will get everyone to 20 points is that they roll out 4 lines, not sure if that is that necessary these days

 

[redbull]

In all fairness, you do have a lot of teams that roll out 3 lines and barely use the 4th line so it is hard to get 20 points that way.. reason why the Islanders will get everyone to 20 points is that they roll out 4 lines, not sure if that is that necessary these days

If you remove Tavares, the team has four pretty solid 4th lines.


Lee - Beauvillier - Bailey
Ladd - Quine - Chimera
Nelson - Strome - Prince
Kulemin - Cizikas - Clutterbuck

 

[A Pointed Stick]

If you remove Tavares, the team has four pretty solid 4th lines.


Lee - Beauvillier - Bailey
Ladd - Quine - Chimera
Nelson - Strome - Prince
Kulemin - Cizikas - Clutterbuck

lol

 

[SI90]

It's time to let the Botta thing go already.

It's a fun inside joke and I couldn't give two ***** about Botta

Lighten up champ

 

[Doshell Propivo]

they needed to BOTH retain Frans, Okposo, Martin and ADD a top line winger.

How? Where would they find the cap space?

 

[redbull]

How? Where would they find the cap space?

It's what the team needed.

When the team needed defense Snow got Leddy and Boychuk.

He signed Grabo and Kukemin and the team was competitive.

Maybe the failures were in overestimating the impact of some players or not dealing players for assets the summer before or maybe making a trade, proactively.

Problems arise when you are unable to develop/draft any impact players since 2009 and it's the GMs job to at least be aware and manage assets accordingly.

Cap space is a red herring. That's just a result of poor GM decisions.

 

[Doshell Propivo]

It's what the team needed.

When the team needed defense Snow got Leddy and Boychuk.

He signed Grabo and Kukemin and the team was competitive.

Maybe the failures were in overestimating the impact of some players or not dealing players for assets the summer before or maybe making a trade, proactively.

Problems arise when you are unable to develop/draft any impact players since 2009 and it's the GMs job to at least be aware and manage assets accordingly.

Cap space is a red herring. That's just a result of poor GM decisions.

I don't know about a red herring, I mean, it's reality. But yeah, most cap space problems are due to poor GM decisions. Signing Okposo and Martin to those deals included.

 

[DarkHorse]

Was just thinking about how pathetic this team is at developing top-end talent. Look at our first-round picks under this regime.
Okposo - Never lived up to potential as a power forward
Bailey - turned a top-end passer into a defensive forward
Tavares - impossible to screw up, but they've tried
De Haan - injuries have kept his from reaching potential
Niedermayer - Ruined by coach/gm
Nelson - could be so much more
Strome - victim of mindgames by mindless coach
Reinhart - Bad pick to begin with
Pulock - injuries havent helped
Del Colle - meh
Ho-Sang - again, mindgames
Barzal - never given a chance
Beau - once again, mindgames

When you have a coach who puts all his faith in low skill, high effort vets your high end prospects suffer. Gotta put an end to it.