Around the League 2018-19 Offseason Part II

[glenwo2]

We could have won it if we had kept him.

Status Quo.

 

[sabremike]

The key difference with us is we were never hampered by big contracts during this rebuild.

Detroit is capped out. They have to trade away pieces just to get under. That is no way to manage a rebuild.

Isles should cash out as well on guys like Eberle. He most likely will not be apart of the future for them. Signing all these slugs and goons doesn’t help them at all either.

Cashing out on Eberle right now would net the team 20% of his actual value. Also he is 27-28 so unless you are of the opinion the team is going to be a basket case for the next 5 years why not keep him? Do you think he will instantly become a bad player the minute he turns 30? And if you have a 5 year rebuild you can kiss Barzal's ass goodbye the second he hits UFA. Fortunately I think this team has learned the very painful lesson as to what happens when you waste a franchise player with an endless rebuild and won't let it happen again. Also they didn't just spend millions on the best coach in the league so he can oversee a terrible team for half a decade.

 

[My3Sons]

Cashing out on Eberle right now would net the team 20% of his actual value. Also he is 27-28 so unless you are of the opinion the team is going to be a basket case for the next 5 years why not keep him? Do you think he will instantly become a bad player the minute he turns 30? And if you have a 5 year rebuild you can kiss Barzal's ass goodbye the second he hits UFA. Fortunately I think this team has learned the very painful lesson as to what happens when you waste a franchise player with an endless rebuild and won't let it happen again. Also they didn't just spend millions on the best coach in the league so he can oversee a terrible team for half a decade.

I don’t see Eberle staying with NYI for anything less than a market plus contract. It may be worth it for NYI to pay that but Eberle isn’t a long term Islander to have a deep connection to the team or location.

 

[glenwo2]

How much would Eberle command if a team wanted him?

 

[My3Sons]

How much would Eberle command if a team wanted him?

You have to think with his track record he commands a low first or high second plus a mid tier prospect at the deadline

 

[dzubrus8]

I don’t see Eberle staying with NYI for anything less than a market plus contract. It may be worth it for NYI to pay that but Eberle isn’t a long term Islander to have a deep connection to the team or location.

I'd be all over this if I'm Ray Shero. He and Taylor Hall have a good history together and he averaged 29.25 goals and 66 points over an 82 game season when playing with Hall (rookie season not included). That's top-10 RW numbers and he's still in his prime. Islanders acquired him in a previous regime and he also had a below average year with them. It's also worth wondering if his lack of defense will mesh with Trotz. One thing's for sure – he'd give the Devils a very solid top-9:

Hall - Hischier - Eberle
Johansson - Zacha - Palmieri
Wood - Zajac - Bratt
Coleman - Boyle - Noesen

I'd give up a 2020 2nd that becomes a 2020 1st if he re-signs (save our pick this year in case we fall out of the playoff race)

 

[Emperoreddy]

Lou isn’t doing us any favors with Eberle, especially when he could get a good return from most teams.

Man remember when people were talking about trading Severson for him?

 

[My3Sons]

Lou isn’t doing us any favors with Eberle, especially when he could get a good return from most teams.

Man remember when people were talking about trading Severson for him?

He is stubborn enough to potentially keep Eberle rather than trade him if he wants to make a run at the-signing him.

 

[Emperoreddy]

He is stubborn enough to potentially keep Eberle rather than trade him if he wants to make a run at the-signing him.

They just have so many holes. They need D, goaltending is a giant question mark. Their forward depth absolutely took a hit with JT walking.

 

[sabremike]

They just have so many holes. They need D, goaltending is a giant question mark. Their forward depth absolutely took a hit with JT walking.

Should be noted that the team has tons of good defensive prospects and that could become an area of strength sooner than people think. In the short term it will be a problem but this year with a sane coach I think it goes from nearly historically bad to just bad which is a significant improvement.

 

[NJDevs26]

He is stubborn enough to potentially keep Eberle rather than trade him if he wants to make a run at the-signing him.

Especially since Lou's always operated under a win-now mandate - sans the first season in Toronto where Shanny put the clamps on - and this offseason's been no different. He still made win-now moves after losing JT and deHaan and he's got a coach that isn't interested in rebuilding either, that tells you he's not trading Eberle...especially to us.

 

[SpeakingOfTheDevils]

There’s like a zero percent chance we land Eberle from the Islanders.

If you’re looking at top-6 RW options, a guy like Nyquist is a lot more realistic.

 

[sabremike]

Especially since Lou's always operated under a win-now mandate - sans the first season in Toronto where Shanny put the clamps on - and this offseason's been no different. He still made win-now moves after losing JT and deHaan and he's got a coach that isn't interested in rebuilding either, that tells you he's not trading Eberle...especially to us.

As an Isles STH the idea that acquiring several of the worst players in the entire league would be Lou's idea of win now moves makes me want to pull a Sylvia Plath and stick my head in an oven.

 

[MartyOwns]

Especially since Lou's always operated under a win-now mandate - sans the first season in Toronto where Shanny put the clamps on - and this offseason's been no different. He still made win-now moves after losing JT and deHaan and he's got a coach that isn't interested in rebuilding either, that tells you he's not trading Eberle...especially to us.

the sad thing is, for a guy like lou, getting matt martin, komarov, and kuhnhackl are ‘win-now’ moves in the wake of losing one of the most talented players to ever wear the jersey.

 

[Devils Dominion]

NYb will be much better than a lot of you guys think

 

[SpeakingOfTheDevils]

NYb will be much better than a lot of you guys think

And John Tavares will not be leaving the Island — book it.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

NYb will be much better than a lot of you guys think

They were awful last season and lost one of the best players in the NHL. I’m not following.

 

[sabremike]

They were awful last season and lost one of the best players in the NHL. I’m not following.

They also replaced the worst coach to be behind an NHL bench in a decade and one of the worst ever with the best coach in the entire league which sorta balances things out. It's the bringing in players that totally suck that's the problem.

 

[BahlDeep]

Eberle is as soft as they come. Not interested

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

They also replaced the worst coach to be behind an NHL bench in a decade and one of the worst ever with the best coach in the entire league which sorta balances things out. It's the bringing in players that totally suck that's the problem.

I think losing your best player is way more important than changing coaches. I expect their defense to improve, it couldn’t be worse. But I very much doubt they’re any better than last season. Probably much worse.

 

[sabremike]

Mat

I think losing your best player is way more important than changing coaches. I expect their defense to improve, it couldn’t be worse. But I very much doubt they’re any better than last season. Probably much worse.

Mat Barzal is still an Islander so that first part isn't correct.

 

[Better Call Sal]

Mat

Mat Barzal is still an Islander so that first part isn't correct.

That just isn’t true.

And it’ll be interesting to see how Barzal does with being the prime focal point of the opposing defense with Tavares gone.

 

[sabremike]

That just isn’t true.

And it’ll be interesting to see how Barzal does with being the prime focal point of the opposing defense with Tavares gone.

The metrics say it is true. Every game the team played after November went: team playing like crap pinned in their own end. Barzal line comes on the ice. Game does a complete 180 and the other team is pinned in their zone. Barzal line ends it's shift. Team goes back to being pinned in it's own end.

 

[Blender]

The metrics say it is true. Every game the team played after November went: team playing like crap pinned in their own end. Barzal line comes on the ice. Game does a complete 180 and the other team is pinned in their zone. Barzal line ends it's shift. Team goes back to being pinned in it's own end.

Was Barzal facing the top opposition every night? I'm pretty sure Tavares was. We'll see how Barzal copes with not playing behind someone anymore, most players regress a bit when that happens as it's a big adjustment.

 

[sabremike]

Was Barzal facing the top opposition every night? I'm pretty sure Tavares was. We'll see how Barzal copes with not playing behind someone anymore, most players regress a bit when that happens as it's a big adjustment.

Near the end of the season he pretty much was and it didn't phase him. He's basically a posession machine who must have some sort of force field around him that allows him to do zone entries at will. Kid is freaking amazing.