Around the League 2019 offseason

[TheDuke93]

For the moment we don’t even know what’s going to happen with Lee or Lehner, I get they overachieved last year without JT but at SOME point you gotta stop losing key guys. Of course the Isles could also strike with win now moves over the next couple weeks, they have a wide variance of possibilities now.

These are all valid points, I just don't see how they regress that much with how well they are coached, I'm also a big fan of Barry so maybe I'm just biased? I also feel Lee is severely overrated and the goaltending while it will regress a bit got sure, but it will be fine because of the D.

 

[zombie abo]

What I want to happen:
A first and butcher and some other whatever for laine and something or not.
Something pathetic for miller and no part of the clarkson contract. They can dig themself out of their own f***ing hole.

What will happen:
Frolik and nothing else. Oh wait, we also get ken klee.

Hoo
Ray
....farts

 

[Nubmer6]

These are all valid points, I just don't see how they regress that much with how well they are coached, I'm also a big fan of Barry so maybe I'm just biased? I also feel Lee is severely overrated and the goaltending while it will regress a bit got sure, but it will be fine because of the D.

It's not just Trotz. Lou teams always seem to overachieve, and are always discounted in the off-season. How many years were we expected to drop out of playoff contention in our run? Seemed like every year. Even his last seasons here we did much better than what would be expected from our roster. His teams always add up to more than the sum of its parts.

I'm never going to discount any Lou team.

 

[Triumph]

As constructed right now, the Islanders are way short on forward talent. Trotz can't put the puck in the net. That will change if they get Panarin.

 

[TheDuke93]

As constructed right now, the Islanders are way short on forward talent. Trotz can't put the puck in the net. That will change if they get Panarin.

Weren't they one of the 5 lowest scoring teams in the league last year? That didn't stop them from winning lol.

 

[217 Forever]

Weren't they one of the 5 lowest scoring teams in the league last year? That didn't stop them from winning lol.

Counting on team defense and goaltending to be that strong again is not something I would want to count on in this day and age personally. No reason to think they won't be ok, but their season last year screams a bit of a "fluke" just as ours did two years ago.

 

[devilsblood]

Counting on team defense and goaltending to be that strong again is not something I would want to count on in this day and age personally. No reason to think they won't be ok, but their season last year screams a bit of a "fluke" just as ours did two years ago.

Our season wasn't that flukey 2 years ago.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

I'd argue 2018-19 was more flukey than 2017-18

 

[217 Forever]

Our season wasn't that flukey 2 years ago.

Knowing what we know now about Keith Kinkaid I just don't know how that is possible to say. Even Hall's performance was 13 points better than his career high.

 

[TheDuke93]

Counting on team defense and goaltending to be that strong again is not something I would want to count on in this day and age personally. No reason to think they won't be ok, but their season last year screams a bit of a "fluke" just as ours did two years ago.

Teams coached by Trotz are almost always very good defensively and goaltending wise. That has been a common theme through his coaching career, I don't think its unreasonable to expect that to continue. Our 18 season also was not fluky outside of Kinkaid playing above his head is almost a wash because Corey was way below his average.

 

[devilsblood]

Knowing what we know now about Keith Kinkaid I just don't know how that is possible to say. Even Hall's performance was 13 points better than his career high.

But Kink was forced to step in due to Schneid's injury, so that cancels out in my book.

Hall was fantastic, I'm not contributing that to some weird looking fish.

Key going fwd for this team is health, especially amongst the veteran trio of Hall, Subban and Schneid's.

 

[devilsblood]

Teams coached by Trotz are almost always very good defensively and goaltending wise. That has been a common theme through his coaching career, I don't think its unreasonable to expect that to continue. Our 18 season also was not fluky outside of Kinkaid playing above his head is almost a wash because Corey was way below his average.

While Trotz's teams are typically good in terms of not allowing goals, it's not like his teams are consistently the best in the league in the regards. So I could see the Isle's still being good defensively, but still taking a step back.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Laugh out loud. Do you live inside of a bubble? What is unrealistic about that?

No, but I'm also not naive enough or total homer enough to believe adding an 18 year old and a decent defenseman will make the Devils go from near the worst team in the entire NHL to top-3 in the entire Metro.

 

[OmNomNom]

No, but I'm also not naive enough or total homer enough to believe adding an 18 year old and a decent defenseman will make the Devils go from near the worst team in the entire NHL to top-3 in the entire Metro.

we're adding a healthier schneider and are already upgrading kinkaid

we're also prob not gonna be 3rd worst mangames lost again this year (last year was a fluke in terms of injuries)

so yeah, we're gonna be better.

 

[BenedictGomez]

so yeah, we're gonna be better.

Obviously.

But they're not going to finish in 1st or 2nd or 3rd place.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Obviously.

But they're not going to finish in 1st or 2nd or 3rd place.

I bet you also had the Isles finishing 2nd in the Metro (1 point out of 1st) last year

making definitive claims in June is kind of silly.

 

[OmNomNom]

Obviously.

But they're not going to finish in 1st or 2nd or 3rd place.

i think we can scrap for the 3rd spot arguably. it's gonna be a shitty and tight division

 

[217 Forever]

Obviously.

But they're not going to finish in 1st or 2nd or 3rd place.

It would require teams stepping back but it is possible. The way things are shaping up the Isles, Pens, and Jackets could all easily regress. Not saying we will for sure be in the top 3 but I wouldn't totally discount it either.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I bet you also had the Isles finishing 2nd in the Metro (1 point out of 1st) last year

making definitive claims in June is kind of silly.

I didnt make predictions on spot, but I definitely viewed the Isles as a playoff team.

And I'm actually responding to the "definitive claim" that the Devils would finish 1st, 2nd, or 3rd, which I view as exceedingly unlikely with the currently available information, "in June".

 

[Blender]

No, but I'm also not naive enough or total homer enough to believe adding an 18 year old and a decent defenseman will make the Devils go from near the worst team in the entire NHL to top-3 in the entire Metro.

I think we should compete for a playoff spot. We would have been a bubble team again last year (may have missed, but closer) if we had been reasonably healthy and gotten even average goaltending. Our PDO was also 3rd worst in the entire league, which is a good sign that the team under performed.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

I didnt make predictions on spot, but I definitely viewed the Isles as a playoff team.

And I'm actually responding to the "definitive claim" that the Devils would finish 1st, 2nd, or 3rd, which I view as exceedingly unlikely with the currently available information, "in June".

lol yeah sure you did.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I think we should compete for a playoff spot.

That wouldn't shock me, but I'd feel better if they had one more significant add defensively. The Devils defense has tons of questions.

Subban - needs to be pre-injury Subban

Vats - needs to have a bounce-back year

Greene - need to hope his deterioration has stopped

Severson - needs to play full season like his last 20 games, not his first 60 games

Butcher - needs to be better defensively

Smith - needs to not play like 95% of talented 19 year old NHL rookie defensemen

Cory - needs to play like IIHF Cory (and move better as well)

There's literally not one guy in the above 7 key defenders that on day one I can say, "I have no concerns about this guy", and that's disturbingly unusual.

lol yeah sure you did.

Why not? They'd been > 90 points for 3 of the last 4 years. They lost their best player, but if you looked at it objectively I dont think it's shocking. Wouldnt shock me if they make it this year either.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

That wouldn't shock me, but I'd feel better if they had one more significant add defensively. The Devils defense has tons of questions.

Subban - needs to be pre-injury Subban

Vats - needs to have a bounce-back year

Greene - need to hope his deterioration has stopped

Severson - needs to play full season like his last 20 games, not his first 60 games

Butcher - needs to be better defensively

Smith - needs to not play like 95% of talented 19 year old NHL rookie defensemen

Cory - needs to play like IIHF Cory (and move better as well)

There's literally not one guy in the above 7 key defenders that on day one I can say, "I have no concerns about this guy", and that's disturbingly unusual.



Why not? They'd been > 90 points for 3 of the last 4 years. They lost their best player, but if you looked at it objectively I dont think it's shocking. Wouldnt shock me if they make it this year either.

lol at this statement about Ty Smith. How many DMen are even good enough to be in the NHL at 19....?

and there were 0 people here (or anywhere else) who though the Isles would be that good. Not even a chance.

 

[BenedictGomez]

lol at this statement about Ty Smith. How many DMen are even good enough to be in the NHL at 19....?

It's almost as if maybe the reader should consider that to be the point regarding realistic expectations.