Devils 2019-20 team discussion (news and notes) - part V

[billingtons ghost]

It was well known for the entire 2017-2018 season that Trotz was leaving the Caps for one purpose, to get paid and have a long term. That was his one and only motivation which Trotz noted in many articles since he left the Caps, he wanted that job and pay security and Washington did not give it to him. It was also well known for that entire season that the Islanders were looking for a big change in the organization in order to entice Tavares to stay so it was obvious before Lou was ever hired that the Islanders were going to clean house and get a legit NHL coach in order to replace Weight in order to persuade Tavares to re-sign. Trotz was set to become the best coach available. Everyone saw it coming from a mile away. Trotz left to get a long term and to get paid, thats what he got from the Isles. They gave Trotz a long length and doubled his salary from Washington. That is the number 1 reason why he went there. The notion that he went to the Isles just for Lou is ridiculous. Do they have a good bond and chemistry, maybe so, that definitely can be a good attraction for a coach and GM but the organization threw the bank at Trotz and that is what Trotz wanted. And on the other side the Islanders made all of those changes for one reason, to keep Tavares on the Island. It didn’t work out, but they are still able to compete because they already had a good roster before Lou and not they have a good coach, which was my point...

You live in trotz's head, now?

 

[billingtons ghost]

Which is why you arguing my point from before makes no sense. All Lou had to do was get that team a good coach, it was an obvious hire. So idk why you started arguing with me when I said the schtick of acting like Lou gets all the credit for building that roster is foolish, because IT IS foolish....

Do you think the isles roster is actually good?

 

[billingtons ghost]

Has anybody stopped to consider that the Islanders may have been a good team that had a ****ty coach in Doug Weight?

Their roster versus any other in the metropolitan. Including ours. Which is better on paper?

Why do you feel the need to discredit how important a culture is to winning?

 

[NjDevsRR]

Ridiculous. Lou supplied the necessary rudder to that whole organization.

You don't like Lou, that's fine. Don't even begin to try to discredit his influence on our organization, or on the isles.

You’re a damn liar because I love Lou. I wanted to be him when I first started watching Devil games when I was a kid. I was literally a mafia version of him for Halloween when I was 12, so please, don’t project this crap onto me. I literally cried in joy as an adult when I saw Lous celebration on the Canadian feed when we beat the Rangers in 2012 after I got home from the game. Seeing that man light up when the Devils had a tremendous moment was always something I loved watching. So don’t post this crap.

I love the man but that doesn’t make me blind to his faults. I also have a right to not love how he had the state of this franchise in turmoil in 2015. I also have the right to not like people giving him all credit for that Isles roster. As I said, he didn’t have to do much with it. I give him credit for running a tight operation as always, but the Trotz hire was the most obvious signing one can make in the position the Isles were in while trying to keep Tavares.

Edit: LOL, just saw your other posts. Look up all the interviews from Trotz man. He detailed his contract desires and why he left the Caps very bluntly.

 

[glenwo2]

Even though I do think Subbans contract isn’t a big deal or hindrance it still isn’t ideal to have your highest paid player underperforming. I hope he steps it up once we get a good coach and system.

I hope so, too.

Hynes no-system "system" basically shielded the Vets from their poor play.

What we need is an actual NHL Hockey system where the Vets are put in a position designed to have them be successful and if they still fail, THEN they will be the ones under the microscope.

 

[billingtons ghost]

You’re a damn liar because I love Lou. I wanted to be him when I first started watching Devil games when I was a kid. I was literally a mafia version of him for Halloween, so please, don’t project this crap onto me.

Love the man but I also have a right to not love how put the state of the franchise in 2015 to a wasteland. I also have the right to not like people giving him all credit for that Isles roster. As I said, he didn’t have to do much with it. I give him credit for running a tight operation as always, but the Trotz hire was the most obvious signing one can make in the position the Isles were in while trying to keep Tavares.

Don't understand why you are threatened by Lou's success.
Of course trotz is important, that's why Lou hired him, and we had hynes. Maybe Lou didn't have to work hard to convince him either.

That roster is not superior to ours, and please don't bother pointing to goaltending.

Lou won in many years with different coaches, preaching the same mantras with less talented rosters.
The winning culture went to Toronto, and then to the island.

 

[NJDevs26]

You have absolutely nothing tangible to base that on, considering the actual on-ice results were piss poor prior to Lou and Trotz getting there.
And even accepting that assumption as true...the right coach still had to be attained. And like I said...Trotz wasn't coming to the Island without Lou being there. His reputation alone attracted the top coach available. Why is that dismissed?

That and the fact the Islanders were the only other opening at the time, since Trotz was a free agent well into the spring with the Caps' playoff run. And he didn't want to stay out of coaching drawing no salary for a year since he declined the Caps' cheapo option on his deal.

 

[MadDevil]

Their roster versus any other in the metropolitan. Including ours. Which is better on paper?

Why do you feel the need to discredit how important a culture is to winning?

I'm not discrediting culture. I'm just not worshipping at the altar of Lou and Trotz like some people are. Those people act like the Islanders were some sad sack organization lost in the woods for years that they miraculously turned around.

2018-19: 103 points
2017-18: 80 points
2016-17: 94 points
2015-16: 100 points
2014-15: 101 points

Should we be giving Garth Snow and Jack Capuano credit for their "winning culture" from 2014-2016?

 

[Jester9881]

Isles fan here, not trying to start trouble... just lurking and want to clarify something. It's true, Lou didn't make many roster changes at all. I'm not sure why that's a knock on him though. Typically, a new GM will put their stamp on a new team by making a marquee move. What Lou did was evaluate what the Isles had, what they needed and acted accordingly.

The Doug Weight Islanders had plenty of offense, just little direction, poor systems and a severe lack of bottom six type players. We can argue how important guys like Matt Martin, Val Filppula and Leo Komorov are, but as minor as those players might be, it was the exact thing the Islanders lacked most roster wise. Trotz needed players that could employ his system, and now he had them.

That aside, the greatest thing Lou did that gets zero recognition was cleaning up the Islanders front office and coaching staff. All throughout the Snow years, and going back to Mike Milbury people were hired based on nepotism. How can a team that was bad for so long employ some of the same people in charge of coaching/development? Then you look at their resume and there's nothing that sticks out other than some former tie in to Snow/Milbury/Weight.

The Islanders goalie coaches were Fred Brathwaite and/or Mike Dunham for the decade preceding Mitch Korn and Piero Greco. The Islanders finally have legitimate professionals with a track record of success in every position and everyone is on the same page.

 

[captainscott]

I'm not discrediting culture. I'm just not worshipping at the altar of Lou and Trotz like some people are. Those people act like the Islanders were some sad sack organization lost in the woods for years that they miraculously turned around.

2018-19: 103 points
2017-18: 80 points
2016-17: 94 points
2015-16: 100 points
2014-15: 101 points

Should we be giving Garth Snow and Jack Capuano credit for their "winning culture" from 2014-2016?

we are comparing the best or one of the best GM's of all time in any sport.. not many will ever hold a candle to Lou. he is a legend , respected, and good. The league style of play switched while Lou was here and he needed to adjust.. and even then we still had a season where we went to a cup. but losing key guys to free agency was too much at same time your HOF goalie was aging out..

Lou is the best not even fair to compare Shero to him..

 

[johnny pierogi]

I thought this was a Devils team discussion thread?

 

[Emperoreddy]

we are comparing the best or one of the best GM's of all time in any sport.. not many will ever hold a candle to Lou. he is a legend , respected, and good. The league style of play switched while Lou was here and he needed to adjust.. and even then we still had a season where we went to a cup. but losing key guys to free agency was too much at same time your HOF goalie was aging out..

Lou is the best not even fair to compare Shero to him..

Stop. This team started at zero because of stupid shit he did. Trading for Cory when it was rebuild time. The Kovy contract and how he handled the penalty. The absolute disaster of drafting from 2004 until 2015.

We are where we are because this is what it looks like to rebuild with no valuable assets and a team way too old to skate.

He didn’t build the Leafs team and he didn’t build the Isles. People need to stop pretending he did.

 

[MartyOwns]

Isles fan here, not trying to start trouble... just lurking and want to clarify something. It's true, Lou didn't make many roster changes at all. I'm not sure why that's a knock on him though. Typically, a new GM will put their stamp on a new team by making a marquee move. What Lou did was evaluate what the Isles had, what they needed and acted accordingly.

The Doug Weight Islanders had plenty of offense, just little direction, poor systems and a severe lack of bottom six type players. We can argue how important guys like Matt Martin, Val Filppula and Leo Komorov are, but as minor as those players might be, it was the exact thing the Islanders lacked most roster wise. Trotz needed players that could employ his system, and now he had them.

That aside, the greatest thing Lou did that gets zero recognition was cleaning up the Islanders front office and coaching staff. All throughout the Snow years, and going back to Mike Milbury people were hired based on nepotism. How can a team that was bad for so long employ some of the same people in charge of coaching/development? Then you look at their resume and there's nothing that sticks out other than some former tie in to Snow/Milbury/Weight.

The Islanders goalie coaches were Fred Brathwaite and/or Mike Dunham for the decade preceding Mitch Korn and Piero Greco. The Islanders finally have legitimate professionals with a track record of success in every position and everyone is on the same page.

yeah lou definitely didn’t engage in nepotism. just ask his son, who helped run our AHL team into the ground.

glad to hear he’s learned from his mistakes, but we’re still recovering from the massive shit he took on our team on the way out

 

[Triumph]

yeah lou definitely didn’t engage in nepotism. just ask his son, who helped run our AHL team into the ground.

glad to hear he’s learned from his mistakes, but we’re still recovering from the massive **** he took on our team on the way out

Chris Lamoriello was an AGM on Long Island before Lou got there, but obviously he's stayed in that position.

Also Chris Shero is a scout for the Devils. This shit is endemic.

 

[Blender]

yeah lou definitely didn’t engage in nepotism. just ask his son, who helped run our AHL team into the ground.

glad to hear he’s learned from his mistakes, but we’re still recovering from the massive **** he took on our team on the way out

To be fair, "nepos" means nephew, not son.

 

[MartyOwns]

not sure where this should go, but it’s got profiles on lafreniere, byram, byfield:

 

[njdevils1982]

not sure where this should go, but it’s got profiles on lafreniere, byram, byfield:

probably here: Prospect Info: - 2020 NHL Draft

 

[njdevil26]

Hey guys, since we lost last night, should Blake Coleman shut down his Pickle shop and stop liking pickles? Or do these rules just apply to PK...

 

[MartyOwns]

probably here: Prospect Info: - 2020 NHL Draft

barring some kind of benjamin button scenario, byram won’t be in the 2020 draft. he was being discussed/denigrated in a different thread, i believe the hall one

 

[Devils090]

Hey guys, since we lost last night, should Blake Coleman shut down his Pickle shop and stop liking pickles? Or do these rules just apply to PK...

Coleman is actually playing well, Subban has been a complete bust sooo

 

[MichaelJ]

not sure where this should go, but it’s got profiles on lafreniere, byram, byfield:

Can’t wait for the Devils to build around Byram and Lafreniere

 

[Emperoreddy]

Unless it’s one of the major pundits or a beat writer. Don’t post it.

We had enough of this rumor mongering garbage with Hynes

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Coleman is actually playing well, Subban has been a complete bust sooo

If all you care about is points, sure. But he's been our best defenseman despite not scoring.

 

[Devils090]

If all you care about is points, sure. But he's been our best defenseman despite not scoring.

No, Vatanen has. And Subban was brought here to provide offense which he hasn’t come close to doing. I’m glad he’s been good defensively for a team that’s 2nd to last in goals allowed while being a -12 though.

 

[None Shall Pass]

Why was there never a Paul Coffey Starbucks commercial in America?

Bit on the nose, don't you think?