Islanders will suck anyway so develop your draftees...
That has been our flag since 1994. No reason to change it now.
Islanders will suck anyway so develop your draftees...
LOL yea right! I would take Kulemin all day every day over Strome as a winger as of right now.
I don't believe in handing spots to players. If Strome earns it-I'm cool. If he doesn't-it's off to the AHL. Look at Nino's rookie season and how that turned out.
With that said our options really are slim on wing, and I would give him a chance over a guy like Bailey.
edit: I do find it amusing that some people want Strome in instead of Bailey...yet they're not acknowledging how Bailey's development was handled. I don't get this fanbase sometimes.
There is a HUGE difference between Bailey and Strome regarding development.
Bailey started right away with the Isles as an 18yr old on a HORRIBLE team with no support.
Strome has played 2 seasons in juniors after being drafted. Played half the year in the AHL and the NHL.
How is this remotely close to the same thing?
Bailey was 18, Strome is 21......
My point is that the team rushed Bailey before he was ready. If Strome's not ready yet (everybody's so quick to pencil him in), it could kill his development. This franchise tends to rush prospects, and the track record isn't so good.
If Strome makes the team I do think it is because he earned it. He was absolutely dominant in the AHL last season, and came up and had some success in the NHL, and stepped it up when JT went down. I think he will be fine up here, I just hope he is put in a position to succeed, if he is playing in the top 6 and getting some PP time he will be more than fine.
Of course Strome has earned it...he's destroyed every level and had a decent call up last year in the NHL. It's time he played in the NHL.
He was decent I agree. But unless he slots in the top-6 I'd rather him play one more year in the AHL (or at least start in the AHL for one more year). And I don't think he's good enough to crack the top-6 at the moment.
Yup exactly, don't want him in the bottom 6 either -- agree with you there. He should be in the A if that happens.
Who do you have in our top 6, though? I think Tavares, Okposo, Nelson, and Grabovski are locks. I know that Kulemin came over 'to play with Grabovski', but it isn't like he's a bonafide top-6 player, and I don't want to mold our roster to fit Kulemin if he ends up working way better on our 3rd line, which in many mock line ups ends up being kind of small.
Moving away from more out-of-the-box rosters where I have Nielsen in the top LW (which I would love to experiment with), I don't mind something like this:
Nelson/Lee - JT - KO
Nelson/Lee - Grabovski - Strome
Grabner/Bailey - Nielsen - Kulemin
Martin - Cizikas - Clutterbuck
The above line up would require us to either waive Boulton or trade one of Bailey/Grabner. Then your forward scratches are whoever is leftover from the aforementioned waive/trade and Conacher.
But to your point (and I think your long-term patience on Strome is correct), maybe this is something we see later in the year? Strome starts in the A, Kulemin moves up to his spot, and both Bailey and Grabner play on the 3rd line wings until the roster shakes out by Thanksgiving/Christmas and we see who plays their way on or off.
Kulemin and Grabovski have both said they didn't sign with the Isles to play together, and that it was their agent's doing. I don't think either would be upset playing away from the other if it meant the team was succeeding.
Do you guys see a problem with Strome playing in the top 9, even though it's likely going to be a 2a 2b scenario and the minutes will likely be the same?
Need to try Kulemin and Grabovski on the same line and see if they have the same chemistry as the past . If not u change it . But u have to at least give it a shot . Strome is going to be great but if he cant crack the top 6 send him down and let him light it up . He definitely will be called up by mid season or sooner if an injury happens . It will not be the end of the world .
Kulemin and Grabovski have both said they didn't sign with the Isles to play together, and that it was their agent's doing. I don't think either would be upset playing away from the other if it meant the team was succeeding.
Do you guys see a problem with Strome playing in the top 9, even though it's likely going to be a 2a 2b scenario and the minutes will likely be the same?
That is a good point. If our 3rd line gets similar minutes as the 2nd, then is there a difference. But, I guess it depends who that line is. If that line is centered by Nielsen, and if it is out there to focus on shutting down the opponents top line, then I don't want Strome there. If we run a lineup where Nielsen is the top LW, and the 3rd line center is Nelson, then I don't mind Strome there at all. Thoughts?