Speculation: Lose for Hughes

[Glory Days]

It's up to the players as long as Trotz is coach, the coaching and discipline will be there for the players. Lehner if he can go back to his .920 save percentage ways, the PK operates at 82-85% (73% last year!) we can get in the playoffs. Not easily or anything but under those guidelines it's doable. At that point you just need Leddy to hit 40 points, Pulock 30+ on the backend; Barzal to hit 70 with Lee getting 30 and a 4 others in the 20s (Eberle, Beau, Barzal and Nelson?). That's a playoff team IMO. Fill me in if you don't think we can hit those benchmarks but I think we can and the players can. If you don't think those benchmarks are enough to get in I can get that but I think it's possible.

I don't disagree with your assumptions. I am expecting a much improved team but Isles will need to improve by 18 points to make the playoffs based on last year. That is a lot to ask in 1 year. That's the only reason I'm hedging my bet.

 

[mm11]

I will say this. Eberle and lee better be signed or dealt by the deadline. No more losing players for nothing. Okposo, Nielsen, and Judas would all have got us 1st rounders and possibly more.

Dehaan as well..

 

[Glory Days]

I just can't trust that anyone would re-sign. I have my doubts that Eberle or even Lee would re-sign

Do you have pics of Lee and Eberle in their jammies that we haven't seen? I'd like to think that guy was an isolated incident. I think Lou and Trotz bring a lot of credibility to the Isles. So does Malkin. I'm not concerned with the future. I think we are in good hands and will find our way back up the standings sooner than later.

 

[Kevin27NYI]

I don't disagree with your assumptions. I am expecting a much improved team but Isles will need to improve by 18 points to make the playoffs based on last year. That is a lot to ask in 1 year. That's the only reason I'm hedging my bet.

I just look to the Devils last year who got in by no easy means. 93 points for Hall or whatever it was, then like 50 for the next guy. Not a powerhouse offensively but strong structure for an unspectacular group. Same for Vegas really. The bigger picture might be harder to see the fit like your 18 points but compartmentalized it's workable IMO. I'm looking forward to seeing how much GA we can cut in one year.

 

[PK Cronin]

But what do we do if we are in the playoff hunt and Lee and Eberle have no interest in re-signing? I'm in the market of trading them ASAP or signing them. I don't want either getting hurt or waiting to "let us know".

This is such a difficult position IF we are in the playoff hunt.

If we're in the playoff hunt and they won't re-sign, I'd trade them. No sense in keeping them for a run we know we won't win. Getting to the playoffs is a bonus next year if we get there.

 

[Brunomics]

With the lottery odds what they are now there is no point to tank for a 18 % chance.

 

[CupHolders]

If we're in the playoff hunt and they won't re-sign, I'd trade them. No sense in keeping them for a run we know we won't win. Getting to the playoffs is a bonus next year if we get there.

Agree. One thing that Johnny Turncoats free-agency fiasco has done, is bought the Islanders some PR latitude. What fan or media personnel will criticize the Isles for trying to maximize an asset if they are only a bubble team at the deadline?

 

[Lek]

Honestly...i have not read this...but really...you want to change culture???......it starts with winning.....not tanking.

 

[JKP]

f*** this losing shit.

Go win.

There’s lots of talent on the roster, just need to play better D and find a solid D-man.

Any tanking talk is for the last regime...

 

[13th Floor]

What happened to my #Bruise4Hughes?

 

[JeffNYI]

https://hfboards.mandatory.com/threads/trotz-on-sirixm-radio.2514119/

/thread

 

[Seph]

Last place still has less than a 1/5 chance in getting the first overall. Seems a bad gamble to tank a whole season for those kind of odds.

 

[NittanyIsle]

We ain't tanking, as I've been saying for days now.

 

[DalGoal4Cups]

It amazes me how people don't understand what tank means. It doesn't mean you go in there and lay down and purposely lose. "Tanking" season, simply means knowing the team isn't going to be that good.

We gave up the most goals against last year, we didn't improve the D (we actually lost CDH) we signed a head case goalie to a 1 year contract and we just lost our #1C that scores over 80pts.

The team is going to go out and compete but the lack of D, G and depth down the middle makes us a bad team.

 

[Sorge Georos]

If you’re an Islander’s fan who has season tickets for 10 years, smack yourself for starting this ridiculous thread. (Just kidding about the smack part).

This team will be a pain to play against, and will be ridiculously difficult to play against with the grit brought in. Komarov, Martin and Clutterbuck are all in the top 5 for hits in the NHL last season.

These are cliches often brought up by fans of bad teams. None of those guys are good players.

IF Duchene is brought in (that’s a BIG if) the team will get even faster. He would be a perfect #2 center behind Barzal. They have the pieces to trade for him. He’s no Tavares, but he’s pretty good, and would cost a lot less. I think that one move would relieve some of the pain of losing the Traitor.

Even after this draft we aren't exactly stockpiled with young assets. Trading for Duchene would be pretty damn stupid unless we get a sweetheart Taylor Hall deal. By the way, this guy has been a pretty massive underachiever of late.

This team was 17 points out of a playoff spot even WITH Tavares. Why was that ? There are several reasons.

1) HORRIBLE COACHING. To me that was the main reason. I cannot overstate how bad the coaching was. Just horrendous. No structure, poor systems (if there were even systems). A coach who just couldn’t stop the bleeding, couldn’t adjust to the situation. That is no longer an issue. Trotz is one of the alltime great coaches. He will coach up these guys and have them playing, sound, structured hockey. And they will be difficult to play against. This team is no longer soft with the additions of Komarov & Martin (in the top 5 in hits along with Clutterbuck).

Very much agreed on the coaching front. A good coach can make whipping boys of the past suddenly look like stars. However, it's been such a long time since we had a real coach (Nolan) that I have to see it before I believe it.

I think our issues had way more to do with hockey reasons than toughness, but let's just say you have the old skool philosophy and I do not.

3) Penalty kill- this also belongs in the defense section. But adding Filppula and Komarov, the team added 2 excellent penalty killers. That was a huge weakness last year.

Is this part actually established?

Anyway, it's pretty much impossible to tell whether we can tank for Hughes or not. If we're in those sweepstakes by the New Year then I'm gonna be full-out tanky because I believe it's best for the team and I don't give af about lecturing from "real fans" over the correct way to be an Islander fan.

Did the Tavares rebuild fail spectacularly? Yes, but that's because Garth squandered top pick after top pick and you know, JT quit on us. That's just the reality of being an irrelevant, suburban organization.

 

[SDIsles34]

We ain't tanking, as I've been saying for days now.

What does this mean? Are you suggesting that Lou is going to make a big move before training camp?

I'm sorry but Max Pacioretty, Matt Duchene and Jeff Skinner aren't suddenly turning this team into a contender. They will be expensive (assets) and difficult to retain (do we even want to dedicate 7-8m p/ year long-term on these guys?).

Let Trotz build a culture, install a system and be prepare to make some noise in 2019-20. This disaster that Snow left behind isn't going to get fixed overnight.

 

[SDIsles34]

**** this losing ****.

Go win.

There’s lots of talent on the roster, just need to play better D and find a solid D-man.

Any tanking talk is for the last regime...

Sounds easy enough! Boom, playoffs here we come.

This team has a great foundation of talent but is simply not ready to compete yet.

Tanking doesn't mean that we are going to start Chris Gibson every night and give Ross Johnston 18-20 minutes on the first line. In this instance, it means that the Islanders are going to hold on their assets, avoid "quick fixes" and look to build a sustainable winning culture with the new regime (management who actually knows what the hell it is doing this time!). No one should be heartbroken or surprised when this team misses the playoffs this season.

 

[A Pointed Stick]

What does this mean? Are you suggesting that Lou is going to make a big move before training camp?

I'm sorry but Max Pacioretty, Matt Duchene and Jeff Skinner aren't suddenly turning this team into a contender. They will be expensive (assets) and difficult to retain (do we even want to dedicate 7-8m p/ year long-term on these guys?).

Let Trotz build a culture, install a system and be prepare to make some noise in 2019-20. This disaster that Snow left behind isn't going to get fixed overnight.

This. Build a good club and one day the Karlssons of the world will come to you.

 

[BelovedIsles]

Even if they finish last, which I doubt, there’s such a little change at winning the lottery.

It would be such an Islander thing to finish last and lose the lottery. Another heartbreak for the fandom.

 

[PWJunior]

Even if they finish last, which I doubt, there’s such a little change at winning the lottery.

It would be such an Islander thing to finish last and lose the lottery. Another heartbreak for the fandom.

Not really. We would get quite a center prospect at #4. It would be up to our scouting department, maybe headed up by Hunter.

 

[Fist of Gillies]

Sorry. This is ridiculous.

We just watched an expansion team go to the finals.

After 12 YEARS of the "slow and steady rebuild" I will never root for a tanked season ever again.

if a season is lost come March, sure, may as well keep losing - but not in JULY.

Let LL and Trotz do their job. Honestly, I can't imagine the 18-19 season will be worse than the crapfest that was 17-18.

 

[LeapOnOver]

I don't think Lou can turn this team into a cup contender within a year or with a few moves, but you're fooling yourself if you think a 75 year old signed up for this job with a rebuild in mind. We probably won't make the playoffs but we probably won't bottom out under Lou's watch, just not the kind of guy he is.

Huh, so Komarov Fillipula Matt Martin and Thomas Hickey is Lou "going for it"? I think it's quite obvious he's on board for a few tank seasons.

 

[BelovedIsles]

Not really. We would get quite a center prospect at #4. It would be up to our scouting department, maybe headed up by Hunter.

My point was that we wouldn’t be in a slam dunk position to draft Hughes.

 

[Newsworthy]

Sorry. This is ridiculous.

We just watched an expansion team go to the finals.

After 12 YEARS of the "slow and steady rebuild" I will never root for a tanked season ever again.

if a season is lost come March, sure, may as well keep losing - but not in JULY.

Let LL and Trotz do their job. Honestly, I can't imagine the 18-19 season will be worse than the crapfest that was 17-18.

Vegas has much more depth than NY
We dont even have a goalie half as good as Fluery

 

[Newsworthy]

My point was that we wouldn’t be in as slam dunk position to draft Hughes.

We don't need Hughes just some top five picks the next three years
Would you rather be a mediocre team?
Keep in mind with TAVARES WE DIDNT MAKE THE PLAYOFFS AND OUR GOALTENDING AND DEFENSE IS ACTUALLY WORSE NOW