Player Discussion: Ryan Pulock Discussion Part II

GrandmaSlices51631

Registered User
Dec 12, 2013
10,398
5,033
Long Beach
Actually Pulock looked good in this game so yes try to keep him. Do not trade Dobson what so ever.

I want to keep both but it may be difficult to do so, given the need to get an extra weapon up front and considering the cap situation. I'd feel more comfortable trading Pulock after seeing how solid Dobson looked in the biggest game of his career, thrown into a dog fight with ~30 games career experience vs an Offensive powerhouse and didn't look out of place, he actually looked good.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 12Dog

blinkman360

Loyal Players Only
Dec 30, 2005
11,925
1,489
Lawn Guyland
I want to keep both but it may be difficult to do so, given the need to get an extra weapon up front and considering the cap situation. I'd feel more comfortable trading Pulock after seeing how solid Dobson looked in the biggest game of his career, thrown into a dog fight with ~30 games career experience vs an Offensive powerhouse and didn't look out of place, he actually looked good.

Im fully on the “see what 1st line winger we can get for Pulock” train. Not to say I don’t want him back but I think I makes sense to at least consider it. If you can turn Pulock into a guy that maximizes Barzal’s potential and makes our PP dangerous, it’s worth looking at.

The fact that we’ll still have Pelech, Mayfield, Dobson and Toews to build the top-4 around makes it a bit easier to live with. Try to bring back Greene for cheap and groom one of Wilde, Hutton, Salo, Bolduc to eventually take that final spot.

With the cap situation we’re in, we will have to get creative to try to improve this roster and make this team more balanced.
 
  • Like
Reactions: And You Feel Shame

WangMustGo

Registered User
Mar 31, 2008
8,741
2,945
Long Island
Im fully on the “see what 1st line winger we can get for Pulock” train. Not to say I don’t want him back but I think I makes sense to at least consider it. If you can turn Pulock into a guy that maximizes Barzal’s potential and makes our PP dangerous, it’s worth looking at.

The fact that we’ll still have Pelech, Mayfield, Dobson and Toews to build the top-4 around makes it a bit easier to live with. Try to bring back Greene for cheap and groom one of Wilde, Hutton, Salo, Bolduc to eventually take that final spot.

With the cap situation we’re in, we will have to get creative to try to improve this roster and make this team more balanced.

Lou has alwaya built his teams from the net out, i dont see that changing anytime soon. I dont see Lou considering trading Pulock until Dobson is our #1 defenseman. Pulock's value will only continue to rise, hes still young and will be signed longterm.

If we are trading a defenseman for forward help i think its gonna be Toews or Mayfield.
 

And You Feel Shame

Registered User
Jul 31, 2007
2,246
425
Im fully on the “see what 1st line winger we can get for Pulock” train. Not to say I don’t want him back but I think I makes sense to at least consider it. If you can turn Pulock into a guy that maximizes Barzal’s potential and makes our PP dangerous, it’s worth looking at.

I was just having this discussion with a coworker. In an ideal world I'd want to keep Pulock AND bring in a top winger but I don't see what we can offer to bring that back without including RP. We used Laine as a potential target and ended up pooling Pulock, Wahlstrom and Clutterbuck and I doubt that would be enough.
Lee - Barzal - Laine
Tito - Nelson - Bailey
Bellows - Pageau - Eberle
MM (re-signed) - CCz - Komarov

That feels pretty good. Our D takes a hit, though. Pelech and Toews need to handle the heavy lifting and Dobson needs to step in to a full-time role.
 

dlawong

Registered User
Nov 24, 2011
2,408
520
Vancouver, Canada
I was just having this discussion with a coworker. In an ideal world I'd want to keep Pulock AND bring in a top winger but I don't see what we can offer to bring that back without including RP. We used Laine as a potential target and ended up pooling Pulock, Wahlstrom and Clutterbuck and I doubt that would be enough.
Lee - Barzal - Laine
Tito - Nelson - Bailey
Bellows - Pageau - Eberle
MM (re-signed) - CCz - Komarov

That feels pretty good. Our D takes a hit, though. Pelech and Toews need to handle the heavy lifting and Dobson needs to step in to a full-time role.

Can the cap work though as Laine likely would want to be paid well? Certain salaries need to be moved in order for the math to work. What will the cap look like in 2 years as both Beau and Toews need to be signed after next season? Who will Isles protect in the next expansion draft as you can only protect 7 forward & must include the ones with NMC?
 

PK Cronin

Bailey Fan Club Prez
Feb 11, 2013
33,828
23,184
Can the cap work though as Laine likely would want to be paid well? Certain salaries need to be moved in order for the math to work. What will the cap look like in 2 years as both Beau and Toews need to be signed after next season? Who will Isles protect in the next expansion draft as you can only protect 7 forward & must include the ones with NMC?

The Islanders do not have any players with NMCs so they aren't forced to protect anyone. They can also opt to go the 8 skaters route instead if they'd like.
 

blinkman360

Loyal Players Only
Dec 30, 2005
11,925
1,489
Lawn Guyland
Lou has alwaya built his teams from the net out, i dont see that changing anytime soon. I dont see Lou considering trading Pulock until Dobson is our #1 defenseman. Pulock's value will only continue to rise, hes still young and will be signed longterm.

If we are trading a defenseman for forward help i think its gonna be Toews or Mayfield.

I think the current cap situation makes things tricky. Are you ready to deal Mayfield who makes pennies while handing Pulock $7M+? Does that make sense, especially if you see Dobson as the guy long-term, pushing Pulock to the 2nd pairing?

In a perfect world we don’t have Ladd or Leo or Boychuk or even Varly and can keep Pulock and sign Hall or even Hoffman. This isn’t exactly ideal though.

Is the team better or worse without Pulock and with Ehlers/Boeser/maybe even Laine? I think it all comes down to Dobson in order to answer that question.
 

dlawong

Registered User
Nov 24, 2011
2,408
520
Vancouver, Canada
Lou has alwaya built his teams from the net out, i dont see that changing anytime soon. I dont see Lou considering trading Pulock until Dobson is our #1 defenseman. Pulock's value will only continue to rise, hes still young and will be signed longterm.

If we are trading a defenseman for forward help i think its gonna be Toews or Mayfield.
No way Toews or Mayfield net you a top-line sniper

Sometimes player value go up but sometimes go down (many reasons that he could have a bad year - injury, bad luck, lack of motivation after signing a big contract, pressure after signing a big contract, more competition within the division such as playing against better forwards). Defensemen are prone to injuries due to their extra ice time and PK duties.

Keep him if you can (cap wise) but if you can't due to cap restraint & there is a good deal out there that fill a big void on the team and make sense both cap wise & team chemistry, then you may have no choice to get it done. Isles seems to have more high-end D prospects than forward prospects in the system. Correct me if you think otherwise? On the other hand, really good healthy talented D with good size are not that easy to find, especially RD.
 

doublechili

For all intensive purposes, your nuts
Apr 11, 2006
18,436
14,713
If the Isles want to make an offer for Laine I don't see how it doesn't start with Pulock and go from there. They'd need to move salary out to try to fit Laine, and Pulock will probably command an RFA deal close to what Laine makes. And since WPG has lost some RHD who wanted to go elsewhere, getting a first pairing RHD who is a local guy may be appealing to them (the idea being he'd want to stay). Of course, we'd be losing our #1 RHD so it would require a stop-gap acquisition (or re-sign Greene as insurance) and accelerating Dobson's entry. WPG isn't going to trade Laine for some cobbled-together package.
 

The Winter Soldier

Registered User
Apr 4, 2011
70,803
21,006
I really think this one will end up as if Pulock is reasonable, he will be signed. If not Lou's tendency will be to deal a player ig they do not buy into his team's salary structure.
 

The Winter Soldier

Registered User
Apr 4, 2011
70,803
21,006
I don't know if the Isles have an unsung hero award, last year it would have gone to Pelech. This year it is Pulock IMO. He's not scoring goals, but he does have 12 assists. More than that, he's on the top shutdown pairing at +11 facing the best players on the opposing team nightly, and he is rock solid as ever. Isles could ill afford to lose him, he makes the other pairings better by simply facing the best competition the other teams can offer. Stud D. I appreciate him, even without the goal scoring which will eventually come.
 

Islesfan22

Registered User
Jan 15, 2013
6,768
2,628
Rockland
I don't know if the Isles have an unsung hero award, last year it would have gone to Pelech. This year it is Pulock IMO. He's not scoring goals, but he does have 12 assists. More than that, he's on the top shutdown pairing at +11 facing the best players on the opposing team nightly, and he is rock solid as ever. Isles could ill afford to lose him, he makes the other pairings better by simply facing the best competition the other teams can offer. Stud D. I appreciate him, even without the goal scoring which will eventually come.
For me he’s the team MVP this season so far. He’s been a bit snake bitten with goals but he’s been tremendous in his own end of the ice and has contributed offensively jumping into the play at the right time. He and Pelech are a excellent defensive pair but both can move the puck. Pelech has played more aggressive this season but also taken to many penalties as well.
 

nyisleslover

Registered User
Jun 20, 2018
267
267
Albany, NY
I don't know if the Isles have an unsung hero award, last year it would have gone to Pelech. This year it is Pulock IMO. He's not scoring goals, but he does have 12 assists. More than that, he's on the top shutdown pairing at +11 facing the best players on the opposing team nightly, and he is rock solid as ever. Isles could ill afford to lose him, he makes the other pairings better by simply facing the best competition the other teams can offer. Stud D. I appreciate him, even without the goal scoring which will eventually come.

It's posts like this that make me really admire your contributions here. It's clear that you get it when it comes to the intricacies of what makes the Islanders successful, which isn't always evident in the offensive numbers.

Pulock has been a beast defensively, and sometimes it's easy to see his offensive potential and knock him for not meeting those expectations yet. The thing that makes the Islanders so dangerous to the rest of the league though is the balance they maintain throughout the lineup, and the fact that Trotz has gotten them all to buy-in, in spite of what it might cost them on the stat line.

Pulock is exhibit A for the embodiment of that mentality.

I can't speak for everyone, but for me at least, winning is a lot more fun than seeing a winger put up 100 points, or a defenseman 60 points, and losing. I appreciate the ability that the front office has exhibited in identifying and retaining players like Pulock who are the fuel that keep this engine pumping.
 

The Winter Soldier

Registered User
Apr 4, 2011
70,803
21,006
It's posts like this that make me really admire your contributions here. It's clear that you get it when it comes to the intricacies of what makes the Islanders successful, which isn't always evident in the offensive numbers.

Pulock has been a beast defensively, and sometimes it's easy to see his offensive potential and knock him for not meeting those expectations yet. The thing that makes the Islanders so dangerous to the rest of the league though is the balance they maintain throughout the lineup, and the fact that Trotz has gotten them all to buy-in, in spite of what it might cost them on the stat line.

Pulock is exhibit A for the embodiment of that mentality.

I can't speak for everyone, but for me at least, winning is a lot more fun than seeing a winger put up 100 points, or a defenseman 60 points, and losing. I appreciate the ability that the front office has exhibited in identifying and retaining players like Pulock who are the fuel that keep this engine pumping.
Thanks NYIsleslover. Good alias name BTW!
 
  • Like
Reactions: nyisleslover

Chapin Landvogt

Registered User
Jul 4, 2002
19,875
5,926
Germany
I think he's burdened by the goalless streak, but his game has looked extremely solid and confident for a good few weeks now.

Very impressive.

But yes - pucks have simply got to get on net and if not, then be sent down low in a strategic manner.
 

TommytheCat

Registered User
Oct 23, 2010
2,808
305
Florida
EA98A476-F54B-4D50-A752-CEBB4AC057FE.jpeg

saw this on fb:laugh:
 

Sparksrus3

NYI - THE TEAM WITH NO ❤️
Jun 2, 2012
10,024
4,904
I really think this one will end up as if Pulock is reasonable, he will be signed. If not Lou's tendency will be to deal a player ig they do not buy into his team's salary structure.

Pulock just shows up to negotiations with an IPad playing his save against Mcdonagh on a continuous loop.. when we picked in 2013 I really wanted Mantha.

I WAS WRONG ... This kid is a stud muffin .....LGI
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->