News Article: Shanahan was unaware of agreement for Lamoriello to talk to Tavares (NY Post)

[glucker]

honestly, its weird that management wouldn't be informed by ownership. But outside of that, Lou meeting with JT seems legit to me.

Islanders wanted permission to talk to Lou, to woo him over. Leafs granted permission. Part of wooing Lou involves having him meet with some of the more high profile figures in the organization... their star player included.

From a Lou perspective- you'd want to know what the odds of keeping the team's most valuable asset are, before joining that organization.


Odds are JT's position was something along the lines of "I want to test the waters, but I'm not outright saying no to the Islanders", which is why Lou is still reaching out to him.

 

[Notsince67]

honestly, its weird that management wouldn't be informed by ownership. But outside of that, Lou meeting with JT seems legit to me.

Islanders wanted permission to talk to Lou, to woo him over. Leafs granted permission. Part of wooing Lou involves having him meet with some of the more high profile figures in the organization... their star player included.

From a Lou perspective- you'd want to know what the odds of keeping the team's most valuable asset are, before joining that organization.


Odds are JT's position was something along the lines of "I want to test the waters, but I'm not outright saying no to the Islanders", which is why Lou is still reaching out to him.

If JT signs with the leafs, this thread will last 3 more years talking about Shanny's revenge move.

 

[TheProspector]

Lou has always been sketchy but he made it work for the Leafs particularly Robidas Island.

You're not wrong

 

[Joey Hoser]

Yesterday on That's Hockey it was reported that NYI hired Lou Lam with the/his #1 goal is to get Tavares re-signed long-term. Lou Lam has been in contact daily with JT and his agent and NYI ownership are hoping his experience successfully gets their franchise player signed.

If Lou is successful in getting JT to sign you have to wonder if Lou Lam was still Leafs GM would he have been able to get Tavares signature on Leafs deal.

I'm sure it helps their chances of holding on to JT, but it only goes so far. Lou set this franchise on the right path in terms of organizational leadership and professionalism, but aside from acquiring Andersen, the quick turnaround of the Leafs was largely because of winning the Matthews lottery, Marner, Nylander, Rielly, JVR, Kadri, Babcock, etc. The islanders don't have that sort of incoming talent or anything we can expect to change the game for them in the near future. Barzal's emergence helps but, he was pretty good last year and it only got them so far.

So Lou gives the Islanders the long-term vision and structure that they need to build a winner, but it isn't a magic wand that can turn it around quickly, and that's kinda what the Islanders need to keep Tavares IMO. Lou can guarantee that under him, the Islanders will assemble a front office capable of building a long-term contender like he did with the Devils and Leafs, but JT doesn't have all the time in the world to wait for it all to play out.

 

[Stephen]

I'm sure it helps their chances of holding on to JT, but it only goes so far. Lou set this franchise on the right path in terms of organizational leadership and professionalism, but aside from acquiring Andersen, the quick turnaround of the Leafs was largely because of winning the Matthews lottery, Marner, Nylander, Rielly, JVR, Kadri, Babcock, etc. The islanders don't have that sort of incoming talent or anything we can expect to change the game for them in the near future. Barzal's emergence helps but, he was pretty good last year and it only got them so far.

So Lou gives the Islanders the long-term vision and structure that they need to build a winner, but it isn't a magic wand that can turn it around quickly, and that's kinda what the Islanders need to keep Tavares IMO. Lou can guarantee that under him, the Islanders will assemble a front office capable of building a long-term contender like he did with the Devils and Leafs, but JT doesn't have all the time in the world to wait for it all to play out.

Problem with Tavares is he probably isn't that well served by a long term vision from scratch on the Islanders. In hockey terms he's probably about 40%-50% through his NHL career already, so if Lou's vision takes another 4-5 years to work out, he's already an old man by hockey standards.

 

[Nineteen67]

I imagine JT already knows the Leafs cannot sign him for what he wants. But, if they did, which one of Matthews, Marner, Nylander would go?

 

[Morbo]

He is coming.

yeah, but it'll be as an opposing player.

I think Lou being allowed to talk to him means Tavares is not in the cards for the Leafs.

Otherwise why would it be permitted to happen?

 

[Notsince67]

alk to him means Tavares is not in the cards for the Leafs.

Otherwise why would it be permitted to happen?

Why did the leafs get a few too many men on the ice penalties during the playoffs? Because they run a bad bench (literally and figuratively)

 

[Morbo]

Why did the leafs get a few too many men on the ice penalties during the playoffs? Because they run a bad bench (literally and figuratively)

you lost me.

 

[Notsince67]

you lost me.

I am suggesting that the permission given to lamoriello was given to avert a perceived HR crisis and that had Tanenbaum used his head and alerted Shanny of the permission, he might have been able to stop lou from taking the discussion beyond employment to an actual target of the leafs core management

 

[Allhailtheleafs]

For arguments sake. If Lou was acting on the leafs best interest, and believed tavares was not a good long term investment based on the salary cap. Meanwhile, knew he was going to the islanders, and where's tavares makes perfect sense. Met with tavares, and sold him how great his current team is, isn't tampering. Tampering involves trying to lure players away.

 

[Sweet Leaf]

This all looks like something that would have to make the Islanders look worse in JT"s eyes. Subversive behaviour planning with an outside executive without consulting the current GM or head coach.

That's what you call a mess of an organization with terrible ownership. I think this would have to look like a bunch of amateur horsecrap to JT.

 

[Mess]

This all looks like something that would have to make the Islanders look worse in JT"s eyes. Subversive behaviour planning with an outside executive without consulting the current GM or head coach.

That's what you call a mess of an organization with terrible ownership. I think this would have to look like a bunch of amateur horsecrap to JT.

Lou Lam lends more credibility to the NYI future not less, based on his past resume of building winners. IMO

He can involve JT in the discussion and Lou Lam's vision going forward whereas Garth Snow likely not giving JT any warm and fuzzy feelings about a clear direction going forward, thus Tavares has resisted resigning long-term.

I'd speculate that Lou is telling JT that he plans as his top priority to get the Isles a #1G this summer having multiple 1st round picks as bait (Lou Lam's MO with both Corey Schneider and Freddy Andersen in the past) to make those teams competitive. Building from the goalie out through strong team defense and then having him and Barzal providing the strength down the middle of the attack).

 

[AllDay28]

I imagine JT already knows the Leafs cannot sign him for what he wants. But, if they did, which one of Matthews, Marner, Nylander would go?

none since the caps going up

 

[AllDay28]

btw who cares who talked to who? If you think people dont talk before the registered date and tamper, you're naive. Tavares isnt gonna make or break his future because of a like 80 yr old GM. Dont understand the correlation, dont see why Tavares would care.

 

[Albi34]

btw who cares who talked to who? If you think people dont talk before the registered date and tamper, you're naive. Tavares isnt gonna make or break his future because of a like 80 yr old GM. Dont understand the correlation, dont see why Tavares would care.

Exactly, Tavares has had almost a decade to think about this summer, I'm sure he's had a pretty good idea what he wants to do long before Lou.

 

[Nineteen67]

none since the caps going up

Not enough though. Unless someone takes a serious discount.

This would never happen, but what if the Leafs were to secure Tavares and traded Matthews to Buffalo for the #1 overall pick.

 

[AllDay28]

Not enough though. Unless someone takes a serious discount.

This would never happen, but what if the Leafs were to secure Tavares and traded Matthews to Buffalo for the #1 overall pick.

Geez. The cap will be fine. Leafs had a lot of space taken up on dead contracts (Ie Lupul) + Cap going up + Not all 3 need ext this yr + Marleau off the books after this yr (1-2m actual money to a high cap hit is Zona bound). I dont see where we dont have $$? Unless you think Marner and Nylander are getting 10+ mil each, which, let me tell you, turn off your PS4 and stop giving bad deals in NHL18

 

[Mess]

If Shanny was worried about Lou Lam leaving for another organization, knowing Leafs strategies and ruining his Shanaplan to recruit JT for TO, then Brendan would have protected the Leafs by getting Lou Lam to sign a non compete agreement until after the draft and after free agency period like July 15th. Similarly like he did with Mark Hunter.

Because Lou Lam speaking to JT early to get him to resign with NYI is almost a non story in Toronto that means Leafs self interest in JT is very limited.

 

[IWD]

yeah, but it'll be as an opposing player.

I think Lou being allowed to talk to him means Tavares is not in the cards for the Leafs.

Otherwise why would it be permitted to happen?

This made me wonder too. If ownership was gunning for Tavares, I don't understand why they'd let Lou go talk to him if Lou was potentially joining that team.

 

[Nineteen67]

Geez. The cap will be fine. Leafs had a lot of space taken up on dead contracts (Ie Lupul) + Cap going up + Not all 3 need ext this yr + Marleau off the books after this yr (1-2m actual money to a high cap hit is Zona bound). I dont see where we dont have $$? Unless you think Marner and Nylander are getting 10+ mil each, which, let me tell you, turn off your PS4 and stop giving bad deals in NHL18

I don’t know what a PS4 is

 

[Goonface2k14]

I think the Leafs genuinely didn't know that Lou was going to talk to Tavares about staying in Long Island. Further, I don't think the Leafs (Shanahan/Dubas/Babcock) cared all that much, once they found out, but not because they don't see themselves pursuing JT this summer. In fact, and perhaps this is wishful thinking, I think they feel that Lou meeting with JT out of nowhere reeks of desperation on the Islanders behalf, and that JT and his agent will see exactly that. I mean, what else would JT think when he reads the headline, after meeting with Lou, that nobody in Toronto and also Garth Snow didn't know about it? I believe he would chalk it up as yet another shady move by the franchise, which already has a checkered past, and perhaps he should simply walk away and go elsewhere.

With that, I do believe the Leafs will eventually meet with Pat Brisson and JT, and Brendan Shanahan will be the ultimate pitch man in that meeting, because he shares so many similarities from his playing career with JT (early draft pick, from Ontario, had to move on from his first team to eventually find success). If JT truly puts winning first before anything else (which I believe he does), and if the Leafs can manage their cap and fit JT in without putting the rest of the core in jeopardy, the chances of him signing in Toronto might be alot higher than people think.

*fingers crossed*

 

[AllDay28]

heres prolly how the convo went

Lou: Hey John, you already know my Son whos in the organization so I'm sure we've spoken 100 million times before
John: Sup
Lou: Not much. Im probably going to the Islanders
John: Cool.
Lou: Have a good one.

 

[Notsince67]

I don’t know what a PS4 is

A wanna be xbox

 

[Goonface2k14]

heres prolly how the convo went

Lou: Hey John, you already know my Son whos in the organization so I'm sure we've spoken 100 million times before
John: Sup
Lou: Not much. Im probably going to the Islanders
John: Cool.
Lou: Have a good one.

OR this… kind of like when George Costanza would go into George Steinbrenner’s office on Seinfeld:

Lou: Hey Johnny boy, I came to the Islanders because I see how great the future looks in Long Island. You no longer need to worry about Garth Snowflake messing things up, I'm running this ship now. My son is just a very odd coincidence and has nothing to do with my decision.
John: *tries not to laugh*…. So you're here for the long haul, because you see a bright future in Long Island? Aren't you like… 90 years old?
Lou: Yeah, but I am going to set the rules before I go, so that there's no more funny business going forward. We'll be checking your Instagram and Facebook pics to make sure you shave every single day, even in the offseason. No more facial hair nonsense! That will set the ship straight, believe me!
John: *sighs* Ok Lou, sounds great, can’t wait to come back to such a fantastic organization with such a stellar history. I’ll go run to the drug store later today and get a bunch of Mach 3 razors (full sarcasm, of course).
Lou: Sounds good Johnny. Oh, and I am also working on convincing Ilya to sign in Long Island as we speak. He’ll be the answer to all of our misfortunes!
John: Isn’t he like thirty-fo…
Lou: Age is nothing but a number, Johnny! The Islanders are on the up and up, unlike those pesky Leafs. I was just in those front offices, and let me tell you, you want nothing to do with a team like them. Matthews is burnt out already, Jake Gardiner still thinks he’s a winger, and Babcock will have you playing on the fourth line!
John: Thanks for the reassuring talk, Lou!
*click*