The New Era

Kevin27NYI

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Aug 5, 2009
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Thought this was interesting look, would say the Isles peak under Snow was the 14-15 season.

The collective of that team was Snow at the helm, Cap as the coach, Weight in the coaching/management fold.

Players were led by Tavares, Okposo, Nielsen and Hamonic as the core group. Flanked by Boychuk, Leddy, Bailey, Lee, Strome and Nelson.

Going forward it looks like some guys will stick around but this is a great opportunity to start that new wave. Trotz and Lou can identify the new core quick. Bailey is signed on, he gets to be a part of it IMO. Keys get handed to Barzal.. Beau and Pulock are also going to be relied on. I hope Eberle and Lee stick to move in the new crowd.

JT and Okposo never had that, they didn't have the proper guys to help them adjust and I think that's where Lou will be better than Snow. Whalstorm, Dobson, Bellows etc will have an easier time coming in.

I also think Lou needs to be better at adding the right talent at the right time. 2 years and we should have a clear picture of where this new core is and opens a real window of contention. Something we never really had with the Judas/Snow era and should have in the Lou/Barzal era.
 

Islanders4Cups

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May 4, 2002
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Interesting as I was a bigger fan of the 2015-16 team.
They were one of the better defensively responsible teams we have had in the last few decades which made them tough to play against.
I know I differ from many when saying that Tampa series could have turned at tied one game apiece with both games 3-4 going to OT.

They were not far off and adding Barzal and Beauvillier replacing Strome to that group and with that coaching staff would have been interesting.
 

Islanders4Cups

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You are right though. It is a new era with a mini rebuild. LL knows what he is doing with minimal options which was not his doing.
Looking forward to it
 

Poliz24

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Jun 25, 2012
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I think the Barzal group will be better then the Tavares led group. If Sorokin can come over in a few years and is the real deal, we can be real good. Barzal, Beauvillier, Wahlstrom, Dobson, Pulock, Toews, JHS and other pieces/players from the previous "core" Bailey, Martin, Cizikas, Leddy can help lead them.
 

Quickdraw2828

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Aug 2, 2011
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New era is an understatement. New owners, new GM, new arena, new coach, new captain, new goalie. Probably 75 percent of our starters from four years ago are gone. We lost two, Nielsen and Tavares, due to management stupidity. Hammer due to unforeseen circumstances. Okposo was a flat out disappointment and I still don't know went wrong with a supposed cant miss guy like him. We've got about eight new guys who seem gifted but who knows.
We can only hope the new management develops these guys in a hurry. It's exciting, for now at least.
 
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sabremike

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Aug 30, 2010
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New era is an understatement. New owners, new GM, new arena, new coach, new captain, new goalie. Probably 75 percent of our starters from four years ago are gone. We lost two, Nielsen and Tavares, due to management stupidity. Hammer due to unforeseen circumstances. Okposo was a flat out disappointment and I still don't know went wrong with a supposed cant miss guy like him. We've got about eight new guys who seem gifted but who knows.
We can only hope the new management develops these guys in a hurry. It's exciting, for now at least.
Okposo asked for 7 million and Garth responded by cutting off all negotiations which was completely the rational and professional decision. Don't kid yourself: Kyle leaving is in the management stupidity pile.
 

Quickdraw2828

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Aug 2, 2011
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You realize that was a gigantic step towards the team getting flattened like Hiroshima a few weeks ago? Also lead directly to signing Andrew Badd as well.

I think the real Hiroshima would have been signing Tavares at 13 million. And Tavares and Okposo at 20 million would be a hole none of us would see them get out of. Even the fans in grade school.
 
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ThreeLeftSkates

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Nov 20, 2008
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Okposo asked for 7 million and Garth responded by cutting off all negotiations which was completely the rational and professional decision. Don't kid yourself: Kyle leaving is in the management stupidity pile.
I thought that it was the smarter than everyone else in the room pile? And it was a steaming pile.
 
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sabremike

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I think the real Hiroshima would have been signing Tavares at 13 million. And Tavares and Okposo at 20 million would be a hole none of us would see them get out of. Even the fans in grade school.
The money and term the team would've spent on Kyle was instead spent on Badd so they ended up with a cap albatross regardless. And as much as I want pajama boy to fail it would not shock me in the least if the next 4 years are by far the most productive of his career. Remember this will be the first time in his entire career he be playing for an actual credible NHL coach.
 

Quickdraw2828

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The money and term the team would've spent on Kyle was instead spent on Badd so they ended up with a cap albatross regardless. And as much as I want pajama boy to fail it would not shock me in the least if the next 4 years are by far the most productive of his career. Remember this will be the first time in his entire career he be playing for an actual credible NHL coach.

I'm keeping Ladd separate since it really has nothing to do with Okposo. Don't you think Buffalo regrets signing Okposo? I'm not even considering his injuries when I say this, but based on his play when healthy, don't you think they're sorry they signed him?
 

sabremike

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I'm keeping Ladd separate since it really has nothing to do with Okposo. Don't you think Buffalo regrets signing Okposo? I'm not even considering his injuries when I say this, but based on his play when healthy, don't you think they're sorry they signed him?
He was actually an all star his first year before (IIRC) an infection led to him taking medicine he had a negative reaction to that literally almost killed him. Understandably he hasn't been the same since.
 

Quickdraw2828

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He was actually an all star his first year before (IIRC) an infection led to him taking medicine he had a negative reaction to that literally almost killed him. Understandably he hasn't been the same since.

Was he an all star because every team needs an all star? I don't really watch the all star game.

I seem to remember Frans making the All Star team with Detroit for the same reason.
 
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sabremike

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Was he an all star because every team needs an all star? I don't really watch the all star game.

I seem to remember Frans making the All Star team with Detroit for the same reason.
Basically that was the year Eichel got hurt and missed the first few months of the season so that is correct, but he was still playing very well. The freak illness is another reason I hate Garth for not keeping him: if he stays that probably never happens and a great person like Kyle is doesn't end up nearly dying.
 

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