Tonelli: Isles Have Base to be Great

[The Underboss]

http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/id/32249/islanders-have-base-to-be-great-says-tonelli

"...“I think they made a great move getting some goaltending help. It’s tough for one guy to carry the load and it always helps when you bring in another guy,†said Tonelli, who played in front of the legendary Billy Smith during the Isles’ dynasty days. “Goaltending seems to be the key . . . it starts from there, taking care of your own end.â€

And dynamic young center John Tavares gives the Islanders an electrifying element.

“He’s just such a pleasure to watch,†Tonelli said. “You know, he’s exciting to watch and he wants to lead by example. He wants to be there. He wants to see the Islanders become a great team. As a former player for the Islanders organization, that’s what it’s all about. We all want it to be there. We all wanted to be part of a great team. I see that in [Tavares].â€

With Tavares’ potential “unlimited,†according to Tonelli, all he needs is the right players around him to complement his stunning skill set....."

Click to read more...

 

[Isles Junkie]

It's kind of like beating a dead horse at this point. But we really can be a fantastic team if we upgraded 2 key areas. Defense and Head Coach.

While I'm really excited to see what de Haan can do, he has serious health issues and until he proves he can be relied on for 82 + 16+ playoff games, he is a question mark. I really hope we add a solid reliable 4th Dman this summer. If we do that, or if Reinhart steps in & shows little to no signs that he's a rookie (similar to Hamonic a few years back) then we have something here.

Flintstones gotta go. He's just dreadful.

IMO, Best case scenario, we can be a 5th seed and make some noise in the playoffs. Worst case scenario, we're a playoff bubble team. Either way, it's a dramatic improvement over what we're used to.

 

[24diving]

It's kind of like beating a dead horse at this point. But we really can be a fantastic team if we upgraded 2 key areas. Defense and Head Coach.

While I'm really excited to see what de Haan can do, he has serious health issues and until he proves he can be relied on for 82 + 16+ playoff games, he is a question mark. I really hope we add a solid reliable 4th Dman this summer. If we do that, or if Reinhart steps in & shows little to no signs that he's a rookie (similar to Hamonic a few years back) then we have something here.

Flintstones gotta go. He's just dreadful.

IMO, Best case scenario, we can be a 5th seed and make some noise in the playoffs. Worst case scenario, we're a playoff bubble team. Either way, it's a dramatic improvement over what we're used to.

Not sure that I would say deHann has serious health issues, he has had injuries in the past yes, but nothing that would make me think they are going to recur, as opposed to say Hamonic with his concussion hisory. I am much more concerned with hammer's head than cdh's shoulders going forward.

 

[LeapOnOver]

Not sure that I would say deHann has serious health issues, he has had injuries in the past yes, but nothing that would make me think they are going to recur, as opposed to say Hamonic with his concussion hisory. I am much more concerned with hammer's head than cdh's shoulders going forward.

This....many defenseman will get at least two to three big injuries in their career and the ones you want to get are like the ones that de Haan has gotten. It wasn't any knee or cincussion issues and now that ive seen him play it's even more evident he's not a risky player on the ice like a Lafontaine. ..He'll be fine.

 

[A Pointed Stick]

http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/id/32249/islanders-have-base-to-be-great-says-tonelli

With Tavares’ potential “unlimited,†according to Tonelli, all he needs is the right players around him to complement his stunning skill set....."

Which is precisely why most of us have been *****ing about PAP, Boyes, PMB, the perpetually weak defense, etc., etc., etc...