In my continuing look at teams who lost in the first round, today I look at the Islanders.
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33 Comments
Are they a contender? Maybe a playoffs contender, but not a serious cup contender.
Ik the Islanders deployed Horvat differently, but they NEED to get him scoring again, I don't care if they have guys who fufil the same role, they won't do it as well as Horvat can. When they traded for him I said if he scores 35 goals a year that contracts not a problem, but it certainly is with 16 points in 30 games.
The disappointment stems mostly from the perception that the team just didn’t live up to its potential.
It turns out that Trotz is a good coach and replacing him is difficult. Lambert was ok, but there is no way to defend the way the power play fell off a cliff. The younger defencemen also need to improve their zone exits desperately. The islanders defencemen are, as a group, unwilling to skate the puck out of their own end, and the opposing teams know that, so they are much too predictable.
Still the team got younger and they made the playoffs without blowing out the salary cap.
All I'll say is what looked like it was right within their grasp, is never gonna come for this current squad, regular season blazing speed has finally come to playoff hockey and this teams speed is just not up to par. Good goaltending can only take you so far in the modern era and IDK if Lambert has really changed things up enough for this team to go anywhere.
I don’t know if the fall for the Islanders is coming next season, but with all the old players taking up so much cap space, it’s going to come at some point. When it does, it’s going to hurt a lot. Trust me, I’m a Devils fan.
Yes
They need a new gm and coach. Got a top tier defensive core and goaltender.
They were 31st in the league in the pp. that’s unacceptable. Even if they’re like 18th in the league they still squeak out a few more wins and easily make the playoffs.
They also need an elite sniper. Barzal doing his thing making plays while horvat gets in front of the net is great and all, but they need a shooter. I think Wahlstrom can be that shooter, but again, the coaching needs to put him in that role
the islanders remind me of the 2010s habs. abysmal at offence, an above average defense and a overachieving goalie. you'll find yourself in rebuild mode without achieving anything
Genuinely have no clue if we will be better or worse next season
Consistent scoring is hard to come by for this team. Until that changes, they go nowhere.
I think they were a legit contender under Trotz. But by now it's pretty obvious that Lambert is not Trotz. I dont think there's another coach right now that has enough experience and ability to get a team that's built like that to a Cup. There might be a coach like that in the future, maybe it's even Laine Lambert, but Islanders can't wait to find out – they're not a team with a bunch of young stars coming out of rebuild. They need to win now.
Imo Islanders need a new coach and GM if they want to contend with this roster. The system needs to go. And I dont think there's anyone in Islanders management or any other management that is going to come in and say that they need a rebuild.
How is Sorokin only 4mil?
Unfortunately Lou has kind of locked this team into "win now" mode despite them not having the talent (outside of the goalie) to hang with the other perennial contenders. In my ideal world you're looking at moving on from 5 or 6 of the forwards on this team, but with the contract and cap situation, the offseason will probably consist of buying out Bailey and bringing in Gustav Nyquist or something silly like that. Then Lou will hold his presser saying "we believe in this group, blah blah blah, by the way we signed Kyle Palmieri to a six year extension."
It's completely full … of prune juice and Metamucil.
Still think the 8.5m a year deal for Horvat is a bit high for a guy with a career high of 61 points. Though as long as he can score about 30 every year it wont be too bad of a deal, so hopefully he can do that for the Isles.
Lou has been grooming Chris for years to takeover and Jon Ledecky has SOOO much respect for Lou, I would not be surprised if Chris is the GM going forward and Lou stays on as Pres of Hockey Ops.
I said it before the deadline, they should have dealt Varly and Mayfield. Now they will get nothing. I think the game has passed Lou by. He's 80, time to retire and smell the roses. I was thankful we got him when we did, gave the club some stability. (after Snow, Wang and Milbury god knows we needed it) Time to get a young dynamic GM who understands todays game.
The Islanders identity: being unpredictable making them impossible to prepare to play against.
Isles are a tirefire. One of the bleakest futures in the NHL.
And I get Loumoriello was great in the 50s and 60s. But he is 100 years old and completely clueless of today's NHL. They need a new GM now.
This is the corporate version of a guy getting caught cheating on his SO, and claiming " Wasn't me!"
Glass fully empty
Team has gotten too old to contend for a cup. Yes, you can get one or two good games from the veterans in a series but they lack the depth to carry them even through the first round. Team needs to wheel and deal at the draft to make a minimum of ten picks this June.
Hey Shannon, I’ve been an Islander fan my whole life, absolutely heartbroken twice when they lost to Tampa, I truly believe that they are a few players away I think that they just need to do something about the power-play they just don’t score enough goals they’ve always been a defense first team which is fine but when it matters most like you still got a score goals. They lost a game seven in the Eastern conference final on the road at Tampa with a chance to host the Stanley Cup final at Nassau Coliseum in the final season ever and blew it 1-0 on a shorthanded goal while on the PowerPlay, unreal. No doubt in my mind they would’ve beat Montreal in that final 😩
The problem with Horvat is that he’s being paired with Lee, and they don’t gel together. Lee is that guy who goes in front of the net. The islanders were successful when Lee and Nelson played together. Barzal and Horvat need a guy who will have speed to keep up with Barzal. I like a Max Domi signing. It probably only happens if Pageau and Bailey are traded, but it would make for a good line, eith3 players who do different things.
The Islanders are basically “we got Hurricanes at home”
I believe loui leaves and Islanders Rebrand to Modern Fisherman full-time
I think its a little of both. Theyre a decent team that also galvinized at the right time. I dont see them as a cup winner at this moment, but i feel like a lot of the important pieces are there. A few smart pickups and trades might just do it
If I’m a betting man, Lou stays on as President of Hockey operations, and he hires a new GM, who will decide the fate of Lambert, if he’s not fired already. I don’t think Lou will promote his son as GM. That’s not how he operates.
Horvat bringing in the country club era.
They wouldn't have made the playoffs without Bo Horvat. Barzal's injury put him in a bad spot to end the season and start the playoffs, but a full season of Bo and Barzal will make a big difference.
A win-now roster without win-now talent or coaching. Thanks, Lou.
I'm an Islanders fan and I believe Lou has to go. He signs players to a ridiculous long term contract so that means he believes who we have now can do it. That left little money to work with to get new players. Also, we haven't built up our farm team (Bridgeport Islanders) to develop young talent. I do see us making the playoffs consistently but possibly the curse of getting knocked off in the first round. The last few decades, it's either not making the playoffs or making the playoffs but losing in the first round.