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Lou Avoids Another Isles Exodus
Lou Avoids Another Isles Exodus
http://gty.im/543010230
Lou Lamoriello showed his expertise through June and on day one of the NHL free agency period.
History
There have been several free agent exodus situations in the Islanders recent history. The first was a sort of a mutually agreed upon house cleaning in 2007. That basically led to the turning point drafts of 2008 and 2009. It had a decent ending, but it was…
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Lou Avoids Another Isles Exodus
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Lou Lamoriello showed his expertise through June and on day one of the NHL free agency period.
History
There have been several free agent exodus situations in the Islanders recent history. The first was a sort of a mutually agreed upon house cleaning in 2007. That basically led to the turning point drafts of 2008 and 2009. It had a decent ending, but it was definitely two years of pain, with more to follow.
The second of note was in 2015. After their first playoff series win in over two decades the Isles let key players walk. In that July the Islanders lost Kyle Okposo, Frans Nielsen and Matt Martin. It took awhile for the team to figure out how to kill penalties without Nielsen and they fell too far to recover. That Fall, like the 2007 exodus cost a coach his job.
The third was last year when the team lost their captain, John Tavares, and Calvin deHaan to free agency. The only saving grace was that they were able to acquire GM Lou Lamoriello, coach Barry Trotz and the core of Barry’s staff. If not it surely would have been back to the drawing board for ownership.
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Present
This year had all the earmarks of 2015. The Islanders could have easily lost their captain [again!], their most experienced center, their Vezina candidate goaltender, their top right handed shot wing, their third line center and some depth pieces that were instrumental in their playoff push.
Lou did not let that happen. He took care of business with the two most likely to leave in June. He got Nelson and Eberle done relatively early. He then made sure his roster had solid flexibility by signing Fritz, then Kuhnhackl. This was key to the future management of likely IR candidates Andrew Ladd and Cal Clutterbuck.
Casey Cizikas clearly showed he was ready to take on more responsibility, so it was easy to see why they let Val Filppula walk. He had a very good year, but the Isles were clearly looking to add more offence.
A Very Strange Path To Continuity
Lou held off on signing his captain, and his number one goaltender. It was my assumption that he wanted to keep some cap space available for bigger fish. If he landed the fish (Artemi Panarin), then he’d have to move some players to create space to sign those two. The team doesn’t want to announce that, but in the aftermath that seems to have been the plan.
Lou missed on Panarin. But even though Panarin accepted less to play for the Rangers, he was offered more than if the Isles weren’t in the fishing hole.
This all comes full circle when Lou signs Lee for more term and AAV than anybody thought was possible. He also let’s Robin Lehner walk to sign another client of Panarin’s agent, Semyon Varlamov. Paul Theofanous represents July 1st targets; Sergei Bobrovsky, Arteri Panarin and Semyon Varlamov. He also represents Islander prospect Ilya Sorokin.
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Stability
Some will say the team is no better today, than it was yesterday. On paper maybe that’s true. Here’s what the roster looks like with none of the key RFA’s signed.
John Palmieri | Islesblogger
This roster plus Anthony Beauvillier, Michael Dal Colle and Josh Ho-Sang is certainly capable of continuing the Islanders’ successful run of 2018-19. That is something that wasn’t available to the teams in 2007 and 2015. There won’t be a dramatic coaching change in 2019, like there was in 2018.
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The Future
In the immediate future there are more fish to fry. As of me writing this there are some UFA forwards available that could easily fit in the ~$8M of cap space retained on July 1st.
Brian Boyle is a possible target for a team looking for a bottom six center that can kill penalties and help with the power play.
If this is the last deal this summer the Islanders are still in very good shape. They have two 2018 draftees that may make their NHL debuts this year. Oliver Wahlstrom is headed to Bridgeport. Ollie can play 9 games in the NHL without having his first ELC year counting. We can count on those games being used to evaluate his readiness if he has a good camp.
Noah Dobson is in a similar “ELC Slide” situation. He has dominated the QMJHL, but at 19 he can’t go to the AHL. I can see the Islanders using his 9 games as well. They should have enough flexibility to utilize both early in the season if Andrew Ladd and Cal Clutterbuck are both still healing in October.
The best way to improve the roster might be through a series of trades. The exceptional play of Devon Toews and Adam Pelech have made Nick Leddy and/or Thomas Hickey expendable. Thomas Greiss, as a pending UFA is also expendable. In turn there are several teams that are scraping or above the cap ceiling that should be willing to shed some salary.
John Palmieri | Islesblogger Courtesy of @CapFriendly
The possibilities for a roster upgrade are many. The best part of this is that we have a HOF GM running the show. He also should have confidence in the fact that his future HOF coach will be able to take the ingredients he provides and once again challenge for the Metro division. This because the New York Islanders did not take a step backwards today.
Lou Avoids Another Isles Exodus was originally published on islesblogger.com
A Lot of Heart, Fate And Good Vibes
A Lot of Heart, Fate And Good Vibes #isles @lkieferfoley @NYIslanders @nhl
Super Jack completed his list
If you didn’t see this yesterday, then you probably don’t look at social media very often – because this was literally everywhere. It was also on the telecast, and this mornings Newsday too, so you likely did hear about it at some point.
I am talking about Jack and his exceptional story.
https://twitter.com/islesblogger/status/1112700207500791814
The…
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A Lot of Heart, Fate And Good Vibes
Michael Schuerlein | Islesblogger Super Jack completed his list
If you didn’t see this yesterday, then you probably don’t look at social media very often – because this was literally everywhere. It was also on the telecast, and this mornings Newsday too, so you likely did hear about it at some point.
I am talking about Jack and his exceptional story.
Hey @NYIslanders and @nhl – let’s get Jack to be an #Isles for a day! I won’t stop until I see him lead the team at practice! @leeberr09 @joboych @Barzal_97 @zeeker11 @mattymarts17 https://t.co/E7KJH5aQI6
— Michael Schuerlein (@islesblogger) April 1, 2019
The best part about all of this is the attention that it earned. Every national media outlet that covers hockey got involved in some way – to the point that Robin Lehner went on Twitter and replied with:
100%❤️ https://t.co/APoBxnx6sU
— Robin Lehner (@RobinLehner) March 31, 2019
When I saw this yesterday, I couldn’t help but reach out to Jack’s Mom, Lauren to see if there was anything more I could help them with.
We got to talking and I learned all about Jack’s history, his hockey life – defying all the odds. It was AMAZING. She even told me about her brother, Michael an FDNY Firefighter who perished in the 9-11 attacks. More on this in a minute.
I reached out to my buddy Sean (@BCKT106), whom you know as the amazing artist who draws the images of Islanders players by hand, to see if he’d be willing to work something out for Jack. He was on board.
We set out between the second and third periods to meet up with Lauren and Jack. We talked about everything, got to hang out with Jack and as Lauren told Sean about her brother – things got “interesting”, which is where the fate part of the story comes in.
Michael Schuerlein | Islesblogger @islesblogger, @bckt106 and Super Jack
Earlier in the day, Lauren told me that every time their family has been blessed with kindness, a Michael is usually involved. I am a strong believer in fate and that everything happens for a reason. Fast forward to introducing Sean – we get on the subject of Michael and Sean knew him!
Seriously.
Not only did he know him, Sean drew a portrait of him in 2002 that hangs at the Hempstead firehouse.
Coincidence? No. It’s Fate.
Sean and I were invited down after the game to hang out with our new friend as he waited to check off the third box on his list. And check it off he did.
I’m so happy for everyone involved here. You’re the best Robin. #isles pic.twitter.com/9SRnAbu8aJ
— Michael Schuerlein (@islesblogger) April 2, 2019
As you can see by all the smiles in these photos, Jack did everything he wanted to and more. He got a stick from Robin Lehner, he also got one from Thomas Greiss. Johnny Boychuk came out to say hello, so did Josh Bailey, and Anthony Beauvillier.
It’s a day that Jack and his family won’t ever forget. I know I won’t forget it either. I had trouble sleeping last night because of the endorphins, but it was 100% worth it.
More on Jack’s condition, his Mom Lauren says the disease he suffers from has no cure. He’s had numerous surgeries over the course of his short life, the first coming at 4 days old. His second at 4 months old and third at 2 and a half years old. She adds he may eventually need a transplant one day. But for now, they live life every day allowing Jack to live out his dreams.
His list obviously checked off a few boxes last night.
Not to be lost in all of this is the amazing story about Robin Lehner that should’t be missed. He’s been a huge surprise this season after his recovery from substance abuse and mental illness – something I will also be writing about in short time. Little things like this make you like him and root for him even more, especially playing as great as he has been.
Jack and Lauren are going to be coming on the The Isles Faith Podcast to talk about all his experiences, stay tuned for that. If you don’t subscribe to the podcast, head over to the website and subscribe!
A Lot of Heart, Fate And Good Vibes was originally published on islesblogger.com
The Stars Align For Tavares's Return
The Stars Align For Tavares's Return #isles
This is it, well just about.
We’ve waited 7 months for tomorrow night – the return of all returns, or the biggest revenge game in a long time, at least. I’m talking about John Tavres’s return to Long Island, to where it all began at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
This season has been one for the record books in a sense, as the Islanders have been playing pretty solid hockey for large…
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The Stars Align For Tavares's Return
This is it, well just about.
We’ve waited 7 months for tomorrow night – the return of all returns, or the biggest revenge game in a long time, at least. I’m talking about John Tavares’s return to Long Island, to where it all began at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
This season has been one for the record books in a sense, as the Islanders have been playing pretty solid hockey for large stretches of the season. Well, save for the recent struggles over the last five games.
I say that because not a single person expected the Islanders to do what they’ve been doing this season. Not me. Not you. Not even the Coach and GM.
Barry Trotz and his staff have had the Isles near the top and AT THE TOP of the Metropolitan Division for a while now. Yes, the Capitals are now tied in points, but the Islanders have fewer games played. They face the Caps on Friday, good times.
Yesterday was a strange day for fans – News12 Long Island came out with the “video” that was the worst Dear John letter anyone could’ve asked for. It was embarrassing. (I refuse to link to it)
So embarrassing that it went viral and seemingly all of the Canadian market ran with it. That’s the life of an Isles fan, the good times are barely covered, but when theres a chance to fire torpedos when theres a rough patch, well – it happens. Whatever, this too shall pass.
I’ve never felt more misrepresented in my entire life. How about you guys? #isles
— Michael Schuerlein (@islesblogger) February 26, 2019
For the last few weeks fans have been speaking about what type of response JT should receive on his return. They’ve come up with various chants and taunts. I just hope it doesn’t get over the top. I’m not alone in this line of thinking, as some of the more well known fans of the Islanders have come out with similar sentiments over the last day or so.
Here’s a Tweet by Long Island’s Kevin Connolly:
Dear Islanders fans, Please don’t yell at me. I’m just thinking out loud. Maybe we should take the high road Thursday night when JT returns to the Coliseum. The future is bright for our team. Let’s show the league that we’re all class… (cue the mean tweets) @NHL @NYIslanders
— Kevin Connolly (@mrkevinconnolly) February 26, 2019
And another by Ralph Macchio:
On board with that. I’ll be there to cheer the 2019 Isles. Best response to JT in the house. Win the game! https://t.co/laLmUn6KtE
— Ralph Macchio (@ralphmacchio) February 26, 2019
Even the former Calder Winning Islanders Defenseman Bryan Berard had this to say:
Islanders fans I agree. https://t.co/L8MEluwa7x
— Bryan Berard (@BryanBerard) February 27, 2019
I would love if we could take the high road. I know there are a lot of people who are upset about this, and I was too – I mean I created The Isles Faithful Podcast because of John’s letter to fans. But after seeing what fans did against the Maple Leafs during the 2003 playoff series, I hope it doesn’t get to THAT level.
I’m not going to tell you all how to feel – that’s not how I roll. But try to be respectable. I do know the Islanders plan to honor his years on the Island with a tribute video as well, so there’s going to be lots of emotions on both sides of the ice tomorrow night.
I very much just want this all to be in the rearview, a blip in history that one day we can look back on and say – THIS was the moment that the Islanders as an organization turned the corner and got back to respectability. We’re certainly headed in the right direction there.
John Tavares was supposed to be the Islanders savior. Instead, his leaving may have done more for saving the franchise then his staying put. Funny how life works sometimes.
WINNING tomorrow is the best and most adequate response. As fans we just have to cheer the boys on and make the building as loud as possible for them.
The next step, playoffs. Winning heals all wounds after all.
The Stars Align For Tavares’s Return was originally published on islesblogger.com
Engage The Blog Switch! JPinVA Welcome Aboard!
Engage The Blog Switch! JPinVA Welcome Aboard! #isles @JPinVA
It’s no secret. I’ve not given Islesblogger the love and attention that it deserves, especially after giving me 11 years of a venue to write great stuff and create amazing memories thanks to the NHL and New York Islanders.
I’ve written about life and everything else in this space and how everything changes. That’s just a part of growing up – much like Tavares leaving the Island (parts one two…
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Engage The Blog Switch! JPinVA Welcome Aboard!
It’s no secret. I’ve not given Islesblogger the love and attention that it deserves, especially after giving me 11 years of a venue to write great stuff and create amazing memories thanks to the NHL and New York Islanders.
I’ve written about life and everything else in this space and how everything changes. That’s just a part of growing up – much like Tavares leaving the Island (parts one two and three) in free-agency, right?
Theres one more change here though – and I tried this several months ago though it didn’t work out. I am welcoming in a writer, someone else who’s voice and opinion I’ve come to know and respect. That man is JPinVA.
As you already know, I created The Isles Faithful Podcast back in late July and it’s been a pretty wild ride so far. In 23 episodes we’re approaching 7000 downloads and the guests and feedback have been amazing. My goal is to make the podcast and extension of Islesblogger in a sense, which is why I asked JP to provide some content over here.
The funny part is JP was very active in commenting here on Islesblogger back in the day – so I am happy it’s come full circle. The other part, he’s been a frequent guest on the podcast – something I am sure will continue into the future.
So, please join me in welcoming JP here to Islesblogger – a place that will see continued updates as we head into the future. It’s too exciting of a time in Isles Nation not to write and enjoy the outlets available to me!
Engage The Blog Switch! JPinVA Welcome Aboard! was originally published on islesblogger.com
