State of the New York Islanders: Big Issues Ahead

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Simply put here is the menu depending on the next CBA.

1. Garth Snow/Charles Wang continue to do what twenty plus other teams in new or modern facilities/bleeding losses also refuse to do. That means no front-loaded contracts for the kind of player that may help the forwards/defenders take the next step, however with no guarantee of success in a four playoff spot conference that includes Comcast/Cablevision and the ownership funding Mario Lemieux.

IE: Christian Ehrhoff making $18 million of his 40 million in the first two seasons scoring the same two goals Andrew MacDonald has produced against Minnesota.

IE: James Wisniewski's massive front-loaded deal in Columbus, enough said.

Hardly a guarantee of winning with countless examples.

2. Gamble on the Tomas Kaberle UFA's of the NHL at 12.75m over three years (not front-loaded) and the serious baggage they bring which rarely works, or Joni Pitkanen who receives $4.5 million over three years to largely not produce. There's always Chris Camopoli at 1.7m to sit around for the most part and watch hockey in Montreal (after being cleared to play) or another Andy Sutton contract which Anaheim unloaded on Edmonton.

2A. Take on a front-loaded contract in the Scott Gomez/Ryan Smyth mold, where the player is failing, but the bulk of his money has been paid already? That can include someone off the NHL radar (see Sheldon Souray) desperate to continue a career anywhere.

3. Continue to sell the development of the prospects here, to a team running out of time on it's lease, with a fan base which will not accept another 2000-2001 Milbury plan of moving prospects, but tired of waiting to return to the playoffs?

This is why NYIFC wants to see Calvin deHaan here now, if Mark Streit feels he's ready that's enough endorsement. We had past entries on how the club is going to need time to add in Hamonic/deHaan and cannot do it all at once.

Last year was Hamonic, this one should have been deHaan with Wishart here from day one, Mottau on waivers from summer, Staios never invited.

For those wondering it's been a rough injury go for Niederreiter, who is technically a full year younger than Tavares in his rookie season.

I would not keep him here past his nine games, it's not the same as deHaan or Tavares.

I expect Niederreiter will stay regardless.

4. Continue to shop for bargains in free agency, or invite players to camp with serious downside. Those players bring many flaws, highly unlikely to be successful, despite staff's success with Matt Moulson.

5. Explore what is almost an impossible trade market with valuable players largely signed to NTC/NVC or waiting to pick/choose when their time to enter UFA arrives.

Mistakes?
That begs the question why did Garth Snow take back Ty Wishart in a trade a year ago, have him come up and play twenty games in the second half at plus five for Jack Capuano, on a successful club over an extended period, then qualify him, but not see one call-up on a slow, struggling defense?

Wishart was drafted 18th overall, five years ago, it's time.

This includes not qualifying Jack Hillen, who Nashville seems very happy to have on their team here?

Those who recall Snow won the bidding for Hillen and gave him a contract structured where he would become a RFA earlier, by those two games he played in the NHL immediately after he signed.

The gambles on Rolston/Reasoner were good statistical gambles by Garth Snow vs their counterparts, but have failed. Pandolfo does not bring critical elements of size, speed, scoring and was a mistake from day one.

For a few summers running here, this blog has maintained it's not the most important summer and that most of the roster spots have been taken.

This coming summer, that changes.

The chance to replace Jurcina, Eaton, Staios, and Mottau.

Cross-roads for Parenteau and Nielsen at UFA.

A true cross-roads with many of the six goaltenders contracts up, Koskinen a top pick (first goaltender selected) in Europe a RFA.

Tavares, Bailey, Strome are all centers (to say nothing of Nelson/Cizikas) which means time to re-evaluate Nielsen's size and even strength scoring to go with Parenteau vs right wing depth.

Don't count on Kirill Petrov.

Very big on-ice issues ahead.

One more time for those claiming Charles Wang will only spend to the floor.

Facts are Facts.

This owner was spending well over forty million before there was a floor, his gm was trading 4.5m in contracts last December and no roster player came back to the NHL roster at that time.

Charles Wang did his part, he locked up Moulson, Tavares, Grabner, Niederreiter, Stome and Okposo and extended Bailey. His gm signed MacDonald and Nielsen to very favorable deals.

Nassau County failed Charles Wang again, as other teams got their taxpayer funded facilities approved or 1981 exemptions for life.

Charles Wang got Ed Mangano, Murray, Law, Jay/Judy Jacobs, Stuart Rabinowicz and a decades long cast of characters all with their own self-interest set on the Coliseum property with Dolan's Newsday controlling the spin.

Wang and Scott Rechler got the privilege of losing 19 million dollars, while Wang owns a hotel in full for 90m dollars he cannot take with him, when the Coliseum lease expires.

To say nothing of the 17 million Wang and/or Rechler current paid to manage Smg's facility until the current lease expires.

Notables:
Time Warner folks, enjoy Cablevision/Dolan latest blackout of NY sports. Guess HD loss to Verizon and being forced (after endless appeals) to finally throw HD switch, meant a new fight.