Sure the New York Islanders could still be playing/winning right now in ECF, but based on what we saw over 82 games they had a lot of luck to even qualify/advance past round one.
Funny how a soccer team in Secaucus NJ, and another in the South Bronx, have people running them (with no major mainstream media coverage) who both claim New York at every opportunity, while Mr Yormark cannot seem to figure this out with his marketing people as 30,000-40,000 fans go see a soccer game, and already have a great rivalry? Six more NY Islander weekend games have been promised this coming season which would equal the Coliseum weekend totals but would not come close to the Saturday former totals, but after last season those customers are likely gone for good or well into another boycott which helped make the decision for Nassau to do nothing very easy.
As usual the worst professional media for any sports team in North America will do what they do between analytics/metrics as they sleep through the few games they wrote anything.
Personally if Altice drops sports or the Islanders entirely when it acquires Newsday it cannot get any worse.
The usual fans on the Kate Murray/Jay Jacobs business plan are getting their 7/1 max payroll shopping list together while they wait for ticket prices to drop around twenty dollars and attend games starting in December if the team is in contention? Let's just write Stamkos is a center and not coming here to be a 2C because the fans/building does not produce 41 sold out gms at top prices, and he wants to center a first line.
There is no sensible replacement available for Okposo in Loui Eriksson or Andrew Ladd, who did not help their teams win or qualify for the playoffs. The rest is the usual very mixed bag of too old, not productive enough or a player who's not going to help Tavares. This team also has Grabovski with his five concussions signed for the next two years. Okposo said he wants to stay, despite the rhetoric he is a 1st line player, so his numbers must be replaced, and Tavares made clear he wants his friend to return.
Shane Prince costs a 3rd rounder and produced, he's going to be here. Quine also proved he can help at this level, and given his play in Bridgeport he's ready for the NHL, this is where some changes will be coming from for 2016-17.
The heart says resign Nielsen who scored two goals at Msg in the twenty game lead up to the playoffs. The head says this team has Strome, Nelson and Quine are all centers, and changing everyone's natural position (even Lee moved to right wing) does not help their development.
Frans Nielsen is not a winger.
Ask Bailey, Grabovski (all concussions playing wing) Comeau, and the countless players who were good soldiers, who all said it made no difference what position they played----until it did.
How many days were Halak, Greiss and Berube healthy at the same time last year? I get goalies like routines, want to get their work in practice but where are any of them going under contract? Halak had to be great at times to get the numbers he got, so did Greiss, and they need both goaltenders.
Berube went on waivers a year ago for Jhonas Enroth, he looked good in most (not last Pens game) of his seven appearances, but that body of work did not improve his standing, and if Kevin Poulin were not claimed by Tampa he would never have been here. If Christopher Gibson is qualified and accepts his offer he is signed to go with Bridgeport's other two signed prospect goalies.
The good news is the defense (all signed) looks better than it has in over a decade but someone will have to play the Matt Donovan role which means you don't want Scott Mayfield or Adam Pelech (among many prospects) sitting Mayfield is at point where he needs to be in the NHL.
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The NY Islanders have no control over who Dolan hires to hide/Brooklynize the team on +2 next season but of course another Ranger die-hard Kenny Albert, who put the Fisherman logo over the cup banners in the Fox glow-puck era would be another person good at hiding the Islanders for them. It would not shock me if one of the low-grade options like Mike Crispino got the job either sitting in their stable of people with little to do given Steve Cangialosi does the telecast for two teams with Msg contracts.
Even Wang's North Well Health carries an Msg logo on the scoreboard.
My pick would be Chris King (loyalty matters/excellent at his job) but he would have to become an Msg employee, and he's filled in fine on television in rare cameo's. Yes, I would love to see Phil Giubileo return and move up to the NHL radio, after leaving the Sound Tigers (his replacement Paul Ryan announced he is leaving after one year this week) but who knows?
Bridgeport had a twitter chat and claimed they are looking at a Sound Tigers television deal. I asked when are we going to find out if they are moving to the Coliseum, and received no response.
I'm not a person who writes here with amnesia, and well aware I wrote in the past the Sound Tigers should remain in Bridgeport, but things have changed. An AHL hockey team is a requirement of Bruce Ratner's Coliseum lease. A promised announcement did not happen despite Ratner's side saying would happen by ground breaking with those infamous naming right also never announced.
Ratner/Prokhorov keep making deals to renovate buildings together like Beacon which begins in 2017.
Bottom line an AHL Long Island Ranger team cannot be a anchor hockey tenant at the renovated Coliseum because that's bad for the New York Islanders business. If no AHL team was allowed I would have no problem with the Sound Tigers remaining at WBA beyond it's poor attendance again come playoff time vs Toronto.
