Jon Ledecky said what his expectation was for his team this season, and
that only a bad owner meddles as he promised no interference with the
hockey operation.
So far this is working out like his satisfaction on Barclay's efforts to improve the ice and hire a full time manager, if the players are complaining, it's not 1st class or meets expectations.
If their expectations are not met on the ice a decision will be made on the president, general manager, it will not happen after only 14 games, and should not happen for the remainder of this season as they evaluate behind the scenes without involvement.
If the attendance does not meet anyone's expectations an opt-out notice will happen by 1/30/18 with Quebec waiting so fans better decide to stay home means no more team anywhere in NY.
Attendance is up from last season with so many early week games.
The gm will decide if the coach stays or an interim will be hired or promoted as things progress this season.
What was written in the previous entry on the problem at RW is not going away, and frankly so far has gone from bad to worse, this problem goes beyond coaching.
The special teams go directly on the coaching staff.
Everyone knew the top forward free agent market on 7/1. Okposo, Ladd, Loui Eriksson.
Dumping Parenteau seems a mistake but let's get real, Toronto dumped him without a second thought after finishing 30th as did many of his past teams after leaving here, he was not even a 1st line right wing here last time beyond a few brief stretches.
Strome played most of last season with Tavares, not Okposo who would disappear for long stretches. Nielsen's intangibles vs his 50 games in a row without a single even strength goal are not a big loss beyond shootouts.
The New York Islanders do not have right wings capable of playing on the first two lines in this organization, no coach fixes that, demoted center Barzal, LW/C Beauvillier here to stay, and RW benched in Bridgeport Ho-Sang does not fix this. Quine is a center, he produced as a winger last season, but it's not an easy transition to play full time at this level in a new position, and be a healthy scratch.
And still with Hamonic out, Pulock out in AHL, the awful special teams, three goalies (Halak/'s agent not happy while Alan Walsh's other client Berube with no starts) and only six defenders on active roster they are 5-7-2 with Seidenberg giving them shocking production (with defense) that has kept them close to five hundred with three killer regulation losses in tied games entering final minutes.
Seidenberg, Boychuk are going to level off in the production department, or go ice cold, this roster is packed with players who can go 20 games or more without goals.
Capuano went back to Strome briefly at RW despite management saying he did not belong on wing, then took career LW Chimera and put him with Tavares? Did not work.
Ladd was also moved from his career position to RW, then back to third line on LW, seems no chemistry with Tavares at all.
Beauviller got a game with Tavares at left wing, lineup packed with left wings and centers.
Bailey got his look at RW, then moved to left wing, then to 4th line RW for now it's Clutterbuck who came here a third liner and was moved to the 4th line off his 15 goals a year ago, it seems the best on-paper alternative.
Capuano seems correctly determined now to keep LW Lee, Center, Nelson & Center Stome in their natural positions. For this team to have any chance they must produce as they have done in the past or the coach will pay with his job because the clock is ticking on this season. So far Lee/Strome have struggled badly, and Nelson after starting good has gone quiet which sometimes last a long time.
Capuano will not survive if that continues, despite legitimate issues on RW.
Halak is not the reason the team is losing, he's signed for next season so he's going to play until someone takes his contract. Greiss is a pending UFA, Berube is making NHL money with his one-way deal, and will have to prepare like an NHL backup does.
So we sit back and see, no hiding from schedule which will only get worse.
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More twitter then expected, coverage on Coliseum total 180 from Dolan's past two plus years going from prosecuting deal daily from business/editorial writers to hyping every single thing announced like deal is done for them to purchase from Prokhorov/Ratner after 1st phase of renovation done or at some future point.
