I wrote a year ago well before the referendum it would likely be rejected, but the framework for what will be approved would happen.
That is how I still see this playing out.
These things almost always get very ugly before they get done, Charles Wang has not made it ugly yet.
Plenty Of Time:
Edmonton's lease ends in 2014, they are not even close to a ground-breaking here for Darryl Katz's, partly/taxpayer funded facility yet so unless Jay Jacobs can move to Alberta, and build an arena faster than anyone else, the Oilers will be in their current facility past their lease.
Bottom Line:
Either Ed Mangano finds a way to finance the framework of what Charles Wang agreed to almost a year ago for a thirty year lease extension, or the only owner anywhere in New York/New Jersey, who did not get huge taxpayer assistance will have a decision to make.
That decision also includes a ninety million dollar hotel he will own on the Coliseum property whether the New York Islanders play there or not after 2015.
Having written all this if Nassau & TOH are determined to lose the New York Islanders, and play the same political game they have for over twenty years it goes beyond what any owner can do.
No owner anywhere builds an arena or stadium out pocket for their landlord to make all the money, if you can find me one, by all means send an e-mail.
If you expect Charles Wang to do that here after a decade plus of taking on losses, with the additional privilege of losing his share of twenty million dollars (with Scott Rechler) on the Lighthouse project that is not realistic.
Most NHL teams in their modern facilities lose money. Tennessean.com reports on the Predators huge losses and public assistance.
Wang made clear he wanted no development rights, he was not going to construct a referendum, legislature, NIFA, approved arena for Nassau a year ago.
There could well be a next County Executive in 2013 to replace Ed Mangano determined to do whatever is necessary to keep the New York Islanders, despite all the media rhetoric that will follow to push out the Islanders.
Winning/filling the seats always puts a lot of pressure on local government to make a deal, while staying away helps the politicians.
Win or lose, those seats have to be filled.
I see absolutely no chance Charles Wang opts out of his sublease, then asks Ed Mangano to leave now after what he said last summer. Nor do I see Mangano giving him approval to move the team immediately which is what that would require.
Unless someone in Brooklyn wishes to purchase the New York Islanders, I do not ever see Charles Wang taking the club there to lose money on his hotel or anyone in Queens building him an arena.
Dolan sees hundreds of millions in savings on a cable contract, expect the absolute worst in his paper toward that end above all.
Wang has no media to fight it, he cannot say one word or it will cost him the bare minimal hockey coverage in Dolan's paper, and on television.
Dolan's paper is being called out again by the Long Island Press for selective reporting? Nothing new there.
******************************
Gary Bettman:
Mr Bettman's " The Isles will not play one day past their lease", is an act we have seen before in Edmonton a year ago here.
"I don't think there is any intention of this team to play in this building (Rexall Place) beyond the term of its lease," Bettman said. "There needs to be a new building, and it's that simple."
One of the countless articles with Bettman saying Penguins may have to relocate.
*******************************
In The Room:
Fans are not in the room, neither are media, only players.
The players work there----they know, we do not.
I have no doubt the players in the room believe this team is on the right track or none of them would have resigned here at any price, much less the ones who were UFA, and could have ripped the management as they demanded out.
Even the goalie who refused to report, and got tolled was thrilled to resign in an organization packed with competition. Why?
As I wrote recently, all it would have taken is John Tavares demanding a trade, instead Tavares told Pat Brisson, his agent, who said the Isles would be one of the last places he would personally sign with before the 2009 draft to agree on a six year extension for his client.
In over a decade not one former player here has ripped this owner.Why?
Michael Peca ripped the Oilers when he left so please do not tell me it does not happen, Peca always praises Charles Wang.
All of us can believe whatever we want, but the players on this team, in that room, who work with this management daily are the ones who would be the first to complain if there were issues, instead all of them want to stay here very badly.
This is what I base my viewpoint on.
***********************
On the Ice:
New York has a draft to prepare for with another top pick, as usual, it's not a class packed with generational talents on paper going in.
On the ice if there is a next season, the Islanders are close to being a playoff team if they can improve their defense at both ends of the ice, either from within the organization, or through free agency/trades which carries a very steep price because all teams are looking to do the same thing.
If this team can find three defenders who can hit, skate, score to go with Streit, MacDonald, Hamonic they are a solid bet to be a playoff team.
If not, it likely will be more of the same because your defense is a big part of your offense.
Josh Bailey made clear it he likes the wing, he will be held to that statement if he does not produce. This blog has been outspoken often about management playing him outside his drafted position.
*************************
The Cap:
Please stop telling me Nino Niederreiter is here only for cap purposes when Calvin deHaan with his ELC could have been here from day one, and almost made the team three years ago. If Strome, Nelson or another prospect are ready they will be here.
Taylor (Nelson) Pyatt played 78 games here in 2000-01 with only four goals, he survived, and is in this years playoffs with Phoenix.....so will Niederreiter.
Niederreiter did a lot of hitting in the second half, he was strong on the puck, and generated chances mostly playing with struggling forwards in Reasoner/Pandolfo.
There are teams all over the NHL with players on ELC (entry level contract) with the exact same contracts the New York Islanders have signed their prospects to.
The New York Islanders are not the first team to offer bonus money to tryout players they sign.
Garth Snow made some excellent signings in MacDonald/Nielsen when they agreed to four year deals, should he have paid them double or triple so the Isles cap hit was higher?
That is how I still see this playing out.
These things almost always get very ugly before they get done, Charles Wang has not made it ugly yet.
Plenty Of Time:
Edmonton's lease ends in 2014, they are not even close to a ground-breaking here for Darryl Katz's, partly/taxpayer funded facility yet so unless Jay Jacobs can move to Alberta, and build an arena faster than anyone else, the Oilers will be in their current facility past their lease.
Bottom Line:
Either Ed Mangano finds a way to finance the framework of what Charles Wang agreed to almost a year ago for a thirty year lease extension, or the only owner anywhere in New York/New Jersey, who did not get huge taxpayer assistance will have a decision to make.
That decision also includes a ninety million dollar hotel he will own on the Coliseum property whether the New York Islanders play there or not after 2015.
Having written all this if Nassau & TOH are determined to lose the New York Islanders, and play the same political game they have for over twenty years it goes beyond what any owner can do.
No owner anywhere builds an arena or stadium out pocket for their landlord to make all the money, if you can find me one, by all means send an e-mail.
If you expect Charles Wang to do that here after a decade plus of taking on losses, with the additional privilege of losing his share of twenty million dollars (with Scott Rechler) on the Lighthouse project that is not realistic.
Most NHL teams in their modern facilities lose money. Tennessean.com reports on the Predators huge losses and public assistance.
Wang made clear he wanted no development rights, he was not going to construct a referendum, legislature, NIFA, approved arena for Nassau a year ago.
There could well be a next County Executive in 2013 to replace Ed Mangano determined to do whatever is necessary to keep the New York Islanders, despite all the media rhetoric that will follow to push out the Islanders.
Winning/filling the seats always puts a lot of pressure on local government to make a deal, while staying away helps the politicians.
Win or lose, those seats have to be filled.
I see absolutely no chance Charles Wang opts out of his sublease, then asks Ed Mangano to leave now after what he said last summer. Nor do I see Mangano giving him approval to move the team immediately which is what that would require.
Unless someone in Brooklyn wishes to purchase the New York Islanders, I do not ever see Charles Wang taking the club there to lose money on his hotel or anyone in Queens building him an arena.
Dolan sees hundreds of millions in savings on a cable contract, expect the absolute worst in his paper toward that end above all.
Wang has no media to fight it, he cannot say one word or it will cost him the bare minimal hockey coverage in Dolan's paper, and on television.
Dolan's paper is being called out again by the Long Island Press for selective reporting? Nothing new there.
******************************
Gary Bettman:
Mr Bettman's " The Isles will not play one day past their lease", is an act we have seen before in Edmonton a year ago here.
"I don't think there is any intention of this team to play in this building (Rexall Place) beyond the term of its lease," Bettman said. "There needs to be a new building, and it's that simple."
One of the countless articles with Bettman saying Penguins may have to relocate.
*******************************
In The Room:
Fans are not in the room, neither are media, only players.
The players work there----they know, we do not.
I have no doubt the players in the room believe this team is on the right track or none of them would have resigned here at any price, much less the ones who were UFA, and could have ripped the management as they demanded out.
Even the goalie who refused to report, and got tolled was thrilled to resign in an organization packed with competition. Why?
As I wrote recently, all it would have taken is John Tavares demanding a trade, instead Tavares told Pat Brisson, his agent, who said the Isles would be one of the last places he would personally sign with before the 2009 draft to agree on a six year extension for his client.
In over a decade not one former player here has ripped this owner.Why?
Michael Peca ripped the Oilers when he left so please do not tell me it does not happen, Peca always praises Charles Wang.
All of us can believe whatever we want, but the players on this team, in that room, who work with this management daily are the ones who would be the first to complain if there were issues, instead all of them want to stay here very badly.
This is what I base my viewpoint on.
***********************
On the Ice:
New York has a draft to prepare for with another top pick, as usual, it's not a class packed with generational talents on paper going in.
On the ice if there is a next season, the Islanders are close to being a playoff team if they can improve their defense at both ends of the ice, either from within the organization, or through free agency/trades which carries a very steep price because all teams are looking to do the same thing.
If this team can find three defenders who can hit, skate, score to go with Streit, MacDonald, Hamonic they are a solid bet to be a playoff team.
If not, it likely will be more of the same because your defense is a big part of your offense.
Josh Bailey made clear it he likes the wing, he will be held to that statement if he does not produce. This blog has been outspoken often about management playing him outside his drafted position.
*************************
The Cap:
Please stop telling me Nino Niederreiter is here only for cap purposes when Calvin deHaan with his ELC could have been here from day one, and almost made the team three years ago. If Strome, Nelson or another prospect are ready they will be here.
Taylor (Nelson) Pyatt played 78 games here in 2000-01 with only four goals, he survived, and is in this years playoffs with Phoenix.....so will Niederreiter.
Niederreiter did a lot of hitting in the second half, he was strong on the puck, and generated chances mostly playing with struggling forwards in Reasoner/Pandolfo.
There are teams all over the NHL with players on ELC (entry level contract) with the exact same contracts the New York Islanders have signed their prospects to.
The New York Islanders are not the first team to offer bonus money to tryout players they sign.
Garth Snow made some excellent signings in MacDonald/Nielsen when they agreed to four year deals, should he have paid them double or triple so the Isles cap hit was higher?