Tavares Gone To Leafs

New York Islander Fan Central | 6/29/2018 03:40:00 PM |

Halak, Chris Wagner to Boston.

NYIFC Comments: Thank you, John Tavares.
Everything else has been written one way or another, it's time to move on. 

Unless He Signs Tavares Deserves Blame, Not Snow/Ownership

New York Islander Fan Central | 6/28/2018 07:51:00 AM |
Bottom line we got a year plus of Tavares saying this is where he wanted to be, only place he's thinking of playing, did not want to be traded. I get it's very popular to blame Snow, but it's wrong.

Then the trade deadline came/went, and Tavares kept to same stance, adding he may even re-sign by end of the season playoffs or no playoffs.

If Tavares went into camp last September, said he's not discussing his contract all season, that would be fair.

He did not put Snow, owners in a good spot, and tied their hands if they wanted to move him with his comments.

My guess is Friday we know if he's staying, by midnight Saturday-Sunday, his 8th year advantage with NYI is gone, he will go elsewhere.

What's he going to do? Can't read human wallpaper.

Despite all this if he informs NYI he has decided to go elsewhere, trade his rights to that team so he can get an 8th year from them for a minor conditional pick. Go classy, show thanks for his time here.

Something good will come from this, either Tavares or money to sign future UFA, and some players available in a very weak UFA group.  Long term, I can write none of these deals ever work out for the full duration. Parise & Suter have not come close to one cup with Wild, Stamkos missed the better part of two years, and struggled in playoffs this year.



New York Qualified List

New York Islander Fan Central | 6/25/2018 04:01:00 PM |

NYIFC Comments: Quine,Prince,Davidson, Schempp not qualified.

6/25 Qualifying Offers Due/Prospect Camp Opens

New York Islander Fan Central | 6/25/2018 03:25:00 AM |
The qualifying offers list is very important. Those players not given the offer become free agents.

It's not a contract if qualified, but means that team retains their rights.

Lou Lamoriello's first roster decisions.

Brock Nelson/Ryan Pulock/Devon Toews will be qualified for sure, Nelson will not be an easy or inexpensive signing, Pulock will likely be an expensive bridge deal.

I would move on from Alain Quine & Shane Prince and not qualify, too many injuries, or ineffective. Plus simply did not have a set spot. Bring them back on AHL only deals later if they can't find a spot somewhere else. Can't see much interest either way.

As popular as Ross Johnston was I would not give him an automatic NHL spot, would not qualify.

Would also not qualify Kyle Schempp.

Kyle Burroughs was too good not to qualify in Bridgeport, the prospect pool got deeper for defenders, but he can play.

Brandon Davidson is a tough call, he's serviceable (despite some bad puck-luck) and if you can't keep Hickey/deHaan/Seidenberg you will need an inexpensive depth veteran. I would qualify him based on the decent play I saw.
***************************************************
Prospect camp will be interesting for players but also for who's coaching. I don't see Barry Trotz coming down for this after the longest season of his career. Elements of Weight's staff are here (so is Weight) so they have plenty of coaches here now (and from Bridgeport) to work with the players.

Kind of liked when these camps were in July after free agency settled down.

Many of the names will just be here to earn contracts, some players selected at draft, the walk-on list is always fun.


The Letter John Tavares Should Have Written To His Younger Self

New York Islander Fan Central | 6/24/2018 07:49:00 AM |
Warning **** I know this is not going to go over well at all ****

Sorry, but someone had to write it. Will Tavares think along my lines? Doubtful, but some of it likely crosses his mind, even if his loyalty to this franchise makes him regret resigning sooner or later. 

I don't think it's a money issue or who the management was or is. I want him to re-sign now that we have a new coach, who can help his speed/defense.

But there is more to it, it's not my choice, but this is what I would be thinking if I were him. 

John Tavares Letter To His Younger Self..... 

Here I am, nine years later.

Vegas sold every seat, Seattle got 20,000 seats sold in two hours, Winnipeg came back and sold out five years worth of tickets. I see this all over the NHL.


All I keep hearing/reading is those same 4,000 fans from Long Island talking about the team coming home.

We had an open house in April & six people showed up. 

I gave them nothing but loyalty, they gave us half empty buildings, that's their idea of home.

How is that home?

Home is a place with 18,000 fans who care, who show up and sellout every game, who will spend their money, who do what most fan bases do who really do believe.

Long Island fans refused to spend, and never will, nothing I did changed that.

I don't want to be under-rated when my career ends, or hear people say if I played in Toronto or anywhere else, I'll be relevant, my career will be remembered, those people will be behind me for the rest of my life.

I played in a building half filled through 2015 which looked like half that, and endured thousands of opposing fans, even Quebec fans, it was a nightmare but I was loyal to a fault.

Then the few media we have all worked for the Rangers newspaper, did all they could to wreck playing in NYC, while those Long Island fans did what they do best, complain & stay home.

We had home ice for the opener, and the playoffs, that's when they cared or at least most of the seats were announced as filled, that was great.

We kept talking about the atmosphere, and energy in the building for rivalry games, but it took half the crowd from the other team coming here to make that happen, most of our fans did not want to go to those games. 

Beyond that no matter what we did those fans stayed home, no matter how many back-loaded deals Charles & Garth got us to sign, or how low the ticket prices were, no one backed us, we all kept buying in to the plan, the fans refused. 

They kept claiming they believed, but they made every excuse not to after the home opener, and we walked out to AHL crowds? I did not understand, on weeknights our building was filled with Montreal Canadians fans, even in snow storms.

Nassau treated me and our team like we did not exist. I could not change that, not even a dynasty did, teams that never won a thing got modern buildings from taxpayers, and go sellout hundreds of games in a row.

We could not give our tickets away, they made us feel like we were still Spano's team, management even made us wear those fisherman jersey's, and some of those new fans actually like them.

I said all the right things, it did not matter. Lou and Barry will too, they still won't show up and support us, and they'll be gone before me unless I get hurt playing in two rinks before we move into a building owned by the Rangers as our landlord which will be a construction zone long after I retire.

No one would sign up for that. In 2009 my agent Pat (Brisson) told me Long Island is one the last places I should go. He was right.

Stamkos plays in a packed house, Matthews does, McDavid does, Eichel also and most of these teams are worse than ours on the ice, and never won a thing..

All the media says is if our great players played anywhere else they would never have been overlooked, forgotten, or under-rated, that's all we read about the great guys in our room now.

They kept calling our team Long Island, not New York. No one fought that narrative, it was a badge of honor for people who could not fill 5,000 seats with the rest coming from NY.  I played along, and those people stayed home, we had a real chance if we won in New York City to be relevant permanently.

I should have told them it's a NYC arena, or I'm gone.

We hear our fans at Msg, in NJ, and even though there were issues with Barclay's, it was early there. The same fans who refused to go to the Coliseum, had better crowds at Barclay's, even if it was Boston Garden which fans & media supported for sixty years, and sat in an obstructed upper deck with an off center scoreboard. Those fans forced Barclay's management to just give up, they had the Coliseum, and what did not work, and won't again.

Our Nassau/Suffolk fans refused to come to games at Barclay's after they went to NJ for their football teams, same old story.

Why didn't they show up and support us? Other teams missed the playoffs longer, many never came close to a cup.

I want my career to be memorable long after I retired. Mike Bossy had to sell potato chips after all he did for those people, they even stayed home for Bill & Al, and booed Mr Torrey, no alumni is more loyal.

Denis Potvin had 5,000 people watching his jersey go the rafters, how dare them. I do not want that, no one would.

I gave those people my best years, and they thanked us by staying home no matter what we did.

Why will it be any different if I re-sign, it won't be. Money does not change this, the ticket prices under ten dollars on game day did not either. 

Now I should go home or somewhere else, even if it means taking less money.

Nothing we do will sellout a season, we can't even get 10,000 fans in October or November, and won't for most of the season unless we are winning.

It's time for my NHL career to matter,  to go where people will really believe with writers who will make us the story, and make us relevant every day win or lose, that's the right kind of pressure.

It's time for my career to have home ice, to actually be the home team in our home rink. 

Long Island was a a lie. I gave them my best years, where were they?

More excuses. 

Be-LIE-ve that.

And it hurts. 

Lamoriello On Overall Draft/Tavares Listening

New York Islander Fan Central | 6/23/2018 03:45:00 PM |

New York Selects Blade Jenkins/Christian Krygier

New York Islander Fan Central | 6/23/2018 01:30:00 PM | |
Blade Jenkins profile Blade Jenkins nhl.com
With their 7th selection in the 2018 NHL entry draft the New York Islanders have selected Christian Krygier. NHL.com profile Expected to play at Michigan State U in 2018-19
Prospect blog will be updated with all selections (day one done) in coming days. thanks for visiting.

New York Selects: Jacob Pivonka

New York Islander Fan Central | 6/23/2018 12:58:00 PM |
Jacob Pivonka. Jacob Pivonka Notre Dame 2018-19 twitter His father was a great player with Caps in Michal Pivonka.

New York Selects G Jakub Skarek

New York Islander Fan Central | 6/23/2018 12:18:00 PM |
Eliteprospects profile Committed to Pelican/Ligga in 18-19. NHL.com profile

Day Two: New York Selects Bode Wilde/Ruslan Iskhakov

New York Islander Fan Central | 6/23/2018 11:04:00 AM | |
New York Selects Bode Wilde
Bode Wilde profile. New York Selects Ruslan Iskhakov 
Ruslan Iskhakov University of Ct as of 6/23/18

Lamoriello On Day One/Tavares

New York Islander Fan Central | 6/23/2018 01:01:00 AM |

Islanders twitter feed has long interviews with both Oliver Wahlstrom & Noah Dobson.

Meet the old boss, who's pick won the Calder Cup this week.
Find something for Weight, first class man.

Bright and early, day 2. New York Islander Fan Central will be right back at it.

New York Selects Oliver Wahlstrom/Noah Dobson

New York Islander Fan Central | 6/22/2018 08:50:00 PM |


Lamoriello on Trotz/Other Subjects

New York Islander Fan Central | 6/21/2018 10:14:00 PM |
Time to see our new gm finally.

New York Losses Barclay's Likely Forever on 2/28/19 Via Cuomo/Dolan

New York Islander Fan Central | 6/21/2018 08:34:00 PM |
NYI season schedule was released late Thursday. Cuomo added 8 more Nassau games for 2018-19 out of nowhere & Barclay's Schedule concludes for the season on 2/28/19. They won't be back for playoffs or likely ever again.

Yormark made clear he wants every game he can get in Nassau also, that will get interesting if Dolan does get an arena, and leaves in a few years.

You can bet with a schedule crafted like this they will never play another game at Barclay's ever again if Cuomo can alter their schedule on a whim like this. Who knows how fast he can kick them out of NY entirely? There will be no even split in years ahead, it will be all games at 13,000 seat no revenue NYCB on Cuomo's orders.

Nassau will not be ready for games until 12/1/18 which is likely the only reason they are playing any games at Barclay's next season.

As great as the day began, that's how bad this ends. To go back to a failed location where Dolan's puppet Cuomo tells them when/where they play as Dolan become our landlord is a joke, but to put them in a 13,000 seat building that failed in the past will put them out of business.

Usual False Narrative To Deceive Gullible Fans:
It's A LI fan base, it's where they belong.

Not LI fan base, Barclays outdrew Nassau 16/25 years, tied 6 others. Barclays's won draw despite all Dolan's media negativity, lies, and no Sat games. 

Facts:
Bled red ink in 16,000 seat Coliseum forever win or lose with a cap floor payroll.
Will go bankrupt in NYCB at 13,000 and no luxury boxes with new spending.

Reality Check:
Every excuse was removed by ownership not to sellout, and you are now expected to pay NYC corporate prices for your cap-max Nassau team and sellout every single game. If not, how can these owners stay here in business?

You stay home now & do the old dance can't afford games/prices, not your problem, then owners can't afford the world class experience they gave you. So it's time to be that legit LI fan base & walk the walk you hated me writing for years, or these owners have every right to remind you of years of telling them we need to be in Nassau.

Pressure is all on you, better get ready to pony up because you are on the clock to sellout every game in Nassau, can't do that you can't have a team at those prices.

Can't pay NYC prices for NYC payroll, can't have Nassau team, and Cuomo will pull his arena for NYI & let Dolan be his own landlord at Belmont with his teams.

As for NYC Barclay's fans Cuomo/Dolan yanked the rug out from under them, you get vested in a season, and they take it from you on 2/28/19, of course they will put playoff games in Nassau, and once it's ready for hockey they will never play there in the future.

President and General Manager Lou Lamoriello announced today that the team has hired Barry Trotz as Head Coach !!

New York Islander Fan Central | 6/21/2018 02:35:00 PM | |
Trotz conference call

Islanders website release & comments. "Barry brings to the New York Islanders franchise a tremendous amount of knowledge, experience and success," said Islanders President and General Manager Lou Lamoriello. "He is and has been one of the top coaches in the National Hockey League. I am excited to have the opportunity to work with him."


NYIFC Comments: Thrilled........absolutely thrilled !!

This is someone you let run with this job for 20 years, and move him into management when Lamoriello is done, people like them can do any job successfully.

I would have made him the highest paid coach if that's what it took, made no difference, it pays for itself.

No words can express the joy this brings me. Wanted this more than Tavares resigned. He'll make everyone better on this roster. So happy for our fans, they really deserve this.

Stay tuned, not sure if any kind of press conference with management in Dallas or next week when they get to New York.

They got Barry Trotz.

Feels like Mr Torrey was watching over this one with Al.

Barzal Wins Calder

New York Islander Fan Central | 6/20/2018 09:35:00 PM |

New York Notables: Status Quo/Updated

New York Islander Fan Central | 6/18/2018 05:45:00 AM |
Updated: Barry Trotz resigned from Caps, and is available to speak with NYI now. Dave Tippett signed as an advisor with one of Dolan's shell companies in Seattle.
No idea what Lamoriello will do about anything or what Tavares will do besides this year long saga ending in thirteen days.

Either the team will have Tavares or the cap space to build around some good players, either direction is a long-term risk.

I put zero stock in gossip/rumors/negotiations being anything one way or another.

Something good will come out of this either way.

My guess is if there was an available coach Lamoriello wanted to hire,  it would have happened by now. 

I'm hoping Lamoriello is holding out for Barry Trotz, given gm, Brian MacLellan's very luke warm support. Clearly the Caps winning the cup put the gm in a tough spot, and it would be a pr nightmare for him to go, but clearly that was MacLellan's plan A or he would have been re-signed long ago.

For myself, I want a veteran coach for the first time since Al Arbour. It's time the players see a veteran coach behind the bench who knows how to win at this level, get the most out of his roster, and can create a culture where this team is not playing to hang on in the third period.

Maybe it's a mistake, and some young coach is the next great coach, but it's time to change the look behind that bench with some veteran experience. Before some of these young players leave I want them to work with an experienced NHL head coach, who can maybe take their game where an AHL coach can't because they are not experienced either, and I'm not talking Ted Nolan.

Don't want the former Rangers coach and not just because he answered to the goalie, and lost his job because he finally called him out. Did not like how he finished in Vancouver or Montreal. Flip flopping on Tippett because of recent winning/being a west-coast coach like Quenneville. Would not mind Sutter from Kings, not Brent.

Want zero part of  Scott Stevens as a head coach with no experience, we just saw that with Weight.

I watched Weight press conference after season again, feel bad have been so tough on him, he was really beaten/broken, and owner saying they failed hurt. Like Weight, good hockey man, just not the right job for him given career experience.

I want Halak back, don't see a better goalie available, put zero stock in outsiders blaming the goaltending, they just looked at numbers, not the shots against or all the 40 plus shot games he won or held them in. With 14 days left it would hardly be a shock to see Halak land elsewhere, and help a team win.

Without Halak this team could be drafting first Friday, they gave up shots against that go back over 20 years. 

Devon Toews is 24, and where Pulock was last summer, he needs to be in the NHL, and too good to let go without a strong return.

RFA will answer some questions when we see who's qualified in seven days.

The upcoming schedule with two home arena's will produce some new very unpleasant challenges.  Knowing how Nassau operates surprised they are not complaining about only one preseason game given that old six game agreement called for two preseason games, all the extra regular season games does not resonate with them.

And don't expect a friendly Coliseum landlord knowing the re-branded BSE is just a temporary home.

Prospect camp begins with what could be a lot of lame-duck coaches next week. 

Ok, so a very full couple of weeks coming.

On a positive note (not 100 percent) but expect to be available for NHL draft both days. 

7/1 will likely not be available until the early afternoon, but does not start until noon, it's not a deep UFA class with many Islanders at top of defense in Hickey/deHaan right now.

Lamoriello Hires Steve Pellegrini as Assistant General Manager

New York Islander Fan Central | 6/12/2018 11:17:00 AM |

6/6: Lamoriello on Sportsnet:

New York Islander Fan Central | 6/06/2018 05:09:00 PM |
Most in-depth questioning so far. This is the interview you listen to a few times.

Lamoriello said he's the general manager opening night-direct quote.


The Culture Change Begins In New York.

New York Islander Fan Central | 6/06/2018 07:22:00 AM |
For starters we see how long the status quo lasts with the coaching staff, Brent Thompson, or how long Snow-Weight are around for Lamoriello to pick their brains.

My impression is that like Lamoriello's adviser job in Toronto, and Snow-Weight could land elsewhere sooner than later. A new coach will want their own people.

I'm of the school Lamoriello is all in as the permanent general manager, but who knows if he's waiting for Mark Hunter on 7/15 or someone else. Lamoriello was a gm for three years in Toronto, and the Devils.

Another person making decisions he likes to make will not be for him.

No doubt the current scouting staff will remain for the draft as he said.

As for the coaching if Barry Trotz could become available you wait, and go all out to land him. Then Darryl Sutter. I like Dave Tippett but it's time for someone who knows how to win.

It's time to see our first veteran experienced NHL head coach here since Al Arbour. We have seen enough AHL coaches here. Our team does not need another person with no experience behind the bench in any capacity or a staff with no experience, to me that's why this team looked lost from opening night.

I don't want Scott Stevens who walked from Wild after a year as assistant, we need what Laviolette had in Jacques Laperrière when he worked here in 2002. 

Best assistant coach ever hired here, arguably superior to Lorne Henning during the dynasty. Lamoriello grabbed him when Laviolette was fired, and 2003-04 Devils won the cup.  Jacques Laperrière 2018 equivalent is what they need for a staff behind a veteran coach.

As for Tavares, enough written.

Lamoriello audio comments in media conference on changes

New York Islander Fan Central | 6/05/2018 06:48:00 PM |
Islanders website Lamoriello audio
AP: Lou Lamoriello explained why he made these decisions, and what's ahead.

Garth Snow and Doug Weight Relieved Of Duties/Remain With Org...

New York Islander Fan Central | 6/05/2018 02:08:00 PM | | |
6/5/18: Lamoriello is expected to speak on conference call at 4:30pm.
Summary:

Updated: Lamoriello said status quo on assistants. Culture change needed, how they do things. Snow, close friend, will be getting advice from Snow/Weight. Spoke with Snow during combine. Comfortable with scouting staff, will handle draft. Coaching search will begin immediately. Tavares had nothing to do with changes.


"The New York Islanders would like to thank both Garth and Doug for their dedication to the franchise," Lamoriello said. "Both started their tenures with the franchise as players and grew as tremendous leaders to the positions they held."   

Both will remain with the organization. 

NYIFC Comments: I want to apologize to my loyal readers for Saturday's entry.

A promise to be dead last/100 percent correct was not kept, despite how it turned out being correct, it did not sit well with me at all the last few days having a rumor (even from Bossy) sit at the top of this website.

You were promised better here. I am sorry. It will never happen again.

More updates coming. These changes were needed but those are good people, who were a part of the New York Islanders family for a long time, so it's not a happy day.

6/2/18: Possible Weight Dismissal With Assistants In Days/Hours: Snow Retained/Reduced Role

New York Islander Fan Central | 6/02/2018 12:59:00 AM |

NYIFC Comments: Folks understand my preference is to be dead last/100 percent accurate with information. I also understand Bossy got Tavares wrong to Montreal in December so take it with a grain of salt despite the Lamoriello-Tavares meeting in Mississauga as a Leafs employee (with permission) also came from a small Canadian outlet (not one above) recently.

If true, it's a change that was needed given the performance of the team over 82 games. Too many quality players looked completely lost defensively, and it seemed like the coach was over-matched, with no strategy or apparent plan all 82 games.

That goes on Weight, who made clear he had to hire his own staff. A coach with no experience hired, a staff with little/no NHL experience. This may not play well with Tavares. Weight has been his mentor since day one as his captain, but it's about winning, and it's fair to say that practice Tavares was made Barzal's wing, he was clearly very unhappy.

There were reasons to remove the interim tag last summer & give Weight the job. I did not agree with them or with retaining Snow at that time. This season removed any doubt it was a poor decision because you must hire someone who can coach who has long experience doing the job at some level.

Jack Capuano had long experience and teaches coaching seminars. Our former assistant, Brad Shaw, had long experience but never has been a head coach beyond his time as interim replacing Steve Stirling in 2005.

The NHL has more moving parts & job titles today. The days of the gm being the coach are long gone.

Weight's a good hockey man, he has value but head coach was not the right job for him, if it's true, it's something that had/has to be done, but it's not a happy day.