New York Notables: Are New York Islanders For Sale Again?

New York Islander Fan Central | 7/31/2021 03:56:00 PM |

For those following on twitter, I can only present my views as a non-insider, who knows nothing.
1. Lamoriello does not do buiness this way, he released his qualifying offers/preseason/signings in 2018-19-20 without an issue, and in many prior years. He said one thing about playing locally before schedule came out, then acted like he had no hand in negotiating games which are almost all on the west coast, so he took a long walk. Maybe he has good reason to walk beyond schedule?

2. To not release preseason schedule where even other teams do not know where NYI will play is very disconcerting.

2a. Lamoriello said unless something unexpected happens preseason will be in Bridgeport. Ledecky before that said he's not involved in day to day at Bridgeport, but despite Bridgeport being announced as staying, we have zero idea of it's new lease agreement, whether Dolan's guy Leiweke made a deal with Bridgeport to continue to operate it, and then team made it's deal with Leiweke to be their tenant?

3. This team takes a massive beating financially. Forbes has no teams books, but even guess of losing 38 million is troubling, and they have no business operting above cap floor in Nassau, but here are payrolls (less escrow/pandemic over 70-80-88 million now for years, when before they had to live at the cap floor to lose twenty million before 2015-16.

4. Malkin became majority owner 7/1/16 from Wang (who's stake had to be paid back recently) he's never seen, no one mentions him (many don't even know who he is or he's teams owner beyond 2014 cameo) but Lamoriello, who Malkin hired, did not even go to Belmont for ground-breaking. Ledecky kept his minority status, and plays mascot, so my thinking (unpopular as it is) is the silence is about unknown majority owner Scott D. Malkin throwing the keys back to the NHL and selling this team because he can't sustain these losses any more. NYI are a Belmont tenant, that's it. Dolan wanted Belmont, and Coliseum gone because he lost in 2013 and he owns Cuomo. Wilpon/Sterling are constructing arena, so they own it, Dolan's guys Leiweke/Azoff operate it (like Smg) while NYI are a rent paying tenant with a cheap out clause (Yashin's contract total) or simple Cuomo approval (for free) to move entirely. Things could be quiet until new majority owner is announced who could keep team local or move it, maybe Wilpon's who have Mets sale money, are waiting on SNY sale money. Joe Tsai, Steve Cohen? Outside NY?

Could be wrong, but Ledecky said in 2016 this is not a long-term ownership, no one will remember them in 25 years, and if Belmont Retail was Malkin's only thing, and it's way behind with pandemic, why would someone wish to be the majority owner of a money-pit hockey team which is what it always was after 1989 beyond Barclay's money?

Wake me when Belmont announces partial plans, individual tickets when those so-called 12,000 people (who paid for 43 games but getting only 41) maybe less if it does not open by thanksgiving, find 5,000 more customers grabbing $10.00 seats. Seattle was renovated and far ahead of Belmont, and got 30,000 seats sold in a day.

Again sorry, hope I'm wrong. This is my personal speculation, you don't go this dark to annouce seven goal scorers, and Kyle Palmieri or Casey Cizikas, they put two big contracts on market in Eberle, Bailey while protecting Clutterbuck/Martin, unloaded Leddy with no replacement, cashed out Ladd, have Boychuck on LTIR, things don't look good financially.

Most fans never heard of Scott D. Malkin, you never see him. Prokhorov has over 10 billion and walked away from everything, Malkin reportedly in 2014 had 1.4 billion, he's lost most of that on hockey since then so selling the team quietly to league when media does not know him would fly well under the radar, and Bettman-Lamoriello (who has two years on his contract) would of course keep it quiet.