▼

New York Signs Aidan Fulp/Travis Mitchell ELC 2Way/Year

Contention This Year, Playoffs: TBD

So many points thrown away against teams on paper they should have beaten.

Bottom Line Nothing's Changed For New York.....

Had nothing to write in the last eleven days, what's changed? They want from a season high nine over, lost two games they needed to win vs Caps/Kings & then beat awful Ducks, Sharks, in games they had to have. Nothing changed, and despite Florida gaining, many teams in their mix for 1/2 seeds have been struggling along.
Offensively regardless who comes out/returns the scoring is moderate at best & Horvat looks like another non-scoring forward here while Engvall is out producing him, does it really matter if we are hoping Parise, Palmieri, Pageau, Martin, Cizikas, Clutterbuck can provide offense?
Same circumstanes, differnt names. Barzal last played in Boston with Horvat, they looked like an AHL team against the Bruins. Feels like 1994 where New York beat out Florida for the last playoff spot but this time without Sorokin they are the 14th-15th seed, while Hextall was the reason they were not a much higher playoff seed, and struggled so badly.
Hextall was unbeatable or unplayable like many in this forward group as he was in Quebec as what happened after he left NYI. The 1994 forward group with good goaltending would have not crawled to the final playoff spot the last week vs expansion Florida.
I guess the only true progress is Ron Hextall is sinking the Pittsburgh Penguins like he did the 1994 New York Islanders. I don't know if Sorokin can be re-signed but he has to be and it should be a record contract.

These are New York's Playoffs....

Despite the historic scoring issues, the injuries, age, declining vets here we are. A season high eight games over with so many games in hand for other teams that could change everything, by context interim coach Doug Weight's late season run got them to 94 points/12 over, one point shy of the final spot. Last year the eight seeds were decided by Christmas. New York was long gone by early November. They have sixteen games, and need 11-5 to reach what used to be the magic number of 96 points for a playoff seed.
I don't see this as a playoff team because Bailey rebound goals, Cizikas goal, and a Fasching kick/break is not how it's scripted to have sustained winning. Having written that so many veterans not named Nelson, Lee, Horvat are long overdue to produce. Martin had a couple recently, but to pull this off they have to ride Sorokin, and find a way to get those 3-4 goals any way possible. Do I expect that to happen? No. Can it happen in this short time frame? Of course.
Here they are, the Pens are putting up goals in bunches again but losing some games too, Buffalo can fill the net or have it filled against them, maybe they have one more year to wait, maybe/not same for Ottawa, Florida, (even Wings) not going away, and I expect one more Caps big streak as they had earlier.
As the song goes, it's up to you, New York, New York. A huge run could even lead to third place.

New York At The Trade Deadline/No Apparent Transactions

3pm deadline past, no apparent deals, will post any Lamoriello video if available later.
Lamoriello a year ago said his players were on notice, he re-signed two of them. Now last month he said the blame for the roster is on him. Simply put it's time for changes. They need players & tons of picks with a very weak prospect system. The defense/Sorokin is not the problem besides him needing a contract before the UFA circus begins.

New York Signs Tristan Lennox

I don't see this having any impact on this season even if Varlamov were traded. I believe Jakub Skarek's wants a chance now or he would return to Europe or not sign his his qualifying offer to remain in Bridgeport. Sorkin needs a new contract tn avoid the circus of next season where 31 teams would likely want to sign him, and it's going to cost likley record money & a winning team for his to stay.