Nothing really new to write since the last update. Will not be repetitive for the sake of posting an update.
Sorry..... but wrote will not be using this website to take the teams temperature, we know the math, and the best possible outcome is an 8th vs 1 playoff series (a 20+ point disparity) with likely quick elimination in that unlikely event.
This team is in the wrong division.
Given the road schedule, the lack of days off, just do not see a playoff spot but hope I'm wrong. Someone is again going to win ten straight or better to close out the 8th seed.
As for the trade deadline, they need a top six scoring natural right wing, as great as Bailey has been. There is no solution to this problem, not now (or last summer) and again not in UFA this July.
Can't be a rental who's available to go UFA in two years, plus whatever money this ownership has left to be available for Tavares.
Between Barzal, Beauvillier (who said he prefers center) Tavares, Nelson, Strome, Quine, Cizikas why would they need another center like Duchense who's numbers are very close to Nelson? (who's a year younger at 6'3 vs a player 5'11 on a losing team for years)
Tavares is not playing on a line with Duchense, two career centers, ownership can't pay both with stub-hub tickets from October/November Monday games.
Dal Colle is a left wing, same as Bellows.
Ho-Sang is the signed ring wing prospect menu in the organization.
I know folks want Pulock in the lineup, but Seidenberg has been the best defensive signing by a mile for this organization. For a decade they wanted a steady depth defender, not that he gets any media coverage for his efforts, but this is a player they should resign.
If Halak can't play in New York, and no team wants his contract, no issue here with him giving the fans of Bridgeport a playoff spot & a serious run at a Calder Cup. 16-2-1 just to get fringe third seed, but a lot of hockey to be played. Bridgeport all season has been unstoppable or a team that cannot win for a month.
Of course Halak should be called up and Berube should start in Bridgeport with an NHL contract. If he fails to clear waivers so be it. Berube knew what he signed up for last summer if Halak was healthy, and decided NHL money is better than AHL money.
McAdam won seven straight in Bridgeport too before he became unplayable, and was sent back to the ECHL before his recent recall. Gibson's been hurt most of the year.
John Tavares wants Weight to be head coach, it's going to be a big lift to fire Snow, and then force his replacement to accept someone else as head coach.
You want hockey ops changes, they are paid for their judgement, to hire their own choices, not keep the ones hired by someone else or who the star player likes.
The one thing for sure Barclay's on weekends works, it did last year and does now. Give this ten years inside NYC it will produce a larger local weeknight crowd.
Nothing will ever work in Nassau 41 times or on weeknights there, fans proved their lack of support for generations which is why politicians did not treat the team like a public trust, the same politicians who refused to close the door & make a deal for a new arena are the same ones comically calling for the team to return to no fans/no revenue streams.
As in 2011, the majority of season tickets come from inside NYC, this is home & has been since team was on free television in 1970's.
It took a decade in DC with the Caps moving from Landover, despite going to the finals year one, without a flawed arena/very hostile media, who did not force a Landover brand on them while they pretend NJ is NYC on football Sunday's to sell newspapers.
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Worcester announced it will not name it's ECHL affiliate until end of the season, expecting it's the Islanders given media reports the team were there, and likely St Louis will join with Mavericks.
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Aside from keeping Dolan and the Islanders out of the Coliseum, could care less.
Ratner got that site Sloan Kettering (additional 140 million) which brought money for parking garages (another 100 million) & likely more privately funded medical buildings worth millions, plus 130 million for Coliseum + another 130 million for plaza or now real estate on Coliseum footprint.
Who cares? Mangano won huge.
Whats Mangano going to do, void Prokhorov-Ratner lease over an AHL team clause or some stores after 500 million dollars in private investment was created without a dime from taxpayers?
Dolan better buy another candidate to go with Sheldon Silver & Joe Percoco to run in November.
Sure Dolan's media reach in Newsday will do what he did with Charles Oakley, and do a big smear campaign (court documents, health records, social security) unless Prokhorov just flat out sells him the agreement, maybe his Barclay's stake too.
No doubt Ct Gov Milloy gave Dolan a call who's AHL team has been at the XL center since 1997 before he wrote the Islanders any letter.
Long story short, XL center is like Coliseum under Ed Snider's Smg, they manage building the Rangers were thrilled to grab another teams fan base in 1997, but unlike Long Island, the Ranger brand has been rejected since day one, it's Whalers country.
Dolan is a tenant but there year to year waiting on Coliseum.
Marshall, Brodsky, Baumbach seem to be shifting to attack the project mode again.
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Time To Move-Back To NY Islander Hockey |
New York Islander Fan Central | 2/01/2017 07:30:00 AM |
Again my recent entries do not change how I feel about things.
Having written this the only thing that can be done, are what the players, management are clearly doing as they are making a push for the one likely playoff seed available to them.
Problem is for them to enter real contention they have to enter the Caps, Columbus, Pens, Rangers mix, they can't make the playoffs as an Atlantic seed so all they have is the one spot, and an Atlantic team (or another Metro team) will at some point make a big push, and win nine of ten.
Or do what Ottawa did a few years ago.
When whatever push happens this team will be playing 22/34 on the road, likely with more injuries (to go with the significant current ones) and after the trade deadline, where at best they likely stand pat unless this team goes on the kind of streak it's merited to add.
Beyond that, unless the owners have something to say (they can't about another parties buildings because it's not their decision, and they have a contractual agreement) there is nothing to write. The media clowns who don't cover the team, and need page-views will write anything, parts of the Long Island crowd are doing what they have done best since 1989, and that's not support the team unless it's opening night or a playoff game.
Having written this the only thing that can be done, are what the players, management are clearly doing as they are making a push for the one likely playoff seed available to them.
Problem is for them to enter real contention they have to enter the Caps, Columbus, Pens, Rangers mix, they can't make the playoffs as an Atlantic seed so all they have is the one spot, and an Atlantic team (or another Metro team) will at some point make a big push, and win nine of ten.
Or do what Ottawa did a few years ago.
When whatever push happens this team will be playing 22/34 on the road, likely with more injuries (to go with the significant current ones) and after the trade deadline, where at best they likely stand pat unless this team goes on the kind of streak it's merited to add.
Beyond that, unless the owners have something to say (they can't about another parties buildings because it's not their decision, and they have a contractual agreement) there is nothing to write. The media clowns who don't cover the team, and need page-views will write anything, parts of the Long Island crowd are doing what they have done best since 1989, and that's not support the team unless it's opening night or a playoff game.
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Final Word: Bloomberg Scott Soshnick Did Shoddy/Misleading Work |
New York Islander Fan Central | 1/31/2017 12:07:00 PM |
Does not change how I feel about what was written yesterday, not at all.
Still this writer did an awful, shoddy job that contradicts Bloomberg's other writer who released Mikhail Prokhorov's offering statement 8/8/2016 with his financial simulations for the Islanders at Barclay's through 2020-21, his audio interviews left more questions than answers.
And this same writer who contradicted his own article on 12/1 that had Prokhorov's quotes he's not selling Barclay's and only a stake in Nets.
Scott Soshnick 12/1/16:
Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov said he’s hired Allen & Co. to find a local minority investor for the National Basketball Association’s Brooklyn Nets.
Prokhorov in a statement didn’t say how much of the team he’s looking to sell.
“My goal in seeking a local minority partner is to further strengthen the team’s New York presence in order to expand upon our business and community relationships,” he said. “I’m committed to the Nets and will remain the majority owner of the team.”
Scott Soshnick 1/30/17:
And now he contracted his own words on Prokhorov selling Barclay's from November.
The arena, which is already home to the NBA’s Nets and one of the world’s top-grossing concert venues, would make more money without the National Hockey League team, according to people familiar with the facility’s financials.
Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, who owns the building and the Nets, has since November been seeking an investor to take a stake in both.
So how come Soshnick left out Prokhorov selling a Barclay's stake in November until January, that would be a far bigger story then the Nets.
As for Prokhorov's financial offering statement reported by Martin Braun of Bloomberg 8/8/16 he included simulations with and without the Islanders, including without a hockey variable in 2016-17, and through 2020-21 from CSL. (Convention Sports & Leisure)
NYIFC Comments:
Let's just write Prokhorov's simulations and models through 2020-21 with/without hockey leave Mr Soshnick with a lot more to explaining to do, and raises questions about his work.
Now could Prokhorov drop an opt-out notice 1/30/18? Absolutely, and I expected it since day one he bought full control of Barclay's. But for now the sloppy reporting by Soshnick raises questions to his credibility unless he wants to update his counterpart at Bloomberg from August with new documentation from Mr Prokhorov.
Let's just be kind and write Jim Baumbach is the Bart Crashley of Newsday financial reporting, and Soshnick is someone else from the financial pool who would have been moved in 1972 before the team left Canada.
The simulations submitted by Prokhorov in August gave three projections of the Islanders attendance this season, they are outperforming all three, including the best expectation with far too many early season weeknight games, even vs last season.
Still this writer did an awful, shoddy job that contradicts Bloomberg's other writer who released Mikhail Prokhorov's offering statement 8/8/2016 with his financial simulations for the Islanders at Barclay's through 2020-21, his audio interviews left more questions than answers.
And this same writer who contradicted his own article on 12/1 that had Prokhorov's quotes he's not selling Barclay's and only a stake in Nets.
Scott Soshnick 12/1/16:
Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov said he’s hired Allen & Co. to find a local minority investor for the National Basketball Association’s Brooklyn Nets.
Prokhorov in a statement didn’t say how much of the team he’s looking to sell.
“My goal in seeking a local minority partner is to further strengthen the team’s New York presence in order to expand upon our business and community relationships,” he said. “I’m committed to the Nets and will remain the majority owner of the team.”
Scott Soshnick 1/30/17:
And now he contracted his own words on Prokhorov selling Barclay's from November.
The arena, which is already home to the NBA’s Nets and one of the world’s top-grossing concert venues, would make more money without the National Hockey League team, according to people familiar with the facility’s financials.
Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, who owns the building and the Nets, has since November been seeking an investor to take a stake in both.
So how come Soshnick left out Prokhorov selling a Barclay's stake in November until January, that would be a far bigger story then the Nets.
As for Prokhorov's financial offering statement reported by Martin Braun of Bloomberg 8/8/16 he included simulations with and without the Islanders, including without a hockey variable in 2016-17, and through 2020-21 from CSL. (Convention Sports & Leisure)
NYIFC Comments:
Let's just write Prokhorov's simulations and models through 2020-21 with/without hockey leave Mr Soshnick with a lot more to explaining to do, and raises questions about his work.
Now could Prokhorov drop an opt-out notice 1/30/18? Absolutely, and I expected it since day one he bought full control of Barclay's. But for now the sloppy reporting by Soshnick raises questions to his credibility unless he wants to update his counterpart at Bloomberg from August with new documentation from Mr Prokhorov.
Let's just be kind and write Jim Baumbach is the Bart Crashley of Newsday financial reporting, and Soshnick is someone else from the financial pool who would have been moved in 1972 before the team left Canada.
The simulations submitted by Prokhorov in August gave three projections of the Islanders attendance this season, they are outperforming all three, including the best expectation with far too many early season weeknight games, even vs last season.
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It's Time For The New York Islanders To Leave New York/Greiss Signed |
New York Islander Fan Central | 1/30/2017 08:00:00 PM |
So Prokhorov or one of his people or AIG got the 1/30/18 official opt out date wrong, and decided to drop this 1/30/17.......a year earlier than paperwork due date on the agreement bypassing the "good faith" negotiations that do not begin until this season ends.
Martin Braun on 8/8/16 of Bloomberg wrote about Prokhorov's offering statement which included the lease opt out dates. Sure this other writer does more shock-jock material, and I have dismisses his gossip before, but it's more likely someone at Barclay's or AIG connected to Prokhorov floated it.
Does it matter? They are still selling tickets for next season, who wants to be part of a lame duck franchise for two years that desperately needed to be in New York City to survive?
And given existing lease through 2018-19 if Barclay's opts out officially at the deadline 1/30/18 how does it help them sell tickets for the next 2 1/2 half seasons, this article cost Prokhorov money.
Bottom line.
Wang was right, it's Barclay's or out of town, now it's time for out of town.
It's time for our players to play in front of a full house 41 times in regular season, with a real television/newspaper partner, that considers it's team a public trust, not one that bid for the Coliseum, to put in their own AHL team, and bring the Rangers to the Coliseum for home preseason games. They did all they could to get them out of New York for the territorial rights, to get back hundreds of millions in cable television money through 2031 with their media outlets who worked hard to dry up the fan-base for over a generation by hiding them or knocking them.
More outside media (and a lot of fans) should have reported or discussed the conflict of interest or understood what was happening, they did not care or were busy selling themselves since 2008 when Dolan got Newsday or need the Garden to improve their amateur resumes.
NYC sports editors want them out too, coverage cost money, they cannot afford writers to cover games any longer, just negative features designed to drive them out of business like this one with a misleading title.
Now we know why the Dolan's Coliseum coverage went from 100 percent negative watchdog, fudging details in Coliseum agreement vs their losing bid, for three years to completely positive overnight.
The situation will never stabilize here to make owning a franchise financially viable for anyone.
It's not going to work in New York for this franchise any longer, the arena follies must end forever.
Since 1989 this has gone on. I don't blame Prokhorov, Ratner, Malkin, Ledecky or Wang.
Many of our fans were not knowledgeable. I tried as hard as possible for everyone.
Hopefully Malkin-Prokhorov can work out a lease buyout quickly, and get this team to a real market for next season, and not drag this out for the next year or two of rumors & gossip.
I want no part of that, we all have had enough.
Ledecky/Malkin/Wang/Shay are owed 107 million for two more years now that Prokhorov wants the team out of Barclay's, and must pay them this money.
No one's building another arena here, not in two years, not ever. It's time for people to stop the denial. I thought it was working at Barclay's based on 14,200 avg after 12/2/15 and in a decade would have for sure, and it was not bad this year considering all the extra early season weeknight games.
Dolan's media pushed the negatives hard.
Mayor deBlasio thought it was working too.
It will never work outside New York City, and there will be no arena built in an over-saturated arena market, for a fan base that's proven it will not support this team 41 times under any circumstances.
Mangano's path back, is that a joke? Prokhorov owns the Coliseum per their lease, only they decide who plays at Nassau Coliseum which is not a viable alternative with poor fan support, no revenue, not inside a city.
Playoffs? Stanley Cup? Who cares? Tavares contract? Everyone who can pick where they can play should get that chance.
It's time for the entitlement many fans thought they deserved to finally end. Quebec will make an excellent new home for our players under contract, and sellout every game.
Reality came home a year early, hopefully this will be the final season before a relocation out of New York for this summer, we don't need this dragged out until 1/30/18 before it all ends forever in 2019.
Greiss will have some financial security, he earned this contract.
Martin Braun on 8/8/16 of Bloomberg wrote about Prokhorov's offering statement which included the lease opt out dates. Sure this other writer does more shock-jock material, and I have dismisses his gossip before, but it's more likely someone at Barclay's or AIG connected to Prokhorov floated it.
Does it matter? They are still selling tickets for next season, who wants to be part of a lame duck franchise for two years that desperately needed to be in New York City to survive?
And given existing lease through 2018-19 if Barclay's opts out officially at the deadline 1/30/18 how does it help them sell tickets for the next 2 1/2 half seasons, this article cost Prokhorov money.
Bottom line.
Wang was right, it's Barclay's or out of town, now it's time for out of town.
It's time for our players to play in front of a full house 41 times in regular season, with a real television/newspaper partner, that considers it's team a public trust, not one that bid for the Coliseum, to put in their own AHL team, and bring the Rangers to the Coliseum for home preseason games. They did all they could to get them out of New York for the territorial rights, to get back hundreds of millions in cable television money through 2031 with their media outlets who worked hard to dry up the fan-base for over a generation by hiding them or knocking them.
More outside media (and a lot of fans) should have reported or discussed the conflict of interest or understood what was happening, they did not care or were busy selling themselves since 2008 when Dolan got Newsday or need the Garden to improve their amateur resumes.
NYC sports editors want them out too, coverage cost money, they cannot afford writers to cover games any longer, just negative features designed to drive them out of business like this one with a misleading title.
Now we know why the Dolan's Coliseum coverage went from 100 percent negative watchdog, fudging details in Coliseum agreement vs their losing bid, for three years to completely positive overnight.
The situation will never stabilize here to make owning a franchise financially viable for anyone.
It's not going to work in New York for this franchise any longer, the arena follies must end forever.
Since 1989 this has gone on. I don't blame Prokhorov, Ratner, Malkin, Ledecky or Wang.
Many of our fans were not knowledgeable. I tried as hard as possible for everyone.
Hopefully Malkin-Prokhorov can work out a lease buyout quickly, and get this team to a real market for next season, and not drag this out for the next year or two of rumors & gossip.
I want no part of that, we all have had enough.
Ledecky/Malkin/Wang/Shay are owed 107 million for two more years now that Prokhorov wants the team out of Barclay's, and must pay them this money.
No one's building another arena here, not in two years, not ever. It's time for people to stop the denial. I thought it was working at Barclay's based on 14,200 avg after 12/2/15 and in a decade would have for sure, and it was not bad this year considering all the extra early season weeknight games.
Dolan's media pushed the negatives hard.
Mayor deBlasio thought it was working too.
It will never work outside New York City, and there will be no arena built in an over-saturated arena market, for a fan base that's proven it will not support this team 41 times under any circumstances.
Mangano's path back, is that a joke? Prokhorov owns the Coliseum per their lease, only they decide who plays at Nassau Coliseum which is not a viable alternative with poor fan support, no revenue, not inside a city.
Playoffs? Stanley Cup? Who cares? Tavares contract? Everyone who can pick where they can play should get that chance.
It's time for the entitlement many fans thought they deserved to finally end. Quebec will make an excellent new home for our players under contract, and sellout every game.
Reality came home a year early, hopefully this will be the final season before a relocation out of New York for this summer, we don't need this dragged out until 1/30/18 before it all ends forever in 2019.
Greiss will have some financial security, he earned this contract.
#Isles Transaction: Thomas Greiss has agreed to terms on a three-year deal. Details: https://t.co/NMV0wM8mI8 pic.twitter.com/KMXJtPFmiw— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) January 31, 2017
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New York Not In Realistic Playoff Contention With Horrible Schedule Unless 95+ Points |
New York Islander Fan Central | 1/26/2017 02:35:00 AM |
Sorry folks, we all want this team to get in playoffs, and win the Stanley Cup.
Sure, they are winning some games, the third period issues/giving up too many shots are still there, and they are essentially playing for the 8th seed unless this team can make the kind of run where they finish with 95 points with the longest road trip in team history/least rest of any NHL team. The powerplay issues continue for the most part, even with Lee giving them what they need to stay on the 1st line.
And please, let's be clear, aside from the Tampa three times this team could have won every game in third period this season which is unusual. I did not see it as an issue of players tuning out any coach.
This team plays in the Metro, not the Atlantic where a lot of teams would be catch able or the west with less teams/more playoff spots. Fast teams continue to press the Islanders, tired Philadelphia came in off a 4-1 loss and took almost 50 shots, and the Islanders lost another two goal lead, then the skills competition.
Plus this time they have to do it with a 31 year old career backup leading, and Berube, who's hardly played for two years, with no 1st line RW capable of putting up the 20+ goals needed, despite Bailey having a career season, with Nelson's spotty production, and Strome simply not giving them enough numbers while Ladd if hurt, could linger for an entire season.
Kulemin is one goal off his last season number after 44 games, Clutterbuck, Cizikas are not giving them the goals their salary mandates, and not going anywhere with those contracts.
I don't see Halak in Bridgeport through next season, he's done a good job there, and was not the issue here on the ice, only management knows what took place off the ice, if anything.
On defense Hamonic has had a tough go before his injury, for years this team went through struggling defenders to go to Seidenberg, who's giving them 20 quality minutes Zidlicky, Visnovsky, Strait, and others could not give them for years.
No rush for Pulock here, if it means an extension for Seidenberg, they should do it. Defenseman are hard to find in this league who can play at his level, considering Mayfield cleared waivers, and Pelech could be lost to expansion. Toews has been a nice surprise for those watching the system.
I like the job Weight has done, only Malkin-Ledecky know what they will do with Snow, and his job titles which decides the head coaching position. My thoughts are the best people are the ones working in January with NHL jobs.
Again the fans have fairly made clear nothing but Snow's dismissal will be accepted after eleven years, who will give them Nassau Coliseum-like support at Barclay's with the usual ton of outside media playing their selective branding card.
A while back I wrote this is essentially a 50 game preseason, we have seen plenty of them, only way to change that is to have a mentality to catch the 7th seed, and reverse a lot of trends that go back years to many past Islander teams.
As for the outside distractions like media creating a circus over Tavares who could leave with team after 2017-18, and decide issue for him, or those who only come around to stir pot but not cover games, our fans are going to have to be smart enough to see through the non-sense for a team with one media person who works for another NHL teams newspaper, and is good as doing his least vs his Newsday counterpart.
Maybe our fans have not noticed, management barely speaks to Newsday beyond the bare minimum they get in print/on television.
Sure, they are winning some games, the third period issues/giving up too many shots are still there, and they are essentially playing for the 8th seed unless this team can make the kind of run where they finish with 95 points with the longest road trip in team history/least rest of any NHL team. The powerplay issues continue for the most part, even with Lee giving them what they need to stay on the 1st line.
And please, let's be clear, aside from the Tampa three times this team could have won every game in third period this season which is unusual. I did not see it as an issue of players tuning out any coach.
This team plays in the Metro, not the Atlantic where a lot of teams would be catch able or the west with less teams/more playoff spots. Fast teams continue to press the Islanders, tired Philadelphia came in off a 4-1 loss and took almost 50 shots, and the Islanders lost another two goal lead, then the skills competition.
Plus this time they have to do it with a 31 year old career backup leading, and Berube, who's hardly played for two years, with no 1st line RW capable of putting up the 20+ goals needed, despite Bailey having a career season, with Nelson's spotty production, and Strome simply not giving them enough numbers while Ladd if hurt, could linger for an entire season.
Kulemin is one goal off his last season number after 44 games, Clutterbuck, Cizikas are not giving them the goals their salary mandates, and not going anywhere with those contracts.
I don't see Halak in Bridgeport through next season, he's done a good job there, and was not the issue here on the ice, only management knows what took place off the ice, if anything.
On defense Hamonic has had a tough go before his injury, for years this team went through struggling defenders to go to Seidenberg, who's giving them 20 quality minutes Zidlicky, Visnovsky, Strait, and others could not give them for years.
No rush for Pulock here, if it means an extension for Seidenberg, they should do it. Defenseman are hard to find in this league who can play at his level, considering Mayfield cleared waivers, and Pelech could be lost to expansion. Toews has been a nice surprise for those watching the system.
I like the job Weight has done, only Malkin-Ledecky know what they will do with Snow, and his job titles which decides the head coaching position. My thoughts are the best people are the ones working in January with NHL jobs.
Again the fans have fairly made clear nothing but Snow's dismissal will be accepted after eleven years, who will give them Nassau Coliseum-like support at Barclay's with the usual ton of outside media playing their selective branding card.
A while back I wrote this is essentially a 50 game preseason, we have seen plenty of them, only way to change that is to have a mentality to catch the 7th seed, and reverse a lot of trends that go back years to many past Islander teams.
As for the outside distractions like media creating a circus over Tavares who could leave with team after 2017-18, and decide issue for him, or those who only come around to stir pot but not cover games, our fans are going to have to be smart enough to see through the non-sense for a team with one media person who works for another NHL teams newspaper, and is good as doing his least vs his Newsday counterpart.
Maybe our fans have not noticed, management barely speaks to Newsday beyond the bare minimum they get in print/on television.