If Lou doesn’t sell at the deadline it’s a clear indication of ownership’s agreement with that strategy and there is no reason they will get rid of Lou for the executing it.
You could be right. Last night was the first time I watched the Isles in months and only because of the rivalry between the NY teams. My interest in the Isles is as low as it's ever been. I can handle a rebuild. I can handle losing seasons. What I can't handle is ownership sitting by while Lou continues to sink this team lower and lower. They get a new GM in here and I will have hope that better days are ahead. But with Lou it will continue to get worse.
So, will Ledecky and Malkin FINALLY force Lamoriello to blow this shitty team up, and get a first rounder each for Nelson and Lee? And maybe a second rounder each for Pageau and Palmieri? Holmstrom is the last first-round draft pick the Islanders have had play a game for them, and he was drafted six years ago. Dobson is the only first-round pick to have made any real impact since they drafted Barzal in 2015. No surprise that they've been treading water for so long.
Sell, sell, sell and then sell some more. Get as many 1st and 2nd Rd picks as you can. Hopefully Lou retires or gets fired after the year and the new GM can get started on rebuilding the roster.
an underwhelming couple of prospects and a pick that won’t matter for 4 years. Lou must plan on staying until he’s 100.
Obviously I had never heard of him before now, but everything I've now seen says that Ritchie is a very good prospect. Certainly his performance in juniors the last couple of seasons (after he had surgery to repair a bum shoulder) is consistent with that, with 147 points (42 goals, 105 assists) in 91 games. He'll no doubt be given every chance to make the team next year. I obviously would have preferred a 2025 pick over a 2026 or 2027, but this still strikes me as a good haul for a rental. If the Avs don't either win the Cup or sign Nelson after the season, this will be a disastrous trade for them. Hopefully Palmieri and Pageau and maybe Lee will be following him out the door.
They got a #1 pick granted in 26 or 27 plus one of the Av's top prospects in Ritchie. Not a bad deal for the Isles. I still think Lou needs to be shown the door after the season. The Isles need to get younger, faster and especially add more elite level skill. This deal is a step in the right direction.
Now, before we get too pleased, there have been multiple reports that the Islanders offered Nelson a three-year extension, which he turned down. Lamoriello is clearly still an idiot, but thanks, Brock, for saving the team from itself. This does make me less optimistic about Palmieri and Pageau hitting the road in the next four hours, however.
This makes no sense for a team that should be rebuilding. Islanders Not Trading Kyle Palmieri Ahead Of Trade Deadline; Working On Extension - Yahoo Sports
Lou's moment of sanity passes, and we're back to the same old bullshit. I would say that it's unbelievable, but in fact it is not even slightly unexpected. What a joke.
I have to give them credit for coming back from a 2-0 deficit entering the 3rd period and winning 4-2 in back-to-back games. This team still blows but they are hanging around in the playoff race for now.
That, of course, is because all of the teams that they are competing with also blow. One piece of evidence: the Islanders are 6-3-1 in their last 10. The six other teams within 10 points of the second wild card spot are 20-35-5. That's how you jump from 9th in the wild card standings to 4th in a week or two. I would normally be upset about this, thinking that a late run to the playoffs would save Lamoriello's job, but since it is obvious that Malkin will never fire him, I guess it really doesn't matter from that point of view.
The Isles trail the Canadiens by 3 points, and they hold the WC 2 spot right now. Guess who comes to UBS Thursday night. If they win that one in regulation, then they pull within one point of them. At that point I would hope they get in. They would play the Caps in round 1 and probably get beat in 4 or 5 but like you said Lou isn't getting fired so why not get in. The Rangers also have to lose as they are 2 points ahead of the Isles, but the Isles have 2 games in hand on them.
4-3 OT win tonight to pull within 2 points of Montreal. Might as well root for them to get in even though they aren't very good. LGI
I will be at the game on Saturday. Hard to believe that they could possibly be in a playoff spot at the end of the game, but the bottom half of the league isn't very good.
