Will the Islanders Ever be Good Again?

[eaglesnut]

Helped by the league

What a douchy league

 

[forty_three]

Ken Holland?

Oh please please please

 

[dash]

You spelled Chiarelli wrong

 

[forty_three]

You spelled Chiarelli wrong

Or Kekelainen

I mean there really aren't any bad answers.




For the rest of us

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Matthew Schaefer. Please let it be Matthew Schaefer. It's no secret the Islanders biggest problem the last few years has been scoring on the power play and that is equally due to needing a pure sniper and a quarterback to replace the completely overrated Dobson. And now, this year, the penalty kill went into the tank as well. This kid should (it's all at least partially a crap shoot with the draft of course) help with both in a few years. Great skater. Does "it all" on both ends. Is only 17 and won't even turn 18 until September so almost ended up in an already deep 2026 draft. Seems really mature and went through the trauma of losing his Mom to cancer. I'm usually a big believer in taking a scorer at #1 overall, but I think this year is different. Plus the Islanders have more than a couple of guys who might (if they develop as hoped) be top 6 forwards with luck in their system already and Barzal is only 27.

If I'm the GM and I just submitted my resume` so I might be ( ) I'm not signing anyone 30 or over (Palmieri, Reilly, DeAngelo or outside free agents) to a deal longer than 1 or 2 years. This BS of trying to win a Cup by adding 3rd liners every year to a mediocre roster isn't going to get it done and needs to end. Their eyes should be on building a team that can start competing in 2 or 3 years and see what happens. The #1 pick this year. Two first rounders next year. A few recent early draft picks that seem to really be working out so far (especially Eiserman) and Ritchie from Colorado who also looks like a top 6 forward within a couple of years. They need to shift from one of the older teams in the league to one of the younger teams. None of these young kids are going to be key players until 26-27 or maybe even 27-28. That needs to be the plan, not making the playoffs and losing in the first round.

Now on with all of your teams' meaningless 24-25 Stanley Cup Pursuit

I heard Arthur Staples on the radio saying there is a very real chance Isles go Long Island boy James Hagens with the 1st overall

Top prospect James Hagens on hometown NY Islanders: I love everything about them

James Hagens is one of the top prospects in the 2025 NHL Draft. He's also a die-hard New York Islanders fan. That's a unicorn. That's as unlikely as the Isles w

eyesonisles.com

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Staples also said Ken Holland is a no on coming in as GM (lebrun said it as well) ... and he dropped a "the job looks too hard for him"

the 12 NMC's is scaring potential GMs away

/Jimbo1 aint scared of nuthin tho

 

[dash]

I heard Arthur Staples on the radio saying there is a very real chance Isles go Long Island boy James Hagens with the 1st overall

Top prospect James Hagens on hometown NY Islanders: I love everything about them

James Hagens is one of the top prospects in the 2025 NHL Draft. He's also a die-hard New York Islanders fan. That's a unicorn. That's as unlikely as the Isles w

eyesonisles.com

The fact that he played quite a bit with Cole Eiserman in college might just tip the scales enough.

 

[jarntt]

I heard Arthur Staples on the radio saying there is a very real chance Isles go Long Island boy James Hagens with the 1st overall

Top prospect James Hagens on hometown NY Islanders: I love everything about them

James Hagens is one of the top prospects in the 2025 NHL Draft. He's also a die-hard New York Islanders fan. That's a unicorn. That's as unlikely as the Isles w

eyesonisles.com

I don’t buy it unless they trade down. It's all over Long Island that they should take him for no reason other than he’s local. Why? You take the best player. I’ll go nuts if they take him for any reason Other than they think he is the best player. Who gives a crap where he is from other than a dead even tie breaker if you need one. If they legit think he is the best player then fine but I don’t. When he was the consensus #1 pick, Schaefer was 16. He’s now arrived. I’d probably take Misa before him also.