Islanders 2014 Off-Season Thread

[KingsnQueens7]

Everything off-season related here. Thanks.

[KingsnQueens7]

http://www.lighthousehockey.com/2014...p-memorial-cup

Islanders News: Griffin Reinhart wins WHL MVP, heads to Memorial Cup, not to Oilers

All NHL playoff series were extended last night, and that is a beautiful thing. Here are some readable things:

In the WHL, Griffin Reinhart's Oil Kings won Game 7 in Portland to take the championship and reserve a Memorial Cup bierth, and he was named MVP of the series. Which, on cue, means more Edmonton media discussing acquiring him from the Isles.

________________________

If Garth trades Griffin Reinhart...

[KingsnQueens7]

Brock Nelson's goal vs Lativa.

Future is bright, but every young team starts off out with growing pains. We just need a better owner dedicated to winning hockey.

[KingsnQueens7]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LilC8S8Ys1Y#t=86

19 straight playoff wins... This team was for real back in the 80's

That puck possession time from 1:09 - 1:38 is just insane.

[KingsnQueens7]

Just so you guys know whats going on with Halak, the two sides are talking still no agreement yet. A deal will get done though.

[KingsnQueens7]

http://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/ja...BfxT40.twitter

Jay Z and (Lil’) Wayne Gretzky in Brooklyn? It could happen if Isles hire The Great One as new team president

With every day of the NHL off-season that features another team GM or president hiring, it’s less and less likely hockey icon Wayne Gretzky returns to the league in a management capacity for the 2014-15 campaign. The whispers about The Great One joining the Washington Capitals as team president have all but disappeared and there’s no natural fit for Gretzky that jumps out at hockey insiders.
Maybe that changes whenever 70-year-old Glen Sather retires as Rangers president-GM. But what if Sather promotes current assistant GM Jeff Gorton to replace him? Once again, Gretzky would be on the outside looking in. But an NHL source believes No. 99 could resurface – it must be stressed, not this season – with a franchise nobody could’ve seen him joining three decades ago.

How does Wayne Gretzky, president of the Brooklyn-bound New York Islanders sound?
While nothing is close, a match between Gretzky and the Isles would make sense on a number of fronts. The union would have to take place after current team owner Charles Wang sold the franchise to a new ownership group – there’s no way Gretzky would willingly entangle himself in the Wang regime unless he was involved in a Liam Neeson-“Taken” plot that included working for Wang as part of the ransom – but it would give him the type of hockey control Brendan Shanahan now has in Toronto and Trevor Linden has in Vancouver. The new ownership group would also likely provide Gretzky with a far bigger budget than he ever worked with in Phoenix. And he would be back in the planet’s biggest media market, in a position to actively grow the game again, with a spotlight that included one of the NHL’s newest arenas.

Both from a fan and corporate perspective, the addition of Gretzky’s massive profile would be phenomenal for a team setting up roots in a new community. And it would follow the process that’s taken place with the other tenant in the Barclays Center – the NBA’s Nets: they’ve also embraced big-name star power (bringing in head coach Jason Kidd and veteran stars Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett) to make a splash after relocating a sad-sack franchise from New Jersey.

Who better than Gretzky to make people forget about the cavalcade of Isles errors that have been made in the past quarter-century? His time in Phoenix showed he doesn’t have the Midas Touch, but his brand alone would be a balm for a fan base that’s endured the errors of Wang & Co. for too long. And if franchise cornerstone John Tavares is frustrated with the direction of the team, Gretzky’s arrival could go a long ways toward reassuring him things will improve.

A call to Gretzky’s representative seeking comment wasn’t immediately returned, but we shouldn’t expect him to confirm any interest until the team sale process plays out. Indeed, it’s tough seeing him accepting the role before the Isles leave Long Island for Brooklyn in the fall of 2015; the idea of working in decrepit Nassau Coliseum likely isn’t an attractive one for him.

That said, if you told anyone in 1984 – the first year Gretzky’s Edmonton Oilers were able to beat the Islanders in the Stanley Cup Final – that, three decades down the line, No. 99 would be running the Isles, they’d have demanded you took a breathalyzer whether or not you were driving a car. But while Gretzky to the Isles is nowhere close to a sure thing, it’s now very much within the realm of possibility.

If it does happen, nobody should be shocked. The stars are starting to align and push Gretzky in that direction.
Is the sports world ready for rap star (and former Nets owner/current Nets fan) Jay Z to be seen around the same building with (Lil’) Wayne? We may soon find out.

[KingsnQueens7]

KNQ7 NY Islanders off season to do list -

() - Resign Jaroslav Halak. Halak can be a franchise goaltender for this team and could set the difference for the Islanders when going for a playoff run.

() - Sign a quality backup. Nilsson wants to go to Europe, and to me there was not much separation in play between him and Poulin. The thing is, they are not NHL goal tenders. They are AHLERs.

() - Sign 1 top 6 winger

() - Sign 1 defense men that can play some good minutes

[KingsnQueens7]

Top UFA FA W's

Mike Cammalleri
Milan Michalek
Jussi Jokinen
Ales Hemsky
Radim Vrbata

Top UFA D's

Andrej Meszaros
Brooks Orpik
Matt Greene
Matt Niskinen
Nikitia Nitikin

[Denver Jim]

Doing a great job on here King! Thanks for all the info... One potential free agent that the Islanders should be all over if he becomes available is Paul Stastny. I don't need to tell you how good this guy is (and he seems to be getting better)... Sounds like him or O'Reilly could be had. Either one would look good in Blue and Orange!

While I do root for the Avs - if one of these guys because available - I'd be fine with them leaving... as long as it is to the Isles!

http://milehighsticking.com/2014/05/...-paul-stastny/

[KingsnQueens7]

Doing a great job on here King! Thanks for all the info... One potential free agent that the Islanders should be all over if he becomes available is Paul Stastny. I don't need to tell you how good this guy is (and he seems to be getting better)... Sounds like him or O'Reilly could be had. Either one would look good in Blue and Orange!

While I do root for the Avs - if one of these guys because available - I'd be fine with them leaving... as long as it is to the Isles!

http://milehighsticking.com/2014/05/...-paul-stastny/

I don't think he is a team need at this point Jim, even though I'd like to have him.

We're loaded at center - Frans Nielsen, Brock Nelson, Ryan Strome. We need to slot that money towards a 1st line winger, and a top 4 defense men. I'd still welcome Stastny though.

[Denver Jim]

I don't think he is a team need at this point Jim, even though I'd like to have him.

We're loaded at center - Frans Nielsen, Brock Nelson, Ryan Strome. We need to slot that money towards a 1st line winger, and a top 4 defense men. I'd still welcome Stastny though.

I agree - but I would take Stastny over any of the players you mention - to center the 2nd line... can move Strome to a wing for instance. He played wing a lot at Bridgeport and he has no issue playing the wing at the pro level. I think Strome on Tavaras' wing could be really fun to watch. http://islanders.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=677454

Stastny is really seemed to make a step up this past year and I think as he enters his prime (he is 28) he is ready to become an even bigger star.

Also - if the rumors are true about O'Reilly being held up as trade bait - Islanders need to really consider that. This is the type of winger the Islanders really need - big, really strong on the boards and a point producer with soft hands. Not sure what it would take to pry him outta there - and I'll be surprised if the Avs let both players go (I think Stastny is probably gone if it comes down to one or the other), but I would probably give up a 1st round pick for him & maybe a prospect. He is a beast around the net and would also be fun to watch with Tavaras.

As far as defense - I think you are right that has to be a real focus and probably even more important than getting a top line winger at this point. The defense was just horrible last year - though Reinhart coming up next year will certainly help the defensive unit as a whole. Everything I have read makes it sound like he is ready to come up and he should be very serviceable as a rookie - but an experienced top 4 Dman is still needed, until Reinhart proves himself as more than serviceable.

[KingsnQueens7]

I agree - but I would take Stastny over any of the players you mention - to center the 2nd line... can move Strome to a wing for instance. He played wing a lot at Bridgeport and he has no issue playing the wing at the pro level. I think Strome on Tavaras' wing could be really fun to watch. http://islanders.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=677454

Stastny is really seemed to make a step up this past year and I think as he enters his prime (he is 28) he is ready to become an even bigger star.

Also - if the rumors are true about O'Reilly being held up as trade bait - Islanders need to really consider that. This is the type of winger the Islanders really need - big, really strong on the boards and a point producer with soft hands. Not sure what it would take to pry him outta there - and I'll be surprised if the Avs let both players go (I think Stastny is probably gone if it comes down to one or the other), but I would probably give up a 1st round pick for him & maybe a prospect. He is a beast around the net and would also be fun to watch with Tavaras.

As far as defense - I think you are right that has to be a real focus and probably even more important than getting a top line winger at this point. The defense was just horrible last year - though Reinhart coming up next year will certainly help the defensive unit as a whole. Everything I have read makes it sound like he is ready to come up and he should be very serviceable as a rookie - but an experienced top 4 Dman is still needed, until Reinhart proves himself as more than serviceable.

The pairings going into next year should look like this in my opinion -

FA(Meszaros, Niskinen, Stralman)-Hamonic
Calvin de Haan-Visnovsky
Hickey-Reinhart

Scratch will be Carkner of course. Suddenly that Achilles heel defense from last year looks a lot better - especially with Halak between the pipes.

Also, you stand corrected about Ryan Strome. He can be a LW on that 1st line, then you can bump Nielsen down to line 3 were he is more suited and slot Stastny or O'Reily on the 2nd line. Thing is though, will Charles Wang open up his pockets?

[Wrigheyes4MVP]

So, do you guys think we are going to sign a legit defender? I mean, I feel like we need to. Time to spend some money.

I feel like a Mets fan all over again.

[xxplayerxx23]

Any chance vanek returns lol id like to get some DEFENSIVEMEN too but was just wondering on any chance of a vanek return?

[KingsnQueens7]

Vanek would be nice...