OffThePost.org

I love Vans. Been wearing them all the time since 3rd grade, when I had to special order them because stores in the east didn't stock them.
I obviously love the Isles.
I'd rather eat stir fried dog shit than wear those.


Isles were supposedly in on Hoffman, then Athanaisou. Lander neither. Brassard left. No clue if other teams just had better offers or if there's still some anti-Islanders slant among UFAs. I doubt it, considering they made the ECF, but who knows?

Isles prospect Simon Holmstrom is looking good in the WJC. 2 assists last night.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Ledecky & Malking bought the 15% of Isles ownership retained by Wang's estate today. So they own the whole team now.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

With a new barn on the way, the Isles are haves after being have nots for much of the Wang era.

Fans like you deserve it, Chris. You put up with a lot of shit for a long time.

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Thanks. Hopefully things keep looking up!

Odd news- the Isles gave Ho-Sang a qualifying offer, but now the rumor is they aren't inviting him to camp. Why qualify the guy if you don't even intend to bring him to camp? I think he'd be a great taxi squad guy, but I guess people who know a lot more about hockey than me disagree. Still seems weird though. I guess he's destined for the AHL, since they just announced they should start Feb 5th. Still, you'd think they'd want a talent like him in camp, even if it's just to push other guys to work harder to keep their spot.

Press conference this afternoon. Hopefully it's to discuss the ownership transfer AND announce some key signings, like, ohhhhhh I don't know, their 1C...

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Martin, Greene and Corey Schneider all signed. No details yet.
Barzal not signed, but he's in town for camp and they're working on the deal.

Camp starts soon!

_________________
Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Isles doing off-ice testing today. Barzal is officially a hold out as of now. Rumor is the Isles want an 8 year deal and he wants much shorter. Lee and Beauvillier both quoted saying they know it will get done. Trotz quoted saying he'll worry about who is in camp, not who isn't.

Trotz also quoted saying he still isn't over the Lightning series. Said no matter what happens from here on, he'll still see visions of it on his death bed. I'd say the Isles players who he feels fucked up are in deep shit. Toews was one of them, with that awful icing that lead to the Lightning goal. He was traded a while ago. Ladd stood there watching the Lightning score to win Game 2 with 8 seconds to go, so he's probably headed to the far end of the taxi squad, if not Bridgeport.

Boychuk is at camp, acting like a veteran liaison to young players. Trotz said he's welcoming them in, making them feel part of the team. I'd say he'll be a hell of an assistant coach down the road.

Everyone else is in camp and healthy.

_________________
Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

No word on a contract, but Barzal is on the camp roster. Rumor is a contract will be announced today.

Still no details given about the contracts for Martin, Schneider, Greene or Timashev. Shrug.

Full list. Players I expect to make the team in bold.

Forwards
Bailey
Barzal
Beauvillier
Bellows
Cizikas
Clutterbuck
Czarnik
Dal Colle
Eberle
Greer
Holmstrom
Johnston- likely 13th forward.
Koivula
Kuhnackl (Didn't think he was re-signed?)
Ladd
Lee
Martin
Nelson
Pageau
Timashev
Wahlstrom- has a shot at the team, but likely behind Bellows.

D
Aho
Bolduc
Dobson
Greene
Hickey- probably the 7th, although Aho has a shot at that too.
Hutton
Leddy
Mayfield
Pelech
Pulock
Wilde
Wotherspoon

Goalies
Schneider
Skarek
Sorokin
Varlamov

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

I thought Aho was unhappy about not getting a shot and went home? I guess not...

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Reporters on Twitter said he was on the ice. Maybe he'll demand a trade or something fun like that. He's good. Not great.

2nd group of Isles just took the ice and Barzal is not one of them. Ruh Rohhhhh.

_________________
Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Timashov was on the ice but still doesn't have a deal.
Still no word on Barzal at all. Everyone on the Isles asked has positive things to say and all think it will be done very soon, but the longer this goes the more it feels like impending doom. I figured there'd be an announcement early today.

Good thing I have practice tonight so I take a break from refreshing various news outlet sites...

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Another day, and nothing to report on Barzal's contract status. Reporters sound like the old dude in History of the World, only except "Nothing! I've got absolutely nothing for sale" it's more like "Nothing! I've got absolutely nothing to report". Yesterday on Twitter they were showing video of Sorokin making saves during warmups and calculating his save %.

_________________
Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Matt Martin's new deal is apparently 4 years, $1.5 million/year. What. The. Fuck? Nothing like overvaluing an aging 4th line, while having the team's superstar holding out.

_________________
Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Rumor is the Isles are shopping Hickey, whose bonus has already been paid for the year. He makes $2.5 this year and next year. He missed a lot of last year with a concussion sustained in the AHL. He had at least one before. Not sure anyone is going to take him with that history, but I'd sure like to see the cap space freed for a Barzal signing.
If the rumor got out, it's either BS or maybe Barzal's agent is helping to swing a deal to clear cap space for a signing. Maybe?

_________________
Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

https://twitter.com/TheFourthPeriod/sta ... 5814422528



Seems strange that you'd sign a career fourth line scrub to a multi-year deal at the same exact time you're desperately trying to move another fourth line scrub...but hey it ain't my money.

I don't believe anything I read about the Isles until it's official. Lou wouldn't allow anyone to know who he was talking about moving. It's one of his biggest issues. You squeal about a deal, he'll never work with you again.

That said, Komarov makes $3 million and Lou said at the time he wrote the deal that he knew it was too much. Martin will make $1.5. I'd take Martin over Komarov any day. But yeah, the Martin deal is too long. But for that money, they could bury him in Bridgeport, waive him, and the way he plays, he may wind up on LTIR. Although he's calming down now. Hitting far less.

I Can't see anyone taking Hickey after his 2 concussion in the last 2 years. It would be nice to get rid of that salary though. But at this point, Lou is trying to get rid of deals he made. I guess there's no chance at all of anyone taking Ladd, but that would be amazing to get rid of.

But every few hours that pass without Barzal signing make me worry. And I truly believe he wants to be with the Isles. He just wants to get top dollar for his services.

_________________
Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Barzal rumor now is that they have a deal basically done, but need to clear space to announce it. I thought they could be 10% over the cap to start the season; that it was your average daily cap that mattered in the end. Or maybe his salary is so high they're more than 10% over.

_________________
Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Barzal signed: 3 years, 7M AAV

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Great deal. He'll still be an RFA for a year when that expires.
Signed this, got on the ice for a scrimmage and scored on his first two shifts. Wooopeeeeee!

_________________
Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Mason Jobst & Josh Ho-Sang waived.

_________________
Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Pageau played with Bellows & Wahlstrom on his wings today. All three scored. First time on the Isles he's had good wingers. He's mostly had Komarov and/or Dal Colle. Trotz said he was impressed with them and Pageau said they had chemistry. Hope they stay together. It's about time the Isles got some young wingers who can play.

Trotz also said Varlamov is starting goalie, as he's earned it. Not surprising, but I expect Sorokin to impress and play more like a 1B role by mid-season.

Season starts in a few days.

_________________
Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.