OffThePost.org

Break up day is over. Lots of the usual quotes- everyone believes in the team, everyone wants to return... I want to hear a player break hockey code and say something like "you know, our PP really sucked dog balls this year. We need a new PP coach so we stop wasting 2 minutes at a time." I know it will never happen, but I can hope.

Barzal in particular said he wants to sign a long term extension, that this is his home, he loves it, and this is where he wants to win. Sounds great. We've heard that before from a 1C though...

Isles needs:
Finisher to play with Barzal. Is Wahlstrom that guy? Didn't look it this year but he could become that guy down the road. Isles need scoring in a big way, and Barzal can get the puck to anyone. He would do best with someone with enough speed to keep up with him. Then have Lee there to put in the rebounds.
Get younger! Greene and Chara should be retiring. They were cheap but played like old, cheap parts.
Two left side defenders. Chychrun's name comes up in every article but the Coyotes want a lot for him.
Salo looked pretty good most of the time but will Trotz trust that many young defenders?
Aho did not look good most of the time. He is a decent offensive defenseman but can't handle his own end well enough at the NHL level. If he wants to stick in the NHL he needs to either spend all summer working on his D-zone game or develop his forward game and be a Bill Berg, who can play F or D. I know the latter is unlikely, but it's what I see for him. He's not good enough as an offensive D-man to make up for his lack of D skills or play reading. Or size. Dude got pushed out from in front of his own net by some bigger forwards. I just realized Aho is a Group 6 UFA, so maybe he'll get signed elsewhere. I doubt it though.
The PP did suck dog balls. The above was basically my quote. It needs an enema.

Greene and Chara are the only other UFAs from the NHL roster.
Thomas Hickey (who like I suggest for Aho, played some F at times) is a UFA. He's been in Bridgeport for a while.
Quite a few UFAs from Bridgeport, but none I expected to see on the Isles any time soon.

Kieffer Bellows, Noah Dobson and Robin Salo are the only RFAs from the NHL roster. I expect Bellows & Salo to get QOs, nothing more. Dobson may get a nice contract. Kid had over 50 points as a D-man in Trotz's system! Isles hadn't had a D-man with 50 points since Mark Streit.

Draft? I don't care if they trade the picks or use them. Just do something to improve the org overall.

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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.

Three of the four conference final teams last year didn't make the playoffs this year, and I don't think that's entirely a coincidence. The Islanders especially just seemed the victims of a long playoff run plus a road trip to start.

Lou Lams needs a Kovalchuk like when the Devils made it last. Good team, but missing that dynamic scorer. They should've bitten on Tarasenko when they had the chance. Rumour has it they were even looking at Hoffman (yuck).

I think they acquire a big name scorer this offseason and maybe move a Bailey to do it. Maybe a trade rather than UFA.

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I don't hate Bailey like most Isles fans do but he's not worth $5M aav. If they can move him in a package for a real scorer, bye bye Bailey.

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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.

Trotz fired! Old Lou is back!

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Lou will make a pitch for BB.

What the fucking fuck? Only really respectable coach they’ve had since Arbour and you fire him 4 years into a five year contract? I know this year sucked but who is out there who can do a better job? Lane Lambert? Maybe if he doesn’t go to Trotz’s next job.
If this means they lose Korn as goalie coach they may be screwed.

Maybe Lou told Trotz to fix the PP and he said it’s fine?

It feels like the isles are back to being a side show.

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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.

Welcome back!

It was too good to be true. 3 good years. Siiiiiigh.

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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.

Maybe an unintentional DeBoer for Trotz swap could happen?

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I wonder if Steve Yzerman will make a move for Trotz.

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Bíonn macalla ag an bheatha sa tsíoraíocht. Liverpool FC: 2019 and 6-time Champions of Europe. 2020 and 19 time English Premier League Champions YNWA. JFT 97

He was a Devils coach, so probably. I'll fucking hate it.

I'm so annoyed about this.


He should. Best coach available. Why wouldn't he?

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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 read recently that Trotz really backs one of his assistant coaches, Lane Lambert, to become an NHL coach. With the Steve Yzerman / Lane Lambert 1st year in the NHL apartment-mates in Detroit, Trotz might not want to bump his boy out of the way with his possible 1st NHL gig.

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Bíonn macalla ag an bheatha sa tsíoraíocht. Liverpool FC: 2019 and 6-time Champions of Europe. 2020 and 19 time English Premier League Champions YNWA. JFT 97

I want Lambert to coach the Isles. They looked a bit lethargic most of the year but had a better step and far better PP while Trotz was out and Lambert was in charge. All the assistant coaches were retained, so I'm wondering if the plan is simply to hand the reigns over to Lambert. I hope so, vs the other retreads I see available. So we may wind up seeing what Trotz can do with other assistant coaches, or they may all bail and follow him wherever he goes.

Lots of Isles fans are claiming to have rewatched his post-game pressers and say Trotz looked really tired from the mid-point onward, like he was just defeated. His mother passed away, most of the team had covid, etc. Maybe he was just bummed out about the year. I think it's a mistake to fire one of the best coaches the game has seen in a long time, and definitely the 2nd best coach in team history. If they hand it over to Lambert and Korn stays on, I think I'll be okay with it. And of course, Lambert may not want to take over after his long time friend was fired, but I think Trotz would tell him to take it.

I can see Lou going old school and calling the likes of Babcock or Tortorella. I'll puke if he does.

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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.

Read some more about this. Lou said it was a very tough decision but he feels the players need to hear a new voice, but nobody was in on the decision except himself and he left ownership know his reasons and they were okay with it. I guess players said some stuff in exit interviews, probably defending their lack of production, that lead Lou to believe that Trotz's system and/or message were grinding on the team. Some anonymous sources say things like having your stick in a specific position to block a passing lane takes all instinct away from your game. It's not a fun way to play and takes its toll in 82+ games. I guess add the two long runs to the conference finals and that must have been really painful for those poor players. Coming one game away from the SCF two years in a row... Long runs of having that stick in a certain spot. Especially for a group that hadn't had any success before and was done with Capuano and Weight run & gun/one & done hockey...

Everyone knows Trotz loves his vets and doesn't play kids that much. Isles are a mixed bag of young kids and guys past their primes. That's the roster that Lou built. Were they going to have Chara be a 7th D, playing only when some kid is hurt? That probably wouldn't go over too well with other players, even if it's what fans wanted/expected. But having kids like Salo eating hot dogs while Chara gets burned nightly didn't go over well either and may be what ultimately did Trotz in. But it's the roster Lou built. Trading guys like Toews and Leddy only to replace them with guys like Greene and Chara isn't going to make your team better. Just cheaper, but older and slower. Much slower. They got rid of their 2 fastest D-men in 2 years and took on 2 of the slowest D-men in the league, with lots of miles on them. Recipe for success? Nope. Take a genius to see that? Nope.

Last year the Isles allowed a metric shit ton of shots. The previous 3 years they averaged below 30 shots/game. Last year they allowed like 40 most games. The whole system was off. Or they didn't have the right personnel to run the system. But it should have been addressed earlier last year through either a Lou/Trotz discussion or some trades. They sat on cap space for most of the year.

I think this is making sense, then I think of other stuff. I'm just annoyed at this point.

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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.

Now the story is that Korn told Lou he wanted to retire prior to Trotz being fired. We'll see if he retires or goes elsewhere.

13th pick. I think Lou will trade it to try to get some scoring. Or a d-man under 132 years old.

To procrastinate some work:

Isles Forwards going into next year cost $47.6M with Bellows still to re-sign.
Lee - $7M with 4 years left
Barzal - $7M with 1 year left
Nelson - $6M with 3 years left
Palmieri- $5M with 3 years left
Pageau- $5M with 4 years left
Bailey- $5M with 2 years left
Beauvillier- $4.15M with 2 years left
Clutterbuck - $1.75M wit 2 years left
Cizikas - $2.5M with 5 years left
Martin- $1.5M with 2 years left
Johnston- $1.1M with 4 years left
Wahlstrom- $895k with 1 year left
Parise- $750k with 1 year left
Bellows- RFA now. Made $750k last year.

Isles D going into next year cost $13.5M with only 3 signed.
Pelech- $5.75M with 7 years left
Pulock- $6.15M with 8 years left
Mayfield- $1.45M with 1 year left
Dobson- RFA. Made $895k last year.
Chara & Greene are UFAs and had better be gone.
Aho is a Group 6 UFA. If he stays it had better be as a 7th.
I'd like to see Salo stick with them out of camp and play every day. He's been good. They also clearly need another D-man who can actually play D.

Goalies will cost them $9M as of now
Sorokin- $4M with 2 year left
Varlamov- $5M with 1 year left.
Move Varlamov and sign a cheaper backup? Bring up Schneider? Or keep Varlamov in his final year and hope they make a run again?

In the system- Dal Colle, Raty, Holmstrom and Koivula are the 4 Fs most likely to make a push for the big team. Although Panik is signed through next year.
Salo and Bolduc are the 2 D most likely to make a push. Hickey leaves as a UFA this year.
Schneider and Skarek aren't much of a threat to Sorokin and/or Varlamov.

Big needs- like the past 5 years- a legit finisher for Barzal. A good D-man or two. A head coach. A goalie coach (unless Greco is sticking around?). MORE WINS.

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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.

Lane Lambert is officially named Isles head coach. I like that, and am glad they got it out of the way before the real summer stuff hits. Gives some certainty.

In my opinion, the Isles looked great when Lambert was in charge during Trotz's absence this year. He had them playing more aggressively and the PP was totally different. I'd imagine he'll keep some of Trotz's tactics in place, but I think he saw some things they needed to step up on.

There had been rumors of Lou talking to Babcock or that Thompson would be promoted from Bridgeport. (Pukes in mouth). As happy as I can be after they didn't make the playoffs and fired a sure fire HoF coach.

Chara announced as Masterton Trophy Finalist. For what? Being old? As far as sportsmanship, he beat the shit out of a bunch of dudes this year. "But he was nice about it"?

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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.

Can't remember where I heard/read it but it sounds like the Lambert succession plan was already in place, Lou was just prompted to move things up a year sooner than expected.

I REALLY hope the goddamned Golden Knights don't get Trotz.

I've heard that, but I only from fans not citing anyone. That could mean they're just trying to sound like they have inside scoops or they're just lazy and don't cite anyone.

I hope Trotz goes anywhere in the west. I've never given DeBoer the credit he apparently deserves. He just doesn't look like a coach to me so I assume he must be terrible, despite his far better than average record.

_________________
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.

Athletic did a piece on potential dance partners for Jeff Petry and identified the Islanders as a somewhat improbable candidate. With Price seemingly LTIR-bound, it could be for Varlamov, since it doesn't screw with their cap space too much. Of course, Beauvilier was mentioned too.

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Beauvillier is mentioned in just about every trade speculation article because he underperformed this year. I think trading him would be a huge mistake. He elevates his game in the playoffs and is very tight with Barzal. For years Isles fans on blogs offered up Bailey, Donovan and a 5th for every potential trade. Now it's Bailey and Beauvillier and a 6th or something like that. As if Beauviller isn't even the same trade chip as Donovan, who never stuck in the NHL. Or maybe they're saying Bailey is worth even less now? I don't know. I don't pretend to understand the minds of bloggers.

I get the idea of moving Varlamov's salary but he and Sorokin are a great tandem. I know Sorokin is good enough to take the reigns as a legit #1 now, but Varlamov is great insurance if Sorokin is out for any time. The Isles don't exactly have a great goalie in the pipeline who could replace that security. Is it worth $5M? Maybe not throughout the regular season but assuming they make the playoffs again, yeah.

As for Petry, I don't think he fits too well with the Isles. They've already got Pulock, Dobson and Mayfield as righty D. Lou seems to buy heavily into D playing on their "proper" side. But Petry is 34, so maybe he's old enough for Lou to take a run at. Although his hockeydb page shows him with a beard. That's a negative mark against him!

On the left they've got Pelech, Aho and Salo. I don't see Aho sticking as a legit NHLer, so really just Pelech and Salo. One thing about the Isles D-corps is they're pretty young now without Greene and Chara (assuming neither is brought back for another year, and please Lou, don't bring them back unless it's 100% clear to them they'll be used in emergencies only). Lou will likely want a veteran on D to help these young NHL vets run their D the right way.

_________________
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.