Looking back at past posts, I haven't posted a blog here in a LONG time. So much
has changed. Lou Lamoriello is the General Manager of the New York Islanders. I
know that isn't exactly Earth shattering news these days but if you look at my
last article from 2016 something like that happening was absolutely unthinkable.
The last article I wrote was after the Islanders lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning
(Irony!) in the second round of the playoffs after beating the Florida Panthers
in the first round for their first playoff series win in 23 years. Garth Snow
was still the GM. Jack Capuano was the coach. Barclay's Center was their home
arena.
The thought of a brand new arena in Nassau County was a pipe dream and no
Stanley Cup winning coach or GM with any kind of winning pedigree would ever
come here to coach. Now we have Lou, Barry Trotz and UBS Arena, a state of the
art, ONE BILLION dollar building growing right next to Belmont park that will
open up in approximately one years time for the Islanders to call home.
The
changes that have gone on since the last time I clicked "publish" at the top
right of this screen are absolutely astounding and those are the changes off the
ice. Looking on the ice the Islanders just came within one short handed
breakaway goal by Brock Nelson from forcing game seven of the Eastern Conference
Final. What planet are we on Islander fans?
Things have gotten so bright here
just two years after our former captain turned his back and walked away from a
team that failed to make the playoffs and walked into what he thought was a
Golden State Warriors like super team up in Toronto. They got worse. Yes. They
are worse. They have broken up a team that had 105 points that showed so much
promise in 2017 and handcuffed themselves paying four players 40 million
dollars.
The Islanders, under Barry Trotz, the 2017 Stanley Cup winning, 2018
coach of the year and three time Stanley Cup winning, Hall of Fame and current
General Manager of the year have flourished after "he" walked away. Anders Lee
has become the leader we all wished that other guy was. Ilya Sorokin, the guy
who everyone said would never come to the Islanders, is here. Mat Barzal has
turned from a dynamic one way center into a two way center who resembles a young
Pavel Datsyuk. Brock Nelson has blossomed into maybe the most under rated center
in the NHL. Josh Bailey, the perennial whipping boy of a small sect of Islanders
fans has become a valuable two way winger who always seems to make the smart
play or come up big when it matters most.
Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock, and Scott
Mayfield all at one point under former administrations as guys who could never
be top four defenseman have all become exactly that. The Islanders are so deep
at defense they were able to trade Devon Toews for draft picks and there still
aren't enough spots in the top seven for everyone ready to play at this level in
the organization.
That's not all that is different. At the trade deadline the
New York Islanders acquired arguably the best forward available in J.G. Pageau. Before he had the opportunity to become the next Ryan Smyth, he was promptly signed to a six year contract extension. That wasn't all. To shore up the defense beat up with the injuries they acquired Andy
Greene, the captain of the Devils. Let's not over look the fact that Greene had
a full no trade clause and waived it to come to the Islanders. Could you ever
imagine anyone waiving their no trade clause to come to the Islanders before
now?
While you're thinking about that think about this. They are seemingly one
piece from being a team that could realistically win the Stanley Cup. Everyone
knows they need power play help. Someone who can fire the puck to open up the
ice and relieve the pressure on the points on the power play. Despite the salary
cap constraints we have (well most of us, anyway) the confidence in the management as fans that they will
address this at some point this off season. Will it be from within? Will it be
someone like Mike Hoffman who still hasn't signed a deal despite being the best
shooter available? Will Oliver Wahlstrom be that shooter? Bellows? Will they go off the board and take a shot at Andreas Athanasiou? We as fans just do not
know.
For the first time in decades literally anything is a possibility. It's finally not a
pipe dream any more Islander fans but a real possibility. The sky is the limit.