Islanders Place Blake Comeau on Waivers; Al Montoya Activated
by Dominik on Nov 24, 2011 4:50 PM EST
in Roster Manoeuvres in the Dark
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PrintAnd Happy Thanksgiving to you, too. In a somewhat shocking move -- unless you read Chris' post here last week -- the New York Islanders have placed winger Blake Comeau on waivers. Separately, goaltender Anders Nilsson has been sent back to AHL Bridgeport as Al Montoya has come off Injured Reserve.
A notoriously slow starter -- some fans dub him "March Blake Comeau" -- Comeau has zero goals this season and has been enigmatic throughout much of his young career, but he's also coming off a 24-goal season and has not had many prime offensive opportunities to shake his funk this season.
[Updated 1:30 p.m., with additional context below] After being scratched for two games earlier this season, his ice time has been 12th among Islanders forwards -- just 13:04 per game, with just a nominal amount of powerplay time (0:20 per game average) and PK time (0:26 per game average).
Last year Comeau received the third-most PK ice time among Isles forwards (2:15 per game) and a decent amount of PP time too (2:30). This year, virtually nothing.
Comeau is a frustrating player and I've long suspected his hockey sense is what undermines his visible talents. The right-handed shot's preference to play left wing -- even when he's on the right side he drifts to the left -- creates strange situations that you'd think would be fixable. He has undeniable talents that you would think a better team would figure out how to leverage, but those are tempered by tendencies, including occasional defensive brain farts, that drive many observers nuts.
Not that these traits make him unique among young Islanders.
Nonetheles, this is a risky and quite bold statement about a rights-controlled forward (Comeau would be a RFA again this year) by a team that is carrying Devils castoffs Jay Pandolfo and Brian Rolston in what is likely the final years of their careers.
In microstats, Comeau's relative Corsi has been higher than Pandolfo and Pandolfo's frequent linemate Marty Reasoner, but those two also face tougher lines and Comeau's faced the easiest competition on the team. (All of these figures are through just 16 games for Comeau and at most 19 for the others, though, so we tread here with caution.)
Essentially, this frustrating but talented forward has been deemed surplus in favor of veterans like those two, as well as fellow struggler Josh Bailey, 22, who is a center now but one day just might end up on a wing vacated by Comeau. While the two ex-Devils veterans might fulfill roles better right now, is there any question who will be the more valuable forward a year or two from now?
And therein may lie the other factor in this move: The Islanders have more young forwards pushing from below -- Nino Niederreiter and David Ullstrom are up with the team now -- so if Comeau represents diminishing returns right now, the team may have had enough waiting for him to break his funk.
Though it could be just a risky "message" sent from club to player by trying to sneak him through waivers over the holiday, they're making a bold declaration of dissatisfaction about a player who has played key roles over the years -- but one of the few who predates Garth Snow's tenure as GM. (The 25-year-old was drafted 47th overall in 2004.)
According to Darren Dreger the Islanders first shopped Comeau for picks, with no takers, but exposing him to waivers for free is another matter. Given his usage this season, another team could easily read 15-20 goals and PK work as a more likely reflection of his work. But his $2.5 million salary could be too much for another team to gamble on unless they're hurting for wingers.
Is the Comeau Experiment over? Are we entering the next churning period of the rebuild, where yesterday's promising young players are discarded for other young players they hope will prove even better? And is that churn worth casting away a 20-goal scorer? We'll know the former by Friday afternoon, and the latter by next year at this time.
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WOW.
Im surprised, but I am fine with this. Hope BC makes it to BPT.
Happy Montoyas officially off IR! :)
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
good riddance
an important move by the team – the message of not tolerating incompetence is vital
now RDP needs to sit for at least 10 games after last night – bring on El Cubano
play Dibenedetto, cut Rolston, bring up Cizikas
one more thing – we only have 10 losses, Pittsburgh has 6 losses, Philly has 6 as well, the Rangers have the fewest losses in the East with 5, and we just played very close games with them, and Philly
This season is far from ever, and cutting Blake was an important move – all 12 forwards need to be contributors, all 6 defensemen as well, and solid hole-free netminding, and we’ll be competitive
Great News
Lets Go Islanders!!
this season is far from over, is what I was trying to say
oh yeah, and cut Mottau or press box him unless an emergency occurs and bring up Ness – PLEASE
Streit-Staiios
Ness-Hamonic
Amac-Jurcina
would do okay
not true - his salary counts even if cut
and after KO’s wake up last night, would suggest these lines
Moulson-Tavares-Okposo (would like to see these guys back together)
Grabner – Nielsen – Parenteau (would likely make a nice 2nd line)
Dibenedetto-Ullstrom-Haley (energy line)
Martin-Bailey-Pandolfo (defense)
(Nino Reasoner)
he offers very little value
Would rather see a kid play that role with energy
Hell, the guy was out of hockey last year for a reason
Reason: Injury
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
by Dominik on Nov 24, 2011 1:43 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Cozo
No Mozo? Gotta wonder who will pick him up. One of the bottom rungers I’d imagine. If at all.
Support Movember: http://mobro.co/YourUncleNops
The Thrashers took Schremp last year
I’m sure someone will grab Comeau, he’s still somewhat young.
"Matty Mo thinks it's different. He must be extra high today." BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Moulson's response to Isles black jerseys.
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
yeah, that worked well for them
where’s RSH now? somewhere in Europe I think
by Cary K on Nov 24, 2011 1:14 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Sure
but it happened is my point
"Matty Mo thinks it's different. He must be extra high today." BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Moulson's response to Isles black jerseys.
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
This is a start
Now Drop Rolston and Mottau and well be good
"Mario Lemiuex… I used to respect you."- Turgeon1992
but he's also coming off a 24-goal season and has not had many prime offensive opportunities this season?
Why make excuses for him?
The reason he hasn’t had many opportunities is because he hasn’t made any for himself.
Not excuses
Explaining context. There’s plenty more context to come…
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
I agree
Making the players responsible is first step
it’s not the coach
I disagree....
It is 100% on the coach at this point. For a team to not have 1 game so far in the season where they played a full effort through 3 periods falls on the coach’s shoulders. It is the coach’s job to have his players prepared to play. In my opinion, Capuano has done little to correct this problem. Havent heard of any bag skates, closed door meetings where he rips the team, etc…. There’s always an excuse. Winners dont make excuses. Scratching a player like Comeau (the easy move) and tweaking the lines for 1 game is not going to send a message to your team. The Okposo scratch wasnt even logical. I agree he needed to be scratched, but not for 3 games. I believe Kyle would have gotten the message pretty quickly. By leaving him out of the lineup for that long we are just sacrificing more pts in the standings. Why does Brian Rolston continue to get minutes and PP time? He’s not even an NHL caliber player anymore. Jack Capuano is absolutely clueless and like I’ve said before….this team is going nowhere with him behind the bench.
by LaFontaine16 on Nov 24, 2011 1:26 PM EST up reply actions
100% on the coach???
You dont think players should be accountable for their own performances?
I really disagree with your assessment here- and, honestly, your proclamations of exactly what is and isnt going on despite you haveing no idea what really is and isnt going on.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Nov 24, 2011 1:30 PM EST up reply actions
Ok, So Capuano takes no blame........
We’re watching a team in which a huge majority of Islander fans expected them to be in the playoff hunt til the end of the season or possibly even make the playoffs. So we thought this team was good enough for that. The majority of the games have been uninspiring and painful to watch. Isnt it the coach’s job to get his players to buy into his system and get the most out of his players every night? Has Jack Capuano done that for even 1 game yet this season? NO
So either Islander fans really misjudged the team and we must have close to 16 really bad hockey players with no heart or the coach is not getting through to his players. I am not implying that the players should get off the hook with no blame, but if Cappy cant find the pulse on his team then what is he good for? What is a coach’s responsibility then? What has he done to fix this problem? Listen to all of the Islanders from the glory days and they’ll all tell you a great Al Arbour story. Even the 92-93 team pointed to Al for their success. Steve Yzerman said Scotty Bowman was the type of coach you hated all season until you had that cup in your hands. Players dont just come to the rink with everything figured out, ready to compete every night. Its the coach who gets his team inspired and to believe in themselves and in what they are doing. Its the coach who is looked at when a team overachieves or underachieves. Its the coach who helps forge a teams identity. So what is our identity? A fragile team who doesnt compete and isnt going to win games on talent alone? Are we a hard forechecking team, a team who likes to sit back, do we like to drive the net or do we like to play the perimeter? What are we? Jack Capuano is here because people feel he “overachieved” with the team he had in a short time span last year, but did Capuano turn that around or did the players finally say enough is enough. Everyone points to how “great” Cappy did with the team last year and he “deserved” the job. Capuano coached the team to 26 wins and 39 losses. I dont think he deserved anything. If people feel that the coach is not the problem here then i guess you should have a lot more concerns than i do right now. And please spare me on the Arbour and Bowman comments. They were used as examples of what a coach is supposed to do.
To TheMetalchick: Just to clear something up real quick. I absolutely feel players should be held accountable for their performance. Who is supposed to hold them accountable? The coach. So who has he really held accountable so far? The whole team has been a problem, not just Blake Comeau and Kyle Okposo (who sat for 3! games, Matt Martin who has outperformed everyone outside of Tavares could have been moved to a better line to send a message to others…. I’ve never heard more…“we didtn get the bounces”, “we got our chances and the puck wouldnt go in”, “we played well enough to win”, “the guys battled”. NO THEY DIDNT. The team wouldnt be 5-14 if this were true. Watch him in post game interviews, its pathetic. He was smiling coming into the post game after they blew a 3-1 lead and lost in OT to give the team its 7th loss in the past 8 games.
by LaFontaine16 on Nov 24, 2011 8:29 PM EST up reply actions
Players Should Be Accountable to Other Players, Too
Yes, the coach has to hold players accountable for their performance, but other players have to do that too in the room and on the ice. My guess is that’s not happening either.
Bobby Nystrom always talks about how the Islanders players of the late 70s weeded out guys who didn’t work hard by knocking them around in practice. They got the message. And management was savvy enough to move them when they didn’t.
by rmblifn on Nov 24, 2011 9:50 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
it was the coach last year and this year?
when does it end?
time for the players to start staring at the mirror
Players don’t give 100% is the players fault. A coach can put them in the position to win but the effort has to come from the players. Enough with the new coach BS. The mentality of being a loser permeates in the locker room.
The Rolston question, I have no idea
Wouldn’t be suprised if that came from upstairs>
All these early goals
Losing Blake is not going to make or break us, though I think he’s an underrated penalty killer. Cutting him might send just the right message, and I for one am glad the message has been sent that this season is not over. Also, everyone is assuming BC gets claimed. I’m not so sure. Haven’t seen anyone ask the question: Why was this done on Thanksgiving Day? I know it’s not like you can sneak these things under the radar in the age of Twitter, etc., but the timing is curious and tells me that maybe Snow is hoping tryptophan-drugged GMs sleep through the holiday and let Blake slip through waivers. Then, we sort of win on all fronts. It’s not a bad gamble anyway.
When it comes to Cappy, I have a very big beef, though. I think coaching is overrated in most sports, but I do believe coaches can impact starts and finishes — and when a team consistently gets off to bad starts, I do blame the coach. Arbour used to talk about the importance of early and late period goals, and really focused attention on that. The number of very early goals this team gives up is a CRIME. Particularly because their confidence is so fragile. Playing from behind all the time makes this team look worse than it is, I think. And despite the blown leads, this team plays markedly better when the game is tied or they are ahead. Cappy, or someone, needs to fix that pronto. Tell them to play a trap for the first 10 minutes of every game, whatever it takes, just get them ready and stop giving up early goals. It’s a sign of bad coaching, I believe.
It'd be funny/telling if...
BC screams it at the top of his lungs that he just got put on waivers. Twitter, FB, calling every GM personally. If I was in his situation, I would. Who the hell wants to go play for BP, let alone possibly come back and play for the Isles again. Sneak ME through the waiver wire? Yeaaa rightt, …Too bad that probably won’t happen and he probably WILL goto BP.
by Wes Scarborough on Nov 24, 2011 4:46 PM EST up reply actions
Love the couch QB-ing
We should just hire you it sounds like.
I guess
the debate would be if Comeau is supposed to be a playmaker or more of a sniper/goal scorer.
With Comeau I lean towards the later, he’s not really supposed to make those plays, he’s supposed to get himself in a position to score. Which he hasn’t been able to do either. Not making excuses, just saying that it was never his role to open up the ice like JT does.
"Matty Mo thinks it's different. He must be extra high today." BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Moulson's response to Isles black jerseys.
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
I have a hard time believing that his role was not defined for him by the coaching staff
I also believe he didn’t want to play the role offered/given to him
your missing my point
There are things Comeau can do, things he can not do. I don’t believe the coaching staff would be asking him to do things he couldn’t do or didn’t have the tools to do. He just couldn’t get anything done this season.
"Matty Mo thinks it's different. He must be extra high today." BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Moulson's response to Isles black jerseys.
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
understood
your last sentence explains why he was let go
If they needed a lamb to be sacrificed to show the rest that the current effort will not be tolerated then hopefully the point is taken
Why does it read like an excuse? It's a fact.
Hockey is a game of context, one that demands a bit more digging than looking at a G-A-P stat sheet.
I’ve updated the post above with more details, but Comeau scored last year in roles he does not have right now. That’s a fact. How he got there is a matter for investigation.
Every player scores more when given better offensive zone starts, and PP time — but his fewer offensive opportunities are the reality of his season. Whatever reasons there are for that, in this sport, it’s a disservice to the curious to just say “he has no goals” and stop there. Ice time is a reflection of health and a coach’s belief and purpose for you, but it is still an important factor in understanding production.
Add to it that Comeau is a rights-controlled and theoretically not-declining player at age 25, while two survivors are vets in their mid-30s, and you have more context for just what a big decision this is by the team.
For regular readers here as well as readers who don’t follow the Isles, I intend to paint the picture of how this happened and possible reasons for why. If I’m writing an opinion piece, that’s one thing; otherwise, I’m going to try to provide people data and data sources to form their own conclusions and — and this is the purpose of this site — to intelligently discuss them here.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
by Dominik on Nov 24, 2011 1:52 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
For regular readers here as well as readers who don’t follow the Isles, I intend to paint the picture of how this happened and possible reasons for why. If I’m writing an opinion piece, that’s one thing; otherwise, I’m going to try to provide people data
If I needed a lecture, I would have called my old history teacher Br Francis
Sorry
But anyone who comes to this site (not just you) might as well see, in plain letters, what the purpose is here.
Rather than assume if I don’t lay out only one side that I’m making excuses for a player I honestly have little affinity for.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
by Dominik on Nov 24, 2011 2:15 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
You too ;)
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
Ey, I agree if that means anything
I’ve seen you say it before, and I think we can all agree: Blake Comeau is an enigma, a guy who sporadically shows glimpses of greatness, and a guy who we all want to see break out, but just hasn’t really done it. He’s the perfect scapegoat in a crew of subperfomers, but he hasn’t really played that much worse than most of his teammates. Another point is that he’s barely been given a fair chance this season, at least equal to his teammate counterparts which I think is a fair statement. I think a lot of this has to do with his past performances, even before last year.
by Wes Scarborough on Nov 24, 2011 4:55 PM EST up reply actions
+1 - To Me, This is a Management Failure
I don’t care how bad Comeau is playing right now, to waive a 25 year old player coming off a 24 goal season while you have two fossils on your roster at LW (Pandolfo and Rolston) who the Devils dropped (funny how they’re higher in the standings, huh?) is management failure. Comeau may have needed to go (I agree with that) but it’s poor timing and asset management.
My suspicion is Blake’s been pouting because he didn’t get the contract he wanted and then lost playing time to washed up vets on their last legs. The coach or GM needed to do better managing that situation.
If I had to guess, Comeau’s going to be another Campoli type who might show flashes on some other team but bounce around because he has significant warts in his game. I can’t imagine he will clear. The money’s not cheap but it’s liveable especially since it’s a 1-year deal that’s up end of season.
Campoli's an interesting parallel
And I too wonder about behind the scenes stuff, or if maybe the management perceives his struggles as behind the scenes moping.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
IDK- I think if the Isles had traded a guy who had just scored 24 goals for a late pick, the same people who are angry now would have been angry then.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Nov 24, 2011 10:32 PM EST up reply actions
Why someone would take him:
On his career he has 25 games played in November and a total of 4 points, 1 goal and 3 assists.
The only other month he’s worse would be Feb, with 42 games played and 15 points, 6 g and 9 a.
So your gambling that this is his normal November funk.
http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/c/comeabl01/splits/
"Matty Mo thinks it's different. He must be extra high today." BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Moulson's response to Isles black jerseys.
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
I don't like this
but mostly because I wanted all the kids to work out, here.
Hoping that Haley comes around more than once every 75 years.
and if the Isles are going to lose him
it would have been nice to at least get a pick or something
Hoping that Haley comes around more than once every 75 years.
I’m not convinced that any of the Bridgeport guys or Nino are necessarily a much better option at this specific moment, though. In the time it takes one of them to get going at the NHL level, maybe Comeau would have figured things out?
Hoping that Haley comes around more than once every 75 years.
by ilopan on Nov 24, 2011 1:21 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
That's what worries me
1) No telling that Nino or BPT guys are better right now, like you said
2) It doesn’t seem like they’ve even tried to mold or adapt Comeau into the Pandolfo/checker mold.
Granted, paying a 4th-liner $2.5M plus whatever raise he gets this summer isn’t ideal.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
I'm indifferent to the move.
Time will tell if it works out. On one side, we gave him lots of chances to get it together, and he’s always been incredibly frustrating and enigmatic. This might send the right message and it could work out, and Como might be just what he is….inconsistent. On the other side, he wasn’t given some of the PP/PK chances he’s had in the past as Dom as mentioned, and he is 25 coming off a 24 goal season. It would have been nice to get a late-rounder for him at least. Again, i’m mostly indifferent. Overall, I like the shake-ups taking place. I really would like the team to send a message to the league though, b/c it seems to me that we get no respect from officials.
Apparently they tried and received no offers
His $2.5M might be too much for contending teams to swallow + an asset trade just for a guy they’d use as a 3rd-line project.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
I thought we could have gotten something for him. Anything. Even a later pick may have helped.
Or taking on an “expiring contract” that could have helped. Or swapping promising player struggling for promising player struggling. This seems like the worst case scenario.
What do you mean they won 4 cups in a row? Is that possible?
Either
1) Teams could tell the Isles are fed up with him
2) Teams were scared off by $2.5M for an enigma
3) Teams didn’t want him at any price other than “free.”
If he is somehow not claimed, we’ll get a jarring read on what other teams think of him. (But I suspect he’d be claimed. I just haven’t looked at what teams might need him.)
If the Blues claim him I’ll be spending Friday swimming the Mississippi.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
Obviously not.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Nov 24, 2011 2:05 PM EST up reply actions
I feel bad for the kid...
but he has been real bad, and it’s clear that he is not going to be part of the future here. Too much talent knocking on the door. I wish Garth could have gotten something for him in return. I think it speaks volumes that he couldn’t.
No reason he should be singled out.....
I would much have a lineup with Blake Comeau in it over Brian Rolston. Blake Comeau is a 3rd line player playing on a team where almost EVERYONE is underperforming. Is it possible to put a coach on waivers?
If anything, this is completely on Garth.
What do you mean they won 4 cups in a row? Is that possible?
No it's not. It's not on Garth. Before the season, we loved the talent he assembled.
People need to stop blaming anyone but the players. This is the PLAYERS FAULT.
Let me rephrase. "If Comeau scores 20goals this year or next year, this is all Garth's fault".
What do you mean they won 4 cups in a row? Is that possible?
If comeau becomes a productive nhler/goalscorer now post-isles. It's garth's fault for giving up on him and letting him walk for free when we had his rights for another 2yrs and had no logical reason to move him.
I think that should clear it up. lol
What do you mean they won 4 cups in a row? Is that possible?
It could be
But it could also be Garth trying to do what’s best for the team right now, and right now the guy has 0 points and literally nothing doing. I’m pretty sure he sat the whole third period last night against the Flyers, and if he was out there, it shows you how much he was helping: not at all. For whatever reason, he was playing like shit and didn’t stop playing like shit, and with his salary he’s nowhere near worth 0 points in 20 games (quite frankly, very few forwards are).
by sayvillelax94 on Nov 24, 2011 10:34 PM EST up reply actions
really?
When do we start blaming the players. Why is this on Garth? Because he banked on our returning dmen to be better? It’s the players fault for tuning out another coach. You can’t blame Garth for having the team not play a full game.
by billymac23 on Nov 24, 2011 2:30 PM EST via iPhone app up reply actions
bad move
Not a fan of Comeau at all, certainly not of his recent play. I think I’ve been tougher on him than anybody else on the roster this season, but this is really not the right move. It doesn’t make the team any better at this point.
And, I’m not someone at all who suspects political decisions everywhere, but what was that last night? Did they just want him to have another bad night in order to get a little support for what’s followed now, or why did they play him on RW with Pandolfo and Haley while Reasoner and Nino were scratched? (No idea of course if both might have been banged up a little and needed a rest – doubt it, though).
by BenHasna on Nov 24, 2011 1:23 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Agreed. What did they expect him to do with Haley and Pandolfo? We would have been lucky to see him have a shot on goal or 2 with those linemates and that role.
What do you mean they won 4 cups in a row? Is that possible?
Agreed. What did they expect him to do with Haley and Pandolfo? We would have been lucky to see him have a shot on goal or 2 with those linemates and that role.
You really think this is all about last night with Haley and Pandolfo?
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Nov 24, 2011 1:49 PM EST up reply actions
I think Comeau has gotten the crap end of the stick for any other player on the roster right now that's been struggling.
Okposo has played mostly with good linemates(even though he was scratched).
Rolston was bumped to the 2nd line for his struggles.
Comeau was scratched twice, thrown on a line with bailey/rolston and then lost-okposo/reasoner, and then the 4th line. How do you expect a goalscorer to score with no one to set him up? If Comeau was on either of the top 2 lines, I’d expect him to have scored at least 2goals by now, possibly more.
What do you mean they won 4 cups in a row? Is that possible?
The way he has been playing, this team would have been nuts to put him on the top lines.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Nov 24, 2011 1:56 PM EST up reply actions
Question, would you have rathered Rolston on the 2nd line like they did when they changed the lines?
Because I would have much rathered Comeau there, a guy who scored more then 14goals last year and didn’t score those goals on a line centered by Elias.
What do you mean they won 4 cups in a row? Is that possible?
Rolston is a stopgap player with which Im not concerned. IMO he will be gone soon enough.
Im talking about Comeau.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Nov 24, 2011 2:05 PM EST up reply actions
But we are talking about Rolston being promoted for struggling and comeau being demoted for it.
Did you think that was right? Because this pretty much coincides with part of his struggling.
What do you mean they won 4 cups in a row? Is that possible?
Both were playing like crap, so that's not really a magic bullet
When players play like crap, you still have to figure out what mix might work. You can’t just say, “all eight of you to the fourth line!”
Some will look “demoted” and some will look “promoted.” Naturally Rolston popped in a few afterward so it looks good on him.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
the real point here is
we aren’t that far away from beiing competitive, but the bottom performers are holding us back
those have been, in no particular order
1) Comeau – ZERO points, terrible defensively
2) Mottau – hence his benching and decreasing use except for injuries – look for him to become the 23rd man and play very little from now on
3) Rick DiPietro – only played last night due to injuries to Nabokov & Montoya – watch for Rick to play very little after last night’s dreadful performance
4) Reasoner – hasn’t been that good – would suspect he’s the odd man out for now
5) Rolston – may be on the verge of being cutif he keeps it up – suspect Rolston, Reasoner & Mottau to be scratched next game – and for us to call up Ness to replace Comeau once he clears waivers
Bailey & Okposo are starting to show more, which is great
If we have all hands on deck contributing and fewer weak links, we can be competitive – we aren’t that good to have holes like we have been tolerating – great to see this tolerance come to an end
The top lines
aren’t scoring either, and that’s much more their job than the bottom ones.
Don't make me bring out the Silky.
by afrosupreme on Nov 24, 2011 2:50 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
No, but it's curious that that was his (possibly) last game
Like if he’s the waivable guy, why did you scratch two others instead of him last night?
And if you think he should be a fourth-line type, why did you give him a token spot there, in what, seven minutes or so last night?
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
trying to showcase him to see if anyone takes the bait or just giving him a last chance to get going
You wouldn't believe how good the Corsi is for my NHL 12 Be A Pro player.
Right but
He skated 6:45 last night.
I mean damn, is that Capuano’s message to Snow that “I can’t use this guy” or what the hell was it?
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
exactly
And, as mentioned, he played him on RW moreover. I’m not sure Comeau’s played a single good game on RW in this league. He certainly hasn’t done it this season and it was pretty obvious him drifting over to the left and just not doing his job when used on RW early in the season was what upset Capuano most and led to the early scratch.
…and now in a game they “need to win”, with options in the pressbox (assuming they were healthy indeed), he goes back to Comeau on RW and puts him Pandolfo, who’d never played center, and Haley. How curious is that?
Does that make you wonder about Capuano more, or Snow? Or both?
The line between the two is too blurry for me to grasp what’s going on there. I assume if Snow is willing to waive Comeau then he’s hardly a believer, but I just wonder which levers are Capuano and/or Snow making a consolation for his coach.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
heh, no idea
Both mabye, I don’t know.
I feel I can’t read Garth very well at the moment. I guess we’ll hear from him later today or so. I still remember the day Nate Thompson was waived and Garth said: “This doesn’t mean he won’t get another chance up with us, etc.”. Well, that didn’t quite work out. It’s a totally different kind of asset he’s dealing with here of course, but still, I’ll be interested to hear if he’ll say something similar or what. And would love to know how he estimates the chances of getting Blake through – today and of course possibly through re-entry waivers.
And Capuano’s role, well, I’ll never buy he played Comeau there last night because he thought that would give them the best chance to win. That’s impossible, I’m sure he knew Comeau would struggle there. So, why did he do it? Just to show Garth that he can’t use Comeau anymore? I’d say normally when the coach and the GM are on the same page such curious stuff wouldn’t be necessary… And actually, I thought Capuano and Snow would be on the same page. So, are they not? Or is it something different?
Heh
Indeed, these questions. I have no idea. And Snow is so tight-lipped I don’t know if even three beat reporters hounding the team daily would be able to figure it out.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
btw
The other thing I wonder about that line combination of Haley-Pandolfo-Comeau is the fact that Haley seemingly can’t play RW, either. I mean we obviously don’t know why Capuano chose this particular combination and maybe there were those other reasons, but again, maximizing his chances I’m sure he’d have preferred Comeau on the left.
So, Haley on LW. Ullstrom seems to be all about LW at this point, too. Rolston the same. Pandolfo, too, unless they scratch a center. Grabner and Moulson anyway. That’s six LW.
Going forward, I really doubt it’s a good setup to carry the forwards they have on the roster right now.
And going back to last night again. Why do you scratch a center and a RW, but play 7 LW at the same time?
Agree
If you can find a spot for Brian Rolston in the top 6, then there is a place for Comeau in the top 6. It’s literally that simple.
It’s also troubling that this puts us right up against the floor once again. Nino is obviously here for the season, but a little breathing room would have been useful.
Don't make me bring out the Silky.
Moulson and PA
Moulson and PA have to come off the top line,there is a reason they were career Ahlers, they would be on the 3rd line if they were lucky on a talented team, they get somewhat good stas because of the pp and 1st line time they get and play with JT. Put them with Bailey who plays a similar game to JT to a lesser extent and get him going. I know Moulson has “chemistry” with JT, but Moulson can play with anyone and chip in goals, I like them both and think they have played well but we need to see Okposo and Nino on the 1st line as the possible future,
the possible future lines
Okposo-JT-Nino
Kabanov-Strome-Petrov
Lee-Nelson-Grabner/Dibo
Cizakis-Ulstrom-Martin/Haley/
got to find a spot for Bailey or maybe a trade
Hamnoic-Dehaan
Mayfield-Macdonald
Ness-Pedan/Russo/Donovan
Poulin
Nilsson
This is an…interesting comment.
Stainer of mountaintops.
by Chairman Meow on Nov 24, 2011 1:37 PM EST up reply actions
line numbers
don’t really matter – look around the rest of the league, there is quite a lack of depth on most teams
if we have 4 lines all contributing, without Comeau-like holes, placed correctly against opposition, this isn’t an issue
I'd like to see KO on the top line too.
This guy is too important to not get going. It was one game, but he was great the last game.
by NewIsles on Nov 25, 2011 9:53 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
WTF?!?!
I dont’ like this move at all…He will be picked up… Isn’t he worth something to someone???If I was a GM of a team I’d take a chance in Comeau. I hope this isnt a waste of an asset…
He has no value. I'm sure he would have been traded if he did.
This isn’t a great move on paper considering that Rolston has been far worse. However, its a message sender to the rest of the young guys (ie Bailey) that its time to step up because their place is no longer guaranteed. Someone needed to go in order to make room for Nino or other guys that could potentially do better on the team. Who knows, maybe snow is preparing to trade a pick for an impact player of sorts. It may be a long shot, but clearing comeau’s spot means that some shuffling will be done soon.
Someone needed to be sacrificed so the team could progress. Otherwise it would have required keeping the team intact and losing. That sure won’t solve the problem. So just move the guy whos helping the least, in this case comeau.
Why for free? Would we really rather Pandolfo on our 4th line then Comeau?
This doesn’t make sense. He’s our 2nd most physical/hitting “player” this year, he was our “4th” highest goalscorer this year, and he had 1 more year of RFA. Why? He isn’t making it to bridge, if that was garth’s idea then he’s “an idiot” for lack of a better term. They should have threw him on the 4th line and let him work his way back up, there are “a lot” of 4th liners in the nhl that are worse then comeau. Pandolfo is the clearest example there. He even had crappy linemates most of this season for “some” explanation of his drought.
I wouldn’t be surprised one bit if another team picks him up and he scores 20goals for them this year and ongoing for another few years. Stupid stupid move. We really could have used his offense and other intangibles. Theoretically he hasn’t even hit his prime yet. Stupid stupid move.
What do you mean they won 4 cups in a row? Is that possible?
I know, WTF JUST HAPPENED!?!/!
Its the same old bullshit…The same old Islanders…
by KO21 on Nov 24, 2011 1:45 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I hate to say it, but aside from trading away the occassional players, Garth is starting to look like Milbury a little.
He just gave up on a young 2X full-season simulated 20goal scorers, whom he had his rights for another year.
He let bergenheim go for free “last year” too when we could have kept him cheap, we replaced him with schremp(lol).
He traded down for bailey, and that turned out crap(aside from Hamonic turning out well).
He traded up for DeHaan and that’s looked like crap so far with his fragility and ohl numbers.
He let hillen walk for free, when we could have kept him another 2yrs cheaply.
And he’s filled out the roster with overpaid and over the hill nhl players or mediocre middle aged nhlers like Milbury did for most of his time here.
WTF has garth been doing different from milbury other then playing a few more youngsters in his nhl lineup?
What do you mean they won 4 cups in a row? Is that possible?
He is siging guys he thinks are the core...I think youre going over board here...
We’re just pissed off…Letting Bergy and Comeau go isnt like letting Chara and Bertuzzi go…Garth is signing the guys he feels are gonna be part of the long term solution…Far from what Milbury would do…
He didn't give up Zdeno Chara and Roberto Luongo. He gave up Jack Hillen and Sean Bergenheim lol stop comparing him to Milbury. Not even close.
by Metzfan22 on Nov 24, 2011 2:05 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Seriously
I have to say I am surprised of how angry this move has made some people. He has been the WORST Islander this year. Zero points. ZERO !!! in 18 or whatever games. Do you people understand this number….ZERO? He’s been irresponsibly defensively. His biggest hit this year has been barreling an opposing player into his own goalie. No passion….no energy….zilch! I’m sure everyone out there is disapppointed we couldn’t get a 7th rounder for him, but that’s the best we could have gotten.
Ullstrom has worked his tail off. I’d rather have him playing regularly than Comeau in a heart beat NOW. Never mind trying to develop Ullstrom for the future.
But for all you Comeau lovers, have no fear, he’ll be in Bridgeport soon enough.
misplaced anger?
I’m not angry, but I am disappointed. We knew really early that BC was the the doghouse, and I guess we expected that Snow would look to at league gauge his value then. I am surmising that Snow overvalued him and now we get nothing for a player Capuano obviously never really liked. I’m disappointed that the maximum trade effort was made, and I’m sure if an effort was made early, we’d have at least gotten a decent mid-level or conditional pick at tha time.
Oh well. At least it’s a message to Bailey, who has started looking a little better. (I’d give him some second-line work to see if he can do it. There’s no real risk at this point in seeing what he can do. If he can’t he can be a solid 4th line center.)
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
All well said Ozzy
One other comment, – Snow had he obtained a Brooks Laich type forward + a top pair D who could clear the crease and carry the puck out of the defensive zone and obtained another goalie knowing that Poulin, Montoya, and DP were all coming off injuries, might have a team now where the Bailey’s. KO, and yes BC might have played better.Yes Snow is to blame for our current difficulties. The young cavalry he has assembled to come to the rescue is still 2 to 3 years away and by then it may be too late for us hoping for a team on the Island.
There have been some troubling trends
but at the same time, they’ve mostly involved marginal players.
I’m not ready to kill him on the draft at all. Not drafting Schenn may have been a mistake, but I think I’d take Hamonic over him anyway.
De Haan’s OHL numbers were pretty good, fwiw.
Don't make me bring out the Silky.
Kulikov's NHL numbers aren't too bad either considering he plays for Florida.
you know, the guy Snow passed up to take DeHaan after trading up. More cost containment by management.
"This team is a serious misallocation of various hockey resources"- Saving Private Tavares
by FireGarthSnow on Nov 24, 2011 4:33 PM EST up reply actions
Just chill. You seem to like Como but not Bailey.
We can always second guess the GM.
by NewIsles on Nov 25, 2011 9:55 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
PS-How is our cap situation now? Comeau was making $2.5mil, and when eaton comes back and we have to send a forward down I think we are gonna be mighty close to the salary floor minimum.
What do you mean they won 4 cups in a row? Is that possible?
Perfect!
Thats the main goal for this organization, isn’t it?
I would speculate, yes....
Even if hes not worth much you put him on the 4th line as u said..Or u scratch him until u get something for him…But i think this is something personal for some reason…BC has been used as the goat or years. They dont seem to respect him…
by KO21 on Nov 24, 2011 2:07 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
It certainly looked like that. He did the most with the worst scenarios over the past couple years here.
What do you mean they won 4 cups in a row? Is that possible?
I think things get too personal in Wangs World.
Its nit about business all the time…Its a popularity thing
Not to be that guy
But I wouldn’t consider 0 points thus far as the “most with the worst scenarios.”
by sayvillelax94 on Nov 24, 2011 11:06 PM EST up reply actions
We could call up Wishart or DeHaan
"Matty Mo thinks it's different. He must be extra high today." BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Moulson's response to Isles black jerseys.
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
And to do this too someone on Thanksgiving...
I guess Wang didnt consider him part of the family. How classless if u think about it
Well it ain't Thanksgiving where he's from ;)
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
On the bright side
hopefully Montoya gets a start this weekend
Hoping that Haley comes around more than once every 75 years.
Hopefully this afternoon
I’d like to see Montoya in net when I go to the game this afternoon.
by Dougtone on Nov 25, 2011 6:47 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
It wasnt that crazy of a move...
No matter what ice time you earn/get in a game, you need to play all-out, smart hockey. BC wasnt delivering. 0-0-0 says enough.
Or "smaht" hockey, as it were
It’s not crazy in terms of immediate performance and in a vacuum; but it’s pretty risky in terms of long-term asset management.
And even for the near term: Outright waive him rather than scratch as you evaluate whether Nino and Ullstrom are really better options (to say nothing of the ex-Devs)?
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
I dnt get JP on the roster
But something must be up with the relationship between BC- Cappy/Wang/Snow.
also, why did they waive him at all today?
It’s not like they need the roster spot. Or do they bring up a defender?
Blake Comeau
Just curious about the recall rules concerning Comeau. When NHLers are recalled from the AHL can the team that puts a claim in not get them for half of their salary?
If Comeau is not somehow exempt from this rule he has definitely played his last game as a New York Islander.
There is no way they will let another team get him for half price.And there is no chance of him being resigned next year regardless of how the rest of this season plays out.
Looks like yes
He’s on a one-way deal, which means his NHL salary of $2.5M is the same in the AHL, which means at above $105,000 AHL salary he should require re-entry waivers.
(I’m spelling out my thinking here in part so anyone who knows better can point out where I’m wrong, because I’m in holiday “don’t think about CBA” mode.)
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
Dom Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks for keeping us up to date when you should be carving up the Bird and not encouraging us to carve up MGMT!
You too
Cheers!
I logged on after a fun night (after the game) last night and told Mrs. Lighthouse, “Yeah, I just need to do a few odds and ends and we’ll be good to go.”
Right.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
by Dominik on Nov 24, 2011 2:56 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
everyone knows i am no big BC fan
But this is a pretty stupid move. This organization is a joke.
=d
by AP77 on Nov 24, 2011 2:51 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Everything the Isles do is stupid.
Stainer of mountaintops.
by Chairman Meow on Nov 24, 2011 4:30 PM EST up reply actions
Stupid like a fox
There’s really not much defense for a move like this when guys named Pandolfo and Rolston are still on the roster.
Don't make me bring out the Silky.
Salary floor?
Stainer of mountaintops.
by Chairman Meow on Nov 24, 2011 7:36 PM EST up reply actions
We have no idea if any other moves involving pando and Rolston are in the works. Though I assume those two are safe for now.
Can one be an atheist toward a hockey team? That means I have NO faith anymore.
by Turgeon1992 on Nov 24, 2011 8:04 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Comeau will be picked up . Just becase Cappy hasnt got a clue, about how to motivate him, dosent mean, some other more experienced coach wont be able to put him in a position for 30 goals next season. This is horrible news. Remember this was said.
So you would seriously rather have him in the lineup the way he is playing right now?
How much longer can we put up with players that simply aren’t working out or have consistency issues? He’s not a rookie anymore to blame for his constant disappearances for games at a time. He’ll score a couple goals in a game and then be invisible for weeks on end. For the same price the Isles could have gotten a solid free agent with a more rounded game. Maybe a Kris Versteeg for a little more money. All I’m saying is, for every Todd Bertuzzi we let go, theres a ton more Robert Nilssons.
by MineolaIsles on Nov 24, 2011 4:07 PM EST up reply actions
some other more experienced coach wont be able to put him in a position for 30 goals next season
You do realize both his best pro seasons were with Cappy as coach?
If he has 30 goals next season, I’ll eat my hat.
"Matty Mo thinks it's different. He must be extra high today." BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Moulson's response to Isles black jerseys.
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
by Mark D on Nov 24, 2011 4:08 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
How much is Cappy supposed to do?
Yeah, he’s gotta motivate his players, but the players have to be able to motivate themselves as well.
by sayvillelax94 on Nov 24, 2011 11:09 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I remember reading that about Bergie
How the Isles were making such a big mistake and he was going to have a breakout season.
Then he had the exact same season he always had as an Islander (never hitting 30 points in a season, way more PIM than PTS.)
And then, despite a great playoff, they got rid of him too!
And now he is on yet another team- and he has 2 points in 14GP.
But none of the fans who went on about what a horrible idea it was and how unbelievably stupid Snow is for not keeping him ever seems to step up and go- “hmph, well how about that, I thought he would be so great in another organization and he’s not, I was wrong. Maybe Snow had a point.” Instead they just ignore it. Poof! Never happened, never said those things, still know exactly what should and shouldnt be done! But they sure wouldnt be ignoring it if they were actually right.
And now we are hearing the same kinds of things about Comeau. And once again, there are people who swear they know he is so stupid for doing this.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Nov 24, 2011 11:22 PM EST up reply actions 6 recs
Good point about Bergie. He has yet to have a 30 point season but Comeau has done it twice and has a 44pt season
under his belt and I think you’re right that Comeau is not going to blossom into a 30 goal scorer but I fully expect him to return to his .5pt/gm scoring pace under any decent conditions and playing time.
Yes, but I'd rather have Bergenheim back...
…unless Comeau’s defensive consistency improves, which very possibly will not.
"The reader of this sentence exists only while reading me."
by North Dakota Red Eagle on Nov 25, 2011 9:53 AM EST up reply actions
For those interested
Comeau’s Draft Year Scouting report:
two-way forward with some playmaking potential. Strong skater with good balance. His decisions with the puck are smart – he rarely turns the puck over. Shot blocker. Good lead forechecker. Protects the puck well. Offensive production dropped after the Prospect’s game but scores "big" goals. Abrasive player won’t ever be an NHL scoring star, but you win with character players like him in the lineup. His weaknesses are, questionable hockey sense, vision and hands. Showed improvement throughout the season and played relatively well in the playoffs, including the Memorial Cup. Plays a very intelligent defensive game. He is a consummate checking winger who projects to be a third line player at the pro level – a valuable defensive commodity who can chip in offensively. He competes hard every shift and finishes his checks on a regular basis. He is a solid, consistent player, scouts feel comfortable when assessing his value because they know what they are getting – a very dependable, responsible player with leadership qualities.
"Matty Mo thinks it's different. He must be extra high today." BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Moulson's response to Isles black jerseys.
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
what happend to the consistency and dependability?
by MineolaIsles on Nov 24, 2011 4:14 PM EST up reply actions
he's been dependably consistent
ZERO points – couldn’t be more consistent
by Cary K on Nov 24, 2011 5:27 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
I can't argue with 0 points. But I will say that it is only 16 games and 13:04 per game. There are much bigger and more
statistically meaningful samples of his play to look at and by that I refer to the last 2 years. Last year in 77 games and 18:41 per game he had 24 goals and 46points and the year before in 61 games and 15:25 per game he had 18 goals and 35 points. The 0 goals looks like the fluke here.
An interesting read
But ultimately its probably about as useful as scanning through your 7th grade report card to know how youre doing in graduate school. It gives you a very vague idea, but thats it.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Nov 24, 2011 10:34 PM EST up reply actions
I see misuse of player personell. Despite of the consensus this is an extremely talented team. Comeau started to evolve past his projected prospect & scouting status and is now capale of 25-30 golas 50 points in a two way assignment. Just look at JTs frustrating current slump and its obvious to see somethings very wrong in the dressing room and behind the bench. Jt has just 10 shots and 0 points in 3 straight games.
3 games is a slump?
Talk to me after 6 or 7
by sayvillelax94 on Nov 24, 2011 11:12 PM EST up reply actions
And we keep Rolston???? Not happy with this move
He’s been one of the few players willing to hit somebody on this team. Maybe with Haley up, it’s why they waived him. Snow should just get a bunch of cheap Euros and dress them, then they can pretend to be the Red Wings, just with less talent.
What the fuck happened to the Isles I used to know? Where's the spirit? Where's the guts, huh?
So according to this logic, we should also waive AMac since Diepietro has 2 points and Amc only has one
After that we can convert DP to a defenseman. And all I ever hear on here is how points is not the only yardstick to judge a player by.
"This team is a serious misallocation of various hockey resources"- Saving Private Tavares
by FireGarthSnow on Nov 25, 2011 12:40 AM EST up reply actions
Even with zero points
Comeau has been defensively aware and has shots on net. Much rather of seen Rolston wavied as his cap still counts when hes in Bridgeport. Rolston on effective when his slapshot is on net, which is pretty rare itself. I have no idea what Garth and Cappy see in him.
Constantly building for the future.
Not defending Rolston
But I’m really perplexed at the number of people defending Comeau. You guys have been watching games this season, and not last season, right?
by JPinNYC on Nov 24, 2011 5:52 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Right
and judging a player by 20 games as opposed to his career is a smart move. You’re onto something there.
Don't make me bring out the Silky.
and what an "illustrious" career he's had
I’m sure he’s preparing his Hall of Fame induction speech right now.
He’s on pace for zero points and minus 44 for the season.
How much longer do you want us to suck?
I'm just saying
He has at least been hitting and playing some defense. He’s been given a smaller role this year while Rolston is supposed to produce and can’t hit the net. Why not try giving Comeau some of Rolstons time or just waiveing Rolston? I don’t think one of our young player should be the first to be wavied in this situation.
Constantly building for the future.
Dude, players in all sports have slumps. You don't give up on a proven .280 hitter because he's batting .200 in early May and you
don’t give up on a .5pt/game player after a 16 game stretch. Small sample sizes can be very misleading and anyone who makes decisions based on a small sample when a much larger sample is available (the last 2 seasons) is an idiot.
Except this wasn't a slump
This was a guy who was completely lifeless on the ice the entire season. I think people are severely overvaluing Comeau.
Im not sure why so many people seem to think that because Comeau was waived Rolston is sitting pretty.
There is no waive quota, you know? Whether Comeau was waived has nothing to really do with whether or not Rolston gets waived.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Nov 24, 2011 9:56 PM EST up reply actions
And Rolston's cap hit counts even if they DO waive him.
Therefore, even the cap floor would not be a concern. Thus, it’s even easier to cut him if they want to.
Yet another Moulson brother-in-law.
by ICanSeeForIslesAndIsles on Nov 24, 2011 10:54 PM EST up reply actions
I didn't say they should have both been waived
I’m saying I rather have seen Rolston wavied first. Why give up on a young talent who can stay with the team for years further and continue to help while playing an old man past him prime and giving him good minutes? It doesn’t make sense the rebuild is supposed to be about youth. Can someone tell me where the fucking youth is going?
Constantly building for the future.
Garth loves the youth
But he’s tried to rid himself so long of anyone from the Milbury era (besides Nielsen because of his skill and DP because unfortunately, he’s not going anywhere) and Comeau was the last one on his list. I don’t think he likes the decisions Milbury made as GM, and he wants nothing to do with them.
by sayvillelax94 on Nov 25, 2011 9:49 AM EST up reply actions
You make him sound like some mustachioed villain from an old silent film...
Official choice of Lighthouse Dog #1.
by Fabtraption on Nov 25, 2011 9:59 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Hey everyone – Happy Thanksgiving and looking forward to the back to back. Got a question about Comeau:
I know he’s been playing LW mostly this season. But is he capable of playing both wings? Also, what spot was his normally in last season?
In Lou We Trust: SBN Blog of the New Jersey Devils
by Matthew Ventolo on Nov 24, 2011 4:33 PM EST reply actions
LW?! BC plays Rover man!
In Biblical times, I stoned people to death. Now they are repaying me by hurling pucks at my head. - Goaltender Giles Gratton
What sense does it make?
The whole CBA, waiving, salary-floor business is much too complicated. Logically speaking, there shouldn’t be a reason to just let him go just because he started the season with a terrible slump. He should be benched for a couple of weeks, or sent to a psychologist or whatever. Nobody seems to have a good explanation for this. Do they just want him in Bridgeport and are sure that it will work out.? Why don’t they have a PR department that can explain things?
He's not doing his job,
so they’re replacing him. The conditions may not be ideal, but the concept makes perfect sense. I think we all knew Comeau’s days here were numbered…he just forced Garths hand sooner than we thought.
In Biblical times, I stoned people to death. Now they are repaying me by hurling pucks at my head. - Goaltender Giles Gratton
I didn't know his days were numbered. I thought he'd be here for a long time. But 0 points in 16gms will change things
regardless of what line you’re on.
I meant the majority of fans didnt view him with the core.
In Biblical times, I stoned people to death. Now they are repaying me by hurling pucks at my head. - Goaltender Giles Gratton
I'm tired of the "24 goal" line
to me it never seemed like he scored when it mattered, with the exception of a rangers game or two. He always either seemed to score when we were up by 3 goals or down by 4 with 6:00 left in the 3rd.
it was kinda like when the Mets had Strawberry – he’d hit a 3 run homer when they were up by 5, but only hit a home run with no one on in the 8th when they were fown big.
by nullzero00 on Nov 24, 2011 6:11 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Ahem....
So you would have waived daryll….?
This is a combination of
Comeau being a mm pick
Comeau being a Nolan guy(I realize that may not have been evident but I think Ted had a plan for him)
Comeau being disrespected in the off season;especially with ko contract
Comeau becoming despondent about being an islander
Comeau bad mouthing capuano
Comeau drowning his sorrows in moose head beer with buddy ko
Ko performing like crap and feeling guilty and down And pretty much getting his head completely messed up by Comeau and former teammates on the road
Comeau performing like crap
Snow desperately for the last month trying to move him
Snow realizing that he wasn’t getting a thing in return and having to get him out of locker room
At noon today blakie is waived
Purely speculative but I think it makes for a reasonable timeline. No coincidence that Comeau and ko (2non Garth picks) were the healthy scratches.
Either it really is the absolute worst place to be in the NHL or Comeau is really lacking in character…
I think it’s a combination of both….
"So you would have waived daryll….?"
the point i was making was that people use the stats to define the player, when the stats are misleading. The number doesn’t count, but the context does.
Strawberry was a 30 home run guy, but his home runs never seemed to come at a time when you needed them, much the same way that Comeau’s [over-reminded] 24 goals never seemed to come at important times.
Two points
1) Is it possible Isles are trying to shed some salary so that they can spend a little extra on an overpaid yet capable defensemen to be acquired in a trade? (I’m asking more than suggesting.)
2) It was only a few short months ago that a general discussion was: who should the Isles look to trade: Comeau or Parenteau? They were pretty much in the same boat less than 20 games ago.
"The reader of this sentence exists only while reading me."
by North Dakota Red Eagle on Nov 24, 2011 7:42 PM EST reply actions
Comeau is a meh player
I’m losing exactly zero sleep over this. Goodbye, Brad Isbister v2.0
by Dorfer on Nov 24, 2011 7:52 PM EST via iPhone app reply actions
How much sleep will Comeau lose?
Two?
Stainer of mountaintops.
by Chairman Meow on Nov 24, 2011 9:21 PM EST up reply actions
Prediction: comeau gets picked up by marginal team and wins the Conn Smyth after scoring the Stanley cup clinching goal. Garth is such an idiot!!!!
/end sarcasm
Can one be an atheist toward a hockey team? That means I have NO faith anymore.
by Turgeon1992 on Nov 24, 2011 8:19 PM EST via mobile reply actions
i'm more upset about cappy smiling
In the post mortem last night than this move. Tortorella can barely manage to stop glaring daggers when the rags win, and our buffoon is happily making excuses about “bad bounces” when his team blows yet another 2 goal lead as well as a pp in ot. Does he realize that already in this short season 3 of our opponents were awarded pp in ot and all 3 scored. Bounces my ass, he accepts mediocrity and gets less. Thats why torts won a cup and this guy won less than he lost last year and was reurned without question. We will start winning when the oranization accepts nothing less. Bad f’n bounces, is he for real?
by randyboyd on Nov 24, 2011 10:50 PM EST via mobile reply actions
I really don't care what he says to the media...
…. so long as he’s ripping into them in the locker room. Unfortunately, none of us can be a fly on the wall in said locker room, so we won’t know if his demeanor is any different there. But I’d hope his words to the boys behind closed doors are different than the ones we get to hear.
Yet another Moulson brother-in-law.
by ICanSeeForIslesAndIsles on Nov 24, 2011 10:58 PM EST up reply actions
i think that you are who you are
By that, i mean that if his demeaor in the interview just after that mess wasnt pissed off and intense, its a fair bet hes not pissed off and intense. His team sure seems to lack those attributes. Maybe its not coincidental. Pick your favorite successful nhl coach and think about whether you could picture him smiling and making excuses after that loss in a 5-10-4 season? I have not been a jack hater, but he really disturbed me last night.
by randyboyd on Nov 24, 2011 11:11 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I know.
And I wasn’t disagreeing with your assessment. I said I hope he’s different behind closed doors. Is it too early to make a Christmas wish? That might be mine.
Yet another Moulson brother-in-law.
by ICanSeeForIslesAndIsles on Nov 24, 2011 11:23 PM EST up reply actions
thats going to be a pretty long list
For isles fans this christmas. I was so unusually optomistic coming into the season. To me, this spiral is much worse than last year, which we started with such significant injuries. I am going to newark on saturday and have no hope that they can win.
by randyboyd on Nov 24, 2011 11:32 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I dont agree.
There are some people who let it all hang out- like Torts. But he is the kind of person who throws water bottles at fans and gets into fights with the media. Jack isnt like that, he holds his cards close when it comes to the media- like the rest of the Isles organization. Im alright with that.
It doesnt really add up that if someone isnt going off to the media that they are fine with everything.
A coach is a teacher, right? Well- when I was a teacher Id have parent teacher nights- my chance to talk to parents about where their kid was messing up or needed to improve. Some parents would react by yelling at their kid in front of everyone and making a big scene. Other parents were more quiet- some were almost business like about it. But that did not mean that the kids with the reserved parents ran wild and were not given guidance and discipline, nor did it mean that the parents blustering and yelling were the strict ones. Actually sometimes I found the opposite to be true- that the parents who did more blustering were giving the appearance of being stricter than they actually were… and the more quiet parents were simply choosing to discipline or provide guidance to their children privately when they felt it was more appropriate and their words would be heeded.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Nov 24, 2011 11:32 PM EST up reply actions
im not sure its the right analogy
Teaching kids vs coaching professional athletes, but i get your point. I guess i am reaching the conlusion that this years “class” needs a more demanding taskmaster as opposed to a more laid back teacher. To use your analogy, i think different types of kids respond better to certain styles of teachers.
by randyboyd on Nov 24, 2011 11:39 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
btw
As a father of 3 and a pretty intense guy, i would never advocate screaming at the kid and making a scene. That stuff is best left for one on one, when needed at all.
by randyboyd on Nov 24, 2011 11:42 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
As a father of 3 and a pretty intense guy, i would never advocate screaming at the kid and making a scene. That stuff is best left for one on one, when needed at all.
Heres the thing: You call yourself an intense guy, but you are not one to go all public and make scenes when someonething needs to be addressed. If an outsider looked at you and assumed, because they havent seen you flipping out, that youre not addressing things, they would be wrong. Thats the kind of thing I was getting at- we cannot really say whats what as outsiders, we are not privy to most of Capuanos interactions with the team.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Nov 25, 2011 12:46 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Are they professional athletes or not?
This isn’t about bullcrap HS speeches. I don’t use the lack of motivational speeches by my CEO to excuse my not ripping the competition ( and boy I don’t need speeches to crush them).
by neologizer on Nov 25, 2011 12:38 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
None
there are none more COZO.
NY Islanders, just one irrational free agent signing away from contention!
Website:Lighthouse HockeyTwitter: @KeithLHHockey
by Keith Quinn on Nov 25, 2011 12:08 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
Late to the party on this but
this is a STUPID move by the Islanders and is nothing more than a knee jerk move.
This guy has done nothing but improve the last two seasons and your going to put him on waivers?? WTF? Send him down to Bport!! You don’t give away a 20+ goal scorer by exposing him on waivers.
Shakes head in disgust
Isles rule, rangers suck... that's just how it is.
Nobody will trade for him
this has been at least season two he’s been shopped. I think the collective opinion of 30 teams should be telling
by neologizer on Nov 25, 2011 12:34 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
He has a one way contract which means you can't send him down unless he clears waivers but then if you want to bring
him back up he has to clear re-entry waivers and any team that claims him then will only have to pay half of his salary.
They won't trade for him because of the $2.5million, not because they think he has no value but because they think his
value is less than $2.5million.
I just did
a search on google for COZO and got about 286 000 hits. With so many hits you thought you would at least get some draft picks.
COZO
Cozo , cozo meaning , definition of cozo , meaning of cozo – Abbrevation for Comfort Zone.
Some examples : This is unpleasant. It’s definitely not inside my cozo.
Apparently Comeau is not within the cozo of the Isles
Comeau is talented.
The NHL is the big time. The players in this league are the fastest, quickest, biggest and strongest in the world. If your team doesn’t have guys who can hang with the big boys in those departments you’re going to have a hard time. The thing about Blake though? He can hang with the big boys in those departments. And players that can do that don’t grow on trees. His speed, strength, quickness and cannon of a shot is a hard package to replace. That’s why I don’t like this move. His ice time is lilkely going to be taken up by players that are not as quick and fast or are not as big and strong and don’t have his shot. He may not have the ideal fearless, killer instinct mentality but he has physical tools that are difficult to find in one package.
I'd rather have a Honda Accord that drives and turns where I want it to
than a Dodge Viper that veers to the left and only makes wide right-hand turns.
"Seriously that's the last time you guys f#@%ing won?" -RSH (about beating the Penguins in '93)
by Bryan2112 on Nov 25, 2011 11:47 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
My 2 cents on Comeau
1. I really don’t understand it as a roster move. They can’t really afford to drop $2M, but they’ll probably be safe with Nino staying and Ullstrom also on the roster full time.
2. This has to be part of something bigger, because Comeau is far more valuable in 2012 than either Rolston or Pandolfo… in my opinion he’s more valuable than either of them right now. What I expect is that this is due to the fact that you can not send money on a deal. In baseball you might be able to trade Comeau if you paid half of his remaining salary. Let’s hope this is an orchestraed deal to do something similar. The Isles will make a deal that picks up salary and a legit top four D froma a team for somebody that wold normally make it a head scratcher… then the other team picks Comeau off of re-entry waivers for half price. If that actually hapens I’m never selling my tin foil hat.
3. For all those that are blaming Capuano… Blake had his most productive 60 game stretch under Capuano last year. I’m guessing that the confusion has come from the fact that he lost his position to Brian "DEVIL ENIGMA: Rolston. That’s on Garth Snow.
4. Nino will replace Comeau over time. Next year there was almost no chance at all that Comeau would be on the team.
5. Will Comeau play the rest of the season in Bridgeport? If not… I may be one of the only fans here that will miss Blake. I’ve always wanted more from him, but maybe the organization can say the same thing, and that’s why they’re done with him. I just don’t think that Rolston or Pandolfo are better options… but I must have said that 1000 times this year.
LighthouseHockey: We saw this coming!
@JPinVA
I agree there's more to come
and it HAS to be D. Isles now have room for 1 more player on roster, and we currently have 6 D, the last of two which are Mottau and Staios.
"Seriously that's the last time you guys f#@%ing won?" -RSH (about beating the Penguins in '93)
by Bryan2112 on Nov 25, 2011 12:03 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I hope that waiving Blake Comeau is a means to let him work out any kinks down in Bridgeport.
I could be wrong, but that seems to be the sensible approach to this roster decision as I’m seeing it. Of course, with waiving any player, there is that risk that another team might take Comeau.
I’m going to look at the Comeau waiving in this way, rather than something that’s more of a personal issue between coaching/management and Comeau.
.....based upon everything I've seen - ESPECIALLY those first 30 seconds a week ago tomorrow night,
……this has a lot to do with BC having very high expectations for this team and them not coming to pass soon enough for his satisfaction – I would bet good money that it was Comeau himself first driving attempts to trade him, that any desire to stay with the Islanders turned on clear indications of success from this season’s outset and coupled with the Rolston/Pandolfo signings, made him very dubious as to whether there’d be any commitment to making a good fit for him; when there continued to be ‘no takers’, Garth & he decided to see how it went until BC finally gave him no choice, with some of the kids in Bridgeport making it difficult to keep someone who has always been a very mercurial hockey player and never failed to provoke questions about his level of commitment – to the team, to the game. Blake always struck me as being a very self-absorbed kid with a somewhat limited attention span; that is to say, not one who possessed the inclination to think too far ahead of the play and read as it was unfolding how it might progress, unlike a Tavares or even Bailey/Okposo…..as for PAP, I cannot believe there are still some who are hellbent on his being moved – he remains in the top 10 league-wide for assists and, unless I’m mistaken, is the team’s leading scorer!
In memoriam: Virginia Ariel Cayon 1927-2011 R.I.P. Mom
Nino Next
No one should be surprised if Nino is a bust to. Ive watched this big kid and hes going to take alot of time to become a key cog in any nhl lineup. Next option please.
Think you're watching the wrong guy champ
Yeah he’ll take time, like most prospects would. That doesn’t make him a bust. For a young guy, he has a lot of confidence in himself and is willing to throw his weight around, and that’s a good sign in my opinion. He also has a hard shot and is developing a pretty good hockey sense.
by sayvillelax94 on Nov 25, 2011 9:56 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Martin is a great example
He’s having an incredible sophomore season after looking out of place last year. Nino isn’t going to be great the second he steps on the ice, but he’s someone who is obviously going to improve over time.
"Matty Mo thinks it's different. He must be extra high today." BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Moulson's response to Isles black jerseys.
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
What have you seen from Niño
To make you think he’ll be a bust?
by Dorfer on Nov 25, 2011 1:11 PM EST via iPhone app up reply actions
Ryan Strome/Andres Lee/ For Real
Bring these two guys up in the new year and than we can begin to forget about comeau.
That also can't happen.
Official choice of Lighthouse Dog #1.
by Fabtraption on Nov 25, 2011 9:58 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Once a player is sent down to juniors,
he has to stay there until the end of his team’s season. Call-ups are not allowed. He can play in the NHL or AHL once his team has been eliminated though.
Never a big BC fan
But Rolston and Pandolfo should have been shown the door before him
Comeau claimed by Flames
Strang tweet
NY Islanders, just one irrational free agent signing away from contention!
Website:Lighthouse HockeyTwitter: @KeithLHHockey
Another "enigma" bites the dust
It was time to move on.
by jadster on Nov 25, 2011 12:33 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Good riddance
…yet too bad we couldn’t move him for a return.
"Seriously that's the last time you guys f#@%ing won?" -RSH (about beating the Penguins in '93)
Unwise trashing...
Lots of comments.I largely agree with the point that putting Comeau on waivers was a very hasty and bad move – unless there are factors we’re unaware of. OK – so he had a very bad, a terrible, a hideous start to this season. Heretofore, he has improved every year and showed much potential. Why was he just cast adrift – granted, the Islanders are up to a totally unexpected terrible start – and Comeau has been benched repeatedly – still – is there something we don’t know, because on the face of it, he should have been worked with and not just put on waivers. No wonder the Flames snatched him up. A 24 goal season last year and we just throw him out. Strange -unless, again, there;s something we don’t know.
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1979-80
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May 24, 1980: Tonelli to Nystrom. At long last, the steady build of the New York Islanders from expansion doormat to surprise semifinalist to annual contender reaches the promised land: Buoyed by a late season trade for Butch Goring that gave the team the depth up the middle GM Bill Torrey had been seeking, the Islanders knock off the Philadelphia Flyers in six games.
The victory justified the faith in coach Al Arbour who guided them from their second season to their first Stanley Cup seven seasons later. The Islanders would not be the first expansion team to win the Stanley Cup, but they would be the only one capable of a dynasty.
1980-81
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May 21, 1981: This time it was much easier. After falling to "only" 91 points in the 1979-80 season, the Islanders returned to their division title tradition, piling up 110 points -- a whole 13 points over second-place Philadelphia.
Between the quarterfinals (where they beat the upstart Oilers in six games) and the finals, the Islanders reeled off eight consecutive wins -- with a four-game sweep of archrival Rangers in between. As they defeated the Minnesota North Stars in five games for their second Cup, their goal difference in the final was a combined +10.
1981-82
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May 16, 1982: Another year, another landslide title. The Islanders won the Patrick Division by a whopping 26 points over the second-place Rangers, and were seven points clear of their nearest competition for the President's Trophy, the still-not-quite-ripe Edmonton Oilers.
A first-round scare against the Pittsburgh Penguins turned in the Isles' favor thanks to John Tonelli's heroics, and a true dynasty was on its way: Past the Rangers in six games, then an eight-game sweep of the Quebec Nordiques and Vancouver Canucks to run away with the Stanley Cup.
1982-83
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May 17, 1983: Not so fast, whipper-snappers. The Edmonton Oilers' steadily rising challenge for league supremacy took them all the way to the finals for the first time, where the New York Islanders summarily dispatched them in a four-game sweep. For the Islanders, the Dynasty was secured. For the Oilers, it was a powerful lesson in where talent ends and the demands of playoff hockey begin.
Four years, four Cups, 16 consecutive playoff series wins (a record that would grow to 19 until the rematch with the Oilers the following year). Mike Bossy scored 60 goals yet again, and Wayne Gretzky became acquainted with Billy Smith's crease.
