Zeitgeist: These long contracts are awful, I mean smart

Has to be able to score with only the sound of his voice, using Maud’ib or one of the other “killing words.”

" The Islanders, as an institution, appear to be operating for a very specific bottom line instead of truly trying everything they can to win."

I mean, really, there are about 5-10 teams who are not considering some sort of “plan” whether that be financial or structural (rebuild). And as far as that “win now” mentality goes, I honestly didn’t see too many moves management could have made that would have them “win now”. They juat gave contracts to Moulson, Grabner, Okposo and Montoya and have 5 other guys on offer sheets/arbitration. Given the market, god knows what those will look like. And I also believe that if they had tried for that by bringing in Ehrhoff and another couple of moves like the Sabres or Panthers did, it may have crippled the system cap wise when ELCs expire and we have to re-sign JT, Nino, Hamonic, Amac, Nielsen and a bunch of others who are or may be better players than Ehrhoff now.

That is another part of the vacuum…analyzing the Islander’s non moves based on the structure of another organization. The Panthers were 25m below the floor and had to sign a bunch of players. The Sabres don’t have a lot of up and coming players who will need raises. Philly basically just did the opposite of “sign big name players”. All that to address organizational needs. The Isles tried to address what they felt were the glaring needs and got 1/2 of it done.

It means they do things differently, and can’t afford to wantonly spend. It means they have to basically toe the cap floor.

It doesn’t mean they don’t try to win.

http://www.lighthousehockey.com/2011/1/22/1949488/the-future-for-the-islanders-how-a-small-market-team-becomes-a-title

And Hannan may be our 2/3 defenseman, but do you pay him 4 million a year to do so when you can have even Streit making about the same money, Amac and Haminic far less? We’re talking about Hannan here, not Lidstrom. Personally, I wouldn’t want to pay Hannan for a very small upgrade at the expense of a better pick or at the expensive of being able to sign one of our kids on the future. If you can find one of our picks that doesn’t project to be better than Hannan, that makes some sense, bit otherwise, we are talking about a stopgap vs the long term, and that’s not something I would want to sacrifice.

Admonish someone for telling you what Snow is thinking, while on the other, state beyond shadow of a doubt, that you know that Wang has put a moratorium on spending on players.

You’re using a confirmation bias to prove your case (nobody signed here, so we must not be trying to sign guys). This type of logic can be applied to anything. The funny thing is, that logic will change when a FA is signed and then people will be saying “well, it’s about time Wang must have finally greenlighted Snow to sign somebody…especially since Wang stands to make some money from the arena”.

All of which can have far leas complicated explanations like (FAs don’t like the building, didn’t think this was the best place to win/make the playoffs, hate being in NY).

What everyone is doing here is speculation because no one has any idea of the inner workings of management and negotiations or offers. And no one will. But to try to make it a deliberated plan to try to not get better is absurd also. Especially when that is contradicted by most (all) media reports.

according to this site: http://espn.go.com/nhl/attendance the Islanders last season were dead last in attendance for 2010-2011. And according to this site: http://www.andrewsstarspage.com/index.php/site/comments/nhl_average_attendance_since_1989_90/118-2008-09 they have been below the league average since the 1989-‘90 season. This is the very definition of a “small market team.” What makes it worse for the Islanders is that according to Forbes magazine (this site here: http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/31/hockey-values-09_New-York-Islanders_312071.html ) the Islanders are not only in the bottom tier of the NHL in revenue generated but they are also in a market where they don’t qualify for the revenue sharing the NHL has put in place. More to the point if you look at the overall deals the Islanders have in place (this site: http://www.capgeek.com/charts.php?Team=21) they are still dealing with the Alexei Yashin buyout. Couple that with the old terms of the lease, which was well documented on this site, and my original point remains. That while yes the Islanders are a “small market team” and have to be careful with FA signings. If they commit too much to one person, (ie Christian Ehrhoff, Alexei Yashin, or even Rick DiPietro) and that move doesn’t pan out what does that leave them with? What Snow and to a lesser extent Wang are doing is making it so they have options and are not hampered by a large unwieldy contract should they need to make a move in the middle of the season. This is not a defense of their being last in payroll, this is however a defense of them having to operate different from other teams, that gain more revenue per game played. The Islanders are not the Kansas City Royals (to go back to baseball) where the owner wanted to make out like a bandit at the expense of his team by spending his money on material possessions instead of the team overall.

Where have they “disinvested?” (which I think is divested) That implies that they have made moves to cut payroll…which they have not.

If anything, I can agree to non-investment in marginal expensive players that won’t have much of an impact for this team. Who at this point would you have signed, and where would you play them? Who’s an upgrade over who is currently on the Isles roster? In my view, the only two or three guys are PA, Coneau or Bailey. Essentially, Snow did his FA shopping in the winter when he landed probably the highest points producer of the current crop (PA) at an additional year on a value contract.

75% of the league didn’t do anything either whether they are small or large market. Some team’s lost players that they are replacing from inside the organization. Why is it that when the Isles follow that same path, there is some great Wang generated money conspiracy, but when others do the same, they are smart, believe in their team, or whatever.

The biggest problem for us is not the forwards or D, the problem is goaltending…which was addressed as best as it can be short of Vokoun choosing to play here, which never would have happened regardless of how much money Snow threw at him. He is auditioning on a grand stage for a huge payday.

I would love to review the moves that these teams made on their record next year. I will almost guarantee that there is very little spike.

The Pens lost Talbot and Rupp, the Flyers lost Richards and Carter and Pronger may not be ready for the season, they also lost Leino and Powe. The Devils didn’t do anything except draft Larsson. You could argue that the Pens and Devs are getting stars back, but so are the Isles.

You’re accusing people of putting up “false choices” amid their “Stockholm Syndrome,” saying they can’t know what Garth Snow is really thinking about peak age of athletes (UFAs past their prime), yet you’re advancing your own conspiracy theories to form your argument, and you’re claiming to know what Wang is thinking and why he doesn’t spend more on bad free agents.

That’s great that you don’t believe in what the Isles are doing, or you think Wang has a hidden motive for hanging on to the team for so long despite bottom-five franchise worth and piss-poor revenues; that’s your right. But let’s not act like others are “retarded” or blind or Stockholm Syndrome sufferers just because their legit opinion does not jibe with yours.

Wang could be evil incarnate. Snow could be having his cat tell him what decisions to make. I still don’t want either of them tossing the commitments toward average players that Florida and Buffalo are tossing around. Those are hockey decisions, ones I happen to generally agree with regardless of which wizard is behind the curtain.