Poll & Debate: The 2013-14 Islanders, Two Key Players from Cup Contention?

Kidding of course.

The unfortunate part is this has been the story for the past two years (maybe not contender, but playoffs) and as it stands now, doesnt look like it will be addressed.

I don’t think the answer is outside of the stystem though and the things we are looking for, well, a lot of teams are missing that. I just can’t wait to see how the season starts to pan out. I would love to be able to say, “hey, turns out we didn’t need anything”…which I feel is a possibility.

But even if we don’t need anything, we will still be unhappy I’m sure because if we did have those two things, we could have been EVEN BETTER. Hey, we’re fans, we want the absolute best right?

I expect some guys to emerge as the season goes on that fulfill those roles to a degree and shift the balance of need around. In a perfect world, if Niño or Martin turn into 30g guys who bang and Haminic is a bona fide #2, then it’s just a matter of filling in with the right role players toward the bottom, which will be much easier. I think that is why snow will wait it out.

What is missing from the team are a few smart veterans to help the boys manage themselves during a playoff run. As much as I like our players and their potential the playoffs are a different animal. It took years for the Dynasty Islanders to learn how to win during the playoffs. They gained their missing link by acquiring Butch Goring. I think the current team will need to add a couple of players to the roster to be successful playoff-wise.

We have a lot of players to move around to find their sweet spot in the lineup. I can see the following:

Moulson – Tavares – Nino/Petrov
Nino – Strome – Kabanov
Grabs – Frans – KO
Lee – Sundstrom/Czikas – Nelson

We need to use Comeau/Bailey and a pick to sign a Chris Stewart type player.

Ulstrom/Czikas/Haley on the bench

CDH – Hamonic
Amac – Mayfield
Donovan – Pedan

The boys on the right hand side can and will drop the gloves.

Is that there are so many free agents for the Isles heading into this next offseason. It’ll be some tough/interesting choices.

We need a pure scorer to compliment Tavares. I love Moulson and Grabner, they have been great finds. However, the Islanders did not have too much pressure on them following the awful losing streak from last year. I think the Murray may have alluded to hat after the Isles played the Kings last year. It brings up an interesting discussion point which may have allowed for the Islanders to take more chances/risks throughout the game and allow for some players to reach their numbers.
     I am not being a hater of pessimist but i think that flip side may have to be considered when projecting for this year.
     On defense we need a number 2. plain and simple. it takes pressure off of Hamonic and won’t expose Jurcina or Eaton as much. Hamonic mat be in for the proverbial “sophomore slump” and if that’s the case, we need a number 2 to deflect that

See: 2011 Stanley Cup Finals

If NYI finds one top-shelf goalie, they’ll be contenders.

case and point. Avalanche two yrs ago. They are in the same boat as us and kinda had a good run and made the playoffs. then look at last yr. How about the Isles make the playoffs first before we reach cup contention? If we would have won 6 out of those 19 games we lost…we would have battled for 7/8th spot. And 6 games through out the yr could have gone either way. 2 yrs in a row, A bad stretch of 10+ games torched our season. Lets not have this. We’ve also been one of the more competetive teams over the last 1.5 games. It doesnt have much to do with our D. Bc guys stepped the hell up. The losses over time to Bergenheim, Godard, Campoli, Sutton, Hillen, Gervais are certainly evident in that it hurt our depth. As they moved on to greener pasture. We are not as bad as our stats or win/loss indicates. But had we have had competent goal tending (only minus Rolie bc he kept us in games night in/night out)…We would be considered the NHL’s rag monkeys. Which in all fairness to us Islander fans…are not

Lets look at this yrs roster instead of infiltrating the minors and juniors and looking ahead. Brock Nelson is at least 3 yrs away. CDH is a season and change away. Nino is a big wing who can hit, skate, and score. And Haley has the qualities that he can fit in on any of the bottom 3 lines. See Sean Avery. He has a very similar game starting below the mouth bc Haley doesnt run his. And like it or not, Avery puts up points, hits, and fights. Look at what Haley did to Adams? and Avery? and scored some goals along the way. He could be considered part of this core too. Id like him to be.

And regarding the future, Id like to point out, Strome is gona be a center. The more and more people talk about him. If we have to show JB the door to accomodate this kid, so be it. No matter how good JB could be. Strome is a human highlight reel. And with 2 great scoring lines and a 2 way highlight line, Id be okay with that. Who knows, as much as Id hate the notion, maybe Strome takes Frans’ place. I want frans’ to be in the orange and blue for as long as possible bc hes an amazing asset to this organization.

Lets go Islanders…2012 back into the tourney at least.

*1.5 seasons not games. Sorry for the poor grammar

" To draft one big, physical right shooting right wing who can fight, and skate and play with the stars."

No. No we don’t. We need good players, presumably a wing.

In addition, Frans Nielsen isn’t signed past 2011-2012, so putting him up there is presumptive of you.

the comment i made says “following” the losing streak (meaning after they lost all those games). Also, when Murray made that statement, it was some time in late in the season. The Isles were not in playoff contention and, therefore, had no playoff pressure. When I said pressure it was in terms of not having anything on the line at the end of the season, allowing the isles to take more chances.