Islanders News: The waiting is the hardest part

It is the fourth day of NHL Free Agency, arguably beyond the point where it makes sense to capitalize “Free Agency,” and we still do not know definitively who has signed or not signed with the New York Islanders.

I mean, we do know in a hint-hint nudge-nudge kind of way. It just so happens that the camps of eligible players that have been connected to the Isles have gone completely silent in a way that only GM Lou Lamoriello can enforce. Nothing is concrete, but it’s setting.

In the meantime, happy 10 year anniversary of the Nassau Coliseum referendum. On Monday, August 1, 2011, dozens (okay, thousands) of folks from Nassau County that remembered and had the ability to vote on a summer Monday turned down renovating the Coliseum to the tune of $400 million in taxpayer money.

If I remember correctly, it would have represented only like a $15.00 increase in the annual property tax for residents paying some of the most expensive property taxes in the country, but I cannot blame them for not wanting to fund an arena for a private sports franchise. On the other hand, with the Lighthouse Project, former owner Charles B. Wang intended to fund it privately. But that could have been impacted the local economy.

After the Town of Hempstead blocked his attempts to build the Lighthouse Project, Nassau County held this referendum, and the answer from Nassau County residents was a pretty resounding “no.” Islander fandom, between the on-ice product and the off-ice drama, was truly bleak between August 1, 2011, and October 24, 2012, when Wang announced that he had reached an agreement with Bruce Ratner to send the team to Barclays Center.

It took us a lot of time and despair, but my, how far we have come since then.

Islanders News

• Alright, so what the hell is going on, Lou? All of us would like to know. Arthur Staple reiterates that there are likely deals in place with Kyle Palmieri, Casey Cizikas, Zach Parise, and possibly Travis Zajac. He notes that it has been silent around Ryan Murray, and he says that it is unlikely that the Islanders would part with Anthony Beauvillier in a Vladimir Tarasenko trade. [The Athletic]
• Andrew Gross surveyed the spate of massive contracts handed out to top defensemen over the last couple weeks and noted that it likely means that RFA Adam Pelech and pending UFA Ryan Pulock will be owed large dollar extensions. [Newsday]
• LISTEN: Gross also echoed much of what Staple wrote in podcast form, I think. I am going to listen to it on the ride back to Brooklyn today. [Newsday]

Elsewhere

• Long-time Boston Bruins center David Krejci’s potential last NHL game was Game 6 at the Coliseum. He is returning to play in his native Czech Republic. Pretty big hole at 2C for Boston now. Jack Eichel, come on home? [Stanley Cup of Chowder]
• Vegas Golden Knights winger Alex Tuch had shoulder surgery and will be out for six months. Sounds like some LTIR relief for an Eichel trade. [Knights on Ice]
• What’s all this about an Eichel trade? His agents, the Peters Two, stated that they expected their client to have been traded by now. Everyone’s frustrated. [NHL]
• It seems like the initial shock and disappointment has worn off, and Marc-Andre Fleury will play for the Chicago Blackhawks after all.

• Yesterday, an Instagram account claiming to be Anna Kane, the pregnant wife of Evander Kane, put him on blast for his disappearing from home, leaving her to take care of their existing baby, and also gambling on his own team’s games, sometimes to lose. The NHL and the San Jose Sharks each put out a statement. [NHL] Kane today denied the allegations and said that he would cooperate with the league’s investigation. [Sportsnet]
• The Edmonton Oilers signed recent trade acquisition and former RFA Warren Foegele to a three-year extension with an AAV of $2.75 million. [NHL]
• Nick Ritchie, having not been qualified as an RFA by the Bruins, signed a two-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs. [NHL] He should vie for a top-six role, possibly in the mold of now-Oiler Zach Hyman. [Sportsnet]
• The New York Rangers gave Ryan Reaves a one-year contract extension, so he’ll be on Broadway for at least two years. The Islanders and Tom Wilson broke the Rangers. [NHL]
• The Winnipeg Jets signed depth forward Riley Nash to a league-minimum deal. [NHL]
• Derek Stepan signed with the Carolina Hurricanes for a year and $1.35 million. [NHL]
• Finally, Sara Civian noted that Tony DeAngelo, despite his claims that he worked with “a group” in New York after Chris Kreider clocked him for being a dick to Alexandar Georgiev, has not demonstrated that he has learned anything from his numerous incidents of misconduct. The Hurricanes, once one of the more well-perceived organizations, is not doing itself any favors between signing DeAngelo and low-balling and ultimately losing Dougie Hamilton to the New Jersey Devils. [The Athletic]