I decided that today we should tackle one of the biggest questions in Islander Country. It is honestly a question where there are numerous answers and I’m not sure if there is one clear-cut solution to this dilemma. As we move forward, what on Earth should the Islanders do with Josh Bailey?
I can tell you that since last spring, Islanders General Manager Garth Snow has floated Bailey’s name on the market and he has received offers. If Garth wanted to trade him for a late round pick he could have done it already. Despite the inconsistency of Bailey, I don’t think moving him for a fifth rounder is worth it. I’d frankly rather keep him at that price. When it comes to a trade the Islanders’ need to find a general manager that believes that they can “fix” Bailey.
Josh has shown spurts of talent over his time with the Islanders, however he has never shown anything that has resembled consistency. Bailey has skill, we have all seen the frustrating flashes of it. In my opinion what Josh lacks is between his ears. Bailey’s play last year looked like a player that doesn’t believe in himself and suffers from a lack in confidence. He has a good shot, but is hesitant to shoot and he simply appears like he is trying too hard and is over thinking his game. I even suggested at one point last season that Bailey see a sports psychologist to try and get some confidence in his game.
Therefore, if Bailey is going to be moved, the Islanders need to find a team that see the talent that Bailey has and a general manager that feels that they can harvest it. The easy answer to this dilemma is trading Bailey but the much harder one to answer is, if Josh is on the opening night roster, where does he play?
We saw Bailey play on the second line for the duration of last season with below average results. At this point would putting him on the top line with Tavares and Okposo help him find his game? If he couldn’t produce with those two then what is the answer? I do not feel that Bailey deserves top six minutes, let alone a chance on the top line but the idea of him finding his game with JT is enticing to say the least.
Ideally, I think Bailey is a third line forward and I think he would be ok with Michael Grabner and Frans Nielsen or perhaps Anders Lee and Nielsen. Maybe this would remove the pressure to be a top six forward and he could play responsible defense and perhaps produce 35-40 points. I’m grasping at straws here people, the more I try to find an answer to this problem the more questions I come up with. I honestly don’t think there is an easy solution to this if Bailey is on the opening night roster.
We can debate this in the comment thread until we are blue in the face. Even if Bailey is moved, many will fear he will find his game elsewhere. Honestly, we cannot worry about that. If the Islanders can manage a good return that helps the current roster then who cares if Bailey blossoms elsewhere. Josh is a good kid and if he does become a productive player elsewhere than good for him. The Isles cannot think about that.
Many will blame the organization for rushing Bailey to the NHL and their is validity to this. However at some point the player has to look in the mirror and be self-motivated to maximize their potential. We saw it with Kyle Okposo last season, now lets hope with can see it with Josh Bailey.
I do still think that a forward will be moved before opening night and I think it will be Bailey. That would make things far less complicated if this occurs. The questions will arise if he is in the opening night roster because as of today, I can’t figure out where he fits in this organization. As always for more on all things hockey please follow me on twitter at @DanDanNoodles78.
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