Hence the mask .........
his signature is his silver bullet
- keaner17

Believe it or not that's a Michael Myers mask that I had to trim because it kept saying the size was too big (thats what she said)... I ended up liking the finished product.

XxNYIxX

Believe it or not that's a Michael Myers mask that I had to trim because it kept saying the size was too big (thats what she said)... I ended up liking the finished product.

XxNYIxX
- XxNYIxX

I like it

Mighty13duck

I think Cizikas will be our MVP next year. The kid has the JT Martin Hamonic no quit instinct. Cant wait for October!!

Mighty13duck

I agree to an extent here, but I still think one move (as in, trade of a prospect or two) really needs to be made...if we can sign Nabokov, or equivalent (Smith, Backstrom), for a couple of years, and use part of the 82 game regular season next year to see if one of our youngsters is ready to step up, we'll be OK in the net. I love the idea of Bernier, but we probably would only want to part with enough horses to make one deal.

Given that we have Niederreiter AND Strome, both of whom are probably going to be solid enough offensive talents to shine on Tavares' wing, we are likely set up front. So that means that the one thing we need to do, above all else, is go and get a top flight defenseman. That is the move I'd like to see- one of those forwards, one of the defensive prospects (which one depends on who we're getting), and draft picks, to bring us Yandle or Weber. That is an instant upgrade that doesn't really mortgage our future, doesn't really affect the current team as is, and adds a BIG TIME presence on the blue line. As I always say, I'm not asking to get ripped off (which is what Islanders fans always fear in this situation, given....well, Milbury, let's face it), but it wouldn't hurt Snow to make that phone call.

That player, as long as we have adequate goaltending, makes us a serious contender immediately, and we'll still have plenty coming down the pike to improve the rest of the situation.

PS- Here's another thing...if we stand pat, and make a draft pick in round one, just because we'll be picking 15th or whatever doesn't mean we have to draft Ryan O'Marra. Someone has to use their brain in that situation also. The Flyers drafted Carter and Richards with middling picks, and the Devils drafted Parise AFTER we vacuumed up what everyone knew was going to be a pile of doo-doo, so it is possible to get a quality player in that spot, as long as you're not an a$$ like Milbury....just saying....
- dcb1

you mention these 2 all the time, why are they available in your view? Especially Weber who they did everything they could to keep just a year ago.. why are they changing up now and trading him?

XxNYIxX

Under no circumstances do I want Webber's contract. $12 million is insane and I certainly don't want to be parting with equally dynamic players a few years down the line to contend with his cap hit. I think the timeline has to be considered in this case. 2014-2015 is our first all-in season (IMO). So I'm content to add a top dman and top winger and then allow our other prospects grow into their role over the next 2-3 years. That keeps the pipeline rolling and the team having top notch players in their prime for up to a decade. I'm a huge believer that Reinhart will be a top pairing guy and Pedan could be another. If we give those guys just two more seasons, they should be ready to challenge. Pair them with Hamonic, Hickey, Donovan and a top pairing dman via UFA and we're set for a LONG time.
Then let's see where we are with our three goalie prospects.
- keaner17

Very nicely said!

XxNYIxX

I like it

Mighty13duck
- mighty13duck

Looks good on ya!

XxNYIxX

Looks good on ya!

XxNYIxX
- XxNYIxX

Im going to start this on every post

Mighty13duck

Im going to start this on every post

Mighty13duck
- mighty13duck

XxNYIxX

XxNYIxX
- XxNYIxX

I think it should be an Islander fan thing. All other fanbases will go nuts

Mighty13duck

Sooooo is it time to start talking draft yet??

Zadorov, Horvat, Domi? Who do we want?

Sooooo is it time to start talking draft yet??

Zadorov, Horvat, Domi? Who do we want?
- eichiefs9

I want a trade

Mighty13duck

I want a trade

Mighty13duck
- mighty13duck

Yeah I already tried that one for a goalie, not gonna re-hash that debate.

you mention these 2 all the time, why are they available in your view? Especially Weber who they did everything they could to keep just a year ago.. why are they changing up now and trading him?

XxNYIxX
- XxNYIxX

Because a year ago, Nashville didn't realize they would suck so much- I believe they basically matched that offer on principle alone. They would be far better served with a full rebuild at this point, and it can't hurt to ask.

As for Phoenix, aren't you tired of the hard earned money that you pay for Islander tickets going to fund their payroll? If anyone should have to have Tim Thomas, it should be them. If I was an owner, I would insist on league minimum there, until someone from Toronto/Hamilton/Quebec brings the suitcase full of cash and takes them back on the plane.

The point is that we NEED a big, strong, nasty defenseman who can play- I just don't see that in our future, unless we trade for that player. The idea of prospects is to build a core, not to rely on your drafting skills to build an entire team- you have to get too lucky in too short a period of time to be able to get every diverse part you need to field a "team" through the draft- with all of our top 5-10 draft picks in the last seven years, they have picked ONE defenseman, and ZERO goaltenders, because in the spots where they picked, they shouldn't have picked defensemen and goalies, so they did not.

However, those players are still needed...which means some of the forward prospects need to be moved for the things they don't have. I'd also rather not assume that all of the prospects we do have playing the needed positions are going to pan out, especially when most of them are middling draft picks. We clearly have a core that is capable of doing good things, and just needs some final pieces added to the puzzle. I just believe that once a team gets to be good, it's time to accelerate the process a little bit.

moulson needs to be watched closely though..if he is indeed a one trick pony who is allergic to contact and does not play a lick of d he has to be considered to be moved at next seasons deadline. i'm not saying write him off..he just needs to be put under the microscope
- NYI78

I never said boyes was top line player. And I don't think moulson is one either.
Boyes does give us the vet experience that isles always want but go out and get bums like reasoner and rolston.
For 1 mill in think boyes more than earned his paycheck. Also he feed Tavares some nice passes this year. That's a lot better than moulson who waits for jt to do all the dirty work for him.
Moulson is a good goal scorer but I think he showing early signs of Trent hunterism. Getting slower and lazier

I never said boyes was top line player. And I don't think moulson is one either.
Boyes does give us the vet experience that isles always want but go out and get bums like reasoner and rolston.
For 1 mill in think boyes more than earned his paycheck. Also he feed Tavares some nice passes this year. That's a lot better than moulson who waits for jt to do all the dirty work for him.
Moulson is a good goal scorer but I think he showing early signs of Trent hunterism. Getting slower and lazier
- Spartiarti

What experience is that? The guy sucks and has for some time now, plain and simple.

If his one trick is scoring goals... I will take it...

What did you guys think of Brett Hull... he was a one trick pony too!!!
- jimmc7722

the fact you compared brett hull and matt moulson in the same breath makes my eyes and ears vomit.... you can over look defenseive short comings when you score 80 goals....you can't when you score 20...

In short: YOU CANT MANAGE A PROFESSIONAL FRANCHISE ON THE CHEAP AND EXPECT FANTASTIC RESULTS.
- jmo16

exactly and thats on Charles and not Garth..i'd love to see what he could do with a real budget

I want a trade

Mighty13duck
- mighty13duck

i know he is small but i'd love domi...could be a huge pest

Sooooo is it time to start talking draft yet??

Zadorov, Horvat, Domi? Who do we want?
- eichiefs9

Zadorov if he falls
but Mantha and/or Erne .....

Believe it or not that's a Michael Myers mask that I had to trim because it kept saying the size was too big (thats what she said)... I ended up liking the finished product.

XxNYIxX
- XxNYIxX

Wow...had no idea!
It's taken on a persona/symbolism of it's own actually.

Because a year ago, Nashville didn't realize they would suck so much- I believe they basically matched that offer on principle alone. They would be far better served with a full rebuild at this point, and it can't hurt to ask.

As for Phoenix, aren't you tired of the hard earned money that you pay for Islander tickets going to fund their payroll? If anyone should have to have Tim Thomas, it should be them. If I was an owner, I would insist on league minimum there, until someone from Toronto/Hamilton/Quebec brings the suitcase full of cash and takes them back on the plane.
The point is that we NEED a big, strong, nasty defenseman who can play-
- I just don't see that in our future, unless we trade for that player. The idea of prospects is to build a core, not to rely on your drafting skills to build an entire team- you have to get too lucky in too short a period of time to be able to get every diverse part you need to field a "team" through the draft- with all of our top 5-10 draft picks in the last seven years, they have picked ONE defenseman, and ZERO goaltenders, because in the spots where they picked, they shouldn't have picked defensemen and goalies, so they did not.

However, those players are still needed...which means some of the forward prospects need to be moved for the things they don't have. I'd also rather not assume that all of the prospects we do have playing the needed positions are going to pan out, especially when most of them are middling draft picks. We clearly have a core that is capable of doing good things, and just needs some final pieces added to the puzzle. I just believe that once a team gets to be good, it's time to accelerate the process a little bit.
- dcb1

In that case, why are you mentinoing Yandle. At 6'1" 190lbs, he's hardly big or nasty. In fact, with the few Phoenix fans I've spoken to, they feel his defensive play leaves a lot to be desired.
As for Webber, if he's a '5' on a scale of 1-5, I'd rather sign two to three 4's at 30% of his overall cost than tying up over 20% of my salary cap in his contract. No player is worth that type of money. It would be insane to sign a defenseman who is making $3 million more than the best player in the world.
If you look around the world of sports, the teams that are consistent contenders tend to be the one's who almost NEVER go overboard on any one player. While adding Webber may indeed make us a contender in the immediate, Nashville can attest that it offers no guarantee's and they will likely be suffering from his contract for many years to come.
We have several very strong defensive prospects in our system, a few of which have top pairing potential. I'd be more interested in taking on an additional 3-4 year contract for a very good dman capable of filling the role at a mid range price (say $5-6mil) while allowing guys like Reinhart, Donovan, Mayfield, Pedan and others to continue to mature into their roles.
We're building a team that will be able to send waves of talent at our opponents rather than one rogue. Ultimately those are the types of teams that are most difficult to defend against.

I never said boyes was top line player. And I don't think moulson is one either.
Boyes does give us the vet experience that isles always want but go out and get bums like reasoner and rolston.
For 1 mill in think boyes more than earned his paycheck. Also he feed Tavares some nice passes this year. That's a lot better than moulson who waits for jt to do all the dirty work for him.
Moulson is a good goal scorer but I think he showing early signs of Trent hunterism. Getting slower and lazier
- Spartiarti

Vet experience? What experience does he bring? How to underacheive and not excel in any one aspect of the game? I agree that at $1 million he was a bargain for a team that wasn't expected to challenge for a playoff spot. The problem is, we've arrived as a playoff contender now. A guy like Boyes CANNOT be on your top two lines and he lacks any of the skills required for a 3rd or 4th line role. In short, he's exactly the type of player that a growing team like the Isles need to improve upon if they are going to take the next step. This year he'll be looking for $3-4 million a season, can you honestly say he's worth that?
Let's look at Boyes for what he is, a fill in between PA and our eventual top line winger. Using him was moderately successful but also cannot be seen as a long term solution. He's not an option in a 3rd or 4th line role so we're better off thanking him for his service and wishing him well.

the fact you compared brett hull and matt moulson in the same breath makes my eyes and ears vomit.... you can over look defenseive short comings when you score 80 goals....you can't when you score 20...
- NYI78

exactly and thats on Charles and not Garth..i'd love to see what he could do with a real budget
- NYI78

I would go a step further and say that's on the ownership that negotiated the original SMG lease as well as Nassau...
The lease was an ablatross that made it IMPOSSIBLE to sustain a competitive team. One can't overlook the fact that we're all damn lucky to even have a team called the Islanders at this point, let alone to see it's overall health improved to the point that the whole hockey world is talking about us now. It always strikes me funny that someone can complain about an ownership that's lost more money than it cost to purchase the team as being cheap, when the likely options were either claim bankruptcy or do what you can to sustain the organiziation until the conditions (ie lease) improves.
As for Garth, it's obvious that some people simply will NEVER be convinced that the guy is doing a helluva decent job. While it's difficult to judge just how well someone else in his position would have done, it's hard to dispute that he's filled the least desirable GM position in the NHL and managed to put together a pretty bright future. Frankly after this season and what we see coming over the next couple of years, I'm sort of amazed that anyone could still hold this much venom for the guy. It's almost cliche, like the guy who blames the QB or goalie for every loss. I suppose the forrest is awfully hard to see due to all of those tree's.

I would go a step further and say that's on the ownership that negotiated the original SMG lease as well as Nassau...
The lease was an ablatross that made it IMPOSSIBLE to sustain a competitive team. One can't overlook the fact that we're all damn lucky to even have a team called the Islanders at this point, let alone to see it's overall health improved to the point that the whole hockey world is talking about us now. It always strikes me funny that someone can complain about an ownership that's lost more money than it cost to purchase the team as being cheap, when the likely options were either claim bankruptcy or do what you can to sustain the organiziation until the conditions (ie lease) improves.
As for Garth, it's obvious that some people simply will NEVER be convinced that the guy is doing a helluva decent job. While it's difficult to judge just how well someone else in his position would have done, it's hard to dispute that he's filled the least desirable GM position in the NHL and managed to put together a pretty bright future. Frankly after this season and what we see coming over the next couple of years, I'm sort of amazed that anyone could still hold this much venom for the guy. It's almost cliche, like the guy who blames the QB or goalie for every loss. I suppose the forrest is awfully hard to see due to all of those tree's.
- keaner17

I think there are some things Snow has done well and some he has completely (frank)ed up but I can't expect to be enamored with everything a GM does it's unrealistic. As far as Wang is concerned I can care less how much money he is supposedly losing the guy is a crooked POS who IMO is a complete lunatic/moron. I have no idea how a guy can create what he has and leave Mike Milbury as his GM for as long as he did? Pretty much watch as someone destroys "his baby" like no other GM in the history of the sport could've done if they tried. A monkey would've fired him 9 years before Wang did(who actually did'nt fire him really). We squeaked into the PO's and the team showed a lot of mustard and I could'nt be happier with them. I think a lot of these waiver guys performed beyond expectations and were at the very least servicable. We've done nothing but draft in the top 5 for 6 years. I'm not going to sing Snow's praises until I actually see him do something besides draft. This offseason even though I'm not expecting much will still say a lot about what kind of GM he is. What he does with Boyes, Streit and with the possibility of replacing those two guys? What happens with Nino? This should be a good example of his decision making which in the past I was critical of and though I've softened a bit I am still shall I say cautiously optimisitic/negative( )of what we are in store for as far as Snow.