Dany Heatley? What the fack is going on in here today?

A good GM would have had an upgrade in the past few years. You cant tell me that there were no top pairing guys with more experience than De Haan the past few years.
- mighty13duck

Who's talking about the past few years? We're talking about NOW.
I'm not saying de Haan is an all star (yet), but I do think he has shown he can play that role for us. I also think his pairing with Hamonic has helped Travis find his game again as well. Hell, if there's a guy out there, it's not like I wouldn't say 'sign him'. My point is, top pairing dmen don't fall off trees. Using a blanket "A GOOD GM WOULD FIND ONE" is a bit too easy if you can't throw out names of actual top pairing dmen who have been traded over the last couple of years, all while making a compelling argument as to just why they would have signed here when no one else would....

Nelson was here all season, and I think it's a long shot to expect Lee to pick right up where a guy like Vanek left off. And I disagree...it's in no way a lock to be a strong top-six. You have three players that have proven themselves and bring it consistently: JT, KO and Nielsen. Outside of that it's rookie projects untested in any kind of really important situation and players that have proven over three or more years that they can't bring it consistently. It could be a good top six if everything breaks right, but I thought we learned our lesson about going in with a bunch of question marks and expecting rookies to save the day. I feel the same on D. Folks already have have deHaan as a lock for a top-pair d-man in their mock lineups. Too much reliance on potential rather than resumes...again.
- UIF

not many teams in the NHL are Team Canada...there comes a point where you have to trust the young guys while having a good mix of veterans...i think being that Anders Lee is 23 and coming out of college, he cant be considered a kid anymore, i think hes ready. i wouldnt put strome on the top line bc he is a kid and could use more time to develop...perhaps somewhere in the middle of what we are thinking is the right approach.

I personally think Hamonic is more of a 3-4 D than top 2..
- Ur Not Me

agreed

Dany Heatley? What the fack is going on in here today?
- Cptmjl

Great question Cpt.

I personally think Hamonic is more of a 3-4 D than top 2..
- Ur Not Me

Tough to say. He looked like a 5 or 6 while with Amac but has looked more like a top pairing guy while with de Haan. Very few teams actually have two 'top pairing' guys . It's typically one ace dman with another 'top four' guy. Again, if there's someone out there, by all means. I just think the expectations get a bit high in light of past history. Not just for us but for all teams. Top pairing dmen rarely move, and they certainly don't come here.

I love the bold Vukota. I'm a little worried though about Barroway having to scramble around looking for partners or maybe looking to get out of the lease in Brooklyn if true.
- ses111

I don't see Barclay's letting them walk and I also think there is no shot they are moving the Isles out of NY. I just don't see it happening especially if wang puts a clause in the deal saying they can't be moved

I don't see Barclay's letting them walk and I also think there is no shot they are moving the Isles out of NY. I just don't see it happening especially if wang puts a clause in the deal saying they can't be moved
- Vukota

IF Wang sells a majority of this team, the one thing he'll hang his hat on at that time will be that he's the guy who kept the Islanders in NY. He, along with Bettman, will not let that team leave the area.
In turn, the cable contract and potential earnings in NY would be too much for any sensible buyer leave behind.

I don't see Barclay's letting them walk and I also think there is no shot they are moving the Isles out of NY. I just don't see it happening especially if wang puts a clause in the deal saying they can't be moved
- Vukota

I agree Vukota about the team not leaving NY. If two more potential owners are in the mix, we better buckle up for a long ride.

I agree it could work...but as you said about the rookie d-men before this season, let him compete for the role and take it, rather than not even looking for something outside and just handing it to him. The Isles for just about the entire season were a team that was in great need of secondary scoring. They lost one of their best primary scorers on the season in Vanek, so I'm just not as convinced as others that the offense is fine. I think it wouldn't be a bad thing at all to have Lee try to help out that secondary-scoring problem, where he wouldn't be facing the league's best d-men on every shift, and get some quality experience on the first line.
- UIF

Im not saying hand him a spot on the top line in saying let's see how camp plays out.

I don't dispute that Lee could do well on the line, but I like the idea of adding ANOTHER elite level forward. While Heatley has had his troubles over the last couple of years, his addition allows us to keep a young talented forward like Lee in a less pressure filled role while still contributing with a very talented line of Strome and Nelson. It becomes just as important to surround Strome with a talent like Lee in that case rather than moving Lee up and sticking Strome with someone like Clutterbuck. Ultimately, I think the best idea should be to add as much talent as possible rather than ignoring available commodities just because we're convinced a dman and goalie is more important.
- keaner17

I have zero interest in Heatley.. Zero. A top six forward in a perfect world would be fine but money has to spent in goal and on the blue line first

STOP!!! your making to much sense for some fans.....
- Ur Not Me

If you are telling me they are bringing Camelleri or Vrbata fine. But id rather see our kids play than bringing in another reclamation project and hoping he works out

The easiest way to find top 4 dmen is draft and develop your own..

I have zero interest in Heatley.. Zero. A top six forward in a perfect world would be fine but money has to spent in goal and on the blue line first
- Dan Petriw

Goal and def unquestionably need to be addressed, but ultimately the team should find the best players possible. While many understandably treat Heatley like cancer, he's precisely the type of the guy the Isles COULD convince to come to town and perhaps strike gold.

I'm just being a realist in what we're likely to get. You're not going to get a $6 million defensemen. You're not likely to find a $6 million goalie. We're more likely to get another mid range dman (2nd pairing at best) who signs above his market value and takes a contract similar to what Amac turned down.
In turn, you may get a goalie like Hiller who is 33 or Halak who has a long injury past at a mid range price, say $4-$5 mil. I don't expect that we'll spend more than $6-7 mil in those ranges, so a risk on a guy like Heatley would be affordable.

Goal and def unquestionably need to be addressed, but ultimately the team should find the best players possible. While many understandably treat Heatley like cancer, he's precisely the type of the guy the Isles COULD convince to come to town and perhaps strike gold.

I'm just being a realist in what we're likely to get. You're not going to get a $6 million defensemen. You're not likely to find a $6 million goalie. We're more likely to get another mid range dman (2nd pairing at best) who signs above his market value and takes a contract similar to what Amac turned down.
In turn, you may get a goalie like Hiller who is 33 or Halak who has a long injury past at a mid range price, say $4-$5 mil. I don't expect that we'll spend more than $6-7 mil in those ranges, so a risk on a guy like Heatley would be affordable.
- keaner17

The guy can't get into a roster that need goal scoring and is a healthy scratch and is a horrible locker room guy... No thanks. I'm being realistic as well he is a horrible choice

The guy can't get into a roster that need goal scoring and is a healthy scratch and is a horrible locker room guy... No thanks. I'm being realistic as well he is a horrible choice
- Dan Petriw

Strange though that none of these lockerrooms call him a horrible lockeroom guy. In fact, one of the players on the Wild has been outspoken in saying how professional he's been.

Heatley, 33, who ranks 12th among active NHLers with 372 regular-season goals, has impressed teammates with how professional he has been the past few weeks.

“For a guy that’s done what he’s done in his career and has accomplished more than most of us in here and probably 95 percent of the guys in this league, it’s got to be tough to be filtered out of the lineup,” defenseman Clayton Stoner said. “But he says as long as we’re winning, he’s happy. That’s the type of attitude that you expect from one of your leaders.”

Heatley has shown no outward signs of moping or being a distraction.

“Trust me, yeah, it stinks. Of course, you want to play,” Heatley said. “I love playing in the playoffs. I think this is going to be a good series, I think this is going to be a fun series and you want to be a part of it. But at the same time, [coach Mike Yeo’s] putting the lineup in that he feels gives us the best chance to win.”

Strange though that none of these lockerrooms call him a horrible lockeroom guy. In fact, one of the players on the Wild has been outspoken in saying how professional he's been.

Heatley, 33, who ranks 12th among active NHLers with 372 regular-season goals, has impressed teammates with how professional he has been the past few weeks.

“For a guy that’s done what he’s done in his career and has accomplished more than most of us in here and probably 95 percent of the guys in this league, it’s got to be tough to be filtered out of the lineup,” defenseman Clayton Stoner said. “But he says as long as we’re winning, he’s happy. That’s the type of attitude that you expect from one of your leaders.”

Heatley has shown no outward signs of moping or being a distraction.

“Trust me, yeah, it stinks. Of course, you want to play,” Heatley said. “I love playing in the playoffs. I think this is going to be a good series, I think this is going to be a fun series and you want to be a part of it. But at the same time,
- keaner17[coach Mike Yeo’s] putting the lineup in that he feels gives us the best chance to win.”

nice guy...not nice guy...who cares? end of the day, he isnt playing right now.

If you are telling me they are bringing Camelleri or Vrbata fine. But id rather see our kids play than bringing in another reclamation project and hoping he works out
- Dan Petriw

Both will want some "fat stacks"...

The easiest way to find top 4 dmen is draft and develop your own..
- Dan Petriw

The Islanders have a lot of those...

Goal and def unquestionably need to be addressed, but ultimately the team should find the best players possible. While many understandably treat Heatley like cancer, he's precisely the type of the guy the Isles COULD convince to come to town and perhaps strike gold.

I'm just being a realist in what we're likely to get. You're not going to get a $6 million defensemen. You're not likely to find a $6 million goalie. We're more likely to get another mid range dman (2nd pairing at best) who signs above his market value and takes a contract similar to what Amac turned down.
In turn, you may get a goalie like Hiller who is 33 or Halak who has a long injury past at a mid range price, say $4-$5 mil. I don't expect that we'll spend more than $6-7 mil in those ranges, so a risk on a guy like Heatley would be affordable.
- keaner17

I would think Hiller would want at least $5-5.5 million...I would talk to Toronto for Riemer and Franson and trade some of the extra picks for them.

nice guy...not nice guy...who cares? end of the day, he isnt playing right now.
- LetsGoIsles

Just saying that the assertion that he's a bad lockeroom guy is false. He was named an assistant captain in Minnesota and San Jose. He's been a Captain. The only thing that's earned him this personality reputation was that he demanded to be traded from Ottawa and his infamous DUI issue.

I would think Hiller would want at least $5-5.5 million...I would talk to Toronto for Riemer and Franson and trade some of the extra picks for them.
- kear20

Tough call...he's making $4.5

Cappy coming back cannot be a reason to stick a rookie in a top line role. His coming back cannot be an excuse for not adding as much talent as possible either.

As for a forward not being a big need, I disagree. In light of losing both Vanek and Moulson, I think a top line forward is a big need. It's not our BIGGEST need, but we're talking about our best option for our top line LW being a kid who has 24 games of NHL experience...that doesn't sound like a sturdy choice.

If we are to believe that Snow will be aggressive for the first time ever, we have to consider who is available and at what price.
Truth be told, there are no true top pairing dmen out there...I see plenty of second pairing guys...so let's say Orkpik gets signed.
Then we sign a goalie like Halak. How much have we spent then...$7mil?
Considering that we're presently at $47mil for next year and only $29 mil the following year, I think even in our typical Islander cheapness, we have room for aggressive expansion.
I don't think throwing another $5.5 at Heatley would be a terrible move in that case. That still has us over $12 million below the cap for next season.
- keaner17

But it IS a good reason for all of us to stick a knife in our necks, tho.

Strange though that none of these lockerrooms call him a horrible lockeroom guy. In fact, one of the players on the Wild has been outspoken in saying how professional he's been.

Heatley, 33, who ranks 12th among active NHLers with 372 regular-season goals, has impressed teammates with how professional he has been the past few weeks.

“For a guy that’s done what he’s done in his career and has accomplished more than most of us in here and probably 95 percent of the guys in this league, it’s got to be tough to be filtered out of the lineup,” defenseman Clayton Stoner said. “But he says as long as we’re winning, he’s happy. That’s the type of attitude that you expect from one of your leaders.”

Heatley has shown no outward signs of moping or being a distraction.

“Trust me, yeah, it stinks. Of course, you want to play,” Heatley said. “I love playing in the playoffs. I think this is going to be a good series, I think this is going to be a fun series and you want to be a part of it. But at the same time,
- keaner17[coach Mike Yeo’s] putting the lineup in that he feels gives us the best chance to win.”

Of course they are gonna say that.. What happens in the locker room stays there. Character matters... Isles are big on that.. Don't think he will be an option also for the fact that he is a BAD hockey player right now. Like i said I have no issues bringing In legit talent but I don't want another fix me up blocking these kids. These kids played well by themselves with our top forwards out..let's see how they fair in camp with some talent around them.

But it IS a good reason for all of us to stick a knife in our necks, tho.
- jmo16