To hell with your, um...face.
- eichiefs9

YEAH!?!?? WELL..........


YOUR FACE!

That guy can make anyone look like a star...hence Moulson.
- stashu

He does have that quality for sure but Vanek and him had some undeniable chemistry. Thought that one thing may get him to sign with us. They were one of the best lines I've seen on this team in a long time. Probably worked out for the better in hind sight.

YEAH!?!?? WELL..........


YOUR FACE!
- stashu

Reported.

Enjoy your ban.

He does have that quality for sure but Vanek and him had some undeniable chemistry. Thought that one thing may get him to sign with us. They were one of the best lines I've seen on this team in a long time. Probably worked out for the better in hind sight.
- Cptmjl

Agree
Probably best since
Derek King - Pierre Turgeon - Steve Thomas

He does have that quality for sure but Vanek and him had some undeniable chemistry. Thought that one thing may get him to sign with us. They were one of the best lines I've seen on this team in a long time. Probably worked out for the better in hind sight.
- Cptmjl

I always had beer goggles on for Vanek, but now hearing multiple teams complain about his effort has made me lose some of that love.

I think the man has amazing skill and think him with Tavares would have made that line a bear to play against. They could probably have then moved another top talent to the 2nd line to make that line more deadly and play a skilled but not high end type on the other side of Vanek and Tavares....

What could have been...

Reported.

Enjoy your ban.
- eichiefs9

Agree
Probably best since
Derek King - Pierre Turgeon - Steve Thomas
- btbossman

- stashu

Agree
Probably best since
Derek King - Pierre Turgeon - Steve Thomas
- btbossman

That magical line was together for all of 2 season.. then The worst GM ever traded them off one by one.

Thanks Don!!! You bumhole!

XxNYIxX

Not true on the haven't won anything since the lockout. See the first two years after. That comment shouldn't be made from inside of a glass house. I was just jabbing some good fun into a brutal august waiting for hockey.

Islanders will be good if they find D or have D step up. Johnny T has some good bloodlines and his uncle is a God in the lacrosse world around buffalo. Probably my favorite player 80 games out of the year (minus the 2 he plays against buffalo).

Current team that you guys have will be good enough to be on the bubble for sure. Lottery team if the injury bug happens. In my eyes, buffalo signed themselves out of last place. They went all defense and proven defense. Meszaros and gorges are considerable upgrades to tallinder and that other turd who I can not remember while typing this. Offensively they replaced vanek with able bodies that will play defense And create turnovers, in turn scoring chances hopefully. I was hurt with parting ways with vanek but that passed. There is no way they score as little as last year. Give up more goals most likely, but scoring garbage goals should be there. Stafford is in a contract year and when he wants to play he puts his big boy pants on dramatically.


So good luck and let's get the season started. No big hopes on this end other than to see some good fights and drink some beer.
- badgermilk

Sabres fan here and when you say look at the two years after, well that was the second lockout ago. The latest lockout saw the Sabres win basically nothing (barely any regular season games, haha). I understand that this is a hard rebuild done correctly, so I am ok with it. I don't think Sabres fans can talk that much about our team since it is not guaranteed by any means.

I do think the Islanders are much better off this season than last. Only time will tell if that is true, but it does point to them making the playoffs this year.

Sabres fan here and when you say look at the two years after, well that was the second lockout ago. The latest lockout saw the Sabres win basically nothing (barely any regular season games, haha). I understand that this is a hard rebuild done correctly, so I am ok with it. I don't think Sabres fans can talk that much about our team since it is not guaranteed by any means.

I do think the Islanders are much better off this season than last. Only time will tell if that is true, but it does point to them making the playoffs this year.
- Lilroot9

Isles will be a playoff team. Adding halak and not playing Pulin is an added 15 points off the bat.

Isles will be a playoff team. Adding halak and not playing Pulin is an added 15 points off the bat.
- mighty13duck

I agree with you, but injuries / player with a bad year can change a season, fast. They should make the playoffs, but it has not 100%. Very interested in how the team meshes together this year, while hoping for them to implode, haha. I will root for the Islanders next year, cause I do like that team, but this year it is against my best interest, haha, sorry.

Not for nothing but I wouldn't put too much stock into what BD says. Same guy who said BK wouldn't happen and also that Wang wasn't selling anytime soon and then boom less then a month later he was in spin mode after the sale broke. Does he know some people? Probably but history has shown he is not fully in the loop. nowhere close is more like it.
- Vukota

I love the "facts" here. I said BK wouldn't happen in years before, which was my opinion as a Brooklynite in my time as a kid and then again when i was in college.

Who had Brooklyn aggressively going after Wang in CBS Sports 6 months before they signed the dotted line though?

Who told you Garth would not stand pat and they would be aggressive and spend ... though everyone was convinced of the opposite. *Wang is cheap...yadda yadda yadda"

Wang: yes, wrong on sale soon. I was told it would take longer. But who told the world that Barroway wasn't the guy. Who is the ONLY person to actually mention in the middle of everyone saying there was a done deal that there was a 2nd suitor now in the mix? Something Botta repeated as he tried to extract himself into the hole he put himself in. It was me vs rumors and who was right in the end.

You can pick out one element bc in the end, can't get them all, but fact is nobody else, including Newsday, provided important missing pieces and gave it long before it ever made a mainstream site. And newsday only gets it when the Isles media dept decide to hand the info over.

Be fickle, but at least look at the entire picture.

He's a sharp guy, he's just too bitter and angry for me. I think his doom-and-gloom pieces are generally overblown and that's why I stopped caring what he had to say. And the arrogance is obnoxious.
- eichiefs9

Now that I can agree with.

But I think you guys tend to get that doom and gloom bc most of the time I'm pulling people back from believing some pile of horse manure. I have gotten impatient with a lack of logic and common sense in general. So point taken.

Best,
BD

I unfollowed him on twitter about 85% for those reasons and about 15% because I did not give a rat's ass about viewing pictures of his cigars and craft beers.
- eichiefs9

Now this hurts my feelings.

As a general note, I feel its important as someone on twitter to also be of a personal nature than just pure hockey. Just FYI. Different strokes for different folks.

Source for one item was former owner who has been through the hockey process who didn't want to be quoted. I run into this a lot when its a blog that they try to take advantage by not having to be quoted so to be attached to a certain situation or team.

Source for those familiar with Ledecky and Malkin is a 20 yr vet of NHL orgs who knows both of them. This is a top brass type, not just an underling.

In fact all my sources are 100% real. Otherwise i wouldn't waste anyones time, and certainly my own. But very often they need protection or thats the only way they will let me use the info. I view the info more important than anything else. So therefore, thats why they are unnamed. Wish they didn't have to be, but c'est la vie.

I view it as making sure pertinent info is heard/read, even if it does make me look like a "anonymous sources" guy. If i wanted popularity or clicks... id do better just doing things that people want to be the case or want to hear. I can't. I feel that my role is to inform, even if it makes me the bad guy. And even when those sources or i am wrong.

Oh...

and nice piece Dan.

Best,
BD

Now this hurts my feelings.

As a general note, I feel its important as someone on twitter to also be of a personal nature than just pure hockey. Just FYI. Different strokes for different folks.

Source for one item was former owner who has been through the hockey process who didn't want to be quoted. I run into this a lot when its a blog that they try to take advantage by not having to be quoted so to be attached to a certain situation or team.

Source for those familiar with Ledecky and Malkin is a 20 yr vet of NHL orgs who knows both of them. This is a top brass type, not just an underling.

In fact all my sources are 100% real. Otherwise i wouldn't waste anyones time, and certainly my own. But very often they need protection or thats the only way they will let me use the info. I view the info more important than anything else. So therefore, thats why they are unnamed. Wish they didn't have to be, but c'est la vie.

I view it as making sure pertinent info is heard/read, even if it does make me look like a "anonymous sources" guy. If i wanted popularity or clicks... id do better just doing things that people want to be the case or want to hear. I can't. I feel that my role is to inform, even if it makes me the bad guy. And even when those sources or i am wrong.
- B.D. Gallof

I think that says it all...

Your GA should improve a bit with Halak in net but if your defense let's the opposition continue to do this:


Then you will still be top 5 in GA.

Vancouver to me has to many "if's"

They lost Kesler, but gained Bonino - but hes not on a stacked ducks team
Edler needs to regain form of 2-3yrs ago
Sedins have slowed down and now having injuries
Not so good bottom 6 F

Is there anything different that I might be missing?
- Ur Not Me

Last year the sedins played a lot on the PK as well as being heavily overplayed, they had nothing in the tank after Christmas. I don't expect 80 points but Henrik should get 70 and Daniel should return to 20 goals. Their defense wasn't good either last year and should be better this year

Your GA should improve a bit with Halak in net but if your defense let's the opposition continue to do this:


Then you will still be top 5 in GA.
- rangerdanger94

First goal I've seen by Nash in a while! Oh the regular season. How he must miss it

Edit; I believe we won that game didn't we?

I love the "facts" here. I said BK wouldn't happen in years before, which was my opinion as a Brooklynite in my time as a kid and then again when i was in college.

Who had Brooklyn aggressively going after Wang in CBS Sports 6 months before they signed the dotted line though?

Who told you Garth would not stand pat and they would be aggressive and spend ... though everyone was convinced of the opposite. *Wang is cheap...yadda yadda yadda"

Wang: yes, wrong on sale soon. I was told it would take longer. But who told the world that Barroway wasn't the guy. Who is the ONLY person to actually mention in the middle of everyone saying there was a done deal that there was a 2nd suitor now in the mix? Something Botta repeated as he tried to extract himself into the hole he put himself in. It was me vs rumors and who was right in the end.

You can pick out one element bc in the end, can't get them all, but fact is nobody else, including Newsday, provided important missing pieces and gave it long before it ever made a mainstream site. And newsday only gets it when the Isles media dept decide to hand the info over.

Be fickle, but at least look at the entire picture.
- B.D. Gallof

1. Exactly an opinion which you like to push on others as facts. So when other fans post their so called opinion you talk down to them like they have no idea what they're talking about.

2. A team 15 million under the cap or whatever number it is of course they are going to spend. Don't need "sources" for that. Again when you say everyone who are you speaking for? You have a tough time differentiating between some fans and all fans.

3. So your source was wrong then? Which leads me back to the original post of mocking others when they get excited hearing rumors and you respond with snide remarks like "Go enjoy your summer because nothing is happening on the sale front anytime soon" and then bang the sale is announced.

My point is you're condescending towards others when their opinion doesn't jive with yours and you take this approach that you're in the loop when in reality your not because if Wang himself has no idea what he is going to do next then how the hell could you be so sure what he is going to do? Do you know people sure you probably do, but for christ sakes lets stop the act of you know everything and we're clueless and have no idea what we're talking about routine. It's old buddy.

First goal I've seen by Nash in a while! Oh the regular season. How he must miss it

Edit; I believe we won that game didn't we?
- Cptmjl

Obviously it was the regular season...it was against the islanders

And yes I think you did.

1. Exactly an opinion which you like to push on others as facts. So when other fans post their so called opinion you talk down to them like they have no idea what they're talking about.

2. A team 15 million under the cap or whatever number it is of course they are going to spend. Don't need "sources" for that. Again when you say everyone who are you speaking for? You have a tough time differentiating between some fans and all fans.

3. So your source was wrong then? Which leads me back to the original post of mocking others when they get excited hearing rumors and you respond with snide remarks like "Go enjoy your summer because nothing is happening on the sale front anytime soon" and then bang the sale is announced.

My point is you're condescending towards others when their opinion doesn't jive with yours and you take this approach that you're in the loop when in reality your not because if Wang himself has no idea what he is going to do next then how the hell could you be so sure what he is going to do? Do you know people sure you probably do, but for christ sakes lets stop the act of you know everything and we're clueless and have no idea what we're talking about routine. It's old buddy.
- Vukota

Come on man. We all know we aren't. I get all my info from the main thread. That guy is spot on.

Obviously it was the regular season...it was against the islanders

And yes I think you did.
- rangerdanger94

I knew that was coming. It was a weighted risk post.

Your GA should improve a bit with Halak in net but if your defense let's the opposition continue to do this:


Then you will still be top 5 in GA.
- rangerdanger94

This proves how bad Poulin is