I don’t think their style of play dictates whether they were contenders or not imo. They were right there. You can say they over performed and played a particular style but if they beat Tampa they had a pretty good shot at winning the cup. Lou deserves all the credit in the world for hiring Barry which is the reason why they were right there. Boring or not they were contenders imo. Also, I didn’t find it boring. They put on a clinic. I thought it was entertaining as hell.
- Cptmjl

Barry was a great hire and they all bought in. But the 2020 ECF team had Leddy, Boychuk and Toews. Leddy and Boychuk were great for the isles but are they a top pair on a contending team? The rosters have been and continue to be inferior. They implemented the neutral zone trap to combat the lack of talent. The top goal scorer was Brock Nelson with 26, and he was their 2nd line. Hence pretenders.

Barry was a great hire and they all bought in. But the 2020 ECF team had Leddy, Boychuk and Toews. Leddy and Boychuk were great for the isles but are they a top pair on a contending team? The rosters have been and continue to be inferior. They implemented the neutral zone trap to combat the lack of talent. The top goal scorer was Brock Nelson with 26, and he was their 2nd line. Hence pretenders.
- kindlyrick

Yeah I get it on paper they weren’t exactly awe inspiring but the reality is if they beat Tampa they could’ve won the cup. They were two goals away from the finals. I’ll add they had a really good shot at the cup. The problem was Barry being stubborn with pulling Leo off the top line at least in intervals. It was like he was trying to make a point. The guys defensive game wasn’t even that great especially against a fast Tampa team.

Agreed on all. I think Dobson will bounce back. If they draft Schaefer, they have a legitimate top pair.
- kindlyrick

Yeah I’ve been saying all along I wouldn’t trade Dobson. Guy is in a contract year anyway you aren’t getting crap for his rights. Try to sign him to a bridge deal and hope for the best.

Yeah I get it on paper they weren’t exactly awe inspiring but the reality is if they beat Tampa they could’ve won the cup. I’ll add they had a really good shot at the cup. The problem was Barry being stubborn with pulling Leo off the top line at least in intervals. It was like he was trying to make a point. The guys defensive game wasn’t even that great especially against a fast Tampa team.
- Cptmjl

Yeah I totally get what you’re saying. If they beat Tampa maybe they win the cup, but the reality is they were outmatched. The top guys on Tampa are part of the leagues elite. The isles were rolling Brassard, Komarov, and Bailey. The isles were built to win 2-1 games. They were defensively great, but when you have Kucherov, Point, Gourde, Stamkos, Hedman, Sergachev etc it’s tough to keep them to 1 goal. That’s a potent PP. The isles were hoping Bailey could make his twice a year sick pass to lead to a PP goal.

Yeah I’ve been saying all along I wouldn’t trade Dobson. Guy is in a contract year anyway you aren’t getting crap for his rights. Try to sign him to a bridge deal and hope for the best.
- Cptmjl

You can’t trade Dobson. It would be a big mistake imho. He’s looked great for Canada. I say draft Schaefer and let them pair up for the next 10 years.

Question, what is the feeling concerning the current prospects making the big club next season or should they play in the AHL first. Does it make more sense for them to at least start in Bridgeport? Also, the prospects that are current in college. Does it make sense for them to stay another year for development.

You can’t trade Dobson. It would be a big mistake imho. He’s looked great for Canada. I say draft Schaefer and let them pair up for the next 10 years.
- kindlyrick

The only reason I trade Dobson is if he holds out for some unreasonable amount of money. Even then I try to sign him then trade him. We’re essentially trading his rights at this point which amounts to nothing. It would be terrible asset management. I was totally against trading him at the TDL also. He had a down year. Young defenseman have them. Hope to get him signed to at least a semi reasonable deal. Last season didn’t exactly help him or his agents cause.

Question, what is the feeling concerning the current prospects making the big club next season or should they play in the AHL first. Does it make more sense for them to at least start in Bridgeport? Also, the prospects that are current in college. Does it make sense for them to stay another year for development.
- Nfdbulldawg

In terms of actual prospects? George should, and likely will be, the only one that gets a shot at making the roster. Bottom pair LHD is really the only spot on the blueline that there will be any competition for.

In terms of anyone from Bridgeport, I could maybe see a guy like Foudy getting a chance on the 4th line/13th forward. Adam Beckman seems to have had a decent AHL career with 23 games of NHL experience, that one might not totally shock me either but I don't know much about him. Clearly not much talent in Bridgeport.

As far as the college guys, everyone needs to return. Quinn Finley should sign after next year, otherwise they risk losing him as a UFA if he goes back to school the year after.

The only reason I trade Dobson is if he holds out for some unreasonable amount of money. Even then I try to sign him then trade him. We’re essentially trading his rights at this point which amounts to nothing. It would be terrible asset management. I was totally against trading him at the TDL also. He had a down year. Young defenseman have them. Hope to get him signed to at least a semi reasonable deal. Last season didn’t exactly help him or his agents cause.
- Cptmjl

The problem with Dobson is that they literally have nobody on the right side. Pulock is deteriorating and Mayfield is poop. They have absolutely zero RHD prospects coming. They would have to know that they could bring back DeAngelo to fill the roster out, if they moved Dobson.

The more I've thought about moving Dobson, the less I like it. He had his struggles this season but there is a lot of talent there and he's still only 25.

The only reason I trade Dobson is if he holds out for some unreasonable amount of money. Even then I try to sign him then trade him. We’re essentially trading his rights at this point which amounts to nothing. It would be terrible asset management. I was totally against trading him at the TDL also. He had a down year. Young defenseman have them. Hope to get him signed to at least a semi reasonable deal. Last season didn’t exactly help him or his agents cause.
- Cptmjl

Agreed….i don’t think he can command ridiculous money after last season.

From Staple:

The New York Islanders will fill their vacant general manager job. At this point, that’s about all we can be certain of.

A process that seemed to be moving along fluidly now… isn’t, according to sources around the league. And the prospect of principal owner Scott Malkin keeping Lou Lamoriello on beyond June 30, when Lamoriello’s contract as president and GM expires, looms over the search.

Malkin and co-owners Jon Ledecky, John Collins and Oliver Haarmann — a league source indicated that Haarmann has been involved in this process of finding a new GM, along with the other three — have not necessarily widened the search that began three weeks ago, but the list of highly desired candidates seems to have dwindled.

Here’s a few bullet points on what I’ve learned in the past week and where this might be headed:

• Ken Holland was the Islanders’ top choice to sign on as president and/or GM, but sources said he is talking to the Los Angeles Kings about their vacant GM job. The Islanders likely would have given Holland the dual title that Lamoriello holds, but Holland may prefer to stay out west, closer to family. The Kings, who lost for a fourth year in a row to the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the playoffs (Holland’s former team), are thought by many people around the league to be better situated for a new GM than the Islanders, whose front office and roster are in need of bigger repairs than L.A.

If Holland doesn’t get the Kings job, I don’t think he’s closed the door entirely on the Islanders, but it seems an unlikely pairing at the moment.

• The Islanders ownership group had keen interest in talking to Montreal Canadiens vice president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton, but that won’t be happening, as colleague Pierre LeBrun reported last week. Gorton and the Canadiens are happy with their situation. Had he been available, Gorton was likely the Islanders’ top choice over Holland.

• According to sources and reports, Kings adviser and former Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin, former Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekäläinen and Tampa Bay Lightning assistant GM Mathieu Darche are in the mix and could be holding interviews with the Islanders this week. Bergevin is a candidate for the Kings job, but if he loses out to Holland, he would be near the top of the Isles’ wish list.

• Leafs president Brendan Shanahan still has no extension in place, but the Islanders are not interested in bringing Shanahan in at the moment. LeBrun reported that the Islanders may be waiting on a couple of potential candidates whose seasons aren’t over yet, but that doesn’t apply to Shanahan.

• The wrinkle in all these machinations is Lamoriello. A league source said last week that Malkin, who has the final say on this hire, hopes to keep Lamoriello on in some capacity. Most likely that would be as an adviser to whoever takes the GM job. If the Islanders had gotten Holland to say yes or gotten to pitch Gorton, those two would have taken both titles that Lamoriello currently holds, so that wouldn’t have left room for the 82-year-old to stay on.

However, now that the Islanders are talking to candidates who they might not see holding both jobs, a spot for Lamoriello might make sense for Malkin. That may not make as much sense for a potential GM — as one executive with another team, who is not an Islanders candidate, said last week: “That’s Lou’s team. It’s going to be tough to make it your own with him still there.”

Other potential issues with Lamoriello remaining in the Islanders front office are whether a new GM wants to replace AGMs Chris Lamoriello, Lou’s son, or Steve Pellegrini, as well as any of the scouting and development staff that Lamoriello has overseen for seven years, as well as what to do with coach Patrick Roy, who has three years left on his contract.

Lamoriello gave Roy that three-year extension after the 2023-24 season, and Malkin and Co. may not want to pay Roy to go away just yet. That could take another decision out of a new GM’s hands.

Lamoriello has advised dozens of GMs in an unofficial way over the years. He’s almost always the first fellow GM to reach out when a first-time executive takes over another team, offering support and advice. If he were joining a new team in an advisory role, it would be ideal; here, though, it’s pretty fraught and could be a reason this job is still available after three weeks, including a week in which the Islanders won the draft lottery.

Looks like the Islanders are going to Islanders this poop out of this

From Staple:

The New York Islanders will fill their vacant general manager job. At this point, that’s about all we can be certain of.

A process that seemed to be moving along fluidly now… isn’t, according to sources around the league. And the prospect of principal owner Scott Malkin keeping Lou Lamoriello on beyond June 30, when Lamoriello’s contract as president and GM expires, looms over the search.

Malkin and co-owners Jon Ledecky, John Collins and Oliver Haarmann — a league source indicated that Haarmann has been involved in this process of finding a new GM, along with the other three — have not necessarily widened the search that began three weeks ago, but the list of highly desired candidates seems to have dwindled.

Here’s a few bullet points on what I’ve learned in the past week and where this might be headed:

• Ken Holland was the Islanders’ top choice to sign on as president and/or GM, but sources said he is talking to the Los Angeles Kings about their vacant GM job. The Islanders likely would have given Holland the dual title that Lamoriello holds, but Holland may prefer to stay out west, closer to family. The Kings, who lost for a fourth year in a row to the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the playoffs (Holland’s former team), are thought by many people around the league to be better situated for a new GM than the Islanders, whose front office and roster are in need of bigger repairs than L.A.

If Holland doesn’t get the Kings job, I don’t think he’s closed the door entirely on the Islanders, but it seems an unlikely pairing at the moment.

• The Islanders ownership group had keen interest in talking to Montreal Canadiens vice president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton, but that won’t be happening, as colleague Pierre LeBrun reported last week. Gorton and the Canadiens are happy with their situation. Had he been available, Gorton was likely the Islanders’ top choice over Holland.

• According to sources and reports, Kings adviser and former Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin, former Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekäläinen and Tampa Bay Lightning assistant GM Mathieu Darche are in the mix and could be holding interviews with the Islanders this week. Bergevin is a candidate for the Kings job, but if he loses out to Holland, he would be near the top of the Isles’ wish list.

• Leafs president Brendan Shanahan still has no extension in place, but the Islanders are not interested in bringing Shanahan in at the moment. LeBrun reported that the Islanders may be waiting on a couple of potential candidates whose seasons aren’t over yet, but that doesn’t apply to Shanahan.

• The wrinkle in all these machinations is Lamoriello. A league source said last week that Malkin, who has the final say on this hire, hopes to keep Lamoriello on in some capacity. Most likely that would be as an adviser to whoever takes the GM job. If the Islanders had gotten Holland to say yes or gotten to pitch Gorton, those two would have taken both titles that Lamoriello currently holds, so that wouldn’t have left room for the 82-year-old to stay on.

However, now that the Islanders are talking to candidates who they might not see holding both jobs, a spot for Lamoriello might make sense for Malkin. That may not make as much sense for a potential GM — as one executive with another team, who is not an Islanders candidate, said last week: “That’s Lou’s team. It’s going to be tough to make it your own with him still there.”

Other potential issues with Lamoriello remaining in the Islanders front office are whether a new GM wants to replace AGMs Chris Lamoriello, Lou’s son, or Steve Pellegrini, as well as any of the scouting and development staff that Lamoriello has overseen for seven years, as well as what to do with coach Patrick Roy, who has three years left on his contract.

Lamoriello gave Roy that three-year extension after the 2023-24 season, and Malkin and Co. may not want to pay Roy to go away just yet. That could take another decision out of a new GM’s hands.

Lamoriello has advised dozens of GMs in an unofficial way over the years. He’s almost always the first fellow GM to reach out when a first-time executive takes over another team, offering support and advice. If he were joining a new team in an advisory role, it would be ideal; here, though, it’s pretty fraught and could be a reason this job is still available after three weeks, including a week in which the Islanders won the draft lottery.

Looks like the Islanders are going to Islanders this poop out of this
- Gabe Athaus

If this is true(any of it) I’d be shocked if they find anyone. It’s (frank)ing ridiculous that they want to keep Lou on and I doubt any perspective GM wants their hands tied in anyway with some the stuff being reported by staple. These guys could potentially female dog this at the worst time possible.

If this is true(any of it) I’d be shocked if they find anyone. It’s (frank)ing ridiculous that they want to keep Lou on and I doubt any perspective GM wants their hands tied in anyway with some the stuff being reported by staple. These guys could potentially female dog this at the worst time possible.
- Cptmjl

Complete cluster(frank). They're erasing every ounce of goodwill they earned with fans for, seemingly, doing the right thing and getting rid of Lamoriello. Now he's going to hang around in some sort of horsepoop "adviser" role.

Stealing Botta's point here, but if they hire a new GM and keep Lou on and we don't see Chris Lamoriello or any of Lou's hires let go then we'll know exactly how much influence his "advising" has.

They're (frank)ing this up out of the gate

From Staple:

The New York Islanders will fill their vacant general manager job. At this point, that’s about all we can be certain of.

A process that seemed to be moving along fluidly now… isn’t, according to sources around the league. And the prospect of principal owner Scott Malkin keeping Lou Lamoriello on beyond June 30, when Lamoriello’s contract as president and GM expires, looms over the search.

Malkin and co-owners Jon Ledecky, John Collins and Oliver Haarmann — a league source indicated that Haarmann has been involved in this process of finding a new GM, along with the other three — have not necessarily widened the search that began three weeks ago, but the list of highly desired candidates seems to have dwindled.

Here’s a few bullet points on what I’ve learned in the past week and where this might be headed:

• Ken Holland was the Islanders’ top choice to sign on as president and/or GM, but sources said he is talking to the Los Angeles Kings about their vacant GM job. The Islanders likely would have given Holland the dual title that Lamoriello holds, but Holland may prefer to stay out west, closer to family. The Kings, who lost for a fourth year in a row to the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the playoffs (Holland’s former team), are thought by many people around the league to be better situated for a new GM than the Islanders, whose front office and roster are in need of bigger repairs than L.A.

If Holland doesn’t get the Kings job, I don’t think he’s closed the door entirely on the Islanders, but it seems an unlikely pairing at the moment.

• The Islanders ownership group had keen interest in talking to Montreal Canadiens vice president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton, but that won’t be happening, as colleague Pierre LeBrun reported last week. Gorton and the Canadiens are happy with their situation. Had he been available, Gorton was likely the Islanders’ top choice over Holland.

• According to sources and reports, Kings adviser and former Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin, former Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekäläinen and Tampa Bay Lightning assistant GM Mathieu Darche are in the mix and could be holding interviews with the Islanders this week. Bergevin is a candidate for the Kings job, but if he loses out to Holland, he would be near the top of the Isles’ wish list.

• Leafs president Brendan Shanahan still has no extension in place, but the Islanders are not interested in bringing Shanahan in at the moment. LeBrun reported that the Islanders may be waiting on a couple of potential candidates whose seasons aren’t over yet, but that doesn’t apply to Shanahan.

• The wrinkle in all these machinations is Lamoriello. A league source said last week that Malkin, who has the final say on this hire, hopes to keep Lamoriello on in some capacity. Most likely that would be as an adviser to whoever takes the GM job. If the Islanders had gotten Holland to say yes or gotten to pitch Gorton, those two would have taken both titles that Lamoriello currently holds, so that wouldn’t have left room for the 82-year-old to stay on.

However, now that the Islanders are talking to candidates who they might not see holding both jobs, a spot for Lamoriello might make sense for Malkin. That may not make as much sense for a potential GM — as one executive with another team, who is not an Islanders candidate, said last week: “That’s Lou’s team. It’s going to be tough to make it your own with him still there.”

Other potential issues with Lamoriello remaining in the Islanders front office are whether a new GM wants to replace AGMs Chris Lamoriello, Lou’s son, or Steve Pellegrini, as well as any of the scouting and development staff that Lamoriello has overseen for seven years, as well as what to do with coach Patrick Roy, who has three years left on his contract.

Lamoriello gave Roy that three-year extension after the 2023-24 season, and Malkin and Co. may not want to pay Roy to go away just yet. That could take another decision out of a new GM’s hands.

Lamoriello has advised dozens of GMs in an unofficial way over the years. He’s almost always the first fellow GM to reach out when a first-time executive takes over another team, offering support and advice. If he were joining a new team in an advisory role, it would be ideal; here, though, it’s pretty fraught and could be a reason this job is still available after three weeks, including a week in which the Islanders won the draft lottery.

Looks like the Islanders are going to Islanders this poop out of this
- Gabe Athaus

I’m not sure why they didn’t announce him staying on when they announced he wasn’t being re newed. Keeping Lou Lam on as an advisor screams Plan C. Im shocked, but I’m not. Malkin having the final say being silent majority while NEVER addressing fans is a bad situation.
Here’s a thought……why aren’t they asking their GMs who they’re interviewing who they’d like to work with as president. Why wouldn’t you bounce off the GM hire his (or her) opinion as to who they’ve seen in their league who would be a good fit? Hanging on to Lou at this point is desperate, and it doesn’t need to be.

Complete cluster(frank). They're erasing every ounce of goodwill they earned with fans for, seemingly, doing the right thing and getting rid of Lamoriello. Now he's going to hang around in some sort of horsepoop "adviser" role.

Stealing Botta's point here, but if they hire a new GM and keep Lou on and we don't see Chris Lamoriello or any of Lou's hires let go then we'll know exactly how much influence his "advising" has.

They're (frank)ing this up out of the gate
- Gabe Athaus

Said last week when this first came to light if Lou stays his kid stays. Rewarding bad behavior is never a good business plan.

I’m not sure why they didn’t announce him staying on when they announced he wasn’t being re newed. Keeping Lou Lam on as an advisor screams Plan C. Im shocked, but I’m not. Malkin having the final say being silent majority while NEVER addressing fans is a bad situation.
Here’s a thought……why aren’t they asking their GMs who they’re interviewing who they’d like to work with as president. Why wouldn’t you bounce off the GM hire his (or her) opinion as to who they’ve seen in their league who would be a good fit? Hanging on to Lou at this point is desperate, and it doesn’t need to be.
- kindlyrick

Bringing in a first-time GM and then leaving Lamoriello looming over him in any capacity is just setting that guy up for failure. There is an inherent power dynamic with guy like Lou and expecting a first-timer to fire his son/un-do a lot of his failures/etc... with him still on the payroll is a titanically stupid and dysfunctional idea.

Bringing in a first-time GM and then leaving Lamoriello looming over him in any capacity is just setting that guy up for failure. There is an inherent power dynamic with guy like Lou and expecting a first-timer to fire his son/un-do a lot of his failures/etc... with him still on the payroll is a titanically stupid and dysfunctional idea.
- Gabe Athaus

I guess until it happens it didn’t happen, but Botta said something about “if staple is reporting it, he isn’t guessing, he calls the team to bring the story to them and they either say, yes or we can’t comment”. Clearly he got some sort of information confirming it enough to print it. 🤷‍♂️

It's funny that Staple initially reported the anonymously sourced info about keeping Lou, and now Staple reports that his own anonymously sourced report is the biggest sticking point in the process...according to anonymous sources.

To be clear, all of this could actually be things he's hearing (although "league sources" can be anyone, from people keen on landing the very people the Isles are interviewing...or just someone who maintains a team website). It might all even be true. But he's written how many articles on this now, and there are no named sources, or even anonymous ones identified as working for, being connected to, or even familiar with, the Islanders. I don't even see in this latest article where he reached out to the Islanders to get the standard "no comment," which is kind of basic journalism.

I'll be just as mad as all of you if it all turns out to be true. But I'll wait for sharper reporting before setting my hair on fire.

The best will be when all of the other "in the know" hockey media people start repeating all of this, citing nothing more than Staple's dodgy reporting, and then go on to analyze the "why" and "what people must be thinking."

In terms of actual prospects? George should, and likely will be, the only one that gets a shot at making the roster. Bottom pair LHD is really the only spot on the blueline that there will be any competition for.

In terms of anyone from Bridgeport, I could maybe see a guy like Foudy getting a chance on the 4th line/13th forward. Adam Beckman seems to have had a decent AHL career with 23 games of NHL experience, that one might not totally shock me either but I don't know much about him. Clearly not much talent in Bridgeport.

As far as the college guys, everyone needs to return. Quinn Finley should sign after next year, otherwise they risk losing him as a UFA if he goes back to school the year after.
- Gabe Athaus

Well to be honest I was not thinking of anyone currently on the AHL team. Except maybe George. I was looking at Finley, Nelson, Eiserman, Ritchie, soon to be Schaefer.

Arthur Staple
@StapeAthletic
·
2h
Updated with:

-- #Isles source saying "no plan" for Lamoriello to advise the next GM
-- Still possibility LL stays on as advisor to ownership
-- That could still complicate the search
-- Stay tuned

My God, the first bullet followed immediately by the next one still trying to prop up the "bombshell" is just pure art (and not Staple's first name).

Good to see it dawned on him to get a comment from the Isles, though!

Arthur Staple
@StapeAthletic
·
2h
Updated with:

-- #Isles source saying "no plan" for Lamoriello to advise the next GM
-- Still possibility LL stays on as advisor to ownership
-- That could still complicate the search
-- Stay tuned

My God, the first bullet followed immediately by the next one still trying to prop up the "bombshell" is just pure art (and not Staple's first name).

Good to see it dawned on him to get a comment from the Isles, though!
- UIF

Jesus, the guy is all over the place.

Jesus, the guy is all over the place.

- PeteM

Stay tuned!

Jesus, the guy is all over the place.

- PeteM

Partly out of boredom, I'm gonna stick up for Dracula........er, I mean Staple.

He may be all over the place, because the owners are all over the place. L & M have limited experience with this sort of hire. (Collins is supposed to be the hockey maven among the three, but that's a low bar.) Lou L. fell in their lap when they decided to can Snow. When the initial, targeted guys did not work out, they may have been floundering a bit. Meanwhile, Lou is still on the payroll, so why not seek his input? If they found his opinion useful, they may have had 2nd thoughts about cutting ties completely with him.

Add to that, these guys learned from Lou to be tight-lipped, so Staple is having trouble completing his stories anyway.

Lest anyone think otherwise, I am NOT in favor of keeping Lou on in any capacity. But I could imagine a situation where Staple is accurately reporting a changing storyline.

Partly out of boredom, I'm gonna stick up for Dracula........er, I mean Staple.

He may be all over the place, because the owners are all over the place. L & M have limited experience with this sort of hire. (Collins is supposed to be the hockey maven among the three, but that's a low bar.) Lou L. fell in their lap when they decided to can Snow. When the initial, targeted guys did not work out, they may have been floundering a bit. Meanwhile, Lou is still on the payroll, so why not seek his input? If they found his opinion useful, they may have had 2nd thoughts about cutting ties completely with him.

Add to that, these guys learned from Lou to be tight-lipped, so Staple is having trouble completing his stories anyway.

Lest anyone think otherwise, I am NOT in favor of keeping Lou on in any capacity. But I could imagine a situation where Staple is accurately reporting a changing storyline.
- JohnScammo

Who's to say for sure who the initial targeted guys are/were? It's what we've read, and certainly seems more plausible to me than the "Isles are keeping Lou around" talk, but I don't know if anyone's confirmed for sure that the Isles definitely were dead set on Holland, let alone that they're scrambling now for not landing him. Maybe he was just one option, or not. For all we know, they're simply waiting to speak to someone they have their sights on whose season is still going on, and reports about indecision and second-guessing are just reporters on deadline filling the void.

There's recent precedent for something similar...it wasn't long ago we had reporters...including our beat writer at the time Kevin Kurz...insisting the Isles were all in on Gaudreau (RIP), and that the Isles were then left scrambling when he signed with Columbus ("Now, it will be up to Lamoriello to turn to Plan B, whatever that might be, as a whole bunch of potential Plan Bs are already gone" is how Kurz wrote it in the very same Athletic at the time). We then found out fans were booing the guy for no reason when he revealed the Isles had never even made him an offer.

it's all a bunch of fun "what ifs" to talk about, but doesn't anyone else find it strange that the talk now is the job is a tough sell when, like, a week before that line emerged the same hockey media was talking about how many potential candidates there were and how the job was a hot ticket?