for the record this is NYI who posted this and not me NYI78 i haven't written that much since college
- NYI78

You went to college?

"Dipietro was a franchise goaltender" When?
- Cptmjl

When he signed that insane contract.. and then got hurt for 4/5 years in a row.

Ive told you before, they DO read this stuff


XxNYIxX
- XxNYIxX

This has been one heck of a comment section.. BD, insider, couple of arguments... trade rumors from Ibob..getting us Subban. woohoo. Giggidy

yes that would have been much better... and I realize that hindsight is 20/20 and truthfully most on here would have me as a koolaide drinker or Wang/snow Appologist too...the Arena, Politics, etc. are a mess and that is truly not their fault.

but last year was the first time I was actually angry at this team's owner and GM. My reasons for this were 2 fold. The "Vets" we signed did not add to the team. They took away from the team and the "plan". If we played that terrible with our own guys out there on Defense (Haley, Gillies, Rhett, Joensue, etc.).. I could have dealt with that and been OK with it as part of the rebuild, but we signed Pando, Wallace, Staios, etc. These guys were terrible and added nothing to this team. Wallace was supposed to (at the very least) prevent Nino from getting his head beat in... He did not.. He let him get killed shift after shift. I remember shifts where after the whistle he was skating to the bench and JT was screaming at the guy who just buried Nino after the whistle.. Wallace was skating to the bench..WTF.

This goes into my second reason. This team had some grit and toughness that helped them gel the year before with Haley, Zenon Konopka, etc. Those guys on the team helped the young guys know that someone had their back. How does wang/snow/Cap not see his players getting pushed around all over the ice. How does he not see the cheapshots, the after whistle nonsense on the franchise players. The only thing I can think of is Wang does not like fighting in the NHL so refuses to have those players on the team. That is not a good thing for the Islanders.
- niteislander

I know it's been said Wang doesn't like fighting in the game but there was no excuse for assembling the team that we watched last year, you hit the nail on the head. Losing is one thing but losing and watching your young players get their nuts bashed in is a whole other thing. It was painful to watch, they(Snow and Wang) were aware. Not even that tandem could be so dense. Every post game show, every off season plan, write up, discussed the glaring need for toughness on this team. It was never addressed.

When he signed that insane contract.. and then got hurt for 4/5 years in a row.
- niteislander

I don't see how that makes him a "franchise goaltender"? If Snow signed me to a fifteen year contract would that make me a franchise goaltender?

Holy Hell Wow! You my friend take the cake! The last sentence unfortunately means you're nuttier than a jar of Planters. Gotta go! Btw, Botta is a dipshat but his "reports" are on point and pretty dependable. Plus it's completely believable that your great owner and GM would think this was a great idea judging from past history. Have a good night. Time to watch a team doing things the right way! Don't forget to take the blue pill tonight
- Cptmjl

you realize he was just posting a Botta article to discredit CB right? That was not his words but Botta who was talking so highly about Milbury.

I don't see how that makes him a "franchise goaltender"? If Snow signed me to a fifteen year contract would that make me a franchise goaltender?
- Cptmjl

yes actually.

yes actually.
- niteislander

I guess you and I have different ideas about what a franchise goalie is?

you realize he was just posting a Botta article to discredit CB right? That was not his words but Botta who was talking so highly about Milbury.
- niteislander

No I honestly didn't, after reading 3000 other words from him I read bits and pieces of his other posts. I don't think anyone has to discredit Botta, he does it all on his own. He is spot on most of the time with his info I have to say even if he is a douche, maybe even has a better record than incarcerated BOB

I don't see how that makes him a "franchise goaltender"? If Snow signed me to a fifteen year contract would that make me a franchise goaltender?
- Cptmjl

When DP signed that contract I assure you he was a very very elite goaltender and we all assumed He would continue to be one for a long time. It clearly did not work out... but at the time he was the face of our Franchise and one of our best players.

I guess you and I have different ideas about what a franchise goalie is?
- Cptmjl

If you signed a 15 year contract.... I assure you that you would be considered a Franchise goaltender at that time. Whether you lived up to that contract or term is another conversation.

This thread is an abomination.

Sorry I didn't write that in 2,000 words. Are you kidding me?
- potvin05

Lunatic Fringe we know you're out there

I know it's been said Wang doesn't like fighting in the game but there was no excuse for assembling the team that we watched last year, you hit the nail on the head. Losing is one thing but losing and watching your young players get their nuts bashed in is a whole other thing. It was painful to watch, they(Snow and Wang) were aware. Not even that tandem could be so dense. Every post game show, every off season plan, write up, discussed the glaring need for toughness on this team. It was never addressed.
- Cptmjl

This was my biggest issue. I obviously bought in with the rebuild.. the plan.. etc. We have a decent core.. tons of prospects.. tons of cap room... etc. If you have an owner that will not allow the fighters on your team in the NHL.. u will not win.. period. If you are just going to have Matt Martin to fight every battle for you.... your team is toast.

If you signed a 15 year contract.... I assure you that you would be considered a Franchise goaltender at that time. Whether you lived up to that contract or term is another conversation.
- niteislander

I get your point but I don't think many believed he was a franchise goaltender besides Wang and Milbag? Lets not even get into this debate

When DP signed that contract I assure you he was a very very elite goaltender and we all assumed He would continue to be one for a long time. It clearly did not work out... but at the time he was the face of our Franchise and one of our best players.
- niteislander

I don't know if very, very, elite would be and ever was a description for DiPietro? As far as, "us all assuming" he would be here for a long time I think many had their doubts with his style of play. I for one was hopeful he would be an elite goaltender, maybe that would be a more accurate description of what "we all assumed"?

This was my biggest issue. I obviously bought in with the rebuild.. the plan.. etc. We have a decent core.. tons of prospects.. tons of cap room... etc. If you have an owner that will not allow the fighters on your team in the NHL.. u will not win.. period. If you are just going to have Matt Martin to fight every battle for you.... your team is toast.
- niteislander

Agreed, we proved that last year. We needed players that played with an edge and still do. I'm curious if that will be addressed this off season? Thats one thing that even I would be shocked if it wasn't.

Agreed, we proved that last year. We needed players that played with an edge and still do. I'm curious if that will be addressed this off season? Thats one thing that even I would be shocked if it wasn't.
- Cptmjl

At least if we have Haley playing it will give us 2 guys on different lines. If Hamonic is healthy and we add a true top tier D-man that is 2 others.

Lunatic Fringe we know you're out there
- Vukota

Well......being an Islanders fan has to be one characteristic, no?

At least if we have Haley playing it will give us 2 guys on different lines. If Hamonic is healthy and we add a true top tier D-man that is 2 others.
- niteislander

Haley should be a part of this team, him not playing last year for most of the season and calling him up when there was no point was one of the many perplexing things this team has done. He is an effective player. I hope he plays this coming season(if allowed)and is allowed to play "his game". I wonder if he'll make the team only to have Capuano change his style of play? I know its pure specualtion but I wouldn't be overly shocked if this occured. I just can't see them adding a top tier Dman for a multitude of reasons(none of them good). I know this is a broken record with me but I'll believe it when I see it. If it happens than great but Snow has done nothing to make me think he's going to make that happen. In fact I truly believe he won't do much of anything and follow last years plan. I hope more than anyone they prove me wrong.

When DP signed that contract I assure you he was a very very elite goaltender and we all assumed He would continue to be one for a long time. It clearly did not work out... but at the time he was the face of our Franchise and one of our best players.
- niteislander

When he signed the contract, his best season up to then was a .911 save percentage, and he was just coming off a .900 season. I don't call that "very very elite." For some perspective, .911 this year would have put him in a tie with Curtis Sanford for 30th among goalies with 30 or more games played, just behind Semyon Varlamov and just ahead of Nikolai Khabibulin. .900 would have him in a three-way tie for 40th with Ray Emery and James Reimer. In his best year, the season after he signed the contract (.919), he still would not be top-10 this year, let alone very, very elite, which to me means a consistent top-five goaltender in the league. To be in that company this year, he'd need somewhere between .929 and .940, which he has never come close to.

I do agree that in the 06-07 season, he was the face of the franchise and one of, if not our best player. In the second half of that season, before the collision in Montreal, he was playing some very good hockey. But he wasn't a sure bet when he signed the contract. Maybe he could have become elite, but he never put up elite numbers, so it's just speculation. If Stamkos finished his 23-goal rookie season and got hurt midway through the next season (when he put up 51g), and he never played another full season again at a high level, we wouldn't call him an elite center, even though he possibly could have been.

Lunatic Fringe we know you're out there
- Vukota

I honestly wonder in what capacity that guy works for with the Islanders/Wang?

Haley should be a part of this team, him not playing last year for most of the season and calling him up when there was no point was one of the many perplexing things this team has done. He is an effective player. I hope he plays this coming season(if allowed)and is allowed to play "his game". I wonder if he'll make the team only to have Capuano change his style of play? I know its pure specualtion but I wouldn't be overly shocked if this occured. I just can't see them adding a top tier Dman for a multitude of reasons(none of them good). I know this is a broken record with me but I'll believe it when I see it. If it happens than great but Snow has done nothing to make me think he's going to make that happen. In fact I truly believe he won't do much of anything and follow last years plan. I hope more than anyone they prove me wrong.
- Cptmjl

A. first they have to sign him... pretty sure he is a UFA
B. they probably won't and if they do he will not get to play anyway..

A. first they have to sign him... pretty sure he is a UFA
B. they probably won't and if they do he will not get to play anyway..


- niteislander

I'm pretty sure you're right on both accounts unfortunately. What I'd give up for a Marchant or Lucic...

At least if we have Haley playing it will give us 2 guys on different lines. If Hamonic is healthy and we add a true top tier D-man that is 2 others.
- niteislander

We also need our other players to simply play tougher. Tavares is willing to go shoulder to shoulder to drive through a d-man. Bailey, when he puts his mind to it, has flat out knocked down bigger defensemen. But too many other players either sit on the perimeter or just go for a stick check 100% of the time.

I think we're on the same page and a lot of others are just frustrated and unable to sit through another terrible year.

I agree with you regarding the UFA's last year. No point in over spending to that degree, for what was available. The problem was that Snow couldn't find a way to make a deal to fill critical holes in the roster either by signing some useful players or making a trade, so people get angry and irritable. I won't say Wang has done a good job, most of the blame for the mess the franchise is in is due to him either directly, or indirectly (continuing to employ milbury) but we've seen worse owners. The team would already be gone without him, and he has tried to get a new building for the team. For the haters, I'm not excusing him, but these problems wouldn't miraculously go away with a new owner.

I don't see a perfect solution for Snow and with the current situation with the arena and lease, it's only going to get harder to sign decent ufa's. I don't think we're in for a good season until after 2015 but I'm hoping snow will surprise us this offseason.
- Isles_since_6

so you dont agree with him because NYI is 100% sticking up for wang...