don't want them to lose? I think chances are slim Hall re-signs, and if he does then it'll probably be another 20th overall pick. I'd rather them bomb and get 1 top 10 instead of 2 top 20s.
- MartysBetter88

No, that's stupid. You want them to do well so Hall loves it and re-signs so that 3rd turns into a 1st and we get two. There is no way they miss the playoffs at this point.

Hall with an assist on the Game winner. 2nd star of the game.

Refs tried to steal the game from AZ but they survived.

And Kovy is a penguin. Wtf?

No, that's stupid. You want them to do well so Hall loves it and re-signs so that 3rd turns into a 1st and we get two. There is no way they miss the playoffs at this point.
- Pomegrant

eh. I'm not that confident they'll make it. They're 5-4-1 in their last 10. I know Hall will boost that, but there are other teams that are good in the West..Calgary is coming at 7-2-1 in their last 10. Nashville is better than their record.. Dallas too, though not as much.

Just 10pts separates them from 8th in the league to 25th.

I'd rather 1 10th than 2 20ths. . right?

If the Yotes make the playoffs, I'm pulling for them.. because they're the freaking Kessel/Hall/Kuemper Coyotes.

eh. I'm not that confident they'll make it. They're 5-4-1 in their last 10. I know Hall will boost that, but there are other teams that are good in the West..Calgary is coming at 7-2-1 in their last 10. Nashville is better than their record.. Dallas too, though not as much.

Just 10pts separates them from 8th in the league to 25th.

I'd rather 1 10th than 2 20ths. . right?

If the Yotes make the playoffs, I'm pulling for them.. because they're the freaking Kessel/Hall/Kuemper Coyotes.
- MartysBetter88

If they win a round I like our chances of him resigning as the yotes new owner is among the wealthiest.

Then next year we can cheer for their demise lol

Watched a Hall interview on TSN. He confirmed that Ray never offered him a contract before trading him and he also mentioned that he had a goal of playing in the play offs this year and seeing how far he could go and when it looked like that was no longer going to be the case in New Jersey they started talking trade.

I find this to be a little weird or odd and it seems to contradict a lot of what Ray said in his press conference.

I know Hall had no clauses in his contract and could be moved anywhere but I wonder if given the situation Hall says played out was Ray only talking to play off bound teams ?

Also Ray claims the moves made this off season had nothing to do with trying to retain Hall or push for the play offs this year which is funny because it was plain as day that those where why he made those moves and Halls comments seem to prove this because he stated he had the goal of making the play offs this year ( not that, that shouldnt be the goal regardless ) but seems like this time it had to happen.

After hearing all this I wouldnt be shocked if he resigned in the dessert so long as they do well and they should.

Hall with an assist on the Game winner. 2nd star of the game.

Refs tried to steal the game from AZ but they survived.

And Kovy is a penguin. Wtf?
- Queenie_5_hole

Where did you see that about kovy?

All Ray says is well we like where we are compared to 5 years ago or 3 years ago well no poop we do have two young and recent number 1 overall picks so its hard for that statement not to be true but you have been here how many years now and we are right back to being bottom dwelling for as long as Nico and Jack and 30 and 50 point players and its hard to fault their production with the lack of talent through out the line up.

To me Ray has no problem taking all the credit for a year that was a complete fluke but the years prior and years to follow where previous managements fault because of how they left the state of team.

That is literally his fav thing to point out and the prospects cupboards but in reality non of this is very impressive given the low quality of our full prospects cupboard and the amount of high picks accumulated there should be a lot more higher end talent in the pool.

That is what valueing 3 4th round picks over a 2nd or third will do to youre talent pool.

Is it impossible to find good talent late ? No but its a lot easier to identify in the earlier rounds then as they go on.

Where did you see that about kovy?
- shvingter88

IDK. It was pretty late/early in the morning. I think I misread that the Penguins are interested and thought they had signed him.

Watched a Hall interview on TSN. He confirmed that Ray never offered him a contract before trading him and he also mentioned that he had a goal of playing in the play offs this year and seeing how far he could go and when it looked like that was no longer going to be the case in New Jersey they started talking trade.
- Devilish4

You know somehow we again have one of the lowest payrolls in the league (5th lowest but they're all within $851K of each other) and that's with retaining half of Hall's salary. And we still got plenty of guys to sell.

Makes you wonder how bad ownership wanted to keep him vs. pay a massive salary.

I'm just disgusted because I think we are being run as a small market team.

My disappointments in the deal are Nick Merkley and Nate Schnarr though I'll hold my opinion on Schnarr cuz I know little about him. Nick Merkley screams John Quenneville. He's not good enough for the NHL. That was a throw-away prospect and the Coyotes are laughing about it. NJ might have engineered something else out of that deal. Nate Schnarr, if he has a good stick, could make a bot 6 forward, but we are loaded at center. My question is: does he win puck battles? Because that is what this team SORELY lacks.

Guys like Merkley are the exact players Ray needs to get OUT of the system, not to add in the system. I really hate seeing top 6 AHL guys in an NHL roster, namely guys like Brett Seney and formerly Joseph Blandisi. The only guys I want to see in a bot 6 roles are the kind of guys you see on the Bruins bot 6 roster... hammerheads who win puck battles and can cycle it down low; I don't need skill there, I need energy and determination. I'd rather see the AHL roster be cluttered with guys capable of the NHL, not career AHLers, and it looks like that's +1 with Merkley, because there's no chance he ever plays top 6 center with the Devils.

I liked Bahl- he was definitely the must-have in the deal. I look forward to seeing him play at the world juniors.

You know somehow we again have one of the lowest payrolls in the league (5th lowest but they're all within $851K of each other) and that's with retaining half of Hall's salary. And we still got plenty of guys to sell.

Makes you wonder how bad ownership wanted to keep him vs. pay a massive salary.

I'm just disgusted because I think we are being run as a small market team.
- Queenie_5_hole

Also if we never made an offer at all and both claim Hall never turned anything down why did he not give any teams permission to negotiate with him fora better return?

No, that's stupid. You want them to do well so Hall loves it and re-signs so that 3rd turns into a 1st and we get two. There is no way they miss the playoffs at this point.
- Pomegrant

The more I think I about it I agree with this, AZ could makes sense to him for several reasons

Also if we never made an offer at all and both claim Hall never turned anything down why did he not give any teams permission to negotiate with him fora better return?
- Devilish4

If Hall was allowed to talk extension with teams it likely would have drug out the process considerably.

Welp, here we are again:

https://www.nhl.com/news/...020-nhl-draft/c-309776500

I just don't see us getting in the top 3 next year. I would imagine we are picking 4-6 and 18-20(?) with AZs pick. Lots of D men to look at or do we go BPA?. What do you think about Askarov?

Also I see Holtby and Lehner are UFAs next year. Crawford also. Thoughts on any of them as a stop gap to help Blackwood?

Also if we never made an offer at all and both claim Hall never turned anything down why did he not give any teams permission to negotiate with him fora better return?
- Devilish4

If you mean why didn't Ray Ray give teams permission, that's a good question. I understand he wanted this done but what did that decision cost us? Especially after being so unrushed about doing anything about the team burning out of control under Hynes for months.

That said, I'd be surprised if Hall would have wanted to negotiate with our potential trade partners vs. hitting free agency. Guess we will never know. Regardless on the off chance he stays in the desert we will get a benefit from that. I look at that more like the Panarin situation. Thanks for the playoff run Columbus but I'm (frank)ing outta here.

Welp, here we are again:

https://www.nhl.com/news/...020-nhl-draft/c-309776500

I just don't see us getting in the top 3 next year. I would imagine we are picking 4-6 and 18-20(?) with AZs pick. Lots of D men to look at or do we go BPA?. What do you think about Askarov?

Also I see Holtby and Lehner are UFAs next year. Crawford also. Thoughts on any of them as a stop gap to help Blackwood?
- TRDevil

2
Do we still want Ray making all these decisions ? He is running out of years he can just waste and it somehow not count yet.

Feel free to call me crazy but we have no identity anymore.

That fast supportive relentless crap was built completely around Taylor Hall and he isnt here anymore. Can you really build youre identity around two players who arent even fully developed yet ?

What is this teams identity because without Hall I know longer know what kind of team they aim to be.

Jack Hughes or Nico arent anything like Hall so does the whole system change now to be built around those two or what happens?

It just feels like we are a team with no direction or timeline. We are just showing Ray a good time.

Feel free to call me crazy but we have no identity anymore.

That fast supportive relentless crap was built completely around Taylor Hall and he isnt here anymore. Can you really build youre identity around two players who arent even fully developed yet ?

What is this teams identity because without Hall I know longer know what kind of team they aim to be.

Jack Hughes or Nico arent anything like Hall so does the whole system change now to be built around those two or what happens?

It just feels like we are a team with no direction or timeline. We are just showing Ray a good time.
- Devilish4

Either way that was Hynes 'system'. I think to move forward we need to bring in a professional coach to start the new chapter, establish that identity, and nominate a new Captain to push it. Whole new leadership group around the team is neccesary. Sorry but Nas isn't going to be the answer.

They definitely need some better leadership. I coudln't even tell you what current players could take on that role? Palmeiri? Hall was a presence but not really a leader. Maybe this will be good for them. They are now forced to find their true leaders. Right now they have no actual backbone or genuine team cohesion.

Either way that was Hynes 'system'. I think to move forward we need to bring in a professional coach to start the new chapter, establish that identity, and nominate a new Captain to push it. Whole new leadership group around the team is neccesary. Sorry but Nas isn't going to be the answer.

They definitely need some better leadership. I coudln't even tell you what current players could take on that role? Palmeiri? Hall was a presence but not really a leader. Maybe this will be good for them. They are now forced to find their true leaders. Right now they have no actual backbone or genuine team cohesion.
- TRDevil

I don’t disagree but the bottom line is elite talent is the hardest thing to get.

Ray Ray managed that in the Larsson-Hall trade and now just moved him out the door. We just went from cellar dwellers to league laughing stocks. I can’t even make fun of Islander fans anymore.

I’m going tonight vs the Ducks and have ZERO desire to go (except for dinner at Hobby’s Deli).

Feel free to call me crazy but we have no identity anymore.

That fast supportive relentless crap was built completely around Taylor Hall and he isnt here anymore. Can you really build youre identity around two players who arent even fully developed yet ?

What is this teams identity because without Hall I know longer know what kind of team they aim to be.

Jack Hughes or Nico arent anything like Hall so does the whole system change now to be built around those two or what happens?

It just feels like we are a team with no direction or timeline. We are just showing Ray a good time.
- Devilish4

You're crazy. But not wrong.

I don’t disagree but the bottom line is elite talent is the hardest thing to get.

Ray Ray managed that in the Larsson-Hall trade and now just moved him out the door. We just went from cellar dwellers to league laughing stocks. I can’t even make fun of Islander fans anymore.

I’m going tonight vs the Ducks and have ZERO desire to go (except for dinner at Hobby’s Deli).
- Queenie_5_hole

Ray didn't want to re-sign Hall because the young players aren't as far along as he hoped and the coaching didn't work out. Before Ray, Lou did no rebuilding and did nothing to actually add to the young talent on this team. He basically started with nothing and I think he's done a good job so far. It's disappointing after the Hart year, but realistically Hall was the only reason we made the playoffs. Now he's recouped assets and we're in a good position to make the playoffs in ~2-3 years.

If they win a round I like our chances of him resigning as the yotes new owner is among the wealthiest.

Then next year we can cheer for their demise lol
- Devilish4

That is plan B. The VERY unlikely plan A is Yotes start absolutely tanking, and we get a top 12 pick from them, and resign Hall to a 4 year deal. Haha but your vision is FAR more likely. Only time will tell. I was really hoping the Alex Tuch and a 1st from Vegas would have panned out, but this will have to do. I am very excited to watch Smith and Bahl manning Canada's U20 D core.

I would be curious if we could retain 50% of Vats and Coleman, and package them together for a 1st rd pick? I fell Vats is gone no matter what, and Coleman is a 20 goal 3rd liner who hits. I could see Toronto or Winnipeg salivating over that package deal.

Ray didn't want to re-sign Hall because the young players aren't as far along as he hoped and the coaching didn't work out. Before Ray, Lou did no rebuilding and did nothing to actually add to the young talent on this team. He basically started with nothing and I think he's done a good job so far. It's disappointing after the Hart year, but realistically Hall was the only reason we made the playoffs. Now he's recouped assets and we're in a good position to make the playoffs in ~2-3 years.
- Pomegrant

I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm just saying we've been pretty poopty since the 2012 run. Even the year we made the playoffs with Hall we started hot as hell and backed our way in not playing great hockey down the stretch. 2 to 3 years seems like forever. And we stunk a few years before that last gasp in 2012.

I like Ray Ray but totally disgusted that the Rangers seemed to have started years later and seem ahead of us on the rebuild. Or take them out of the equation and I'm just disgusted we are now looking at tearing this down and reloading.

I know you've lived thru all this too. Just venting.

Remarkable how awesome everything seemed in the offseason to how horrible it all seems now.

I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm just saying we've been pretty poopty since the 2012 run. Even the year we made the playoffs with Hall we started hot as hell and backed our way in not playing great hockey down the stretch. 2 to 3 years seems like forever. And we stunk a few years before that last gasp in 2012.

I like Ray Ray but totally disgusted that the Rangers seemed to have started years later and seem ahead of us on the rebuild. Or take them out of the equation and I'm just disgusted we are now looking at tearing this down and reloading.

I know you've lived thru all this too. Just venting.

Remarkable how awesome everything seemed in the offseason to how horrible it all seems now.
- Queenie_5_hole

Being upset with the state of the team is completely reasonable. Any fan that is pissed about it, I have no problems with it. It's just that From 2012-16 Lou lost all of the top end talent and then we didn't draft highly at all. Ray has righted the ship finally and we're in the right direction.

Rangers rebuild has been really strong too, but they don't actually have that much high end talent coming through. We both have to do well in the drafts to make up for it.