Ben Shelley: Did the Islanders choose the right direction at the trade deadline?

Good article. I agree that, in retrospect it doesn't look like it was a good idea for those trades. Uncle Lou did it to us and left the cupboard bare on his way out.

Good news is, with good trades and good drafting you can get out of this. Look at the Rags, they didn't have a 1st rounder for what seemed like a decade or more. A couple of good trades and draft picks and they re-stocked, so there is hope.

acquiring Greene to fill in for the injured Pelech was a no brainer, and he'll be gone at the end of the season as the Islanders need the cap space to sign their expiring contracts, and possibly Sorokin.

The Pageau trade wasn't so good, and they gave up way too much to get him.
he also takes up a roster spot the Islanders need open to start moving in younger players and give them a real shot to succeed. Pageaus' contract also complicates their cap situation in 2021-2022 when they will be trying to retain Beuvillier, Pelech and Cizikas while still carrying the anchor contracts of Boychuk, Leddy, Komarov and Ladd.
They would have been better off waiting to see if Ladd would be effective (I think he will be), or bring up a young player long term.

Lou was ready to let Lee go to get a big name forward in Panarin, but now he has locked himself out of the big name free agent market for the next 3 years.

Getting Greene was a no-brainer as they needed a vet to offset the loss of Pelech. Fans having been screaming for years for the Isles to add at the deadline. Lou did in Pageau. Even with those picks, those guys taken would be 2-3 years away anyway. I'm fine with the deals.

The decision to go for it made decent sense given their aging roster as well as their moves addressed team needs where other teams in the conference didn’t take the initiative to do so.

How the isles went about doing so however is questionable. The Greene trade was a bit of an overpay but he’ll be gone in the offseason so it’s not like the effects will be lasting. Pageau trade was needed to fill a hole but in my opinion the subsequent contract extension drove the price up to acquire him as well the isles would do better to have the cap space this offseason than a player that will start his decline with the rest of the teams aging vets shortly.

Pageau was just too much to give up and his contract is just too long.

so all the Isles fans that were demanding we make a trade at the deadline .. most of which LOVED Pageau for this team are now voting it wasn't a good trade? J-G is 27 years old and just had his best season. He is a great 2 way center who fits perfectly in Trotz system. when he and Casey are both playing this team will finally have 4 very good NHL centers. It was certainly a good trade. Instead of keeping a mid to late round first pick?

especially when you are saying Whalstrom, Bellows, and Holmstrom are all just Ok prospects? They were 11th, 19th, and 23rd over all picks. If we are so bad at picking and/or developing prospects then Pageau is an even better trade.

Our UFA forwards that we HAD to sign last year or else are now an "aging Core". 30 years old is not "aging core". It's players who have just hit their prime in the NHL.

Simon Holmstrom is 19 and just spent his first year in AHL. Walhstrom was talked about during the draft as the next "great sniper" and is learning how to play both ends of the ice... he hasn't lost his shot. He is also a BIG kid who throws his body around. Bellows also has a great shot and in his first stint in the NHL certainly showed he belongs.... (far more than MDC).

As far as the Islanders not having the money to sign UFA's in the off season. We have plenty of money coming off the cap every year... and no big UFA's sign here anyway.

(thanks for writing Ben)

Good article. I agree that, in retrospect it doesn't look like it was a good idea for those trades. Uncle Lou did it to us and left the cupboard bare on his way out.

Good news is, with good trades and good drafting you can get out of this. Look at the Rags, they didn't have a 1st rounder for what seemed like a decade or more. A couple of good trades and draft picks and they re-stocked, so there is hope.
- Crushers68

There is hope... whew...

acquiring Greene to fill in for the injured Pelech was a no brainer, and he'll be gone at the end of the season as the Islanders need the cap space to sign their expiring contracts, and possibly Sorokin.

The Pageau trade wasn't so good, and they gave up way too much to get him.
he also takes up a roster spot the Islanders need open to start moving in younger players and give them a real shot to succeed. Pageaus' contract also complicates their cap situation in 2021-2022 when they will be trying to retain Beuvillier, Pelech and Cizikas while still carrying the anchor contracts of Boychuk, Leddy, Komarov and Ladd.
They would have been better off waiting to see if Ladd would be effective (I think he will be), or bring up a young player long term.

Lou was ready to let Lee go to get a big name forward in Panarin, but now he has locked himself out of the big name free agent market for the next 3 years.
- Puckin_Island

Yes.. WE need to open up that roster spot for guys who are younger than 27 years old and can score more than 30 goals as a solid 2 way center.. LOL.

The decision to go for it made decent sense given their aging roster as well as their moves addressed team needs where other teams in the conference didn’t take the initiative to do so.

How the isles went about doing so however is questionable. The Greene trade was a bit of an overpay but he’ll be gone in the offseason so it’s not like the effects will be lasting. Pageau trade was needed to fill a hole but in my opinion the subsequent contract extension drove the price up to acquire him as well the isles would do better to have the cap space this offseason than a player that will start his decline with the rest of the teams aging vets shortly.
- RedC21

Aging Roster.... LOL. God help me.

so all the Isles fans that were demanding we make a trade at the deadline .. most of which LOVED Pageau for this team are now voting it wasn't a good trade? J-G is 27 years old and just had his best season. He is a great 2 way center who fits perfectly in Trotz system. when he and Casey are both playing this team will finally have 4 very good NHL centers. It was certainly a good trade. Instead of keeping a mid to late round first pick?

especially when you are saying Whalstrom, Bellows, and Holmstrom are all just Ok prospects? They were 11th, 19th, and 23rd over all picks. If we are so bad at picking and/or developing prospects then Pageau is an even better trade.

Our UFA forwards that we HAD to sign last year or else are now an "aging Core". 30 years old is not "aging core". It's players who have just hit their prime in the NHL.

Simon Holmstrom is 19 and just spent his first year in AHL. Walhstrom was talked about during the draft as the next "great sniper" and is learning how to play both ends of the ice... he hasn't lost his shot. He is also a BIG kid who throws his body around. Bellows also has a great shot and in his first stint in the NHL certainly showed he belongs.... (far more than MDC).

As far as the Islanders not having the money to sign UFA's in the off season. We have plenty of money coming off the cap every year... and no big UFA's sign here anyway.

(thanks for writing Ben)
- niteislander

Who are these people and how do you know who they are?

so all the Isles fans that were demanding we make a trade at the deadline .. most of which LOVED Pageau for this team are now voting it wasn't a good trade? J-G is 27 years old and just had his best season. He is a great 2 way center who fits perfectly in Trotz system. when he and Casey are both playing this team will finally have 4 very good NHL centers. It was certainly a good trade. Instead of keeping a mid to late round first pick?

especially when you are saying Whalstrom, Bellows, and Holmstrom are all just Ok prospects? They were 11th, 19th, and 23rd over all picks. If we are so bad at picking and/or developing prospects then Pageau is an even better trade.

Our UFA forwards that we HAD to sign last year or else are now an "aging Core". 30 years old is not "aging core". It's players who have just hit their prime in the NHL.

Simon Holmstrom is 19 and just spent his first year in AHL. Walhstrom was talked about during the draft as the next "great sniper" and is learning how to play both ends of the ice... he hasn't lost his shot. He is also a BIG kid who throws his body around. Bellows also has a great shot and in his first stint in the NHL certainly showed he belongs.... (far more than MDC).

As far as the Islanders not having the money to sign UFA's in the off season. We have plenty of money coming off the cap every year... and no big UFA's sign here anyway.

(thanks for writing Ben)
- niteislander

A 35-40 point forward is not a great "Two-Way" forward at all. And his career year came in a contract year...

acquiring Greene to fill in for the injured Pelech was a no brainer, and he'll be gone at the end of the season as the Islanders need the cap space to sign their expiring contracts, and possibly Sorokin.

The Pageau trade wasn't so good, and they gave up way too much to get him.
he also takes up a roster spot the Islanders need open to start moving in younger players and give them a real shot to succeed. Pageaus' contract also complicates their cap situation in 2021-2022 when they will be trying to retain Beuvillier, Pelech and Cizikas while still carrying the anchor contracts of Boychuk, Leddy, Komarov and Ladd.
They would have been better off waiting to see if Ladd would be effective (I think he will be), or bring up a young player long term.

Lou was ready to let Lee go to get a big name forward in Panarin, but now he has locked himself out of the big name free agent market for the next 3 years.
- Puckin_Island

Retaining Cizikas would almost certainly be a poor decision.

Also Lou was not "ready to let Lee go" it was openly reported on that Lee had also agreed to a separate, cheaper deal that he would have accepted had they signed Panarin.

Aging Roster.... LOL. God help me.
- niteislander

They're literally one of the oldest teams in the NHL

They're literally one of the oldest teams in the NHL
- eichiefs9

We also probably have the oldest thread and collection of geezers on here. Coincidence?

Yes.. WE need to open up that roster spot for guys who are younger than 27 years old and can score more than 30 goals as a solid 2 way center.. LOL.
- niteislander

Score more than 30 goals?? Is that what Pageau gives us??

We also probably have the oldest thread and collection of geezers on here. Coincidence?
- Cptmjl

Nope. It's nice to see you using your wife to try and bring down the average age though.

Retaining Cizikas would almost certainly be a poor decision.

Also Lou was not "ready to let Lee go" it was openly reported on that Lee had also agreed to a separate, cheaper deal that he would have accepted had they signed Panarin.
- eichiefs9

It was also openly reported that Lee was frustrated Lou wouldn't accept his offers. It was only Lees desire to stay on the Island that prevented him from hitting the free agent market.

IMO, Lou had a solid, cheap center in Val F, who walked for $6 mil over 2 years. Komorov money. He was replaced by Brassard as a center. When that failed, he replaced Bras with Pageau. I would have preferred Cizikas centering the 3rd line, since who centers the 4th line is less important because they get puck possession along the boards so well.

It was also openly reported that Lee was frustrated Lou wouldn't accept his offers. It was only Lees desire to stay on the Island that prevented him from hitting the free agent market.

IMO, Lou had a solid, cheap center in Val F, who walked for less $6 mil, 2 years. Komorov money. He's replaced by Brassard as a center. When that failed, he replaced him with Pageau. I would have preferred Cizikas centering the 3rd line, since who centers that line is less important since they get puck possession along the boards so well.
- Puckin_Island

You have a source for that? I don't recall that at all.

Not re-signing Filppula was fine. The chances that he replicated that season were pretty low, given his age and the how many poor seasons he had prior to that one. It was extremely likely that his season here was a fluke and the deal DET gave him was pretty bad. Better than paying Komarov that money, for sure...but still not good.

Brassard was fine for $1M, but he's certainly not the answer.

Pageau is the perfect fit for the 3rd line on this team. The cost to get him wasn't great but wasn't atrocious either.

I wouldn't even consider re-signing Cizikas unless he took a reasonably-large pay cut. He's about to be 30 and is extremely injury prone. The latter isn't going to get better as he ages. One of my favorite Islanders but I wouldn't touch him with a 10ft pole when his deal was up.

You have a source for that? I don't recall that at all.


- eichiefs9

I'll try to find Lee's interview BEFORE he resigned. When Lou quickly signed Nelson and Eberly, then held out on signing Lee past the FA date makes it fairly clear Lou was willing to let him walk. I think you would agree that Lee could have gotten more that $7 mil, right?

Lee certainly felt he may be gone. Listen to him talk about his concerns 'lessening' in the past 2 days (perhaps as Lou felt Panarin slipping away). Lee also mentions 'agreeing to some things' so Lou could 'go after' some different things, which clearly was his priority over signing Lee.

https://youtu.be/xqLhXuDy7G4?t=80

I'll try to find Lee's interview BEFORE he resigned. When Lou quickly signed Nelson and Eberly, then held out on signing Lee past the FA date makes it fairly clear Lou was willing to let him walk. I think you would agree that Lee could have gotten more that $7 mil, right?

Lee certainly felt he may be gone. Listen to him talk about his concerns 'lessening' in the past 2 days (perhaps as Lou felt Panarin slipping away). Lee also mentions 'agreeing to some things' so Lou could 'go after' some different things, which clearly was his priority over signing Lee.

https://youtu.be/xqLhXuDy7G4?t=80
- Puckin_Island

Not where I originally read it, but here's one of Lees quotes at the time:

“This was never an intention,” the left wing who can become an unrestricted free agent July 1 said Saturday. “There hasn’t been an agenda or anything like that. I guess that’s where we’re at. We’re right there, so it’s just part of the process, I guess.

“I didn’t think we’d get to this point. The process hasn’t … I haven’t enjoyed it, but it is what it is. We want to make sure that everything is done right and it’s right for both of us, for both sides. I hope it works out. They’re working on it right now.”

https://hockeytroll.ca/20...ill-lose-another-captain/

Who are these people and how do you know who they are?
- Cptmjl

Nope. It's nice to see you using your wife to try and bring down the average age though.
- eichiefs9

(frank)ing Captain messing up the curve.

Here's something we can all agree about.

Old time hockey.

I think in the opening 3 seconds you see Bossy throw a pretty good check.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvdVK_dyc1Y

Here's something we can all agree about.

Old time hockey.

I think in the opening 3 seconds you see Bossy throw a pretty good check.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvdVK_dyc1Y
- jmo16

Love the old videos. Thanks.

Yeah, Bossy didn't fight, but he could and sometimes did play a little physical.