Another trade deadline has come and gone and after so much promise and speculation, Islanders team president and general manager Lou Lamoriello decided to sit this one out. Many around the hockey world were touting the surprising Isles as the 'team to watch,' saying things like 'When Lou feels he is close, he usually goes for it.' Fans are probably sick of hearing it, but Lou did try and 'go for it,' swinging and missing on new Golden Knight Mark Stone.
What's left is a shot in the arm to the current group of players that have the team, as of today, in first place in the Metropolitan division with 20 games remaining on the schedule. They certainly did not start repaying their bosses faith last night, falling meekly to the Calgary Flames at home, 3-1, once again exhibiting a lack of offensive firepower that needs to be solved.
With Michael Dal Colle and the red-hot again Joshua Ho-Sang sitting in Bridgeport and rosters now expanded, one has to wonder how long New York could go with Matthew Barzal skating between Andrew Ladd and Josh Bailey. Last night, the Islanders dynamic second-year player started the game with Leo Komarov instead of Bailey on the wing and, by every account, that is just not the place your best player needs to be.
The Blue Jackets decided to keep Artemi Panarin and load up for one last run under John Tortorella before many of them take their skills elsewhere. Wayne Simmonds was thought to be commanding a first-round pick, but even at the discounted price for which Nashville paid for him, the prevailing thought is the Islanders are already on the slower side with banging wingers aplenty. They were never players for Marcus Johansson, who went to Boston, and Gustav Nyquist preferred to play in San Jose next to pal Erik Karlsson. Lamoriello seemingly put all their eggs in Stone's basket.
There was a forward out there who could have helped, especially on the floundering powerplay unit, and that is Florida's Mike Hoffman. Off-ice issues aside, with one year remaining on his deal, sources indicated the Islanders did inquire about Hoffman's availability, but there was nary a whisper after that. They seemed so intent on landing Stone, making a huge offer, but reportedly not meeting his contract ask, that it appears they did not allow themselves time to circle back to plan B. Especially with that saga not ending until around 2:20pm ET.
On the opposite side of the argument, one might say you can't fault Lamoriello for not wanting to part with the prospect studs he does have in the stable, Noah Dobson and Oliver Wahlstrom, for a quick fix that might or might not work out. Especially one who can be an unrestricted free agent on July 1. The Islanders system is good, but not deep and they want to build for many years of organizational success, not just one.
For now, it leaves the Islanders with the same roster, plus additions Andrew Ladd and Thomas Hickey off IR, that has gotten them here. I don't think Barry Trotz is too upset, having groomed his club into a defensive bear to play against. Will it be enough to get them into the post-season? Will it be enough for them to advance?
MORE: Lamoriello To Islanders Fans: Go Easy On Tavares
Tavares Returns: Afterwards, can we finally move on?
John Tavares makes his long-anticipated return to Long Island tomorrow as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. So far, he has said all the right things leading up to the game, after not saying much of anything right leading to his departure last summer as an unrestricted free agent. With the Canadian media failing to grasp the fact that fans are not upset 'that' he left, rather 'how' he left, a select few of the bunch did not help the cause by agreeing to be featured in a cringe-worthy News12 video of a 'dear John' letter.
It shouldn't matter to anyone other than yourself how you feel and subsequently, act, tomorrow night. You want to cheer? Cheer. Want to boo? Boo. Want to turn your back to an expected video tribute to the former Islanders captain? Turn it. Want to watch it? Watch it. I think the main concern is keeping emotions (and alcohol levels) in check enough that you don't do anything illegal or incite any physical altercations with fellow and opposing fans that might not agree with whichever way you decide to exercise your right to fan.
At the end of the day, this game will come and go and the result will be all that matters, especially to the Islanders. They have so far been diplomatic in their responses and it doesn't seem like a coincidence that head coach Barry Trotz entered the locker room today at their training facility and told the players to go home, that they had the day off.
Either way, after tomorrow, hopefully it's over for good and we can focus on what's ahead of the organization, rather than who left it behind.
