Eventually, Poulin or Nilsson has to graduate to the NHL to continue their development. My point is that if either is ready to do that, they can't because RDP is taking their spot. It is a poor decision to keep RDP on the roster and not give a pathway to the NHL to your top two goaltending prospects. And because Poulin and Nilsson are in the "A", the Isles can't even bring Koskinen over from Europe to play in the "A". Its a snowball effect.
- Jethro09

THIS I can agree with...

I still love Koskinen's size & movement

XxNYIxX

Because to assume just because a player is drafted in the 1st round is a top 6 player.. is the wrong assumption.

XxNYIxX
- XxNYIxX

Ah, gotcha. Agree there. I thought you were closing the book on Nelson!

Well yes you are correct xXx. We are 5 YEARS CLOSER to the next cup that the Isles win!

Other than the time discrepancy. This still isnt a PO team.

Which is what a rebuild is suppose to accomplish. NO?
- SCLI

of course, but who is to say the rebuild is done? they certainly are closer to that team we all want then they were before the rebuild began...

Okposo, Aucoin and Bailey...now that's one hell of a 3rd line. I'm sure the opposition will be shaking in their boots


- Charlie21

Is this the accumulation of our 5 yr rebuild! A third line consisting of Two underachieving 1st rd picks and a Career AHL forward?

Ko getting traded or is their a basketball game going on today?
- mighty13duck

Is this the accumulation of our 5 yr rebuild! A third line consisting of Two underachieving 1st rd picks and a Career AHL forward?
- SCLI

Get your tickets now!

if you guys thing Frans is the problem then you dont know hockey, guy has been excellent. He is one of the best Two players out there. He matches up against some of the top opposing fowards, a incredible PKer and can score 15 -20 goals in a year. Frans is a -1 and will likely end year with Postive +/- on a team full of negatives. he has 8 points is 10 games. what more do you want.

The problem is Coach, and lack of accountability. isles play players according to salary. Not for how hard and well the are doing.

Hickey has been one of better defenders with limted mins. And what Irks me is when Viz is ready, its going to him that is Odd Man out. The reality it should be Strait or Streit taken a seat for few games.

As for KO i don think there is hope. Dont put Bailey in same camp as him, until he given his chance to play top mins.


As for Aucoin, sure he is good in face off Circle, But he has lost his Edge in the game. Coaching staff must remind him that his starting position on Roster is not SAFE. Play like this game is your last. CIZIKIS should stay and Aucoin could lose his spot to Bailey.

My vote for next guys to deserve PP time and time with top wing with JT and MOulson is Martin and Ullstrom.

Finley and Boulton shouldnt even be in the NHL.

Eventually, Poulin or Nilsson has to graduate to the NHL to continue their development. My point is that if either is ready to do that, they can't because RDP is taking their spot. It is a poor decision to keep RDP on the roster and not give a pathway to the NHL to your top two goaltending prospects. And because Poulin and Nilsson are in the "A", the Isles can't even bring Koskinen over from Europe to play in the "A". Its a snowball effect.
- Jethro09

i still dont get why they cant bury RDP in bridgeport or some place where he will limit who he is hurting...(other than himself inevitably)

i still dont get why they cant bury RDP in bridgeport or some place where he will limit who he is hurting...(other than himself inevitably)
- LetsGoIsles

That's what I would like to know.

- LetsGoIsles

Seriously whats the deal with him not being at practice any updates?

Seriously whats the deal with him not being at practice any updates?
- mighty13duck

According to IPB undisclosed illness.

According to IPB undisclosed illness.
- ses111

I'm gettin frankin traded ittess..

i still dont get why they cant bury RDP in bridgeport or some place where he will limit who he is hurting...(other than himself inevitably)
- LetsGoIsles

They can. But they won't because they mismanage the team. Burying him in the "A" would open that roster spot, but CW would still have to pay him and, most importantly, CW would have to replace that $4.5M on the NHL roster because they are so close to the floor, which means adding $4.5M to the payroll. He won't do that.

The Thomas deal would allow them to cut RDP without salary floor concerns, at least for this season. But I doubt that's why the deal was made.

In the end, YES.... But we are moving closer to that end. We have NHL talent on the team, we have blue chip prospects in the system... we are much closer then we were 5 years ago.

XxNYIxX
- XxNYIxX

Let it not be said that I'm an unreasonable man.

Having you and Bixll as opposition. I'll agree and compromise. We are a little closer than we were 5 seasons ago. Looking back that team really stunk.

Still I'm not giving Snow and Wang a pass. We should be in a much much better position then we are.

Let it not be said that I'm an unreasonable man.

Having you and Bixll as opposition. I'll agree and compromise. We are a little closer than we were 5 seasons ago. Looking back that team really stunk.

Still I'm not giving Snow and Wang a pass. We should be in a much much better position then we are.
- SCLI

I am no fan of SNOW right now anyway, much less as a GM. Wanger is another story all together..A fan, I am not.. But the team is better than it was 5 years ago. Maybe not great yet, but improved. Many more bright spots than even the most bitter of fan must agree with. JT, Hammy are 2 excellent pieces any team would love to have. Many prospects that may turn into good NHL players.

You don't have to try a back hand spring, but they are in better shape than 5 years ago.

I agree the Rangers right now seem to have done better drafting then we have. I would have drafted Cody Hodgson over Bailey...
- kear20

Better drafting or better development? Don't you think Baily and Nino might of been developed poorly and rushed?

Let it not be said that I'm an unreasonable man.

Having you and Bixll as opposition. I'll agree and compromise. We are a little closer than we were 5 seasons ago. Looking back that team really stunk.

Still I'm not giving Snow and Wang a pass. We should be in a much much better position then we are.
- SCLI

Nore should you & Yes I feel we should be better then were we are, but realistically not all THAT much better.

XxNYIxX

I'm gettin frankin traded ittess..
- bixll

Better drafting or better development? Don't you think Baily and Nino might of been developed poorly and rushed?
- mrhattrick27

He said the Rangers have had better drafting & development.... hello?


XxNYIxX

of course, but who is to say the rebuild is done? they certainly are closer to that team we all want then they were before the rebuild began...
- LetsGoIsles

I hope no one.

I'd have their competency checked if anyone believed this team is a finished product

As for Snow.

I hope he holds a press conference (as if anyone would come now that they have to buy their own Bottled Water )

And admits to the Fans and the NHL how he failed to produce a PO team during his Self Proclaimed 5 yr rebuild.

How he realizes now that building primarily with draft picks and waiver pickups isnt the way to build a wining hockey team.

How they always took the cheap route and played their fans buy telling them every yr that the Isles were a PO team.

Then Admitting that its gonna take another 3-4 yrs of losing before this team becomes competitive if they continue along this direction

Better drafting or better development? Don't you think Baily and Nino might of been developed poorly and rushed?
- mrhattrick27

Both, but the way I see it is they were rushed because there were holes in the lineup that needed to be filled and they had no one else to fill them. In the case of Kreider, Steppan and now Miller (granted he's only played 2 games, but looks good), can you say the Rangers developed them? I'm no Ranger expert, but didn't they all jump form Junior or College straight to the NHL. I know Kreider played in the A, but that's only because of the lockout. If my points are valid, I would say the Rangers didn't "develop" any of them....I reserve the right to be wrong, as I do not claim to be an expert on Ranger prospects.

I hope no one.

I'd have their competency checked if anyone believed this team is a finished product

As for Snow.

I hope he holds a press conference (as if anyone would come now that they have to buy their own Bottled Water )

And admits to the Fans and the NHL how he failed to produce a PO team during his Self Proclaimed 5 yr rebuild.

How he realizes now that building primarily with draft picks and waiver pickups isnt the way to build a wining hockey team.

How they always took the cheap route and played their fans buy telling them every yr that the Isles were a PO team.

Then Admitting that its gonna take another 3-4 yrs of losing before this team becomes competitive if they continue along this direction
- SCLI

Not an easy thing to do SC..


The Leafs had Burke, with a budget to the Cap, and he couldn't get a team in the playoffs either..Just sayin. it is a hrad thing to do. Those how do it quickly also admit to getting lucky with some prospects as well. Also, they get lucky with picks that they have received from trades gone by. Also some drafts years are far stronger than other, so it also dpends where you pick and how the picks are for that year..

I thnk Snow has done a pretty fair job with a negative Cap floor budget to work with. He has a far higher grade than Burke, for what that's worth.

I hope no one.

I'd have their competency checked if anyone believed this team is a finished product

As for Snow.

I hope he holds a press conference (as if anyone would come now that they have to buy their own Bottled Water )

And admits to the Fans and the NHL how he failed to produce a PO team during his Self Proclaimed 5 yr rebuild.

How he realizes now that building primarily with draft picks and waiver pickups isnt the way to build a wining hockey team.

How they always took the cheap route and played their fans buy telling them every yr that the Isles were a PO team.

Then Admitting that its gonna take another 3-4 yrs of losing before this team becomes competitive if they continue along this direction
- SCLI

Why would he have that press conference, most of it is untrue.

XxNYIxX

I'm gettin frankin traded ittess..
- bixll

thats what it sounds like...

That's a cop out. The Predators and Coyotes aren't big market, money-making machines. Yet, they each ice competitive teams year in and year out and make the playoffs year in and year out. They don't go six years without getting out of the bottom five in the league. The reason is because they are much better run organizations than the Isles are. The Coyotes arena and venue situation is worse than the Isles was and they still found a way to consistently ice a competitive team. If the Isles were competently managed, this "rebuild" wouldn't be stuck in the mud the past few years. Its not the income and revenue that's got the rebuild bogged down in the mud. Its the competency of the folks running it.
- Jethro09

The Predators are NOT comparable to the Isles as they owner is one of the richest in the entire league. They are in a favorable lease situation since the building is not that old. No cop out...FACT.
The Coyotes had plenty of assets and players in th organization before their woes began. In addition, they've had the NHL picking up their financial tabs for several years now, a luxury the isles have not had. None of those situations are comparable.