Absolutely. I thought that's what we were saying.
- jmatchett383

Yes. The Yankees and Phillies could learn a lot from the Red Sox.

aside from getting creative with a trade i think hextall most pressing task at this juncture is to clear out the coaching staff, our pk and scratch choices has been a comedy show all season. that's on the coach.

I think his inconsistency can be summed up in two points:

1. He's still young,

2. He's a Schenn.
- Tomahawk

Ha! No kidding. You look at those two sometimes and just have to shake your head -- even with Luke Schenn's slow feet, if he thought the game better he would be a Top 6 defender, without question, because of his size and strength

aside from getting creative with a trade i think hextall most pressing task at this juncture is to clear out the coaching staff, our pk and scratch choices has been a comedy show all season. that's on the coach.
- JoeRussomanno

I give Chief some slack because the roster is jacked, but I defend no one about that PK. Someone has to be held accountable for that. Yeah, Timonen's gone, but come on. The PK is a (frank)ing joke and is totally ridiculous

I think that is why he was so aggressive to improve the team in the offseason. If the Islanders sucked again and missed out on McDavid, he would of been fired on the spot like you said. Compare that with a guy like MacTavish who has been way too cautious and unwilling to make deals that could potentially blow up in his face. The Vanek trade turned out to be a disaster but at least it was bold and forced him even more to improve his team instead of making a top 5 pick year after year until someone in upper management fires you.
- psuhockey

I never got the whole reasoning behind the Islanders caring what Buffalo does. They made the trade to try to get better. It was an ill-advised trade, but the idea was to get a player who will make you a better team (and, in effect, make the pick less valuable). In hindsight it was a bad move, but now that it's done, what Buffalo does with that pick has no direct effect on NYI.

It was a pretty reasonable gamble to take, IMO.

What are the chances a team that is around 50% possession was going to see bottom-5 PDO again? Not that Snow made the decision based on that, but just getting Halak will net them an extra 15-20 pts this season easy.
- Tomahawk

15-20 points may be a little on the high side, but I agree. I think thats been a problem with the Oilers for a while as well. They haven't received even average goaltending.

15-20 points may be a little on the high side, but I agree. I think thats been a problem with the Oilers for a while as well. They haven't received even average goaltending.
- PhillySportsGuy

Prior to this season, Devan Dubnyk posted a .915 save % or better 3 straight years in Edmonton. Playing behind that team, how can you expect more than that?

Ha! No kidding. You look at those two sometimes and just have to shake your head -- even with Luke Schenn's slow feet, if he thought the game better he would be a Top 6 defender, without question, because of his size and strength
- AllInForFlyers

Yup.

With that said, tho... Brayden's having a pretty good season, all things considered. He's generating a lot of scoring chances and he's been solidly + in the territorial game -- you have to believe that will lead to more and more offense as he and his line find the net more.

If he had Coots were given just a fraction of the OZ-starts that have been reserved for that 4th-line that can't be trusted within 2 time zones of their own net, I think they'd both be scoring at a marginally better clip right now.

I never got the whole reasoning behind the Islanders caring what Buffalo does. They made the trade to try to get better. It was an ill-advised trade, but the idea was to get a player who will make you a better team (and, in effect, make the pick less valuable). In hindsight it was a bad move, but now that it's done, what Buffalo does with that pick has no direct effect on NYI.
- jmatchett383

Yeah it's not fair to judge a team on something that's out of their control. Whatever Buffalo does with the pick is irrelevant and shouldn't be used in judgment.

Yeah it's not fair to judge a team on something that's out of their control. Whatever Buffalo does with the pick is irrelevant and shouldn't be used in judgment.
- NickTheKid87

It's like that article that compared the Eminger for a first trade, but instead compared Eminger to John Carlson. That's not how it works. Maybe if they don't trade the 2 firsts, they end up trading them for even worse players, or by drafting 2 Patrick Stefan types.

I never got the whole reasoning behind the Islanders caring what Buffalo does. They made the trade to try to get better. It was an ill-advised trade, but the idea was to get a player who will make you a better team (and, in effect, make the pick less valuable). In hindsight it was a bad move, but now that it's done, what Buffalo does with that pick has no direct effect on NYI.
- jmatchett383

This is true but every hockey fan in the world knows of McDavid. If the Islanders pick won the lottery, fans would have been pissed and possibly management. Burke was horribly abused for the Kessel trade and that was with a prospect like Seguin who was a lot less heralded.

This is true but every hockey fan in the world knows of McDavid. If the Islanders pick won the lottery, fans would have been pissed and possibly management. Burke was horribly abused for the Kessel trade and that was with a prospect like Seguin who was a lot less heralded.
- psuhockey

Yes, but you can't look at it based on what the pick got. You have to look at it based on perceibed value at the time of the trade. The Isles were coming off a hard-fought series against the Pens, and felt that a little more offensive upside could right their ship. They were wrong, but it's not like the gave the Sabres a guaranteed top-5 pick at the time.

Burke didn't trade Seguin. He traded a pick that ended up being used by Boston to draft Seguin. If they'd drafted Erik Gudbrandson second or had the 3rd pick instead, you'd view it in a different light.

I don't know that you are wrong, there -- Schenn's getting to the age and number of games played where you start to say he just might be what he is. Not totally there yet, but it is close
- AllInForFlyers

The thing that has me worried is both B. Schenn and Couturier are similar in that age and games played.

B. Schenn = 23 years old with 238 games played
Couturier = 22 years old with 251 games played.

That being said I dont think we need to wait until both players hit 25 and 400 games or so to really sort of say this is who they are.

Yup.

With that said, tho... Brayden's having a pretty good season, all things considered. He's generating a lot of scoring chances and he's been solidly + in the territorial game -- you have to believe that will lead to more and more offense as he and his line find the net more.

If he had Coots were given just a fraction of the OZ-starts that have been reserved for that 4th-line that can't be trusted within 2 time zones of their own net, I think they'd both be scoring at a marginally better clip right now.
- Tomahawk

Baby Schenn has to become even marginally more consistent, though -- I mean, seriously.

Look at it this way: Even with what you just said being true -- and it is -- you have a pretty good idea what you are getting out of Couturier tonight. Within a range, you know what his effort and game are going to look like.

I have no (frank)ing clue what Baby Schenn is gonna do tonight. He could have three points and be a physical force and be plus-3. He could be so invisible that you don't even know if he played.

That range is just too large. He has to find a way to narrow that -- it's time

It's like that article that compared the Eminger for a first trade, but instead compared Eminger to John Carlson. That's not how it works. Maybe if they don't trade the 2 firsts, they end up trading them for even worse players, or by drafting 2 Patrick Stefan types.
- jmatchett383

Exactly. That Eminger article was awful. What if the Flyers keep the pick and draft Viktor Tikhonov? Like you said, what if NYI drafts a bust? It's all just hindsight bias and flawed logic in the end.

This is true but every hockey fan in the world knows of McDavid. If the Islanders pick won the lottery, fans would have been pissed and possibly management. Burke was horribly abused for the Kessel trade and that was with a prospect like Seguin who was a lot less heralded.
- psuhockey

The guy that's being overlooked here is Dal Colle... can totally understand if they didn't want to pass on a chance to pick a player like that. 61pts, 26goals in just 34-games for Oshawa. The perfect LW complement for JT and Okposo in the very near future.

I give Chief some slack because the roster is jacked, but I defend no one about that PK. Someone has to be held accountable for that. Yeah, Timonen's gone, but come on. The PK is a (frank)ing joke and is totally ridiculous
- AllInForFlyers

its the main reason they are NOT a playoff team.

This is true but every hockey fan in the world knows of McDavid. If the Islanders pick won the lottery, fans would have been pissed and possibly management. Burke was horribly abused for the Kessel trade and that was with a prospect like Seguin who was a lot less heralded.
- psuhockey

There'd be no guarantee they win the lottery either. If NYI ended up finishing 5th worst and that pick won the lottery, it's not fair to slam the team even more for trading McDavid because that's not what happened.

I think his inconsistency can be summed up in two points:

1. He's still young,

2. He's a Schenn.
- Tomahawk

Yeah, I'm guessing there's not a lot of Mensa members in that family

Lol we traded a top 40 pick for MacDonald! What a joke! All you can do is laugh
- PhillaBully

Or drink

a lot

Exactly. That Eminger article was awful. What if the Flyers keep the pick and draft Viktor Tikhonov? Like you said, what if NYI drafts a bust? It's all just hindsight bias and flawed logic in the end.
- NickTheKid87

Yep. the trade's awful, but it has nothing to do with what the pick was used for. It was for the perceived value of the pick by itself.

I think if Lappy wasn't so beloved as a player he'd be number one in everyone's cross hairs. It sucks Kimmo's gone but you have to adjust and he hasn't gotten the PK units to do that.

Baby Schenn has to become even marginally more consistent, though -- I mean, seriously.

Look at it this way: Even with what you just said being true -- and it is -- you have a pretty good idea what you are getting out of Couturier tonight. Within a range, you know what his effort and game are going to look like.

I have no (frank)ing clue what Baby Schenn is gonna do tonight. He could have three points and be a physical force and be plus-3. He could be so invisible that you don't even know if he played.

That range is just too large. He has to find a way to narrow that -- it's time
- AllInForFlyers

Can't argue w/ any of that. I think he'll get there... steady 50-60 pt guy... as long as his DNA doesn't trip him up along the way.

its the main reason they are NOT a playoff team.
- JoeRussomanno

Without question, in my mind -- it has cost them wins and points all season

Baby Schenn has to become even marginally more consistent, though -- I mean, seriously.

Look at it this way: Even with what you just said being true -- and it is -- you have a pretty good idea what you are getting out of Couturier tonight. Within a range, you know what his effort and game are going to look like.

I have no (frank)ing clue what Baby Schenn is gonna do tonight. He could have three points and be a physical force and be plus-3. He could be so invisible that you don't even know if he played.

That range is just too large. He has to find a way to narrow that -- it's time
- AllInForFlyers

Sounds like JvR ca. 2011.