What Bringing in Gio Means

At the deadline, the Toronto Maple Leafs had to bring in a defenseman or a goalie. Since they told everyone that their goaltending was fine, I was pretty sure it would be a defenseman. 

The Leafs needed a dman who would help stabilize the sloppy play in the defensive zone. They have to cut down the giveaways and the scoring chances, thus cutting the goals against down. 

They needed a steady, no-nonsense defender who adds the odd goal. And that is precisely what the Leafs got when they acquired Mark Giordano. Mark will make Brodie a better dman than he already is. 

Gio will set an example to that whole core. He will show them exactly what to do in the defensive zone. He will calm the nerves down in that dressing room make it fun to play hockey again. 

Should the Leafs care about where they finish? We know they're playing the Canes, Bolts, Bruins, or Panthers; pick your poison. The only thing that matters is playing well before the playoffs and, of course, home-ice advantage. 

One last tidbit of info: it looks like Campbell will be on the roster soon. So we will find out if opting out of another goalie was the right choice after all. Buckle up, ladies and gents—this is going to be fun.

Randy

The Isles are Running on All Cylinders

 A good friend of mine helped with this idea of what to write about the Islanders this week. So thanks to you, Bill Brady, I salute you.

Let's talk about the young players the Isles have; we have a lot to be excited about the future of this team. 

Oliver Wahlstrom 

Oliver is an offensive juggernaut, especially on the powerplay. He has a one-timer that is deadly. Wahlstrom is a terrific skater who can glide with the best of them. 

As good as Wahlstrom is offensively, he has to develop his game defensively. I love Oliver's abilities, but in this system, it is defense first, and the offense will take care of itself. Oliver has to get himself noticed, and he will be if he becomes a complete player. 

Noah Dobson

Noah might be the best dman on the New York Islander roster. Noah's strength is his hockey IQ. He is a very smart defenceman. To go with that hockey IQ, Dobson has a ton of offensive skills, including a Howitzer from the point. If he can use the shot from the point more often, the Isles powerplay will become a lot more effective. The only thing Dobson has to shore up is his defensive mistakes. He is young, which will come with experience. He has all the potential to be an all-star defenceman for years to come. 

Prospect Watch

William Dufour

William is a no-nonsense power forward. As I understand it, he will hit anything that breathes. Will sticks up for his teammates in the dressing room. The Islanders have a steal, with Dufour being picked in the fifth round. He might be just what Trotz needs. William has a knack for scoring the big goal, good hands, and a nice wrist shot. He still needs some seasoning. If he keeps his mind in the game, he will be a keeper for many years to come. 

Aatu Ratty

Aatu is a smooth, playmaking forward who was also a steal in the second round for the Islanders. A terrific player who has great vision that pinpoints a pass from anywhere. When I did a mock draft the year Ratty was drafted, I had him going in the first round. He is fast and deadly whenever he comes into the offensive zone, always thinking ahead. He needs to grow on the farm to develop his whole game. Ratty needs to bulk up and play in all situations of the game. 

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Conclusion

The Isles have plenty of bright spots. The prospects cupboard is plenty full. The draft coming up this season is excellent. The Isles are drafting around spots 12-15. I will be doing what I expect at the draft in another blog. Smile—the future is bright.  

Randy

Flames: Are They Good Enough

So, did the Flames do enough? 

I know they are probably the best team in the Pacific Division. Apparently, they tried to get a depth defenceman, but couldn't make it work. The reason was there were not many options left by that point. I wonder if the Flames could have started earlier if they had made more cap room? They had to put Richardson on waivers just to be able to tinker in the final hour. 

The Flames could have made a cap casualty trade. Now bear with me—they could have traded Monahan for a cheaper third-line centre. If they are going to use Monahan as a third-line centre, they might as well use an actual third-line player to do the same thing for cheaper.  

One of my contacts has expressed how he feels about their use of Monahan: "They frankly misuse the talented centre."  I know Flames fans are often frustrated with Monahan, but is it his fault? When a team undervalues a player, can he help but think less of himself? 

The second part of this question: Should the Flames have considered making room for the Tkachuk and Gaudreau extensions next season? Could they have made a cap casualty trade without hurting the team? 

One contact explained why they couldn't dump any cap: "When you have the chance at the cup, you have to go for it." I countered about having to lose Tkachuk or Gaudreau next year. Another contact agreed with not changing anything before the playoffs: "You can't mess with a team's chemistry when it is one of the best teams in the League."  

With this discussion, I learned precisely what goes through a General Manager's mind at the deadline. They have to consider every option and then judge the likely result. Who knew?

Randy

Leafs: Is it Goalending or is it Defence?

Whether the defence or goaltending is the cause of the Leaf's problems lately has been a heated topic in many forums. 

The defence is terrible; I will be the first to admit it. The defence is getting outworked in the corners. Their lack of toughness is a huge weakness. The forwards are getting lazy in their defensive zone coverage.  

The team's collapses in the third period are almost comical. You know it's coming, but you don't know how they could possibly blow their lead this time. And then... they do.

Why is the defence having so many problems? I suggest it is the pressure of knowing that if they make one mistake, the puck will be in the net. Campbell and Mrazek don't have to be perfect, but they need to be consistently good. Right now, the Leafs need above-average goaltending. Campbell and Mrazek are not giving it to them. 

If the Maple Leafs can find that extra stay-home dman and shore up their defence, that might be the answer. But the goaltending market is quite dry right now; I don't know if they will be able to acquire a goalie who is any better than they currently have. 

The Islanders never Quit

The Islanders are coming to a crossroads. In the last few blogs, I have speculated about what the Isles might do over the next few months. I continue to write on a touchy subject — whether or not teams will tank.

Let me start with a great quote "No team will publically tell their players to tank, but you sure know ***** well they're thinking it." I will let you fill in the blank. It is not in a hockey players' mentality to say it is all right to lose. If it is okay with him, you have to kick him in the butt. General Managers call this cheque to cheque syndrome — playing just for the money. Once this disease gets into a locker room, it spreads like wildfire.

I have a source who explained it to me this way: "The team got so used to losing that the team did not care anymore; it got toxic in the dressing room." The Islanders cannot and will not tank for even one season. You don't want that poisonous atmosphere for even one game, let alone an entire season. Leaders like Lee and Neilson are valuable to the Islanders and will block this attitude in the dressing room. They will instill this into young players like Dobson, Wahlstrom, and Bellows. And Coach Trotz will beat them with the never-quit. 

So far, those who want the Isles to lose understand that the team will try to win, which is good. I bet the Isles will play far better down the stretch, because Trotz will ensure they will. 

Randy

The Verdict

The hottest topic right not now is whether to hang on to Lou. I am not saying there is a chance of this happening, just that there is a lot of discussion. Let me emphasize this again: there is no way Lou's job is in jeopardy. 

I will give three reasons to keep Lou. I will then have a rebuttal. I am playing the devil's advocate.

1. The Thirteen-Game Road Trip

A 13-game road trip was a rough way to start the year. The Islanders never recovered from the road trip. Name another team that had to start on the road for 13 straight. They never got into a rhythm, never got off on the right foot. It takes time for a team to meld; the process does not happen overnight. A couple of bad games should not mean Lou loses his job. 

Rebuttal

The Isles knew about the 13-game road trip before the season started. That is just an excuse for how bad the team is. They are responsible for the games. If Lou cannot bring a team who can handle a little hardship, what good is he to us? If this team is not good enough to make the playoffs, that is on Lou. 

2. Acquisitions

The Islanders need a leader with a cup ring on his finger—a veteran who knows how to win. Lou signed a Chara. Chara is the perfect mentor for a young and upcoming defence core like the Isles. The next thing in Lou's eyes is we needed a third-line help. One of the biggest complaints was that the Isles did not have a third line. Lou went out to fix that, signing Zach Parise—who can score the odd goal—and lit a fire under his linemates' butts.    

Rebuttal

At first blush, it looks like Lou is filling holes in the lineups. However, if you look closely, you will see that the team is one of the oldest in the league. It is like a baker hiding day-old bread among the fresh loaves hoping no one will notice. Unfortunately, other teams saw and used speed to their advantage. This often put the Isles on the wrong side of two-on-ones and three-on-twos. 

3. Palmieri

Kyle Palmieri was the perfect signing for the Islanders, keeping a star in the fold. The Isles could not afford to lose Kyle to free agency. Great job by Lou.

Rebuttal

Yes, we needed to try to retain Palmieri, but not at the expense of Barzal, a top-line winger. This has been a weakness in the Islanders lineup for the last two years, if not more. Lou has failed to fill it. 

Last Word

There you have it, is Lou innocent, or does he hang? You decide.

Randy