Courtesy: CBC
So the New York Islanders fired Ted Nolan.
Big deal. Now they can miss the playoffs next season with a new coach.
Right now, the franchise on the Island is in serious trouble. They haven't won a playoff series since 1993, and Clark Gillies retired 20 years ago. But never mind the 90s, or the early 2000s - today's issue is that the Isles simply don't have the personnel available to win hockey games.
This is a team whose marquis free agent signing last summer was Bill Guerin, a 38-year-old forward who posted mediocre numbers at best in his first season as captain. This summer, the Islanders really wanted to fill some holes, so they picked up Mark Streit on defense - not a bad move, but probably not the end-all, be-all when it's said and done. They also locked up the all-too-valuable Brendan Witt for two more years.
If I was a fan of the Islanders, I would have asked (probably too many times by now), "Who the hell is running this team?"
Oh yeah, Garth Snow. And that other guy on the left, Charles Wang. Buncha rough-housers they are!
Courtesy: Ericmcerlain.com
Wish they could put some of that energy into running a hockey team!
We all know how Snow stepped in after Neil Smith was fired, which was in my opinion one of the dumbest moves the team could've made. Snow had no management experience at the time (except for a supposed Masters in Administration and Bachelor's in Business Administration from Maine), and now that he does, all he has to show for it is a pathetic team who didn't even come close to making the playoffs last season.
Yes, in Snow's first season as GM the Isles did make the playoffs (and JUST barely), and yes, Snow was named NHL Executive of the Year by Sports Illustrated. But let's take a step back here, shall we? The Islanders were never that good in 2006-07. They managed the 8th spot and got to play a few more games in the first round, and then they took their positions on the golf course.
For that, Ted Nolan deserves a little credit; for last season, he also deserves credit - the bad kind.
I think the Isles showed us just how solid of a team they really were in 2007-08.
Many forget that the team was quite involved in the Eastern Conference playoff race for much of the season, and then, maybe because of injuries, and maybe because they just weren't very good, the organization imploded. Ted Nolan is certainly to blame in part for this, and that's why Garth Snow did the right thing in firing him (although the reasons for the firing were listed as "philisophical differences").
Now, all Owner Charles Wang has to do is fire Garth Snow. Snow can try and build the team around a core of young players, but if that happens, the club won't be competitive for many years to come. Snow should bring in a few older (mind you, not Rangers old), wiser players who know what's going on. A mix of veterans and young players always does the trick, and right now, Isles fans only have guys like Blake Comeau and Kyle Okposo on which to rely.
So, Snow should go. I really don't think he knows what he's doing.
And after that, someone should fire Charles Wang (if that's even possible), because he REALLY doesn't know what he's doing. This is an owner who once suggested that SUMO WRESTLERS play goal for the team. Not a bad idea, if you have no respect for/don't understand hockey.
Until the Islanders somehow find a way to lure in guys to play on the Island, they won't win a playoff series or make it to the playoffs. Hate to say it, Isles fans, but Richard Park, Trent Hunter, and Mike Comrie (at least as long as Hilary Duff is around) just aren't going to cut it as team leaders.
Courtesy: Canada.com
"Rebuilding" is never fun, and when it works, it's great - but it's a true gamble. It seems to have worked for the Capitals, but it's anyone's guess as to whether or not it will play out in favor of the Islanders.
Right now, the answer is painfully simple - The Islanders must rework the entire plan, because whatever they currently have just isn't flyin'.
4 comments:
"This is a team whose marquis free agent signing last summer was Bill Guerin"
yeah thats not how you spell marquee. for some reason nobody makes that mistake with me...
-Jason Marquis
Thanks for noting that - it would appear that I meant to say marquee, but I actually meant marquis, which is defined by dictionary.com as "a nobleman ranking next below a duke and above an earl or count."
As in, Bill Guerin was the Isles' nobleman below a duke.
But seriously, I clearly thought of Marquis because of Jason Marquis, and thanks for reading.
of all the dramatic posts to get!
ps you have no qualifications to talk about professional sports, what are you thinking. im crying reading this blog
-Susan Waldman (not max's mom)
You're crazy. Hilary Duff is hot.
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