All Islanders need to do is follow Rays' model

the rays are years ahead of the isles. Our blue and orange have been rebuilding for almost 20 years, the rays only needed ten. Maybe it has something to do with trading handfulls of players who became first liners as soon as they left the island. Its just more of the same. Isles are like the jets, hope for a good season but not suprised when they fail

The sad part is..... that wasn't a young team we saw last night. There were 8 players 30 or over, almost half the team. And there would have been more if certain other players weren't injures. To go on a youth movement, it would help if the team dressed some kids. Even the "young" players beyond Okposo aren't that young. Nielsen Tambellini and Bergenheim will all be 25 this year. Hardly kids.

Jon wrote:

The sad part is..... that wasn't a young team we saw last night. There were 8 players 30 or over, almost half the team. And there would have been more if certain other players weren't injures. To go on a youth movement, it would help if the team dressed some kids. Even the "young" players beyond Okposo aren't that young. Nielsen Tambellini and Bergenheim will all be 25 this year. Hardly kids.

Heck, I'm just happy they scored!

JOn, you couldnt be more right. Years on the bottom of the league and we only have marginally qualified players. Where is our Crosby, ovechkin, stamkos? OH, i forget, they are all embodied in DP? Ha, Remember when we had louango, he was our great white hope. Just amother example of ownership defrauding the fan base

can we take solace in the fact that the stars beat the rang???

If the Islanders are the NHL's version of the Rays, who is the NHL's version of Jeff Wilpon who will make a Kazmir for Zambrano trade? I am willing to be patient if this organization makes a full commitment to getting and playing youth. But as Jon points out half the team is over 30.

Thinking about the situation, I have become sad. The isles will develop young talent, make them true NHLrs and trade them away before they can exact their wealth on our team.

The article rings true enough, but when you call Dallas a middle of the road team at best,(they were four games from the finals last year) you show your hockey acumen. This team is bad, and we fans know it, we don't need a sarcastic baseball writer to point this out. Writting about how poor the isles are is easy, doing a little research on the NHL and its teams might take a little work on your part. Before you write about hockey next time why don't you do a little homework.

haven't they been losing and drafting high for years?

For once, I agree with Baumbach. The only way to improve and become a contender is through the draft. On occasion the Islanders have drafted well Zdeno Chara, Todd Bertuzzi, Ziggy Palfrey, Wade Redden (who was trade for Bryan Berard)and Roberto Luongo were excellent picks. Unfortunately,"Teflon Mike" Milbury traded these players away for garbage Oleg Kavsha, Mark Parrish and Kevin Weekes. Since John Pickett sold the team it has been saddled with poor ownership. Howie "The Shill" Milstein and John Spano were hardly reputable. They need a new building,(which should be forthcoming), but more importantly they need to stay the course with the draft and improve on ice product.

It's true, what we saw last night was not a young team with upside. The roster is an assortment of 30 somethings, 25 year old tweeners like Nielsen and Tambs, and waiver pickups like Pock and Thompson. Even Meyer was lost on waivers last year than picked up again. This team is not a "team of the future". Oksopo is the only "kid" on the roster. And what's wrong with him just making my day and being a star from Day 1. One point in six games, come on. I know, "give him time"...... but I was hoping he would be special and have 70 points as a rookie. It happens, just not here.

The only problem is this is New York, and we don't have patience. I certainly don't have 10 years to wait!

Aren't the Penguins the NHL's version of the Rays?

Reed Larson wrote:

They need a new building,(which should be forthcoming)

Not a chance in the world. Look at what is going on in the economy. We are in the midst of a serious global recession and the Dow is poised to sell off over 1,000 points today.
Where exactly will the money be coming from to fund this project?

If the Islanders follow your Tampa Bay Rays method of rebuilding then Long Island will lose its only hockey team. It doesn't take a genuis to see that the Islanders ticket sales are way down. How many millions more do you think Charles Wang is losing when the arena is half-full. Even though I happen to like the intimacy of the Nassau Coliseum, four things must be done to save our Islanders. First build the damn LightHouse. This move will attract free agents and is long overdue. Secondly trade Jeff Tambellini and demote Kyle Okposo. Tambellini isn't an NHL quality player and Okposo just isn't ready yet. Thirdly bring up Mark Parish and Blake Comeau. Parish has had success on Long Island and Comeau(compared to Tambellini) has had a little also. Fourthly fire Garth Snow. I don't know where he thinks the scoring is going to come from and how can he get rid of Vacisek(however you spell it). The offense, defense, and size of Vasicek should have kept him on the Island. Whether it was Snows or Nolans decision, Garth is suffering the consequences of that major misjudgement. If the team follows this plan we may have success this season. If you take preseason into account we are 6-6 so we should'nt throw the season away yet. Just follow my four steps of success. If we would have followed Nolans plan I swear the Coliseum would be packed every night and Mr. Charles Wang wouldn't be losing more money. The Islanders would be winning. Fire Garth Snow!!!

Sauceinatti wrote:

If you take preseason into account we are 6-6 so we should'nt throw the season away yet.

Right, and if we just exclude the 6 losses, the Isles are 6-0!! It all makes perfect sense now!!

I get sick watching Guerin, Weight and Comrie skate up-and-down the ice playing out their last paychecks.

well, if the Islanders want to act like a minor league team, they should charges minor league ticket prices instead of abusing us loyal but shrinking fan base

Hate to admit it but your.Somewhere Ted Nolan is sitting back and going "told ya".It's only six games into the season and the offense is already m.i.a.Kyle Okposo fired at Modonao at point blank range in the first and that was the turning point.Why?!What happen to the other guys on that line?Your using the Rays analogy as something we can build on?At least the Rays put a gm in place who knows what he's doing.Wang is also on the spot on this one also.He's got yes man instead of gm (see Neil Smith)And it's quite fitting the Hurricanes are up next bringing Gordons guru Lavuilette (see Stanley Cup coach)to come in.Maybe Gordon can pull "Farve"and get some info,just a thought.It's getting late early around here.

"The Stars, a middle-of-the-road team at best, looked like Stanley Cup contenders the way they dismantled the Islanders."

The Dallas Stars are a top 5 team in the nhl. After Detroit, they are the favorites to get out of the west and they played detroit as tough as pittsburgh did. So please learn some freaken hockey!! Just by that comment alone, people should not take too much into what this guy says. yes, the Islanders need to draft well. They will have the most draft picks again this season. The young players that the isles can build around are mostly going to come from the 08 and 09 drafts. Comeau is going to be a 2nd line player and we dont know if Okoposo will be a 1st or 2nd line player. As for the lighthouse and who is going to fund it? Charles Wang is funding it if you have read anything about this project. We just need some stupid politicians to finally approve this thing and hopefully by the summer or fall this thing will get going so we can turn this F7cking thing around! And how is Okoposo suppose to learn and be productive. This team cant score! He doenst have Jagr to learn and feed off of like Dubinsky had last season. Okoposo played well with Comeau and park last season. Atleast try that line out!