There’s no good fix for the Islanders (but two painful options await)

Okay, so the Islanders next general manager must come to a decision: do you rebuild or retool the team? But I’m not diving into that debate since I’d rather talk about how they should go about either the rebuild or the retool. That’s more interesting when I’m sure the ‘would you rather’ debate is running itself rampant across the internet. 

To be clear, I haven’t looked; I’ve just assumed. And I’m basing my assumptions on prior experience when other teams face the same conundrum - a roster full of aging, uninspiring players who can’t improve the team. Anyway, before I dive so far off topic that I lose you, let’s get started, talking about what the Islanders need to do if they’re going to rebuild this from nothing. 

For one, I have a love/hate relationship with full-on rebuilds, even if I implied that may be ideal for the Isles. When you look at teams like the Detroit Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres, you see a pair of organizations with starved fanbases. Then, when you check out the St. Louis Blues, a retool got the team back into the playoffs within three seasons. 

Still, some rebuilds can get a team up and going quickly. Look at the Montreal Canadiens, and you can even throw the Anaheim Ducks in there. Anaheim didn’t make the playoffs but wow, those strides were impeccable. 

An Islanders rebuild would consist of an EA Sports NHL-like fire sale

It was always fun diving into general manager mode on EA Sports NHL games. And here, I’d treat this one just like a game, moving aging or ineffective talents like Bo Horvat, Anders Lee, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Anthony Duclair, Casey Cizikas, Ryan Pulock, Adam Pelech, Scott Mayfield, and Semyon Varlamov. 

And yes, before you say it, I’m aware that about every single player listed has a no-trade clause in one capacity or another. But we’re talking about a fire sale, so do you think these players would care about going somewhere else? Honestly, if they did, I’d question their logic, especially if they’d probably be interested in snagging a Stanley Cup before Father Time catches up to them. 

For compensation? I want draft picks and prospects, preferably draft picks. I’m stockpiling the pool, and picking the best player available on my draft board every time the Islanders are on the clock. 

And in free agency? I’m signing low-cost free agents to short-term deals. They won’t be the real Islanders. Just names and faces passing by, ready to embark on a thankless job in what I’ll call the ‘stopgap role.’ 

But hey, they get to wear an awesome blue and orange sweater for a year, so it won’t be all bad. It’s the long view, but rebuilds neither come into fruition overnight nor within the next few seasons. 

Retooling the Islanders means cutting ties with some names, keeping others

This would be easier, as I’d hang onto some players I listed above. Bo Horvat would stay, as would Anthony Duclair, even if I wasn’t singing his praises lately. Still, Duclair, when healthy, can be a good winger in this league. I’d also keep Casey Cizikas around to help oversee this transition, and the same would go for Ryan Pulock and Adam Pelech. 

I’d still part ways with a few names, and I’d still be looking for draft picks and prospects. Oh, and in a retool, I’d definitely do what Blues general manager Doug Armstrong did; find a few high-potential youngsters to bring over to Long Island and speed this process up. 

Then, I’d sign some stopgap free agents to stick around for a year or so. This would likely cause the Isles to miss the playoffs in the foreseeable future, between the next two to three seasons. Still, it wouldn’t mean a half-decade of futility, with true results coming in roughly Year 6 or 7 in a full-on rebuild. 

The only issue with a retool is, the window isn’t open for as long unless you wanted to keep retooling. With a rebuild, you’re going to be really bad for a while, but that window’s open for a longer period. At least it’s how they work in theory.