Great news for Islanders fans. Getting a top notch coach and a winning GM. Don't be surprised to see them back in the playoffs soon.
Yeah, qbert gets credit for calling this, but Spofi has been all over this story (and pulling for all parties involved to close the deal) for months. This is great news. Good on Ted Nolan, who's waited a decade for this, good on the Islanders and Charles Wang for making this happen, good on Neil Smith, who is a great piece of the puzzle (whatever gets Mike Milbury out of the decision making process is a good thing). Between them and the addition of Bryan Trottier & Pat Lafontaine in development roles, this is a great PR move as well as a solid hockey choice. (Hey HATER, wanna catch a game or two next season?) Now, if they can figure out what to do with Yashin, this team could be alarmingly better as early as next year.
I wonder if they could trade Yashin for Zdeno Chara, Jason Spezza, and Bill Muckalt. Probably just Bill Muckalt nowadays.
I love these moves by the Islanders. Wang admitted he had zero hockey knowledge coming into his ownership but still took a very hands approach to running the team. He went out and found some of the most knowledgeable people in hockey and I think the effects will be seen almost immediatley. Smith knows how to build a winner, Nolan is so obviously the best coach not in the NHL and Long Islanders are somewhat obligied to orally satisfy Pat Lafontiane upon site. Now that managment has been fixed what do with the personel problems? Yashin needs to be taken Ol' Yeller style and the defense's average is something like 17 and I believe DiP is still unsigned. Neil gots a lot work to do this summer. Chico I will definately be a regular at the colliseum (just I word of caution I wear my colours at games so if you can stand the heckeling I'm game)
I re-read my last post this morning after the yuengling wore off and realized I meant Trottier deserves the satisfaction not Lafontaine (althought Pat is a fine looking man) I guess my Freaudian slip is showing.
