One, Final Islander Related Rant

Well, tomorrow may be the last day for me around these parts for some time, so I’m going to get in one last Islander post to bore you all with while I still can.

Right now, the Islanders are the worst team in the NHL, or as I see it, first in the John Tavares sweepstakes (read my thoughts on the young man here).

Last night, the Islanders lost 5-3 to the Sharks in San Jose, which looks like it may have been close, but never was. The Isles were down 3-0 halfway through the second and were outshot 47-24. Something I never thought I would say — Joey MacDonald stopped 42 shots. Jeez. Imagine this team without him.

But anyway, let me move on to the main point of this post. If this team somehow manages to be in a position to draft John Tavares or a similarly gifted offensive kid in June, I will renounce my Islander fanship if the Islanders don’t select him.

We’ve won two games since December 1st, a 2-12-2 record during that span. We’re worst in the league and a defenseman is our leading scorer with 32 points. For a few years we were an average NHL team, but now it’s back to the basement. There’s also a full-fledged youth movement in progress that is lacking any elite kids outside of Kyle Okposo.

If this team continues to be horrific in the standings — which it likely will — they will be in position to have a top 3 draft pick. If somehow, someway, they are in a position to draft Tavares or similar — they better $#%&ing do it. This team has had one player — ONE — score more than 35 in a season since 2000-01 (Jason Blake two seasons ago). This team hasn’t had a serious offensive threat since Ziggy Palffy was here. There are no players on this team that currently pose a serious threat to NHL goaltenders.

If this team is in a position to draft a no-brainer offensive wunderkind like they did this past summer with Nikita Filatov and pass on that opportunity again, I give up. I quit. You can hold me to it. You’ll see my fanship auctioned off on Ebay or something. No more trading down. No more making boneheaded draft day deals (see: Milbury). I’m tired of it. Just take the best available and get it over with. Hopefully, that means Tavares or someone similar.

/end rant

Yeah, this post should come closer to the end of the season, or in the summer, but better now than never.
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