Challenge #45 - 1998 NY Islanders - Discussion Thread

[cecede123]

So I'm jumping in this one ! Althought I'm not from this generation (1997 born ), I'll give a try to this challenge.

The hardest part thus far for me is in my different EHM dynasty, I rely a lot on the team report that gives us our AGM. Since we don't have one until the 1st offseason, it's gonna be an adaptation !

[30Tanner]

Pretty interesting to see/know/wonder where Islanders would have gone if they would have kept Chara and Luongo.

As someone relatively new to hockey (last 5 years or so), I was really thrown off when I saw them both on the roster.

[Canadian Passport]

With that cap of $34 million in place, I already can't resign Flaherty or Linden.

Flaherty resigned with me for $1.1M but Linden wanted $6.5M so he's leaving at the end of the season.

[nine-o]

Pretty interesting to see/know/wonder where Islanders would have gone if they would have kept Chara and Luongo.

Mike Milbury - the worst GM in a long, long time.

Its not just Luongo and Chara he gave away for nothing - he traded away Brian McCabe, Todd Bertuzzi, Olli Jokinen, Brian Berard, JP Dumont, Chris Osgood (yes I'm still being serious), Tommy Salo, Raffi Torres... the man basically traded away a dynasty's worth of players for a year and a half of Alexei Yashin.

And then he gets put on TV to share his vast hockey insight? Someone beat me with a shoe, I must be dreaming.

[nine-o]

Flaherty resigned with me for $1.1M but Linden wanted $6.5M so he's leaving at the end of the season.

Yikes. I was afraid of that. Hope Smolinski is ready for some big minutes haha.

[stone169]

Mike Milbury - the worst GM in a long, long time.

If you're a Sens fan, then you know that Milbury was the greatest GM ever.

[stone169]

With that cap of $34 million in place, I already can't resign Flaherty or Linden.

Flaherty resigned with me for $1.1M but Linden wanted $6.5M so he's leaving at the end of the season.

I basically resigned anyone who would sign with me. So I resigned Flaherty to a 2 year contract @ $1.48
million per season (haven't decided on whether or not I'll trade him). And I resigned Linden to a 3 year contract (he wanted 5) @ $4.58 million per season with the express interest of trading him at the draft. I'm hoping that I can get a top 10 pick.

Right now, out of everyone Palffy, Reichel, Chara, Salo, and Jonsson are the guys I need to keep. Palffy got a $2 million raise. Surprisingly I resigned Reichel for extremely cheap. He got a $200k a year raise. Same thing with Jonsson. Out of those guys, only Salo didn't sign, but he's an RFA so I'll be able to sign him cheap.

[nine-o]

I... just wanna hire some staff haha. Having two assistant coaches is giving me anxiety. Its an ideal group (especially the forwards) for my tactics though, and the unlimited hiring/firing of staff after that first season should clear that up.

[Peter_Doherty]

I've been on a hiatus for a bit, this looks interesting though so i'll join in, see if i find it fun

[Peter_Doherty]

With that cap of $34 million in place, I already can't resign Flaherty or Linden.

Flaherty resigned with me for $1.1M but Linden wanted $6.5M so he's leaving at the end of the season.

I basically resigned anyone who would sign with me. So I resigned Flaherty to a 2 year contract @ $1.48
million per season (haven't decided on whether or not I'll trade him). And I resigned Linden to a 3 year contract (he wanted 5) @ $4.58 million per season with the express interest of trading him at the draft. I'm hoping that I can get a top 10 pick.

Right now, out of everyone Palffy, Reichel, Chara, Salo, and Jonsson are the guys I need to keep. Palffy got a $2 million raise. Surprisingly I resigned Reichel for extremely cheap. He got a $200k a year raise. Same thing with Jonsson. Out of those guys, only Salo didn't sign, but he's an RFA so I'll be able to sign him cheap.

FYI, not allowed to trade for a 1st rounder.

[stone169]

I... just wanna hire some staff haha. Having two assistant coaches is giving me anxiety. Its an ideal group (especially the forwards) for my tactics though, and the unlimited hiring/firing of staff after that first season should clear that up.

Half the scouting staff sucks too.

[stone169]

FYI, not allowed to trade for a 1st rounder.

Thanks. I did not see that. Well hopefully for a 2nd rounder and maybe a quality young player. Either way I'm getting something for Linden.

[Asher413]

Another factor contributing to the Isles downfall of the late 90's/early 2000's:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Spano There's an ESPN 30 for 30 "Big Shot" about him basically tricking the entire hockey world into very briefly owning the Islanders.

A few more folks that could've changed fortunes:

Feb 6- To Islanders: Trevor Linden
To Vancouver: Todd Bertuzzi, Bryan McCabe, and a 3rd round pick in 1998 (Jarko Ruutu)

They also traded away Wade Redden (Granted, they got Berard and Straka in return, but put Straka on waivers...). Other notable 'lost' Islanders include Pierre Turgeon and Vladimir Malakov (traded for Kirk Muller and Matheiu Schneider, and Muller basically refused to report and was traded below value later.) Lastly one close to my heart, they traded Kasparaitis (back in the grinding NHL guys like him were gold) for Smolinski. Chara was part of the Yashin (who was more than a point per game before joining the islanders) deal.

And lastly on this rant- here's how they lost Luongo (per Wikipedia)- "In the off-season, the Islanders selected goaltender Rick DiPietro with the first overall pick in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. DiPietro's selection supplanted Luongo as the highest-drafted goaltender in NHL history and the Islanders' goaltender of the future.[31] Consequently, Milbury traded Luongo to the Florida Panthers along with centre Olli Jokinen for winger Mark Parrish and centre Oleg Kvasha that same day on June 24, 2000.[31] The deal would later be seen to have disproportionately benefited the Panthers, as both Jokinen and Luongo would eventually develop into star players, in contrast to Parrish and Kvasha.[32] Luongo expressed surprise at the trade, saying, "I didn't expect it at all. One day they're telling me I'm the goalie of the future, and the next day I'm gone. I didn't really appreciate that. The good side is that [the Panthers] wanted me." (To be fair- DiPeitro was supposed to be the next great goalie).

[stone169]

Another factor contributing to the Isles downfall of the late 90's/early 2000's:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Spano There's an ESPN 30 for 30 "Big Shot" about him basically tricking the entire hockey world into very briefly owning the Islanders.

A few more folks that could've changed fortunes:

Feb 6- To Islanders: Trevor Linden
To Vancouver: Todd Bertuzzi, Bryan McCabe, and a 3rd round pick in 1998 (Jarko Ruutu)

They also traded away Wade Redden (Granted, they got Berard and Straka in return, but put Straka on waivers...). Other notable 'lost' Islanders include Pierre Turgeon and Vladimir Malakov (traded for Kirk Muller and Matheiu Schneider, and Muller basically refused to report and was traded below value later.) Lastly one close to my heart, they traded Kasparaitis (back in the grinding NHL guys like him were gold) for Smolinski. Chara was part of the Yashin (who was more than a point per game before joining the islanders) deal.

And lastly on this rant- here's how they lost Luongo (per Wikipedia)- "In the off-season, the Islanders selected goaltender Rick DiPietro with the first overall pick in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. DiPietro's selection supplanted Luongo as the highest-drafted goaltender in NHL history and the Islanders' goaltender of the future.[31] Consequently, Milbury traded Luongo to the Florida Panthers along with centre Olli Jokinen for winger Mark Parrish and centre Oleg Kvasha that same day on June 24, 2000.[31] The deal would later be seen to have disproportionately benefited the Panthers, as both Jokinen and Luongo would eventually develop into star players, in contrast to Parrish and Kvasha.[32] Luongo expressed surprise at the trade, saying, "I didn't expect it at all. One day they're telling me I'm the goalie of the future, and the next day I'm gone. I didn't really appreciate that. The good side is that [the Panthers] wanted me." (To be fair- DiPeitro was supposed to be the next great goalie).

The deal that saw Chara come to Ottawa, as the story goes, was actually going to be Yashin for a 1st rounder (Spezza) and Bill Muckalt. It was pretty much a done deal in Johnston's mind (Sens GM at the time), but he decided to get a little greedy and asked Milbury if he was willing to throw in Chara. Milbury jumped at the chance. Sens fans loved Milbury after that. Sens fans laughed at Milbury after that. They laughed even harder when he signed Yashin to a ridiculous 10 year deal.

As for the Redden trade, the Sens also got Rhodes in the deal as well. This was the beginning of good times in Ottawa.

This is why us older Sens fans think that Milbury was the greatest GM that, thankfully, Ottawa never had.

[Canadian Passport]

I basically resigned anyone who would sign with me. So I resigned Flaherty to a 2 year contract @ $1.48
million per season (haven't decided on whether or not I'll trade him). And I resigned Linden to a 3 year contract (he wanted 5) @ $4.58 million per season with the express interest of trading him at the draft. I'm hoping that I can get a top 10 pick.

Right now, out of everyone Palffy, Reichel, Chara, Salo, and Jonsson are the guys I need to keep. Palffy got a $2 million raise. Surprisingly I resigned Reichel for extremely cheap. He got a $200k a year raise. Same thing with Jonsson. Out of those guys, only Salo didn't sign, but he's an RFA so I'll be able to sign him cheap.

I've resigned a lot of players too. I'm letting the really bad ones down in Lowell go but I resigned almost everyone else who could possibly be of any use and there will be some trading. I was thinking about doing what you're doing with Linden except in my game Linden isn't playing well and I was a little afraid I wouldn't be able to move him at anything near $6.5M per year and I didn't want to get stuck with that albatross of a contract.

Salo and Berard haven't signed yet. Salo I'd like to keep but if I lose him no biggie. Flaherty is outplaying him and there are a lot of good young goalies in this game. Berard is the one that worries me. He's already one of the best in the league and I know someone is going to offer him a monster offer sheet. He won't resign with me now, hopefully I can afford to match whatever he's offered and he actually agrees to sign. I'd rather keep him than get whatever compensation I may receive.

[stone169]

I basically resigned anyone who would sign with me. So I resigned Flaherty to a 2 year contract @ $1.48
million per season (haven't decided on whether or not I'll trade him). And I resigned Linden to a 3 year contract (he wanted 5) @ $4.58 million per season with the express interest of trading him at the draft. I'm hoping that I can get a top 10 pick.

Right now, out of everyone Palffy, Reichel, Chara, Salo, and Jonsson are the guys I need to keep. Palffy got a $2 million raise. Surprisingly I resigned Reichel for extremely cheap. He got a $200k a year raise. Same thing with Jonsson. Out of those guys, only Salo didn't sign, but he's an RFA so I'll be able to sign him cheap.

I've resigned a lot of players too. I'm letting the really bad ones down in Lowell go but I resigned almost everyone else who could possibly be of any use and there will be some trading. I was thinking about doing what you're doing with Linden except in my game Linden isn't playing well and I was a little afraid I wouldn't be able to move him at anything near $6.5M per year and I didn't want to get stuck with that albatross of a contract.

Salo and Berard haven't signed yet. Salo I'd like to keep but if I lose him no biggie. Flaherty is outplaying him and there are a lot of good young goalies in this game. Berard is the one that worries me. He's already one of the best in the league and I know someone is going to offer him a monster offer sheet. He won't resign with me now, hopefully I can afford to match whatever he's offered and he actually agrees to sign. I'd rather keep him than get whatever compensation I may receive.

Salo's been up and down for me. I'm still hoping to get him signed, along with Berard. Both are RFAs, so there isn't a rush. Linden has played well for me, especially down the stretch. He did put up good numbers (21g and 25a), but really solid on the PK.

I looked at what I have in contracts moving forward next season, and I should be good with close to $10 in EHM imposed cap space. So I think I'll wait until training camp before I make a decision on trading anyone for now.

[stone169]

Just swept the Habs in the first round 4-2, 5-3, 3-0, and 2-1. Flaherty played games 1 and 2, while Salo played games 3 and 4.

[stone169]

Lost in game 7 of the ECF to Buffalo.

[saberhagen83]

Salo and Berard haven't signed yet. Salo I'd like to keep but if I lose him no biggie. Flaherty is outplaying him and there are a lot of good young goalies in this game. Berard is the one that worries me. He's already one of the best in the league and I know someone is going to offer him a monster offer sheet. He won't resign with me now, hopefully I can afford to match whatever he's offered and he actually agrees to sign. I'd rather keep him than get whatever compensation I may receive.

Don't worry too much about Berard. I managed to sign him during he FA window (24th of july to be exact) to a 1.8M/5y. I thought that was a decent deal honestly. No one came in with a offer sheet for him. Salo on the other hand I don't think is possible to keep, could be wrong though. But he hates the Islanders so I had to let him walk, Berard does too but since he is RFA he has little choise but to re-sign. Flaherty, like for you, was the better goalie after all so I re-signed him to a 1y deal and now in season 3 Luongo is ready to go. Think Flaherty wanted like 2M so I just said no thank you!

[nine-o]

Salo on the other hand I don't think is possible to keep, could be wrong though. But he hates the Islanders so I had to let him walk, Berard does too but since he is RFA he has little choise but to re-sign. Flaherty, like for you, was the better goalie after all so I re-signed him to a 1y deal and now in season 3 Luongo is ready to go. Think Flaherty wanted like 2M so I just said no thank you!

I had to play the hell out of Salo for the first 60 (lost Flaherty for 3 months) and, for whatever reason, he's happy now. I guess goalies like more ice time (which seems pretty obvious now that I've written it down) but that's the first time I've noticed someone lose the negative traits because of it.

[stone169]

Salo faltered down the stretch for me, but bounced back in the playoffs. Both he and Berard are RFAs and I've qualified them both. So I'll continue to work them as the off season progresses.

[saberhagen83]

I had to play the hell out of Salo for the first 60 (lost Flaherty for 3 months) and, for whatever reason, he's happy now. I guess goalies like more ice time (which seems pretty obvious now that I've written it down) but that's the first time I've noticed someone lose the negative traits because of it.

Interesting. I played him in 51 games that season + all of the playoffs, guess he needed a little more then perhaps to change his opinion. I honestly didn't think a player could drop the dislike. Think I gave Flaherty some extra games due to him not wanting to re-sign untill I did.

Salo faltered down the stretch for me, but bounced back in the playoffs. Both he and Berard are RFAs and I've qualified them both. So I'll continue to work them as the off season progresses.

Salo was RFA? I completely missed that and messed up then! Salo certainly seems like a playoff goalie, played very well for me too.

[nine-o]

Interesting. I played him in 51 games that season + all of the playoffs, guess he needed a little more then perhaps to change his opinion. I honestly didn't think a player could drop the dislike.

Heh - so I took a look and its actually... both? He's happy to stay... at the team he dislikes. He's a complex fella, that Salo.

[nine-o]

Found this pretty funny after trashing the guy half the thread - not only down on the farm, but on the farm in New Brunswick (or "No Funswick" as we say around here).

[Asher413]

He won't resign with me now, hopefully I can afford to match whatever he's offered and he actually agrees to sign. I'd rather keep him than get whatever compensation I may receive.

If I recall correctly, in older versions of EHM, the AI will not offer deals to RFAs. I'm not confident if that has changed, but that was the case at some point in the EHM 1 lifecycle.