It Is Time for the Islanders to Punt on the Season
Despite the recent hot streak, the New York Islanders should tank the rest of their season
Currently sitting only 5 points out of a playoff spot, it may seem ludicrous to suggest the Islanders give up on the season. The Islanders have bounced among the bottom three spots of the standings all season, and simply do not have the talent to pass the teams ahead of them. However, those five points do not tell the whole story.
Based on today’s standings, there is truly only one available wild card spot up for grabs. The Rangers are locked into their ranking, which leaves the remaining nine teams to fight for the last wildcard spot and unfortunately for the Islanders, they are not the strongest of this group.
The Difference between the Islanders and a playoff team
For a better look at why it makes no sense for the Islanders to make a playoff push, it is best to compare them with the current holder of the second wild card spot — the Philadelphia Flyers.
At the very surface, the Flyers’ top three scorers, Jakub Voracek, Claude Giroux, and Wayne Simmonds have scored 42, 39, and 36 points respectively. Only one Islander can match the Flyers’ third leading scorer. That is the captain, John Tavares (36 points). This, along with the fact that the Islanders’ second leading scorer, Josh Bailey, if he played for the Flyers, would be fifth in scores on that squad. It must be taken into account how the Flyers’ top dogs easily outscore the Islanders’ top lines. By the way, the Flyers ARE NOT Stanley Cup contenders. If the Islanders cannot stack up with even the eighth best team in the conference, then the playoffs would produce yet another early exit.
Outside of the top scorers, the Flyers have a 10-game winning streak under their belt and solid play throughout most of the season. Going into Sunday’s game against the Islanders, the Flyers lost three straight along with five out of their last seven games. The Flyers were able to right the ship at the expense of the lowly Islanders, and maintain their five point lead in the standings. This demonstrates that even when teams are at their worst, the Islanders can neither catch nor beat the opposition.
Head Coaching Dilemma
If the Islanders were to get hot and somehow sneak their way into the playoffs, that would cause even bigger problems for the future. After firing long-time head coach Jack Capuano last week, former assistant coach and current assistant GM, Doug Weight, has assumed the role of interim head coach. Before taking over, Weight was in charge of the power play and penalty kill units, both ranked among the bottom ten in the NHL. If the Islanders end up lucking into the playoffs, it would not be Weight’s doing. If we know anything about the Islanders, a playoff birth would only land Weight a contract extension.
Extending Weight would be the equivalent of getting back together with a cheating ex. She may tell you she’s changed, but in the end you will be stuck with five more years of lies, or in the Islanders’ case, “Hahd, smaht, hawkey.” The Islanders simply cannot afford the make the playoffs this season. While finishing in last or near the bottom may discourage fans and players (most notably 2018 free agent John Tavares), it will prove to be best for this franchise’s future.
What to do with John Tavares
Islanders fans have been preparing for Tavares to leave, and I’m sure that many believe another finish near the bottom of the league would guarantee he walks. I am here to tell you just the opposite. The firing of Cappy and a potential top draft pick should give JT every reason to stay. Many know that John Tavares has been wasting away under Capuano’s system. The system has not allowed the star to reach his true potential as a Hart Trophy winning, Stanley Cup Champion. Now that Cap is gone and the Islanders are terrible, it is the perfect opportunity to clean house in the front office and coaching staff. Doing so would grant Tavares the opportunity to hand pick the head coach he wants to play for, and would go a long way towards convincing JT to remain an Islander for life. Along with the potential of a new head coach, this year’s draft is loaded with young talent that could immediately impact the franchise.
All things considered, five points is not very far out of contention. However, the Islanders’ roster is so far out of contention that anything other than tanking is beyond crazy.
