Lou Lamoriello & The Gaping Void of The Islanders.

Lou Lamoriello must trade for a Top 6 Goal scorer.

The Power Play was putrid last year and I don't think it could get any worse. It was labeled as one of the worst power plays in the league ranking 29th out of 31st.

As for the 5 on 5 Offense, I don't think it will score as many goals as last year. I don't think Anthony Beauvillier or Michael Dal Colle are top 6 wingers and I think trading at least one of them for the T6GS (Top 6 Goal Scorer) would benefit the team immensely! It would not only improve the 5 on 5 scoring, but the Power Play as well giving the isles a sniper that they needed.

I'm not saying trade for a Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane or even Artemi Panarin, but I think trading for someone along the Lines of Nikolaj Ehlers, Mike Hoffman or even Jason Zucker would help a lot.

I'm not concerned about the defense and my concern with the Goaltenders is there but nowhere near as high as the Offense. If the lines don't include Leo Komarov on the 3rd line and have Michael Dal Colle and Josh Ho-Sang playing, I think it gives the team much more speed then it had last year without Ho-Sang, plus it'll give the team more youth.

Some Isles fans are saying that this will be a bad team and will probably end up 6th in the Division. Not for nothing, but can you blame them? 

Last year was great and the Islanders overachieved. This season though, the team downgraded in Goaltender with signing Semyon Varlamov to a 4 year 5 million dollar per year deal after Robin Lehner departed for The Chicago Blackhawks on a Lamoriello and Coaching Staff wanting and Gamble to try and get Isles Prospect and KHL Stud Goaltender Ilya Sorokin to the team next season. 

The Defense was Fine all season and didn't really need changing or Upgrading for that matter. However, offensively Valtteri Filppula left and was replaced with Derick Brassard and was a signing I loved, Re-signed the Captain Anders Lee, Jordan Eberle and Brock Nelson. The Downside to these signings, Lou Lamoriello didn't do much to improve the scoring. Tom Kuhnhackl was brought back as well and lots of people know how I felt about him returning and if you don't, I didn't like it at all.

The Islanders they got a better Power Play coach in Jim Hiller and hopefully the power play can't get worse than last season, but the fact remains that Goal Scoring was not improved.

I give Lou praise for trying to land Artemi Panarin, but ultimately he failed and Panarin signed with the Rangers. Aside from Panarin, The Islanders didn't make any signings or trades (So far) to improve the scoring and give Mat Barzal or Brock Nelson a winger on the left side who can score goals. This goes for the top 6 pairing that doesn't have Anders Lee paired with them.

As I stated earlier, Anthony Beauvillier and Michael Dal Colle in my opinion aren't Top 6 Forwards. Honestly, Lou Lamoriello will have to trade Beauvillier and either a 1st Round or 2nd Round pick in order to secure a Top 6 Goal Scorer  this team needs!

I refuse to believe his use of the word "Chemistry." Lamoriello used the word "Chemistry" to explain why no trades were made. The Islanders had the best Goaltending tandem in the League last season and for whatever the Reason, Lehner wasn't retained and instead, 31 year old Semyon Varlamov was signed and overpaid. 

If you require a reference as to what Varlamov was paid, scroll up to see.

Until then, I'm not saying the Isles will be 6th and will be terrible, but I think that it'll be a long season if this is the opening day roster.

There is time, but it's running out for Lou to make the trade.

Need I remind everyone the last trade he made, was for Matt Martin.

If this is the opening day roster, I would hope that Leo Komarov sees either 4th line duties or the press box. Locker room culture in Komarov doesn't deserve a 4 year team with a M-NTC (Modified No-Trade Clause). The Komarov contract was one of 3 contracts that are very questionable/very Bad.

Here is a List of the Very Questionable/Very Bad Contracts Lamoriello has given out during his tenure as Islanders GM:

1. Leo Komarov: 4 years 3 Million per, 12 Million Dollars total with a 7 Team No Trade Clause. I would 100% like to know what Komarov did in his Career to Justify such a Contract. 

2. Thomas Hickey: 4 Years 2.5 Million per, 10 Million Dollars total. for a 7th Defense for the Isles, why was he given this contract? The Isles already had Nick Leddy, Johnny Boychuk, Scott Mayfield, Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock and Devon Toews on the Horizon. Granted, Hickey would be on the 3rd Pair, but still, does Hickey deserve that contract especially for 4 years?

3. Semyon Varlamov: 4 Years, 5 Million Per, 20 Million Dollars total with a Full No Trade Clause his first two years and a Modified No-Trade Clause that has a 16 team No Trade list the Final 2 seasons. A Complete over-payment! This is one of those signings I don't understand. The Idea was to bring Varlamov in to entice Ilya Sorokin to come to the NHL After this season. Lou overpaid the 31 year old, Injury Prone Varlamov and it was a bad move. Robin Lehner had signed with the Blackhawks to a 1 year 5 Million Dollar deal and it seemed like this Varlamov contract was a reactionary one. I could be wrong, but this contract screams terrible! At the end of the Contract (If Sorokin comes over from the KHL to the NHL), The Islanders will have a 35 year old Goaltender making 5 Million Dollars as a Backup Goaltender to the hopefully living up to the hype Ilya Sorokin.

In Conclusion, Lou has a lot of work to do in order to fill the Gaping void in the Islanders Top 6 Forward lines. The Top 6 Goal Scorer is of Greater Importance with a Majority of the Metro Division improving their rosters. If the Islanders want to keep up, All it'll take is the one Trade for the Top 6 Forward.

A Majority of fans go by the Mantra "In Lou We Trust"

My Question to you is, In Lou You Trust?

That's All for Today.

Until the Next Article my Friends,

LETS GO ISLANDERS!!!