NHL Playoff news & Islanders non-news: Parsing the player interviews, mulling the cap

Also, Jon Tavares plays a typical Isles shootout-like breakaway, but either way the Leafs win and survive.

• To
  
  Dominic
  

• upon May 11, 2023 at 7:00 am

Waiting for off-season news that will never come to Islanders makes it easy to ponder next season, and this summer, and wonder what the hell they’re going to do.again can do.

Because looking at the cap-friendly salary cap list three times a day reminds me of how many players I’ve signed. Nor do they have a lot of free agents who are like, “Well, at least he’s off the books.” Scott Mayfield, Zach Palise and even Pierre Enval – these players had bargain deals that were hard to replace at that price. If Semyon Varlamov returns, he should take a pay cut, but he’ll still reach the cap at least a little.

Josh Bailey? It is expected to reach $5 million in the next year. Ross Johnston? While not expensive by NHL averages, he averages 20 games a season and signs an additional three-year contract for $1.1 million a year. This is his $1.1 million, not available for Fashing or Paris types, probably used for players who appear in his quarter of the game.

Islanders Listening and Reading

• Dan and Mike pick up a range of emotions and tingles from Isles’ postseason interviews, with Mike recounting the moment he shared air with Pierre Maguire. [Islanders Anxiety podcast]
• Perhaps Lane Lambert had a tough debut season as a coach and perhaps just had some bad assistants. [THN]

other place

Last night in the second round, the Maple Leafs got very defensive and enjoyed a friendly bounce from the umpire to prolong elimination. They beat the Panthers 2-1 in Game 4. Meanwhile, the Oilers tied the series against Vegas.

If you watched the Leafs-Panthers game, didn’t you laugh at John Tavares’ spectacular exit played by a poor man, like the 2014 Islanders shootout attempt? I could have created a bigger insurance goal for my second break, but instead I just left it on Bob’s pad so he would return the car keys.

• This isn’t a drill (but it’s kind of a joke): Flyers appoint Keith Jones as chief of hockey operations and remove interim tag from GM Daniel Briere. [NHL | Sportsnet | Broad Street Hockey]
• Jordan Martinuk is in the playoffs. [TSN]
• He and the Hurricanes enjoy a balanced offense and have an advantage on the net. [Sportsnet]
• The Hurricanes franchise is 5-0 while leading the series 3-1. [NHL]
• 32 Thoughts Podcast: Could Mike Babcock Return to NHL Coaching? [Sportsnet]
• Whatever happens with the Devils’ back on the wall, the team needs to upgrade its defense this offseason. [TSN]
• McDavid, Pastornak, and Carlson are Ted Lindsay’s finalists (probably in that order). [NHL]
• The Blackhawks have re-signed Arvid Soderblom to a two-year deal. Arvid who? In December’s loss to the Islanders, he stopped 37 of 40 shots. [TSN]
• Why Ryan Reynolds, Snoop Dogg, and other celebrities want to buy out Senators. [TSN]

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