Islanders Back-to-Back News: Tony D not even close to the biggest story
You can’t hurt me anymore (in that uniform). | Photo by Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images
The biggest story is that the Islanders have won six of their last eight games! Not some trade or anything like that... The New York Islanders beat the Philadelphia Flyers last night at UBS Arena. After embarrassing efforts leading to dropping the first two games of the homestand, the Islanders have rebounded with three strong games, their second three-game win streak of the season and they’re up to six wins in their last eight.
But to give you an idea of the hole they dug themselves, they still sit six points out of a playoff spot and are in 15th place in the conference (13th by points percentage, not much better). It will take a lot more 6-2-0 runs to get back in the race, and the upcoming stretch of games before the Four Nations Faceoff will be brutal.
Which makes yesterday’s signing of Tony DeAngelo all the dumber: Lou signing one of the biggest dipshits the game has seen in a generation—who also isn’t a good hockey player—signals to me that he isn’t giving up on the season yet, and thus likely isn’t trading anyone yet, risking Brock Nelson getting injured at the Four Nations Faceoff. I get that the thin right side got even thinner with Noah Dobson’s long-term injury, but this isn’t the solution.
Luckily, that news got buried league-wide by one of the biggest in-season trades we’ve ever seen. By a stroke of coincidence, it involved the two teams the Islanders play next, including tonight’s opponent, the hated Carolina Hurricanes, who were probably on Long Island when the trade happened and who I hate.
FIG Picks go here.
Islanders News
About last night: LHH | Islanders | Newsday | Post | THN | Skinny
About tonight’s game. Ilya Sorokin got the win last night, so the Hog gets the pipes tonight.
Tony D is in. [Islanders] Assuming he clears foreign league re-entry waivers, that is; I can’t imagine who would claim him even if he is making league minimum. [Post] Brock Nelson said he’s heard from other players already about what a good teammate he is. Okay. [THN]
The Quarter-Century Team has been unveiled. [Islanders]
Noah Dobson’s injury and how it affects the team, and his upcoming contract. [THN]
Marc Gatcomb looked good again last night and is going to make it hard to send him back to Bridgeport even though Max Tsyplakov can return to the lineup and Hudson Fasching seems close. [Newsday]
Isaiah George discusses his rookie season so far and how Johnny Boychuk and Dennis Seidenberg have been mentoring him. [THN]
Elsewhere
Three other games last night, including the Stars beating the Golden Knights and the Lightning coming back to beat the Blackhawks.
The big trade: Avalanche star and expiring UFA Mikko Rantanen is joining the Hurricanes, along with Taylor Hall from Chicago, who joined the party to retain half of Rantanen’s deal. Going back to Colorado are Marty Necas and Jack Drury, as well as some picks. [Sportsnet]
Carolina had been talking to Vancouver about both JT Miller and Elias Pettersson (one or the other, they wouldn’t have acquired both) but had to make a decision and went with Rantanen. As for Colorado, they didn’t want to pay what Rantanen was demanding, which was more than Nathan MacKinnon’s contract. [Sportsnet]
And now the speculation begins as to what else Colorado has up its sleeve, knowing they’ve been in the market for a second-line center. [The Athletic]
Carolina probably got to Long Island yesterday, and Colorado, who is playing Boston this afternoon, probably got there yesterday as well. Boston and Long Island are close. We know that Necas and Drury are playing for Colorado this afternoon. Therefore, one imagines Rantanen will be in the lineup for Carolina tonight. And Elliotte Friedman believes that to be the case, as well, that Rantanen and Hall will play for Carolina.
Plan is for all four newly acquired players to play todayJack Drury & Martin Necas for Colorado in Boston this afternoonTaylor Hall and Mikko Rantanen for Carolina on Long Island tonight— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) January 25, 2025
Jacob Markstrom will be out a month at minimum with a sprained MCL; he’ll also miss the Four Nations. [NHL]
Tony Esposito was honored by his alma mater, Michigan Tech. [NHL]
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