1) For the non-Islander fans out there, their head coach, Ted Nolan just completed the second of his three year contract. Now, normally with only a year left on his deal that would mean that it would either be time to fire/replace him, or negotiate an extension. Of course the manner in which 29 other teams run their organization mean little to how the Wang-led Islanders run theirs. When asked about his coach Snow and Wang both have given him half-hearted votes of confidence along the lines of 'we like Ted and he is under contract to be our coach next season.'2) As we mentioned earlier this past season, we believed that Nolan was overlooked or even blackballed for a deserved Adams nomination last season; Coaching an undermanned Isles team into a playoff berth when most, including us at FAUXRUMORS believed them to be the 14th best East team. This past season the Isles were again over-achieving; through the first 50 games they either held a playoff position or were within a few points of 8th. That, until a series of significant injuries occurred culminating with the loss of franchise, goalie-for life, Rick DiPietro. From there the team went into free fall and finished with basically a group of Bridgeport (AHL) skaters into nearly the East bottom.
3) You would have thought that given the trials and tribulations that the team had endured, the successful Al Arbour night that Nolan almost single handedly arranged, and last season's over achievement, that it would be an automatic/logical process to extend Nolan's contract. No coach likes to go into his final year of a contract as a lame duck. He also doesn’t like to be thrown under the bus for failures that are not his fault. Such was the case here, when Snow/Wang intimated that Nolan didn't like to work with the kids. This is especially puzzling since Nolan's last position was with a junior hockey team where ALL the players were 'kids' and he/they thrived to win the QMJHL title . What is certain is that Nolan is the best coach this franchise has had since Al Arbour.
4) Nolan, and anyone else for that matter can see the hand writing on the wall; The Islanders plan on sucking next season, and appear to plan to have a reletively low payroll under the guise of "playing the kids." Nolan evidently will be the sacrificial lamb/scape-goat and be blamed for not being able to work with the kids, or not be a team player in Wang's wacky Knight of the Round Table mentality. Nolan is probably counting down the days until he can get his 'contractual obligation' done and can move on. Clearly he is a good coach. Now he needs to find an organization that appreciates him/uses his talents!
14 comments:
I'm no Islander fan, but I don't understand them either. You'd think they could see that he's the best coach they could possibly have. Why would they not try to make him happy? Doesn't this uncertainty also hurt the rest of the team? It doesn't make sense unless they intend to give hi his extension before the season or fire him soon.
Not sure I agree with everything you wrote here faux. Yes I do agree that he's probly earned an extension. But not every coach gets one a year before his contract is overwith. I can see Wang doing something before next spring. I didn't think anything Snow said was putting Nolan 'under the bus'. They were stating the truth. I have seen them together and they look like they get along fine. You have to be careful that the press tries to stur up stuff to see papers. Not everything you read is factual. Teddy will be fine. I do agree that he's the best coach we've had since Al!
I am a huge New York Ranger fan. I happen to be a huge Ted Nolen fan because he is a great coach.
He'd make a great Blueshirts coach.
tdr
1) Chomp: We agree that unless Wang has plans to extend Nolan BEFORE the season it makes no sense how they are treating him
2) Trotts: By leaving him in this position it lessens his leverage with his players; Will this guy be my coach for long,etc? It also opens a can of worms with respect of how he handles the team. Will he be less likely to try an unproven/younger player because he feels he needs to win to save his job? They basically are in our opinion setting Nolan up to fail
3) TDR: You and about 10 other teams probably would we'd assume like to hire Nolan. Of course its unknown if the 'blackballing' is over with. Other coaches get recycled(see Quenville/Keenan/Wilson/Murray, etc) yet Nolan might find it hard to find work which is the leverage Wang may feel he has with Nolan. If that's true, its quite distasteful!
There is NO doubt there is racism here. Come on folks don't piss on me and tell me its raining! Our people have been taking it from the white man for far too long. We are the forgotten minority for sure and its still ok to screw us
1) Thanks to Dlyjoe for bluntly proving 'Truth's point! Geez.
I agree that Nolan is a very good coach and they should keep him on the Island for a while.
The Isles continue to be a joke, Faux... We all know it... I doubt its a case of blatant racism as Chief Bromdan asserts, because that would imply Wang and/or Snow have a plan and know what they're doing... That would be giving them way too much credit, when in reality, they are both beyond incompetent and clueless... Its horrible to watch this, once top-notch franchise, crumble to these depths... As I stated several months ago, the Isles have no future, are going nowhere, and play in a dump... Sorry Sauce, its the truth! With regard to Nolan, of course he needs to have an extension... He is the ONE shining light in this pathetic excuse for a hockey franchise... Wang is a moron!
1) We will allow our Islander fan readers to decide the real motivations of the Islander franchise, but as we wrote it appears they don't have Ted in their long range plans.
2) To be honest Antz, we find the idiotic ranting of dlyjoe to be comical. As to the other(s) mentioned they are still allowed to post, but not to the point that they disrupt the blog. As we pointed out then, all opinions, even down right stupid ones like Dly's are fine. Our only wish is that blog entries not contain SPAM or is off-topic/not contain hockey related discussion
I never left spam here. This blog is dead. No one reads this garbage.
Your just jealous that my blog is better than yours.
I have this blog and I write for other publications too. What do you do? Nothing.
Well Nutz, ALWAYS great to see you!
Did Nolan deserve an Adams nomination last year?... Yes.
Has he done a good job coaching a team that’s deep in a “transition” phase?... Absolutely. He’s done a lot with very little to work with.
Does Nolan deserve a contract extention?... Of course he does.
But before we all get carried away and decide that Wang and Snow are completely out of their minds, we need to consider some facts that make such a contract offer less than the slam-dunk many think it should be.
Fact 1 – Nolan had mis-handled the goaltender situation in BOTH of his first 2 seasons. Dipietro went down in 2007 with a concussion and Nolan allowed him to come back too soon. Then, after the 2nd head-banger, Nolan refused to lift Dunham from the net in favor of Dubbie, even though Dunham was single-handedly blowing the team’s chance for post-season. This past season wasn’t any better. DP was overworked to the point of injury – and was allowed to continue after his all-star injury even though his numbers were clearly sub-par and Dubbie had been steady, if not spectacular, in most of his appearances.
Fact 2 – Nolan sometimes displays a seeming irrational aversion to playing younger players in favor of non-producing veterans. In fact, many point to Nolan as the reason Robert Nilsson is Edmonton’s 4th leading scorer rather than on the Isles. Even when Comeau was impressing the entire league with his play, Hilbert still was getting more ice time, and Hunter was regularly mentioned by Nolan as a favorite player despite his feeble point production.
Fact 3 – The Isles have had one of the worst PPs in the league. Sure, the personnel wasn’t the best, but they weren’t the worst either. They had Bergeron and Campoli on the points and plenty of possibilities for goals up front, yet the lack of any set patterns or offensive zone play was evident all year. That’s usually a reflection of coaching.
Don’t get me wrong. I want Nolan back. But to cite the ambivalence of Wang and Snow in extending his contract as further evidence of “organizational insanity” on the part of the Islanders is unfair. Nolan is a good coach. But let’s face it. He was out of the league for 10 years – for whatever reason. And this team is in desperate need at this time in it’s history to make sure it makes the right decisions, especially those that directly affect the young players that need to be developed. Nolan is likely the right man for the job. But, as I said, it’s not really a slam-dunk decision.
1) Firstly good to have ya back with us Sauce: We'll go through your responses, as you did, one at a time.
Fact 1: Premise: Nolan 'allowed' DiPietro to comeback too soon.
Truth: Its NOT the coach that clears players to return to action, but the highly trained medical staff. Unless you can point to info that states that Nolan went against the Dr's?
Fact 2: Premise: Nolan doesn't play he 'kids enough.
Truth: Almost every NHL coach who wants to win plays guys he feels can win for him. Many times the younger guys are defensive liabilities. As such don't get the prime/as much playing time.
Fact 3: Premise: Nolan is to blame for their poor PP
Fact: Last season when they had better personnel the Isles PP was in the NHL's top 10. As most knew going in this year, the Isles did NOT have one single forward who could realistically be considered a sniper. Guerin/Satan's better days are long gone.
2) We never said this is an example of 'organizational insanity,' however now that ya mention it, that sounds appropriate considering whom might come in to replace Nolan? At a time when your team needs all the good PR it can get, this just gives fodder to us all who see your team as being run by fools/egomaniacs. Its sad.
Truth 1 - Dipietro cleared HIMSELF to play. He never ALLOWED himself to be subject to a neurological exam after the first headshot. In following the media reports and interview quotes it was entirely obvious Nolan was a willing party to the cover up. He permitted DP to call his own shots in that situation – precisely what a coach should NOT do in that situation. Especially when the asset in question has 13 more years on his contract.
Truth 2 – As you said… “Almost every NHL coach who wants to win plays guys he feels can win for him.” And that’s just the point. Nolan played the WRONG guys – guys who weren’t getting the job done.
Truth 3 – The early season “top10” rank of the PP was a fluke of mathematics and the way PP stats are compiled. The rank dropped very quickly once the denominator of the equation reached a statistically valid level. Just like when a career .230 batter goes 2 for 5 in each of his first 3 games with a few bloop doubles, and a couple of seeing-eye grounders thru the infield. He’s batting .400 and leading the league, but he only has 15 at-bats. It’s exactly the reason why there’s a minimum at-bat requirement for the batting title.
The “good PR” argument is probably the best reason there is for keeping Nolan. He’s got a great rep with players around the league and the fans currently think he can do no wrong. He’s also obviously a great motivator. As I said… he most definitely needs to be re-signed.
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