TAMPA — If you’re an overly superstitious Islanders fan, look away.
That’s because a thought recently arose that is hard to fathom considering the preceding two decades of general incompetence and bad luck that has become synonymous with the franchise currently roaming the New York area looking for a new home. It’s a thought that most Islanders fans have likely contemplated but probably haven’t said aloud for fear of angering some looming and malicious 200-by-85 deity. It’s a thought that would have been dismissed as impossible not long ago when an organizational ethos was “woe is me” with the same permeating strength as winning was during the best run in professional sports while collecting four straight Stanley Cups to open the 1980s.
Just imagine, for a moment, the Islanders win the bid to develop the site at Belmont Park and begin to put the shovels in the ground for a new arena tomorrow. Imagine that excites captain John Tavares, and he signs and eight-year extension the day after. Imagine that lifts an enormous weight off the back of general manager Garth Snow and he is able to trade away some of his stockpiled assets for Colorado’s Matt Duchene (as well as another much-needed NHL defenseman). Imagine the Islanders then go on a tidy little postseason run under relatively young and energetic coach Doug Weight, and look at their organizational depth and realize they could have some sustained success even through the other side of the pending 2020-21 lockout.
Now what?
Now you realize what is driving co-owners Jon Ledecky and Scott Malkin to such lengths to try to change the image of this franchise. And it’s their stewardship that has enabled these flights of fancy to be verbalized, both because they are something new compared to the rocky ownership of Charles Wang and the mess that lay before him, and because they seem whip-smart and motivated.
For full disclosure, my rooting interests lie strictly in fast games and good stories. I am not pulling for this to happen or not to happen. But I feel obliged as a reporter to point out that these are things that could potentially line up for such a beleaguered organization, when in the past just about any precious egg that was given to them was handled with a sledgehammer.
There is the catch-all phrase of “changing the culture” when leadership changes within an organization. What that really means is changing the way people think, the way they project into the future, the way they set expectations and go about trying to meet them. It’s not to say that previous regimes of Islanders’ leaders weren’t trying, but they could never quite stop things from going wrong — and that eventually led to the mindset that things never go right. You can call that “culture” or “an environment of winning/losing.” But it’s also some sense of psychic energy along the lines of superstition, which is based in the fear of the unknown.
And the biggest unknown right now is the first domino: Winning the right to build a new arena. It’s hard to figure what the state is thinking or what might possibly compete with a new arena in terms of tax revenue (profit being the one thing that matters above all else).
Ledecky has repeatedly said “there is no Plan B.” Of course there are contingency plans, but he doesn’t want anyone to hear them. It wouldn’t do anyone any good. Because if this fails, then it’s back to the Same Old Islanders. It’s back to Doom and Gloom. It’s back to things like watching your best player walk out the door for nothing in return while your prospects flame out in the minors.
But if it works? Well, then you’ve got the start of what could be a very different story.
Curious Ovi
This is a very politically polarizing time, not just in the United States but in the world. That makes it impossible for Alex Ovechkin to slink off into any bit of naiveté concerning his unabashed support of Russian president Vladimir Putin.
It’s hard to accept Ovechkin saying “It’s not about political stuff,” as he did to the Washington Post on Thursday night, just hours after he put up an Instagram post creating “Putin Team.” Part of the post, properly translated by the newspaper, read: “I’m certain that there are many of us that support Vladimir Putin. Let’s unite and show everyone a strong and united Russia.” He later backed that up after beating the Islanders, 4-3, by saying: “Like every human from different countries, they support their president.”
That could be interpreted as a shot at the divisive nature of Donald Trump’s presidency, and if it is, Ovechkin just needs to own it. (Although the relationship between Trump and Putin is another story altogether.) If athletes want to be politically active, great, but it doesn’t help to hedge.
Brave Boyle
Brian Boyle is one of the real good guys to come through the New York hockey locker rooms in the past few years, and it was terrible news to hear that the current Devils winger is dealing with a form of leukemia. But it was great to hear that it was treatable, and even better to see him on the ice Wednesday night in Vancouver, making his season debut.
Even Lightning coach Jon Cooper, who had Boyle in Tampa Bay for two-plus season after his departure from the Rangers in 2014, said he stopped what he was doing to watch the game. Hope Boyle keeps playing, and keeps getting better.
Stay tuned . . .
. . . to Taylor Hall’s Twitter account. Just in case you didn’t follow the Devils forward, here’s the link. He’s had a couple real gems lately, including a little holler (as the kids might say) towards pop star Selena Gomez, as well as calling out his teammate (and No. 1 overall pick) Nico Hischier for his bio.
Parting Shot
If you’ve seen people dressed up as the clown from “IT,” with signs that read “Phil Kessel, your soul is mine,” well here’s the hilarious Halloween reason — thanks to Ryan Reaves.