Islanders' 2026 Olympic Candidates & Brock Nelson's Trade Value
Plus, revisiting Mike Milbury's awful tenure as general manager
Welcome to the THW New York Islanders Substack newsletter, with all the latest from our team of Islanders writers.
In today’s edition, we look at what Islanders could participate in the 2026 Winter Olympics and discuss Brock Nelson’s trade value. Finally, we have an archive that recounts Mike Milbury’s worst moves as GM.
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Top 10 Worst Mike Milbury Moves
February 8, 2024 by Jon Zella
Mike Milbury has long been a flamboyant and interesting figure in the NHL. From his time as a player, when he jumped into the MSG stands and beat a fan with his own shoe, to his most recent role as an NBC Sports analyst, where his comments have often gotten him into hot water, Milbury always seems to find his way into the headlines. (from ‘Over the Glass and Into Hockey Lore, New York Times, 12/12/2009) His attention-grabbing acts weren’t limited to a player or as an analyst.
After a successful two-year run as head coach of the Boston Bruins, he joined the New York Islanders in 1995 as their head coach and, within a few months, was their general manager (GM). But you don’t need to remind Islander fans of a certain age.
Even though he, along with owners Charles Wang and Sanjay Kumar, helped the Islanders get back to the playoffs in the early 2000s, the team was constantly put in a bad position due to Milbury’s tinkering. Here’s a look at some of Mad Mike Milbury’s worst transactions from the late ’90s to the mid-2000s.
Islanders Candidates for the 2026 Winter Olympics
February 7, 2024 by Mike Fink
During the 2024 NHL All-Star Break, the NHL announced a return to the Winter Olympics, starting with the 2026 games in Milan. The announcement has many speculating about who will go overseas for the games and represent their countries and notably which teams will have strong rosters (a handful of teams have articles about this, you can check them out here).
The New York Islanders have a roster that at first glance doesn’t look like it will have a lot of players on national teams. They have an aging core and by 2026, many of their star skaters will be at the end of their primes. That said, a few players have great chances of making it to the Olympics with a handful of skaters also posing an outside chance of sliding onto the roster. So, let’s look at the Islanders roster and who can get the nod.
Brock Nelson Is the Islanders’ Best Trade Asset
February 6, 2024 by Anthony Russo
As the trade deadline approaches, the New York Islanders are in a tough position. Ideally, the front office would probably like to buy, but they aren’t in a playoff position currently. If the Islanders choose to sell, it could cash in some assets on center Brock Nelson.
The biggest issue with the Islanders is it has spent so many assets in trying to win Lord Stanley over the past few years. This includes trading top prospect Aatu Räty and sacrificing several first-round picks. Now, it has a rock-bottom prospect pool, and it desperately needs to be replenished. The best way to do that? Sell to a buyer at the deadline that’s willing to pay a premium for an asset.