Tortorella, Islanders to meet Sunday

This will be my last post for a while as I take a couple weeks off to finish my vacation time leading up to the season. As always, thanks for all your support in making this one of the most successful blogs at the paper.

Anyway, former Lightning coach John Tortorella is expected to meet Sunday with Islanders GM Garth Snow about New York's head coaching position. The Islanders already have interest in Paul Maurice and Bob Hartley.

I have no inside information here, but from the outside looking in, this just doesn't seem like a good fit for either side. Of course, that means he will be hired. Still, look at the circumstances. The Islanders have a bunch of young players and older players and not much in between. It also is known Snow wants to see the young guys develop, and the main criticism that emerged last season about Torts was that the Lightning's younger players did not respond to his finger-in-the-chest approach. It also will be interesting to see how much control Snow is willing to give Torts. One thing that would be a huge pus for Torts is how good he would be in the community.

Tortorella can be choosy when it comes to a new job. He is getting $1.3-million to pay off the final year of his Lightning contract if he doesn't work, so unless the situation is perfect, there is no need for him to make a plunge with which he is not totally comfortable.

Assistant Mike Sullivan also is free to speak to the Islanders, though there is no immediate word on if he is a candidate.

As we have mentioned before, former assistant Jeff Reese seems headed for the Maple Leafs. Former roving goaltenders coach Corey Schwab has signed on with the Sharks as goaltending development coach.

Comments

[GP]

Don,

Very funny. I would love to see Torts coach the Canadiens. Could we be so lucky to have so much ammunition to make fun of Leo with?

[Don in St. Pete]

I can see the headlines now. Run with me on this PD. Stuggling Canadiens fire coach and hire Tortorella to right the ship.

[léo]

Ah, diddly-doodly!
Don't that put the ag! in "again!" .
Still,

Hoodman,
For those who don't know as well, Roy signed for the league minimum, or close enough.
What does that mean?
It means that if Lemaire had offered 6 dollars more? Or Martin? Or Lowe? THEY woulda been the one who "just love the hard-nose, grinding, physical players you need on every team" and NOT the others?
Guess Calgary REALLY, REALLY needs rookies too. Cuz they'll be making twice as much as Roy.
P.

[Boltflasher]

Torts best fit would be on an underachieving team come January...say, Ottawa, Colorado, St.L, Fla, and, yes, Wash...

[MBXB]

Wait till December, Torts.

Work on your golf game in the meantime.

[Hoodman]

i'm still miffed (public newspaper so i have to watch what i say) about how Torts handled Roy's outburts towards the end of the season. For those that don't know, Andre just signed with the Calgary Flames, whose coach Brian Sutter just loves the hard-nose, grinding, physical players you need on every team. so what did we do this off-season you ask? we signed two guys from Pittsburgh for a ton of money, one was over-paid (Malone) and one is more for his locker room leadership than on-ice perfomance (Roberts). I think we could have had both for far less money by keeping Mr. Give All His Every Shift Roy, for a lot less money. But i'm not the new owners am i? If Torts thought that by putting the clamps on Andre he was sending a message, he certainly was, but it was not the intended. For the rest of year while Andre was benched, who else would or did respond with elbows gently placed in ones ear or molars when the need called for it? that's right, no one...great move Torts, you sent a signal that the Bolts were a European skating team that would be easily manhandled by the few physical teams in the Eastern Conference, but most certainly by the vast majority of teams in the much more rugged and physical Western Conference. We'll miss you Andre, best wishes and keep your stick and attitude up!!!

[Don in St. Pete]

I agree NtMM, on the other hand Torts is a feisty SOB and may very well take the job if offered just to spite the media and the doubters. I agree with previous posters who said he should wait for the first axe to fall on an underperforming contender, which would be a better fit for him.

[Not the Marlboro Man]

Torts Vs DiPietro + (Snow) = turmoil.
Not a good fit here. Torts would have been a better fit in LA or Ottawa. He doesn't stand a snowball's chance in hell with Long Island. But hey, a job is a job right!Snow is probably a little better than Feaster if its any consequence!

[slapshot]

Sorry about the whole phantom thing. that was my friend who does all those stupid posts just to get us all mad. Once again sorry and I promise he will stop. I blocked him from going on this website on his computer.

[léo]

Ummmmm...
Of course, you guys know that Emery signed in Russia next year, right?
Think Tortie could shake Metallurg Magnovorsk? (or whatever)
P.

[Spooky]

With Reese and Schwabby gone, we need a coach. As much as I loved to see Schwab play dirty in the crease, the post Khabi age shows he really wasn;t strong in coaching. Vernon is not supposed to be a goalie coach, right?

Here's an unrelated idea. Sign Ray Emery to a two way contract at league minimum. He has to be getting desperate for work at this point. Let him compete for the top two slots in preseason. If he fails, send him to the minors to back up Ramo. If he succeeds, he splits time with Smith. If his attitude continues to stink, have a behaviour clause. Miss X practices, don't hustle, whatever, it's a fine. Then he gets cut.

[Hockey Chic]

Excellent post Steve R,

I think between Emery and Torts they could keep a shrink and the stick manufacturers in business. I would almost pay to see that.

We got to see Emery up close and personal in Ottawa last year and we had seats right behind the goal net. He was so pissed at our guys charging the net it was hysterical. Definitely
worth the trip..

I am ready for some hockey baby. Any idea if and when we are going to have ice fest or is that not happening this year?

Go Bolts!!

[Andy from Dunedin]

Changing topics for a second - have not seen it reported locally yet, but the Buffalo News says that the Sabres have signed Matteau Darche to a 1 year contract. He is expected to start the season at the Sabre's new AHL affiliate in Portland, Maine.

[Don in St. Pete]

Yeah. Torts could think about the beach while he's drillin' the players in wind sprints. Won't seem the same without loads of coughin' and pukin' going' on at training camp.

[HockeyBay.com]

Have a great Vacation!, Torts would fit on Lon' Guyland...

[léo]

Emery, Steve?
Try Spezza.
P.

[TheMetalChick]

If he is in to what the Isles already intend on doing, then Garth will be interested... if he isnt, then he wont. Whats the harm in talking to him and finding out?

The Isles need a coach that has the nuts to help this team grow... and any guy who wants eveything handed to him wouldnt even bother talking to Garth.

The Isles are in a better position right now than most people think. They have a lot of fantastic players... thing is, most of them are teenagers. But in 4 years or so, watch out lol.

[Voice of the Turtle]

Interesting coincidence:

Torts will be talking to thew Islanders this weekend and Damian skips out of town on "vacation." Do you wonder which New York area newspaper he's visiting with? Do you think that Ex-Coach JT's buddy, DC, might be talking to the Islanders about a press relations position?

Who would blame him if he bailed? The SP Times keeps thinning out needless national and international news sections and practically deleting unimportant things like a financial page in favor of those fabulous more easy crossword puzzles - maybe the sports page will be next to be significantly dumbed down to the exclusive use of one or two syllable words.

Oh...and if any of you great journalistic giants at the Times read this, don't take it seriously. It might interfere with the callously self-applied nourishment of your insatiable egos.

[Steve R]

Ya know leo, it would have been fun to see Torts and Emery together.

Court mandated therapy might have resulted.

[Phil]

DC, you have created an excellent forum for Lightning hockey discussion. I appreciate the effort you put into this blog -- especially since the SPT sports section is so weak now. Enjoy your vacation, but hurry back. Erik's blog may finally get some traffic! LOL.

GO BOLTS!!!!!!!!!!

[léo]

Ottawa!
Tortie woulda kicked A@@! in Ottawa.
P.

[chris]

Well said dangerboy. These guys , even the "low" paid ones make pretty good $ to play a game for Gods sake. If they can't take someone expecting them to earn it they should start putting on roofs or digging ditches for awhile.

[dangerboy]

Wherever he lands, I wish him the best of luck. I believed in the guy and what he did here even after the players quit listening to him. He was hard on the goalies but that's more of a personnel issue than it was his deal. Maybe if they had stopped better than 90% of the shots he would have been nicer...

Of course, he wasn't MY boss, I might have felt different. But then my name would have been on the cup.

[Slapnuts]

Enjoy the rest of your vacation DC.

[dronestate]

I don't care where he goes as long as the team doesn't take a cap hit. I say go for it.

[Steve R]

The Isles...? That's a team that's destined for failure. Stay away Torts, nothing good can come of it.

[Twinebulge]

"Torts would be smart to lay low until Nov/Dec when the first coach beheadings occur. Then, he can take his pick of jobs and look like the hero if the team plays well. If it doesn't, then the GM on the team will be under more scrutiny than the head coach."

I can think of nothing to add to this, well done reddijet

[PD]

agree with jet and Leo , the Island is not the place for Tortsie. Maurice should get that job. PM should have got the one here too but thats another story.

Sens would have been perfect for Torts but they picked a pretty good guy.

He can wait to pick his spot. With another 1.3 in the bank he could contemplate it in Hawaii.

[reddijet]

Torts would be smart to lay low until Nov/Dec when the first coach beheadings occur. Then, he can take his pick of jobs and look like the hero if the team plays well. If it doesn't, then the GM on the team will be under more scrutiny than the head coach.

Enjoy your time off, Torts. For $1.3 million, I could find a few things to keep me occupied!!

[léo]

Let's see, Mr Snow,
You dumped Nolan because he didn't want to give more ice-time to the kids. Apparently, Nolan didn't give enough respect to DiPietro either.
Hmm.
Nolan DIDN'T favor the kids and the goalie enough. Ok.
And now you want Tortie?
Hmm, I see. Makes sense, I guess.
In Reverse-Bizarro world maybe!
Just give the job to Paul Maurice and be done with it, Snow. Maurice'll do exactly what you tell him to do without making waves.
I can just imagine Snow "suggesting" to Tortie to be nice with the kids and the goalie, hah!
Don't think that would work out too well.
P.

[David]

I want $1.3 million to not coach the Lightning this year as well.

I'd like to make a prediction here, but nothing with the NYI makes any sense so whether it is a good fit, bad fit, or marginal fit I don't think a rational person can guess what they'll do up there.