New York Islanders: Isles don’t need this Josh Ho-Sang drama right now

The New York Islanders are slowly but surely turning their season around and they shouldn’t worry about the annual Josh Ho-Sang drama.

Every single year the New York Islanders and Joshua Ho-Sang seem to be on different pages.

Ho-Sang seems to think he is the most talented player in the world and the Isles seem hesitant to give him significant reps in the NHL.

For whatever reason, this “Josh Ho-Sang” drama is never-ending. The Islanders can’t seem to escape drama with this guy. It is a shame because he is offensively gifted.

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What is also a shame is that Ho-Sang is picking the wrong time to have his name in headlines again.

Right now, the Islanders do not need this drama because these are not the same old Islanders.

Every year, for let’s say, the last five, the Isles have been surrounded with this dramatic divide between the front office and the fan base.

First, it was the sloppy initial failure to build a new arena then it became the constant trust the ownership oddly kept putting in former GM Garth Snow who time and time again proved he was not good at his job.

The team finally won a playoff series somehow in this time, but that was two seasons ago and they haven’t returned since.

It is no secret that the fans eventually grew tired of the product.

So, when once coveted prospect Josh Ho-Sang wasn’t getting called up or wasn’t getting the proper reps in the NHL with the Isles, it instantly became Snow’s fault.

Or, it was ex-coach Doug Weight‘s fault. This is easy to say because the Isles have butchered so many prospects in the past.

However, that brings us to the now.

With the new arena done and in the works, and with Garth Snow and ownership yes-men gone, things are better.

The Isles started off this season looking shaky, but that was okay for once. It is the Lou Lamoriello and Barry Trotz era. There is light at the end of the tunnel with this team again. The demons are gone. There are real people running this young team.

So, that brings us back to Josh Ho-Sang.

Once again, Ho-Sang feels like the Isles didn’t give him the best chance to succeed. He feels like he is not where he should be at this point in his career.

Here is what he told Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post:

"“I felt like they [Islanders new regime] had their minds made up on what was going to happen and what the team was going to look like, It’s OK. They had the whole summer to plan that. I don’t know if you watched any of the games, but I didn’t play a lot. It’s OK. It is what it is.”"

It doesn’t take much hard-hitting analysis to figure out that this screams unhappiness. He is clearly not content with his spot in the AHL and the Isles’ affiliate in the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

But, here is the problem this time, Ho-Sang is sort of right. Some things might have been made up already. There are new people in charge, that happens.

Lamoriello coming in and Trotz coming in was Ho-Sang’s chance to prove he was better, that he is an asset, and that he could be a top-six player one day.

This was his second chance, the same second chance every other player on the Islanders got.

It could even be argued that every young/non-established NHL player was treated unfairly, but it’s only the beginning of the tenure. He has to give it time.

Josh Ho-Sang hasn’t proven he should be on the NHL team right now. Instead of making the most of his opportunities, he complained about his lack of them.

This time, this is all on him.

Under the old Isles the Ho-Sang back and forth banter/debate was just another “Garth Snow job” it was his people and his way that Ho-Sang couldn’t solidify himself as a great player.

But now, it is becoming clear that maybe it Ho-Sang and HIS attitude or HIS desire to throw all his talents away with drama.

Sure, Garth Snow will always be the one who drafted him, but it’s still Ho-Sang that could have changed the course of his own career.

Now, here we are once again. Another season underway and another season of Ho-Sang not doing what he should be doing.

This saga needs to end before it continues. This is the new Islanders. It will take time but once Lou really puts his foot in the door and makes it his team, there will be no more excuses for the prospects he drafted or not.

The Isles are off to one of their best starts ever. Not in terms of overall wins and points, but where it matters. They are going on the road and winning division games to start the year.

They have a long way to go, and a lot of places to improve.

But, as the days go on, we learn more and more that the Isles just don’t have time to be worried about Josh Ho-Sang and what he is going to say or do next, they are worried about winning that next division game.

The Isles have a culture to change and hockey games to win. Ho-Sang has now done nothing to prove he should be a part of any of that.

What was once a top prospect who was supposed to be a long-term future asset, is now arguably a liability in the system.

This does not mean the Isles need to trade Ho-Sang or give up on him if he gets it together then so be it.

But, what the newest drama with him does prove is that his attitude is not good and he is making excuses where they do not exist.

The new regime did not drat Josh Ho-Sang and I’d bet they would have no problem moving him.

But, these are not the same old Islanders, there is hope now and as for Ho-Sang, he proved he is the same old Ho-Sang.

Now, the Isles need to keep moving forwards, not backwards and on terms based solely on hockey reasons, the Isles need to figure out if ‘forwards’ includes Ho-Sang or not.