New York Islanders: What staying put at the deadline means

Professor Trotz.

The most important thing to remember about the Islanders not doing anything at the deadline is that they still have Barry Trotz as their head coach. I’m sure if you dig deep enough, you can find points to back up that this entire season so far is because of the Isles’ veteran head coach.

On Monday, the Isles might not have gotten any talent, they might have kept all their future assets to themselves, but the most important thing they did was have another practice with Trotz as their head coach.

Barry Trotz is like a professor. No matter who is in his class, he is going to teach things a certain way and make sure every student learns at least something. Sure some students might get lost in the shuffle but only few and far between. Yeah, his best class grade average might be when he had more advanced students, but he still maintains a high-class performance every year.

Last year, Barry Trotz won the Stanley Cup with a team captained by an all-time great in Alex Ovechkin. This season, his best forward, Mat Barzal is currently on a line with Leo Komarov. Ovechkin is clearly his best student and Barzal is still not at max potential, but Trotz is still a good professor.

That is what we must not forget. The Islanders didn’t get any shiny new toys or a fancy new student to work with for the rest of the school year, but they still have one of the best professors in the league. Barry Trotz teaches hockey with anybody on his roster.

While I still doubt Lou’s logic for not getting anyone was because Trotz is his coach, he just didn’t feel a need to, Trotz is still the biggest weapon he has. You could have pulled the carpet out from under from him at this deadline, the Isles would still find a way to win for him.

The New York Islanders might not have done much at the deadline, but that just opens the door for giving his first place team confidence now, an exact idea of what they need to do this offseason, and probably the best coach in the league to be part of it all.

It was not all or nothing for the Isles this deadline by any means, but settling for the latter of that statement might not end up being the worst thing after all.