The New York Islanders have entered the heart of the offseason. Translation: nothing is going on.
On the same night that the world turned its focus to the sixth game of the Western Conference Finals, the Islanders turned off the lights — literally.
If we needed an indicator that we’ve reached the heart of the offseason, the Isles gave us one: silence. Saying that nothing happened on Monday would be a considerable understatement.
Regular readers of this column will note that this space is usually dedicated to the day’s news. Here’s the catch: there was zero news today. The closest thing to it was this tweet from the Nashville Predators during the second intermission of tonight’s season defining contest:
As one can infer from the above photo, the Preds have managed to produce the type of experience that Charles Wang was after when he proposed the Lighthouse Project: a transformation of the Nassau Coliseum that would have transformed it into a top venue surrounded by hotels, restaurants and an athletic complex.
Which brings up the ongoing discussion about the Isles’ future arena. Will the team land at Belmont Park, where they’ve failed to submit a request for proposal thus far? Will they return to the Ol’ Barn, at least temporarily, to appease many members of their fanbase? Or will they remain at Barclays Center, where the ownership group has a favorable deal?
Only time will tell. For now, enjoy the sleep.
NOTES
New York released the annual #IslesAwards on Monday, and goaltender Thomas Greiss should undoubtedly get the nod for Save of the Year:
We’d like to extend our thoughts and prayers to the victims of the horrific attack at the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester Arena. It’s our duty to come together to ensure that this will never happen again.