The Islanders were saying the right things about how much season is left and how they were holding out hope of turning things around despite being in last place in the Eastern Conference.
“There is still a long way to go,” captain John Tavares told The Post before Friday night’s Brooklyn matchup against the Sabers, the final contest before the three-day Christmas break. “We still believe in our group and making the playoffs. That’s still the ultimate goal. I don’t think you can lose that this early in the season, even though it’s not that early anymore.”
The Islanders are 12-14-6, and after the break, there still will be 49 of the 82 games remaining on the schedule. But as Bill Parcells famously said, “You are what your record says you are.”
Which is why it would do the Islanders and Tavares some good to come to grips with the status of the organization before another season has gone the way of good intentions.
“It’s disappointing a little bit,” coach Jack Capuano said. “But for me, it’s about the tenacity and the work ethic of our team. I can honestly say, with just a couple games up to this point when we fluttered a little bit, but they’ve given us what they’ve got. That’s why, as a coaching staff, you can’t overreact to the situation.”
But if this is just about all the players have, where does that leave the evaluation of the roster that general manager Garth Snow has assembled?
His two biggest offseason signings have been complete disasters. Andrew Ladd had four goals, seven points and a minus-11 rating through 32 games, while beginning to collect on his seven-year, $38.5 million deal. Jason Chimera, 37, could have been a nice fourth-liner on a two-year, $4.5 million deal, but has been asked to play a bigger role and has been unable to fill it, with just four goals, 10 points and a minus-9 rating through 32 games.
They are the first ones to say they need to be better, but the question is whether they actually can be.
“I think that’s what the guys are saying when they talk to you — the frustration sets in,” Capuano said. “But when that happens, in those circumstances, you start pointing the fingers. And that’s something that we don’t want to do, because there really aren’t a whole lot of fingers to point. I think in all areas of our game, from our coaches right on down to our players and goaltending and special teams, we all need to be a little bit better.”
The biggest question looming over this franchise remains Tavares’ pending free agency. Next season is the last on his ultra-club-friendly deal carrying a $5.5 million annual cap hit. The 26-year-old can’t sign an extension until July 1, and the Islanders can offer more money with an eighth year included on a deal. Negotiations likely will start at $10 million per.
Signing those checks would be new owners Jon Ledecky and Scott Malkin, whom Tavares said he has had very little meaningful interaction with since they took over majority control of the team this season. It would do both parties good to get more acquainted and come together on a direction the team is headed — including the futures of Snow and Capuano.
“As a player, I don’t think that’s something I try to focus a whole lot on or get too involved in,” Tavares said. “I think ownership, they own the team, they make the decisions, they run things the way they operate them. As a player, you just try to come in and go out there and play well and have success. There’s so much to worry about, day-to-day, to get ready to play.”
Tavares may be a quiet leader and may want to put his nose to the grindstone and lead by example. But having seen this season begin to slide out of control, he certainly wouldn’t want to spend another year of his prime — another eight years left, give or take — with a team headed in the wrong direction.
It’s a little too close to becoming a reality for him to avoid much longer.