Trotz: It doesn’t matter what the projections say

There should always be an excuse to put anything The Rock does into any article written. However, his “It Doesn’t Matter” catchphrase rings true in Islanders camp, where Barry Trotz believes even though the Islanders are projected to do worse than last season, the only thing that matters is the team dynamics.

Trotz stated that other teams in the Metro have gotten better, but so have the Islanders. He also has some blunt words for those writing off the Islanders after a 103 point season on Tuesday;

“You know what? They said that last year, and we did OK,” Trotz said at the Islanders Children Foundation Golf Outing at Bethpage. “I’m not too worried. The one thing you learn is that everybody’s an expert when they’re not in the fight. Everybody has an opinion, and they’re not really worth anything, they’re just opinions. [It’s] like me having an opinion on Wall Street; I don’t have any expertise there.”

In essence, it’s a big screw you to all the advanced analytics folks and writers expecting a huge regression from the team. The Islanders may not have signed a splashy free agent and may have lost their Vezina Trophy finalist in Robin Lehner, but the team mantra has never been about individuals. It’s about playing within oneself for the betterment of the team.

Until the Islanders are eliminated from the playoffs or are way off pace from last season, people should curb their pessimism. This team is clearly very well-coached and focused on a bigger goal. I wouldn’t bet against Barry Trotz, no matter the circumstances.