Memo To Andrew Ladd

This past off season was supposed to be a big one for the New York Islanders. They we're coming off a 2nd round playoff appearance for the first time since 1993. Once summertime rolled around, the Islanders were supposed to try and build on last season's success and take another giant step forward. New York lost Kyle Okposo, Franz Nielsen and Matt Martin all to free agency. The only player of note they signed to a deal was giving a seven year contract worth $38.5 million to Andrew Ladd. So far, Ladd's experience here on Long Island hasn't been a very good one.

So far, threw eleven games this season, Ladd has just one point. ONE POINT! You would like to hope and think, at least from an Islanders Fan perspective, that he is only going through a phase and he will snap out of it fast. Over the course of his career Andrew Ladd has been a pretty productive player. When he plays a full 82 game season, he can average 50-60 points in a given season, which are solid numbers. he's not going to set the world on fire like some of the other left wingers in the game today. Guys like Johnny Gaudreau, Alex Ovechkin, Jamie Benn. Daniel Sedin, and Taylor Hall, just to name a few, are all placed higher on a talent level list than Andrew Ladd. Facts are Ladd is no slouch, he has scored 466 points in 769 career games. He's won two Stanley Cups during his career with the Blackhawks. The guy can produce and he knows that winning feeling. Right now, at this exact moment, its not there for Andrew Ladd. He was a 25 goal scorer last season, so he has no problem putting the puck in the back of the net.

One of the reasons he was brought in to play with the Islanders was that scoring ability. For whatever reason it hasn't materalized. It maybe lack of chemistry with Isles captain John Tavares, who many people had Ladd pegged to be playing with all year. At this point, Ladd's play has been so subpar that he's slated to play on the 4th line. Head Coach jack Capuano (Who I'm not really of fan of personally but that's another argument for another day), has moved Cal Cluterbuck and Josh Bailey to the top line to play with Tavares for a little while. Memo to Andrew Ladd, you're getting paid quite a bit of money START EARNING YOUR PAYCHECK! I know its easier said then done, and yelling at Ladd on this blog may not help but you never know. I'm sure Ladd has been hearing a lot of talk like this over the last couple of weeks and he knows that he hasn't been playing very well. I know it takes players a little while to get adjusted to new surroundings and new teammates, but once they find their groove and get comfortable, the game comes back to them and they play to their full talent level.

Ladd hasn't found that level yet. Maybe the pressure of the contract is getting to him. Maybe he hasn't found that level of comfort playing in Brooklyn yet. Maybe he left his game in Chicago. Who knows. But whatever is getting to Andrew Ladd he needs to get it figured out and get it figured out fast otherwise, it could end very poorly for him. I usually give players the benifit of the doubt. After all they are playing in the National hockey league, the best hockey league in all of the planet. If your able to play in the NHL, you are the very best in the world. Even the worst player in the NHl is better than 97% of every other hockey player on earth. Andrew Ladd is one of those few special talents that's playing in the worlds best league right now. But he sure isn't playing like it through his first almost dozen games with the Islanders and he better get it together fast. The Islanders are in the middle of the pack in scoring right now, without Ladd really producing. If he doesn't get it going soon, things could get away from him quite quickly