In wishing sayonara and offering other cheery homilies to Kyle Dubas, Toronto hockey boss Brendan Shanahan made one ironic point; among many ironies in the fire. "I'm looking for an executive with experience," Shanny declared to the massive Toronto media.

I'm Just Sayin'...

* Kyle Dubas' exit from the Maple Leafs hierarchy cannot help but have New York Islanders overtones in the many discussions.

* In wishing sayonara and offering other cheery homilies to Dubas, Toronto hockey boss Brendan Shanahan made one ironic point; among many ironies in the fire.

* "I'm looking for an executive with experience," Shanny declared to the massive Toronto media.

* When some reporters heard that, they muttered, "But you had an executive with experience."

* Or, to put it another way, Shanahan never should have given Lou Lamoriello the hook in the first place. But he did and the Isles benefitted in the long run.

* It's taken a lot of years -- with little gain -- for Shanny to realize that he was sadly mistaken in replacing an honored and experienced executive like Lou with a young man with not a whit of NHL general manager-ship experience.

* The guesswork about future Islanders moves to bolster the line-up for 2023-24 moved full speed ahead; and why not? It's free of charge and the rumors evaporate like some rings at the campfire.

* At a recent dinner honoring Isles icon Bob Nystrom for his charity work, Adam Pelech suggested that the club needed only a few "tweaks" to be a serious contender.

* With 20-20 hindsight, critics around the league are now pointing out that the Islanders did better against the Hurricanes than the hotshot Devils.

* As we -- who've followed the team all season know -- with a break here or there, Lane Lambert' skaters would have won the series.

* To confirm that theory, all you have to do is hark back to the overtime penalty never called when the Isles Scott Mayfield took a high stick in the face and the result was mysteriously unblown whistles from the zebras evaluating the play.

* Watching the Panthers -- remember, they finished behind our guys in the Wild Card run -- excel all the way into the third playoff round is enough to make a second-guesser wonder "what might have been" for the Isles.

READ MORE: Hockey Historian Gifts Old Films to Former Islanders & Their Families

* Writing from Dunedin, Florida, author and former NHL.com editor John Kreiser recalled a compelling interview John had with Isles legendary general manager Bill Torrey a few decades ago.

* I wonder whether Kreiser's discovery will surprise you as it did The Maven.

* "Bill told me that the 1975 playoff win against the Rangers was 'The biggest in franchise history,'" wrote Kreiser. "It was bigger than the OT win for the first Cup."

* John explained Bow Tie Bill's reasoning: "Beating the Rangers gave his team the credibility the Isles had not had."

* Kreiser admitted that he and three other media types thought Torrey was talking through his bow tie.

* "After Bill's original proclamation," Kreiser concluded, "we nodded in agreement after he presented his reasoning."

* Since our Isles were eliminated from the post-season a number of fans have asked which team I'm rooting for in the final rush for the Cup.

* I suffer no shame admitting that I'm pulling for the Panthers. For the many who have asked me for an explanation, I have to issue this explanation:

* Ever since I was a kid, growing up in Brooklyn -- and rooting for my Dodgers to beat the Yankees in the World Series -- I've supported the underdog.

* Starting in 1941, pulling for Brooklyn in the World Series, I suffered through too many defeats for the 1955 Dodgers Series win for the many other wounds to go away. Brooklyn always seemed to be the underdog. And that's why Dodgers fans like to say, "Wait 'til next year!"

* Right this minute, the Panthers are my favorite underdog.