Subscribe
Follow Us
On April 22, the New York Islanders announced they were not renewing Lou Lamoriello's contract. That ended the Hall of Famer's run as the Islanders' president and general manager, which started in 2018. Since then, a new pope was elected, the Isles won the draft lottery, eight NHL and eight NBA teams had their seasons end, and the Colorado Rockies have won three games. Still, no new executive on Long Island. The Athletic's Arthur Staple has the latest on their search, which indicates a reunion with Lamoriello.
The wrinkle in all these machinations is Lamoriello,” Staple wrote. “A league source said last week that [Islanders owner Scott] Malkin, who has the final say on this hire, hopes to keep Lamoriello in some capacity. Most likely, that would be as an adviser to whoever takes the GM job.”
How did that happen? Staple reported that former Oilers and Red Wings executive Ken Holland was New York's first choice. They were also denied the opportunity to interview Canadiens president Jeff Gorton. “If the Islanders had gotten Holland to say yes or gotten to pitch Gorton, those two would have taken both titles that Lamoriello currently holds, so that wouldn’t have left room for the 82-year-old to stay on.”
Staple then updated his reporting later in the day, indicating that Lamoriello could stay on as an adviser to the owner, not the general manager.
The Islanders are looking for a President of Hockey Operations and a General Manager. When those people are in place, they will have the number one pick to decide on in a matter of weeks. Time is ticking on their choice, and now Lamoriello may have his hat back in the ring.
If Lamoriello is an adviser to the new decision makers, fans will not feel as if anything has changed. Considering the disappointment of this season, they want sweeping change. Keeping Lamoriello in any capacity does not do enough to change the tune of an aging team.
