Feels like that's going to give them first crack every GM candidate out there. I have no doubt the Isles are working diligently, but if they take too long to figure out the president position then they may not get their #1 target for GM.
- Gabe Athaus

Yep! Let's not drag this out too long.

Feels like that's going to give them first crack every GM candidate out there. I have no doubt the Isles are working diligently, but if they take too long to figure out the president position then they may not get their #1 target for GM.
- Gabe Athaus

Yeah I agree, and I feel like it’s a little odd to make public Lou’s expiration, and not have a person in mind lined up. The Rangers for example fired Laviolette, and then days after he left the Penguins they hired Sullivan.

Yeah I agree, and I feel like it’s a little odd to make public Lou’s expiration, and not have a person in mind lined up. The Rangers for example fired Laviolette, and then days after he left the Penguins they hired Sullivan.
- kindlyrick

I'm hopeful the Islanders will get the hires right. You always need to have plans in place, and you need to be able to move quickly if Plan A does not work. This is where the Islanders were burned in the past with UFA'S. This missed the top target and did not know how to adjust and mostly did nothing else.

I'm hopeful the Islanders will get the hires right. You always need to have plans in place, and you need to be able to move quickly if Plan A does not work. This is where the Islanders were burned in the past with UFA'S. This missed the top target and did not know how to adjust and mostly did nothing else.
- ses111

There’s a reason why Milbury and Snow haven’t been hired by anyone, ever again. I just don’t understand how they held their jobs so long. Crazy. Three decades of suck lol


Question #18 for the new GM

Do you trade Moulson and a first for two months of Vanek, and after Vanek walks for nothing, do you publicly state that you would make that trade again?

There’s a reason why Milbury and Snow haven’t been hired by anyone, ever again. I just don’t understand how they held their jobs so long. Crazy. Three decades of suck lol


Question #18 for the new GM

Do you trade Moulson and a first for two months of Vanek, and after Vanek walks for nothing, do you publicly state that you would make that trade again?
- kindlyrick

You only make that Vanek move if he were the last piece of the puzzle. Garth did not have a lot of money to spend so the focus needed to be on drafting and developing and hiring a good coach. Milbury actually had it a lot worse than Garth with some of the owners before Charles. Garth did not have a trade someone like Palffy because of money. Milbury went off the rails with the DP pick when he had Luongo and the Yashin deal was too risky. Peca was a good trade.

You only make that Vanek move if he were the last piece of the puzzle. Garth did not have a lot of money to spend so the focus needed to be on drafting and developing and hiring a good coach. Milbury actually had it a lot worse than Garth with some of the owners before Charles. Garth did not have a trade someone like Palffy because of money. Milbury went off the rails with the DP pick when he had Luongo and the Yashin deal was too risky. Peca was a good trade.
- ses111

You don’t make a trade like that without some sort of indication of an extension. It’s too risky. It’s like allowing your franchise player to test the market, which is code for I’m outta here. Insanity. In business you’d be in the red.

Arthur Staple today in the times:

The New York Islanders have been on the trail of a new hockey operations leader (or two) for just under two weeks now, having informed Lou Lamoriello on April 22 that his contract would not be renewed after seven seasons as president and general manager.

The initial pose from Islanders ownership — controlling partner John Collins, who was leading the search, along with majority owner Scott Malkin and co-owner Jon Ledecky — seemed to be that this would be a wide-ranging search that included some people with many years of GM experience and others who had no such experience.

After 13 days, it appears that the Isles’ ownership group has targeted a shorter timeline on finding a new leader. The urgency of putting a new boss in place — whether that’s a president of hockey operations, a GM or someone who could fill both roles — to begin the process of evaluating the current Islanders hockey ops structure and sorting out the coaching staff and the roster seems to have taken root and turned this into a faster search than initially believed.

Here’s a few tidbits on what I’ve heard so far from a variety of league sources as the Islanders go through their interviews:

• If the Islanders are going the president-first, GM-later route, the list of candidates is pretty short. As I wrote two weeks ago, Vegas Golden Knights president George McPhee is not in the running here. Jeff Gorton, the top hockey ops exec for the Montreal Canadiens, also does not appear to be in the mix at the moment, though that may have more to do with the Habs just wrapping up their playoff run. Same for Ron Francis, who was just kicked upstairs by the Seattle Kraken and might be open to a change of scenery.

Beyond those three, it’s Ken Holland or a list of less-experienced people who would need a veteran GM under them. That doesn’t exactly scream out a pressing need to name a POHOP right away, but Collins, Malkin and Ledecky have been going through this process intensely for the last two weeks (and, let’s be real here, likely before that, even though Lamoriello was on the job) so perhaps they’ve learned enough to jump at an opportunity now.

• The Kings parted company with GM Rob Blake on Monday, and that may factor into the Islanders’ search. Marc Bergevin is a person of definite interest for the Islanders, and they have already talked more than once, according to a league source. But Bergevin currently serves as a senior adviser for L.A. and could be Kings president Luc Robitaille’s top choice to succeed Blake.


The Islanders have talked to former Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin, who’s now with L.A. (Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
• This timeline also seems to lessen the chances that a fresher face — either a younger assistant GM or someone outside the current NHL team structure — would have a shot. That’s how it seemed when the process began, and it seems more true now, even though no one’s been hired yet.

I got the same answer from four different executives with other teams: This Islanders gig is an enormous job, essentially building a front office from near scratch while also trying to maneuver a roster that’s been stagnant for four seasons. “A huge amount of work to do there,” as one Western Conference AGM put it.

Malkin and Ledecky have owned this team outright for nine seasons and have been around the Islanders for a decade. They know what they inherited from Charles Wang in terms of staffing, and they know how tight Lamoriello kept things. Collins has worked in the league a long time, too. All three of them see how other teams operate and how much more sprawling front offices are than theirs. That doesn’t translate automatically to success, but when a team like the Toronto Maple Leafs has dozens more front office staff — even the New Jersey Devils have dozens more — you know you’re starting this search at a deficit.

The size of the job might turn off some potential hires. This is not a quick-fix turnaround, and most everyone from former GMs to current AGMs to those not currently on the team side — like ESPN analyst Kevin Weekes or TNT analyst Eddie Olczyk — knows it. This will take some know-how on the best ways to staff up as well as the best ways to get the roster into decent shape.

So if there’s an announcement soon, we will all understand that ownership realized its predicament here and decided it was not the best time to go off the board on a hire. Bergevin, Holland, Jarmo Kekäläinen, Peter Chiarelli — those are the names you might hear in an announcement sooner than later because they are experienced GMs who can hit the ground running.

• I’m not sold that Patrick Roy and his staff will be gone when a new front office takes shape. Assistant coaches John MacLean and Tommy Albelin are known as longtime Lamoriello guys — Roy was head coach when Albelin was hired, but that doesn’t mean he was Roy’s choice. So I could see a scenario where Roy, who has at least two years left on his contract after signing an extension following the 2023-24 season, gets another crack at this under a new GM and perhaps with a new assistant or two on board.

There’s also the time factor. A new president/GM in the next week or two means a coaching search is even further beyond that by a week or two. By then, many of the numerous coaching vacancies around the league will likely be filled, leaving a very thin crop of candidates for the Islanders to choose from. Unless a new executive had a coach in mind, seeing what Roy can do to start 2025-26 might be the wisest course of action.

• That does not go for Bridgeport, which will need a serious overhaul as well. Rick Kowalsky is a Lamoriello guy too, and after a historically bad season in which the Baby Islanders won an AHL-record-low four home games, the new Isles executives will be making changes to the AHL team.

I wonder if even the team’s name could change. The decision to go from Sound Tigers, which was the Bridgeport nickname from its inception in 2001 until 2021, to Islanders was not Lamoriello’s alone. Malkin approved the change. But the Sound Tigers had a strong identity in Connecticut, which is Bruins/Rangers country when it comes to NHL fandom. The Islanders need their brand to grow, too, but we will see if Bridgeport gets its independent nickname back in this period of full-organization evaluation.

Arthur Staple today in the times:

The New York Islanders have been on the trail of a new hockey operations leader (or two) for just under two weeks now, having informed Lou Lamoriello on April 22 that his contract would not be renewed after seven seasons as president and general manager.

The initial pose from Islanders ownership — controlling partner John Collins, who was leading the search, along with majority owner Scott Malkin and co-owner Jon Ledecky — seemed to be that this would be a wide-ranging search that included some people with many years of GM experience and others who had no such experience.

After 13 days, it appears that the Isles’ ownership group has targeted a shorter timeline on finding a new leader. The urgency of putting a new boss in place — whether that’s a president of hockey operations, a GM or someone who could fill both roles — to begin the process of evaluating the current Islanders hockey ops structure and sorting out the coaching staff and the roster seems to have taken root and turned this into a faster search than initially believed.

Here’s a few tidbits on what I’ve heard so far from a variety of league sources as the Islanders go through their interviews:

• If the Islanders are going the president-first, GM-later route, the list of candidates is pretty short. As I wrote two weeks ago, Vegas Golden Knights president George McPhee is not in the running here. Jeff Gorton, the top hockey ops exec for the Montreal Canadiens, also does not appear to be in the mix at the moment, though that may have more to do with the Habs just wrapping up their playoff run. Same for Ron Francis, who was just kicked upstairs by the Seattle Kraken and might be open to a change of scenery.

Beyond those three, it’s Ken Holland or a list of less-experienced people who would need a veteran GM under them. That doesn’t exactly scream out a pressing need to name a POHOP right away, but Collins, Malkin and Ledecky have been going through this process intensely for the last two weeks (and, let’s be real here, likely before that, even though Lamoriello was on the job) so perhaps they’ve learned enough to jump at an opportunity now.

• The Kings parted company with GM Rob Blake on Monday, and that may factor into the Islanders’ search. Marc Bergevin is a person of definite interest for the Islanders, and they have already talked more than once, according to a league source. But Bergevin currently serves as a senior adviser for L.A. and could be Kings president Luc Robitaille’s top choice to succeed Blake.


The Islanders have talked to former Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin, who’s now with L.A. (Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
• This timeline also seems to lessen the chances that a fresher face — either a younger assistant GM or someone outside the current NHL team structure — would have a shot. That’s how it seemed when the process began, and it seems more true now, even though no one’s been hired yet.

I got the same answer from four different executives with other teams: This Islanders gig is an enormous job, essentially building a front office from near scratch while also trying to maneuver a roster that’s been stagnant for four seasons. “A huge amount of work to do there,” as one Western Conference AGM put it.

Malkin and Ledecky have owned this team outright for nine seasons and have been around the Islanders for a decade. They know what they inherited from Charles Wang in terms of staffing, and they know how tight Lamoriello kept things. Collins has worked in the league a long time, too. All three of them see how other teams operate and how much more sprawling front offices are than theirs. That doesn’t translate automatically to success, but when a team like the Toronto Maple Leafs has dozens more front office staff — even the New Jersey Devils have dozens more — you know you’re starting this search at a deficit.

The size of the job might turn off some potential hires. This is not a quick-fix turnaround, and most everyone from former GMs to current AGMs to those not currently on the team side — like ESPN analyst Kevin Weekes or TNT analyst Eddie Olczyk — knows it. This will take some know-how on the best ways to staff up as well as the best ways to get the roster into decent shape.

So if there’s an announcement soon, we will all understand that ownership realized its predicament here and decided it was not the best time to go off the board on a hire. Bergevin, Holland, Jarmo Kekäläinen, Peter Chiarelli — those are the names you might hear in an announcement sooner than later because they are experienced GMs who can hit the ground running.

• I’m not sold that Patrick Roy and his staff will be gone when a new front office takes shape. Assistant coaches John MacLean and Tommy Albelin are known as longtime Lamoriello guys — Roy was head coach when Albelin was hired, but that doesn’t mean he was Roy’s choice. So I could see a scenario where Roy, who has at least two years left on his contract after signing an extension following the 2023-24 season, gets another crack at this under a new GM and perhaps with a new assistant or two on board.

There’s also the time factor. A new president/GM in the next week or two means a coaching search is even further beyond that by a week or two. By then, many of the numerous coaching vacancies around the league will likely be filled, leaving a very thin crop of candidates for the Islanders to choose from. Unless a new executive had a coach in mind, seeing what Roy can do to start 2025-26 might be the wisest course of action.

• That does not go for Bridgeport, which will need a serious overhaul as well. Rick Kowalsky is a Lamoriello guy too, and after a historically bad season in which the Baby Islanders won an AHL-record-low four home games, the new Isles executives will be making changes to the AHL team.

I wonder if even the team’s name could change. The decision to go from Sound Tigers, which was the Bridgeport nickname from its inception in 2001 until 2021, to Islanders was not Lamoriello’s alone. Malkin approved the change. But the Sound Tigers had a strong identity in Connecticut, which is Bruins/Rangers country when it comes to NHL fandom. The Islanders need their brand to grow, too, but we will see if Bridgeport gets its independent nickname back in this period of full-organization evaluation.
- kindlyrick

Well I don't like the sound of:

This timeline also seems to lessen the chances that a fresher face — either a younger assistant GM or someone outside the current NHL team structure — would have a shot. That’s how it seemed when the process began, and it seems more true now, even though no one’s been hired yet.

And if they hire Peter Chiarelli, in any fashion, my (frank)ing head will explode

Well I don't like the sound of:

This timeline also seems to lessen the chances that a fresher face — either a younger assistant GM or someone outside the current NHL team structure — would have a shot. That’s how it seemed when the process began, and it seems more true now, even though no one’s been hired yet.

And if they hire Peter Chiarelli, in any fashion, my (frank)ing head will explode
- Gabe Athaus

I agree chief. I do like a shorter timeline, but no way on Chiarelli. Bergevin I can handle or even Holland. Still like the vet President and an up-and-coming GM. Let the GM focus on the roster and the President building up the staff and other functions.

Well I don't like the sound of:

This timeline also seems to lessen the chances that a fresher face — either a younger assistant GM or someone outside the current NHL team structure — would have a shot. That’s how it seemed when the process began, and it seems more true now, even though no one’s been hired yet.

And if they hire Peter Chiarelli, in any fashion, my (frank)ing head will explode
- Gabe Athaus

Chiarelli or Ken Holland would be lateral moves to Lou IMHO.

Arthur Staple today in the times:

The New York Islanders have been on the trail of a new hockey operations leader (or two) for just under two weeks now, having informed Lou Lamoriello on April 22 that his contract would not be renewed after seven seasons as president and general manager.

The initial pose from Islanders ownership — controlling partner John Collins, who was leading the search, along with majority owner Scott Malkin and co-owner Jon Ledecky — seemed to be that this would be a wide-ranging search that included some people with many years of GM experience and others who had no such experience.

After 13 days, it appears that the Isles’ ownership group has targeted a shorter timeline on finding a new leader. The urgency of putting a new boss in place — whether that’s a president of hockey operations, a GM or someone who could fill both roles — to begin the process of evaluating the current Islanders hockey ops structure and sorting out the coaching staff and the roster seems to have taken root and turned this into a faster search than initially believed.

Here’s a few tidbits on what I’ve heard so far from a variety of league sources as the Islanders go through their interviews:

• If the Islanders are going the president-first, GM-later route, the list of candidates is pretty short. As I wrote two weeks ago, Vegas Golden Knights president George McPhee is not in the running here. Jeff Gorton, the top hockey ops exec for the Montreal Canadiens, also does not appear to be in the mix at the moment, though that may have more to do with the Habs just wrapping up their playoff run. Same for Ron Francis, who was just kicked upstairs by the Seattle Kraken and might be open to a change of scenery.

Beyond those three, it’s Ken Holland or a list of less-experienced people who would need a veteran GM under them. That doesn’t exactly scream out a pressing need to name a POHOP right away, but Collins, Malkin and Ledecky have been going through this process intensely for the last two weeks (and, let’s be real here, likely before that, even though Lamoriello was on the job) so perhaps they’ve learned enough to jump at an opportunity now.

• The Kings parted company with GM Rob Blake on Monday, and that may factor into the Islanders’ search. Marc Bergevin is a person of definite interest for the Islanders, and they have already talked more than once, according to a league source. But Bergevin currently serves as a senior adviser for L.A. and could be Kings president Luc Robitaille’s top choice to succeed Blake.


The Islanders have talked to former Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin, who’s now with L.A. (Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
• This timeline also seems to lessen the chances that a fresher face — either a younger assistant GM or someone outside the current NHL team structure — would have a shot. That’s how it seemed when the process began, and it seems more true now, even though no one’s been hired yet.

I got the same answer from four different executives with other teams: This Islanders gig is an enormous job, essentially building a front office from near scratch while also trying to maneuver a roster that’s been stagnant for four seasons. “A huge amount of work to do there,” as one Western Conference AGM put it.

Malkin and Ledecky have owned this team outright for nine seasons and have been around the Islanders for a decade. They know what they inherited from Charles Wang in terms of staffing, and they know how tight Lamoriello kept things. Collins has worked in the league a long time, too. All three of them see how other teams operate and how much more sprawling front offices are than theirs. That doesn’t translate automatically to success, but when a team like the Toronto Maple Leafs has dozens more front office staff — even the New Jersey Devils have dozens more — you know you’re starting this search at a deficit.

The size of the job might turn off some potential hires. This is not a quick-fix turnaround, and most everyone from former GMs to current AGMs to those not currently on the team side — like ESPN analyst Kevin Weekes or TNT analyst Eddie Olczyk — knows it. This will take some know-how on the best ways to staff up as well as the best ways to get the roster into decent shape.

So if there’s an announcement soon, we will all understand that ownership realized its predicament here and decided it was not the best time to go off the board on a hire. Bergevin, Holland, Jarmo Kekäläinen, Peter Chiarelli — those are the names you might hear in an announcement sooner than later because they are experienced GMs who can hit the ground running.

• I’m not sold that Patrick Roy and his staff will be gone when a new front office takes shape. Assistant coaches John MacLean and Tommy Albelin are known as longtime Lamoriello guys — Roy was head coach when Albelin was hired, but that doesn’t mean he was Roy’s choice. So I could see a scenario where Roy, who has at least two years left on his contract after signing an extension following the 2023-24 season, gets another crack at this under a new GM and perhaps with a new assistant or two on board.

There’s also the time factor. A new president/GM in the next week or two means a coaching search is even further beyond that by a week or two. By then, many of the numerous coaching vacancies around the league will likely be filled, leaving a very thin crop of candidates for the Islanders to choose from. Unless a new executive had a coach in mind, seeing what Roy can do to start 2025-26 might be the wisest course of action.

• That does not go for Bridgeport, which will need a serious overhaul as well. Rick Kowalsky is a Lamoriello guy too, and after a historically bad season in which the Baby Islanders won an AHL-record-low four home games, the new Isles executives will be making changes to the AHL team.

I wonder if even the team’s name could change. The decision to go from Sound Tigers, which was the Bridgeport nickname from its inception in 2001 until 2021, to Islanders was not Lamoriello’s alone. Malkin approved the change. But the Sound Tigers had a strong identity in Connecticut, which is Bruins/Rangers country when it comes to NHL fandom. The Islanders need their brand to grow, too, but we will see if Bridgeport gets its independent nickname back in this period of full-organization evaluation.
- kindlyrick

Thanks for sharing, Rick! I'm not surprised the Islanders did not have a large front office.

Thanks for sharing, Rick! I'm not surprised the Islanders did not have a large front office.
- ses111

Yeah when I read the leafs have dozens more staff I was a bit taken aback. I wonder if that is an ownership decision to save money?

Yeah when I read the leafs have dozens more staff I was a bit taken aback. I wonder if that is an ownership decision to save money?
- kindlyrick

Maybe past owners. I doubt it's L&M. Lou wanted less for more control.

Chiarelli or Ken Holland would be lateral moves to Lou IMHO.
- kindlyrick

Yeah another recycled GM isn't the direction I hope they go. Gonna wait it out and see what ultimately happens, but I don't want any one person to have total autonomy again.

Ethan Sears
@ethan_sears
3m
AHL Bridgeport assistants Matt MacDonald and Pascal Rhéaume did not have their contracts renewed, Post has learned.

Decision came before Lamoriello was fired. Rick Kowalsky is still under contract, but obviously that could change when a new GM is in place.

The Great Bridgeport Purge begins

Yeah another recycled GM isn't the direction I hope they go. Gonna wait it out and see what ultimately happens, but I don't want any one person to have total autonomy again.
- Gabe Athaus

Yeah no thanks to the recycled GM. Why not get Brian Burke on the horn and get him in the mix lol.
I don’t see the advantage of having one person be President and GM. I think it’s more advantageous to have multiple minds brainstorming.

Ethan Sears
@ethan_sears
3m
AHL Bridgeport assistants Matt MacDonald and Pascal Rhéaume did not have their contracts renewed, Post has learned.

Decision came before Lamoriello was fired. Rick Kowalsky is still under contract, but obviously that could change when a new GM is in place.

The Great Bridgeport Purge begins
- Gabe Athaus

Another step in the right direction. This probably wasn’t a shock to anyone. Kowalsky should be next.

Yeah another recycled GM isn't the direction I hope they go. Gonna wait it out and see what ultimately happens, but I don't want any one person to have total autonomy again.
- Gabe Athaus

I agree chief. They went with the very expeireced Lou running everything last time. Time to try something different this time. No reason an up-and-coming AGM cannot be hired, and you can have a vet president. We do not need the Committee, but one president and one GM should work.

Well I don't like the sound of:

This timeline also seems to lessen the chances that a fresher face — either a younger assistant GM or someone outside the current NHL team structure — would have a shot. That’s how it seemed when the process began, and it seems more true now, even though no one’s been hired yet.

And if they hire Peter Chiarelli, in any fashion, my (frank)ing head will explode
- Gabe Athaus

How long are you banned for?

I agree chief. They went with the very expeireced Lou running everything last time. Time to try something different this time. No reason an up-and-coming AGM cannot be hired, and you can have a vet president. We do not need the Committee, but one president and one GM should work.
- ses111

Maybe not a committee but an example would be l like LA had Bergeron, Robitaille and Blake, having 3 people gives you the tie breaker on decision making.

Maybe not a committee but an example would be l like LA had Bergeron, Robitaille and Blake, having 3 people gives you the tie breaker on decision making.
- kindlyrick

As long as it's not like the past Islander committee.

There is nothing comparable to hockey playoffs in the major sports. The intensity, the drama, the speed, the gamesmanship. Then add into it being there live with sudden death OT! Nothing comes close.
- Nfdbulldawg

The last two nights have been absolutely amazing. This year in general has been great. I've watched more playoff hockey this year than I think I ever have.

No reason not to is the bottom line. I don’t think it’s crazy to think the closed door drawing of the first and second picks lends itself to malfeasance. I know where you stand on that but unless it’s live and out in the open, you can’t say there’s zero percent wrong doing.
- kindlyrick

I will go to my grave saying that the NHL handed Crosby to the Penguins. There's absolutely no way to convince me otherwise.

The thing is, Lou wasn’t fired, they’re just not renewing his contract. So technically he’s still under contract. Can they hire someone else while he’s still under contract?
- kindlyrick

It might depend on what's in it. I'm curious as to when it expires. If it's after the draft and he wants to still run the show, that could be problematic.

The last two nights have been absolutely amazing. This year in general has been great. I've watched more playoff hockey this year than I think I ever have.
- PeteM

Yeah I think Dallas and Florida are the finals.