Arthur Staple
@StapeAthletic
·
2h
Updated with:

-- #Isles source saying "no plan" for Lamoriello to advise the next GM
-- Still possibility LL stays on as advisor to ownership
-- That could still complicate the search
-- Stay tuned

My God, the first bullet followed immediately by the next one still trying to prop up the "bombshell" is just pure art (and not Staple's first name).

Good to see it dawned on him to get a comment from the Isles, though!
- UIF

Lou needs to walk away. Enough already. This is becoming all about him and its Fargin hurting the team.

Complete cluster(frank). They're erasing every ounce of goodwill they earned with fans for, seemingly, doing the right thing and getting rid of Lamoriello. Now he's going to hang around in some sort of horsepoop "adviser" role.

Stealing Botta's point here, but if they hire a new GM and keep Lou on and we don't see Chris Lamoriello or any of Lou's hires let go then we'll know exactly how much influence his "advising" has.

They're (frank)ing this up out of the gate
- Gabe Athaus

100%, this is the next big move after JT leaving. IT appears we are going to screw the pooch again. Why does this team consistently do this to itself.

Who's to say for sure who the initial targeted guys are/were? It's what we've read, and certainly seems more plausible to me than the "Isles are keeping Lou around" talk, but I don't know if anyone's confirmed for sure that the Isles definitely were dead set on Holland, let alone that they're scrambling now for not landing him. Maybe he was just one option, or not. For all we know, they're simply waiting to speak to someone they have their sights on whose season is still going on, and reports about indecision and second-guessing are just reporters on deadline filling the void.

There's recent precedent for something similar...it wasn't long ago we had reporters...including our beat writer at the time Kevin Kurz...insisting the Isles were all in on Gaudreau (RIP), and that the Isles were then left scrambling when he signed with Columbus ("Now, it will be up to Lamoriello to turn to Plan B, whatever that might be, as a whole bunch of potential Plan Bs are already gone" is how Kurz wrote it in the very same Athletic at the time). We then found out fans were booing the guy for no reason when he revealed the Isles had never even made him an offer.

it's all a bunch of fun "what ifs" to talk about, but doesn't anyone else find it strange that the talk now is the job is a tough sell when, like, a week before that line emerged the same hockey media was talking about how many potential candidates there were and how the job was a hot ticket?
- UIF

It is a hot ticket, with a lot of key ingredients for a new or first time GM to put their stamp on this. What puts a damper on things is when grandpa still has a say in how you are going to spend your milk money.

Islanders To Interview Jarmo Kekalainen For GM Position
May 12, 2025 at 6:49 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 2 Comments

Several candidates have interviewed or will soon be interviewed for the Islanders vacant general manager position including Ken Holland, Marc Bergevin, Mathieu Darche, and Kate Madigan. There’s at least one more candidate for the spot as Arthur Staple of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that former Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen is also expected to interview for the job this week.

Kekalainen was one of the NHL’s more longer-tenured GMs until last spring when he was let go after spending parts of a dozen seasons running the Blue Jackets. Over that time, Columbus made the playoffs only five times and only once did they make it past the first round. Having said that, a large chunk of the Blue Jackets’ current core was either acquired or drafted by Kekalainen.

The 58-year-old also has spent time working with Ottawa and St. Louis before joining Columbus. With the Sens, he started out as a European scout before becoming their Director of Player Personnel in 1999. Three years later, he joined the Blues as their top amateur scout before moving to an assistant GM role three years after that.

As far as candidates go, Kekalainen is certainly one of the most experienced options available. He also has plenty of familiarity with the division from his time with Columbus and would have seen or scouted most of New York’s current roster. On the flip side, missing the playoffs in each of the last four years with the Blue Jackets might hurt his candidacy to replace outgoing GM Lou Lamoriello.

Staple also touches on how Lamoriello might be impacting the team’s efforts to replace him. He relays that owner Scott Malkin is actually hoping to keep the 82-year-old past the end of his contract on June 30th in an advisory role. While the belief is that Lamoriello would act as an advisor to Malkin and not the new GM, his continued presence could act as a deterrent to potential candidates who might be unnerved at the prospect of shaking up the roster that Lamoriello built while Lamoriello still has some involvement with the team.

To that end, Staple notes that the search is not running as fluidly as it first seemed though it’s unclear how much is tied to Lamoriello’s potential advisory role. Holland appeared to be their top choice but he’s interviewing for the same role in Los Angeles and may prefer to remain on the West Coast. Staple suggests the door isn’t entirely closed on Holland getting the job if he doesn’t join the Kings but at the moment, it’s unlikely he’d take the role.

For now, Kekalainen joins Darche and Bergevin as those expected to formally interview for the job in the coming days so if one of those emerge as the successful candidate, the search will be over. Otherwise, they might have to start widening their search to find their next general manager.

Islanders To Interview Jarmo Kekalainen For GM Position
May 12, 2025 at 6:49 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 2 Comments

Several candidates have interviewed or will soon be interviewed for the Islanders vacant general manager position including Ken Holland, Marc Bergevin, Mathieu Darche, and Kate Madigan. There’s at least one more candidate for the spot as Arthur Staple of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that former Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen is also expected to interview for the job this week.

Kekalainen was one of the NHL’s more longer-tenured GMs until last spring when he was let go after spending parts of a dozen seasons running the Blue Jackets. Over that time, Columbus made the playoffs only five times and only once did they make it past the first round. Having said that, a large chunk of the Blue Jackets’ current core was either acquired or drafted by Kekalainen.

The 58-year-old also has spent time working with Ottawa and St. Louis before joining Columbus. With the Sens, he started out as a European scout before becoming their Director of Player Personnel in 1999. Three years later, he joined the Blues as their top amateur scout before moving to an assistant GM role three years after that.

As far as candidates go, Kekalainen is certainly one of the most experienced options available. He also has plenty of familiarity with the division from his time with Columbus and would have seen or scouted most of New York’s current roster. On the flip side, missing the playoffs in each of the last four years with the Blue Jackets might hurt his candidacy to replace outgoing GM Lou Lamoriello.

Staple also touches on how Lamoriello might be impacting the team’s efforts to replace him. He relays that owner Scott Malkin is actually hoping to keep the 82-year-old past the end of his contract on June 30th in an advisory role. While the belief is that Lamoriello would act as an advisor to Malkin and not the new GM, his continued presence could act as a deterrent to potential candidates who might be unnerved at the prospect of shaking up the roster that Lamoriello built while Lamoriello still has some involvement with the team.

To that end, Staple notes that the search is not running as fluidly as it first seemed though it’s unclear how much is tied to Lamoriello’s potential advisory role. Holland appeared to be their top choice but he’s interviewing for the same role in Los Angeles and may prefer to remain on the West Coast. Staple suggests the door isn’t entirely closed on Holland getting the job if he doesn’t join the Kings but at the moment, it’s unlikely he’d take the role.

For now, Kekalainen joins Darche and Bergevin as those expected to formally interview for the job in the coming days so if one of those emerge as the successful candidate, the search will be over. Otherwise, they might have to start widening their search to find their next general manager.
- Nfdbulldawg

So this is just a rehashed Staple article with Kekalainen details thrown in.

Islanders To Interview Jarmo Kekalainen For GM Position
May 12, 2025 at 6:49 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 2 Comments

Several candidates have interviewed or will soon be interviewed for the Islanders vacant general manager position including Ken Holland, Marc Bergevin, Mathieu Darche, and Kate Madigan. There’s at least one more candidate for the spot as Arthur Staple of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that former Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen is also expected to interview for the job this week.

Kekalainen was one of the NHL’s more longer-tenured GMs until last spring when he was let go after spending parts of a dozen seasons running the Blue Jackets. Over that time, Columbus made the playoffs only five times and only once did they make it past the first round. Having said that, a large chunk of the Blue Jackets’ current core was either acquired or drafted by Kekalainen.

The 58-year-old also has spent time working with Ottawa and St. Louis before joining Columbus. With the Sens, he started out as a European scout before becoming their Director of Player Personnel in 1999. Three years later, he joined the Blues as their top amateur scout before moving to an assistant GM role three years after that.

As far as candidates go, Kekalainen is certainly one of the most experienced options available. He also has plenty of familiarity with the division from his time with Columbus and would have seen or scouted most of New York’s current roster. On the flip side, missing the playoffs in each of the last four years with the Blue Jackets might hurt his candidacy to replace outgoing GM Lou Lamoriello.

Staple also touches on how Lamoriello might be impacting the team’s efforts to replace him. He relays that owner Scott Malkin is actually hoping to keep the 82-year-old past the end of his contract on June 30th in an advisory role. While the belief is that Lamoriello would act as an advisor to Malkin and not the new GM, his continued presence could act as a deterrent to potential candidates who might be unnerved at the prospect of shaking up the roster that Lamoriello built while Lamoriello still has some involvement with the team.

To that end, Staple notes that the search is not running as fluidly as it first seemed though it’s unclear how much is tied to Lamoriello’s potential advisory role. Holland appeared to be their top choice but he’s interviewing for the same role in Los Angeles and may prefer to remain on the West Coast. Staple suggests the door isn’t entirely closed on Holland getting the job if he doesn’t join the Kings but at the moment, it’s unlikely he’d take the role.

For now, Kekalainen joins Darche and Bergevin as those expected to formally interview for the job in the coming days so if one of those emerge as the successful candidate, the search will be over. Otherwise, they might have to start widening their search to find their next general manager.
- Nfdbulldawg

Kekalainen had a blank canvas to paint and his finished product had no success. Why is he an option?

Kekalainen had a blank canvas to paint and his finished product had no success. Why is he an option?
- kindlyrick

Not a fan of the idea either.

Not a fan of the idea either.
- Cptmjl

Purely my own gut feeling here, but it feels like they're more interested in Bergevin than Kekalainen. Whoever it is, I just hope they hire Darche to be the GM and let the other one be the POHO.

Who's to say for sure who the initial targeted guys are/were? It's what we've read, and certainly seems more plausible to me than the "Isles are keeping Lou around" talk, but I don't know if anyone's confirmed for sure that the Isles definitely were dead set on Holland, let alone that they're scrambling now for not landing him. Maybe he was just one option, or not. For all we know, they're simply waiting to speak to someone they have their sights on whose season is still going on, and reports about indecision and second-guessing are just reporters on deadline filling the void.

There's recent precedent for something similar...it wasn't long ago we had reporters...including our beat writer at the time Kevin Kurz...insisting the Isles were all in on Gaudreau (RIP), and that the Isles were then left scrambling when he signed with Columbus ("Now, it will be up to Lamoriello to turn to Plan B, whatever that might be, as a whole bunch of potential Plan Bs are already gone" is how Kurz wrote it in the very same Athletic at the time). We then found out fans were booing the guy for no reason when he revealed the Isles had never even made him an offer.

it's all a bunch of fun "what ifs" to talk about, but doesn't anyone else find it strange that the talk now is the job is a tough sell when, like, a week before that line emerged the same hockey media was talking about how many potential candidates there were and how the job was a hot ticket?
- UIF

Interesting. So maybe they need Lou to actively manage things until the playoffs are over?? Less than ideal, but it could explain things....

Kekalainen had a blank canvas to paint and his finished product had no success. Why is he an option?
- kindlyrick

I have been wondering the same thing. Is it "thinking outside the box" to hire a guy who has been responsible for one of the least successful teams in the NHL?

I have been wondering the same thing. Is it "thinking outside the box" to hire a guy who has been responsible for one of the least successful teams in the NHL?
- JohnScammo

It’s nuts. Why not bring back milbury and snow as advisors. Why does this ownership need an advisor? Take the training wheels off already.

It’s nuts. Why not bring back milbury and snow as advisors. Why does this ownership need an advisor? Take the training wheels off already.
- kindlyrick

Cuz Isles

This is dumb even beyond this stupid sites standards.

https://eyesonisles.com/3...rs-can-fleece-this-summer

This is dumb even beyond this stupid sites standards.

https://eyesonisles.com/3...rs-can-fleece-this-summer
- Cptmjl

They'll trade everyone, NTC's be damned

They'll trade everyone, NTC's be damned
- Gabe Athaus

NTC’s be damned none of these teams are taking on any of these players even if they didn’t have NTC’s. Lol

This is dumb even beyond this stupid sites standards.

https://eyesonisles.com/3...rs-can-fleece-this-summer
- Cptmjl

Wow, I feel dumber having read that. I want some of whatever drug he's taking.

NTC’s be damned none of these teams are taking on any of these players even if they didn’t have NTC’s. Lol
- Cptmjl

christ I just want a (frank)ing GM and/or president to be hired already

Interesting. So maybe they need Lou to actively manage things until the playoffs are over?? Less than ideal, but it could explain things....
- JohnScammo

Maybe...who knows! Maybe it's as simple as Malkin asked Lou what he thought about a potential candidate, and by the time that got through the game of telephone all the way to Staple, it morphed into Lou officially "advising" Malkin or the next GM. I think my point, really, is we have no idea, and the reporting is sketchy enough to warrant at least a bit of skepticism.

All we know for sure is Staple included no comment from the Isles until like three or four days after he'd already broken the story, which doesn't inspire me to trust him like he's the Walter Cronkite of hockey journalists. And the comment he got from the team refuted his bombshell report, which of course happened after the original story was already the talk of the town. Anyway, let's wait a bit and see what's what before super gluing the dunce hat on Malkin.

Please no Jarmo……just hire Bergeron as President and Darche as GM and let’s move on. I always liked the trade Bergeron made sending Nashville PK Subban for Shea Weber and he drafted Suzuki. They let Roy pick his assistants and call it a day.

Cuz Isles
- Cptmjl

I thought that was minority owner and former COO of the NHL John Collins job?

christ I just want a (frank)ing GM and/or president to be hired already
- Gabe Athaus

They better step on it before Lou trades the first overall.

They better step on it before Lou trades the first overall.
- Cptmjl

In exchange for the rights to negotiate with Brock Nelson.

In exchange for the rights to negotiate with Brock Nelson.
- UIF

Matt Martin has been extended, 8 years at the league minimum

In exchange for the rights to negotiate with Brock Nelson.
- UIF

Why is this believable.

This is dumb even beyond this stupid sites standards.

https://eyesonisles.com/3...rs-can-fleece-this-summer
- Cptmjl

Yes. Contending teams are just lining up to be fleeced by the NY Islanders.