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Islanders want to keep Lou Lamoriello (and Patrick Roy?): GM position not attractive
Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Islanders want to keep Lou Lamoriello (and Patrick Roy?): GM position not attractive
Credit: Getty Images
This morning, we talked a bit about the Islanders-Kings GM situation.

We took it from the point of view of Marc Bergevin, whose chances of becoming GM of the Kings aren’t as good as you might think. Nothing’s official, but okay.

But now , Arthur Staple of The Athletic has written a piece on the Islanders’ GM (and president, of necessity) position. And in it, we learn that Bergevin would be a good candidate in New York in the Islanders’ eyes, if the stars align.

Mathieu Darche and Jarmo Kekäläinen are also candidates

But we realize that right now, the Islanders’ top job isn’t necessarily the most attractive of the lot. We say that because the two biggest candidates on the Islanders’ list aren’t / don’t seem open to taking the job.

The #1 candidate was Jeff Gorton as president and GM. But the Habs and the Islanders said no.

Ken Holland, also being considered for the GM position in Los Angeles, would like to see what L.A. has to offer first. So the Islanders aren’t the priority – even though the Islanders could also appoint him president.

So the other candidates (surely just as GM and not as president) are well and truly in the running, but the Islanders don’t necessarily represent the most interesting case for all that.

Why not? Because the Islanders’ owner would like to keep Lou Lamoriello in New York as part of his organization, even after his contract expires on June 30. You read that right.

Lou Lamoriello, who is still on the Islanders website, is the kind of guy who takes up space. Could a GM really work well with Lamoriello (as an advisor) still in the fold?

Good question.

It’s also worth noting that the Islanders’ owner might not want to pay Patrick Roy to stay with him for three years, and a GM might have to keep him. Lou’s son, Chris, is also an assistant to the GM and boss of the club-school.

Would a GM who had to keep Lamoriello and Roy (and therefore not be able to choose his own coach) want to take the job? In my opinion, that might turn some people off.

Taking all this into account, and the fact that the club has no clear direction on the ice in the short, medium or long term, it goes some way to explaining why the process is being referred to as slow at the moment.

And that’s even though the New York club recently won the lottery.


overtime

– In my opinion, he doesn’t mind too much.

– Reinforcement for Michael Hage.

– Why?

– True.

– True.

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