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Jon Cooper to lead Islanders: Larry Brooks discusses the idea
Félix Forget
Jon Cooper to lead Islanders: Larry Brooks discusses the idea
Credit: Getty Images
Jon Cooper’s future has been the talk of the NHL for the past few weeks. The Lightning’s coach, who has been on the job for over a decade, is the best behind the bench on the Bettman circuit… but we wonder if that will last.

After all, Cooper has confirmed that he’ll be back behind the Lightning bench next year… but his contract expires at the end of next season.

Cooper’s name has been bandied about in Utah recently, as Cooper is well acquainted with Mammoth owner Ryan Smyth.

But this weekend, Larry Brooks(New York Post) also talked about Cooper, and he mentioned another idea: that of the Islanders giving him the keys to running the team.

Because in reality, sending him out as GM or president… that would be a promotion, wouldn’t it?

The question to ask, though, is whether such a position would interest Cooper. Brooks mentions that Cooper was educated in the area, and that a leadership position might be of interest to Cooper if he wants to build a team in his own image.

As our colleague Charles-Alexis Brisebois explained at lunchtime: the Islanders’ GM position isn’t very attractive right now. The club may have won the lottery, but the team’s next leader is likely to have to deal with Lou Lamoriello, who will still be around and may be forced to keep Patrick Roy behind the bench.

And that’s not necessarily ideal for a new leader, who would probably like to be able to bring in “his world”.

That said, there is a world in which the Islanders are so keen to add Cooper that they are willing to make concessions. If the Lightning are willing to let him go for a leadership position, perhaps the Islanders will reconsider factors that might bother Cooper.

Alternatively, the Islanders can always decide to appoint a GM and keep the president’s position vacant to talk to Cooper in a year’s time, when his contract in Tampa Bay will have expired.

But at the same time, if the GM position isn’t attractive right now, adding a president in a year’s time on top of all that won’t help attract candidates.

That said, if the Islanders want Cooper and he’s interested, the club will adapt in due course. Right now, the most important thing for the Islanders is to find the best person to run the organization’s hockey operations… and the rest will have to be dealt with in due course.

Well, the club’s #1 choice, Jeff Gorton, isn’t available… but they have to go for the best option among what’s available, obviously.


In Overtime

– Could Connor Hellebuyck lose his position as #1 goalie for the U.S. at the Olympics?

– News from Michael Misa.

– Big news in Vegas.

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