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Good Morning, Islanders Country.
At last, New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello finally spoke to the media on Tuesday afternoon. The fanbase and media have been clamoring for this press conference for weeks, as it's customary for the GM and/or head coach to answer questions following the end of the season. Would it be worth the wait?
With Lou, there’s always the chance that news will break when he speaks because nothing leaks before he’s ready for it to come out. You would know in the opening 30 seconds if there was major news to announce.
That wasn’t the case yesterday. Rather, our hunch that nothing was being said because there was nothing substantial to say was confirmed. However, there were bits and pieces of newsworthy items and comments about the team and certain players that are worth diving into, although no big surprises.
You can watch the whole press conference HERE.
However, inspired by Eliotte Friedman and MetsFix’s Tuesday newsletter with 30 Thoughts on the Amazins, in this newsletter, I give you 32 Orange and Blue Views coming from Lamoriello’s press conference.
Let’s dive in.
32 ORANGE AND BLUE VIEWS
1 — He wanted answers before answering questions. The first question Lamoriello fielded was from Newsday’s Andrew Gross, who asked why this press conference was happening now instead of on break-up day. Lamoriello stated that his focus was on getting answers and not on answering questions. Basically, he doesn’t feel that the customary end-of-the-season media session is necessary.
2 — Lou and Lane are both back. Lamoriello once again reiterated his stance that contract situations are personal but did confirm that both he and Lane Lambert are under contract and will be back next season. Per Lou, he and the head coach “have been and will be” under contract.
3 — Contracts are none of your business. Lamoriello doesn’t get the fascination with knowing his contract status. According to the Isles GM, only player contracts need to be public knowledge. That’s true, but that doesn’t mean the media isn’t going to continue to ask.
4 — The entire coaching staff may not be back. Lou said that they did a “reasonably good job,” but it’s hard to come up with a reason why John MacLean should be back running the power play next season. The team scored the fewest PPG in the league and was tied for 30th in power play %. In the playoffs, they scored just once with the man advantage, often losing momentum and generating fewer chances than when playing 5-on-5.
5 — Lane was calm under pressure. The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz asked Lamoriello what he thought Lambert’s ceiling was as a coach. Lou wouldn’t bite on that question, saying you never know what a ceiling is for a player or coach after one year. However, Lou did appreciate Lambert’s even-keeled demeanor and the calmness he displayed during the rough stretches of the season.
6 — The team went under a spell midway through the season. Lou talked about the December and January stretch where the team couldn’t score more than two goals a game but also reflected on the push they made at the end of the season to make the playoffs. He brought up the OT and shootout losses during their slump and their ability to win in the extra session later in the season.
7 — Lamoriello still believes in his core. Lou acknowledged that there is disappointment in the way the season ended but not discouragement. If there was one answer or phrase to predict what Lamoriello would say during this presser, “I still believe in this core,” would have been it. The Isles are staying the course in the front office, behind the bench, and on the ice. It is what it is, and it’s nothing different than we expected heading into the off-season.
8 — The playoff series could have gone either way. It’s hard to disagree when two games went into O.T., and the Isles lost both, with fluky (or bad) goals allowed in each. If the Isles win one of those games, they’re, at minimum, playing Game 7. The whole playoffs have demonstrated how razor-thin the difference is between going on a deep playoff run and having an early exit.
9 — The team beat themselves. Lamoriello specifically mentioned special teams when talking about losing the Carolina series. The “bad news” was that occurred, but he said the“good news” was that it’s something that can be corrected.
10 — He liked the power play (the year before). Lamoirello pointed toward the success of the power play in the second half of the 2021-22 season with a lot of the same personnel as evidence that the unit can improve next season regardless of which assistant coach in running it. That will depend a lot on Noah Dobson’s ability to QB the power play and whether or not the team can learn to utilize Bo Horvat in the bumper position the way he excelled in Vancouver.
11 — The team has enough team speed. A common criticism of the Isles roster is that it is slow compared to the rest of the league. Lamoriello had an interesting take on what “team speed” represents in the NHL. Player speed and quickness are one thing for Lamoriello, but team speed is about how quickly a team moves the puck and whether the team has the personnel necessary to play that way. He feels they have enough of that combined with their size and strength to win.
12 — Focus is on their own free agents. This is how the Islanders have operated most off-seasons under Lamoriello. The first order of business is extending or re-signing your own players. Hudson Fasching’s two-year deal was announced on break-up day, leaving four remaining UFAs to turn attention towards and see if there is a way to bring most of them back, which sounds like his preference.
13 — Cap Space could be an issue. UFAs Scott Mayfield, Semyon Varlamov, and Pierre Engvall will all have appeal in the market; we just don’t know how much. Even if there is a mutual desire between ownership and the players to remain on Long Island, it’s not often a player leaves money or term on the table, especially in the case of Mayfield or Engvall, who are looking to cash in on multi-year deals.
14 — Everyone needs to “get better.” It’s a simple message. The goal is to still be playing the way Vegas and Florida are right now. To do that, Lamoriello feels that everyone, including himself, the coaching staff, and the players, have to improve.
15 — Josh Bailey’s Islanders career appears to be over. Lou keeps things incredibly close to the vest, especially when it comes to dealings with his personnel. It's for that reason it was more than telling when he spoke about the future of Josh Bailey. "In Josh's case, it looks like, maybe it's near the end here [Long Island].”
16 — Loyalty will not impede progress. When talking about Bailey and Lou’s loyalty to players, he made it clear that decisions will be based on what is best for the organization. The Islanders will want to put Bailey in the best position possible to play out the final year of his contract, but if they can’t find a trade partner, a buyout, making him a UFA is a likely outcome.
17 — Lou wants Varlamov back as the backup. Goaltending is paramount to Lamoriello; having Martin Brodeur all those years will do that to you. He was reluctant to move Semyon Varlamov on multiple occasions over the last two years, both at the deadline and during the summer. He wants to keep the team’s goaltending a strength and an advantage over most teams in the league. Bringing back Varly, who has expressed a desire to remain, is his preference.
18 — Mayfield may not be a goner. Entering free agency for the first time at 30 years old and coming off his best offensive year, this is Scott Mayfield’s chance at getting paid. He was outspoken about his desire to stay with the Isles and the comfort level he and his wife have found on Long Island, but with this being his first, best, and last chance at a long-term deal, it will be interesting to see what the team can offer him that would entice him to stay. “We certainly would like Scott back,” was Lamoriello’s stance when asked about the defense.
19 — They overused Bo Horvat. Lamoriello came to the defense of Horvat, who was on a 50-goal pace when he was acquired from the Canucks. The GM said that they know what Bo is, and that’s a 30-35 goal scorer, and that Barzal’s injury necessitated him playing too many minutes, including on the penalty kill and taking key face-offs, which may have contributed to his lack of scoring.
20 — Wahlstrom will be ready for training camp. Lou said Wahlstrom has started skating and definitely said he would be ready come September. Wahlstrom, who is a restricted free agent (RFA), remains an X-factor on the roster with a release and shot that stands out on the roster. It certainly sounded as if Lamoriello expects Wahlstrom to be in the fold this season, with the hope that this is the season where he puts it all together.
21 — Romanov will be 100% too. The 22-year-old was hitting his stride on the blueline when he injured himself in Tampa Bay on April 1st. He missed the remainder of the regular season before returning to the lineup in Game 3 of the playoffs but clearly wasn’t at full strength. Last month, we learned he underwent a successful minor surgical procedure on his shoulder.
22 — It’s Zach's call if he’s back. Parise scored 21 goals last season at age 38 and played all 82 games for the second straight year as an Islander. The decision will be between Parise and his family, which has remained in Minnesota for the last two seasons. “He’s just taking a step back and looking at what’s best for his family and making a decision,” Lamoriello said. “We certainly want him back. We’ve told him that. We’ll encourage him any way we possibly can.”
23 — He wants to extend Sorokin. He wouldn’t delve into details of a contract negotiation, but despite the constant debate \ on social media about whether it’s good business to sign the Vezina Finalist to a long-term mega-deal extension, Lamoriello indicated that it’s something that they would like to do and would be working toward this off-season. The goalie can sign an extension after July 1st.
24 — Barzal can excel on the wing. With Horvat, the former Vancouver Canucks captain centering the top line, we saw what Lou called “pretty good chemistry” between him and Barzal during the six games they played together before Barzal’s injury on Feb. 18th. They were reunited for the playoffs but were unable to pick up where they left off, but credit goes to Jordan Staal and a stingy Carolina defense. Lamoriello noted that sometimes players have to give up their own identity to have team success. Barzal playing wing would fit that criteria.
26 — Ross Johnston is an extra player and not much else. He was asked during the presser about the role Johnston has on the team and this point. Per Stefen Rosner, Lamoriello said his character is impeccable and that he thought that Johnston would play a bit more than he did.
27 — Noah Dobson has received too much criticism. After a breakout 2021-22 season offensively, fans were expecting Dobson to take another step forward. His offensive numbers weren’t too far off the prior season’s pace, but it was defensively where he regressed. Lamoriello preached patience with the 22-year-old and said that he has a great mindset and knows what he needs to do to get better. Lamoriello has high expectations for Dobson and feels he will be an elite scoring defenseman before his career is over.
28 — The four young core defensemen. Watching the games, it felt like the defense took a step backward from the Barry Trotz years. Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock both were good, but not the same shutdown defense pairing they had been in prior seasons. When Pelech went down with an upper-body injury in December, it meant greater responsibility for both Noah Dobson and Alexander Romanov, and at times, they didn’t seem quite ready to log those extra minutes.
29 — Fortunate to have five centers. The Isles have five pure centers, and for Lamoriello, that gives the option to change the construction of their lines as needed. That flexibility allows them to do different things. As he put it during the presser, it’s always better to have more centers than wings.
30 — Some minor leaguers are fairly close. Lamoriello didn’t name names but indicated that the players at AHL Bridgeport could be contributors at some point once they're ready. The team’s depth was tested last season, which led to Simon Holmstrom and Hudson Fasching earning significant playing time. William Dufour had a brief one-game cameo, while Arnaud Durandeau impressed with his opportunity. Ruslan Iskhakov was a highlight reel and AHL All-Star but has yet to make his NHL debut.
31 — The fourth line came through in the playoffs. Both Cal Clutterbuck and Matt Martin are entering the final year of their contract, while Casey Cizikas has four more years left on his deal. Lamoriello pointed out how they chipped in with important goals during the series against the Hurricanes. He then referenced the physicality in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final and how you need those types of players this time of the year. “You need men,” Lamoriello said. “I’ll take men any day of the week.” The fourth line is a line of men.
32 — The Stadium Series will be “something special.” He’s been part of two previous outdoor games with New Jersey and Toronto and knows it’s something the players and fans look forward to participating in due to the uniqueness of the event. Lamoriello was skeptical of the concept when it first was introduced by the league, but they’ve won him over as it’s become “a happening” in addition to a hockey game that he reminded everyone is still worth two points.
Whew. Hope you enjoyed that, let us know if you liked that format, and we can bring it back during certain points of the season.
⏭ NEXT UP:
🏆 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS:
📚 SOUND SMART: With five goals in Game 1 and seven in Game 2, the Vegas Golden Knights tied an NHL record with 12 goals through the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final. That mark has been hit seven times since 1927, with the 1981 and 1982 Islanders being the only franchise to do it twice.
🗓 ISLES REWIND: Tuesday’s press conference was five years and a day after Lou Lamoriello named himself GM and made the decisive move of firing Garth Snow and head coach Doug Weight on June 5, 2018.
📺 Nassaumen Hockey Podcast: James and Jon return on the same day New York Islanders' general manager, Lou Lamoriello, breaks his silence with a press conference about the 2023 offseason. The guys read between the lines, and continue to cover the Islanders' offseason and the possibilities ahead.
🔗 Lou Lamoriello, Lane Lambert will return to their roles with Islanders next season by Andrew Gross, Newsday “As far as contractual situations, I think they’re all personal,” Lamoriello said Tuesday at Northwell Heath Ice Center in East Meadow, speaking publicly for the first time since the Islanders’ season ended with a 2-1 overtime loss in Game 6 of their first-round series with the Hurricanes on April 28. “We’re both under contract. Have been and will be and I think that’s all that’s necessary. The only contracts that are necessary to go public are player contracts.”
🔗 Future success of Lou Lamoriello and the Islanders starts with Mathew Barzal by Neil Best, Newsday “It starts with Mathew Barzal. Part of the reason Barry Trotz was let go last offseason presumably was his difficulty unlocking the secret of how to maximize Barzal, in theory the Islanders’ best and most famous non-goalie.”
And we leave you with this…for NewYorkIslanders.com, Cory Wright put together an oral history of the team’s 1993 defeat of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Patrick Division Finals, including interviews with Ray Ferraro, Glenn Healy, Benoit Hogue, etc.
Thanks for reading! Follow us on Twitter for regular updates until the next newsletter.
And please check out our newsletters about the Knicks and Mets, too.
.....well, that's TWICE as much as was contained within the Tweet - like I noted on FOTI yesterday, LL is just one ARROGANT piece of work (and I'm BEING charitable) but, DO agree with MOST of his sentiments / opinions. Something which I see as an IMPERATIVE: resigning Engvall, hopefully for $4 but, NO more than $5 mil (STILL hoping Varly's back, made peace if Scott departs) - believe from what we saw even in just a VERY short time he can be a consistent 25-30 goal scorer, 55-60 point player for a FEW seasons yet.....