New York Islanders: Lou Lamoriello deserves more credit

The New York Islanders are in first place in the Metropolitan Division. Most of the credit belongs to not coach Barry Trotz, but general manager Lou Lamoriello.

Here we are in the second half of a dwindling down 2018-2019 NHL season and the New York Islanders are in first place in the Metropolitan Division. Not the reigning Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals, but the team that’s biggest off-season headline was losing John Tavares. Instead of being last in the division, they’re in first, just like absolutely nobody expected.

The Islanders have had a lot of drama following them. In a market where the rival New York Rangers receive the lion’s share of media attention, their surprising accomplishment has flown under the radar. Who’s responsible for the resurgence of the franchise Denis Potvin built? None other than General Manager Lou Lamoriello.

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Lamoriello brought an impressive resume with him when the Islanders hired him in May 2018. This was the man who turned the New Jersey Devils around from a “Mickey Mouse organization” to a dominant threat in the NHL throughout the 1990’s-2000’s en route to 3 Stanley Cup championships.

His reputation took a hit after the Devils struggled after the 2012 cup run, but rebounded after a short stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs, even though his time in Toronto was nothing more than being the “lady in waiting” for Kyle Dubas.

In the offseason, when everyone was prepared for the inevitable in losing John Tavares, it came as a surprise that Islanders ownership wanted to bring in Lamoriello. By no means was Lamoriello regarded as the wrong choice for the job, but there was little to suggest he was the right choice.

If anything, his hiring was met with questions marks and a lack of enthusiasm. Even with a multiple cup winner in the GM’s chair, the impending loss of Tavares lead many to believe the Islanders would be going for shot for shot with the Ottawa Senators in the basement of NHL standings.

Now, if you ask any hockey fan, they’ll say the credit for the Islanders success this season belongs to their new head coach Barry Trotz, who was coming hot off a Stanley Cup win. While it is true that his top-notch coaching fosters a team chemistry that brought the most of this Islanders group, it also understates Lamoriello’s influence.

For the first time in his career, Trotz was able to entertain contract offers without having the threat of a Stanley Cup-less career dangling over his head. Even though technically still an Islander, the likely conclusion of losing Tavares could have been enough to deter the champ away. But working with Lou Lamoriello was a different story.

When Lou Lamoriello as hired by the Islanders on May 21, 2018, it sent a message to the hockey world. The name alone brought along with it a weight of serious, no no-nonsense hockey. No matter what drama existed in the symphony of dysfunction that was the Islanders front office and management, or the constant drama surrounding their “home” arena, Lamoriello wasn’t going to let that get in the way of the business of winning hockey games.

He never looks back. Lamoriello didn’t look back when he lost Zach Parise. Nor did he look back when he lost Ilya Kovalchuk. He certainly wasn’t going to look back not if, but when, he lost Tavares.

With that, Lamoriello brought with him something that the Islanders had been lacking for quick some time – stability. Whatever sprinkles of success the Islanders had over the past decade was always drowned out by the franchise’s woes. This season looked like things were only getting worse.

At first glance, the Islanders seemed like a sinking ship. If Garth Snow was still running the ship there’s no chance Trotz would have wanted to come aboard. But with Lamoriello in the captain’s seat instead, he bought a first class ticket.

So yes, Barry Trotz is the reason the Islanders are playing high quality hockey this season. But also without Lou Lamoriello, there would be no Barry Trotz.

Barry Trotz was hired by the Islanders on June 21, 2018, a month after Lamoriello was hired as general manager and a mere week and a half before the ink dried on Tavares new contract with the Maple Leafs.

There were initial doubts, and rightfully so. After all, Lamoriello’s major July 1st acquisition after losing Tavares was an aging Valtteri Filppula was one that left more questions than answers. It was a move reminiscent of the end of his Devils tenure when he filled gaping roster holes left by Parise and Kovalchuk with B and C List free agents such as Ryan Clowe and Michael Ryder.

Aside from a complete 180 in the goaltender’s crease replacing Jaroslav Halak with Robin Lehner, Lamoriello inherited a roster that was underrated in his strength. Unlike the rag tag group of hastily assembled New Jersey rosters in 2014 and 2015, this was a group that was, for the most part, drafted and developed together. With the reigning Calder winner Mathew Barzal leading the charge, the Islanders accomplished what seemed to be impossible and found a way to be a stronger team without John Tavares.

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By no means does anyone expect Lamoriello to lead the Islanders to another 80’s-esque dynasty. Honestly, it may seem like nothing short of a miracle if they can make it to the second round of this year’s playoffs. But with him, this group proved something, when they were expected t do nothing.

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