NEW YORK (AP) Lou Lamoriello is taking over the New York Islanders.All the questions belong to him now.The Islanders announced the hiring
of Lamoriello on Tuesday as president of hockey operations
John Hayden Jersey , giving the longtime NHL executive the keys to a franchise that has missed the playoffs eight times in the past 12 years with
Garth Snow as general manager.The 75-year-old Lamoriello, who led the New Jersey
Devils to three Stanley Cup titles and helped Toronto become playoff contenders
again, is tasked with trying to re-sign star center John Tavares and the future
of Snow and coach Doug Weight.Lamoriello said he had no preconceived notions
about the inner workings of the Islanders, and he also wasn’t willing to show
his hand on what he might do with the team.”As I’ve done in the past in a
situation like this, I take a step back and see exactly what the people who you
have in place have to offer, what their thoughts are, what their vision is and
then make decisions as I go along,” Lamoriello said on a conference call. ”I
certainly have thoughts like you think I would have. But rather than express
them, I’d rather just keep them to myself and allow the process to take place
before making any judgments.”Those judgments will be his to make. The Islanders
said Lamoriello ”will have full authority over all hockey matters with the
organization.””We are committed to giving Lou every resource and the full
support of the entire organization as we pursue our program to compete at the
highest level,” co-owner Scott Malkin said.This move undoubtedly takes power
away from Snow, who has four years left on his contract originally signed by
previous owner Charles Wang. Lamoriello’s hiring was first reported by The
Athletic, which said Snow’s deal has a ”steep buyout.”But Lamoriello didn’t go
to the Islanders to share power. He left New Jersey to become Toronto’s GM in
2015 after he was bumped upstairs and replaced by Ray Shero. The move to the
Islanders comes after he was shifted into an advisory role with the Maple
Leafs
Authentic Jonathan Toews Jersey , who promoted Kyle Dubas.One of Lamoriello’s most pressing issues is Tavares, who can become an unrestricted free agent July
1. The 27-year-old forward just finished a $33 million, six-year contract. He
had 37 goals and 47 assists this season, finishing a goal and an assist shy of
the career highs he set in 2014-15.Lamoriello had nothing but praise for the
star center, who will receive a lucrative long-term deal this summer from the
Islanders or another team.”He’s one of the elite players, a gentleman both on
and off the ice and he’s just a quality individual as well as a quality player,”
Lamoriello said.Because the Islanders missed the playoffs the past two years,
hiring Lamoriello is at the very least a sign to Tavares of ownership’s
willingness to make improvements. Lamoriello led the Devils’ hockey operations
from 1987-2015, reaching the Stanley Cup Final five times and winning in 1995,
2000 and 2003, and is well-respected for his management expertise.That will be
tested in his third stint running a front office, this time for a team that has
had son Chris Lamoriello as assistant GM since 2016. He takes over just a month
before the draft and five weeks before the clock runs out on re-signing Tavares
before he hits the open market
Blake Comeau Jersey Womens , giving him tight deadlines to ”bring the Islanders back where they were” in the 1980s when they won the Cup four
times.”When there is time, you use it. When there isn’t, you make a decision,”
Lamoriello said. ”We’ll have to evaluate everything in a short period of time,
but not at a rushed pace.”
