The Chris Johnston Show: Julian McKenzie and Chris Johnston talking about the New York Islanders and GM Lou Lamoriello.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
McKenzie: “Really interesting out of New York, with the Islanders, specifically. Patrick Johnston out of the Vancouver Province, no relation, putting out a report, seeming to suggest that Lou Lamoriello’s days, very curious about how long they’ll last as GM of the New York Islanders. Not that great of a start for their season so far. What are you hearing out of the island?
Johnston: “Well, I think it’s, obviously a time of, you know, a little bit of turmoil there with just, you know, they made the coaching change last year with Patrick Roy. You know, let’s call it as it is, Lou Lamoriello is 82 years old.
So, I mean, he was not going to work forever. Not that, not that I’m pushing him out of a job. I’m just saying, you know, it’s pretty remarkable achievement, even to have done, you know, met the demands of that job as long as he has.
And you know, they’re locked into some difficult contracts. And they’re not performing up to, you know, the path to them becoming getting back to where they were even a few years ago when they went to those went to those back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals. Just seems, seems a little rocky, right?
And, you know, they have some big decisions. You know, they have Kyle Palmieri and Brock Nelson, the aforementioned, both as pending UFAs. You know, both players that I would say, with a team typically in their shoes, would be starting to think about, you know, moving on from ahead of the trade deadline to turn things over.
Now, you know, we know the Islanders and Lou Lamoriello specifically do things kind of on their own beat. And so I’m certainly, I have no Intel yet at this point that either those players will be available, but I certainly think it’s a possibility.
And so, yeah, I think where the Islanders are at is they have to, they’re kind of at a point where inflection point where they need to decide, you know, what the next steps for the organization are. You know, the best pass, path forward, and you know that, that probably includes some succession planning. I think that that’s the best way to put it.
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Certainly, this talk’s been out there a little bit even before just now when it comes to Lamoriello’s future. And, yeah, I mean, that’s, that’s the best way I can put it. They got to make some decisions, and I don’t think those decisions have been made just yet.
McKenzie: “Okay, I’ll say this though Brock Nelson, Kyle Palmieri, guys will look pretty good on some contending teams right now. Maybe closer to the deadline but you know what I mean.
Johnston: “Nelson, in particular, I think if they make him available, will be in huge demand, just because he’s very versatile. He can play truly, you could slot in as even your second-line center I think on a good team. He can play the wing. You know, he scored pretty consistently, big guy, strong guy.
I just think, I think he’s the sort of player that teams gearing up for long playoff run would look at and go and salivate about. Not to mention even all the good teams in this league, they all seem to feel like they’re down a center. You know what I mean? They all seem to think that they have, like, at three and a half centers or something.
And so, just the idea that he could at least potentially be that, or even if you don’t use him as that initially, but he could play the wing. I think that, I think teams will be tripping over themselves to try to get him. If, if he becomes available.
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But you know, still little premature to dive into that too deeply but I’m just saying, if you’re out there and you’re cheering for a team that needs a forward, good chance they’ll be interested in Brock Nelson, should he be available.
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