New York Islanders: Lamoriello Contract Not Renewed; John Collins Searching for Next GM

[periferal]

FWIW, there was a report that Lou turned down discussing POHO with BUF, and in the identical situation with TOR, he quit rather than accept being kicked up to a senior position. So he will accept that with the Isles?

I hate the question because he should 1000% be shown the door already.

I couldn't not care less what Lou wants. Only concerned with what is best for the Islanders....And Lou being around the Islanders in any capacity is not good for the Islanders.

 

[The Last Red]

People are so overreacting about this. What you said above is true if it was someone with experience. If it is someone without experience, they'll just happy to be able to get their break. And that's why they would want to keep Lou around to still have some experience. If it's a retread, they don't need Lou. It's as simple as that. They aren't telling retreads that Lou will still be around, lol. This plan has only arisen since it looks like the retreads don't actually want the job, and they might have to go with a green behind the ears selection.

My point was that you don’t really need to hire a POHO if it’s going to be someone “inexperienced” or lacking in gravitas in the hockey world, as they say. At that point, just have the GM report directly to the owner as the POHO is unlikely to add much value in the running of the team.

 

[doublechili]

Florida has Zito as GM/POHO plus 3 AGMs, 3 Special Advisors to the GM, and a Senior VP of Hockey Operations. They seem to be doing okay. The Isles can hire a rookie GM and surround him with a team.

 

[Glory Days]

Florida has Zito as GM/POHO plus 3 AGMs, 3 Special Advisors to the GM, and a Senior VP of Hockey Operations. They seem to be doing okay. The Isles can hire a rookie GM and surround him with a team.

Agreed, just don’t want Lou as part of the team.

 

[BB88]

As much as I would like new talent, if they insist on an experienced GM, I'll be honest... I'm not totally turned off by Jarmo. At least in terms of his ability to draft and find NHLers late. He doesn't have a perfect record, but he does have Werenski, Wennberg, Bjorkstrand, Gavrikov, Dubois (not picking Puljujarvi was seen as insane at the time), etc. and made the obvious picks like Fantilli (which gives me hope he'd make the right choice with Schaefer).

Granted, just about everything else in his GM skillset sucks, so maybe not...

Sorry to drop in but as a Finn I wanted to see what the reaction was for seeing Jarmo news

Few thoughts on Jarmo

+ He’s a fantastic trader from a bad spot. The Jones trade from Nashville to Columbus and from Columbus to Chicago.
Panarin/Saad trades

+ He knows how to draft, from the current roster Fantilli, Johnson, Marchenko, Voronkov, Mateychuk, Werenski, etc the new core they are building that’s from Jarmos drafting

- his big minus and why in the end he got fired. The coaching, he didn’t manage to get the right one in the last couple of years and it really held them down

But they went to playoffs 4x in a row and started rebuild 2021 and where already in the mix. So not the worst job in the end

I feel like for NYI type team a Gm who can draft and find gems from later rounds seems like a good bet

Chiarelli, Holland are names that I’d be scared to hear for any team, they are dinosaurus’ in todays league

 

[BB88]

While that's true, Jarmo would be the one responsible for hiring those scouts as GM, and he had a great track record as a scout with the Blues organization prior to becoming a GM.

But alas, you conveniently ignored the last line of my post. I was pretty clear that his track record as a GM, outside of possibly the draft, is poor. It's ok to acknowledge the good, even if the candidate is bad overall.

Columbus was a tire fire before he got there and under him they’ve had the most success in their short franchise history

Columbus has been one of the least desired places to play in which has alwayd affected them and their ability to attract and keep talent

 

[The Last Red]

Jarmo does seem like the best candidate at this point. Bergevin is good at trades but not at having a long term vision.

 

[boredmale]

Jarmo dues seem like the best candidate at this point. Bergevin is good at trades but not at having a long term vision.

On the bright side he was a former Islander. lol

 

[Chardo]

On the bright side he was a former Islander. lol

Didn't Jarmo sell dippin dots at Barclay's?

 

[boredmale]

Didn't Jarmo sell dippin dots at Barclay's?

No Bergevin played here for a season and a half

 

[periferal]

Florida has Zito as GM/POHO plus 3 AGMs, 3 Special Advisors to the GM, and a Senior VP of Hockey Operations. They seem to be doing okay. The Isles can hire a rookie GM and surround him with a team.

Name a great GM in the history of the NHL. Every single one of them was "inexperienced" at some point.

And it's not like we're hiring a high school janitor over here. Every single candidate being interviewed has been working in the NHL for years if not decades.

I'm very confident that anyone worthy of being hired is smart (and maybe experienced already) enough to hit the ground running on day 1. Now surround that person with other smart/qualified people (unlike the one-man band - Dictator Lou), and I am not even worried that good things will happen.

I'd hate to not potentially hire the next Bill Torrey because we need to recycle some 60+ year old former GM.

 

[miscs75]

No Bergevin played here for a season and a half

There’s even trading cards for evidence!

 

[doublechili]

I'd hate to not potentially hire the next Bill Torrey because we need to recycle some 60+ year old former GM.

Again, Bill Torrey was a recycled GM. And, he had a great assistant, Jim Develano, who deserves at least equal billing, if not higher based on what happened on LI and in DET after he left.

 

[periferal]

Sorry to drop in but as a Finn I wanted to see what the reaction was for seeing Jarmo news

I respect this post. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.

Few thoughts on Jarmo

+ He’s a fantastic trader from a bad spot. The Jones trade from Nashville to Columbus and from Columbus to Chicago.
Panarin/Saad trades

Well the first question is...Why were the Jackets in a "bad spot" so very often?

You say he did well trading Johnasen for Jones (and he did), but why did he draft Johansen in the first place...?

Why do you acquire Brandan Saad as a core piece....Only to trade him 2 years later.

What happened with the Nathan Horton signing?

Just seems like a lot of trades, but no sense of how to build a core.

+ He knows how to draft, from the current roster Fantilli, Johnson, Marchenko, Voronkov, Mateychuk, Werenski, etc the new core they are building that’s from Jarmos drafting

I say this with respect....But how do we/does anyone know that is wasn't the scouting department that identified/drafted most/all of those players?

- his big minus and why in the end he got fired. The coaching, he didn’t manage to get the right one in the last couple of years and it really held them down

I think every GM should be judged on their wins/losses while with their team. Given that there are average/poor coaches out there like Dan Bylsma that have a Stanley Cup (because of the talent on the team), I'm always a bit skeptical when coaching is blamed. There could be other reasons why the team struggled, but end of day the Blue Jackets were average at best, and mostly subpar or worse.

Winning ONE (1) playoff series in 11 years on the job (simply because Bobrovksy played like prime Patrick Roy) is not even close to the kind of results we're looking for here. In fact we already received those exact same kind of results from a previous GM, and his name was Garth Snow. And I'd argue Snow had to deal with worse ownership and less resources than Jarmo.

But they went to playoffs 4x in a row and started rebuild 2021 and where already in the mix. So not the worst job in the end

Just because the previous regime was utterly inept, that doesn't make Jarmo a good GM just because he was better.

We're trying to win a Stanley Cup over here, so we're not looking for a GM who is elite - Not someone who does "not the worst job."

I feel like for NYI type team a Gm who can draft and find gems from later rounds seems like a good bet

Chiarelli, Holland are names that I’d be scared to hear for any team, they are dinosaurus’ in todays league

Legit no one wants Chiarelli or Holland here, but unless we're somehow grading a curve, we don't want Jarmo either.

Columbus was a tire fire before he got there and under him they’ve had the most success in their short franchise history

Columbus has been one of the least desired places to play in which has alwayd affected them and their ability to attract and keep talent

Jarmo's ceiling with the Blue Jackets (fringe playoff team/lose 1st round), is the reason why we're firing Lou. I fail to see why he would be any sort of tangible improvement, and thus a waste of time hire as we would ultimately need to replace him in 4-5 years.

I keep coming back to this...

If Jarmo was so valuable/desired why wasn't he offered/didn't he accept any position throughout the NHL since he was fired. Marc Bergevin was out of work 2 months when he was fired by the Canadiens. Would seem to be the way you make yourself most desirable is to always be employed (not to mention all the relationships you can build/foster specifically if you get another chance at President/GM), but it's been more than a year and Jarmo has no job.

 

[periferal]

Again, Bill Torrey was a recycled GM. And, he had a great assistant, Jim Develano, who deserves at least equal billing, if not higher based on what happened on LI and in DET after he left.

All very true, but not that simple. Torrey was named GM of the Seals (who were basically an expansion team) and only lasted two years there, and supposedly he battled with their owner most of the time. He was then the first ever employee of the Islanders and the rest his history. No question Develano deserves tons of credit for idenfitying talent, but who was savvy enough to hire him? Torrey.

Toerry was also hired by the Isles when he was 38 years old. For comparison right now...

Ken Holland 69
Marc Bergevin 59
Jarmo Kekäläinen 58
Mathieu Darche 48

Of course being young/old doesn't make you a great/poor GM, but considering we just fired the oldest GM in NHL history, would be nice to have someone in their prime and very on top of the current game.

 

[LeapOnOver]

My point was that you don’t really need to hire a POHO if it’s going to be someone “inexperienced” or lacking in gravitas in the hockey world, as they say. At that point, just have the GM report directly to the owner as the POHO is unlikely to add much value in the running of the team.

I don't think this owner has time for stuff like that. You want him reporting to Ledecky?

 

[periferal]

Say what you want about Brooks, but he makes some good points here...

 

[Kevin27nyi]

Say what you want about Brooks, but he makes some good points here...

I don't have a sub but if it's Cooper for a GM role, I'm in. I've said it before. I think the guy is smart, understands culture, everything. Big fan

 

[seabass45]

Cooper still has a year left on his deal and there’s no indication that either side is unhappy.

 

[BB88]

I respect this post. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.





Well the first question is...Why were the Jackets in a "bad spot" so very often?

You say he did well trading Johnasen for Jones (and he did), but why did he draft Johansen in the first place...?

Why do you acquire Brandan Saad as a core piece....Only to trade him 2 years later.

What happened with the Nathan Horton signing?

Just seems like a lot of trades, but no sense of how to build a core.




I say this with respect....But how do we/does anyone know that is wasn't the scouting department that identified/drafted most/all of those players?





I think every GM should be judged on their wins/losses while with their team. Given that there are average/poor coaches out there like Dan Bylsma that have a Stanley Cup (because of the talent on the team), I'm always a bit skeptical when coaching is blamed. There could be other reasons why the team struggled, but end of day the Blue Jackets were average at best, and mostly subpar or worse.

Winning ONE (1) playoff series in 11 years on the job (simply because Bobrovksy played like prime Patrick Roy) is not even close to the kind of results we're looking for here. In fact we already received those exact same kind of results from a previous GM, and his name was Garth Snow. And I'd argue Snow had to deal with worse ownership and less resources than Jarmo.





Just because the previous regime was utterly inept, that doesn't make Jarmo a good GM just because he was better.

We're trying to win a Stanley Cup over here, so we're not looking for a GM who is elite - Not someone who does "not the worst job."





Legit no one wants Chiarelli or Holland here, but unless we're somehow grading a curve, we don't want Jarmo either.




Jarmo's ceiling with the Blue Jackets (fringe playoff team/lose 1st round), is the reason why we're firing Lou. I fail to see why he would be any sort of tangible improvement, and thus a waste of time hire as we would ultimately need to replace him in 4-5 years.

I keep coming back to this...

If Jarmo was so valuable/desired why wasn't he offered/didn't he accept any position throughout the NHL since he was fired. Marc Bergevin was out of work 2 months when he was fired by the Canadiens. Would seem to be the way you make yourself most desirable is to always be employed (not to mention all the relationships you can build/foster specifically if you get another chance at President/GM), but it's been more than a year and Jarmo has no job.

I complete understand wanting a Gm that can build a contender and I’m not as familiar to how players around the league see NYI vs how Columbus is seen

One of the biggest hurdles of being a Gm in Columbus was that it was one of the least wanted citys to play in. Just for that reason attracting talent and keeping talent was really difficult. The rebuild in 2021 was basically started by Panarin wanting to be in New York and Jones wanting to play in a bigger market

If we are asking how much on that is on the Gm and how much just where he was and the history of Columbus at the time he had to be dealing with?

If we look at his recent rebuild he was able to trade Jones for a massive return and from 2021-2024 he managed to draft a core that you can build a contender around, good enough to win a Cup. I’d say given the land scape 3 years is a short amount of time for a complete rebuild. Steve Y has had 6 years and still fans are demanding to wait 2-3 years before results can be judged and how many years Anaheim/Chicago/Devils etc have taken to rebuild

Johnson- Fantilli- Marchenko
Werenski- Mateychuk

Is definitely a core you can start building around a contender. That’s potentially franchise C+ 2 # 1Dmen and 2 high end wingers

& we don’t know if Jarmo got any offers, but I do know that he’s wanted to work with hockey in Finland since getting fired and has worked around Liiga and team Finland& he’s a name to watch in this years hiring

Edit, with Horton signing if I remember a lot of had to do with the owners, they didn’t want to get it fully secured

 

[Konk]

Sorry to drop in but as a Finn I wanted to see what the reaction was for seeing Jarmo news

Few thoughts on Jarmo

+ He’s a fantastic trader from a bad spot. The Jones trade from Nashville to Columbus and from Columbus to Chicago.
Panarin/Saad trades

+ He knows how to draft, from the current roster Fantilli, Johnson, Marchenko, Voronkov, Mateychuk, Werenski, etc the new core they are building that’s from Jarmos drafting

- his big minus and why in the end he got fired. The coaching, he didn’t manage to get the right one in the last couple of years and it really held them down

But they went to playoffs 4x in a row and started rebuild 2021 and where already in the mix. So not the worst job in the end

I feel like for NYI type team a Gm who can draft and find gems from later rounds seems like a good bet

Chiarelli, Holland are names that I’d be scared to hear for any team, they are dinosaurus’ in todays league

I would agree he didn't necessarily do a terrible job, and there are positives to his tenure, but you didn't mention allowing Panarin and Bobrovsky to walk for nothing when they clearly weren't going to resign in Columbus. I think those were two bad moves and as Islander fans, that is a particularly glaring issue.

That, along with the boneheaded hiring of Mike Babcock stand out as very bad decisions.

 

[GM4Hire]

I would agree he didn't necessarily do a terrible job, and there are positives to his tenure, but you didn't mention allowing Panarin and Bobrovsky to walk for nothing when they clearly weren't going to resign in Columbus. I think those were two bad moves and as Islander fans, that is a particularly glaring issue.

That, along with the boneheaded hiring of Mike Babcock stand out as very bad decisions.

I know at the time , Kekäläinen was going for it and decided it might be their only chance due to Columbus not being a destination for FA’s. I’m not sure I would have done it , but he felt that might be the closest he could get this roster before he had to reshape it again with new blood. I am ok with him as GM or POHO.

A lot of times , GM’s get more credit or blame than deserved. They build the group , and this group ultimately is instrumental in his or her success. One poor hire like a head scout as an example could taint what might have been a great career with poor drafts.

I think a GM is mostly judged on the trades and signings and at the end of the day he or she was ultimately responsible and hopefully if it is their 2nd kick at the can they right the wrongs. Lou on the other hand had earlier success and couldn’t do anything different kind of the opposite.

 

[doublechili]

I say this with respect....But how do we/does anyone know that is wasn't the scouting department that identified/drafted most/all of those players?

No question Develano deserves tons of credit for idenfitying talent, but who was savvy enough to hire him? Torrey.

 

[scott99]

Develano deserves a lot of respect, and Saracino pushed for Mike Bossy at 15 in 1977. The selections of Potvin, Gillies, Trottier and Bossy were the stepping stones to the 4 year Dynasty.

I will say, the draft picks of 1979 to 1984, were the death of the dynasty. Great pick in 1983 getting Lafontaine, but that was a gift from the hockey gods (like this year). But the dynasty could’ve lasted 8-10 years, like 6 or 7 Cups in 10 years if they had drafted correctly.

1979, Took Duane Sutter over Michel Goulet. I loved Dog, but Goulet was a Hall of Famer. Same draft Took Billy Carroll over Mark Messier. Carroll was picked 38th Messier was pick 48. Even if they hadn’t taken Messier, they passed over Neal Broten and Dale Hunter, both 900+ point centers.

1980 Draft, was fine with our first 3 picks. But in the 4th round, took Monty Trottier, one pick later the Oilers drafted Jari Kurri.

That’s just the 1979 and 1980 drafts, could you imagine the dynasty Islanders adding Goulet, Messier & Kurri ? Geez.

 

[doublechili]

Great pick in 1983 getting Lafontaine, but that was a gift from the hockey gods (like this year).

And a gift from Emile Francis who took Sylvain Turgeon over Patty with the previous (2d?) pick. Then Patty was traded for his brother years later.