- Feb 11, 2013
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That's my concern with him, he was unwilling to force changes.
New York Islanders: Lamoriello Contract Not Renewed; John Collins Searching for Next GM
- Thread starter PK Cronin
- Start date
That's my concern with him, he was unwilling to force changes.
This is probably the best case scenario out of the available options.
Marner’s only incentive to agree to a sign and trade would be for the 8th year but I don’t see him agreeing to “play nice” with the Leafs at this point.
That 8th year could be huge. The Colorado pick would be a small price to pay to guarantee us a signing like Marner, especially when you factor in the flexibility it would give us going into the draft
periferal
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- Jul 5, 2007
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Well you're taking this totally out of context given what the other poster was saying, but...Yeah - I'd love a core of elite players. Don't care if they're "drafted high" (it's just usually where they go).
However to have elite players without grit, toughness, character, or leadership is when you wind up with the Toronto Maple Chokes...And why their very talented roster has had significnatly less success than a less-talented Isles roster over the past 5 years.
Sorry if I missed it. Send me the link or quote.
Tahoeblue
Registered User
I just want the best management team in place for the Isles. Someone or a team execs with experience who can revamp the front office, the AHL team, scouting, and analytics. I know there are varying opinions of even having a POHO, president, GM, and assistant gm's etc. Lou had too much power for sure.
Maybe Shanahan would be a good fit. I am old school and I still have a hard time with him when years ago he was traded to Hartford for Chris Pronger and sulked. He later requested a trade from the Whale. Bottom line is this team needs to make an announcement soon.
Maybe Shanahan would be a good fit. I am old school and I still have a hard time with him when years ago he was traded to Hartford for Chris Pronger and sulked. He later requested a trade from the Whale. Bottom line is this team needs to make an announcement soon.
Throttle
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- Sep 22, 2020
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Shanny and Dubas rode the gravy train of the core of four. They were regular season darlings, wore fancy clothes, didn’t shave facial hair.
In the end, neither wanted to rock the boat with making a statement trade that was too risky for their careers. So, it never happened.
TXNYI
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- Dec 30, 2005
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Certainly hoping so, but after all the ups and downs so far in this last month I probably wouldn't be surprised at this point to see them announce Shanahan as Prez....and then announce that they are going to restart the entire interview process from scratch so that he can hire his choice of GM.....
periferal
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Sorry man....I'm an intense dude. I rarely take it easy. I'm sure this isn't news to you. Unlike some Isles fans who just generally enjoy hockey and an Isles win or loss doesn't affect them, it does me. Couldn't tell you why, but after decades of being a fan I'm expecting the passion to be around as long as I live...And you're going to feel it in my posts.
As for this President/GM situation...I'm honestly not that passionate about Darche - I'm just very "unpassionate" about every other person I've heard associated with that role. So I'm more like, "Just keep Jarmo or Bergevin away from the Isles at any cost!" more than I am, "We must have Darche over anyone else!"
We've all seen this franchise literallty waste years under ownership and management people that were anywhere from bad to horrible inept. If you look back from about 1994 though when Malkin arrived there was literally ZERO HOPE of the Isles winning a Cup. Sure these boards were alive during those 20+ years with trade and free agent discussion, but if we're being honest it all meant nothing. The Isles were never going to win anything.
As a result, I think who your owner and President/GM are means EVERYTHING. I legit think too many fans don't think about this and are just happy the Isles went from embarrassing/lackluster to a Cup contender in a few years...And don't making the connection or even consider the reason is because we went from Wang to Malkin.
Well I am keenly aware of it, and part of the reason I'm so passionate about Malkin/Collins getting this next hire right is because we're going to have this GM and/or President for at least the next 4-5 years, and I'm tired of wasting time and want to see this team really build into a contender. There's an unbelevable opportunity to get this right and have us all very happy in the next few years.
But if you go an hire someone like Bergevin (or Jarmo), then if you are a "Cup or bust" fan like I am, then you are doing no better than those years under Maloney, Snow, Milbury.
This is why I'm passionate. It's "Emperor's New Clothes" obvious to me that Jarmo or Bergevin are not the answer. Darche might also totally fall flat on his face, but right now he's a mystery. Jarmo or Bergevin are known failures, and I don't want us to be in a position where we have to *hope* that they've all of a sudden morphed into Cup caliber GMs. One of them hasn't worked in over a year since he was hired from one of the worst franchises in the NHL, and the other just got passed over when the team he "advised" for didn't even want him. The rest of the NHL is telling you what they think about those two and none of us should ignore that.
I'd love it if Malkin/Collins would interview another 5-10 top candidates so we'd have more to choose from. However by all reports that next GM is going to be Jarmo, Bergevin, or Darche. And taking everything into account that's not even a decision. Give me the mystery candidate over the two DOA ones.
Chris Johnston said it very well in his article yesterday - They aren't enough good/quality front office people in the NHL. Malkin/Collins are probably doing the best interviewing the "top" candidates that are available. I'm sure they'd want to interview more, but the other teams don't have to grant permission and I'm sure most good GMs don't want to leave their current position.
So here we are...It's not the greatest situation. Just have to make the best of it. And just speaking for me (but with other NHL teams giving us clues), hiring Jarmo or Bergevin would NOT be making the best of it. And I really don't want us to go back to a time where we think there might be hope of the Isles winning a Cup, but really there isn't.
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periferal
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I hear you, but in fairness how can any reporter anywhere report something as gospel if it hasn't officially happened yet?
Mr Misunderstood
Loser Point User
Fair. My aversion is more angry at sports reporting in general. We don't NEED to have feelings and speculations from reporters 24/7.
SRBisles
Registered User
To be fair, he was unwilling to move on from truly elite players, which I don’t agree with but can understand. It’s different from our situation where Lamoriello desperately clung to guys who really weren’t that great in the first place.
- Feb 11, 2013
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I don't know what input he had over personnel decisions for the roster, but he seemed unwilling to provide the necessary culture changes. He brought in Lamoriello, then replaced him with Dubas, and Dubas had to bring up Keefe, and none of it worked. With Treliving and Berube in the fold they seem to be in a much better position and are shifting the way that team is constructed/playing. It seems like it was too little, too late though and someone with his experience as a player should've known what that team was missing.
For all the shit Lamoriello gets for his "rules" there is a purpose to them and it does help set the tone for the culture. Toronto was really lacking that after Lamoriello was replaced and the inmates seemed to be running the show there.
The fact that he's Julien Brisebois's assistant could be a good thing. Brisebois is one of the best GMs in my opinion. So if Darche is a good student, he might become a good GM himself. If there's no better option, I'm more than willing to take a chance on Darche.
Throttle
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- Sep 22, 2020
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Yet, as a team, the Isles went further than elite player-based maple leafs.
while less talented, the Islanders were a better constructed team, no matter how much we bitched about it.
impaaaaaact
Registered User
So am I, and that makes sense. Bergevin was a student of Stan Bowman and was his AGM during the cup years. It may or may not work out for Darche
So while I'd prefer trying the new guy, by no means do I think it's this ultimate slam dunk hire that has a 98% chance to be more effective than Kekelainen or Bergevin. His perceived value comes from a lack of information, not anything that we know.
periferal
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It's all a big puzzle of which we don't have enough information, but feels like Ken Holland was Collins' first choice for President/GM. They went aggressively after him while putting any other candidates to the side. That would explain why a good deal of time went by after Lou was fired and reportedly the Isles still hadn't interviewed anyone (other than Holland).
And once Holland was off the market, things seems to really cool/slow....Until the past few days. There's something about the vibe around this Shanahan situation that makes me feel like once Holland was gone, this is who Collins shifted his focus to, but had to wait until the Leafs were eliminated.
Over the past two or so weeks the Isles obviously had to interview candidates because Shanahan would only be President, but feels like they slowplayed it because they probably wanted his opinion on who he'd want the GM to be.
And keep in mind that Collins knows Shanahan very well as they both worked in the NHL front offices together.
Anyway, add it all up and feels like if Shanahan is willing to come here, and Malkin is willing to pay his big salary, then he's going to be the next team President.
And once Holland was off the market, things seems to really cool/slow....Until the past few days. There's something about the vibe around this Shanahan situation that makes me feel like once Holland was gone, this is who Collins shifted his focus to, but had to wait until the Leafs were eliminated.
Over the past two or so weeks the Isles obviously had to interview candidates because Shanahan would only be President, but feels like they slowplayed it because they probably wanted his opinion on who he'd want the GM to be.
And keep in mind that Collins knows Shanahan very well as they both worked in the NHL front offices together.
Anyway, add it all up and feels like if Shanahan is willing to come here, and Malkin is willing to pay his big salary, then he's going to be the next team President.
Islanders4Cups
Registered User
After much consideration I would grab Brendan Shanahan as Islanders President if he wants it.
We need experience in that role and he checks all the boxes to build this organization.
We need experience in that role and he checks all the boxes to build this organization.
periferal
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I asked ChatGPT who the Isles next hire would be, and he/she/it replied...
Mathieu Darche is the most logical, modern, and forward-leaning choice for the Islanders' next GM. Unless something unexpected happens in negotiations or someone comes out of left field, I believe he will be hired—likely paired with a more established President of Hockey Ops (possibly Shanahan or someone similar) to support his transition.
Let me know if you want a comparison chart or mock org structure for how things could shake out.
Prediction: Mathieu Darche
Why I Think He’s the Pick:
1. Darche has had multiple interviews with the Islanders. In searches like this, that alone puts you in the top tier. If the job were going to someone like Jarmo Kekäläinen or Marc Bergevin, it likely would’ve been announced by now. Darche’s continued involvement signals strong interest from both sides.
2. Darche is part of the new wave of GMs: smart, collaborative, analytics-aware, and player-friendly. His experience in Tampa—arguably the NHL’s gold standard for sustainable success—makes him attractive to an Islanders team that needs to modernize without blowing everything up.
3. Marc Bergevin has experience, sure—but his time in Montreal was turbulent. He had locker room issues, made polarizing trades, and his old-school style could feel too close to the Lamoriello era the Islanders just ended. Bergevin feels more like a safety net if Darche doesn’t commit.
4. With the #1 overall pick coming and a likely pivot toward retooling or rebuilding, the Isles need a GM with the vision and patience to build a multi-year plan. That’s not Bergevin’s strength—he’s more of a “win-now” builder. Darche, by contrast, is well-suited to lead a draft-and-develop approach, which will be critical going forward.
5. Darche brings no baggage, communicates well, and isn’t seen as polarizing in league circles. That matters in a franchise like the Islanders—small market by hockey standards, media-shy ownership, and a fanbase that’s exhausted from inconsistency.
Bottom Line:
Mathieu Darche is the most logical, modern, and forward-leaning choice for the Islanders' next GM. Unless something unexpected happens in negotiations or someone comes out of left field, I believe he will be hired—likely paired with a more established President of Hockey Ops (possibly Shanahan or someone similar) to support his transition.
Let me know if you want a comparison chart or mock org structure for how things could shake out.
impaaaaaact
Registered User
Islanders4Cups
Registered User
After much consideration I would grab Brendan Shanahan as Islanders President if he wants it.
We need experience in that role and he checks all the boxes to build this organization.
We need experience in that role and he checks all the boxes to build this organization.
impaaaaaact
Registered User
Very interesting PerifI asked ChatGPT who the Isles next hire would be, and he/she/it replied...
1. Darche has had multiple interviews with the Islanders. In searches like this, that alone puts you in the top tier. If the job were going to someone like Jarmo Kekäläinen or Marc Bergevin, it likely would’ve been announced by now. Darche’s continued involvement signals strong interest from both sides.
2. Darche is part of the new wave of GMs: smart, collaborative, analytics-aware, and player-friendly. His experience in Tampa—arguably the NHL’s gold standard for sustainable success—makes him attractive to an Islanders team that needs to modernize without blowing everything up.
3. Marc Bergevin has experience, sure—but his time in Montreal was turbulent. He had locker room issues, made polarizing trades, and his old-school style could feel too close to the Lamoriello era the Islanders just ended. Bergevin feels more like a safety net if Darche doesn’t commit.
4. With the #1 overall pick coming and a likely pivot toward retooling or rebuilding, the Isles need a GM with the vision and patience to build a multi-year plan. That’s not Bergevin’s strength—he’s more of a “win-now” builder. Darche, by contrast, is well-suited to lead a draft-and-develop approach, which will be critical going forward.
5. Darche brings no baggage, communicates well, and isn’t seen as polarizing in league circles. That matters in a franchise like the Islanders—small market by hockey standards, media-shy ownership, and a fanbase that’s exhausted from inconsistency.
Bottom Line:
Mathieu Darche is the most logical, modern, and forward-leaning choice for the Islanders' next GM. Unless something unexpected happens in negotiations or someone comes out of left field, I believe he will be hired—likely paired with a more established President of Hockey Ops (possibly Shanahan or someone similar) to support his transition.
Let me know if you want a comparison chart or mock org structure for how things could shake out.
SRBisles
Registered User
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