Lou Lamoriello has established himself as a quiet general manager (GM). He rarely speaks, doesn’t trade much, and seldom makes a splash in free agency. When he does make a deal, it usually has massive ramifications.
Since he was hired by the New York Islanders, he’s made many good trades and a handful of bad ones. Since this article is long enough, here we go.
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It should be noted that a few minor trades that didn’t amount to much are not graded. The Braydon Coburn trade, the Dmytro Timashov acquisition, and the recent Josh Bailey trade had little to no impact on the Islanders or the other teams involved, so those trades didn’t receive a grade. The other nine trades, however, played a significant role in shaping the team into a contender and the team they will look like in the coming years.
Andy Greene Acquired From Devils (2/16/2020) – C+
This deal was a great one in the short term. Andy Greene was a veteran defenseman brought in at the 2020 trade deadline to round out the unit for a playoff run. He did just that for two seasons, playing on the third pairing to help the Islanders reach the Stanley Cup Semifinal in 2020 and 2021. Greene never opened up the offense and played a minimal role, averaging only 17:35 ice time in three seasons with the team, but his play in the defensive zone gave the team one of the league’s best defensive units.
Then things soured. As Greene aged, he declined and failed to play at a high level. In 2021-22, his final season with the team, the 39-year-old was a liability on a team that failed to make the playoffs. What made the deal look worse was what Lamoriello gave up to get him, sending the New Jersey Devils a second-round draft pick. The trade allowed the Islanders to make a push for the Cup two years in a row but ultimately aged poorly.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau Acquired From Senators (2/24/20) – A
Arguably the best trade in Lamoriello’s tenure, the Islanders added a much-needed depth center who became a core part of the roster for years to come. Jean-Gabriel Pageau was traded from the Ottawa Senators for a first and second-round selection in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, but the price was worth it.
After the trade, Pageau signed a six-year deal and established himself as a core part of a contending roster. He’s scored 47 goals and 62 assists in four seasons with the club. Centering the third line, he’s made his mark as one of the team’s best defensive forwards. He reached another level in the playoffs, especially in 2020 and 2021, scoring 11 goals and 13 assists in 41 games. Pageau wasn’t an elite center, but he played a pivotal role in the forward unit and helped the Islanders go deep into the playoffs.
Devon Toews Traded to the Avalanche (10/12/20) – F
This trade was far and beyond the worst of Lamoriello’s tenure that it skipped a letter and was given an F grade. Trading Devon Toews has been the most costly move Lamoriello has made and one that still haunts the team to this day. In his defense, the Islanders were pressed against the salary cap in the 2020 offseason and needed the space to re-sign Mathew Barzal. However, there were alternative paths, and trading Toews not only backfired but it set the Islanders back.
Toews became a star with the Colorado Avalanche, immediately making his mark as one of the league’s best two-way defensemen. In three seasons with the team, he’s scored 29 goals and 109 assists while contributing 18.3 defensive point shares and 310 blocked shots. He’s emerged as a top-pairing defenseman alongside Cale Makar, one of the best young skaters in the game, and helped the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 2022.
The Islanders meanwhile saw a dropoff in defense after his departure, especially without his two-way presence. In 2021-22, the unit was slow and unable to open up the offense from the point, and Toews would have provided that stability. To make the trade worse, the Islanders received second-round draft picks in return, but because the Avalanche were one of the best teams in the NHL, the picks ended up being late in the round. While Lamoriello managed to draft Aatu Raty with one of the picks, the return was ultimately underwhelming for an elite two-way defenseman.
Kyle Palmieri & Travis Zajac Are Acquired From Devils (4/7/21) – B
This trade was a mixed bag trade but ultimately worked out for the Islanders. Lamoriello acquired both Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac from the Devils in exchange for a 2021 first-round pick. Zajac struggled in his tenure with the team, scoring only one goal and one assist in 13 regular-season games and only one goal and one assist in 14 playoff games. Palmieri, however, caught fire in the playoffs, scoring seven goals and two assists, and after signing a six-year deal in the offseason, became an integral part of the forward unit.
Palmieri has been one of the Islanders’ best scorers on the wing in the last two seasons, scoring 33 goals and 37 assists. He adds a much-needed shooting presence to the top six and, at 30 years old, he’s still playing at a high level. Considering he still has four years left on his contract, there’s still time for this trade to both improve or worsen, but looking back, Lamoriello received a valuable player at the 2021 trade deadline who became more than a rental.
Nick Leddy Traded to the Red Wings (7/16/21) – B-
In an ideal world, the Nick Leddy trade would have happened instead of the Toews deal. Both trades were made to open up cap space and add late-round draft selections. However, Leddy was moved to the Detroit Red Wings in the 2021 offseason, a year after Toews was traded to the Avalanche.
The deal in the end worked out for the Islanders, notably because Leddy never took off with the Red Wings or even the St. Louis Blues, the team that acquired him at the 2022 deadline, but the immediate aftermath stung. Like the Toews trade, Leddy’s absence left the Islanders with a slower defense that couldn’t handle the puck. These trades forced Lamoriello to replace two young, great skaters from the blue line with Greene and Zdeno Chara, two older defensemen who failed to keep up with the fast-paced opponents.
Andrew Ladd Traded to the Coyotes (7/17/21) – C
At the time, this was a great trade as Lamoriello sent Andrew Ladd to the Arizona Coyotes, a team willing to take on his contract. The deal opened up cap space, but the catch was that the Islanders had to send a 2022 second-round draft pick to the Coyotes as part of the trade. When the team missed the playoffs and the pick ended up in the middle of the second round, the Ladd trade suddenly didn’t look that great (the Islanders could have used that pick).
Alexander Romanov Acquired From Canadiens (7/7/22) – A
Acquiring Alexander Romanov from the Montreal Canadiens was not only great for the Islanders but one of the biggest win-win-win trades in recent years. On the first night of the 2022 NHL Draft, the Islanders moved the 13th overall selection to the Canadiens for the young defenseman. The Canadiens then sent the pick to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Kirby Dach. The Blackhawks then used the pick to select Frank Nazar, who is one of the best prospects in the team’s farm system.
Every team benefitted from the trade, but the Islanders, in particular, added a great skating defenseman who could also deliver a hard hit when needed. In Romanov’s first season with the team, he contributed 4.3 defensive point shares, 129 blocked shots, and 198 hits, which helped turn the defense into one of the best in the league. While he struggled at the point, scoring only two goals and 20 assists, he stepped up in the neutral and defensive zones to help the Islanders to return to the playoffs. At 23 years old, Romanov not only rounds out the unit but will remain an integral part of the defense for years to come.
Bo Horvat Acquired In Blockbuster With Canucks (1/30/23) – B+
There’s still a lot of time, eight years to be exact, to see how the Bo Horvat trade shapes up. However, it’s safe to say that this blockbuster deal with the Vancouver Canucks has helped the Islanders and set them up for long-term success.
The trade allowed the Islanders to acquire a top-line center in exchange for Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty, and their 2023 first-round pick. Horvat struggled offensively, scoring only seven goals and nine assists in 30 regular-season games, but the Islanders wouldn’t have made the playoffs without him in the lineup. He played a big role defensively and helped improve the roster as a whole. His presence also helped the team secure a wild-card spot int he playoffs.
The next few years will determine if Lamoriello landed a star or not. Horvat has proven that he can be an elite scorer, especially if he has a playmaker on his line. The expectation is that he will put together a strong season and help the Islanders contend for the Cup, which would make this one of Lamoriello’s best trades as GM. Until then, the deal looks like a good but not great one for the Islanders.
Pierre Engvall Acquired From Maple Leafs (2/28/23) – B+
After making a splash, acquiring Horvat during the All-Star Break, Lamoriello made a minor move at the 2023 deadline. He acquired Pierre Engvall from the Toronto Maple Leafs to add depth to the forward unit. Engvall did that and then some.
In only 18 games, he scored five goals and four assists, establishing himself as a top-six forward. His skills in the offensive zone allowed him to form a strong connection with Palmieri, and the two skaters played a key role in the Islanders’ push for the playoffs. On top of that, Engvall stepped up in the First Round, scoring one goal and an assist as the rest of the offense struggled against the Carolina Hurricanes, who defeated the Islanders in six games.
After only 24 games, a small sample size but convincing enough, Lamoreillo signed Engvall to a seven-year deal this offseason, making him a key part of the offense for years to come. The Islanders made a low-risk move by acquiring him, and it has already paid off and looks poised to benefit the team in the next few seasons as well.
How Has Lamoriello Done In the Trade Market Overall?
There have been some bad and even disastrous trades. However, for the most part, Lamoriello has done well. He has not only added starting-caliber players but also those who have become a core part of the roster for years to come. He isn’t active in the trade market and won’t overpay for a player, but when the right offer is on the table, he’ll take advantage.
Lamoriello’s track record makes him a frustrating GM but one that has set the team up for success. The Islanders weren’t a contender when he arrived, and he’s made them competitive every season, missing the playoffs only once in the past five seasons. The team’s recent success can be attributed in large part to Lamoriello’s ability to make beneficial deals.
