Last offseason, New York Islanders general manager (GM) Lou Lamoriello made two big moves early. He fired head coach Barry Trotz and replaced him with Lane Lambert while he made a big acquisition during the NHL Entry Draft, acquiring defenseman Alexander Romanov in exchange for the 13th-overall pick. Then, Lamoriello went quiet. He didn’t make a big signing or any move at all until late in the summer. Finally, he re-signed the restricted free agents (RFA) on the roster and extended Mathew Barzal for eight years only days before the season started.
Quiet offseasons aren’t a new thing for Lamoriello, one of the more reserved GMs in the game. In the 2021 offseason, he made a few moves, notably trading Nick Leddy before the 2021 Expansion Draft, but then waited until the end of the summer before making the rest of the team signings. Just days before the start of training camp, Lamoriello signed Zach Parise and Zdeno Chara, re-signed Kyle Palmieri, and also extended defensemen Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock for eight years.
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This offseason, things have been different. While Lamoriello didn’t provide his end-of-season media availability until June, he’s already been busy. He signed Hudson Fasching to a two-year contract, gave Matthew Maggio an entry-level contract, and re-signed RFA defenseman, Samuel Bolduc, to a two-year deal. The more active offseason could imply that Lamoriello will be busier moving forward and possibly make a big move in the coming weeks. Likewise, the recent moves could be an outlier for a GM that otherwise is quiet and avoids making big acquisitions. So, what do the moves thus far imply?
Islanders Have a Busy Offseason Ahead
Lamoriello has a lot on his plate this summer. There are multiple unrestricted free agents (UFA) and still a few key RFAs that the Islanders hope to re-sign. Typically, Lamoriello might have only a handful of things he needs to take care of but this year, he has a lot to get done. So, some of the minor moves had to happen early. The Fasching and Bolduc deals were necessary to have out of the way with the Islanders hoping to also retain their veteran free agents.
In the past two offseasons, Lamoriello has only had one or two moves on his agenda. As a result, he can and will wait until the end of the offseason to address the team’s needs. Last year, many hoped the Islanders would make a splash and possibly sign Johnny Gaudreau but Lamoriello never had that on his radar and instead, only needed to sign Noah Dobson and Romanov to three-year deals and extend Barzal, which he did. This year, there are too many issues for him to have similar patience.
With this in mind, it looks like Lamoriello will continue to wrap up the offseason moves, notably trying to re-sign the UFAs but then he’ll wait until the end of the summer to get everything under wraps. However, the early moves could be the start of not only a busy offseason but a surprising one as well.
Lamoriello is Clearing The Way For a Big Move
It’s unlikely that Lamoriello is looking to make a big trade, but he could be on the lookout for a big move this offseason. He prioritized re-signing the players on the roster, but still has room to make a splash that could put the Islanders over the top.
The earlier the Islanders get their in-house signing done, the more likely a big deal is in store. Last year, the Calgary Flames were busy all offseason and had to not only deal with the fallout of losing Gaudreau in free agency but trade star forward Matthew Tkachuk, who wanted out of the organization. After the storm cleared, they realized they could make a deal to acquire Nazem Kadri and they signed the star center to a seven-year deal late in the summer. Similarly, if Lamoriello makes all his moves early, he can find a way to make a big trade before training camp begins.
Lamoriello will keep an eye out for elite forwards, especially versatile skaters on the wing that can upgrade the top six. Throughout the season the Islanders lacked a versatile forward that could both create scoring chances and find the back of the net, and it ultimately cost them in the first round as they lost the series to the Carolina Hurricanes. William Nylander is the player to watch as he is one of the best forwards that could be traded, but the Islanders can also look to land Kevin Hayes, Nikolaj Ehlers, or Adam Henrique in a trade. If the right offer is available late in the summer, Lamoriello will take advantage.
When it comes to big moves, Lamoriello typically avoids them and often cites how a big deal can set the team back long-term. However, if a favorable offer is on the table, he’ll make a trade, regardless of the timing. At the All-Star Break this season, he saw an opportunity to acquire Bo Horvat and he made the first big trade of the season. During the 2020 NHL Trade Deadline, he knew he could acquire Jean-Gabriel Pageau at a favorable price and he added a cornerstone of the roster. While he isn’t known for making big moves, the recent activity could be a sign that one is in the works.
The Recent Activity Doesn’t Change Much For Lamoriello
Sure, Lamoriello has been more active, with multiple signings under his belt ahead of the draft, but this can be seen as an outlier for a GM who is otherwise patient. Instead of starting a new trend or signaling change, these moves can ultimately be a rarity and the next wave of signings will come right before training camp begins. Similarly, an extension for Ilya Sorokin, which is expected to happen this offseason, can come days before the season begins.
The few signings, while unusual considering they are early, are minor ones. Fasching and Bolduc are depth players while Maggio is one of the prospects, albeit one of the more promising forward prospects on the Islanders. The significant moves, meanwhile, will happen late in the summer.
What The Islanders Still Must Get Done
Bolduc was an RFA and the 22-year-old defenseman received a two-year deal. The Islanders still have to address their other notable RFA, 23-year-old forward Oliver Wahlstrom. The type of deal he receives will be interesting since it will likely be a short-term one, but also one that allows the Islanders to have enough salary cap space to have the rest of the big signings done.
Then there’s the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, which is fast approaching. It’s not only significant for the Islanders because of the prospects they might add but the direction they choose to take as well. With the Islanders looking to win now, it would be no surprise if Lamoriello trades the second-round selection as part of a blockbuster deal to acquire an NHL-ready player. He acquired Romanov last year during the draft, valuing a starting-caliber player over a prospect, and could do the same with a veteran-heavy team looking to win the Cup this year.
The biggest priority for Lamoriello is re-signing the four UFAs. Between Pierre Engvall, Scott Mayfield, Zach Parise, and Semyon Varlamov, the Islanders must decide which players they can keep and fit under the salary cap. Ideally, Lamoriello finds a way to keep all four on the roster for next season, but in all likelihood he will only be able to keep two or three players, forcing the others to test the market.
If the Islanders manage to get all the in-house things out of the way, then they might have room to make a blockbuster deal. For now, Lamoriello’s activity has been a surprise but not something with many implications.
