New York Islanders Hire Lou Lamoriello to Run Hockey Operations

Report: Islanders to Hire Lou Lamoriello

Lamoriello has a long and successful career running hockey teams, as he built the New Jersey Devils into a perennial contender that won three Stanley Cups. The 2009 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee served as the Devils general manager from 1987-2015. He handed his duties over to Ray Shero at the end of his tenure.

The Toronto Maple Leafs hired Lamoriello as general manager in 2015 and helped the team into the playoffs. Team president Brendan Shanahan did not renew Lamoriello’s contract at the end of the season. Assistant general manager Kyle Dubas replaced him in the role.

The Islanders will make the move official in the next few days. Garth Snow‘s tenure in charge of the Isles looks to be over after this move. Snow has been general manager since 2006.

What This Means for the Team’s Future

Lamoriello is one of the best drafters in recent history as he can find talent other teams overlook. He found hidden gems like Martin Brodeur and Patrik Elias after others passed on them. He’s someone that can rebuild and sustain a team.

The former high school math teacher is also a tough contract negotiator. Players that have won beaten Lamoriello in negotiations were traded away by him. He studied the game for years before getting into management and took parts from great teams in his approach.

The Islanders are in for some changes this off-season, but the major issue is re-signing John Tavares, who will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st. The playmaker is coveted by many teams and it would be a massive hit to lose him.

Main Photo: BUFFALO, NY – JUNE 25: Toronto Maple Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello attends the 2016 NHL Draft on June 25, 2016, in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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