Islanders Season Finale Mailbag: Now What?

The New York Islanders season came to an end Friday night. This veteran group, which general manager Lou Lamoriello kept together after a hectic, failed 2021-22 campaign, had the opportunity to get past the Carolina Hurricanes but lost more due to what they didn't do than what the Canes did.

Now what?

Let's get to your questions and comments in the season-finale Islanders Mailbag: 

Who is the GM next year? (@EthanGSN)

That's a great question. I do think Lou Lamoriello will be back. But I think it might be a wise move -- if he is back -- for him to become president of hockey operations and bring in someone as the general manager. A situation as we saw in Colorado, where Joe Sakic moved up while assistant general manager Chris MacFarland was promoted to the GM spot. That person cannot be Chris Lamoriello, the current GM in Bridgeport, if the organization does want change. 

If it's not Lamoriello at the helm, they need to bring in someone fresh, someone who understands today's game. Could we see Brad Treliving? Or what about Kevin Weekes, who is itching for an upper-management role?

My biggest question is, is it time to enter a full "Rangers/Bruins-like" rebuild? Of course, that means we would need to get rid of a lot of the loved players for picks and whatnot if we're going to commit to the rebuild. (@ScottsScoop44)

Rebuilding on the fly, as the New York Rangers did, worked because they did have top picks in the NHL Draft -- something that the Islanders do not have. With the eight-year extensions to Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat kicking in next season, I don't see how this team can enter a rebuild. A retool seems like the only option. But that's not to say certain veteran pieces shouldn't be moved out, and I think playing youth over spending money may go a long way for this group. And yes, they have youth. 

This core is finished. Break up the roster. This was as far as this group could go. Not sure what value they can get for anyone before the draft, so it's looking like another long, painful rebuild. (@HADbroadcast)

We need to get the word rebuild out of your heads. You look at this roster. As mentioned, Barzal and Horvat are in their prime and are locked up for the next eight years. Ilya Sorokin has one year left and ruins any chance of a rebuild. Veteran defensemen Adam Pelech (UFA after 2029-30) and Ryan Pulock (2028-29) are here for a while. That's not to say other veterans, like Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Josh Bailey, Cal Clutterbuck, and a few others, couldn't be out the door, but a rebuild is not happening. 

The third-period last night and what changes need to be made heading into next year… (@TTaubes)

The Islanders' lack of that big-game player, that superstar that seemingly every other team in the NHL, is why they had to sit back in the third period with a one-goal lead.

There was no superstar that could get the job done in the first and second when there were chances galore to get that all-important second goal. The Islanders have game-changers but still lack that elite ability, which is hard to find in free agency or trade. Those are the players that get drafted in the top few picks. 

Who do you think played their last game as an Islander? (@CVancheri)

Just going with my gut, I don't think Pierre Engvall comes back. I don't think we will see Josh Bailey return unless he is fine with being an extra for the rest of his career. I think that's it for Scott Mayfield and Semyon Varlamov. 

Is this really it for Zach Parise? (@jgrasso1219)

I don't think so. Yes, he's about to turn 39 but look at the season he just had. He scored 21 goals. I think Friday night, after the loss, we saw a player grasping that he may not get another shot at a Stanley Cup, something he has never won. 

I do think it will be an Andy Green situation, where it's Islanders or retirement. I do know that his family didn't come from Minnesota to Long Island with him, and I do think that's a critical component of him continuing his career.  

Can't bring back same group , changes in coaching/approach has to change especially on PP ! Just think if we had a team that actually was middle of league averages on PP , they would have moved on past first round! They heavily rely on Sorokin to save them every game. (@jeffmastro362)

If the Islanders had a respectful power play, they still may have finished in the top wild-card spot. However, their season would not have come down to Game 82. 

One would also think that they may have advanced past the first round, as their power play likely would not have gone 1-for-18, despite how good the Hurricanes' penalty kill had been. 

Can Hudson Fasching become part of the Isles next Identity Line? (@freelancehack)

The question is, will the Islanders have an identity line next season? If you look around the league, you are no longer seeing fourth lines built this way anymore. That's not to say that those kinds of players aren't useful, because they are. But the NHL is different now, with more youth and speed and skill up and down lineups. 

That being said, I think Hudson Fasching worked incredibly well with Casey Cizikas, so I think those two should certainly be a duo for next season. 

Lane Lambert is a nice guy, but he needs to be replaced. They were undisciplined all year, they played badly against weaker competition all year, they had too many lethargic games. He has to be replaced. They have enough talent with the right coach to compete (@365SevenNYJets).

Do they have enough talent? 

Yes, Lane Lambert made rookie mistakes as a head coach. They didn't seem prepared for critical moments. They played down to their opponents and did take penalties that a veteran group should not take. But at what point do we have to look at the players?

Lambert had no impact on their inability to score goals through the first two periods when there were a handful of opportunities by players who know how to score.

And is competing enough? The Islanders did compete this year and made the playoffs, but their end goal, internally, was a Stanley Cup. They are still a few players away from that being a true goal, from an outside perspective. 

Love this team all these guys work their asses off, but I flip over to the Devils, and I see speed and youth we don't have. (@jimkellyny)

Well, the New Jersey Devils went four years without making the playoffs, qualifying for postseason hockey just twice over the last 11 years after their Stanley Cup Finals loss in 2012. Over that time, they have landed two top-two picks, drafting now captain Nico Hischier and superstar Jack Hughes. They have a ton of young talent, but also veterans like Dougie Hamilton and Ondrej Palat, and may now have found something in Akira Schmid.

They have raw speed which -- as we saw in their series with the New York Rangers and saw first-hand against the Islanders early in the season -- is incredibly dangerous. 

The Islanders are far off from becoming the Devils, who are going to wreak havoc in the Metropolitan Divison for a long time. 

Significant changes are needed. I would move Lee and pay the price to move Bailey. If they don't think Dobson will improve his defensive play and intensity, then sell high on him. (@CFCBhoy1967)

Anders Lee is the captain of the New York Islanders and is not going anywhere unless he wanted to leave. He has three years remaining on his contract. Josh Bailey, who is entering the final year of his contract, likely needs a pick attached in a deal for any team to take on his $5 million cap hit. The Islanders could buy him out, meaning they would pay Bailey for two years at a $2.33 M cap hit, saving $1.677 M. In today's world, that's a lot. 

As for Noah Dobson, he's 23 years old. They aren't going to bail on him yet, but this is what Lamoriello said this past summer after signing Dobson to a bridge deal:

"He has to continue to grow the way he did this year. So we certainly would love to sign any player as long as we can, for the right cap hit, the right price and I think we have to see a little more from Noah to make that long-term decision.”

We need Engvall and Fasching next year. Also, ppl keep shitting on Lane, but I may be an outlier, but I don't dislike his coaching this year with what he dealt w in terms of injuries. (@MichaelCuneo17) 

Pierre Engvall provides secondary speed to a team that severely lacks it. He, like Bo Horvat, saved the Islanders' season given how he woke up a napping Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri. That line showed well in the playoffs. Engvall's expiring contract carries a cap hit of $2.25 M, so he will be looking for $3 M plus on his next deal. 

As for Hudson Fasching, he told The Hockey News that he is 100 percent interested in returning. He's on league minimum and could get $1 M or more for his play, which he would deserve. There's no reason he shouldn't be back. 

As for Lane Lambert, he dealt with a lot in his rookie season as a head coach, navigating through major injuries to major players. He made his mistakes for sure, but I would think he does come back. 

What direction does the roster construction go next year? (@Johnmlb3)

I saved this one for last because I think it's the most important decision that needs to be made this off-season. 

You look at the rest of the NHL, especially the Metropolitan Division. The teams that are on the rise or the ones that competed this year, all had speed and skill. 

The Islanders were one of the few teams in the division, that was not built that way, and sure that grinding style helps in the postseason, but it also leads to shortcomings. 

Is it time to move on from the physical grinding style that this group has played since Barry Trotz arrived in 2018? We saw a shift in the thinking this past summer when the Islanders traded for Alexander Romanov, a physical yet mobile defenseman. We saw a change with the trade for Pierre Engvall, who became the fastest Islander with Barzal out. 

Do we see fewer veterans brought back and more young players with potential? 

Are veteran players traded at the NHL Draft, so that the Islanders can add key pieces to a struggling prospect pool?

It's time for the Islanders to get younger, see what they have in their prospect pool, and evaluate who in the organization can help the club now and over the next few years. 

I've talked about it often, that a rebuild is not happening. But those moves above are how you retool -- even if that means the 2023-24 season doesn't go as planned.