Here's what Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello said after deciding to not make any trades at this year's deadline.
Here's what Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello said after deciding to not make any trades at this year's deadline.
The New York Islanders are on a five-game winning streak and had the opportunity to bolster their roster, albeit with limited cap space, before Friday's 3 PM NHL Trade Deadline.
However, general manager Lou Lamoriello stood pat and shared why when he met with the media on Friday afternoon.
"Our players and our team determine what would happen on a day like this. There's no question that I feel good about who we are, where we are, certainly at this point," Lamoriello said. "My intent was certainly not to dismantle in any way whatsoever. The next step is, can you get better? In my opinion, we didn't feel that we could've upgraded."
Lamoriello likes how the new-look lines have played under Roy and expects defenseman Robert Bortuzzo back soon.
"I like, certainly, what has transpired with our team under Patrick. I like the way our lines are right now," Lamoriello said. "And our defense will get Bortuzzo back in the next several days. I feel very comfortable in our goaltending, of course.
"We weren't interested in making a lateral move with the players that we have so that put us in a position to make the decision that we made with reference to staying exactly where we are."
The Islanders are currently two points behind both wild-card teams, the Tampa Bay Lightning (two games in hand) and the Detroit Red Wings, and four points behind the third-place Philadelphia Flyers with two games in hand.
The Lightning did upgrade. The Flyers bought and sold, and the Detroit Red Wings added a depth forward, but Lamoriello said it's a dangerous game when you are worrying about what other teams are doing.
"The only thing that one can do in this position is do everything they can to make their team better that is it making your own team better," Lamoriello said. "You don't look at what other people are doing. And you don't make a trade for the sake of making a trade. That's not in the vocabulary.
"When you have a lateral situation that you might consider, you will always lean towards the people that you know and who you have and the risks of what might happen. And you have to consider, and we certainly do, the chemistry of the team. That's extremely important. But to answer your question, there's no thoughts of what other people do."
Lamoriello had previously spoken about moving their 2024 first-round pick and reiterated that he would have moved it if he could get a player who could help now and in the future.
"It's always nice to have your first pick, but if our first pick would have done something for us, like it has done in the past, we would have done that," Lamoriello said. "It wasn't a question of, because we haven't had first pick all these years, that that decision was made. You make the decision that is best for today and tomorrow."
Lamoriello concluded by saying there were no contract extensions to announce at this time.