Lou Lamoriello’s departure and the New York Islanders’ win at the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery mark a pivotal moment for the franchise, ushering in a new era and direction.
With fresh leadership poised to take over the hockey operations department and a top prospect on the way, the team has an opportunity to redefine its identity.
This excitement is understandable, but the real work is just beginning, making it crucial that the Islanders deviate from some of their past approaches.
At his post-2025 trade deadline presser, Lamoriello explained his rationale behind keeping certain players.
“If we could have gotten younger and better, other than draft picks, we would have done it without question.”
“But we felt that where a few of our players are -- when I say a few, several players -- that we could have made moves with, they would be better done at a different time, where what we need to sort of infuse in the lineup, those players would be available.”
This rationale made sense, as the team was still in the playoff race and only moved Brock Nelson due to the valuable return involving a first-round pick and Calum Ritchie.
Even now, the Islanders have Mathew Barzal, Bo Horvat, and Ilya Sorokin under long-term contracts, meaning a full-scale teardown and rebuild is unlikely.
While some fans may wish Lamoriello had pulled the trigger on some of the offers he received – even for draft capital instead of players – he didn’t, and with a new leader set to take over soon, the team must shift attention to the offseason.
Now with the first overall pick, it is incredibly important that the Islanders do not automatically turn away offers involving draft picks for the simple reason that draft capital optimizes flexibility.
Every team values draft capital, whether they are a rebuilder looking to stock their prospect pool or a contender bringing in an asset to flip.
So, adding draft capital simply allows the Islanders to trade with more teams.
If the Islanders were to trade Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Anders Lee, Adam Pelech or another player with an expensive contract, there would only be so many suitors, and the fit would need to be perfect to garner a fair return.
The Islanders & Their No-Trade Clauses
At the 2025 Trade Deadline, New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello stated changes will be made this offseason as the team looks to get younger.
But if they enter these discussions focused on maximizing value and limiting the money returned, they could flip the acquired assets for their targeted demographic: young talent.
This is something the Washington Capitals did just a few years ago when they traded Joel Edmundson, Anthony Mantha, Lars Eller, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dmitri Orlov, and others.
These trades returned almost exclusively draft picks, yet the Capitals then used this stockpile to acquire players like Rasmus Sandin, Logan Thompson, and Andrew Mangiapane, who have been pivotal to their 2024-25 resurgence.
Manly fans have cited Washington’s impressive drafting and usage of long-term injured reserve as a reason the Islanders could not mimic their quick retool, yet here the Islanders are with the first overall pick.
Fortunately for the Islanders, this strategy began with the first-round pick they received in the Nelson trade, but it should not stop there.
The Islanders should make their players available around the draft and shortly after the start of free agency, targeting teams that missed out on their top choices and may be eager to make impulsive moves.
This approach could position the Islanders to capitalize on favorable, lopsided trades if they play their cards right.
While there is an inherent risk of parting with quality NHL talent without immediate replacements, creating cap flexibility and acting decisively early in the offseason can alleviate this issue.
Even if the roster takes a short-term hit, the assets acquired can be leveraged later in the season through trades or used to strengthen the prospect pool and reset the team’s window.
The Islanders' next decision-maker will face a tough challenge, but they must prioritize their long-term strategy, emphasizing asset management and sustained value over short-term fixes.
Stay updated with the most interesting Islanders stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.