New York Islanders Have Multiple Questions To Answer in Their Front Office
Senior writer from NHL.com Dan Rosen was on Sirius XM NHL Network Radio Morning Skate with Gord Stellcik and Scott Laughlin and was asked about the coaching vacancies around the league, but the most intriguing opening involves the New York Islanders and what they do at their management positions. (The interview happened before the Flyers hired Rick Tocchet yesterday, and the Kings hiring of Ken Holland)
NHLRumos.com Transcriptions
NHL Rumors: New York Islanders Must Get GM Hire Right
Gord Stellick: “We we’re chatting about David Quinn earlier, for example, just about the work he did with (Mikael) Granlund, and that so like, a lot of names out there we see Vancouver, there are reports now they’re looking, maybe internally, at Adam Foote, Manny Malhotra, whatever. And any connections, dot connections you have with the remaining coaching vacancies right now.”
Dan Rosen: “Not, not a ton. I mean, you keep hearing Rick Tocchet with the Flyers, right, that’s something that could happen perhaps. I mean, we’ll see. There’s still openings. I mean, I think what are their six openings still around this league. So I guess it’s not surprising May 14th to have that many openings, but I expect some to be filled right now.
I’ll be honest, to me, less of the coaching openings. More intriguing to me is the GM in LA, which could certainly look like Ken Holland, according to reports, and the Islanders.
And really be honest with you, what the Islanders do. There’s three questions I have there. Do the Islanders hire just the GM? That’s one question. Do they hire a President of Hockey Operations and the GM. The two-headed monster, which is the way I would go? And third, when they do get those people in, is Patrick Roy staying or going?
NHL Rumors: New York Islanders GM Candidates
So there’s three questions there for the Islanders to have to get answered, and there’s six coaches opening. Tocchet perhaps, could go to the Flyers. Vancouver could hire from within. I think Manny Malhotra has been, I mean, think he could be a really good head coach. We’ll find out, maybe I think one day we’ll find out. He’s been an assistant for a while, obviously, but seems to be just a real team guy. Always a smart player, always involved, that type of guy, still a lot of offseason left in those areas.
But the Islanders’ questions, those three, they’re the ones that intrigue me. Those three questions intrigue me.”
NHLRumors.com Note: The New York Islanders continue to go through their GM and President of Hockey Operations search. It is an attractive job with the number one pick in 2025, but the issue is, if Lou Lamoriello is staying around as an advisor, how many top GMs will want to go there with Lamoriello hovering around the team? The Islanders continue to interview candidates, but many thought this would be done by now, given that the draft is next month and we are almost mid-May. Either the Islanders want to move away from Lamoriello or they don’t.
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