The New York Islanders might lastly be on course below Common Supervisor Lou Lamoriello. On March sixth, the day earlier than the NHL Commerce Deadline, he traded ahead Brock Nelson and William Dufour to the Colorado Avalanche for prospect Cal Ritchie, Oliver Kylington, a 2026 first-round choose, and a conditional third-round choose.
Commerce particulars, per #GoAvsGo:
To #GoAvsGo:
C Brock Nelson (50% retained)
F William DufourTo #isles:
F Cal Ritchie
D Oliver Kylington
2026 1st Spherical Choose
Cond. 2028 third Spherical ChooseWhat an absolute haul. Cal Ritchie is a can’t miss prospect.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) March 7, 2025
Though from the sounds of it, Lamoriello didn’t need to commerce Nelson, the Islanders GM has a historical past of setting costs for locations. He was infamous for that when he was the New Jersey Devils GM. Reports are that he offered Nelson, a three-year contract, originally reported by RG Media, round $7.5 million on the AVV. Indications are it might have increased. Nevertheless, Nelson felt he was value extra and thus Lamoriello despatched him to Colorado.
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As Lamoriello acknowledged, it’s a part of the enterprise. He’s all about making the workforce higher, and there’s no loyalty.
“I can guarantee you that when it comes down to creating selections, it’s going to make the workforce higher. There’s no sentiment concerned, although there’s, there’s no loyalty so far as in the case of the enterprise, act facet of it, and vice versa,” Lamoriello mentioned in press convention on Saturday. “So there’s, that’s why there’s no arduous emotions when a participant leaves. You want him one of the best, however you need to make these selections one of the best for you and your loved ones After which now we have to make no matter selections are finest for the franchise.”
The haul he received again for Nelson was excellent. Lamoriello discovered his contact at the very least another time. He was capable of get a participant who will assist the way forward for the Islanders for an getting older participant who might nonetheless rating 30 targets, however he felt he was value extra on his subsequent deal, so Lamoriello pulled the set off.
“Any of the groups we talked to , it needed to be their high prospect,” Lamoriello mentioned. “And I really feel very lucky for the group that we have been capable of get the standard participant who performs that place and was capable of mainly come proper into the lineup . And the rationale that he solely performed video games this 12 months is that they needed to save lots of the 12 months of the contract at an entry stage.”
As Lou Lamoriello acknowledged in his press convention, he was on the lookout for a high prospect for Nelson. So it begs the query, what might he have gotten for different gamers who have been out there on the deadline? Once more, he desires to get the workforce youthful shifting ahead, so why solely dip a toe into the All-In water, not like the Boston Bruins, who determined it was time to get youthful?
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Groups have been calling about Kyle Palmieri, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Scott Mayfield, and even Anders Lee. Lamoriello might have gotten related returns for a few of these gamers, particularly Palmieri, who might have helped groups with their scoring woes. Groups have been prepared to ship the Islanders a first-round choose and good property for Palmieri.
As I reported Thurs, the #Isles have provided a 2-year extension to maintain Kyle Palmieri. The 2 sides are talking later this morning, upon which a call will likely be made (signal him or transfer him). There’s been commerce curiosity in Palmieri, in addition to J-G Pageau & even Anders Lee.
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) March 7, 2025
As it has been reported, he and the Islanders have been in contract negotiations, with an extension presumably on the horizon. Nevertheless, Lamoriello didn’t sound too assured when he acknowledged, “We’ll see,” when requested if Palmieri was undoubtedly coming again. He’ll convey again Palmieri on the workforce’s phrases, not the gamers’. So that’s one thing to observe shifting ahead because the Islanders look to get youthful.
Even his reply relating to these gamers makes the Nelson commerce even stranger, provided that he was making an attempt to get the workforce youthful however nonetheless battling for the playoffs.
“If we might have gotten youthful and higher, aside from draft picks, we might have accomplished it with out query,” Lamoriello mentioned. “We felt that the place a number of of our gamers are — once I say a number of, a number of of our gamers we might have made strikes with — they’d be higher accomplished at a unique time. What we have to infuse within the lineup, these gamers can be out there. That’s a call we made.
Alongside the way in which we additionally tried to have a look at this season. We’re 4 factors out , not to surrender in any approach by any means on the blokes in that room, with out hurting what the mission was to enter the commerce deadline. And it ended up the way in which it was. However I can guarantee you that if there have been different gamers, not of the caliber we received however near that, there would have been much more strikes.”
The problem was that these offers have been on the market. The returns for Palmieri and Pageau would have equaled Nelson’s return. Nevertheless, the phrase “rebuild” isn’t in Lamoriello’s vocabulary. He’ll attempt to retool on the fly just like the Washington Capitals have accomplished.
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In line with the Islanders GM, these offers weren’t there, and he doesn’t need a 10-year rebuild on the Islanders. Simply think about if this began after the workforce went to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals. Perhaps the Islanders are forward on this retool as an alternative of being in the identical place because the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Lamoriello desires his groups to only get into the playoffs. However should you can’t win a playoff spherical, what’s the level? The Islanders have wanted to get youthful and wanted a purpose scorer for years, and it was not accomplished. The hope is that Lou Lamoriello will observe up on the change he preached on Saturday, or else it is likely to be establishment once more for the Islanders.
