Hockey Lou Lamoriello’s to-do list with the Islanders by Carly Vadinsky June 5, 2018 On May 22, 2018, the New York Islanders decided it was time for a changing of the guard. After missing the playoffs for consecutive years and an outpour of fans demanding for change of their current General Manager, Garth Snow, they signed Lou Lamoriello to be the president hockey operations. With Lou now in charge, and given full control of the front office, what are his top tasks to get this team out of the basement and into the dynasty they once were? The Islanders are not one or two moves away from being a real Stanley Cup contender. With that being said, a few moves can be made to sling shot them into the right direction. In order to be a Stanley Cup contender, they need a star, a leader, and that man is John Tavares. He has been the only bright spot for the franchise since he was drafted. He’s done so much for the organization and is absolutely idolized by the fan base. He is a free agent, and to let him walk cleanly to another team with no compensation would be the worst choice for the Islanders. Resigning John Tavares is the top priority on this list. Another task Lou needs to accomplish is to acquire a solid goaltender. While Jaro Halak had his moments this year, he was not as consistent as the Islanders hoped. Other pieces like Chris Gibson and Thomas Griess haven’t been producing the talent they showed they have in the 2017-2018 season, so the Islanders will need to bring over their top prospect: Illya Sorokin. Sorokin is labeled the top goalie in the KHL, and the isles will need a consistent goalie like him to lift them through the season. Lou’s next priority will be to fill up the defense. After having a record breaking terrible season, the defense needs a tremendous upgrade. While they did have some bright spots such as Nick Leddy, Thomas Hickey, and Ryan Pulock, guys like Johnny Boychuck and Dennis Seidenberg were a liability and need to be replaced. Lou’s best move would be to resign Calvin da Hann, and call up guys like Sebastian Aho, Frederic St. Denis, and Jonathan Towes to give them the NHL experience to grow and blossom like Pulock did. The Isles have also seen their fair share of bad coaches. Its time for a new, experienced, and accomplished coach, like the Islanders did to get Lou. The Islanders have had their share of bad coaching from not knowing the basics of the game, to insulting the diehard blue and orange fans. A guy like Dan Bylsma could do as he has Stanley Cup rings and can coach star players like John Tavares and Mat Barzal as he did with Sydney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Bylsma is the former head coach of the Buffalo Sabres and former head coach of the United States Men’s National Ice Hockey team, and has the experience to lead to Islanders to a Stanley cup. If the Islanders want to see any success under Lou Lamoriello, these steps need to be acted on. Post Views: 1,208 The following two tabs change content below.BioLatest Posts Carly Vadinsky Latest posts by Carly Vadinsky (see all) Is it time to pay college athletes? - August 1, 2018 IMAGES: 2018 Basilone Bowl – June 14, 2018 - June 16, 2018 Leathernecks win annual Basilone Bowl for the second year in a row - June 15, 2018 Lou Lamoriello’s to-do list with the Islanders - June 5, 2018 Related TopicsDennis SeidenbergislesJohn TavaresJohnny BoychuckLou LamorielloNew York IslandersNick LeddyRyan PulockThomas Hickey Click to comment You must be logged in to post a comment Login Leave a Reply Cancel replyYou must be logged in to post a comment. Newsletter Subscription Can't Miss Posts! Women in Sports: NHL Network Host, Jackie Redmond by Nicholas Durst | posted on March 4, 2019 Lochte, Dressel and Ledecky all Chasing Gold at 2021 Tokyo Olympics by Anthony Paradiso | posted on April 18, 2021 You Know I’m Right, Episode 109: The Athletic’s Marc Carig (Audio/Video) by Nicholas Durst | posted on April 19, 2021 Michael Jordan Could Change the Future of Nascar for the Better by Inesh Chari | posted on March 30, 2021 WNBA Rolling Out Red Carpet For Upcoming 25th Anniversary Season by Jason Cordner | posted on March 16, 2021 More in Hockey Tim Peel is Discharged After Caught on Hot Mic Tim Peel was Discharged from the NHL After He was Caught on the Hot... NHL, Amazon Web Services Partner to Develop New Stats, Data, and Insights The National Hockey League (NHL) is partnering with Amazon Web Services (AWS) in an... You Know I’m Right, Episode 81: ESPN’s Arda Ocal (Audio/Video) On the 81st episode of You Know I’m Right, Nick Durst and Joe Calabrese are joined by... You Know I’m Right, Episode 80: MSG Network’s Bill Pidto (Audio/Video) On the 80th episode of You Know I’m Right, Nick Durst and Joe Calabrese are joined by... Devils Free Agency: Who Returns, who walks? Lou calls for delayed snow removal – GM Snow and Head Coach Weight relieved of duties