Lou Lamoriello continues to reinforce the New York Islanders front office, adding another former New Jersey Devils executive into the fold.
The New York Islanders’ latest hire was the New Jersey Devils’ vice president of hockey operations since 2006, Steve Pellegrini.Lou Lamoriello is continuing the revitalization of the Islanders front office, which began its drastic overhaul with the collective demotion (some may argue ‘ghost firing’) of both Doug Weight and Garth Snow.
Since then, the Islanders have been dominating their opportunity for a facelift this offseason, with the announcement of a new head coach expected to break early next week. It seems Lamoriello intends to begin his official reshaping after the NHL Draft next week, just in time for free agency.
Speaking of free agency, there are no updates on the franchise’s captain and UFA-to-be, John Tavares. Tavares expressed his approval of the Belmont Park deal back in December of 2017, and he was happy to learn that the Islanders will go back to the Coliseum for select games next season with time split after that until Belmont’s opening.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.ca has the latest scoop after hearing the news on Pellegrini:
“I still think there’s a chance of him going back. I do think that Tavares is looking for them to give him a reason to stay….They’ve got to show Tavares they’re going to make improvement, I believe they plan to do that and I don’t think it’s over yet between Tavares and the Islanders, but I do think they have to give him a reason to want to stay.” – ElLiotte Friedman of SportsNet
For the most part, none of this comes as a surprise to many fans. Tavares has reiterated his desire to remain with the organization, but as Friedman pointed out, Lamoriello will have to continue to make organizational changes to convice their captain he can guide the team to a championship sooner rather than later.
Pellegrini’s expansive resume and history with Lamoriello adds another ounce of credibility to the Islanders organization.