Lamoriello, Roy Reflect on Islanders Season

It’s only been three days since the New York Islanders season came to a close, but for President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Lou Lamoriello and Head Coach Patrick Roy, next season has already begun.

“Next season started the next morning and that's what we have been doing right now is getting prepared for next year,” Lamoriello said.

Lamoriello confirmed that both he and Roy would return for next season, and that he expected Director of Mitch Korn to also return. Lamoriello said any updates on the future of the Islanders assistant coaches or the coaching staff in Bridgeport would come later.

“What changes can and should take place? We'll talk about it together,” Lamoriello added. “We'll come up with whatever is best, but we're excited.”

While a second-straight First Round exit does not meet Lamoriello, Roy or the organization’s high standard, Lamoriello said the way the Islanders ended the season is where he expects them to start next year.

“The type of stretch that we really had to do to get in the playoffs was just incredible,” Lamoriello said of the Isles 9-1-1 record from March 28 onward. “That's the sort of starting point to next season.”

Roy reiterated that he felt the team played well despite losing in five games to Carolina, and while that might look lopsided on the surface, the teams were separated by one goal at five-on-five, which paints a picture of a closer series.

“The playoffs feel like unfinished business because I thought that we played really well,” Roy said. “Coming up short doesn't make you feel good about it, but at the same time seeing the improvement of our team and the way that we played certainly motivated me in order to be more ready for next year.”

Changes are inevitable at the end of every season and Lamoriello said younger players in the organization are knocking on the door at the NHL level, as evidenced by the arrival of Kyle MacLean, who is an RFA, and even Ruslan Iskhakov’s regular season and playoff debuts. He won’t make changes just for the sake of making changes, but also acknowledged that members of the Islanders longtime core, may not be back next season.

“Whatever decisions have to be made, in the best interest of the team to have success, we will make,” Lamoriello said. “We certainly love loyalty, but it can't impede progress, so whatever decisions have to be made will be made.”

Lamoriello was quick to remind reporters that the Islanders have already undergone a seismic change, bringing in Roy midway through the season. Lamoriello said Roy exceeded his expectations as coach, going 20-12-5 while remaking the Islanders playing style down the stretch.

To a man, the Islanders players talked about how Roy impacted the season through structural changes, but also how his passion, positivity and confidence in the group provided a jolt. There was also an acknowledgement that Roy was thrust into a difficult situation, fixing the Islanders on the fly without ample practice time and that both coach and players will benefit from a full training camp in September and an offseason to prepare.

“I look forward to the training camp and I think the players are looking forward as well to a fresh start,” Roy said. “Summer is going to be good to think about how we want to approach the training camp, how we want to prepare ourselves and what we want to do in order for us to have a strong year.”

And as far as the general manager and coach are concerned, that process has already begun.