Did Lou Lamoriello Do Right By Standing Pat At The Deadline
Lou Lamoriello took a path less traveled at the trade deadline for the New York Islanders. In the midst of a five-game win streak, he decided not to buy. Of course, you could argue that their big splash was switching coaches for Patrick Roy in January. Despite a rocky start, the team is finally starting to hit their stride and play their best hockey of the season. Their recent performances prompted Lou to pass on names like Anthony Duclair, Jason Zucker, and many more. Some fans were happy with the decisions, while other called for much more. So, let’s take everything into consideration. Should Lamoriello and the Islanders have taken a different approach today?
The Case For Adding
A short summary of the deadline is as follows: buyer’s markets. There were a lot of names available and they did not go for ridiculous prices. The biggest example of that came in the Jake Guentzel deal as Pittsburgh might not even end up with a first-round pick when all is said and done! Surely if you get one more piece and make the playoffs anything can happen, right? A lot of great names like Pavel Buchnevich and Jakob Chychrun ended up staying put despite links to the Isles and many other teams.
There was a pretty obvious trade chip in former lottery pick Oliver Wahlstrom that Lou would have surely sold on. However, nothing impressed him. With all four lines and three defense pairs humming, he opted for stability and letting Roy coach this group. Check out the terms he used:
#Isles Lou Lamoriello says it did not make sense to make a "lateral move." He says nothing presented itself that he judged would have helped Isles significantly.
— Andrew Gross (@AGrossNewsday) March 8, 2024
It’s an interesting way to put things. There were guys of all different sorts available. Rentals, guys with terms, forwards, defensemen, and much more. Adding another winger or even a third-pairing defenseman appeared to be the most pressing needs. Instead, we will have to see if this group can keep the push going.
The Case For Not Adding
Today showed me that Isles fans have very short memories. Around two weeks ago, the season was on life support. I went to the game against Tampa Bay where they lost 4-2. That’s when I basically kissed the playoffs goodbye. What transpired was interesting. Patrick Roy shuffled the lines and players finally started buying in. Yes, they beat bad teams recently. But, they also beat some very good teams. Boston, Dallas, and Detroit are not slouches. If this change in fortunes had occurred earlier in the season, then who knows what would have happened. Had the Isles been sitting in a playoff spot instead of chasing one, then the strategy is probably different.
Me personally, I like standing pat. It’s a sign of respect to the locker room. Fans were talking about selling, and instead, they’ve earned the right to keep playing and see what happens. Lou has not drafted in the first round since 2019, so that looks like it will finally change. And guess what, that pick was Simon Holmstrom, who is a staple on the third line currently. Regardless of how this season pans out, there is a first and second-round pick that will replenish their prospect pool.
With the aging core, a retool is certainly on the table. It’s clear that Mathew Barzal, Bo Horvat, Noah Dobson, and Ilya Sorokin are their cornerstones. If they pair a Brock Nelson extension with another scorer then they will not be catching up ground next season. Managing the cap has never been as important as it is now, so Lou’s job will be put to the test over the Summer.
Lou Lamoriello took a quiet approach for the first trade deadline for a while. He is gonna let Patrick Roy stay with this group and take them as far as possible.
