Lamoriello’s assurance is boosting the morale of Islanders players following the trade deadline.
Instead of reinforcing their roster with an addition aimed at securing a playoff spot for the New York Islanders, team president and general manager Lou Lamoriello decided to maintain the status quo at the NHL trade deadline. It was undeniably a daring move, one that could face scrutiny if the Islanders miss out on the playoffs. However, Lamoriello made this decision confidently, especially considering the team’s current form, with five consecutive victories.
“We’re playing some good hockey right now,” remarked Kyle Palmieri to reporters in Anaheim. “We want to keep this going. The trade deadline and just the lead-up to it, obviously, there’s a lot of stuff going on. But we just wanted to stay focused on the task at hand. We’re confident in each other in this room, and it’s always good to see that confidence is there from him as well.”
Lamoriello’s history at the trade deadline has typically involved proactive moves. Since assuming control of the Islanders in 2018, he has often made deals well ahead of the deadline. However, this year, the significant change was the appointment of Patrick Roy as the new head coach in mid-January. Since then, the team’s atmosphere has lightened, and their recent performances have reflected this improvement.
“Everybody knows Lou. If there was something there that makes us a better team, I’m sure he would have done it,” Roy said. “But at the same time, the players put him in a tough spot because they’ve been there playing so well. You don’t want to break that chemistry right now. Chemistry is a very important thing, so the players deserve a lot of credit for what they’ve been doing.”
Now, with no additions or departures, the Islanders understand that it’s up to them to validate Lamoriello’s decision. With only 20 games left in the season, their path to the playoffs hinges solely on their performance.
“We’re confident in this group,” said Anders Lee. “We believe in what we’ve been working on and that when we’re playing our best hockey, we can go with anybody. It’s just continuing to work towards that and being as consistent at that top level as possible…The ultimate goal here is to see what we can do and continue to go after this thing.”
The Islanders have gained 10 points in the standings during their recent winning streak. A victory tonight against the Anaheim Ducks would extend the streak to six and place them back into a playoff position for the first time since before Roy was appointed.
