The Chris Johnston Show: Julian McKenzie and Chris Johnston talk about the New York Islanders and GM Lou Lamoriello.
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McKenzie: “It's really interesting to be out in New York, with the Islanders, especially. Patrick Johnston out of Vancouver County, no relation, put out a report, which seems to suggest that Lou Lamoriello's days, wondering how long he will last as GM of the New York Islanders. Not a great start to their season so far. What do you hear on the island?
Johnston: “Well, I think it's time, obviously, you know, a little bit of turmoil when, you know, they made a coaching change last year with Patrick Roy. You know, let's call it what it is, Lou Lamoriello is 82 years old.
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So, I mean, he wouldn't work forever. Not that, not that I'm firing him. I'm just saying, you know, it's an incredible achievement, even to, you know, meet the demands of that job as long as he can.
And you know, they're locked into some tough contracts. And they don't, you know, get back to where they were even a few years ago when they went to those back-to-back Eastern Conference finals. It seems like a small stone, doesn't it?
And, you know, they have big decisions. You know, they have Kyle Palmieri and Brock Nelson, mentioned above, both as pending UFAs. You know, both players I'd say, and the team that's usually in their shoes, they're going to start thinking about, you know, before the trade deadline to turn things around.
Now, you know, we know the Islanders and Lou Lamoriello do things their way with their rhythm. And so I'm honest, I don't have Intel yet that even those players will be available, but I certainly think it's possible.
And so, yeah, I think the Islanders are right there, they're in a position where they have to decide, you know, what the next steps are for the organization. You know, the best pass, the way forward, and you know that, that probably involves some planning in order. I think that's the best way to put it.
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Of course, this talk has been around a little bit before now when it comes to Lamoriello's future. And, yeah, I mean, that's the best way I can put it. They have to make some decisions, and I don't think those decisions have been made yet.
McKenzie: “Okay, I'm going to say this though Brock Nelson, Kyle Palmieri, guys are going to look pretty good on the teams that are competing right now. Maybe it's close to the deadline but you know what I mean.
Johnston: “Nelson, in particular, I think if they make him available, he's going to be in great demand, because he's so versatile. He can play honestly, you can come in as even your second line center I think he's on a good team. He can play wing. You know, he was a consistent goal scorer, big guy, tough guy.
I just think, I think he's the type of player that teams preparing for a long playoff game can look at and drool over. I'm not even talking about all the good teams in this league, they all look like they're at the bottom. You know what I mean? They all seem to think they have, like, three and a half centers or something.
And then, just the idea that he can at least be that, or even if you don't use him like that at first, but he can play wing. I think, I think teams will be scrambling to try to get him. If, if found.
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But you know, there's still a little time to dive into that too deeply but I'm just saying, if you're there and you're cheering for a team that needs a big player, there's a good chance they're going to be interested in Brock Nelson, he should be there.
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