Lou Lamoriello, Lane Lambert will return to their roles with Islanders next season
As expected, both president/general manager Lou Lamoriello and coach Lane Lambert will remain in their roles next season for the Islanders.
“As far as contractual situations, I think they’re all personal,” Lamoriello said Tuesday at Northwell Heath Ice Center in East Meadow, speaking publicly for the first time since the Islanders’ season ended with a 2-1 overtime loss in Game 6 of their first-round series with the Hurricanes on April 28.
“We’re both under contract. Have been and will be and I think that’s all that’s necessary. The only contracts that are necessary to go public are player contracts.”
Newsday reported exclusively on May 14 ownership would offer Lamoriello a new deal – believed to be three years – with his initial five-year contract expiring and that likely meant Lambert would return as well.
Lambert, who led the Islanders to a 42-31-9 mark in his first season, has not spoken publicly since immediately after the season-ending loss. His and Lamoriello’s silence fueled speculation about their futures with the franchise.
“I didn’t think it was necessary and I had a lot of questions that I wanted to get answered,” Lamoriello said of not speaking publicly during the Islanders’ breakup day on May 1. “I wanted to get right at it. Quite frankly, my focus wasn’t on answering questions. It was more asking a lot of questions and getting answers to questions.”
Lamoriello said he thought Lambert and his staff “did a very good job.” But he did not commit to keeping the entire staff – which includes assistants John MacLean and Doug Houda, director of goaltending Mitch Korn and goalie coach Piero Greco – fully intact.
Lamoriello again repeated “I believe in this team, it’s obvious.” But he did cite the Islanders’ playoff power-play futility – 1-for-18 against the Hurricanes – as a way they hurt themselves in the series. MacLean runs the power play.
The Hall of Fame executive, who turns 81 shortly after next season begins, said re-signing unrestricted free agents Scott Mayfield, Pierre Engvall and goalie Semyon Varlamov were priorities. He added he would like to re-sign Zach Parise, who turns 39 this summer, as well.
“Right now, he’s just taking a step back and looking at what’s best for his family and making a decision,” Lamoriello said of Parise.
One player not likely to return is Josh Bailey, the longest-tenured Islander whose 1,057 games are the third most in franchise history. But Bailey, entering the last season of a six-year, $30 million deal that carries no trade protection, was a healthy scratch for 10 of the regular season’s final 12 games and for all six playoff games.
“If I’m going to be sitting in the stands a lot, it’s not something I want to do,” Bailey said on breakup day.
“Loyalty will never get in the way of impeding progress or making whatever decisions I have a responsibility to make,” Lamoriello said. “In Josh’s case, it looks like maybe it’s near the end for here, in our situation. Josh and I have a man-to-man relationship as far as honesty. We will work with him to help him. But my priority is doing what’s best for the team.”
As for injury updates, Lamoriello said both Oliver Wahlstrom (knee) and defenseman Alexander Romanov (shoulder) will be ready for the start of training camp in mid-September.
Wahlstrom injured his ACL in December but Lamoriello said he has resumed skating.
“It’s just a matter of getting him where he has to be,” Lamoriello said. “But he will be ready for training camp 100%.”
Lamoriello said Romanov had shoulder surgery four weeks ago that he termed “100% successful.”
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
