Familiar coach, familiar players have to get familiar with winning again with Isles
Signing defenseman Alexander Romanov was Islander GM Lou Lamoriello's only significant move. Credit: AP / Frank Franklin II
New coach. Otherwise, almost the same Islanders.
Now, it’s up to Lane Lambert to ensure the familiar group returns to playoff contention after last season’s disappointment of missing the postseason for the first time since 2018 after back-to-back trips to the NHL final four.
“The only thing I can do is define myself through my actions,” said Lambert, who was promoted from associate coach to replace his former boss, Barry Trotz, on May 16. “It’s just about being honest and frank. Never letting a player wonder what his position is. As long as everyone knows their role and the communication is strong, I think that’s probably going to be the defining factor.”
Players report for training camp on Wednesday with the first on-ice sessions the next day. The preseason opens on Sept. 26 against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden and the Islanders’ season opener is Oct. 13 against the Panthers at UBS Arena.
This three-week stretch has the intrigue of seeing how the players respond to Lambert in his new role — and how Lambert reacts to being in charge.
“It’s tough to say,” defenseman Adam Pelech said when asked what differences there might be in Lambert after he served four seasons as the associate coach and worked with Trotz since 2011. “I would think more subtle changes. I think everyone’s thrilled that we have most of the same guys back. Over the past few years we’ve learned what makes us successful and what doesn’t. All of us have all the faith in the world in Lane.”
Lambert went 2-1-0 from Jan. 1-15 filling in for an absent Trotz, who missed time as his mother passed away and then while in COVID-19 protocol, and the Islanders’ players praised his attention to detail, intensity and communication skills.
Again, there’s a big difference between being an interim coach and the full-time one.
“I think Lane is going to be great,” Josh Bailey said. “Always, at this time of the year, you’re a little antsy. You put in the work in the summer. For us, we’ve had a long summer. So you’re just chomping at the bit and ready to get things started.”
Yet, there may be little camp intrigue as to the composition of the opening night roster. The two goalies are set in Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov. The forward group is essentially set, other than settling on line combinations and choosing the extras. Five of the top six defensemen are in place.
President and general manager Lou Lamoriello’s main offseason acquisition was trading the No. 13 pick to the Canadiens for 22-year-old defenseman Alexander Romanov, a feisty puck mover. Defenseman Dennis Cholowski, 24, selected 20th overall in 2016 by the Red Wings, was signed as an unrestricted free agent after playing just 115 games for three organizations.
“It’s internal competition,” Lambert said. “We’re open minded. That’s the joy of training camp and having that internal competition. It’s going to play itself out. Everyone has a clean slate. We’re starting fresh. We’ll see what the competition within camp entails.”
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.
