The New York Islanders are down 3-0 in the first round in what has been a one-sided series against the Carolina Hurricanes. They’ve been outplayed and it’s clear there is a gap between them and their opponent. The Islanders at best are a team that can make the playoffs and maybe pull off an upset in a series while the Hurricanes are destined to compete for the Cup.
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When Patrick Roy was hired, the expectation or hope was that the gap between the Islanders and Hurricanes was closer. They lost in the first round last season in six games and they looked like a team that would play a closer series this time around. The opposite happened. The Islanders are further away from the Hurricanes and contention as a whole.
This gap has reflected how the Islanders built their team, specifically, with how general manager (GM) Lou Lamoriello has operated. He’s trusted the group time and time again and now the return is here and it’s not great. Lamoriello built this team with little upside and it’s showing in the first round against an elite team.
Lamoriello Played it Safe
The Islanders never took a swing in free agency under Lamoriello despite the urge to add star-caliber talent to the roster. The good thing about doing this is that Lamoriello rarely if ever handed out a contract that has aged poorly. Signing Scott Mayfield to a seven-year contract in the 2023 offseason is the exception but otherwise, there aren’t a lot of deals that weigh the Islanders down. The downside is that they remain a team with a low ceiling.
The contrast is the Hurricanes and their offseason moves spearheaded by their GM Don Waddell. Sure, not every deal works out and some would be looked at as awful contracts if not for the team’s success. Jesperi Kotkaniemi is under contract for the next seven seasons but only scored 12 goals and 15 assists this season and has yet to record a point in the first round. However, the big swings for the most part have paid off. Brent Burns for example was a risky addition as he was an aging defenseman who was starting to lose a step. He has emerged as one of their best two-way players. Waddell has taken plenty of risks and for the few that don’t work out, there are plenty that do and upgrade the roster.
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