Lamoriello, Roy Reflect on Islanders Season

Roy reiterated that he felt the team played well despite losing in five games to Carolina, and while that might look lopsided on the surface, the teams were separated by one goal at five-on-five, which paints a picture of a closer series.

“The playoffs feel like unfinished business because I thought that we played really well,” Roy said. “Coming up short doesn’t make you feel good about it, but at the same time seeing the improvement of our team and the way that we played certainly motivated me in order to be more ready for next year.”

Changes are inevitable at the end of every season and Lamoriello said younger players in the organization are knocking on the door at the NHL level, as evidenced by the arrival of Kyle MacLean, who is an RFA, and even Ruslan Iskhakov’s regular season and playoff debuts. He won’t make changes just for the sake of making changes, but also acknowledged that members of the Islanders longtime core, may not be back next season.

“Whatever decisions have to be made, in the best interest of the team to have success, we will make,” Lamoriello said. “We certainly love loyalty, but it can’t impede progress, so whatever decisions have to be made will be made.”