Lou Lamoriello always hid it pretty well, but the 82-year-old was far more open to analysis and new-age thinking than anyone would expect.
He hasn’t vented advanced models or concepts like expected goals, and Patrick Roy, the last coach he hired, regularly cited statistics from Sportlogiq, a service that islanders use to track advanced statistics.
Still, Lamoriello wanted his team to play the same style that has been his trademark for decades. Structured defense; protect your lead.
According to a track compiled by athletic Shayna Goldman, the four-person analytics division led by Taran Singleton is one of the smallest numbers in the league, with some beef up available.
The front office renewal that occurs under the new general manager is a chance to set a new tone there.
Certainly, operating partner John Collins, who is leading the search for new GMs, is believed to be accepting new age employment in the Carolina Eric Talsky mold, but that path is never on the stone at this point.
You’d be wondering if the islanders hadn’t spoken to Ken Holland, who is at least as old as this side of Lamorielo.
This will be a vast search.
Alexandra Mandrycky, 34-year-old assistant general manager at Kraken, with a data science background, is one of the options to make a loud statement about the club’s intentions.
Mandricky, who started working in the league as a Wild analyst in 2015, is believed to be proposed to Collins as someone to talk to, but it is not yet clear whether he will.
Another pioneering option is Kate Madigan, currently assistant general manager for the Devils and Hudson.
Madigan’s background isn’t just analytical, but her father Jim was a longtime scout, including playing college hockey and working with islanders for over a decade, but she spoke previously at MIT’s Sloan Sports Analysis Conference and is considered the future GM, with a focus on the league.
It was reported Thursday that Madigan will be interviewed with islanders.
Of course, either Mandricky or Madigan will become hockey’s first female general manager. There are six female assistant GMs, including those two.
There is also the option of islanders looking to those who are not directly part of the analytical community, but are known to incorporate those perspectives into their thinking.
The two names of that type are Jarmo Kekalainen and Mike Gillis, and it is likely that Kekalainen is known to return to the NHL after being let go of the Blue Jacket a year ago.
Finn built a strong reputation for Columbus for over a decade, leaving the Blue Jacket in a solid position a year ago, improving the club 23 points and losing little playoffs after Johnny Gordlow’s tragic offseason defeat.
Kekalainen has built one of the league’s better prospect pipelines (where the islanders desperately need to improve) by empowering his analytics staff in the draft process.
Another name raised by Collins, Gillis is like the wildcard that he last worked on the team as GM GM since 2008-14.
He has since gone on a wandering path, worked in the Swiss league, and worked in the NHLPA after taking sabbaticals to study other teams and leagues.
It shows that, like Kekaranen, Gillis is eager to pursue analysis and different ways of thinking, even if he comes from a more traditional hockey background. He also has islander connections. Adam Perek is his nephew.
Gillis said that in 2019 he was not interested in becoming general manager again, but if the islanders split the roles of GM and President, he probably would be interested in the latter.
