LAS VEGAS — There are two months until the NHL trade deadline, but selling assets is “not even on the mind” of Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello.
That's consistent with his history, as the Islanders woke up Thursday morning with Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri both on expiring contracts and in 15th place in the 16-team Eastern Conference. That alone is not enough to change the situation for now.
“Everything is within reach, where we are in the season, where we are in the standings,” Lamoriello said, citing the five-point difference between the Islanders and the second-place Wild Card Blue Jackets. That's the focus,” he said. These days, the person in charge is constantly changing. “The focus is on who we are here and now, not on how many what-ifs, this or that. [I’m] They just aren't from that school. For now, we're focused on playing the best hockey we can and finding our place at the right time. But I don't even think about it. ”
As they infamously did with John Tavares in 2018, we see the Islanders either Nelson or Palmieri (both of whom are among the most valuable assets available at the deadline) leave without giving anything in return. What about possibilities?
“Again, you're dealing with a hypothetical situation. I'm not going to go into that,” Lamoriello said. “I'm not saying I won't answer your question. If there's any context to what I believe, it's just a fact and a truth. And that's not in my head right now. ”
So if you thought the organization would change its ways midway through the season, which has played out the exact opposite of what the Islanders had envisioned thus far, that's not the case.
That was the big takeaway from Lamoriello's 20-minute session with reporters before the Islanders faced the Golden Knights on Thursday.
Five points off the playoff cutline is more encouraging for Lamoriello than disappointing for how they've played for much of the season — and at least for now, they're operating as if they can still give this a shot. I'm going to.
(If the Islanders fail to make it past the first round again, whether just making the playoffs can be considered a successful season is a question for another time.)
The outlook for the president and general manager of hockey operations could change at any time between now and the March 7 deadline.
But while Lamoriello moved early in the calendar to sign an additional contract two years ago, he never seemed like someone ready to wave the white flag early and make a deduction.
Despite the Islanders' record being 2-3-0 since the holidays, he cited a 7-1 loss to the Sabers in the final game before Christmas as a wake-up call, and coach Patrick He reiterated a consistent message from Roy. My play has improved since then, although not necessarily with results.
The Islanders have certainly had some bad luck when it comes to injuries, with Anthony Duclair, Mathew Barzal, and Adam Pelech just returning from injury to Simon Holmstrom, Hudson Fassing, and Isaiah George, and Duclair and Barzal are still trying to find their rhythm. He has a record of 15 wins, 18 losses, and 7 draws, with no goals allowed.
But everything the Islanders have done over the past four seasons shows that if there's even a sliver of hope, they'll stick to it in the face of everything else. Today is no different.
Asked why he was confident his team could turn things around, Lamoriello said: “I can't dispute your doubts given what you yourself have seen so far.” “But I know the players. I know what they can do. [it]. But it has to be done.
“The comfort for me is that they have the ability to do it. In my opinion, we have the talent to make it happen. Now, the outcome is not what we want. I I don't take anything away from them. It's up to them. I have the ability to do that.”
