The good, bad and worst from Lou Lamoriello's seven years as New York Islanders GM and President of Hockey Operations

The New York Islanders announced on Tuesday that Lou Lamoriello will not be returning as General Manager and President of Hockey Operations.

The announcement, while hardly a surprise considering the Islanders’ disappointing season, brings the end of an era on Long Island. So, it’s worth looking back at the good, bad, and worst of Lou Lamoriello’s tenure at the helm of the New York Islanders.

The good, bad and worst from Lou Lamoriello's tenure as New York Islanders GM and President of Hockey Operations

The good

Lamoriello joined the New York Islanders in 2018 following his exit as GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Almost immediately, Lamoriello hired Barry Trotz after winning the Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals that spring.

The Trotz-led Islanders went to back-to-back Eastern Conference Final appearances, coming to within one game of the Stanley Cup Final.

Lamoriello also made shrew deals such as prying Bo Horvat away from the Vancouver Canucks and stealing Alexander Romanov from the Montreal Canadiens. Getting JG Pageau from the Ottawa Senators has proven to be one of his best moves. Other savvy moves include waiver-wire pickups like Mike Rielly and Adam Boqvist.

This season, however, Lamoriello managed to get the Colorado Avalanche’s top prospect, Calum Ritchie in the deal for Brock Nelson. Lamoriello got precious draft capital that will come in handy for his successor.

While Lamoriello hit plenty of home runs during his tenure in Long Island, the bad unfortunately outweighs his successes.

The bad

Pierre Engvall's seven-year deal has aged badly in its second season - Source: Imagn

The elephant in the room is the terrible contracts that Lamoriello dished out in his time with the Islanders. In particular, the contracts to Scott Mayfield and Pierre Engvall look atrocious.

Mayfield has been a serviceable defenseman, but nowhere near the six-year, $24.5 million deal that came with a no-movement clause. The deal has aged badly as Mayfield has spent more time on IR than on the ice.

As for Engvall, Lamoriello signed him to a seven-year $21 million contract. That deal, too, has aged terribly, with Engvall starting this past season on waivers.

Perhaps the biggest blemish of Lamoriello’s player-management was letting former captain John Tavares walk during the summer of 2018. Lamoriello reportedly gave Tavares a blank check. But the prospect of playing with his hometown team was too much for Tavares to pass up.

The misses in Lamoriello’s tenure as GM are part and parcel of the job. But it’s the worst of his tenure that eventually broke the camel’s back.

The worst

The public feud between Patrick Roy and Lou Lamoriello influenced this season's disappointing outcome - Source: Imagn

The worst of Lamoriello’s tenure with the New York Islanders was his mismanagement with coaches. Following Trotz’s departure from Long Island, Lamoriello promoted Lane Lambert to the head coaching position.

That move lasted all of a season and a half as the Islanders sunk in the standings. The downward trend prompted the Isles to hire Patrick Roy in hopes of turning things around. The move worked last season as the New York Islanders squeaked into the playoffs.

But this season, Lamoriello and Roy publicly feuded over roster management decisions and lineup changes. The situation festered to the point where it seemed like players had given up on Roy.

In the end, the situation boiled over with the handling of Anthony Duclair’s alleged lack of effort. Roy’s public remarks disparaged the beleaguered winger, leading him to request leave from the team for mental health reasons.

That was the final straw for the Islanders’ ownership. The decision to move on from Lamoriello came days following the end of the Islanders’ season. Now, it remains to be seen who will take over as the New York Islanders' new GM.