Lou Lamoriello showed his commitment to the Islanders’ aging core by standing pat at the March trade deadline.
But all year when asked about head coach Barry Trotz’s contract — which was expiring at the end of the 2022-23 season — Lamoriello demurred. And on Monday morning, in a stunning move, Lamoriello fired the Jack Adams Award winner in a tacit admission that something had to change following a season in which the Islanders failed to come close to meeting their preseason Stanley Cup goal.
“I believe this group of players needs a new voice,” Lamoriello said on a conference call with media. “This is not negative on Barry Trotz. He is a tremendous human being.”
As for the assistant coaches — a group that includes associate coach Lane Lambert and goaltending coach Mitch Korn, people who have worked with Trotz for a long period — Lamoriello would only say they were under contract for next season, though the new coach will have a say in whether that remains the case. Lamoriello did not commit to a timetable for the hire.
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