Islanders fans are itching to let John Tavares know Thursday how they feel about his divorce from the team last summer, but president and general manager Lou Lamoriello hopes they'll reconsider.
Tavares, who spent nine years with the Islanders and was the team's captain, is returning to Long Island for the first time since signing a seven-year, $77 million contract with his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs in July.
Bitter Isles fans have had Thursday's date at Nassau Coliseum circled on their calendars for some time.
"That certainly should be an exciting night here," Lamoriello told WFAN's "Benigno and Roberts" on Tuesday. "And I really have heard all about the animosity towards John. He's a tremendous human being and gave tremendous years to the Islanders and a commitment as their captain. I hope that he gets the right reception and is complimented by the crowd for what he did while he was here. He had every right to make the decision that he did to go into free agency, and I respect that."
After Evan Roberts noted there's no way Islanders fans will see it the same way, Lamoriello said: "I hope that it's rethought, and I hope it gives him the respect that he should be getting. I do understand the passion that the fans have."
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Lamoriello also discussed the Islanders' inactivity at Monday's trade deadline. He said he was interested in some possible trades, but ultimately they were too rich for his blood.
By standing pat, the Islanders, in first place in the Metropolitan Division, invited criticism that Lamoriello wasn't aggressive enough in chasing the Stanley Cup.
"We targeted a couple of situations, but prices sometimes get to the point where it's detrimental more than it's going to be an asset," he said.
Lamoriello said he's hoping the returns of left wing Andrew Ladd and defenseman Thomas Hickey, who have been out months with injuries but are set to return to game action Tuesday night, will provide the sort of boost a trade-deadline acquisition might ordinarily offer.
"So we feel good about that. ... We feel pretty good about this hockey club," Lamoriello said.
Lamoriello added that he, like many, is surprised by the Islanders' success, but only because they entered the season with so many unknowns.
"Both (coach) Barry (Trotz) and I came in with no preconceived notions, which gave our players, whether they had a good year or bad year, a clean slate to come in and do what they do best as far as where they would stand," Lamoriello said. "But this group has collectively come together. The additions that we made during the summer, which brought some tremendous experience with success and also high-end character has complemented the people that were here. So everything has just run smoothly."
To listen to the full interview, click on the audio player above.