There was really nothing that Islanders President and General Manager Lou Lamoriello could have said in his Zoom meeting with reporters on Monday that could have made Islanders Country very happy.
Little, that is, unless he announced a blockbuster acquisition to improve the forward group that the fan base was craving for throughout the off-season.
And that didn’t happen.
The biggest move during the off-season came when Head Coach Barry Trotz was relieved of his duties and replaced by Associate Coach Lane Lambert.
It was a move that stunned the hockey world and the expectation was that there would be some significant moves.
What the Islanders did announce on Monday was a one-year contract for restricted free agent forward Kieffer Bellows and three-year deals for restricted free agent defensemen Noah Dobson and Alex Romanov.
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The Islanders were unable to free up enough cap space to sign a marquee free agent forward, as Johnny Gaudreau signed with Columbus and Nazem Kadri inked a deal with Calgary. So, unless there’s a move or two made before training camp starts or a prospect like Aatu Raty or William Dufour makes a huge splash during the pre-season, the Islanders’ group of forwards will pretty much resemble what it looked like last season.
"There's no disappointment where we're at because we feel very good with who we are, or else we would've made drastic changes,” said Lamoriello. “I say that with confidence and we're looking forward to getting back at it and maybe proving everybody wrong."
Last season, Bellows tallied six goals and 13 assists in 45 games, and now that he’s signed sealed and delivered for the 2022-23 season, Bellows is ready to make a bigger contribution.
"I view myself as a regular in the lineup,” said Bellows. “I want to be making an impact in the lineup from game one.”
While the Islanders will certainly need an upgrade in production from their forwards, there’s no question that the strength of the team comes from back end.
The Islanders have, arguably, the best goaltending tandem in the league with Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov. They also have a solid group of defensemen, with their top four blueliners – Dobson, Romanov, Ryan Pulock and Adam Pelech – all locked up to at least three-year deals.
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Last month, the Islanders traded their 2022 first-round pick to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Romanov and a fourth-round pick in 2023. The 22-year-old had three goals and 10 assists in 79 games last season, but also brings another physical element to the Islanders’ blueline.
He also said he was blindsided by the trade.
"Oh, I was shocked,” said Romanov. “Honestly, it was a surprise for me. I didn't expect this, but I'm so excited to be here. And I'm already on Long Island and getting ready for the season and ready to play. I’m ready to play right now, so just waiting."
As is all of Islanders Country after a disappointing 2021-22 season.
Following back-to-back trips to the NHL’s final four in 2020 and 2021, the Islanders did not make the playoffs last season, and you could point any number of reasons as to why that happened: a season-opening 13-game road trip while waiting for their new home UBS Arena to be completed, the early-season COVID-19 outbreak, or multiple key injuries.
But any way you slice it, the bottom line was that the Islanders just weren’t good enough, top to bottom, to make the playoffs.
And now, with the hope of staying healthy and injury-free, the Islanders are going to run it back with basically the same group as last season.
"All the guys are hungry after what happened last season,” said Dobson. “It was unacceptable."
And if the Islanders don’t get back to the form that took them to within a few victories of a Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021, you can be sure that ownership won’t find it acceptable.
Follow Peter Schwartz on Twitter: @SchwartzSports
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