3 Qualities Needed for Next Islanders GM

Respectfully, another veteran name is not the direction the Islanders must go in. To get this team back on track there are three, non-negotiable qualities the next GM on Long Island must possess.

Amateur Scouting Experience

The first test of whoever is hired is the 2025 NHL Draft. With the first-overall pick, the Islanders can jumpstart their rebuild with the right pick or set themselves back even further with a swing and a miss.

That's why the new GM in charge must have a grasp on amateur scouting. This decision is too important to leave up to group think. Rely on your advisors and consider all options, absolutely, but the next Islanders GM has to have a strong understanding of player development to make the first choice in the draft.

First-Time GM

A veteran GM hasn't yielded the results the Islanders hoped. The NHL loves to recycle coaches and executives, but this is the perfect opportunity to promote or elevate a deserving candidate to the GM role for the first time.

Why? Because a fresh perspective is needed now more than ever. There is no success to be found in building a plucky and hardworking team if there isn't a similar investment in elite talent in all three position groups. That means ponying up in the trade market or pursuing top free agents in this upcoming class. A new voice is likely the best way to incorporate this approach and get the organization to buy in to the new methodology.

No History of Bad Contracts

The Islanders are in limbo largely due to the contractual misgivings of Lamoriello and his staff over the past few years. The most recent was a long-term albatross to winger Anthony Duclair. The player was a great fit on paper, but the deal and production is a huge blight on the roster. The same could be said for Pierre Engvall, Scott Mayfield, Semyon Varlamov, and Scott Mayfield.

Whoever the Islanders hire, they must avoid a GM who is prone to bad contracts. This coming summer and the following one will be pivotal to the organization's next decade, so they cannot take a risk on a tired and recycled man at the helm.