Patrick Roy: two things that could help him keep his job

While no one wanted to hire Patrick Roy as a coach in the NHL, Lou Lamoriello took the chance, in January 2024, to do just that. He brought him to the Islanders.

The result? Roy made the playoffs in 2024, but not in 2025.

Was it because the guys didn’t want to play for him as much in 2025? Was it because he had the wrong club to begin with? A combination of both? Who knows.

But right now, without Lou Lamoriello in New York, we don’t know what the future holds for him. Will he get the chance to be the first coach of the next first overall pick, or not? Only time will tell.

Until the Islanders hire a hockey operations boss, the Québécois will be in limbo. Will the next GM/President do what everyone did before Lou, i.e. pass on the opportunity to work with Roy?

Has his return to the NHL changed some people’s minds? Who knows.

But even so, there are a few things that could work in Patrick Roy’s favor to keep his job. Here are two potential ones.

Three years left on his contract

Pierre LeBrun, in a piece on The Athletic, mentioned that he still had three years left on his contract. Will it be that easy for a new GM to pack him into a team like the Islanders?

Not necessarily, no.