A pair of former Oilers general managers are among the candidates to replace Lou Lamoriello as the New York Islanders’ GM.
Lamoriello, 82, had served as the general manager and president of hockey operations on Long Island since the 2018-19 season, making it out of the first round in each of his first three years there. But the Islanders struggled over his tenure, amassing just the 18th most wins over that stretch.
Now, there’s a growing list of candidates who could fill in his spot, including former Oilers general managers Ken Holland and Peter Chiarelli, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli speculated.
“This is a very attractive job, not just for the scarcity, but because it is a team in a major market with deep-pocketed owners who aren’t afraid to spend, a passionate fanbase, and a roster with positional boxes already checked at goaltender, defence and centre,” Seravalli wrote.
Here’s what Seravalli had to say about Holland and Chiarelli as potential options:
KEN HOLLAND
The Islanders can bring in a second straight Hall of Famer to their front office. Holland, 69, is 13 years younger than Lamoriello and has his name etched on Lord Stanley one more than Lamoriello’s three. More importantly: Holland was two goals away last spring from a fifth Stanley Cup victory in Edmonton, and how sweet that would’ve been with a second franchise. Holland is prime to lead a club as president, where he can hire a GM and mentor and oversee the process with his hands on the wheel. Plus, last time we saw him in December, he admitted he’s “not sure” he loves a stress-free existence. This hockey lifer is wired to work.PETER CHIARELLI
It’s been a while since we’ve seen Chiarelli at the post, and probably for good reason. It didn’t end well in Edmonton in 2019, setting the Oilers back a bit, which required significant correcting by Holland. But Chiarelli, 60, is experienced, has a Stanley Cup pedigree, and has been diligently grinding away in St. Louis as senior vice president under Doug Armstrong since 2021. One thing to know about Chiarelli: He has the support of top NHL brass and he frequently lands interviews on recommendation, putting himself in the mix.
Holland and the Oilers parted ways last summer after the club made it all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, falling to the Florida Panthers. He’s spent time this season as a hockey operations consultant for the league, but as Seravalli mentioned, still has the fire for working for a team.
Chiarelli, meanwhile, has been looked over for multiple general manager roles since the Oilers fired him in January 2019. He landed on his feet the next season with the Blues as a senior advisor for two years, before getting bumped up, as Seravalli mentioned, in 2021.
