Evaluating Potential Candidates for the Islanders Vacant GM Chair (List 1.0)

The sun rose once again this morning. For the first time in 2,528 days, the sun rose in a world without Lou Lamoriello running the New York Islanders.

The Islanders then played games in the Barclays Center, with a partial return to Nassau Coliseum looming. UBS Arena and its construction hadn’t even broken ground yet. Only five other executives running teams have lasted longer than Lamoriello (Rob Blake, Don Sweeney, Jim Nill, Kevin Cheveldayoff, Doug Armstrong).

With yesterday’s news fully set in, word has already trickled out that the Islanders will be running an extensive search. The removal of Lamoriello makes them the only current NHL club with a GM Vacancy. On the NHL Network, Elliotte Friedman said:

“There’s going to be a lot of interest in this job. A lot.”

The Islanders have to get this hire right. It’ll be just their second time the franchise has hired a new GM since 2007. Garth Snow ran the show from 2006-2018. The wrong hire could be disastrous for UBS Arena’s fragile attendance population.

So, let’s evaluate one batch of possible candidates:

#1: Jarmo Kekalainen

Jarmo Kekalainen is arguably the top candidate out there as a potential general manager. Kekalainen’s executive career began as the director of player personnel for the Ottawa Senators from 1999 to 2002. From there, he pivoted to an assistant general manager job with the St. Louis Blues from 2002 until 2010. He also served as the director of amateur scouting, helping identify and pushing the team to draft future Blues captain and 2019 Stanley Cup Champions Alex Pietrangelo, along with a litany of forwards including T.J. Oshie and David Perron.

After serving as a general manager in Finland, the Columbus Blue Jackets hired Kekalainen to be their general manager midway through the 2013-14 season. He lasted a decade in Columbus, with a decent enough record drafting, including drafting Zach Werenski (8th overall, 2015) and shocking the NHL world in the 2016 NHL Draft, opting to take Pierre-Luc Dubois over Jesse Puljujarvi. In later rounds, he has big-time hits, including a third-rounder on Oliver Bjorkstrand and a sixth-rounder on Vladislav Gavrikov. As with any GM, he has his misses, but his hits are notable.

Trading-wise, he has arguably the biggest fleece of the 2010s. On June 23, 2017, Kekalainen acquired Artemi Panarin, Tyler Motte, and a sixth-round pick in exchange for Brandon Saad, Anton Forsberg, and a fifth-round pick. A total fleece of the Chicago Blackhawks. Previously, he acquired Seth Jones one-for-one for Ryan Johansen. Johansen came off a career-high 71 points in 2014-15, then started slower in 2015-16. He acquired the 21-year-old Jones for his then 1C.

Two gigantic wins. He notably landed Matt Duchene ahead of the 2019 Trade Deadline, and has a litany of deals. Oh, and by the way, he’s the GM who signed Johnny Gaudreau as a free agent.

If he hadn’t dealt with virtually every star player he acquired demanding out of Columbus, perhaps he’d have been able to earn more sustained success for the Jackets.

Last spring, Kekalainen spoke to NHL.com about his desire to return to the NHL as a GM:

“I’d be a lot better general manager the second time around,” Kekalainen told NHL.com. “I’m also realizing that I’m not ready to retire, so I’m staying active. I’ve [scouted] some games to make sure that I stay current with the other prospects coming into the NHL, which is a lot of NHL hockey, college hockey, major junior, [American Hockey League], so I’m definitely full of energy and ready for the next challenge as well.”

Kekalainen is Finnish and remains the only European GM ever hired.

#2: Marc Bergevin

Marc Bergevin is the former general manager of the Montreal Canadiens, serving as GM from 2012 to 2021. Bergevin played for the Islanders as a player for 76 games over two seasons.

He led the Canadiens to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, but saw himself ousted just months later. His trading record is iffy, with his final disastrous trade with Montreal shipping a first-round pick for Christian Dvorak. The Athletic ($) broke down and graded every single trade he made up to 2020.

Drafting-wise, he’s wildly inconsistent. Our own Marc Dumont broke this down just a couple of years ago: https://montrealhockeynow.com/2023/06/18/montreal-canadiens-comparing-bergevin-and-hughes-draft-pick-value-habs-picks-slafkovsky-rumours-canadiens/

Bergevin currently serves as an advisor to Rob Blake in Los Angeles. NYIHockeyNow believes the Islanders have already spoken with Bergevin about the vacancy, along with multiple other candidates.

#3: Rob Blake

Rob Blake has been the Kings’ GM since 2017 and served as their assistant GM when they won their second Stanley Cup in 2014. The 55-year-old Hall of Famer has an uncertain future, as his contract expires after this season. If the Kings are once again eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers, it’s expected that the Kings will move on from Blake.

He and Islanders’ Head Coach Roy won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2001. In his time with the Kings, he’s taken big risks and rebuilt the Kings from the post-Cup window into a future, acquiring talented younger players like Kevin Fiala, drafted Quinton Byfield, and infused the talent with veteran acquisitions such as Phillip Danault, all while building around the core pieces of Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty.

Blake also showed a ruthless streak when he unexpectedly dealt Jonathan Quick at the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline. That move stunned the hockey world, and it happened almost solely for cap-related reasons.

The Kings lead the Oilers 1-0 in their series, but if things go awry, expect the Islanders to take a hard look at Blake, especially given his pre-existing friendly relationship with Roy.

#4: Kevin Weekes

A stark contrast to the other options named previously, Kevin Weekes currently works for ESPN as an analyst and breaking news reporter. He’s a former goaltender of the Islanders.

It’s well known within hockey circles that Weekes wants a job in NHL Management, and he’s interviewed for other jobs previously. He has no prior experience.

Weekes is an off-the-board name who would focus solely on building the team, while the rest of the front office would need to be built around him, perhaps a non-starter for this particular job.

#5: Assistant GMs Around the League

There is a slew of assistant GMs currently competing in the NHL playoffs who make for a perfect target for the Islanders if they want a new-faced GM.

Mathieu Darche of the Tampa Bay Lightning has reportedly been a key fixture in multiple jobs in recent years, but ultimately remains with the Bolts. He is also the director of hockey operations in Tampa, making him an even more intriguing candidate for the Islanders.

Brandon Pridham of the Toronto Maple Leafs is another hot name on the market, serving as an assistant general manager after Kyle Dubas hired him in 2018. An expert capologist with a ton of experience working for MLSE (Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment Group), he would fit the bill for New York.

Other names floated about include AGMs Randy Bowness (OTT), Emilie Castonguay (VAN), Dan MacKinnon (NJD)

#6: Patrick Roy

The silent elephant in the room. Elliotte Friedman confirmed suspicions of a rift between Lamoriello and Roy today. The two allegedly disagreed over the team’s playing style at times.

Roy, a fiery and outspoken guy, quit in Colorado after he did not get his way in player management with the Avalanche a decade ago. He then served as dual-GM and coach for the Quebec Remparts, leading them to a QMJHL and Memorial Cup Championship in 2023.

When the Islanders hired him, he said he did not want to become a GM. Perhaps his bickering with Lamoriello over playstyle changed his mind.

With his fate entirely unknown and experience in front offices, Roy will likely throw his hat in the ring for at least an interview. What comes of his fate afterward remains to be seen.