Islanders President & GM Search: Evaluating Possible Candidates 2.0

The New York Islanders moved on from Lou Lamoriello nine days ago. The franchise has been working diligently toward hiring his replacement(s). In the past 10 days, it’s become clear that the list of candidates is vast.

Sources tell NYI Hockey Now that a hire is not close to imminent, but the process is in a good place. With the first round finishing up, more candidates are beginning to emerge as possibilities, depending on how things shake out.

Last week, we looked at some initial candidates that jumped right out. It’s believed Jarmo Kekalainen and Kevin Weekes continue to be in the mix. As for the Los Angeles crew (Marc Bergevin and Rob Blake), if the Kings are eliminated tonight, it’s widely expected that Blake would be fired as GM. Then, the team would heavily consider hiring Bergevin from within.

Here’s the updated look at candidates:

#1: Mathieu Darche

Mathieu Darche’s name continues to generate steam. Last week, I listed him in the broader “Assistant GMs” category, but he’s emerged as a serious candidate. Now, with Tampa Bay eliminated, conversations can pick up steam.

His name has consistently been in rumors for GM jobs in previous years. Darche’s title in Tampa Bay is appealing, as in addition to serving as an assistant general manager, he’s also the president of hockey operations in Tampa Bay.

His experience with that title helps a lot. Despite not sitting in the big chair, he won both Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021 in his current position and played a major part in the titles.

If the Islanders do go with him, he could hold both titles and would be viewed as a potential home-run hire leaguewide.

Ultimately, anyone who’s hired is going to have some risks. Darche perhaps has the least amount of holes as anyone first-time candidate receiving consideration.

#2: Ken Holland

Ken Holland has been all but publicly campaigning for the job through the media. With the longest resume of any candidate, if the Islanders want to go with the experienced route, his the #1 target and it isn’t particularly close.

Holland won four Stanley Cups while in charge of the Detroit Red Wings, then brought the Edmonton Oilers to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last season.

What remains unknown is if he’d want to be both president of hockey operations and GM. If he doesn’t want to be GM, it’s expected that he would bring his son Brad (formerly Edmonton’s AGM) or Ryan Martin, currently an AGM with the Rangers.

With the current state of the Rangers, I’d be surprised if the Islanders touched anyone from that toxic inferno, but Martin has a very strong resume.

As of now, I’d still be surprised if the Islanders went down this road.

#3: Peter Chiarelli

I know, I know. The name that defies logic, but Arthur Staple of the Athletic reported him as a candidate. In the years since his departure from Edmonton, he interviewed with multiple teams, including the Chicago Blackhawks.

He’s served as the Vice President of Hockey Ops with the St. Louis Blues since 2021. Earlier in his career, he helped build the Boston Bruins, who won the Stanley Cup in 2011 with him as GM.

Once he won that cup, everything slid downhill. His lowlights include trading away youngster Tyler Seguin in a huge miss and then trading beloved defenseman Johnny Boychuk here to the Islanders, due solely to cap reasons.

Then, the Oilers hired him as GM in 2015. His very first move in charge? Trading the 16th and 33rd overall picks to the Islanders for Griffin Reinhart. The Islanders drafted Mathew Barzal with that pick, then flipped the 33rd (and 72nd) for the 28th overall pick and selected Anthony Beauvillier.

Then, he traded Jordan Eberle to the Islanders for Ryan Strome one-for-one. He then flipped Strome for Ryan Spooner one-for-one. Spooner hasn’t played an NHL game since the 2018-19 season. Strome still produces good numbers, currently for the Anaheim Ducks. That doesn’t include his Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson trade, and multiple failed free agent signings.

The good stuff on his list of moves includes the foresight to give Leon Draisaitl a massive eight-year, $68 million contract. With Boston, he signed Zdeno Chara and traded Phil Kessel to Toronto for multiple 1s (that turned into Seguin and Dougie Hamilton).

Even so, if hired, it would be a lightning rod of a choice to the fanbase, to say the very least.

#4: Brendan Shanahan

Speaking of lightning rods, enter the Toronto Maple Leafs’ President of Hockey Operations and an Alternate Governor. He’s held his position in Toronto since 2o14. He hired Lou Lamoriello as his first GM, then Kyle Dubas, and finally Brad Treliving.

If the Maple Leafs do not have a deep run, he is not expected to return to Toronto after his 11th season. While everyone points to Toronto’s playoff failures, he did help build one of the best, most consistent regular-season teams in the last decade.

His greatest sin likely came in the 2023 offseason. After another playoff failure, then-GM Kyle Dubas indicated that he would be open to making significant changes to the core. An apparent power struggle ensued, resulting in Shanahan then firing Dubas.

A perfect timeline is outlined and put into context here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zavVVzG8NM&t=4964s

Brad Treliving, the newest GM, has made his fair share of strong moves. In all honesty, Shanahan seems to have gone 3/3 with his hires at GM. The only issue, of course, remains the inability of his core to have won anything in the playoffs.

Mitch Marner and John Tavares are pending UFAs. If Toronto fails to escape the early rounds, massive change will come. Shanahan would become a priority target for the Islanders as the president of hockey operations.

After that, Shanahan would decide on the GM, whether it’s himself or someone else.