Islanders: Three questions Lou Lamoriello hopefully address at presser

New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello will speak to the media today, here are three questions he hopefully answers.

On Thursday, New York Islanders fans will hear from GM Lou Lamoriello. The President and General Manager will meet the media on New Year’s Eve and just days away from the opening of the team’s 2021 training camp.

As always no one actually knows what Lou Lamoriello is going to say – the man keeps his cards close to his chest at all times – here are three things Lou will hopefully address tomorrow.

Mathew Barzal

Updates on Mathew Barzal‘s contract negotiations are all anyone really cares about. Ideally, the conference is to announce a signing, but if not I bet the first question that gets tossed Lou’s way is about Barzal:

• Are both sides still talking daily?
• Is he on the Island waiting for camp?
• Can we expect something soon?

At the time of writing Mathew Barzal is not yet signed and it’s all anyone on and off the Island can focus on. So if this press conference isn’t about Barzal signing a deal hopefully Lou will have a few answers about what’s going on.

Andrew Ladd

The New York Islanders don’t have much room on the cap to add what they need; a top-line 30 goal scorer. Andrew Ladd and his $5.5 million cap hit are a big reason why. Signed by former GM Garth Snow to a seven-year $38.5, Ladd has played a total of 181 games with the Isles of a possible 314 (57%).

As far as we know Ladd is destined for the taxi squad where the Islanders can get $1.075 million in cap relief. But if he were to ‘retire’ like Johnny Boychuk, the Islanders could gain much more space in the form of LTIR. Learning what will happen with Ladd in 2021 could help us understand Lou’s plan to navigate the salary cap and if he plans to bring in help from outside the organization.

Josh Ho-Sang

The Josh Ho-Sang situation took yet another ugly turn on Wednesday. The Athletic’s Arthur Staple broke the news that the 2014 first-round pick may not be invited to training camp. Which confused a lot of people.

Why did the Islanders give Josh Ho-Sang a qualifying offer in the offseason if they didn’t plan on having him around? The Islanders didn’t offer a qualifying offer to RFA Linus Soderstrom so cutting RFA’s loose wasn’t something new to them. Why not invite Ho-Sang to camp, there is seemingly nothing to lose by giving him an invite.

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Did Josh Ho-Sang and his camp know that they wouldn’t have a shot at the NHL when they signed a one-year two-way deal with the Isles this offseason?

I doubt this press conference is about the Josh Ho-Sang situation so hopefully, someone will ask Lou what happened between JHS and the club to warrant what seems like a snub.