Former Wings, Oilers GM among early names for New York Islanders job

Lou Lamoriello’s exit from the New York Islanders GM role means the team will be hunting for a new voice to lead the team. Well, one of the early candidates for the Isles’ GM role isn’t exactly a “new” voice.

We’re talking about former Detroit Red Wings and Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland. Holland last served in a major executive position in 2024 when he left Edmonton following the Oilers’ magical Cup run. The NY Post reported that early industry sources point toward Holland getting consideration for the job in Long Island.

While Holland is currently working as a consultant for the League, there wouldn’t appear to be any issues for him to jump back into the front of office of a team. That would make it seem like a good situation for the Isles as they look to have a new GM in place ahead of the NHL Draft in June.

Now, the draft is still about two months away. But there’s a ridiculous amount of preparation that leads to hitting the draft floor. And, for a new GM, the prep time because even more precious.

I’m not calling for Holland, or any other candidate for that matter, to be hired almost immediately. I’m sure the New York Islanders’ ownership group will want to make sure they’re doing the right thing before pulling the trigger.

But based on where things could be headed this summer, they won’t want to drag this out much longer. That situation could mean turning to a known commodity like Holland.

Why Ken Holland would be more of the same for New York Islanders

Ken Holland, like Lou Lamoriello, is an old-school kind of guy.

Nothing wrong with that, right?

True. But the issue with old school is that Holland, like Lamoriello, found plenty of success in the pre-cap era. During that time, success hinged on completely different factors and economics that are not relevant today.

Building a winning team in the salary cap era has been far more challenging than in a time when money could really buy the best team in the league. Moreover, the dynamics of the game itself have moved the focus away from rough-and-tumble styles to more puck-possession, skill-driven systems.

Sure, there’s no questioning Ken Holland’s track record. But hiring someone like Holland means the Islanders will be keeping much of the same philosophy of Lamoriello’s. A newer voice, someone who could be willing to navigate a rebuild might be better suited for the job at this point.

I don’t want to speculate on who could take over. But from what we’ve seen, such as Kyle Dubas in Pittsburgh, or Mike Greer in San Jose, teams staring at the possibility of a rebuild have gone for younger GMs.

If the Islanders hire a younger executive to take over the helm, fans might interpret that as a sign that the team is at least open to the possibility of a rebuild.