3 moves GM Lou Lamoriello made that saved the NY Islanders season

General Managers are used to criticism. It comes with the territory, and no GM has been around longer than NY Islanders President of Hockey Operations, Lou Lamoriello.

As the fanbase gets itself worked up with every trade rumor that doesn't materialize, every contract that is handed out, and every signing that underperforms, Lamoriello goes about his business in a way that doesn't let on what he's thinking or how he feels about what's happening on or off the ice.

His actions have always spoken louder than his words, and over the last two seasons, he's demonstrated an unwavering belief that the team he assembled was good enough to make the postseason and contend for a Stanley Cup.

At 80 years old and rumored to be in the final year of the contract he signed with Scott Malkin and Jon Ledecky in 2018, those on the outside wondered if this would be the final year of his Islanders tenure if the team didn't qualify for the playoffs for the second consecutive season with a need to be relevant in their shiny new UBS Arena.

But as always tends to do, Lamoriello made shrewd moves, ones those around the league did not see coming but were well conceived and matched what the team needed for the short and long term to remain a consistent playoff participant with enough talent and experience to make a deep run.

In his first three seasons on Long Island, the team was in playoff position for the majority, if not all, of the season. That wasn't the case this year. The team needed contributions from players that were not part of the lineup when the year started and got them through three acquisitions Lamoriello made in different ways for different purposes at different times.

Here are 3 moves Lamoriello made that saved the Islanders season.