Nearly 81, how much longer does Lou Lamoriello have with the NY Islanders?

As athletes come to the end of their careers, there are always some who don't know when to call it quits. There are very few Tom Brady's in the world who dominate well past their prime years. Though he's not on the ice, NY Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello is in his 36th season as a general manager and will turn 81 in just over a week.

Still one of the game's greatest minds, there will be a time when Lamoriello hangs up his tie and steps away from the sport. Frank Seravalli of The Daily Faceoff mentions the possibility of this being the final season of Lamoriello's career in his "32 Bold Predictions" article.

After 35 years and three Stanley Cups, this will be Lou Lamoriello’s last season as an NHL general manager. The NHL’s only octogenarian GM, sharp as ever, will celebrate his 81st birthday on Oct. 21. But the New York Islanders will fall short of the playoffs this season and after doubling and tripling down on this roster, change is inevitable.

The key word in the article title is "bold." Nobody is sure when Lamoriello will step away - nobody is even sure what his contract looks like besides himself. Never one to divulge information, the world will find out he's walking only when he decides it's time.

Since joining the Isles, Lamoriello has brought the team to two Conference Finals, winning the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award in both seasons. Most recently, he's cleared the contracts of Josh Bailey and Ross Johnston off the books, only sacrificing a second-round pick to do so, allowing the Isles some breathing room from the cap ceiling.

With the extensions given to Pierre Engvall, Scott Mayfield, and Semyon Varlamov this off-season, not to mention the long-term extensions given the past few seasons, Lamoriello is sticking his successor (whenever that day comes) with little wiggle room to play with the salary cap.

It's not the first time someone has mentioned the possibility of Lamoriello stepping down. Just one search on X, and you'll see plenty of fans calling for his job due to a contract he's given out or a trade he's made that they don't agree with. Say what you like about the man, but there's zero question that the Islanders have been a better team since he took over in 2018.

It may be next year, it may be in five years - but the day will inevitably come when Lamoriello walks away from the game. In typical Lou fashion, he'll do it on his terms with a big say on who will take over the reins for him as the next GM of the Islanders.