NY Islanders Lou Lamoriello unafraid to nix question about contract status as general manager

NY Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello hardly makes himself available to the media whether in season or over the summer. In fact, his availability is really just limited to the beginning of the season to address his summer work and following the trade deadline to address what he did or did not do. On Saturday, ahead of the Islanders' game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Lamoriello addressed the media on a number of questions, including the status of Mathew Barzal, Oliver Wahlstrom, and Sebastian Aho's injuries. One question he may not have expected, but received, was about the status of his own contract.

To preface the story, there's been looming speculation that the Islanders general manager's contract with ownership is up following the conclusion of the 2022-23 season. When Lamoriello signed former head coach Barry Trotz as the Islanders' bench boss in the 2018-19 season to a five-year contract, it was believed that Trotz's contract ran for the same length as Lamoriello's. Fast forward to Saturday, Trotz is no longer in the picture as Lamoriello relieved him of his duties last summer. Now, questions are beginning to arise about Lamoriello's status whether he likes it or not.

“Well, first of all, I never talk about myself," Lamoriello said looking to dismiss the question. "But, common knowledge around the league? Obviously, none of you know what’s going on with (my contract). So, when you say common knowledge, I’ll just stop there and I wish that sometimes you have facts rather than ‘common knowledge’ and when you report, report what you know, not what you guess, read, or hear.”

Because Lamoriello's availabilities are so scarce, some do all they can to squeeze as much out of the Islanders' general manager as they can. It's no secret that Lamoriello keeps things close to the vest as possible, but you can't blame the reporter for trying. It's not the first time we've heard Lamoriello clap back, and it may not be the last. However, Lamoriello's recent history suggests that he's not necessarily worried about his contract status, either, especially following the acquisitions of Bo Horvat and Pierre Engvall.

The truth is, only Lamoriello and ownership know what the status of the 80-year-old general manager's contract is, and until a decision is made, we likely won't know until then.