Patrick Roy is putting his touch on the NY Islanders roster and staff

When Patrick Roy took over the helm as the head coach of the NY Islanders, the team responded, rocketing up the standings and claiming third place in the Metro Division.

Just over six months after Roy's hiring, he's rounding out his coaching staff and roster with players who fit his mold.

After signing with the Islanders and taking over for Lane Lambert, Roy inherited a coaching staff assembled by Lambert with John MacLean and Doug Houda as his assistants. The Islanders played four games with those three behind the bench before Roy brought in Benoit Desrosiers as his third assistant coach.

Desrosiers, 35, got his first job as an assistant coach in the CHL at 24 years old. After five seasons with the Chicoutimi Sagueneens and Sherbrooke Phoenix, Desrosiers joined Roy with the Quebec Remparts and has become a trusted advisor of the four-time Stanley Cup champion.

With Houda being relieved of his duties as assistant coach, the Isles hired Tommy Albelin to take over who will presumably be in charge of the penalty kill. Albelin has been a Lou Lamoriello guy for years, but one would assume he's someone Roy signed off on to work beside every day.

Now to the roster. The Islanders signed Anthony Duclair to a 4-year deal with a $3.5M AAV on the first day of free agency. Duclair made it known that Roy personally reached out to him making it clear he wanted the 10-year veteran to make Long Island his new home.

“He gave me a call this morning, told me that he wanted me, and when a coach tells you he wants to for the team, it’s hard to say no,” Duclair said. “Especially when it’s Pat and someone who I have a tremendous amount of respect for. I know him very well and his family very well.”

There's still work to be done to make the Islanders a true Stanley Cup contender, with another top-6 winger being the priority, but the staff and the roster are surely headed in the right direction.