The Islanders look like a different team since moving on from Lou Lamoriello

One glance at the New York Islanders this season tells you they're already a far cry from the Lou Lamoriello days. For one, they're a lot more fun to watch, evidenced by their 40 goals that ranked 13th in the league as of Monday afternoon.

For years under Lamoriello, the Islanders played a physical game, but one that lacked a high-octane offensive output from most of their players. If they didn't show up defensively, it was tough for the Isles' scorers to make up the dividends, and it led to stagnation following a few successful seasons.

Add the "no facial hair" policy to the bad contracts that routinely put the Islanders' backs against the cap wall while mortgaging the future for an aging core, and the result was an underachieving hockey team. Overall, it led to a perpetually stagnating group that was average on a good day and put together the occasional exciting run, but eventually nothing that was going to be championship-caliber.

New York Islanders' identity has already made strides under Mathieu Darche

Under Mathieu Darche, the Islanders already look like a team that's retooling in a better, younger direction. You can't say enough about Matthew Schaefer, Darche's first ever draft pick, and the same goes for newcomers like Emil Heineman, or Matthew Barzal's resurgence.

You won't see an older and slower hockey team under Darche, and with the youngsters looking impressive so far this season, expect more turnover, but for the better. Veterans will slowly get pushed out in favor of younger players, and the team's image will keep shifting from "old and slow" to "young, fast, and more efficient."

That's going to create newfound success on Long Island, and while there have been obvious growing pains, the Isles' emerging identity will keep forcing opponents to adjust to this quicker style featuring more highlight-reel scoring.

Isles were correct to push the reset button

Ultimately, Lou Lamoriello's style was older and outdated, with his reluctance to even open his mind more to player promotion and marketing. Throw in the cap turmoil and barren prospects pool, and it was only a matter of time before there would be cracks in the foundation, and that became too apparent in 2024-25 when the Isles finished 27th in scoring and sixth in the Metro Division.

Had they held on to Lamoriello, they most likely would have kept falling into a long, slow decline. Maybe Lamoriello would have rolled with Matthew Schaefer with the first pick, but that still wouldn't have changed his commitment to veterans and finding ways to salvage what he had left with the players he currently had on Long Island. Plus, the regimented structure never would have budged.

Now that Lamoriello is gone, the Islanders are playing a better brand of hockey and are much freer in their off-ice endeavors. The change of culture will become more apparent the longer Darche is in town, and you will keep seeing that new identity unfold on Long Island in the coming seasons.