Would Ken Holland be Lou Lamoriello 2.0 as the next GM of the NY Islanders?

The last time the New York Islanders searched for a GM, their search ended with a Hockey Hall of Famer to build their roster and run their hockey operations. Could they do it again? And if they did, would it be a bad thing?

Hockey Hall of Famer Ken Holland is rumored to be the top choice for the Isles' vacant GM job, a job that became considerably more attractive after Monday night's draft lottery win. Lou Lamoriello is still employed by the team, with his contract set to expire in the coming weeks, and he has a longstanding personal relationship with Holland going back decades.

“Kenny, without question, is one of the most successful and respected general managers ever,” Lamoriello said after Holland left Edmonton after falling one game short of a Stanley Cup last season.. “He is not only an outstanding hockey man but a better person. I cherish his friendship. He deserves any and all accolades.”

Both have built championship teams that were the model franchises of their time. Structure, culture, accountability - those are buzzwords, sure, but these guys live them. Lou did it with Brodeur, Stevens, and Elias. Holland had Lidström, Yzerman, and Datsyuk. And since? They’ve both tried to replicate that magic in the cap era, and while they got close, overall, it's been mixed results.

So what's not like? Well, if the reason to move on from Lou was to bring a fresh, modern perspective to the front office, hiring Holland, for all his success, feels a bit like Lamoriello 2.0. Holland brings experience, discipline, and culture, but is that what the moment calls for in 2025, when data and analytics drive decisions more than ever?

For ownership, there's more to evaluate than what his recent track record is on trades and free-agent acquisitions. They also have to consider who is best to build the hockey operations infrastructure that is lacking due to the way Lamoriello preferred to run things. Whomever gets the Islanders job is going to have to attract high-end front office talent and fill multiple roles for the long-term. From that perspective, Holland, 69, makes a lot of sense to be a top candidate.

Would it be Lamoriello 2.0? In some ways, maybe, but Lamoriello, before fans grew tired of his running-it-back strategy, was named GM of the year two consecutive seasons and ushered in the most successful era of Islanders hockey since the dynasty years. When you've done a job as long as Holland and Lamoriello have, there will be plenty of missteps alongside their big swings that end up hitting their mark. It's up to Isles' ownership to decide how many good years Holland has left in him and if it's worth finding out.