The New York Islanders announced on Tuesday that they did not renew Lou Lamoriello's contract for the 2025-26 season, meaning the team needed to find a new general manager for the first time since 2018.
Lamoriello's tenure on Long Island had ups and downs, but there's no arguing that he completely changed the fortunes of a franchise that was desperate for direction, an identity, and success.
Lamoriello's loss will be felt around the organization, but ownership made the decision to move on and now it's about Lou's replacement.
Here are a few candidates for the position:
Marc Bergevin
A former player for the Islanders, Marc Bergevin spent nearly a decade running the show for the Montreal Canadiens between 2012 and 2021.
The Islanders will likely want someone with experience to take the team forward, and Bergevin obviously ticks that box.
It's rumored that Bergevin has already interviewed for the position, but that is yet to be confirmed.
Jarmo Kekalainen
Another candidate with plenty of experience, Jarmo Kekalainen oversaw the best period in the Columbus Blue Jackets' history. He brought in Artemi Panarin, Seth Jones, and Matt Duchene to bolster the ranks of the Jackets. Jarmo is also responsible for drafting Kirill Marchenko, Dmitri Voronkov, Zach Werenski, and Pierre-Luc Dubois.
Like Bergevin, Kekalainen has reportedly already had initial contact about the position.
Ryan Bowness
If the Islanders aren't married to the idea of bringing in someone with experience managing an NHL organization, they could look to Ryan Bowness. He's currently running the Belleville Senators, Ottawa's AHL franchise, and has been a hot name in previous GM searches.
Brandon Pridham
While he may not have experience running the show, Brandon Pridham has been one of the key cogs in the front office for the Toronto Maple Leafs for quite some time. Considered an expert and working the salary cap, Pridham is likely going to get a GM job soon, so his name will get out there in this search.