Having a key defenseman on LTIR, a forward on IR, another defenseman on an undetermined injury, and maybe even speculation about your head coach was perhaps enough of an impetus to get Lou Lamoriello to offer one of his periodic media availabilities to select media and, by extension, Islanders fans.
First, Lamoriello offered injury updates, noting Adam Pelech will be out “weeks” (news flash: it will be more), Sebastian Aho’s prognosis is still subject to doctor visits, and Matt Martin will be back in a few days but was retroactively put on IR so that the Isles could add a player via waivers:
As for adding Mike Reilly via waivers: The GM said it wasn’t about lack of confidence in the younger defensemen (i.e. Samuel Bolduc and anyone in Bridgeport…though it clearly is that), but rather about adding experience and a guy who’s a left shot and who they know somewhat well from past playoff meetings. He said the Isles like his speed and puck-moving ability; where he fits beyond the short-term need, time will tell.
One of the great moments was when Andrew Gross of Newsday asked Lamoriello if he still sees in Lane Lambert everything he thought he saw when he hired him (of course the answer was a short “yes”), and then Gross alluded to “some ugly things fans chanted” — i.e., “Fire Lambert, Lou Must Go” etc. — and asked if Lou had any response. “I have no response, just like I have no response when you write some ugly things. … It’s part of the game.”
However, more on the fans: “I respect them. … I love their passion. I don’t mind. We’re expected to win.”
Lamoriello also fielded a couple questions from Shannon Hogan of broadcast rights holder MSG, answering that he does expect more from his top-dollar top-liners Bo Horvat and Mat Barzal, and that he and Lane Lambert do talk every day, but what they talk about is no one else’s business.
Always a fountain of illuminating information, that Isles GM. It’s one of the things he and his predecessor Garth Snow have deeply in common.