There’s also the matter of Lamoriello’s loyalty to his crew. He only traded Nelson for that good return because Nelson rebuffed several contract offers, likely in the three-year range. If Lamoriello had his way, no one would have been traded this week and the Islanders would have brought the entire gang back for another go in 2025-26.

New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello sat down with media for an in-depth look at the team’s current state after the trade deadline and where he plans to head this summer.

By trading only Brock Nelson this week, general manager Lou Lamoriello committed to the challenge of trying to retool the New York Islanders while keeping them in contention.

The goal of general manager Lou Lamoriello, whose team sits four points out of a wild-card spot, was to re-sign pending unrestricted free agent forwards Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri. Lamoriello was unable to retain Nelson, who reportedly turned down a three-year deal at around $7.5 million annually.

It's unclear if Mathew Barzal will be able to return before the end of the regular season. The 27-year-old forward has been out with a lower-body injury sustained after blocking a shot late in the third period of a 3-2 overtime win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Feb. 1. He had a minor procedure Feb. 6 and is out indefinitely.