from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun,

- What exactly does a general manager do and how much does he matter in the National Hockey League?

That discussion came up once again as Lou Lamoriello’s New York Islanders moved on in the Stanley Cup playoffs and his former teams in New Jersey and Toronto plod along uncomfortably.

Being a GM is not only about acquiring players, negotiating contracts and trading acumen. That’s the way it’s perceived from the outside. Those are parts of the job.

But building a foundation — that’s the most important factor in performance.

I remember having a conversation with an Islanders front-office employee just months after Lamoriello had taken over on Long Island. He said he couldn’t believe the difference in the group from before Lamoriello arrived as GM. He talked about team structure, the hiring of Barry Trotz as coach, the way in which everything was geared to team, the notion of one team, one goal....

- Someone should say this: Pending free agent Taylor Hall, with three playoff goals for the Bruins, is just another guy in the NHL. A name to fill out a roster with.

- Rental Nick Foligno apparently wants to stay with the Leafs. That’s what he’s telling people. If the team can’t sign Zach Hyman, which is likely, maybe they can afford Foligno.

- If I was a hockey player, I’d want to be coached by Rod Brind’Amour.

more on the first item plus a few additional hockey notes...