from Adam Proteau of The Hockey News,
For each team, we’ll pick out one player, GM, coach or team owner to put on the hot seat as someone facing considerable pressure to put up excellent results this coming season or be relocated to their team’s doghouse. A second individual will go on the warm seat as someone who may not facing a firing or trade anytime soon but who the team has very high expectations for in 2023-24 and beyond. A third individual will be assigned to the cold seat, labeling them as highly likely to stay on their current team for a very long period.
ISLANDERS’ HOT SEAT: LANE LAMBERT, COACH
Lambert is entering his second season as Islanders coach. GM Lou Lamoriello has given him a lineup that isn't the most talented inside or outside their Metropolitan Division, so he’s got to find ways they can win. The Isles are capped out on the salary cap front, with a current payroll of $83.2 million in 2023-24, per PuckPedia. Lamoriello is famous for quickly replacing his coaches, and if the Islanders wobble and disappoint, Lambert is going to be under a massive microscope and have his tactics questioned.
The Isles went 42-31-9 last season and just barely squeaked into the final wild-card berth, earning it by only two standings points over the Metro's fifth-placed Pittsburgh Penguins. That’s where we expect they’ll be in 2023-24 – only this time, it could be the Islanders on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. If that’s how it goes for the Isles, Lambert could get the chop from Lamoriello. Most of their lineup is locked in for the long term, and it’s always much easier to change direction by taking out the coach instead of the players.
Coaching is a cutthroat business, and Lambert is well aware of the extremely high stakes he’s dealing with this season. To keep his job safe, Lambert has to deliver at least another Stanley Cup playoff appearance – and once he’s there, he must guide them far past the first round. Lamoriello’s itchy trigger finger when it comes to coaches should always give Lambert pause to appreciate his current surroundings. It could all end relatively quickly for him if his team underachieves.
Pretty fair assessment. Lou himself could be on a hotseat - but the owners just love him, and it will be very interesting to see how this year shakes out. A lot has to go right in order to make a playoff spot. (Health, improved special teams, someone to have a breakout season) But I feel it can.
Goaltending might be best in league. Full season of Bo Horvat could make a difference.
But the competition will SO FIERCE in the Meto and the conference. My biggest fear is being the greatest 9th place team ever. That is also very possible. This is why they play the games.
They have to get some cap space for the deadline to move the needle. WE SHALL SEE!
Im not a believer in NYI this year but who hasnt been wrong before?
That goaltending definitely can be a difference maker but more teams in the East seem to be getting better than worse. It might come down to which teams do better against each other in head-to-head matchups, avoiding giving up loser points to conference opponents and who stays the healthiest. I think you could see 1-3 quality teams in the East miss the playoffs. When the season starts only Montreal and Philly look like locks to miss the playoffs.
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