Lamoriello’s intentions likely will come to light during draft, free agency

LAS VEGAS — Now is when president/general manager Lou Lamoriello’s blueprint for the Islanders’ next season will become clearer.

The two-day NHL Draft opened on Friday with the first round at the have-to-see-it-to-believe-it Sphere. The Islanders held the 20th overall pick, with rounds two through seven on Saturday morning. The draft is always fertile ground for GMs to discuss potential deals.

On Monday, the free-agent market opens.

So the super-secretive Lamoriello will have to show his hand, at least somewhat, in how he plans to improve the Islanders and their veteran core after two straight first-round playoff ousters.

The Islanders did not make Lamoriello available for comment immediately before the draft. The last time he addressed the media, during the team’s breakup day on May 3, he simultaneously expressed extreme confidence in his team and its late-season run to quality for the postseason under new coach Patrick Roy, hired in January, while saying the organization was absolutely not satisfied after failing to win a playoff series since 2021.

“The way we ended up the season and the type of stretch that we really had to do to get into the playoffs was just incredible,” Lamoriello said on May 3. “And I believe that’s sort of the starting point to next season. There are things that you can do that you don’t have the ups and downs because there’s a foundation that doesn’t have to be changed in the middle of the stream, where players have to think before they react because of change. I couldn’t be more pleased with where we are today.”

Roy replaced the fired Lane Lambert on Jan. 20 and went 20-12-5. That included an 8-0-1 run to finish the season third in the Metropolitan Division. The Hurricanes eliminated the Islanders in five games, with the Isles’ lone win coming in double overtime in Game 4.

“The playoffs feel like unfinished business because I thought that we played really well,” Roy said on May 3. “When the coach on the other side says that the games could have gone either way, I really believe in that because that’s how I felt as well. Coming up short doesn’t make you feel good about it. But at the same time, seeing the improvement of our team and the way we played certainly motivated me to be more ready for next year.”

The team Roy will coach next season may largely be determined in the next week or so.

The NHL salary-cap ceiling is rising by $4.5 million for next season to $88 million. That’s significant, given that the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak meant it increased by only $2 million from 2019 through this year.

The Islanders currently have just under $6 million in cap space, though teams don’t have to be cap-compliant until the season opens.

It is expected that an already active trade market — highlighted the last 10 days by goalie Linus Ullmark heading from the Bruins to the Senators, goalie Jacob Markstrom being traded from the Flames to the Devils and the Capitals acquiring the under-performing Pierre-Luc Dubois from the Kings for goalie Darcy Kuemper — will remain so through the draft.

Lamoriello would have to be creative to squeeze a big contract onto his roster, but there is scoring ability — a definite Islanders need — available.

The Maple Leafs might have to trade Mitch Marner ($10.9 million cap hit through 2025). The Hurricanes likely will deal Martin Necas (restricted free agent with arbitration rights coming off a two-year, $6 million deal). The Jets are believed ready to trade Nikolaj Ehlers (one more season at $6 million). The Blue Jackets likely are ready to move on from the troubled Patrik Laine (two more seasons at $8.7 million). The Sabres almost certainly will buy out the final three seasons of Jeff Skinner’s eight-year, $72 million deal.

The Islanders probably would not be averse to trading Jean-Gabriel Pageau and the final two seasons of his six-year, $30 million deal.

The Islanders have not been directly linked with any of the players on the trade market. But that’s the way Lamoriello works, hiding his intentions and intimidating others to not talk about them until a transaction is completed.

His intentions will become much clearer this week.