The New York Islanders are on the hunt for a new General Manager after not renewing Lou Lamoriello’s contract. As NHLRumors.com reported, John Collins will conduct a thorough search for a new general manager. The list of names will be long, and there will be several familiar candidates as well as some new ones.
Arthur Staple of The Athletic: So the New York Islanders decided to part ways with the 82-year-old Lou Lamoriello. They’ll be hunting for a new GM and maybe team president, if they don’t want to give that much control to one person again – Garth Snow held both titles before Lamoriello.
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A list of 16 candidates who could fit what the Islanders are looking for: Pat Brisson, Marc Bergevin, Jeff Gorton, Jarmo Kekalainen, George McPhee, Doug Armstrong, Brendan Shanahan, Ken Holland, Ron Francis, Kevin Weekes, Wayne Gretzky, Neil Smith, Don Sweeney, Mathieu Darche, Brandon Pridham, Jason Spezza and Vukie Mpofu.
Frank Servalli of Daily Faceoff: Ten potential GM candidates for the Islanders: Ken Holland, Marc Bergevin, Peter Chiarelli, Jarmo Kekalainen, Doug Wilson, Mathieu Darche, Evan Gold, Ryan Martin, Kevin McDonald and Brandon Pridham.
Along with these names, Andrew Gross reported that Devils Assistant GM Kate Madigan will interview for the job as well. Let’s be honest, are McPhee, Armstrong, Gorton, and Shanahan really leaving their current positions? Similar to Francis in Seattle, who was just promoted to Team President.
These names are intriguing. Everyone is looking at the usual suspects and some up-and-comers when it comes to the New York Islanders’ open General Manager position, maybe they should look elsewhere.
Here are four names people should be talking about, but aren’t.
Mark Yannetti – Currently the Director of Scouting & Amateur Scouting for the Los Angeles Kings (2007-Present). Yannetti was formerly the Pro & Amateur Scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2000-2007
Under the guidance of Yannetti, who graduated from Brown University and Williams College, the Kings have been one of the best teams at drafting and developing players. In addition, Yannetti has an eye for the right players who were brought to help the Kings win two Stanley Cup Championships in 2012 and 2014. Not to mention that their AHL team, the Manchester Monarchs, won the Calder Cup in 2015, as he assisted in managing the team in Manchester.
Yannetti has an exceptional track record in amateur scouting, with a league-leading 30 NHL players who have played in 200+ games, and is second-ranked with a 38.46% draft success rate from 2006 to 2015. With his abilities and innovations in analytics, Yannetti is a prime candidate for an NHL General Manager role by drafting, developing, and acquiring the right talent to build a strong pipeline.
Mike Futa – Former Assistant General Manager of the Los Angeles Kings (2017-2020), Director of Amateur Scouting (2007-2014) and Director of Player Personnel (2014-2017)
Another member of the Kings management system. Along with Yannetti, Mike Futa helped the organization bring those two Stanley Cup Championships in 2012 and 2014. Futa was the General Manager of the AHL franchise that helped win the Calder Cup in 2015 as well. His background includes being a general manager in the OHL, along with an eye for scouting at both the professional and amateur levels. In addition, Futa understands the importance of hiring coaches, which he did in the American Hockey League (AHL).
Ross Mahoney – Assistant General Manager, Washington Capitals (2014-Present) and Director of Amateur Scouting (2000-2014)
If those two gentlemen do not get a look as a general manager in the NHL, then Ross Mahoney definitely should be. The Washington Capitals have been a staple franchise in the NHL and at the AHL level with their Hershey Bears organization. Mahoney led the Bears to Calder Cup victories in 2006, 2009, 2010, and 2023, with the team being a finalist in 2007 and 2016. In addition, under his reign as assistant GM in Washington, the Capitals won the Stanley Cup in 2018. Mahoney has an extensive background in Amateur scouting, managing 27 Drafts. Not to mention his philosophies on player development, using analytics, and hiring coaches.
Martin Madden – Currently Assistant General Manager of the Anaheim Ducks (2020-Present) and Director of Amateur Scouting (2008-2020)
All these gentlemen are highly qualified based on their IVY League background, time in the business, and fantastic record at their position. When teams want to copy from the best, why don’t they take the best people for the job to have similar success?
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