Barzal confident Islanders will do 'great job' on Tavares, new coach

LAS VEGAS -- Calder Trophy finalist Mathew Barzal can't help but wonder what is in store for the New York Islanders, who face a defining two weeks after the recent upheaval that saw the arrival of Lou Lamoriello as president of hockey operations and the firing of general manager Garth Snow and coach Doug Weight.

Lamoriello, 75, will be general manager, but the Islanders have not replaced Weight. Barry Trotz resigned as coach of the Washington Capitals on Monday, 11 days after guiding them to the first Stanley Cup championship in their 43-season history.
John Tavares can become an unrestricted free agent July 1, although it has been reported that Lamoriello and the 27-year-old franchise center have been talking on a regular basis.
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"Hey, Lou has done a great job everywhere he has gone," Barzal said Tuesday at NHL Awards Media Day. "Obviously, I love Dougie, he was great for me, gave me lots of opportunities, and Garth drafted me and I have ties to him as well.
"Again, Lou's in charge and he has done a great job everywhere, so obviously I have faith in him to do the same here."
What happens with Tavares, who has been with the Islanders for nine seasons since being the No. 1 pick in the 2009 NHL Draft, will go a long way toward shaping what the 2018-19 season looks like for the Islanders. Tavares had 84 points (37 goals, 47 assists) this season, second on the Islanders behind Barzal, who had 85 (22 goals, 63 assists) to lead NHL rookies.

Barzal said he hopes Lamoriello's impressive resume and New York's promising youth will convince Tavares to stay.
"Anthony Beauvillier is great, Ryan Pulock really came into his own this year, two high picks this year," Barzal said. "I think our future looks bright. Of course, we would like to have Johnny be our leader and captain for the next five, eight years, whatever it is. That would be amazing. He's such a great leader, and I'm sure he will make the right decision."
Beauvillier, 21, scored 21 goals this season, his second in the NHL. Pulock, 23, had 32 points (10 goals, 22 assists), tied for third among NHL rookie defensemen.

The Islanders have the Nos. 11 and 12 picks in the 2018 NHL Draft, which begins in Dallas on Friday. (The second first-round pick came from the Calgary Flames in the Travis Hamonic trade.)
Lamoriello, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame in the builders category, won the Stanley Cup three times during a 28-year front-office career with the New Jersey Devils. As GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs for the past three seasons, he guided them to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2016-17 and 2017-18 after they had made the postseason once in the previous 11 seasons.
The NHL Awards presented by Hulu will be held at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN).
Joining Barzal as finalists for the Calder Trophy as the top rookie in the NHL are Brock Boeser of the Vancouver Canucks and Clayton Keller of the Arizona Coyotes.