Bellows should slide in for Martin.

When you have the opportunity to do nothing to improve your team after they missed the playoffs, you have to do it.

Is he awful because he didn’t land Kadri for a bloated long term contract? I see that he just got two good defensive RFAs to sign bridge deals below market, and the Isles have one of the better top 4 defensive corps.

What a great insightful title.

The moves that Lou made this offseason were all correct. There was no reason to attach a 1st to Bailey to trade him then sign Kadri to a long term deal that will not age well. He acquired a 22 year old top 4 defenseman then signed him to a great deal. Got Dobson to sign a below market team and retained cap room that will accrue fr the deadline.

Too "old school"? Absolutely. Awful? No not really. Not great maybe but certainly not awful.

Isles have had more playoff success since Lou's arrival than most teams have had in a decade. Multiple decades for some.....

I'm not a fan of his management style either but there are far worse GM's in the NHL than Lou. FAR FAR worse. See Chuck Fletcher for example.

I think he was busy this offseason trying to get things done but wouldn't succumb to the outlandish costs of dumping salary and exorbitant UFA's contracts and things simply didn't pan out.

Even with not much done and just a more normal schedule this year, I think NYI will be back to the playoff picture for sure.

I agree with your overall point that he is far from awful. And he does seem to get younger guys on good deals (not so much for the older guys- and maybe it's good that he was saved from making another move of term for the 30+ guy). But I think it's important to acknowledge the significance of their elite coach when
discussing the playoff appearances/success. The coach he let go.

Yep. The last point is 100% valid but also just remember who brought in Trotz too. Could have been another former Isles player with his band of buddies and the team could been stuck in another 4 years of rot. But yeah, I don't know what went on there with Trotz and Im certainly not defending some of Lou's bone headed decisions. He's made a few for sure but like I said earlier, there are IMHO way worse GM's out there.

Lou brought some respectability back to long island when they desperately needed it. It wasn't perfect but it could have been way worse.

You think Romanov is a top 4 D man? He's played 133 games in his career, many of those on the bottom pair. The jury is still out on him.