Islanders' Lou Lamoriello suggests changes could be on horizon for familiar group in 2024

Some notable members of the New York Islanders' foundation over the last 10 years might very well have played their final game with the franchise last week when the Carolina Hurricanes eliminated them in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Islanders president and general manager Lou Lamoriello said that “change is inevitable,” for a side that has been largely unchanged for the last four years — the Hall-of-Fame executive at times being accused of being too loyal to some of those players. In total, 16 members of the team that made the Eastern Conference Final in 2021 are still with the Islanders despite missing the playoffs in 2022 and getting bounced from the first round by the Hurricanes in each of the last two seasons. “Whatever decisions have to be made that's in the best interest of the team to have success, we will make,” Lamoriello said.