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How the Islanders’ front office changes effect the New York Rangers

By John Williams

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 30: John Tavares #91 of the New York Islanders reacts against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Barclays Center on March 30, 2018 in New York City. Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the New York Islanders 4-3 (Photo by Mike Stobe/NHLI via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 30: John Tavares #91 of the New York Islanders reacts against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Barclays Center on March 30, 2018 in New York City. Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the New York Islanders 4-3 (Photo by Mike Stobe/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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The New York Islanders made some major changes to their front office. How will they effect the New York Rangers going forward?

As of the afternoon of June 5, 2018, the New York Islanders, as New York Rangers fans have known and loved for the past 12 years, are no more. They may be returning to relevance very soon.

The team announced on Tuesday that they have relieved general manager Garth Snow and head coach Doug Weight of their duties and that Lou Lamoriello will be taking over as general manager. They also noted that their coaching search begins now.

"“There’s a culture change that’s needed and there’s new voices needed in different areas, and because of that, the changes [were] made,” Lamoriello said on a conference call. “There’s been a lot of changes for different reasons, and right now is just trying to stabilize anything, start off with a fresh face, start off with a fresh mind, a fresh coach, and just go forward.”"

What could all of this mean for the Rangers?

Well, for one thing, it means that the Rangers/Islanders rivalry could begin to mean something again for the first time in nearly 20 years.

The Islanders have been a disaster since Garth Snow. Over his 12 years as GM, the team has made the playoffs just four times, winning a total of one playoff series. In fact, the Islanders have had a winning record just five times in these past 12 years.

It’s been so bad for them that their franchise player John Tavares is scheduled to test free agency on July 1. But now with Lamoriello at the helm, a man who has done a lot of winning in his career, the likelihood that Tavares will stay in New York has increased.

I never thought that Tavares to the Rangers was ever a possibility but now with a very similar situation on his side of the city, why would Tavares join the Blueshirts? The Islanders have the most cap space in the league and two top 12 picks to go along with Matt Barzal. That’s not a bad place to start.

Then, of course, you have the Kovalchuk/Lamoriello relationship.

Even though Ilya Kovalchuk left the Devils on bad terms, the two of them still have a solid relationship. Maybe he’s a fit to play on Tavares’ wing?

Must read: Five assistant coach candidates for David Quinn

Then you have the head coaching vacancy there. If Lamoriello wants a veteran coach, I’m sure Alain Vigneault may be an attractive option for him. Maybe if wants to go with the “fresh” approach, it’s Sheldon Keefe, the coach of the Toronto Marlies. Rangers’ twitter would probably explode.

Then also, the future Islanders coach will need to hire his assistant coaches at the same time as the Rangers. That could mean, for certain candidates, the teams may need to bid against each other for their services.

Now, this isn’t all to say that Lou is a genius. What I am saying is that he’s not Garth Snow, and that’s a huge improvement for the Islanders.

Whether we like it or not, the Islanders are going to be relevant again. It’s a sad reality.

Next: Five players who will benefit from David Quinn

But the silver lining is this: The Rangers and Islanders rival will be making a comeback soon. It may not be next year, but it will be here again in a few seasons.

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