Nolan Out as Isles Coach

Some things you can just see coming.

Ted Nolan and the New York Islanders officially parted company today in a move that has been brewing for months. GM Garth Snow announced that he will immediately begin searching for a replacement and has several candidates in mind.

I feel this was the right move for the organization to make. Clearly, the honeymoon was over and the Islanders weren’t lying when they stated the move was prompted by “philosophical differences”. Those differences couldn’t be more apparent: Nolan did not believe in the current youth movement and the Isles need a coach who will support one.

People can argue all day long about why quality free agents don’t come to Long Island. The fact is that they don’t and, for many valid reasons, I don’t see that changing anytime soon. New York also does not have the assets to improve itself through trades without sacrificing valuable draft picks. Therefore, the only way to right this ship is by drafting and developing quality prospects. There’s no doubt that there are going to be growing pains associated with this route. However, in the end, the organization will be better off.

Speculation is rampant over who might be hired as the next coach. There are several high profile contenders: John Tortarella, Paul Maurice, Bob Hartley and Dave Lewis are only some of the names being bandied about among fans. Rest assured, whoever takes the job must first and foremost be ready to develop young kids into NHL players and shouldn’t expect as much as a sniff of the Stanley Cup for quite a while.