New York Islanders: Jon Ledecky Sets Expectations

New York Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky made it clear what he expects from the organization moving forward in a recent media sit down.

The New York Islanders are under new ownership with Jon Ledecky and Scott Malkin taking control of the team, and they have made it clear that they will be holding people accountable. Last season, the Islanders took a big step forward, as they were able to defeat the Florida Panthers to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 1993.

It has been a slow rebuild for the Islanders, as Garth Snow’s team finally achieved some success in the postseason last year. However, this offseason saw a lot of change for the Islanders, as they parted ways with Kyle Okposo, Frans Nielsen, and Matt Martin. In his recent sit down with Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post, Ledecky commented on the growth of Snow as a general manager.

“I think he was a young man when he got that job. Now he’s got white hair,” Ledecky said of Snow. “He cares deeply about the Islanders, and he cares deeply about putting a winner on the ice, and he cares deeply — we talk about it — I want, and he wants, and Scott wants John Tavares lifting that Cup over his head. That’s the purpose every single year. Now there are no excuses. In the past, you could say: salary cap, because of Nassau [County politics], constraints with this, that, and the other. We’re sending a clear message: He has the resources.”

More from Empire Writes Back

The comments by Ledecky are very reassuring for the Islanders, as Snow is being given the resources to help the Islanders make the next step. While it was reassuring that Snow will be given the resources he needs, Ledecky also said that he will be held accountable if the team doesn’t succeed.

“We like the progress that they’ve made, but there is a performance test, right?” Ledecky said to Cyrgalis. “They have to keep performing, and we define performing as progressing. We won our first playoff series in 23 years, we made it to the second round. If the puck bounced a couple ways differently, we would have made it to the semifinals. But we’re eighth in the league in points over the last two years, we made the final eight, and that’s the standard now. They have to progress. You have accountability. There is accountability for performance. The fans demand that.”

Next: Who were the best Islanders of the 2014-15 season?

The Islanders have been one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference the past two seasons, and the hope is that they continue to move forward. With John Tavares in his prime, the Islanders window to compete for a Stanley Cup title is now. With new ownership for the organization, the hope is for the Islanders to raise a fifth banner very soon.

Home/New York Islanders