The Coach
In January, the Islanders fired head coach Jack Capuano in the middle of the season. The move was justified due to a brutally underwhelming performance and visible lack of effort from the players.
The man who took over, former team captain Doug Weight, nearly made a climb to the playoffs from dead last to the eight seed in the East. Under Weight, the team went 24-12-4 but the Isles still missed the playoffs.
A record like that made him the front-runner for the head coaching job. New York made an offer that he would later accept, after some contemplating.
So, that clears up the earliest of offseason drama.