It was readily apparent Barry Trotz liked this group of Islanders, once he got to know them after taking the job in June. That’s not always a given in the NHL. Some groups, some seasons, just don’t mesh with some coaches.
But what is a given in the salary-capped league is that change is inevitable from season to season, it’s just a matter of how much or how little.
The Islanders will conduct their exit interviews on Monday in East Meadow after Friday night’s season-ending 5-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 4 of their second-round series.