Return to Play: Barry Trotz & Lou Lamoriello

The NHL and NHLPA ratified its
Return to Play Plan on Friday night
, so it was no surprise that Lou Lamoriello and Barry Trotz were working on Saturday to prep plans for the Islanders training camp on Monday.
Camps are officially open on July 13, giving the Islanders - and the other 23 teams competing in the league's coronavirus-adjusted playoff - two weeks to get in shape before travelling to their respective hub cities on July 26. The NHL has been on pause since March 12 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Lamoriello said that his players, both the ones
voluntarily skating at Northwell Health Ice Center
and working out in their respective home cities, have done their part by staying in shape during the pause. The same goes for his coaching and support staff for communicating with and preparing the players for their eventual return. Lamoriello also said he doesn't anticipate any players opting out of the Return to Play Plan.
"My hat is off to our players and our total coaching staff," Lamoriello said via a Zoom call. "Barry organized a plan in the summer where each and every one of our coaches each week talked to different players, so the communication has been tremendous between players and staff.
"Up to this point I don't think we could ask more of our players and our staff," Lamoriello added. "Now it's time to go to work."
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Trotz noted that nothing has been normal about the past four months and training camp will be no exception. While the Islanders
invited 70 players
to main camp in September, only 30 skaters (forwards and defensemen) will be in attendance Monday, though teams are permitted an unlimited number of goalies. There will be daily temperature and symptom checks, as part of the league's COVID-19 testing protocols and instead of starting with three on-ice groups, the Isles will start with two.
The focus of camp will be different too. Instead of teaching a new system, the priorities are conditioning, execution and transitioning into a playoff mindset. Trotz anticipates using the first few days to gauge his team's fitness and readiness.
"We'll find out exactly where everybody is," Trotz said. "The biggest challenge for me is getting up to speed and getting the pace in your game and the execution and all that. We have a mature team and a team that relies on each other and understands the importance of structure and all of those different elements of the team game."
Trotz and Lamoriello both stressed that they'll enter camp with no preconceived notions on the final roster and roles. While there isn't a lot of external competition in the form of PTOs, or free agents, there will be battles for spots and roles internally, especially with a fully-healthy squad. Trotz also said he hadn't decided on an Aug. 1 starter in net, citing how Semyon Varlamov and Thomas Greiss had similar seasons statistically.
"We're going to let it play out a little bit," Trotz said. "I think you have to go in with a plan and some of that plan is based on history. I think there's going to be some opportunity as well for some guys who can grab a spot. Maybe they've been injured or didn't have the year that they thought. They can grab some ice time. We're going to go into that first game with the knowledge of some of the past, the knowledge of the present and what we see and the knowledge of what we need to beat the Panthers and try to have all the boxes checked for all the roles we have on our team and all the things we may encounter."

Return to Play: Barry Trotz & Lou Lamoriello

Exhibition games are slated to take place on July 28-30, before the best-of-five Stanley Cup Qualifying Round begins on Aug. 1. The Islanders and Florida Panthers, their opponents in the qualifier, are scheduled to play on Aug. 1, 4, 5 with additional games on the Aug. 7 and 9 if necessary.
There's not a lot of time between now and then and no team will have the benefit of an 82-game season to work out the kinks and rev up. Trotz said turning on that playoff mentality will be crucial.
"Nothing in the last three months we've done is predictable," Trotz said. "It's not normal and you better focus on what the end game is and the end game is to get by the Florida Panthers and move on. You're going to have to get yourself focused, ready and primed. If you can't, it'll show in your practices, in your performance and we're going to go with the guys who are most ready to help us win."
While it's not normal Trotz and Lamoriello are excited for the Isles to get back on the ice.
"It'll be exciting," Trotz said. "We've missed hockey."