Mailbag: Islanders coaching candidates, Ruff's future will Devils

-- @cbentivenga1472It's impossible for anyone to say they know where the Islanders might turn for their next coach after firing Barry Trotz on Monday because general manager Lou Lamoriello does not allow for leaks of information. His voice wouldn't be new because the players know him well, but Lambert has also been long considered a future NHL coach. Maybe Lamoriello and the Islanders would feel his voice is new enough because it would be coming from Lambert the coach instead of Lambert the associate. Babcock hasn't coached in the NHL since getting fired by Toronto on Nov. 20, 2019, 18 months after Lamoriello left the Maple Leafs and came to the Islanders. Again, pure speculation, but Babcock is likely a candidate.What about Brent Thompson, who is in his ninth season coaching Bridgeport, New York's American Hockey League affiliate? Assuming Trotz wants to coach next season, my guess is he will play a waiting game until at least the end of the first round to get a better lay of the land on the potential job openings. You're right in that Fitzgerald never actually said Ruff would 100 percent return next season so that does cast some doubt, but with the support from the players and the GM saying he needs to support him, too, I would think at this point the plan is to have Ruff back with a new staff around him.NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup, Center Ice name and logo, NHL Conference logos, NHL Winter Classic name, and The Biggest Assist Happens Off The Ice are registered trademarks and the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo, Stanley Cup Final logo, Stanley Cup Qualifiers name and logo, NHL.TV, Vintage Hockey word mark and logo, The Game Lives Where You Do, NHL Winter Classic logo, NHL Heritage Classic name and logo, NHL Stadium Series name and logo, NHL All-Star logo, NHL Face-Off name and logo, NHL Premium, NHL After Dark, NHL GameCenter, NHL GameCenter LIVE, NHL Network name and logo, NHL Tonight name and logo, On The Fly, NHL Network Showdown name and logo, NHL Awards name and logo, NHL Draft name and logo, NHL Mascots, Hockey Fights Cancer, Because It's The Cup, NHL Green name and logo, NHL Vault, Hockey Is For Everyone, NHL Thanksgiving Showdown name and logo, NHL Centennial Classic name and logo, NHL Centennial Season logo, NHL100 Classic name and logo, NHL Global Series name and logo, NHL China Games name and logo, NHL Power Players name and logo, NHL Outdoors at Lake Tahoe name and logo, NHL Street name and logo, and Don't Miss A Moment are trademarks of the National Hockey League.