Islanders aren’t adding third assistant to Patrick Roy’s staff yet

The Islanders are not hiring a third assistant coach. At least not yet.

The team shot down a report from the French-language outlet RDS that it had hired Benoit Desrosiers to Roy’s coaching staff on Monday morning in a statement.

“Benoit Desrosiers has not been hired by the New York Islanders,” it read. “There are plans for president and general manager Lou Lamoriello to meet with Desroiers in the future.”

Desrosiers, who currently coaches the Quebec Major Junior League’s Gatineau Olympiques, worked on Roy’s staff with the Quebec Remparts for five seasons, including the 2023 Memorial Cup.

If Roy is looking to add a third assistant coach to a staff that already features Doug Houda and John MacLean, Desrosiers would be an obvious candidate.

If he is meeting with Lamoriello in the future, that does imply it is on the table for the Isles to hire him in the future.

However, it is not clear when that would happen, should Lamoriello and Roy decide to hire him at all.

The shift from Lane Lambert to Roy has been fast and furious for the club, but on his introductory call with media, Roy said he had “zero interest” in a managerial role.

“When I took the job in Colorado, I think I was a bit of a dreamer and thinking that I could do both [coaching and management],” Roy said, referring to his first NHL job with the Avalanche, which he left over personnel disagreements with GM Joe Sakic. “I think I have plenty on my plate.”

In other words, this is still Lamoriello’s show to run.

And whatever happens with the coaching staff will be on his timeline.