Lamoriello declines to say whether he met with Tavares before joining Isles

Lou Lamoriello clearly wasn't interested in revealing whether he did, in fact, speak to John Tavares before officially taking on his new role.

"When it comes to talking with players ... I will never comment about it," the New York Islanders president of hockey operations told reporters on a conference call Tuesday, according to MSG's Shannon Hogan. "(I) never have in the past and (I) won't (now)."

He did have some praise to heap on the captain, though.

Lou Lamoriello: "Everyone in the National Hockey League knows about John Tavares. He's one of the elite players, a gentleman both on and off the ice. He's a quality individual as well as a quality player. I don't know any better way of describing him."

- New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) May 22, 2018

Lamoriello was named to the post Tuesday, the day after The Athletic's Arthur Staple reported that the former Toronto Maple Leafs and New Jersey Devils general manager would be getting the job.

In that same report, Staple confirmed with two sources that Lamoriello met with Tavares last week, "clearly in anticipation of assuming control of the Islanders."

The Islanders superstar is a pending unrestricted free agent who will be the most sought-after player in the class if he hits July 1 without a new contract.

Lamoriello departed the Leafs at the end of April after three seasons with Toronto, in a move that preceded Kyle Dubas' promotion to the GM position. Lamoriello's son, Chris, is the Islanders' assistant GM.

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