The success of an NHL franchise depends on its front office. Led by its general manager, they hire the coaching staff, scout opposing teams, search for the best promising young talent, and build the roster.

Look no further than the Florida Panthers for a recent example. Since Bill Zito took over as general manager in 2020, he and his staff turned a former league doormat into a Stanley Cup champion.

However, several teams could benefit from a front-office shakeup.

Some, like the New York Islanders, are overdue for a roster rebuild but their front office has stubbornly stuck with its core veterans despite the club's obvious decline. Meanwhile, some rebuilding teams seem to be spinning their wheels as they've shown no sign of significant improvement.

The Islanders are among the five NHL teams we believe need a front-office overhaul. Follow along as we examine the reasons why.

Do you agree or disagree? Is there a team you believe belongs on this list? Let us know in the app comments below.

Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres hold the NHL record for the longest postseason drought, missing the cut over the past 13 seasons. Barring an impressive second-half turnaround, that streak will reach 14 this year.

Kevyn Adams is the fourth general manager the Sabres have had since their streak of futility began in 2011-12. This is his fifth season in the job, and it could become his last if they fail to qualify.

Adams is the third person hired by the Sabres lacking experience as a general manager. Predecessors Tim Murray and Jason Botterill were assistant GMs with their former teams before joining the Sabres. Ownership should consider hiring someone with experience building and maintaining a winner.

It's been rumored since November that Adams was considering a roster shakeup, calling around the league in search of a top-six forward. Struggling center Dylan Cozens has frequently surfaced in the rumor mill, often linked to Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson. However, Adams may be too late to find a season-saving trade.

The pressure may be getting to Adams. During a testy press conference on Dec. 6, he claimed his club wasn't a destination for the players he'd attempted to add via trades and free agency. He stood by his roster and its young players, but the revolving door of coaches in recent years and lack of experienced veteran depth and leadership have taken a toll.

On Dec. 24, The Athletic's Matthew Fairburn observed the Sabres' lack of a disciplined system on the ice, its inexperienced roster, the broken team culture, a scouting staff that was gutted five years ago, and ownership's unwillingness to keep pace with the rising salary cap. Until those issues are resolved, the Sabres will remain the NHL's sad-sack franchise.

Detroit Red Wings

Steve Yzerman was one of the greatest players in Detroit Red Wings history, leading them to three Stanley Cups in one of the most successful eras in franchise history. As general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning, he laid the foundation for their back-to-back championships in 2020 and 2021.

Yzerman missed those Stanley Cup parades in Tampa Bay, returning to Detroit to become the Red Wings' GM in 2019. The Wings were at their nadir after missing the playoffs for three straight years and were rebuilding in earnest when he took over.

During his introductory press conference, Yzerman forewarned Red Wings fans there was a lot of work to do, telling them it would take time to turn this team into a Cup contender again. The denizens of Hockeytown bought in, remaining patient with the rebuilding process.

The Wings came tantalizingly close to reaching the playoffs in 2023-24, prompting anticipation they were poised for their long-awaited breakout campaign. This season, they're jockeying with several teams for a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

However, Max Bultman of The Athletic conducted a poll last August showing Red Wings fans were losing faith in their front office. Confidence in their roster building, salary-cap management, drafting, trading, free-agent signings and vision for the future was down compared to the previous season.

Yzerman will remain a beloved figure among Red Wings fans and in Detroit's sports history. Nevertheless, another missed postseason will make it nine straight, far exceeding the previous franchise-worst of seven in the 1970s. That could prompt ownership to consider front-office changes, beginning with the general manager.

New York Islanders

On May 22, 2018, Lou Lamoriello was hired as the New York Islanders' president of hockey operations. He replaced Garth Snow as general manager and named Barry Trotz head coach.

The Islanders improved over the following three seasons. They finished second in the Metropolitan Division in 2018-19, reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 2020, and the semifinals in the COVID-shortened 2021 season.

However, the Isles failed to build on that success. They missed the playoffs in 2021-22, leading to Trotz's dismissal. Over the next two seasons, they finished seventh in the Eastern Conference before being eliminated from the opening round of the playoffs.

It was apparent that the Islanders' core was aging and a change was needed, but Lamoriello stubbornly stuck with them. Instead, he made another coaching change, replacing Lane Lambert midway through last season with Patrick Roy.

As of Feb. 3, the Islanders were four points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot. Injuries have taken a toll, but the fact remains that running it back for another season hasn't worked. Their prospect pool is shallow, partly because Lamoriello traded away their first-round picks from 2020 to 2023.

On Dec. 19, The Athletic's Arthur Staple suggested the Islanders should consider parting ways with the 82-year-old Lamoriello. He pointed out that the team's ownership ceded full managerial control to Lamoriello while most of the lower-level staff were holdovers from the Snow era. That means a front-office overhaul would be unavoidable.

Seattle Kraken

Since the Seattle Kraken's NHL debut in 2021-22, comparisons with the Vegas Golden Knights were inevitable. The Golden Knights were a Stanley Cup finalist during their 2017-18 inaugural campaign, becoming a champion five years later.

Kraken general manager Ron Francis and his staff didn't have the same entry-draft advantages as the Golden Knights. They capitalized in part on the blunders of several rival general managers to land such talent as Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith, Shea Theodore, Alex Tuch, and future Hall-of-Famer Marc-Andre Fleury.

The Kraken missed the playoffs in their first season but qualified for the postseason in 2023, upsetting the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche before falling to the Dallas Stars in seven hard-fought games.

Seattle hockey fans dared to dream that their club could be on the same track as the Golden Knights. However, the offense that was the league's fifth-best in 2022-23 tumbled to 29th last season, finishing out of the playoffs and costing head coach Dave Hakstol his job.

The Kraken's production improved to 15th this season under new coach Dan Bylsma, but they've given up the 10th-highest goals-against per game (3.19), their power-play percentage (18.7) is 24th overall while their penalty-killing (77.1) is 21st.

Francis went all-in last summer by signing free-agent defenseman Brandon Montour and center Chandler Stephenson to bolster his club's production. However, it hasn't offset the club's defensive issues. They're also still building up their prospect pipeline. Francis could also add more youth to his roster, following his recent acquisition of winger Kaapo Kakko.

Kraken ownership could remain patient with Francis as he keeps trying to build up his roster. However, his expensive free-agent signings and the club's lack of improvement could also prompt a review and some changes in the front office.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Brendan Shanahan has been president of the Toronto Maple Leafs since 2014. Since 2016-17, they've been among the league's better regular-season teams, finishing with 100-plus points five times and making the playoffs in eight straight seasons.

However, their postseason record leaves much to be desired, reaching the second round only once (2023) during that period. As the playoff failures mount and their league-record Stanley Cup drought continues (57 years and counting), the louder the grumbling from Leafs Nation, especially toward Shanahan.

Those postseason failures cost Kyle Dubas his job as general manager, as he was replaced in 2023 by Brad Treliving. It was Sheldon Keefe's turn last year, replaced as head coach by Craig Berube. Shanahan faced plenty of criticism, with The Toronto Star's Dave Feschuk wondering last May how he managed to hang on as president.

At that time, Shanahan vowed everything was on the table, but there were few significant roster changes. The core four forwards of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares remained in place as the Leafs opted to run it back for another season.

The Leafs are again among the Eastern Conference's top teams, Barring a stunning collapse, they're a shoo-in to reach the postseason for the ninth straight year.

However, that won't silence Shanahan's critics if the Leafs come up short in the playoffs. Another first or second-round exit could lead to a significant change in the front office. That could begin with Shanahan, whose six-year contract expires at the end of this season.

Stats and standings (as of Feb.3, 2025) via NHL.com.