The first sign that things had changed with the Islanders was not this week, when new majority co-owner Jon Ledecky spoke boldly and loudly on making sure the team had every resource available to improve.
No, it came in the opening minutes of free agency on July 1, the day that Ledecky and Scott Malkin took over controlling interest of the team from Charles Wang. Garth Snow and his front-office staff identified Andrew Ladd as their top target, knowing that Kyle Okposo, Frans Nielsen and Matt Martin were all headed elsewhere.
Ladd may not be the game-changing free agent that Steven Stamkos would have been, but the Isles saw a fit.