The New York Islanders have fired coach Barry Trotz after missing the playoffs in his fourth season with the team. General manager Lou Lamoriello made the surprising announcement Monday, more than a week after the regular season ended. Trotz had one year left on his five-year contract. “It would be a tremendous understatement to say this was not an easy decision,” Lamoriello said on a conference call. “Unfortunately it is my role to make the best decisions for the organization. … I believe this group of players needs a new voice.” Lamoriello declined to give reasons for why he believed a new voice was needed. Trotz coached the Islanders to playoff appearances in each of his first three years with them, reaching the Eastern Conference final in 2020 and 2021 before losing to the eventual Stanley Cup-champion Tampa Bay Lightning. A series of events outside Trotz’s control contributed to the Islanders missing the playoffs this year. While their new arena was being finished, they op...