One of the themes this season from The Hockey Writers has been Dear Santa wish lists for teams around the league. You can read all about them here, here, and here. And here, here, here, here, and here, and just in case that wasn’t enough, there’s also one over here.
New York Islanders fans have a very specific wish list. As a fanbase that loves a good bargain (the commute to and from UBS Arena isn’t cheap), a small but valuable gift will be appreciated but at the same time, there are some things that the fans truly want. With this in mind, let’s look at some of the gifts the Islanders can provide this season and put them into categories, with the first being a few that would be the bare minimum.
Cheap Gifts
These are the clearance items or the quick gifts from the local dollar store. It’s not what you expect but you take it anyway right? From the Islanders’ standpoint, these additions will be nice but not nearly as good as some of the other things the team can provide.
A Two-Way Defenseman
The Islanders lack a scoring presence at the point. Specifically, the unit drops off after Noah Dobson, who is having a remarkable season. While Dobson has five goals and a team-leading 28 assists, the rest of the defense has five goals and 25 assists combined. In the 2022 first-round series, the Islanders struggled get offense from the point and ultimately, lost the series to the Carolina Hurricanes in six games. With this in mind, general manager (GM) Lou Lamoriello might look to add another puck-handling defenseman who can create scoring chances from the point.
Depth Shooting On The Wing
It’s not a glaring need for the Islanders, especially with Kyle Palmieri and Simon Holmstrom adding a shooting presence to the middle six, combining for 19 goals. However, another sharpshooter who can play on the Jean-Gabriel Pageau line would upgrade the forward unit and prepare the Islanders for a playoff run. The addition of a depth skater wouldn’t signal that they are going all in to win the Cup but the right deal — such as the Pierre Engvall acquisition last season — can set the team up for immediate success and help them out in the long run.
A 40-Goal Season From Brock Nelson
Brock Nelson scored 37 goals in the 2021-22 season, the most of his career, and then followed that up with a 36-goal season in 2022-23. A regression was expected at 32 years old but this season, he’s showed no signs of slowing down. Through 32 games, he’s scored 15 goals and a 40-goal season suddenly doesn’t seem far-fetched.
It would be a great way for Nelson to end the season as well. With the Islanders either making a push for the playoffs or looking to leapfrog teams in the standings, his scoring presence can help them win a few games and earn valuable points. Better yet, the extra goals late in the season will have the UBS crowd counting down until he reaches the 40-goal milestone, something the Islanders haven’t had since Anders Lee scored 40 in 2017-18.
Reasonably Priced Gifts
These gifts are nothing too expensive but nice things to have regardless. They would be good touches to a successful Islanders season.
Sorokin Is Lights-Out In Second Half
Ilya Sorokin had a rough start to the season. While he has a respectable .915 save percentage (SV%), his 3.04 goals-against average (GAA) has been disappointing. On top of that, Sorokin has allowed four goals or more 10 times this season and five goals in four of his starts, resulting in a handful of lost games the Islanders could’ve easily won.
In the past few starts, Sorokin has looked like the elite goaltender who was a Vezina Trophy finalist last season. He saved 34 of the 36 shots faced in the Dec. 9 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings, then stopped 37 shots in the 4-3 Dec. 11 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. In his most recent start, he saved 30 of the 31 shots he faced against the Edmonton Oilers and their high-powered offense, allowing the Islanders to win the game 3-1.
Related: Islanders Have 5 Good Trade Partners For Wahlstrom
It’s a sign that a great second half is in store for Sorokin and it’s something the team could use considering how much they’ve relied on elite goaltending in previous campaigns. He’s the type of goaltender who can carry the Islanders down the stretch and multiple lights-out performances will both keep them near the top of the Eastern Conference and allow him to reestablish himself as a Vezina-caliber goaltender.
Islanders Defensive Unit is Healthy
The Islanders have been battling through injuries in recent games, especially with their defensive unit missing a handful of notable skaters. The opening night roster had Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock on the top pair, Dobson and Alexander Romanov forming the second pair, and Scott Mayfield and Sebastian Aho rounding out the blue line. Aho recently returned to the lineup but Mayfield, Pelech, and Pulock have missed plenty of games and remain out. The Islanders’ defensive unit is one of the best in the league but with three of their top skaters out with injuries, the defense has struggled and a healthy one would make a significant difference in the second half of the season.
Holmstrom Continued Shorthanded Brilliance
It’s an oddity that Simon Holmstrom plays better when the Islanders are killing penalties. He comes to life and when he has the puck in shorthanded situations and suddenly becomes a lethal scorer. Of the 10 goals he’s scored this season, five of them have come on the penalty kill, which leads the league. It’s a great card for the Islanders to play and the hope is that Holmstrom continues to find the back of the net on the penalty kill throughout the season.
Expensive Gifts
These are surprise gifts that shouldn’t be expected and would be great to find under the tree. Islanders fans would love to see any of these shocking things happen by the end of this season.
Dobson Wins The Norris
Dobson not only emerged as the Islanders’ top defenseman this season but also one of the best in the league. Through 32 games, he has five goals, 28 assists, and a 2.8 defensive point share, and his ability to turn defense into instant offense has notably stood out. He faces a tough road ahead to take home the Norris Trophy, especially with the Colorado Avalanche’s Cale Makar and Vancouver Canucks’ Quinn Hughes having remarkable seasons. That said, if everything goes right, Dobson can be the first Islanders defenseman to win the trophy since Denis Potvin in 1979.
He must continue to play at a high level, thriving in all three zones and more importantly, put himself on the map with remarkable performances. Dobson registered three assists in three games this season with his most recent being the 5-3 loss on Dec. 16 to the Montreal Canadiens. However, he needs to put the Islanders on his back one night or even more to make a strong argument that he is the top defenseman in the league.
Barzal, Horvat, & Dobson End Season As Point-Per-Game Players
The Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal connection has been everything the Islanders could have asked for and then some. The two skaters have combined for 23 goals and 41 assists to lead the top line and help turn the offense into a strength as the Islanders average 3.06 goals per game. Barzal and Horvat have provided most of the forward units’ offensive production and Dobson has singlehandedly led the defensive unit in the offensive end of the ice.
Through 32 games, all three skaters are point-per-game players. The last time the Islanders had a player reach that threshold in a full season was in 2017-18 when Barzal and John Tavares both eclipsed 82 points in the season. A regression from any of the three is possible (if not likely) but if they keep up their current rates of production, they’ll all reach that mark.
Lamoriello Makes A Splash
Lamoriello rarely — if ever — makes a big move in free agency or at the Trade Deadline. Granted, he acquired Horvat last season at the All-Star Break and added Engvall days before the Deadline and similarly, he acquired Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Palmieri through trades. This season, two elite players look like they could be dealt with both the Calgary Flames’ Elias Lindholm and Toronto Maple Leafs’ William Nylander playing on expiring contracts. Lamoriello would have to pull some strings but a move would put this roster over the top.
Shoplifting
If any of the below things happen, Islanders fans will have questions. How did it happen and was there a deal made with the devil (and not Santa) for this gift?
- The Islanders acquire Jake Guentzel — who is an elite skater and would prepare the team for a playoff run — but plays for the rival Pittsburgh Penguins, a team that would avoid trading him within the Division.
- The Islanders not only surpass the New York Rangers in the standings but manage to win the Presidents’ Trophy. They have 39 points while the Vegas Golden Knights and Canucks have 47 points and Rangers have 45 so catching up to those teams is a tall task. (On a side note, anytime the Islanders beat their New York rival, that’s a nice gift).
- Lamoriello signs a star player in the offseason. He hasn’t done this since taking over as GM in 2018 and it’s unlikely he’d change now.
Priceless
The one thing that the fanbase wants at the end of the season is a Stanley Cup title and it’s the best gift the Islanders can provide. They haven’t won the Cup since 1983 and it’s become one of the longest droughts in the NHL as the years go by. A lot of Islanders fans, especially the younger ones, have no memory of the dynasty and over time it’s becoming a thing of the past.
The Islanders have struggled at times this season but they have a team that looks like it can make a run at the Cup. Lamoriello must make at least one move to put them over the top and the Eastern Conference will be a tough test in the playoffs. However, the team has proven it has the talent to not only reach the playoffs but be a legitimate Cup threat..
Is there a gift you’d like to see at the end of the season from the Islanders? Let us know in the comments section below.