In case it wasn’t clear that the New York Islanders have a long way to go if they hope to contend, the first round showed it. They lost the series 4-1 to a Carolina Hurricanes team that was far and beyond a better team and one that looks poised to make a Cup run. Frankly, it’s a surprise the Islanders weren’t swept and they would have been if not for the double-overtime winner in Game 4.
The series was a reminder that what the Islanders have going right now is not enough to compete for the Stanley Cup. Make the playoffs? Sure. Win a series? Maybe. Win the Cup? Not at all. So, the question is what comes next? There are a lot of unknowns and both the front office and ownership group must address them. The Islanders have an aging roster and are in a division and a conference that is expected to improve, making it an uphill battle for this team to remain in the playoff picture altogether.
There are a few options, some of which involve the current general manager (GM) Lou Lamoriello while others require the ownership group to step in and move on without him. The Islanders could always run it back, something they’ve done time and time again by trusting the group in place and making minimal changes. Frankly, it’s something the fans have grown frustrated with. Losing is worse and being a bottomfeeder is disastrous but being a middling team isn’t much better.
Related: Islanders’ Playoff Disappointment Reflective of Lamoriello’s Management
The Islanders could also tear it down and restart all over again. This means that Lamoriello isn’t a part of the teardown and the trickle-down effect would result in a few others not being a part of the future either. With a lot of contracts that are difficult to move on from, this seems like a strategy that is nearly impossible to pull off.
They also could do a soft retool or a reboot. This seems like the best option and one the Islanders can reasonably pull off. The long-term contracts in place would suggest otherwise but a few moves will make it work and leave them best off in the long run. With the playoff exit still fresh on our minds, it’s time for a reasonable look at what the Islanders can do in what might be a long summer.
Keep the Core & Build Around It
Mathew Barzal was an All-Star this season and one of the bright spots in the first round. Bo Horvat in his first full season with the Islanders scored 33 goals and 35 assists and formed strong chemistry with Barzal on the top line. Noah Dobson scored 10 goals and 60 assists as he finally emerged as the elite two-way defenseman on the unit.
Throw in the goaltending and that’s a core the Islanders can build around. The forwards lead the top line while Dobson anchors the defense from the point and goaltending remains the backbone. The duo of Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov had a forgettable playoff series but the tandem proved they can get the team to the playoffs, especially if they split starts throughout the season.
The question is what happens with Brock Nelson? This is where differing opinions come into play. After scoring 34 goals and 35 assists, the 32-year-old center has proved he’s continuing to age well and more importantly, is still a valuable player to have. The Islanders can trade him this offseason for a reasonable return and it would help them reboot. Say the return is an NHL-ready young skater and a prospect, the team can have a new look and a competitive one by next season. This is under the assumption that the Islanders trade Nelson, a player who is a free agent after next season but is the face of the franchise. It’s not out of the realm to see him re-signed and remain a core part of the roster. He can do what John Tavares didn’t; retire on the Island and have his name go up in the rafters.
The Nelson conflict will be the first one the Islanders must address. Then there’s the rest of the roster, the players who aren’t “core” pieces. Some players like Kyle Palmieri and Alexander Romanov can add to the core and remain complementary pieces but others aren’t capable of doing so at this point in their careers. This is where the next step of a reboot comes into play.
Move on From Some Veterans
The Islanders can and should trade some skaters to help them bring in new faces to provide a new look by next season. They have the core to build around and now it’s about finding the skaters to surround them with.
The team that comes to mind is the Colorado Avalanche. They had to reboot or do a soft retool after winning the Stanley Cup in 2022. In the next two offseasons, they moved on from a lot, if not all of their depth pieces and because they had the building blocks, it was easy for them to remain contenders. Fast forward to the 2024 Playoffs and the Avalanche look poised for another deep playoff run with the same star players leading them and a new cast adding to the depth.
The Islanders don’t have the same core. Nathan MacKinnon is a Hart Trophy frontrunner and Cale Makar is a perennial Norris Trophy finalist while the Islanders’ best players aren’t in the same tier, not even close. That said, they must do the same thing the Avalanche did a few seasons back.
Moving on from aging free agents is a good place to start. Cal Clutterbuck and Matt Martin are both in their 30s and letting them go will allow the Islanders to make room for younger skaters. Then there are some long-term contracts. Anders Lee and Jean-Gabriel Pageau won’t be free agents until 2026 while Scott Mayfield still has six more seasons left on his contract. Of the three veterans, Pageau is the one who can be traded for a reasonable return but Mayfield seems like the skater they must move on from and a buyout might already be on the table for the veteran who had a disastrous season.
The question with a reboot is what they will do with some in-between players, those who aren’t key players yet aren’t ones the team must move on from either. Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock aren’t the stars of the defense anymore but are both still playing well. Palmieri remains a staple of the top six yet could field a strong return in a trade. The Islanders moving on from some of them would allow them space on the roster for new faces who can improve the team both in the immediate and long-term future.
Find Complementary Pieces
The Islanders for the first time in Lamoriello’s tenure must be active in the offseason. Sure a big signing or two can backfire but they must add after seasons of not doing so. If Lamoriello is unwilling to make a move or two, this is where the ownership group must step in. Offseason signings tend to backfire but lack of movement year in and year out guarantees failure by the end of the season. A team that barely made the playoffs two seasons in a row won’t all of a sudden become a Cup contender without any changes.
The depth additions are where Lamoriello can turn his focus as the Islanders need depth scoring and can find plenty of it in free agency. Daniel Sprong, Dominik Kubalik, and Max Domi will all be available for a reasonable price and if the Islanders sign two of them, one will likely work out and give the team the scoring touch it needs. Sure, some of the signings won’t work out but it’s worth the risk. The offense from the third and fourth line was non-existent and adding two depth forwards will give them a chance to turn around the forward unit and the offense altogether.
Looking at the Hurricanes, the gap is noticeable. They have the stars to lead them but the depth is also there to allow them to win games. Stefan Noesen averaged 9:47 of ice time in the first round but scored three goals including one in Game 5 to help clinch the series. The Hurricanes have skaters who can step up and find the back of the net to give them an edge in a playoff series while the Islanders need those types of players.
Add Youth To The Roster
Arguably the biggest need for the Islanders is to add youth to an otherwise aging roster. The average age this season was 29.6 which is only slightly above the league average (28.6) but 10 starters were 30 or older. Kyle MacLean proved that the Islanders have prospects who can round out the NHL roster if they are called up from the American Hockey League (AHL) and better yet, they will add speed to the roster as well. MacLean centered the fourth line in the second half of this season and the 24-year-old looks like the next in line to carry the torch of Casey Cizikas, Clutterbuck, and Martin as a staple of the “Identity Line” in the coming years.
Ruslan Iskhakov is one skater who comes to mind as a young option who can add depth but there are plenty of questions surrounding him both on and off the ice. For starters, he might not return to the Islanders next season as he is a free agent and could look to play elsewhere. He also is a smaller skater who has the skill but will get pushed around at the NHL level, making him both an intriguing but difficult skater to see making an impact.
Then there’s William Dufour and Matthew Maggio. They are the top two prospects who will notably add a scoring presence to the forward unit. On the defensive unit, there are a few names to monitor as well, specifically recent draft selections like Calle Odelius and Isiah George, and even with the Islanders possessing a deep defense, the young skaters will be worth monitoring.
This will be a long offseason for the Islanders and it’s only just beginning. However, with the right moves, they can close the gap on a team like the Hurricanes, a team that easily defeated them in the first round this season and the season before. The good news is that the Islanders have a lot of things going in their favor. They have a good core and a head coach in Patrick Roy who proved he can get the best out of his players. The next step is making sure the roster in place is built to compete, a task easier said than done.
