The Stanley Cup Final is set to begin on June 8 at Amerant Bank Arena in Florida. The Edmonton Oilers took down the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final and will begin the series on the road against the Florida Panthers who took down the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final. As the Oilers and Panthers square off, the New York Islanders can learn from the four teams who played for a spot to reach the Stanley Cup Final.
Rangers’ Ability to Control High-Danger Areas
After defeating the Islanders in five games in Round 1 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Carolina Hurricanes fell to the Rangers in six games in Round 2. It was a tale of two series for the Hurricanes who were a Game 4 win away from sweeping the Islanders and a Game 4 loss away from getting swept by the Rangers. The difference between how the Islanders and Rangers played against the Hurricanes is clear, and the Islanders need to mimic parts of the Rangers’ strategy to find success next season.
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The Islanders have historically been a well-disciplined, structurally sound team. The forward core has played a relentless forecheck, preventing the opposition from entering the offensive zone. From there, the defense would force shots from the perimeter, minimizing quality scoring chances. However, this past season, especially in Round 1, the Islanders struggled to prevent Carolina from obtaining high-danger scoring chances, and it was ultimately their downfall.
In the first three games of Round 1, the Rangers held Carolina to just 1.09, 3.47, and 1.78 expected goals at even strength over 12 periods, according to Money Puck. As the series progressed, the Rangers continued to control the high-danger areas. The difference between the Rangers and Islanders can be attested to better coaching, increased physicality, or simply better defenders, so the Islanders need to solve this issue moving forward.
No Valuable Contracts
Breaking down the Islanders roster, one of the many glaring issues is the team’s lack of stellar contracts. Outside of Noah Dobson’s $4 million average annual value (AAV) deal that ends following the 2024-25 season, there are no contracts that stand out as team-friendly. This could not be said for the teams remaining in the 2024 Playoffs.
The Rangers have 28-goal and 57-point scorer Alexis Lafreniere making $2.325 million, and 2022 Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender Igor Shesterkin making just over $5.65 million. The Stars are paying superstar Jason Robertson $7.75 million and franchise defenseman Miro Heiskanen $8.45 million. The Panthers are paying Sam Bennett $4.425 million and Carter Verhaeghe just over $4.15 million. The Oilers are paying Zach Hyman $5.5 million, Evan Bouchard $3.9 million, and Ryan Nugent Hopkins $5.125 million.
This is by no means saying these teams do not have bad contracts, as they all undoubtedly do, but they have these stellar contracts to make up for it. Sure, the Rangers paying Jacob Trouba $8 million is a bad deal, but this overpay can be afforded because the team is finding value elsewhere. For the Islanders, all contracts are either fair value or an overpay.
Islanders’ Lack of Youth
Possibly the most frustrating issue with the Islanders is the team’s lack of youth, so watching the remaining playoff teams find success from their blossoming stars has been painful to watch. The Rangers have been led by 22-year-old Lafreniere, while the Stars have seen Wyatt Johnston, Thomas Harley, and Logan Stankoven step up big when it has mattered most.
Unfortunately for the Islanders, there is no way to solve this issue. No team is going to give up a blossoming young star, and they do not have the assets required to trade up in the draft to land one of these prized possessions. As well, even if the Islanders somehow landed an elite talent in the draft, they likely would not see the ice for three or four seasons at the earliest.
Of course, the Rangers and Stars fell short of their goal, and one of the Panthers and Oilers ultimately will, too. However, there can only be one Stanley Cup champion per season despite many teams being qualified. So, the Islanders need to learn from the NHL’s best teams to improve and give themselves a real chance at winning the Stanley Cup next season.
