After getting eliminated by the Carolina Hurricanes in Round 1, the New York Islanders need to look internally to see what is holding the team back from reaching its full potential. The roster is not too far removed from the 2020-22 rosters that were just a few goals away from reaching the Stanley Cup. Since the current roster is filled with long-term contracts and no-trade clauses, it will be hard to add the significant pieces necessary to compete for a championship like the New York Yankees did. With the assets the team currently has, they could look to mimic the Yankees by adding fun players and traditions to the locker room.
Yankees and Islanders Show Similarities
The Yankees and Islanders have many parallels. Both New York teams have struggled to find success in recent seasons, have strict facial hair policies, and have management groups that have been around since the 1990s. As well, both teams have had a philosophy of “running it back” in recent seasons until the Yankees made significant changes this past offseason.
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While unconfirmed by team sources, the Yankees addressed this issue this past offseason by bringing in personalities such as Juan Soto, Alex Verdugo, and Marcus Stroman. All three players are outspoken, wear their emotions on their sleeves, and are not afraid to show their personality, whether it be through jewelry, social media posts, or shuffles. The Islanders have no personality and could solve this issue by adding key figures to the locker room or creating traditions, new or old.
Could Ping Pong Be the Answer?
The Islanders found ice success during the peak of COVID-19 through elite coaching, discipline, structure, and ping pong. Yes, ping pong. Any Islanders fan on social media during the 2020 Playoffs remembers the daily posts from the Islanders regarding the results of the ping pong tournament.
Since each team was quarantined in their own section of a hotel, the players had only themselves to keep busy. The Islanders solved this by having a ping pong tournament where newly acquired Jean-Gabriel Pageau came out victorious. The team created a poster board with a fun name, rankings, and eligibility qualifications, allowing for friendly competition and bonding. While ping pong has nothing to do with on-ice results, it undoubtedly created an indestructible bond within the team, evident in Pageau scoring eight goals in 22 playoff games.
Amid the “Boys of the Isle” ping pong tournament, the team was playing some high-level hockey, and the chemistry showed. Head coach Barry Trotz, along with the players, continuously stated the team had “no quit,” and they all believed in one another. The players bought into the group they had and found success when nobody thought they could. Of course, the team fell short of their goal of winning the Stanley Cup, but fans still wonder what would have happened had the Tampa Bay Lightning not scored the shorthanded goal in Game 7 of the 2021 Eastern Conference Final or if Johnn Boychuk’s shot off the post had gone in the Islanders’ favor.
In addition to adding traditions, the Islanders could add fun personalities to the locker room like Teuvo Teravainen or Kailer Yamamoto. Teravainen is known for his dry humor and timely jokes. One of his funniest lines was at the end of the 2021 season when a member of the media asked him how he dealt with the stress of playing professional hockey. He told the reporter “They asked me how I feel every day, and that’s kind of annoying.” A dry yet hilarious response, similar to how the Islanders handled the media during the bubble playoffs by poking fun at the media.
Yamamoto may not be as vocal in the media, but he does have a reputation for being a locker-room funny guy, keeping the vibes high. Not to mention, both players are pending free agents and would be useful additions to the Islanders’ forward core by adding speed and scoring.
Leadership Is Lacking
A more professional takeaway from the Islanders’ descending caliber of play is the lack of leadership, both in quantity and quality. In the past two seasons, the Islanders have had three different head coaches. As well, the team has lost key locker room leaders in Boychuk, Josh Bailey, Zach Parise, Travis Zajac, Andy Greene, and others. Of course, the team has brought in other leaders like Bo Horvat, but none possess the experience and wisdom that Bailey and the others mentioned do.
With veterans Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck potentially retiring or leaving the Islanders this summer, the team may lose some of their few remaining veteran leaders. While the Islanders could bring in other veterans, it will be counterproductive to the team’s necessary path to getting younger and faster.
This issue will be solved by having current, tenured, players like Mat Barzal, Brock Nelson, Ryan Pulock, and Adam Pelech step into elevated roles as leaders. This is not to say they have not done so already, but they must become more vocal, enacting the lessons imposed upon them just a few seasons ago. This could be done, public or private, through team bonding and setting higher expectations on each player. They must find a way to preach accountability, owning up to their disappointing recent seasons and stating they must improve moving forward. The team has complained a lot recently, and it is time to fix that attitude.
It is important to note this is not saying the Islanders need to go after superstars because that is unreasonable due to the way the team is currently structured. However, they can make minor changes on and off the ice, bringing fun back to a team that has not been familiar with that word as of late. The reality with adding fun is there is nothing to lose and everything to gain, especially since there are a limited number of ways the Islanders can improve this offseason.
