Training camp is underway, and the New York Islanders are preparing for a big 2023-24 season. The roster looks more or less the same as last season’s, but there’s more optimism heading into this season largely because Ilya Sorokin has proven he can and will provide stability in the net. Sorokin, who was a Vezina Trophy finalist, raised the Islanders’ floor and carried the team to the playoffs and will look to do the same thing once again.
Related: New York Islanders Season Preview Archives – The Hockey Writers
A year ago, there were questions about the team and whether it was doomed for a disastrous season. This time around, the Islanders know they have a high floor, but the question is how far they can go.
From a roster perspective, there aren’t many burning questions, especially since the same core is returning from the previous seasons. However, there are a few things to look out for as training camp begins, starting with the final spot on a strong defensive unit.
Will Someone Unseat Aho on the Defense?
The defense has been a strength in recent seasons, with Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock leading the top pair while Noah Dobson, Scott Mayfield, and Alexander Romanov round out the unit. Entering last season, the only question was who would play the third pair on the left side. Sebastian Aho not only answered that question, but he put together an exceptional season.
Aho wasn’t expected to take on the starting job, but his production made him a reliable defenseman at the NHL level. He started 71 games, scoring five goals and 18 assists on the offensive end of the ice while contributing 3.3 defensive point shares and 69 blocked shots on the defensive end. Heading into the season, the final spot of the defense is his to lose, but in training camp, he’ll have some competition, with plenty of young defensemen looking to take on his role.
Samuel Bolduc played in 17 games last season and, after signing a two-year contract this offseason, is slated to be the extra defenseman on the roster. He’s only 22 years old and not only a great skater like Aho but a hard hitter who provides a different look to the defense. Taking the youth movement one step further, Calle Odelius and Isaiah George, two of the team’s 2022 NHL Entry Draft selections, have impressed in rookie camp. Both skaters will likely start the season in the American Hockey League (AHL), but it’s only a matter of time before they’re making an impact at the NHL level.
An impressive camp from any of the young defensemen will have Aho demoted and give the Islanders a new look at the blue line. Last season, Robin Salo looked like the skater who won the starting job out of training camp. But Aho’s ability to take control of the final roster spot a few games in is a reminder that the position is once again up for grabs.
Fasching & Gauthier’s Roles
Outside of the top six, the attention in the forward unit will be on two skaters, Hudson Fasching and Julien Gauthier. Fasching was a pleasant surprise last season, stepping up as a two-way forward with a strong checking presence, and was rewarded this offseason with a two-year deal. Gauthier, meanwhile, was one of the few additions this offseason and is a bigger-bodied forward who is expected to play in the bottom six. Interestingly, both forwards have had journeyman careers, playing for a combined five teams in 10 seasons before signing with the Islanders.
The Islanders must figure out what their fourth line will look like this season and beyond, with Cal Clutterbuck and Matt Martin both entering the final years of their contracts. Similarly, the Islanders have questions on the Jean-Gabriel Pageau line, especially with Zach Parise, who scored 21 goals and 13 assists last season, not expected to return to the team. Fasching and Gauthier are both slated to play on those two lines, but the question is who will play where.
Heading into the season, head coach Lane Lambert ideally will have an answer for both skaters. Fasching played on the Pageau line last season, but with his forechecking presence, he is a great skater to have on the fourth line. Likewise, Gauthier looks like he can find a long-term role on the fourth line alongside and eventually replace Clutterbuck in his role. That said, the Islanders need another player on the third line. Between Fasching and Gauthier, the one who steps up as a scorer will likely start the season out in that position.
Can the Young Skaters Impress?
It’s become a recurring theme with the Islanders that they need youth in their lineup and need it desperately. Heading into the season, eight skaters will be 30 years old or older, and in the top six, Brock Nelson, Anders Lee, and Kyle Palmieri will all be 32 or older. The aging roster has been an easy target for the fans, especially when the Islanders struggle and look slow or a step behind on the ice. A youth movement doesn’t appear on the horizon, considering the farm system is one of the worst in the NHL, but a few skaters can join the team this season to help balance out the roster.
William Dufour is the skater to watch, as he has proven he can become a great scorer at the NHL level. He has a great shot, and an impressive camp will have him on the radar to join the NHL roster either by opening night or a few weeks into the season. Similarly, Matthew Maggio is the team’s top rising prospect, as he is coming off an impressive season in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Windsor Spitfires and looks like a well-rounded forward. Maggio will likely start out the season in the AHL, but after signing his entry-level contract this offseason, he is on a mission to make the pro team out of training camp.
Dufour and Maggio are the two prospects everyone will watch, but the Islanders have a handful of young skaters looking to earn long-term roles before the start of the season. Simon Holmstrom had a 2022-23 season to forget, scoring only six goals and three assists in 50 games. But now, he’s acclimated to the NHL level and could be a valuable depth forward on the wing. Ruslan Iskhakov scored 17 goals and 34 assists with the Bridgeport Islanders in the AHL last season and hopes to take the next step at some point this season. Eetu Liukas joined the Islanders from overseas for rookie camp, and he’s looking to make a strong first impression as a power forward with a hard-hitting presence. All it takes is one young skater to step up and become a regular, and suddenly, an aging roster has newfound life to it.
Other Things To Watch in the Islanders Training Camp
Along with age being a common issue with the Islanders, roster health has also become an annual problem heading into the season. Ahead of the 2021-22 season, the team went through training camp without Semyon Varlamov, and the lack of a backup goaltender forced them to overwork Sorokin early on. Before last season began, Mayfield and Clutterbuck entered camp recovering from offseason surgeries, but both skaters were fortunately on the opening night roster.
The Islanders are a team built on depth, and the downside of that is one or two injuries can derail a promising season. When the roster is healthy, they look like one of the teams to beat in the Eastern Conference, but in the NHL, that’s a big if. The injury bug has already bitten the Islanders this time around, with Romanov recovering from offseason surgery, and the hard-hitting defenseman is questionable to start the season.
In training camp, an underlying question will be Mathew Barzal’s role in the offense. The expectation is that he will play on the wing alongside Bo Horvat, forming the Islanders’ top line. However, the conversation about him centering a line has picked up recently, as he has proven he can be a more dynamic playmaker in the middle of the ice. The offensive success goes hand-in-hand with Barzal and finding the best role for him is pivotal for an Islanders team that has struggled on the offensive end of the ice in recent seasons.
The Islanders head into training camp with Stanley Cup aspirations, and if they can round out the roster before the opening night puck drop, they can become a tough team to face this season. They proved last season that they can make the playoffs on the backs of good defense and great goaltending. Now, they need to show they can make a Cup run behind a great roster from the top down.
