isles

New York Islanders: Will Noah Dobson Get the Starting Spot Next Year?

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New York Islanders, Noah Dobson

New York Islanders‘ defenseman Noah Dobson is close to NHL ready. There’s one problem for Dobson, though; there’s a million other defensemen on the roster. The Islanders have established defensemen like Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk. Both of those defenders have long, expensive contracts. This makes them hard to trade and lowers Dobson’s chances of starting a lot.  How can Noah Dobson start next year?

Have a Strong Training Camp

Training camp is a time for unproven draft picks, old veterans, and undrafted free agents to show that they have what it takes. Noah Dobson is no different. Just because he was the number 12th overall pick doesn’t mean he gets a hall pass. Dobson has to give it his all on every single rep and take the spot away. Last year, general manager Lou Lamoriello has stated that he would give Dobson every shot to make the team. It won’t be as hard to make the team for Dobson, but it will still be a challenge, especially if he wants to be in the top 6. Sliding in with Nick Leddy or whoever stays around isn’t a gift; he will have to earn every minute.

Trading Talent

There are a few defenders that need to go if Noah Dobson wants a shot of making the team. Nick Leddy has the most trade value out of all those defenders. If the Islanders can unload Nick Leddy off for someone like Tomas Tatar, Dobson moves up in the depth chart. Johnny Boychuk already has one foot in the grave. Andy Greene took his spot for the playoffs indefinitely. Boychuk doesn’t have much trade value; he’s old and costs a lot of money. It would be nice for the Islanders to trade Boychuk due to cap space problems, but it’s unlikely.

Conclusion

Noah Dobson has a good shot to start next year, but he has to work for it. There are many obstacles in front of him, but adversity builds character.

New York Islanders: The Evolution of Matt Martin

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New York Islanders, Matt Martin

The New York Islanders drafted Matt Martin in the 5th round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Since then, Matt Martin has been the staple/identity of Islanders’ hockey. Hard-hitting, physical forechecking, and a lot of chirping. Martin has grown as a player since being drafted. He went from a head-hunting enforcer to a “get in front of the net” grinder. Not only has this change impacted the Islanders positively, but also added years to his career.

Young Matt Martin played a lot like Ross Johnston does. Both of them are big bodies who stuck up for their best players. For Martin, it was John Tavares, for Johnston, it is Mat Barzal. Don’t get me wrong, Martin is still an enforcer, but he’s an offensive enforcer.

Barry Trotz has made Martin an offensive threat for the first time in his whole career. Matt Martin currently has four playoff goals, and all of them were “clutch” goals. Having a 4th liner who can score along with creating opportunities through the forecheck is huge. He can still deliver the big hits too, but not as frequent. My only criticism is that he takes bad penalties at bad times. Too many stick infractions in the closing minutes of the third. Other than that, Martin is a great player.

Sadly, Matt Martin’s contract is over with the Islanders after the season ends. Since the Islanders have to sign Mat Barzal, Devon Toews, and Ryan Pulock, the chance that Martin gets resigned is very slim. I would keep Martin over Johnston, though.

There’s no reason to break up that 4th line chemistry just because there’s a younger version of young Matt Martin. Martin should command $2-$2.5 million in free agency, close to Johnston’s contract. I’m not saying get rid of Johnston for Martin, but if that’s how it has to happen, that’s how it must happen. The 4th line is crucial to the Islanders’ success, it’s the entire identity of who the Islanders are. The Islanders must keep Martin somehow.

New York Islanders: Barry Trotz must Change the Lineup for Game 7

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New York islanders, Jordan Eberle

The New York Islanders have blown their 3-1 lead against the Philadelphia Flyers. Game 7 is on Saturday, and the Islanders need to make some lineup changes. With little to no momentum on their side, the Islanders need to come out swinging. Not literally swinging, but pressuring the Flyers as they did in game 1. I’ve penciled in 3 lineup changes that I believe are detrimental for the Islanders to close out the series.

Thomas Greiss

Before overtime, the Flyers had 20 shots on net, and the Islanders had 50. What was the score, you wonder? 4-4. One out of every five shots that the Flyers took went in. This is not how you win a series. Thomas Greiss is the only solution to this problem. Greiss made some huge saves during game four as the Islanders took a 3-1 lead in the series. Griess isn’t always the most reliable, but Varlamov isn’t either right now. It’s a risky move for sure, but I believe this change must occur.

Tom Kuhnhackl

Tom Kuhnhackl was excellent against the Florida Panthers and was only taken out because of the Isles’ inability to stop the power-play. Now, the Flyers’ power-play is even worse than the Islanders’. Komarov isn’t better than Kuhnhackl on offense, and the offense is what the Islanders need right now. Kuhnhackl’s forechecking works perfectly with Pageau’s ability to jump up on the defense. You can either play Kuhnhackl and get more offense or stick with Komarov and see what works.

Jordan Eberle

Jordan Eberle had at least four chances to end the series last night. Playoff Eberle has fallen off the map completely. He’s taking enough shots, but none of them are going in. I believe he has to move down a line. I don’t know who you would move up because the “B-B-B” line is doing so well. Maybe moving Josh Bailey up a line is the right move, but that’s Trotz’s decision.

Conclusion

The Islanders only have one more shot at winning this series. This is the biggest game in Islanders’ history in 27 years. The pressure is on.

New York Islanders: 3 Possible Forward Options in Free Agency

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New York Rangers, Jesper Fast

The New York Islanders are still in the playoffs; they currently have a 3-2 lead over the Philidelphia Flyers. This doesn’t mean we can’t look ahead into free agency to see who Lou Lamoriello should target. This free-agent class is either a boom or bust, but not because of whos available. This class doesn’t favor the Islanders as it’s defenseman heavy. Could the Islanders go after another defenseman? Sure, is it likely, though? Probably not, but there are some good wingers left that the Islanders could use. I’m not including Mike Hoffman on this list due to originality.

Jesper Fast

Jesper Fast has been archrivals with the Islanders since his debut with the New York Rangers in 2013. Fast is not that perennial goal scorer who all Islanders’ fans want, but that doesn’t mean he can’t score. Putting Fast on the 3rd line with JG Pageau would strike fear into the hearts of the opposition. Like it says in his name, Fast is fast. Fast is a speedy winger who has great hands to dangle around defenseman. Not only that, but he’s solid on defense. Barry Trotz asks of one thing from all his players: play defense. Fast is an excellent option to sure up that 3rd line winger spot for cheap money.

Evgenii Dadonov

If you look past Mike Hoffman (and Taylor Hall), his teammate Evgenii Dadonov is the best winger in this class. Since returning to the NHL, Dadonov has put up three seasons in a row with 25+ goals. In 2019, Dadonov recorded a career-high 70 points. This move means Lamoriello must pay big money. Elite snipers on the wing don’t come cheap. And the Islanders aren’t in the best spot in terms of cap space. In a perfect world, though, Dadonov signs and plays on the 1st line with Mat Barzal and Jordan Eberle. And Anders Lee gets demoted to the second line because Dadonov is left-handed. If Lamoriello somehow pulls this move off, it will only further his Hall of Fame legacy.

Valeri Nichushkin

Since joining the Colorado Avalanche, Valeri Nichushkin’s career has had some kind of a renaissance. In 2018, with the Dallas Stars, Nichushkin picked up just 10 assists in 57 games. But, this year, Nischushkin recorded 13 goals and 14 assists. Nischushkin is a solid defensive forward with a boatload of potential. I could see him filling out the 3rd line right winger spot, or even a 4th line spot. Yes, I know Ross Johnston exists, that doesn’t mean I believe Johnston should play all 82 games though. This is a cheap move for the Isles, and it makes a lot of sense.

Conclusion

There are wingers in free agency who are not named Taylor Hall or Mike Hoffman. Remember, just because they’re a big name doesn’t mean they fit with every team.

New York Islanders: How the Islanders can Win Game 6

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New York Islanders, Islanders

The New York Islanders are one win away from making the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 27 years. The problem is, the Philidelphia Flyers aren’t ready to roll over. The Islanders were atrocious in game 5. The Islanders cannot repeat that performance; there cannot be a game 7. There are some mistakes the Islanders need to fix if they want to take the next step to the dance of immortals.

Breakout Passes

The Islanders have a lot of trouble breaking out of their own zone, especially in overtime. This is an elementary problem that is an easy fix. But, this one simple problem could be the end of this Cinderella run. A breakout pass creates offense and takes the pressure off the defense. If a team can break out of their own zone, they most likely will live to see another shift. That’s two overtime’s in a row where a line got caught on a long shift, and the Isles paid the price. Barry Trotz isn’t stressing over the little things, but the teams who perfect the little things win championships. This problem is not about the system, it’s the players.

Faceoffs in Big Moments

The Islanders are loaded at the center position, and they win a lot of faceoffs in regular time. Once overtime came around, the Flyers won almost every faceoff. If you have JG Pageau, Brock Nelson, and Derick Brassard on the same roster, there is no excuse to lose multiple faceoffs in a row. That’s normally why the powerplay conversion percentage is so low. If you lose the faceoff, it takes another 20 seconds to get back into the offensive zone. The same thing goes for overtime; the Islanders must win more than half of the faceoffs.

Fighting Screens

The Flyers might have three actual goals all series. Every Flyers’ goal has been some sort of tip-in. There is way too much traffic in front of Semyon Varlamov. Varlamov is a great goalie who has been on fire, but it’s hard to stop a 101MPH slapshot when five guys are in your face. The Islanders need to start using their bodies more. Ryan Pulock, Anders Lee, and Matt Martin are all big guys who have to use their bodies more. If you can move people out of the crease, Varlamov will have a field day.

Conclusion

The Islanders need to shore up on the little things before they can think about the big things. It all starts with the fundamentals of the game. Barry Trotz will whip them into winning shape, so Isles fans, there is no need to worry.

New York Islanders: Is Zach Parise Still an Option?

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Zach Parise, New York Islanders

For those who don’t know, the New York Islanders tried to acquire forward Zach Parise from the Minnesota Wild at the trade deadline. The deal was, or so we believe, Andrew Ladd and Sebastian Aho for Zach Parise. Everything was falling into place; both forwards waived their no-move clause. Why did the deal fall apart again? Notice how I said again. The Islanders tried trading for Parise during the last offseason. The deal has fallen apart twice, but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen. Parise wants to be an Islander, and the Wild are willing to take Ladd. How can the two sides get this deal done?

Retaining Salary

It’s no secret that Zach Parise has a huge contract. $7.5 million for the next five years. It’s definitely an overpay, and the Islanders don’t have cap space to overpay another player. Sending Andrew Ladd back the other way would still only take off $5.5 million of this deal. Lou Lamoriello definitely wants Bill Guerin to retain some of Parise’s salary. Remember, the Islanders have to resign Mat Barzal, Ryan Pulock, and Devon Toews. And the Islanders are low on cap space; the Wild must retain some of Parise’s contract.

More Talent

Zach Parise is miles ahead of Andrew Ladd in terms of talent. Parise recorded 25 goals and 21 assists while being 36 years of age. Andrew Ladd hasn’t seen those kinds of stats since 2014 in Winnipeg. Ladd has only played 30 games in the last two years. There will be another prospect and/or draft pick going back to the Wild. For the sake of argument, let’s say the Islanders send Travis St. Denis and a 4th round pick back the other way. Denis is a solid AHLer who could crack the Wild’s roster for sure. And a 4th round pick is a 4th round pick; it could be literally anything. It’s not the best package, but it’s the only one the Wild will get.

Conclusion

The Islanders would be even more dangerous with Zach Parise on the wing. He’s a solid 3rd line option for a team that needs a 3rd line winger. This is a deal Islander, and Wild fans must look out for in the offseason.

New York Islanders: 3 Key Players to Game 4’s Win

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Thomas Greiss, New York Islanders

As New York Islanders‘ head coach Barry Trotz said, “that was the worst game that we’ve played to this point in the playoffs.” I don’t think the Islanders played terrible last night, but they weren’t good. Nevertheless, the Islanders take a 3-1 series lead. And for the first time in 27 years, the Islanders could be headed to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Islanders are clicking right now, and it’s a scary sight for all other teams. There were three key players to last night’s win, and they deserve to be recognized for their efforts.

Thomas Greiss

This was possibly Thomas Greiss’ last game as an Islander. Greiss gave it his all, as he made 36 saves on 38 shots. Greiss made some of the hardest saves look insanely easy. The Islanders are unbeatable when their goalies are clicking. Greiss didn’t make any mistakes last night. As Thomas Greiss said, “it’s not rocket science out there, just stop the puck.” Greiss gets the first star of the night for sure. If this is his last game, thank you, Greisser, for everything.

Brock Nelson

Who knew it could be Brocktober in Paugaust? Brock Nelson finally broke his cold streak and put up two goals last night. This is only the beginning of his hot streak; once Brock gets on a roll, he’s impossible to stop. Nelson possesses the best shot on the team by far. When he’s in front of the net with no one around him, you can bet on Nelson burying it top corner. The Islanders are dangerous even when Nelson wasn’t clicking; what’s going to happen to the league when he clicks?

Scott Mayfield

I’ve said it once, I will say it again; Scott Mayfield won the Islanders the game last night. Mayfield basically said, “okay, I’ve had it, this game is going to be over because I want it to be, I’m tying the puck up, outmuscle me.” And no one was able to outmuscle Mayfield at all. For the last 18 seconds, Mayfield kept the puck on the boards. Mayfield has a purpose, and he fulfilled it. Mayfield also got on the scorer’s sheet last night with an assist.

Honorable Mentions

Josh Bailey has to be mentioned as one of the top players. Bailey is now point per game in the playoffs. He is also tied for 4th in the NHL in assists during the playoffs. Bailey is the anchor of the B-B-B line and creates offense for everyone around him. Bailey has been criticized for too long; hopefully, now the criticisms will stop. JG Pageau deserves a mention as well because he’s the do it all guy. Lou Lamoriello should get a parade through the streets of Long Island for that trade. Pageau is tied for 3rd in playoff goals this season. How many playoff goals does that late first-round pick have again?

Conclusion

The Islanders are one win away from the Eastern Conference Finals. Soak it in Isles fans, the day you’ve dreamt about is almost here. Nine more wins and you’re lifting the Stanley Cup. The Islanders play the Flyers on Tuesday at 7 pm ET.

New York Islanders: 3 Key Players to Game 3’s Win

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Adam Pelech, New York Islanders

Impressive is almost an insult to how the New York Islanders played in game 3. The Flyers maybe won all of 10 minutes out of a possible 60. This game was a swing game, meaning whoever won gets all the momentum in the series. The Islanders got all the momentum and then some. There were three key players to their win, and their play was sensational, to say the least.

Mat Barzal

Mat Barzal missed two golden scoring opportunities in 20 seconds. Barzal made up for this by collecting an assist on the Islanders’ first goal of the game. It’s not easy being double-teamed, especially in Hockey, but Barzal makes it look like it’s an average morning skate. Barzal has woken up since the Florida series. He used to be the turn over machine, but now he’s opening up the offense. Barzal is making smart plays, especially on the power-play, and when Barzal is on his “A” game, the whole team is.

Semyon Varlamov

Islander fans everywhere were frightened to see a repeat performance from game 2 out of their goalie. Varlamov was on his head the entire game. Nothing phased him, not one shot. Varlamov made it look very easy tonight, and that’s a relief to Islander fans. You can’t go far in the playoffs with bad goalie play, just ask the St. Louis Blues. Varlamov got the job done in game three and possibly may play again in game 4.

Adam Pelech

Who’s the most underrated player in all of Hockey right now? If you guessed anything other than Adam Pelech, you’ve guessed wrong. When the Islanders lost Pelech, the team suffered heavily and got away from Islanders Hockey. Now that he’s back, the Islanders are the most dangerous team remaining. Pelech has amazing stick skills, and he’s strong on the puck. Not only is Pelech solid defensively, but Pelech also creates a ton of offense from his neutral zone play. He did it last game on JG Pageau’s game-tying goal, and he did it this game as well. Adam Pelech continues to be one of the best-kept secrets in the NHL.

Honorable Mentions

The captain Anders Lee has arrived, and when your captain scores every game, you better believe the team follows. Lee has six goals now in the playoffs; for someone who disappears typically in the playoffs, Lee has been “captain clutch.” Derick Brassard played a great game as well. Set Leo Komarov up for his goal, when he kept the puck in the offensive zone with 10 seconds left. Glad to see the 3rd line wingers creating offense.

Conclusion

The Islanders have two more wins left to close out this series and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1993. The Islanders are real contenders, and the NHL better start respecting them.

New York Islanders: How the Islanders can Sign Mike Hoffman

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New York Islanders, Mike Hoffman

The New York Islanders are one good winger away from becoming Stanley Cup champions. Mike Hoffman recorded 29 goals and 30 assists this year; the best news is that he’s a free agent this year. The sad news is that the Islanders have minimal cap space and have to resign Mat Barzal, Ryan Pulock, and Devon Toews. The Islanders need to dump off some salary before even re-signing said, key players. General manager Lou Lamoriello always has something up his sleeve, so this signing is possible. What could the Islanders do to sign Mike Hoffman?

Amnesty Buyout

“What’s an amnesty buyout?” says everyone, including me. An amnesty buyout permits NHL teams to cut players without their contracts counting against the salary cap. The catch is that those players have to be paid 2/3’s of their salary over twice the length of time left on their deal. With the salary cap not improving this year due to COVID-19, the Islanders will have to cut some of their players. The first person that comes to mind is Andrew Ladd. A total dud of a signing who never stayed healthy, and never produced enough. That’s $6 million off the books. Buyout Johnny Boychuk too – there’s no reason to keep him with Noah Dobson around. The Islanders have just cleared $11.5 million dollars to sign players. Assuming Barzal, Pulock, and Toews equal 18 million dollars total, the Islanders have $3 million left.

Trades

Andrew Ladd has no trade value; the same goes for Johnny Boychuk. But, you know what every contending team needs right now? A veteran who can play the penalty kill, who can also deliver the hits. Leo Komarov is the player I’m referring to. Komarov might not have immense value, but the Islanders can easily dump him off for a 6th round pick. That’s another $3 million to work with. Thomas Hickey is buried in the AHL right now, so the Islanders might be able to get a 3rd or 4th round pick for him. Another $2.5 million comes off the books giving the Islanders at least $8.5 million to work with.

Releasing Players

Andy Greene, Thomas Greiss, Derick Brassard, Matt Martin, and Thomas Kuhnhackl are notable UFA’s this year. I’m assuming that none of them get re-signed. This isn’t due to their play, Greene has been sensational as of late. Martin, Kuhnhackl, Brassard, and Greiss are all great rotational players too. But, there just isn’t enough room for them on the roster anymore. Noah Dobson, Ilya Sorokin, Kieffer Bellows, Ross Johnston, and Oliver Wahlstrom are all ready to play. This would take approximately $11 million off the books.

Future Lineup

If all of this does happen, here are my 2020-2021 lineups:

Mike Hoffman-Mat Barzal-Anthony Beauvillier

Anders Lee-Brock Nelson-Jordan Eberle

Josh Bailey-JG Pageau-Kieffer Bellows

Ross Johnston-Casey Cizikas-Cal Clutterbuck

Adam Pelech-Ryan Pulock

Devon Toews-Scott Mayfield

Nick Leddy-Noah Dobson

Semyon Varlamov

Ilya Sorokin

New York Islanders: Simon Holmstrom on Loan

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New York Islanders, Simon Holmstrom

The New York Islanders selected forward, Simon Holmstrom, with the 23rd pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. It was a controversial pick, as most thought he’d fall to the second round. But, he was injured for most of 2018 with hip surgery, a broken thumb, and a concussion. Holmstrom recorded decent stats in the SuperElit Hockey league. Most recently, Holmstrom scored seven goals and had 13 assists in 21 games for HV71 in 2018. Holmstrom would play for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers this year and record eight goals and seven assists in 46 games. As of today, Holmstrom has been put on loan to Vita Hasten in the Swedish league.

Loaned off

Simon Holmstrom was by far the youngest player on the Sound Tigers at just 18 years of age. Due to COVID-19, the AHL season wasn’t supposed to start until December 4th. Loaning off Holmstrom to Sweden, whose season starts September 11th, gives Holmstrom more of a chance to develop quicker. Head coach Barry Trotz calls Holmstrom “a really intelligent kid.” Barry Trotz also gave Holmstrom an extended look during training camp earlier this year. And AHL head coach Brent Thompson talks about how excited he is to coach Holmstrom in the future. Holmstrom is on loan for now, but the Islanders can choose to recall him soon.

Learning Curve

Simon Holmstrom has a long way to go before he cracks the NHL roster, but he’s on the right track right now. Not too many players come in as a late first-round draft pick and play immediately. There’s a learning curve for all NHL players, and Holmstrom is experiencing this curve right now. The AHL is not some league for only developers; the AHL is a league full of veterans, young, good prospects, and up-and-down NHL players. Holmstrom will have to find his footing in the Swedish league on more time before coming back over.

The Future

The future is very bright for the first-round pick. The Islanders have the best coach in Hockey, and really good assistant coaches like Lane Lambert. If Holmstrom listens to his coaches and follows the system, he will be a mainstay in the NHL for a long time. I predict 18 goals and 12 assists for Holmstrom in the Swedish league. Although he’s not a tremendous goal scorer, he makes a ton of smart decisions in the neutral zone. Holmstrom won’t score 30 goals, but he’ll create good offense for the rest of his line. Heads up Islanders fans, the winger you’ve all been clamoring for may be coming soon.