The Islanders wrapped up their season by losing Game 5 to the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round, being eliminated by their division rival in each of the last two seasons. The Islanders got into the playoffs with a record of 39-27-16 for 94 points and 3rd in the Metropolitan Division. They got there because of the run they had in the last 10 games of the year, going 8-1-1. It is clear to us that the roster needs improvement. But first let’s talk about some of the good and the bad storylines from this season.
The emergence of Noah Dobson finally happened. He put up 70 points and was one of the most integral parts of the Islanders success this season. He had a slower second half and Postseason, but he still was the top blueliner on this team, and I would expect him to get a contract extension that signifies that. Another good story is Kyle MacLean, he’d been grinding in Bridgeport all season before getting a shot due to some injuries, he thrived everywhere he was put in the lineup, and we know that he’ll be a big part of the Islanders bottom 6 for the foreseeable future.
Coming into this season, the expectation was that the Islanders would go as far as Ilya Sorokin would take them. This was not the case this year, as the Islanders made the Playoffs with Sorokin struggling mightily throughout most of the season. He has stated that he’s getting right back on the ice this summer and will rebound next year, which is a good sign. But if he doesn’t, that $8.25 million cap hit over the next 8 seasons is going to be difficult to deal with. I expect a big bounce back next season.
Anders Lee was largely a disappointment throughout the regular season, this is mainly because of how expensive his contract is, as he’s making $7 million annually and only recorded 37 points. Many have distain for Lee because his production not only doesn’t match his salary, but it doesn’t match the letter on his jersey. Many have called for Mathew Barzal or Bo Horvat to be named the next captain of this team if they were to move on from Lee this offseason, and I would agree.
Yesterday the Islanders had their post elimination press conference with some players along with GM Lou Lamoriello and HC Patrick Roy. Lamoriello opened the presser by stating that he and Roy would both be returning for the 2024-25 season. Lamoriello seemed very excited about the upcoming offseason. It seems we’ll be getting some big changes on Long Island potentially. Bo Horvat stated explicitly that he’d like to see an improvement on the roster and not have a “revolving door” of players on the first line alongside him and Barzal. We saw Lee, Nelson, Cizikas and even Holmstrom get time on that line.
Islanders Notable Pending UFAs:
F Cal Clutterbuck
F Matt Martin
D Mike Reilly
D Sebastion Aho
D Robert Bortuzzo
Notable Pending RFAs:
F Oliver Wahlstrom
F Simon Holmstrom
F Ruslan Iskhakov
F Kyle MacLean
BS Reports 
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