The Islanders just finished up a very mediocre season, finishing 35-35-12 finishing with 82 points. Finishing 9 points out of the playoffs and heading into an offseason full of uncertainty. Even in a rough seasons, there were a lot of takeaways, today i’ll talk about 3 positives and 3 negatives of the Islanders season, as well as what lies ahead this summer.
Simon Holmstrom’s Breakout
Simon Holmstrom entered the year as a middle-six winger who wasn’t expected to contribute as much offensively as other wingers like Anders Lee or Anthony Duclair, but Holmstrom greatly outperformed the latter. Holmstrom put up 20 goals and 45 points this season, which is great production from a 23 year old still on an entry-level contract. Holmstrom proved this season that he could be a contributor in the top six, as well as on the Power Play, and we already know about his game on the penalty kill, which is strong. Holmstrom is due for an extension this summer, which he will undoubtedly get. Holmstrom looks to be a fixture on the roster for years to come, and this season was a great stepping stone for the future.
Maxim Tsyplakov showed Promise
The Islanders signed Tsyplakov after his deal in the KHL expired last season, and you’ll take his production on a league minimum salary. Tsyplakov posted 10 goals and 35 points in 77 games. Tsyplakov started the season playing on the second line, but bounced around the lineup throughout the season. Tsyplakov’s offensive game showed a lot of flashes of someone who can definitely be successful in the NHL, and like Holmstrom, is also due for an extension. Tsyplakov is a guy who I believe can be a third liner on a very good team, he has size and skill, but the main hole in his game is that he just takes too many penalties and ill-timed ones at that.
Lamoriello Acquired Assets
At the trade deadline, the one thing Islander fans wanted was for Lou Lamoriello to do the right thing, and trade pending UFA Brock Nelson for a haul. And he did do that. He acquired Colorado’s 2026 First Round Pick, in addition to prospect and former first rounder Calum Ritchie. The Islanders hit a home run with this deal, acquiring a prospect who will slot into the lineup next season, as well as a first round pick in 2026 which is being lauded as one of the best drafts we’ve seen in recent memory.
Though every season comes with its fair share of positives, this season had no shortage of negatives.
Injury Woes
A big contributor to the Islanders struggles this season was their injury issues. Mathew Barzal missed more than half of the season, Noah Dobson missed over a month, Semyon Varlamov only played 10 games. Anthony Duclair missed chunks of the season as well. Not to mention Ilya Sorokin was coming off a back surgery in training camp, and seemingly lingered into the season. Sorokin also got injured at the end of the season, though returned to play after missing one game.
Special Teams Struggles
The Islanders under Patrick Roy this season were bottom 3 in both Power Play% and Penalty Kill%. Not exactly something you want if you want to compete for the playoffs. Though their injuries definitely impacted both sides, their struggles contributed greatly to their struggles. The Islanders Penalty Kill improved as the season went on, but it wasn’t enough to propel them higher than the draft lottery. If the Islanders can manage to even marginally improve their special teams, they’ll be back in the playoff mix.
Uncertainty Heading into the Summer
Though many expect Lou Lamoriello and Patrick Roy to be back in their roles for next season, there has been speculation that it’s time for the Islanders ownership that they “Have a pulse” and move on from the two legends. The Islanders have a lot of decisions to be made this summer, and many, myself included, aren’t 100% sure if Lamoriello should be the one making the final call. Especially when there are many things that have to be done. We don’t know about any of the pending free agents or potential contracts, if Lou remains, we won’t know until they are signed most likely. But there are many lingering questions going into the summer. Will they dump a defenseman making a high salary? What is going to happen with Noah Dobson? Do they attempt to move up in the draft to select James Hagens? These are all questions that will be answered in due time. The first question that will be answered is where the Islanders will pick in the draft. They currently sit at #10 overall with just over a 7% chance at winning the lottery, which we will know before the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Islanders Pending UFAs: Hudson Fasching, Mike Reilly, Matt Martin, Tony DeAngelo, Kyle Palmieri
Pending RFAs: Noah Dobson, Alex Romanov, Adam Boqvist, Scott Perunovich, Simon Holmstrom, Maxim Tsyplakov, Marc Gatcomb
BS Reports 
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