5 questions facing the Islanders this offseason
New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
It is officially the offseason for the Islanders, who missed the playoffs for the first time since 2022 thanks to a roller-coaster season marked equally by inconsistent play and poor special teams as well as injuries to key players.
The Islanders (35-35-12) finished sixth in the Metropolitan Division, nine points behind the Canadiens for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. Their 82 points marked their fewest in an 82-game season since they had 80 in 2017-18, the season before Lou Lamoriello took over as boss.
Saturday will mark the team’s breakup day, and then the real offseason questions can start to be asked.
Here are five:
1. What, if anything, happens with Lamoriello and Patrick Roy?
Islanders ownership, specifically majority owner Scott Malkin, has shown unwavering support for president and general manager Lamoriello during his seven-season tenure. Malkin does not speak publicly, so it’s hard to gauge if that support remains or if the franchise’s downturn and falling attendance will have ownership seeking a new boss. Roy’s future likely is tied to Lamoriello’s, as a new GM could want a fresh start behind the bench. If Lamoriello stays, it probably would be a hard sell for him to fire a third coach in three years.
2. How extensive will the roster overhaul be?
Short answer: There should be significant personnel movement. Lamoriello promised on March 8 that “there will be change this summer” when his only real move before the NHL trade deadline was to send Brock Nelson to the Avalanche after being unable to reach a contract extension with the top-tier center. Anders Lee, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Casey Cizikas, Scott Mayfield and Adam Pelech could be among those dangled as trade bait. It remains to be seen if players such as forwards Hudson Fasching, Marc Gatcomb and Kyle MacLean or defensemen Tony DeAngelo, Scott Perunovich and Adam Boqvist return. Defensemen Noah Dobson and Alexander Romanov are pending restricted free agents with arbitration rights on the cusp of significant raises, and the organization will try to retain both.
3. Where will the Islanders draft in the first round?
Thursday’s season-ending 6-1 loss in Columbus secured the Islanders the 10th-best odds in the upcoming draft lottery, giving them a 3.5% chance of moving into the top three for a chance at Hauppauge’s James Hagens and, possibly, the first overall pick. They also have a 73.3% chance of staying at No. 10 and an 18.4% chance of dropping to No. 11. The Islanders have not picked in the top 10 since selecting Michael Dal Colle fifth overall in 2014. Lamoriello’s highest pick with the Islanders was selecting Oliver Wahlstrom 11th overall in 2018 (and Dobson at No. 12).
4. Will either Semyon Varlamov or Anthony Duclair return next season?
Varlamov, who turns 37 this month, last played on Nov. 29, missing the final 58 games with a lower-body injury. The Islanders have not specified beyond that, but there’s speculation that it could be either a groin or hip flexor issue. There have been further whispers among those around the NHL that Varlamov might not be able to fully recover. He has two seasons remaining on a four-year, $11 million deal. Without Varlamov, the Islanders likely will need to acquire another goalie rather than have Marcus Hogberg back up Ilya Sorokin for a full season. Meanwhile, Duclair suffered a groin injury five games into his four-year, $14 million contract and clearly was hampered in his skating once he returned on Dec. 21. He finished with only seven goals and four assists in 44 games. More importantly, he missed the final eight games after requesting a leave of absence in response to Roy calling his performance “god-awful” and questioning his effort in a 4-1 loss to the visiting Lightning on April 1. There is some mending of relationships to be done.
5. Will Mathew Barzal have any lingering effects of his injury?
Barzal, who will turn 28 next month, missed the final 31 games of the season after blocking a shot on Feb. 1 and requiring a surgical procedure on his left kneecap. Barzal’s game is predicated on his elite skating ability and speed, including the tight turns and stops he’s able to make. If he loses even some of his skating skills, it will hamper his impact.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
