Islanders' five questions as they begin training camp
Bo Horvat of the New York Islanders looks on against the Carolina Hurricanes in game six of the First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs at UBS Arena. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The Islanders enter Year 6 under president/general manager Lou Lamoriello and Year 2 under coach Lane Lambert still believing they can be a Stanley Cup contender despite making no major offseason acquisitions — former Rangers wing Julien Gauthier is competing for a spot — while re-signing their own free agents in defenseman Scott Mayfield, wings Pierre Engvall and Hudson Fasching and backup goalie Semyon Varlamov. Plus, franchise goalie Ilya Sorokin agreed to an eight-year extension.
Whether they will seriously contend after a first-round playoff exit last season is the overriding question for this season. But here are five specific questions for training camp with players reporting on Wednesday and the first on-ice session on Thursday:
How does Oliver Wahlstrom look?
An ACL injury in early December cost the sharpshooting wing, the 11th overall pick in 2018, the rest of his season after compiling seven goals and nine assists in 35 games. While he’s expected to be ready for the start of training camp, it often takes up to a year to recover fully from this type of injury. Wahlstrom signed a one-year, $874,125 prove-it deal as a restricted free agent, and the Islanders should function best if he pushes for a spot in the top six and becomes a power-play threat. “He looks strong,” said captain Anders Lee, who went through the same injury. It’s a process, for sure, and he’s done everything along the way to make sure he’s ready for camp. It’s just getting the feel for it. It’s going to feel a little different.”
Will a comfortable Bo Horvat produce more?
The Islanders gave up a first-round pick and top forward prospect Aatu Raty to acquire the former Canucks captain on Jan. 30, promptly signing him to an eight-year, $68 million deal to center the top line. He had three goals and an assist in his first four games with the Islanders but finished with just seven goals and nine assists in 30 regular-season games. He’s looking forward to his first training camp with the team after settling into his new home on Long Island over the summer. “It’s been great,” Horvat said. “It was a good offseason. I’m feeling good going into camp. Mostly just feeling good being settled. Being able to skate with the guys and being able to actually have a training camp under my belt going into the season is going to be a lot better. Last year was kind of hectic.”
Who will be the sixth defenseman?
Ryan Pulock, Adam Pelech, Mayfield, Noah Dobson and Alexander Romanov, if healthy, are set as the Islanders’ top five defensemen. Sebastian Aho had five goals and 18 assists in 71 games last season as the sixth defenseman and is probably the leading candidate to retain that role. But Samuel Bolduc, a second-round pick in 2019, played 17 games for the Islanders last season and provides more size and potentially more scoring than Aho if he can show his game has matured. Robin Salo, a second-round pick in 2017, started as the sixth defenseman but spent the bulk of last season with the Islanders’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport.
Can any forward prospects crack the lineup?
Horvat, Lee, Engvall, Fasching, Mathew Barzal, Brock Nelson, Kyle Palmieri, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Matt Martin, Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck will have roster spots. Wahlstrom should make the team and Gauthier signed a two-year, $1.575 million deal as a likely replacement for Zach Parise on the third line. That could potentially leave just one spot open in training camp. Former first-rounder Simon Holmstrom played 50 games last season but must show more offense. Bruising Ross Johnston has spent six seasons with the Islanders but has played just 134 games, including only 16 last season. Prospects such as William Dufour, Arnaud Durandeau, Ruslan Iskhakov and Matthew Maggio could push for playing time but, more likely, will get caught in a numbers’ game.
How quickly will Alexander Romanov be ready?
A shoulder injury forced the physical 23-year-old defenseman to miss seven games before returning for the last four games of the playoff loss to the Hurricanes. Romanov then underwent offseason surgery and Lamoriello said Romanov is the lone Islander in danger of missing the start of training camp. But Lamoriello added Romanov was “close” to being ready.
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.
