After an abysmal stretch that saw the New York Islanders lose 12 of 16 games between Jan. 13 – Feb. 24, watching their playoffs hopes slowly slip away in the process, there looks to be new life on Long Island. The Isles have won three games in a row — all against solidified postseason teams — and four of six to improve to 26-20-14 and just six points back of the final wildcard berth in the Eastern Conference.
Although Patrick Roy's first few weeks in New York were a tough transition, the former legendary goaltender has seemed to settle into his new role, and his roster is playing much more inspired hockey as of late than for most of the 2023-24 season. As of Tuesday, the Isles are still right in the hunt, and they have a very favorable schedule for the rest of March.
Islanders have been up and down, but heating up at perfect time
The Islanders were reeling after a 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Feb. 24, a five-losses-in-six-games stretch that had most in the hockey world writing off this team for the stretch run. That was especially true with the Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins on the other side of the rink last week.
But the squad realized that it was make-or-break time, utilizing three phenomenal performances from star goaltender Ilya Sorokin to get the better of all three of their opponents. Bo Horvat called game in a 3-2 overtime win over the Stars, Mat Barzal scored the winner in a 5-3 victory against the Red Wings, and Sorokin put on a show in a 5-1 triumph over the Bruins to end one of New York's most impressive stretches of the season.
And, probably because of those three crucial W's, the team will not be selling at the Mar. 8 NHL Trade Deadline.
Lou Lamoriello confirms Isles won't be sellers
Isles GM Lou Lamoriello addressed the media on Tuesday, and confirmed that this team will certainly not be getting any worse on or before Friday. “Are we thinking of subtracting? Absolutely not,” the longtime executive asserted.
And that's exactly what the players wanted to hear.
“I like hearing that [Lamoriello does not want to subtract],” Barzal explained, per amNewYork's Joe Pantorno. “Lou obviously wants to win and I think the last three games especially have proved to him and shown him and even proved in our locker room that we’re a good squad in here. There’s been some ups and downs this year, but it’s all about finding your groove at the right time and it seems like we’re playing our best hockey right now. So yeah, I’m excited he said that.”
That's also great to hear for Islanders fans, but that doesn't change the fact that this is not a Stanley Cup contender as currently constructed. Although the team seems well positioned for a late playoff push under Roy's new system, there are a lot of good teams looking to get into the dance in the Eastern Conference.
That being said, if the Islanders aren't selling at the deadline, they should be buying. And the nightmare scenario on Long Island would be waking up on Saturday without addressing the needs on the back end. That being, the devastating injury to longtime Islander Scott Mayfield.
Islanders' nightmare scenario is not replacing Scott Mayfield at deadline
The Islanders have built one of the better defensive cores over the last few years, evidenced by their two consecutive trips to the Eastern Conference Final in 2020 and 2021. Adding young star Noah Dobson to that group makes it even better, but the D-core isn't as potent as it was a couple of years ago.
And Scott Mayfield, who has been around for all of it, will not be able to help down the stretch. He was placed on long-term injured reserve on Tuesday and will be re-evaluated in four-to-six-weeks. That is a brutal blow to the blue line, especially as Robert Bortuzzo remains on the shelf. Mayfield is one of the most important players on this team, and his absence will be felt deeply on and off the ice.
The Isles are all set in net with Ilya Sorokin, and the elevated play of Anders Lee and Kyle Palmieri lately add another element to the attack after Barzal and Horvat. But Lamoriello should be strongly considering adding additional depth on the back end.
And there are no shortage of names available; Montreal Canadiens' David Savard, Arizona Coyotes' Matt Dumba, St. Louis Blues' Colton Parayko, San Jose Sharks' Mario Ferraro and Washington Capitals' Joel Edmundson are on the market, just to name a few. The Athletic's Chris Johnston included 15 defensemen in his 50-player final trade board before the deadline.
The Islanders have the team and the experience to make a playoff push, but the odds are still against them. That's especially true if you look at the game log without the last three victories. It's an uphill climb. But it will be a lot more manageable if the front office adds another piece to the D-core ahead of the stretch run.
“They’re capable of where they’re capable of playing right now,” Lou Lamoriello asserted. “We have to continue that. As far as adding, if you can, you do.”
It'll be intriguing to see what those potential additions will look like on Friday.
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