The New York Islanders had another brutal playoff defeat in 2023-24, losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round. The Islanders 2024-25 season predictions center around the first full season under head coach Patrick Roy. They excelled under Roy after he came in mid-season and are set for another playoff appearance.

The Metropolitan Division is full of Stanley Cup contenders. With the Rangers, Devils, and Hurricanes all considered top teams, it will be tough sledding for the Islanders in the regular season. The Devils had a bad season last year, but with Jacob Markstrom in net, they should be back in the playoffs. The Rangers and Hurricanes will get back to the playoffs again as well.

With the regular season just over a month away, let's look at the New York Islanders 2024-25 bold predictions.

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Ilya Sorokin will win the Vezina Trophy

New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (30) makes a save against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the third period at UBS Arena.
Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

The Islanders struggled in the first half of the season partially because of Ilya Sorokin's rough start. In the 33 games he played with Lane Lambert as the head coach, the Islanders won 13 of them and Sorokin had a .908 save percentage. He got a significant bump once Roy was hired, going 9-2-2 in their first 13 games together.

Sorokin hit another snag, losing six straight games and losing his starting job. With an offseason of recovery and a full season with Roy, he will return to his greatness. Part of every award in the NHL is the surprise factor. A bounce-back season that lifts the team to a playoff appearance will lock him into Vezina consideration.

The Islanders are built around Sorokin, who starts a massive eight-year extension this season. Although they have offensive stars, Sorokin is the best player on the team and must play like such. His first Vezina would be a great way to put last season behind him.

Mathew Barzal will break career high in points

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The limited offensive pop the Islanders have starts with Mathew Barzal. The 27-year-old is a career Islander and is on a long-term deal to remain in New York. He has capitalized on a fanbase that was yearning for a homegrown star after John Tavares left. Now, in a season with massive expectations, he is set to have a career year.

Barzal's highest point total is 85 from his Calder Trophy-winning season in 2017-18. He finally hit the 80-point mark again last season, which led the Islanders. He will break the 85-point threshold this season because of Roy's impact. While he had comparable point numbers, his assist total was higher and the team offense was better. Playing with Bo Horvat and likely Anthony Duclair, expect Barzal to fill the scoresheet.

When the final numbers are totaled, Barzal will lead the Islanders again with over 85 points. He puts up the assist numbers of defenseman Noah Dobson and routinely cracks 15 goals. If he can get to 20 goals like he did last year, this number is well within reach.

The Islanders will advance in the playoffs

The Islanders have not won a playoff series since their second semi-final appearance in 2021. They missed the playoffs the following year and have lost to the Hurricanes in each of the last two seasons. While it is progress just to make the playoffs over most of Islanders' history, this core is good enough to advance.

They will likely face one of the other three contenders in their division once again. While the Hurricanes have ended their season each of the last two years, it is probably the team they match up the best against. The Devils do not have the playoff experience that the Islanders have and they could win that series as well.

The Islanders will advance in the playoffs because they have one of the best goalies in the world. Sorokin is the reason they made it to the second semi-final in 2021 and if he is back to form, he can win a playoff series single-handily. The Devils and the Rangers also have great goalies and the first-round series could be a very low-scoring affair.

Expect big seasons from Mathew Barzal, Ilya Sorokin, and the New York Islanders. Head coach Patrick Roy should be considered for the Jack Adams Award as the coach of the year and the team will be in contention for the playoffs. Maybe they can even stun the world and get to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1984.