Islanders Mailbag: Top Line Thoughts, Lambert's Leash

The New York Islanders are two days away from kicking off their 2023-24 regular season as they host the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night at 7:30 PM.

This is a season full of what-ifs for New York as, on paper, this is the same team that ended the 2022-23 season. 

So with that, let's segway into our first question, which has to do with "running things back." 

Tell me how this team is better than last year since it's basically the same. How do they compete with the metro teams, as they all seemed to upgrade their rosters? (@roarostorm)

This common misconception has been blasted across social media since the summer ended. Sure, on the surface, they brought back the exact same team, minus Zach Parise and Josh Bailey, while adding a few depth options.

But a good portion of people aren't diving below the surface. 

As mentioned in the video, a healthy Mat Barzal is vital, and we are already seeing through training camp and preseason that he's getting more comfortable on the wing. Having Pierre Engvall for an entire season, presumably alongside Brock Nelson and a healthy Kyle Palmieri, which was their best line in the second half and the postseason, gives the Islanders a strong top-two lines regardless of who plays on Horvat's left. 

You may be right, and the team struggles in the same areas. 

But to throw the phrase "they are running it back" out there is just looking at a paper roster and not understanding what's changed with the players over the last few months. 

What about the Metropolitan Division getting stronger?

The New York Rangers added players, but they just made themselves significantly older, which could prove costly. The Pittsburgh Penguins added Erik Karlsson and some solid depth pieces, but they are in trouble if they can't keep the puck out of their own net. The Washington Capitals didn't do enough. The New Jersey Devils have goaltending question marks. The Philadelphia Flyers will be in the cellar. The Columbus Blue Jackets should be better than a year ago, but how much better?

While the Metropolitan Division is stated as the toughest in the league, the Atlantic Division is knocking on the door, and at the end of the day, that's who the Islanders will likely be battling with for one of the wild-card spots.

Ross was seen by fans as a Martin replacement. With Ross moving on, does it look more probable that Martin gets at least another 1-year extension for next season? @D_Kurt_Green

I couldn't agree more that the Islanders believed Ross Johnston would take over for Matt Martin, which is likely why they gave him a four-year deal worth $4.4 million at the start of the 2021-22 season. But things changed.

After an ankle injury, Martin proved he wasn't done, and Johnston's expected role changed. 

But now, as Martin enters the final year of his deal, I don't think he continues to play because Johnston is gone. If Martin is ready to retire, the Islanders just signed Hudson Fasching and Julien Gauthier to two-year deals, so there are your replacements for Martin and potentially Cal Clutterbuck, who is also on a one-year deal. 

Aren't we still the slowest team in the league? @PeteB82476667

The top line will have Barzal and Bo Horvat, two fast skaters, and you can likely add Simon Holmstrom to that, a player who can keep pace, which is why he was given that opportunity. The second line has Engvall, who can fly, which significantly helps that line in transition, and Nelson isn't slow. 

Sure, Anders Lee isn't the fastest, but Jean-Gabriel Pageau is a solid skater, along with Fasching. Speed is Gauthier. Casey Cizikas can move.

Now, when it comes to the backend, more so than the forwards, is speed has to do with quick decisions for the Islanders to have a strong transition game. 

When he is right, Adam Pelech is one of the better quick thinkers in the league. Ryan Pulock has also shown to be a quick thinker, which Noah Dobson and Alexander Romanov need to improve upon this season. Sebastian Aho can fly physically and doesn't have the weak vision he gets a bad rep for. Scott Mayfield is your typical stay-at-home defenseman, so he's not there for his speed. 

If the Islanders are one of the slowest teams in the league this season, either someone got hurt or certain players aren't trying, and we know that will not be the case.

I wonder if Holmstrom, Wahlstrom, or Gauthier complement the first line the best. Neither of them is ideal, obviously, but who should get first crack at it, given their style of play? @LamsLou

Let's start with Oliver Wahlstrom. He played 25 or so games with Barzal last season before his injury, but the two struggle to build chemistry. And with Wahlstrom struggling to get up to game speed after his season-ending ACL injury in December, a top-six role is doubtful for him, at least to start, if he's in the starting lineup.

Holmstrom's defensive IQ, combined with his ability to skate and make plays, makes him a player who can serve the top line well. His most significant issue is hitting the net, which has been something that's plagued him his entire career. 

Gauthier hasn't had the same issue as Holmstrom, but his issue has been finishing chances that his above-average speed creates. I think Gauthier is a strong player and transition and has the size to win puck battles in the corners. 

Given that Holmstrom has been given every chance alongside Horvat and Barzal, one would think he's the Islanders' top-line left-winger to start, but if things go south early, I can see Anders Lee getting placed back on the top line. 

Horvat going 40-40-80 this year. @acwells723

Horvat will not likely score 40 goals in this system, especially if Lane Lambert plays Barry Trotz hockey, as we saw down the stretch and in the postseason. 

But the stat in this stat-line that deserves more discussion is Horvat's potential assist total this season. 

So far, through training camp and preseason leading up to the season, Horvat has been the assistman, while Barzal has been the one scoring goals. It seems that Barzal has more confidence in his shot than we have seen from him in his career, and if that's the case, that changes everything for that line. 

So don't be shocked to see Horvat, for the first time since 2020-21, have more assists than goals this season. 

I could see him finishing with 28-30 goals, north of 40 assists. At the same time, Barzal may set a new career-high in goals if his preseason shooting mindset accurately represents what he will display in the regular season. 

What is their fascination with Holmstrom, taken way too early in the draft, then forcing him on the 1st line? I don't get it. @Isles91

The fascination with Holmstrom is his defensive play. That's the only reason he stuck in the Islanders lineup last season, playing 50 games. But if Holmstrom wants to stay in the Islanders' top six in the lineup, he must hit the net.

This player wasn't drafted 23rd overall in 2019 just for his defensive prowess. 

The reason he's on the top line is because he can skate with Horvat and Barzal, as mentioned above. If Zach Parise were back, one would think Lee would stay on the first line. But that didn't happen, and the Islanders, who didn't address that area this summer, don't have a bonafide option for up there. 

Holmstrom has shown to be a strong bottom-six NHL player, and they may be grasping at straws thinking that he can survive on the top line, going up against the best defensive pairing the opponents have to offer. 

The idea likely is that Horvat and Barzal will take most of the attention, so he will undoubtedly have plenty of opportunities to show that he is more than a defensive specialist. 

How short is Lane Lambert's leash? @caruss18

I would think Lambert's leash is rather short for a few reasons. 

One, we saw too many issues last season that seems to stem from coaching, like slow starts, holes in their structure, questionable late-game line decisions, and a lack of changes to the power play, which he oversees. Yes, it was Lambert's first season, and he seems to be much harder on his players since training camp opened up.

But if the Islanders get off to a slow start after general manager Lou Lamoriello did show faith in this group, bringing everyone back, he'll have no choice but to move on. 

Also, I don't think ownership will stand for missing the postseason after needing all 82 games to make it a season ago. That's not to say Lamoriello is on the hot seat, but Lamoriello did decide to "fire" Barry Trotz and go with Lambert and stick with him. 

Will Noah Dobson start the season playing with Adam Pelech? @RyanJackNYY

Training camp and preseason tell us that Dobson and Pelech will be a pairing to start the season. And I think it's the right decision. Dobson hasn't taken the defensive strides that needed to be seen where he can be trusted enough, and we saw how messy things were with Alexander Romanov in their first and only preseason game as a duo last week. 

Although Dobson still needs to find a way to be effective in his own zone, Pelech's shutdown ability allows for Dobson to focus more on his offensive output, as he is the Islanders' strongest offensive defenseman and if Dobson can be a more consistent offensive threat at five-on-five, that likely does wonders for his confidence, which should seep into the Islanders top power-play unit, which he quarterbacks. 

If the Isles were to play floor hockey instead of ice, who would be their top lineup? @DM_8080

So, we are taking the skating element out of this, not the cardio element. 

Let's start in goal. For this question, Semyon Varlamov is your starting netminder because floor hockey isn't as fast as ice, meaning structure and angles are more important than the athletic bail-out ability.

Pelech remains on the backend alongside Pulock. 

Barzal's hands will come in handy, and I'd have him up the middle. Brock Nelson's shot is needed, given the lack of speed of the game, and I'd have him on the right wing. Then, on the left, I'd have Palmieri for the one-timer on that side. 

Goalies can't slide in ball hockey, so one-timers become paramount.