The Importance Of Islanders Landing Another Winger

The Islanders should be, at the very least, a wild-card team in 2024-25. But if they can add another top-six winger, that would be a game-changer.

The New York Islanders have done well for themselves this offseason.

They somehow got Cole Eiserman at No. 20, adding a slew of draft prospects to bolster their system at the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas. 

They then re-signed defenseman Mike Reilly, their best-transitioning defenseman last season, before acquiring forward Anthony Duclair in free agency.

With Maxim Tsyplakov on the roster, the Islanders have added two forwards, not including Fredrik Karlson, a likely Bridgeport signing (one-year deal).

Duclair was a big addition, fitting a clear need. 

He has the speed to keep up with Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal on the Islanders' top line. 

Tsyplakov is a wild card with the potential to be a top-six player.

But relying on a question mark is a dangerous strategy for a team that was a fringe playoff team the last two seasons.

The Islanders could play Pierre Engvall on Brock Nelson’s left yet again, as maybe the third time is a charm in getting the Swede to play with consistency.

A full training camp under Patrick Roy should do wonders for Engvall if he takes it to heart what his new head coach preaches. 

The Islanders' projected roster is a solid one, one that should be good enough to take home one of the two wild-card spots in the Eastern Conference. 

If the Islanders could add another top-six winger to the roster, that would elevate their stock immensely, especially with a team like the Carolina Hurricanes losing some key players and the New York Rangers failing to add the players they wanted.

The Islanders have an abundance of bottom-six forwards and having depth is important. 

Just look at the Florida Panthers who won the 2024 Stanley Cup.

But trying to place depth players in roles that don't fit their skills doesn’t work as often as teams would hope, especially long term.

For example, the lack of two top-six forwards in 2023-24 forced players like Casey Cizikas to play a top-six role, which isn't his game.

We saw Kyle MacLean, a fourth-line center, and Simon Holmstrom -- a bottom-six forward -- get chances in the top six, as well as Hudson Fasching. 

All three are quality bottom-six players who showed that they could skate and keep pace with the speed of the top two lines. 

But when it came down to burying chances, that's where things became an issue -- because that's not what their game is. 

Getting another top-six forward would allow the Islanders to really align their forwards in the proper spot. 

Tsyplakov could comfortably be penciled into the bottom six, with no pressure on him to have to produce immediately before ever skating in an NHL game. 

Engvall could also play alongside Jean-Gabriel Pageau, where he was more comfortable. 

Anders Lee, whose game is more suited to a bottom-six role at this point in his career could play on the third or fourth line — the bottom line having a hole with Matt Martin currently an unrestricted free agent. 

MacLean could remain in a fourth-line role on the other side of Cizikas, with Cal Clutterbuck also an unrestricted free agent.

Holmstrom and Fasching could be the extra forwards, which is a good problem to have -- especially Fasching, whose work ethic allows him to fill in on any line if there's a need.

The Islanders have $900,000 in available cap space, so unless they are moving a contract like Pageau and his $5 million, signing any free agent would put them over the cap (can go $8.8 million over in the offseason).

Free agent veterans like Max Pacioretty, Tanner Pearson, James van Riemsdyk, Daniel Sprong, and Filip Zadina are five free agents who could fill a top-six hole, potentially. 

Via the trade market, Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers and Anaheim Ducks forward Frank Vatrano  -- both entering the final year of their deals -- could be strong adds as well.

Jeff Skinner, who signed a one-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers worth $3 million, would have been a strong addition for the Islanders. 

If the Islanders fail to add another forward, someone will be forced to play a role that may be too big for their game, and that's tough for a team that's already a fringe playoff team.