The Islanders have a ton of questions they need to get answers to before they return to action.

Since the calendar switched to 2025, the New York Islanders have done fantastic work to get back in the wild-card race. 

But, despite an 11-6-0 record since Jan. 1, which included a seven-game winning streak, the Islanders remain on the outside looking in, entering the NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off break four points back of the second wild-card spot. 

Here are five burning questions: 

How Healthy Will Islanders Be After Break?

The Islanders currently have seven players out injured: Four defensemen, two goaltenders, and a top forward. 

Mathew Barzal, who underwent a medical procedure on Thursday, is out indefinitely, along with defenseman Mike Reilly and goaltender Semyon Varlamov. 

Per Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello, defensemen Noah Dobson (lower body) and Ryan Pulock (upper body) will be able to skate during the second week of the break. There is no timetable for their return. 

Defenseman Scott Mayfield, who is day-to-day, didn't travel on their mini two-game road trip, and there's no update on when he'll be back.

Lamoriello did a great job in replenishing the defense, signing Tony DeAngelo, trading for Scott Perunovich, and claiming Adam Boqvist off waivers. 

However, in Mayfield's absence, Dennis Cholowski has been given limited minutes the last three games, with head coach Patrick Roy saying, "We just play to win."  

The Islanders have essentially used five defensemen in the last three games, so it's clear their defense is still not whole. 

Mayfield returning after the break is very important to allow Roy to run all six defense pairings and build more chemistry. 

Obviously, Dobson and Pulock coming back is vital, too. 

How Will Duclair Fair After Two Weeks Off?

The Islanders signed Duclair to a four-year deal this summer for him to be a difference maker and that just has not been the case. 

He's playing through a lower-body injury but has just struggled to do the other things to be effective. Duclair enters the break with two points (one goal, one assist) over the last 17 games and no points over his last six.

The 29-year-old has been tasked with filling Barzal's spot on the club's top line but has really struggled. 

These two weeks off will be very important for Duclair to get as healthy as possible. The Islanders will need him to be as good as possible if they want to make the playoffs. 

Can The Power Play Start Executing?

Since Jan. 1, the Islanders' power play has gone 4-for-33, with a success rate of 12.1%. To help flip the power-play script, the Islanders signed power-play specialist DeAngelo shortly after Dobson went down. 

But since Jan. 26, his first game with the squad, the Islanders' power play has gone 1-for-12. Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored the lone goal at the end of a power play in a 6-3 loss to the Florida Panthers.

Over the last few games, we've seen newcomer Adam Boqvist line up in the bumper on the top power-play unit. While the results haven't been there, the man advantage has been much more dangerous, but there's still nothing to show for it.

To be honest, they should keep their current units and hope to break through because we've seen the strongest passing and scoring chances lately, and there are no real better options now. 

But let's be clear. If they can't turn the power play around, their road to a playoff spot is going to be incredibly tough.

Will Sorokin Have To Be Relied Upon Heavily After Break? 

One of the biggest reasons for the Islanders' turnaround has been the play of goaltender Ilya Sorokin. 

Appearing in 13 of their 18 games in 2025, Sorokin went 9-4-0, with a 2.17 GAA and a .929 SV%, with two shutouts.  

The 29-year-old's personal seven-game win streak was snapped on Friday night in their 4-3 loss to Winnipeg, and fatigue played a part in his 6-3 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Saturday.

And that's the concern going forward with Sorokin.

Yes, Sorokin will get a much-needed two-week break here, but how much will he be relied upon when the Islanders resume their schedule?

Lamoriello told us that backup Marcus Hogberg, who sustained an upper-body injury on Jan. 18, had a four-week timeline and that he could be back right around their return to action.

In their first week back, the Islanders play four games: Dallas Stars, New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, and Nashville Predators. 

Will Sorokin get all of them? 

Last season, we saw how fatigue contributed to Sorokin's success. This ultimately led to Varlamov taking over the crease for the stretch run and their first-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes. 

With how well Hogberg was playing, owning a 1.45 GAA and a .947 SV% in seven games, it would be huge for the Islanders to have a reliable option so they don't have to play Sorokin every game going forward. 

Do Islanders Make A Move To Fill Barzal's Hole?

On Saturday, we learned that Barzal, who sustained a left knee injury blocking a shot in their 3-2 overtime win against the Tamp Bay Lightning on Feb. 1, underwent a minor procedure with a timeline of around six weeks. 

While Barzal has been placed on injured reserve, if the Islanders need his $9.15 million, they will move him to long-term injured reserve.

Right now, as mentioned, Duclair is filling his role on the top line but has struggled mightily. 

Will Lamoriello use Barzal's cap space to his advantage before March 7th's NHL Trade Deadline?

The Islanders have been linked to the Vancouver Canucks Elias Pettersson ($11.6 million) and had shown interest in Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers ($6 million), a pending unrestricted free agent, at last year's draft. 

There's a chance that the St. Louis Blues will move forward Jordan Kyrou ($8.125 million) before his no-trade clause kicks in on July 1. 

Those three options would help the team mitigate Barzal's loss and strengthen the core for years to come. 

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