The New York Islanders open on Saturday night at UBS Arena against Buffalo with a roster that inspires both comment and hope. The comment comes first, followed by playoff hope. Here's the roster in alphabetical order for each of the three positions:
The New York Islanders open on Saturday night at UBS Arena against Buffalo with a roster that inspires both comment and hope. The comment comes first, followed by playoff hope. Here's the roster in alphabetical order for each of the three positions:
The New York Islanders open on Saturday night at UBS Arena against Buffalo with a roster that inspires both comment and hope. The comment comes first, followed by playoff hope. Here's the roster in alphabetical order for each of the three positions:
FORWARDS:
MATHEW BARZAL: "The Kid" isn't a kid anymore, and we also know he's a super talent. What we don't know is "How High The Moon" as Barzy skates alongside Bo Horvat and -- maybe, maybe -- Kyle Palmieri. At least a point a game season and 'way more than 20 goals are reasonable expectations.
CASEY CIZIKAS: Durable (81 games) and determined that The Identity Line's center should be better than the six red lights he illuminated last year. A lot will determine on how many miles linemates Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck have on their tires. All things considered, it figures to be the last season of the Identity skaters.
CAL CLUTTERBUCK: The injury factor severely braked the NHL's consistent hit leader. Physical issues trimmed Double C's season to only 49 games. In a vibrant, healthy year, Cal becomes one of the club's unsung heroes season in and season out. A fulsome year would be a hearty sayonara for this game guy.
PIERRE ENGVALL: The ex-Leaf and most pleasant acquisition, Lucky Pierre remains a maybe-mystery-man. Point is that we liked what we saw last term, but it was not enough of an audition to even gauge what lies ahead. What we do know is that Boss Loui Lamoriello got a good deal for himself at left wing. The 2023-24 campaign could turn it into a GREAT deal!
HUDSON FASCHING; The tune, "You Came To Me From Out Of Nowhere," fits our river-named right wing to a T. He came; he saw, and he conquered. Like Engvall, Fasching has all the tools to have a super sophomore season. At a big 6-3, 204, this guy does all the little things well; and some of the larger ones as well.
JULIEN GAUTHIER: Even bigger (6-4, 224), Jovial Jean has the makings of being a Lamoriello Special. After an "Eh!" last season split between Ottawa and the Rangers, the French-Canadian right wing oozes "potential." While Larrupin' Lou has a habit of dismissing the term "potential," if Gauthier makes good on his training camp performance, this could be a real Lou-Lou.
BO HORVAT: It was a tough and most challenging scene change for the former Canuck, but visions of how well he played alongside Barzal suggest that the best is yet to come with Battlin'Bo. The other half of that "best" is Mat, who is tickled pink at the possibilities presented by a Barzal-Horvat duet. So is Lou! Fans too.
ANDERS LEE: The 82-game (full) season was good for 28 goals, and every reason to expect a 30-red-light campaign this time around. The massive Minnesotan is a nonpareil captain-leader respected throughout the room. Anders' persistent net presence drives the enemy daffy and wins support from the Orange and Blue family.
MATT MARTIN: It almost seems as if Double M came with the franchise, and the Coliseum- UBS Faithful never seems to get enough of the Windsor, Ontario native. That said, Matty has to prove that his wheels will take him where he wants to go -- and on time as well. His upbeat dressing room persona adds a pleasant fillip to the team's spirit.
BROCK NELSON. St. Louis Park, Minnesota, is his home, and so is the back of the enemy net. It has been said that Lord Nelson doesn't know how good he is and how much better he still can be. A 36-goal semester in 2023-24 was quite alright with me. Of course, coach Lane Lambert wouldn't argue with 40-plus goals this time around. Hey, it could happen.
JEAN-GABRIEL PAGEAU: At 5-11. 185, the Flying Frenchman isn't one of the game's giants, but he sure plays a big game. Face-offs and penalty-killing rank among J-G's specialties. Lambert also appreciates his all-round usefulness with the ability to fit in any task as if he were its master.
KYLE PALMIERI: Smithtown's gift to major league hockey has a nose for the net. Unfortunately, Kyle's proboscis was a bit out of joint last season because of injuries. When he's on his game, Palmieri brings the savvy of a veteran and a rookie's rah-rah spirit. All hands agree that when Kyle is on his game, he deserves to be the people's choice.
OLIVER WAHLSTROM: The child wonder whose highlight-reel goal on T.D. Garden ice, at age 9, is fighting for his life to make the Islanders starting lineup. But as we saw with captain Anders, recovering from an ACL injury doesn't happen with a snap of a finger. And right now, Ollie is struggling with keeping pace ahead of the season opener. As Lambert said, "When he gets the opportunity, we have to see him at game speed."
DEFENSE:
SEBASTIAN AHO: Drifting in and out of the top six, the compact Swede gets good grades for just about all subjects, but there's the issue of size that must be compensated for, and that remains his challenge. Pegged now at sixth, he's been neck and neck with Samuel Bolduc for a permanent roster spot.
SAMUEL BOLDUC: We've seen enough of the Gulliverian guy to feel secure in the knowledge that sooner or later, he'll be a regular. This season's audition will tell us if it's gonna be now or later. Personally, The Maven likes his chances this year.
NOAH DOBSON: His good work in 2022-23 tended to be besmirched by a few critics. His boss, Lou Lamoriello, is behind him, and ditto coach Lane Lambert. For more critical acclaim, the multi-talented D-man has a year ahead of him for Grade A's.
SCOTT MAYFIELD: The pride of St.Louis, Missouri, is proof positive that the patience of a general staff often pays dividends in the long run. I wouldn't rate Scotty a Norris Trophy candidate, but we can agree that he's a solid regular backliner.
ADAM PELECH: This boulder on the blue line has matured into one of the National Hockey League's most underrated ace defenders. And he pairs so well with his buddy Ryan Pulock. Whether their coupling remains intact will be up to management.
RYAN PULOCK: The most dependable hard-shooter among the blue line corps, Pulock could be a key to the power play, but that will depend on the strategists behind the bench. This much is certain, he's one of the best at his craft -- with or without Pelech.
ALEXANDER ROMANOV: The Russian impressed in many spots during his first tour of Islanders duty. He hits, and he competes hard. He needed a year to acclimate to his new team. I expect big things this time around.
GOALTENDERS:
ILYA SOROKIN: He almost won the Vezina Trophy last season and could win it this term. He's the best reason why the Isles could make the playoffs.
SEMYON VARLAMOV: This is the pro's pro with a hefty resume. Simply put, Ilya's top choice as backup!