When the puck dropped on the 2021-22 NHL season, all 32 teams had a goal to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But only 16 teams reach that goal, and after 82 games, the New York Islanders were not one of those teams.

It’s the first time in four seasons that the Islanders are not embarking on a chance at their fifth Stanley Cup in franchise history. After back-to-back postseason runs to the Semi-Finals, the Islanders had high expectations this season, but at the end of the day, due to internal and external obstacles, the Islanders failed.

In a year where expectations were not met, missing the playoffs is not the worse thing for a team.

Stefen, is that cop-out for the failures and the inability to meet expectations?

No, not at all.

No team wants to miss the playoffs, especially after getting so close the last two years. But the mental and physical toll of this season, along with the amount of hockey over the last two seasons, having a full summer to rehab, strengthen skills, rest, and reflect will only benefit this New York Islanders club for the 2022-23 season.