There are 48 days until the New York Islanders’ season begins. All of the Islanders’ business, including signing Matthew Schaefer to his entry-level deal, is done.
Islanders’ General Manager Mathieu Darche already told fans publicly he does not plan on extending any PTOs for training camp. The roster for September’s camp is set.
While a lot of focus will rightly turn to the new-look Islanders’ defense and the battle between the wingers, none of those will decide the Islanders’ fate.
Two players will ultimately dictate just how far the Islanders can go this season.
Player #1:
The first player who will decide the Islanders’ ultimate destiny this season will be Mathew Barzal. Barzal, 28, comes off a lost season where he played just 30 games and mustered only 20 points over those games.
He suffered two major injuries and could never fully establish a rhythm. Now, he’s returning at full health. More pertinently, Barzal is moving back to center full-time for the first time since the 2022-23 season.
If it works, the Islanders will have a lethal center group featuring him, Bo Horvat, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Casey Cizikas, and Kyle MacLean. Calum Ritchie will also be knocking on the door for a roster spot.
Barzal’s success at center will also directly affect how well the wingers gel in New York. New faces like Maxim Shabanov, Jonathan Drouin, and Emil Heineman will litter the lineup. Shabanov, in particular, feels like a perfect potential fit for Barzal with his smooth skating and elite skill. If Barzal’s at his best, he can elevate wingers and help carry the Islanders to success.
If Barzal has a rougher adjustment back to center ice, it becomes that much harder for the Islanders to build momentum and chemistry in the lineup. He could be moved back to wing, forcing Pageau and Cizikas further up the lineup, or potentially rushing Ritchie to the NHL.
If Barzal’s at his best, he can easily score over a point-per-game in Head Coach Patrick Roy’s wide-open system, built for speed and quick offense. That’s the biggest key to unlocking success for the Islanders this upcoming season.
Player #2:
The other big key player, unsurprisingly, is Ilya Sorokin. Sorokin, 30, remains one of the best goaltenders in the NHL. The biggest issue for Sorokin at times has been consistency.
For the last two years, Sorokin’s been thrust into situations where he gets overplayed, thanks to backup Semyon Varlamov’s injury this past year and just sheer overdeployment in 23-24.
It’s clear the Islanders’ defense may not be as good as in years past. There’s a focus on younger players-Schaefer, Isaiah George, and Adam Boqvist- and that usually leads to a ton of chances against.
If Sorokin plays consistently at his Vezina-level, the Islanders will make the playoffs and even potentially win home ice. It’s just about the easiest thing in the world to point and say, “Hey, the goaltender matters the most.” But in this case, it’d be foolhardy not to point out just how important Sorokin is this year in particular.
