3 Offseason Changes To Get New York Islanders Back In The Playoffs

The New York Islanders missed the playoffs by nine points and didn't have a good end to the season. They dealt with injuries, but that isn't the whole reason why they failed to make the playoffs.

Replace Lost Top-6 Pieces

Brock Nelson was traded at the deadline and Kyle Palmieri still doesn't have a contract. While the Islanders also need to get younger, they need to at least replace what they lost or are possibly going to lose. Offense has been an issue for many years and this season wasn't good, finishing 28th in the league in goals scored. Whether the Islanders choose to delve into free agency, do some work before at the draft, or make a later trade, internal replacements aren't going to cut it.

Backup Role To Play Well

Ilya Sorokin wasn't amazing this season, but he was still solid. What helped sink the Islanders' chances this season was whoever suited up as the backup, whether it was Semyon Varlamov or Marcus Hogberg. They were a combined 5-10-6 while Sorokin was 30-24-6. Varlamov finished with a .889 SV% and Hogberg had a .878 SV%. Varlamov not only has to stay healthy and play all the games Sorokin doesn't, but has to at least rise to a .900 SV%. He has been there for the majority of his career.

Top Players To Step Up Game

While some teams can do it by committee, every team needs leaders and players that are expected to play at a higher level. The Islanders have some of these players, but they need more from them. This includes Mat Barzal, Bo Horvat, Noah Dobson, Anders Lee, and now Simon Holmstrom. Barzal was injured for over half of the season, but he needs to score more goals and return to the 70+ point player he once was.

Horvat needs help around him to get there, but can do it as well. Lee played well and produced about as much as can be expected for him at this stage of his career, so just doing what he did again would be good for the team. Dobson needs to be better, there's no getting around that. He had his lowest offensive output in the last four years and dropped from 70 points to 39. As for Holmstrom, he did well and now the Islanders can expect him to improve and contribute more. These players doing this alone won't be enough. The Islanders have to win more as a team.