New York Islanders
2015-16 season: 45-27-10, 100
points
Lost in 2nd RD of Eastern Conference Playoffs
|
Head Coach: Jack Capuano
(2010)
|
4th Place Metro Division
|
General Manager: Garth Snow (2006)
|
7th Place Eastern Conference
|
AHL Affiliate: Bridgeport Sound
Tigers
ECHL Affiliate: Missouri
Mavericks
|
Cap Space: $3,658,525
|
Players Lost in the Offseason
POS.
|
Player
|
New Team
|
Contract
|
RW
|
Kyle Okposo
|
Buffalo Sabres
|
7 years, $42,000,000
|
C
|
Frans Nielsen
|
Detroit Red Wings
|
6 years, $31,500,000
|
LW
|
Matt Martin
|
Toronto Maple Leafs
|
4 years, $10,000,000
|
RW
|
Stephen Bernier
|
Free Agent
|
|
LW
|
Joe Whitney
|
Colorado Avalanche
|
1 year, $575,000
|
D
|
Marek Zidlicky
|
Free Agent
|
|
D
|
Brian Strait
|
Winnipeg Jets
|
1 year, $600,000
|
Incoming Free Agents
POS.
|
Player
|
Old Team
|
Contract
|
LW
|
Andrew Ladd
|
Chicago Blackhawks
|
7 years, $38,500,000
|
RW
|
P-A Parenteau
|
Toronto Maple Leafs
|
1 year, $1,250,000
|
LW
|
Jason Chimera
|
Washington Capitals
|
2 years, $4,500,000
|
2016 Draft Picks
RD
|
Pick No.
|
POS.
|
Name
|
Junior/College/Club
Team
|
1
|
19
|
LW
|
Kieffer Bellows
|
U.S. National Development Team (USHL)
|
4
|
95
|
F
|
Anatoly Golyshev
|
Yakaterinburg Automobilist (KHL)
|
4
|
120
|
LW
|
Otto Koivula
|
Ilvers Jrs (Finland)
|
6
|
170
|
LW
|
Collin Adams
|
Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
|
7
|
193
|
LW
|
Nick Pastujov
|
U.S. National Development Team (USHL)
|
7
|
200
|
D
|
David Quenneville
|
Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
|
Top Three Prospects
POS
|
Name
|
Draft Info
|
Current Team
|
G
|
Ilya Sorokin
|
2014 3rd RD (78)
|
CSKA Moscow (KHL)
|
RW
|
Josh Ho-Sang
|
2014 1st RD (28)
|
AHL/ECHL
|
LW
|
Michael Dal Colle
|
2014 1st RD (5)
|
AHL/ECHL
|
Projected Lineup
Forwards
POS
|
Name
|
Age
|
Nationality
|
Free Agent Year
|
LW
|
Andrew Ladd
|
30
|
Canada
|
2023
|
C
|
(C) John Tavares
|
26
|
Canada
|
2018
|
RW
|
P-A Parenteau
|
33
|
Canada
|
2017
|
LW
|
Anders Lee
|
26
|
USA
|
2019
|
C
|
Mathew Barzal
|
19
|
Canada
|
2019 (RFA)
|
RW
|
Ryan Strome
|
23
|
Canada
|
2018 (RFA)
|
LW
|
Nikolay Kulemin
|
30
|
Russia
|
2018
|
C
|
Brock Nelson
|
24
|
USA
|
2018
|
RW
|
Josh Bailey
|
27
|
Canada
|
2018
|
LW
|
Jason Chimera
|
37
|
Canada
|
2018
|
C
|
Casey Cizikas
|
25
|
Canada
|
2021
|
RW
|
Cal Clutterbuck
|
28
|
Canada
|
2017
|
Defensemen
POS
|
Name
|
Age
|
Nationality
|
Free Agent Year
|
D
|
Calvin De Haan
|
25
|
Canada
|
2017 (RFA)
|
D
|
Johnny Boychuck
|
32
|
Canada
|
2022
|
D
|
Nick Leddy
|
25
|
USA
|
2022
|
D
|
Travis Hamonic
|
26
|
Canada
|
2020
|
D
|
Thomas Hickey
|
27
|
Canada
|
2018
|
D
|
Ryan Pulock
|
21
|
Canada
|
2018 (RFA)
|
Goalies
POS
|
Name
|
Age
|
Nationality
|
Free Agent Year
|
G
|
Jaroslav Halak
|
31
|
Slovakia
|
2018
|
G
|
Thomas Greiss
|
30
|
Germany
|
2017
|
Extra Skaters
POS
|
Name
|
Age
|
Nationality
|
Free Agent Year
|
LW
|
Shawn Prince
|
23
|
USA
|
2018 (RFA)
|
C
|
Alan Quine
|
23
|
Canada
|
2018 (RFA)
|
D
|
Scott Mayfield
|
23
|
USA
|
2018 (RFA)
|
Inactive Players
POS
|
Name
|
Age
|
Nationality
|
Free Agent Year
|
C
|
Mikhail Grabovski
|
32
|
Belarus
|
2018
|
Season Outlook
- When you look at the Islanders' underlying numbers from last season, it's easy to see how they made the playoffs and even won a round. They ranked in the upper half of the league in nearly all statistical categories. It appears though that they played above their talent levels, especially when looking at last year's roster. Starting goalie Jaroslav Halak was injured much of the season and limited to only 26 games, and backup goalie Thomas Greiss played out of his mind, leading the Islanders to the playoffs.
CAT.
|
Goals For
|
Goals Against
|
PP %
|
PK %
|
PDO
|
Corsi For
|
Corsi Against
|
Corsi For %
|
oZS%
|
dZS%
|
Stat
|
232
|
216
|
18.78
|
84.48
|
100.9
|
4602
|
4729
|
49.3
|
51.9
|
48.1
|
Islanders’ Rank
|
10th
|
13th
|
14th
|
4th
|
5th
|
12th
|
24th
|
18th
|
10th
|
10th
|
PDO= Even Strength Shooting Percentage + Even Strength Save
Percentage
Corsi For= Shots + Blocks + Misses while in possession of
puck
Crosi Against= Shots + Blocks + Misses while not in
possession of puck
Corsi For %= Corsi For/(Corsi For+Corsi Against) -> Above
50% means that team controls play
oZS% = Offensive Zone Start Percentage
dZS% = Defensive Zone Start Percentage
- This offseason, General Manager Garth Snow made some intriguing moves...he let winger Kyle Okposo, who had great chemistry with center John Tavares, walk and sign with Buffalo, signing Andrew Ladd to take his place. While Ladd is certainly a skilled hockey player, I don't think he is as good as Okposo and only saved the Islanders $3.5 million over the life of the contract. They also failed to re-sign center Frans Nielsen and didn't bring anyone to replace him. Matt Martin was let go to sign with Toronto and veteran Jason Chimera was signed to play Martin's role. Although Chimera scored 20 goals last season, which tied a career high, I don't think he'll get back to this goalscoring level this season, he's also older than Martin and is almost as expensive as Martin. Breaking up a team's 3rd and 4th lines can ruin a team's chemistry and it will be interesting to see if this will affect the Islanders' chemistry. They also didn't do anything to help out their goalie situation, one in which starter Jaroslav Halak has struggled to stay healthy, and where backup Thomas Greiss just isn't as good as his play was last season. I find it surprising that 1.) they are willing to let a rookie with no NHL experience, in Mathew Barzal, center their second line, and 2.) that they continue to sign aging forwards when they have talented prospects ready to come up and contribute. For this season, I think that they take a step back and struggle to make the playoffs, but are still better than the Rangers.
Breakout Candidate:
- C Mathew Barzal - Barzal was the Islanders 1st Round pick in 2015 and looks to make the jump to the NHL this season. He had a great season last year playing for the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL and scored 88 points in 58 games. He appears to be a solid playmaker who should get ample opportunity to contribute for the Islanders as he is currently penciled in to center the second line, with Mikhail Grabovski's career status up in the air.
Regression Candidate:
- LW Jason Chimera - Chimera scored 20 goals last year for just the second time in his career. He is 37 years old and signed a two-year deal to come to New York and I don't think he will ever score 20 goals again. I'm expecting somewhere around 12 goals from him this season.
Bounceback Candidate:
- C Ryan Strome - He is a young and talented player in this league but had a down year last season after putting up 50 points in 2014-15. Last year he only had 28 points in 71 games and I think he will bounce back and get up around the 50 point mark again, if not surpass it.
*All statistics and information come from: rosterresource.com, thehockeywriters.com, hockeydb.com, hockey-reference.com, and generalfanager.com
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