Unlike most teams we see have to be dismantled, the New York Islanders are doing everything in their power to keep their team together. With general manager Lou Lamoriello at the helm and Barry Trotz behind the bench, the Islanders are becoming a consistent contender in the NHL. Going to back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals does not hurt. However, they fell short each time to the Tampa Bay Lightning in that round. But this year, the Islanders deserved a better fate. It is all a part of the process. As teams need to learn to lose before they can win. And with training camps right around the corner, the Islanders are gearing up for another run at the Stanley Cup. It will not be long before the New York Islanders lift the Stanley Cup once again just like in the past.
New York Islanders Will Lift Stanley Cup Once Again
If we carefully look at what the Islanders have done over the past couple of seasons, there is a reason why the Islanders are a model franchise. Plus, now free agents want to go to the Island. That is because Trotz and Lamoriello are changing the culture there. Though they had a disappointing end to their season losing to the Lightning in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final, that game could have gone either way. If you listen to the team post-Game 7, they all believe they could have won that series, including their coach. Trotz summed it up best when he said he wouldn’t change a thing because it was a 1-0 Game 7 loss. What would have happened if the Islanders won? People would have been praising Trotz.
Trotz knows the group he has is special. So does Lamoriello and that is why he brought back guys like Andy Greene, Kyle Palmieri, Casey Cizikas, and Ilya Sorokin. Lamoriello, like Trotz knows what it takes to win a Stanley Cup. You need everyone to be committed to the end goal and this Islanders’ group has that from the top on downward. Every player knows their role and executes it to a T. That is why the Islanders will be a force to be reckoned with once the 2021-22 season gets underway. New York is definitely a favourite to finish in playoff contention and probably a lock to make the playoffs. And with the team, they have coming back, why not?
Getting The Band Back Together
The Islanders had a lot of questions entering the 2021 offseason. With so many pending unrestricted and restricted free agents, many wondered how Lou Lamoriello would fit everyone under the salary cap. First, he had to move out some players in Nick Leddy and Andrew Ladd to open up some salary-cap space. Not to mention Johnny Boychuk going on long-term injured reserve. From there, Lamoriello went to work. He kept Andy Greene around for another year.
The Islanders staple is defence and for where Andy Greene is in his career he is the perfect depth guy for this Islanders’ team. Then Lamoriello avoided an arbitration hearing with Adam Pelech, signing him to an eight-year deal that carried an annual average value of $5.75 million. That is a win for Lamoriello and the Islanders. Pelech could have gotten more.
Pelech is such a crucial piece to the Islanders team, especially on defence. Trotz is known for his defence and Pelech had a coming-out party this season. Over the past two years, he and Ryan Pulock have been a solid pair for the Islanders. They will need them going forward, especially if the Islanders are going to win a Stanley Cup. Getting cornerstone pieces at a reasonable value allows the Islanders to fill needs throughout the rest of the lineup. From there, he went quiet, though there were reports of players being linked to contracts. But finally, Lamoriello in his own way made one giant press release announcing they had re-signed Sorokin, Palmieri, Beauvillier, and Cizikas.
And while Lamoriello may have lost his touch when it comes to drafting, he will never lose when it comes to contracts. He gets what he wants. You can debate about the term on some of these players or even the money, but the Islanders want to keep this group together. Just like the Lightning, the Islanders have gone through disappointments. However, they believe they can win and that is what matters most.
Where The New York Islanders May Go From Here
An area of concern for the Islanders has always been goal scoring. It showed in their seven-game series loss to the Lightning. While some may think they need to bring in a goal scorer, they are getting Anders Lee back from injury. So that will help. But that is an area they must address as well. And you can never have enough depth on offence and defence. It will be interesting to see when the rumoured reports of Zach Parise signing finally gets announced. He would be a nice addition to bring them over the top, especially to solidify their middle-six forward group. Not to mention Oliver Wahlstrom, where does he fit into this lineup with the Islanders? All major questions heading into the season.
Some are concerned with the loss of Leddy, but the Islanders have the depth on defence and expect bigger things from Noah Dobson this season, so that should not be too much of a concern. But again, having insurance on the backend always helps. The Islanders duo of Semyon Varlamov and Sorokin will continue to push each other. So that is not a problem.
The Time Is Now
It is a strong belief that they can compete with any team in the league. And sometimes that is enough to push you over the edge. These players are confident in their abilities and all are buying into the system they play. This makes the New York Islanders a very dangerous team to play against. Their window is very much wide open, so look for this team to finally bring the glory. The New York Islanders will bring the Stanley Cup back to Long Island sooner rather than later.
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