New York Islanders: Top 3 bold predictions for 2020

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The New York Islanders have a lot of promise heading into 2020. How will 2020 go for the Isles?

Entering 2020, the New York Islanders are once again among the best teams in the NHL. For the second straight season, they have proven everybody wrong (myself included). I thought they would be a wild card team, but thus far, they’re overachieving once again. The Islanders enter 2020 in third place in the Metropolitan Division.

This year should be a fun, and important, one for the Isles. While their Stanley Cup window is open, it likely won’t be this wide open again for a while. Mathew Barzal is comically underpaid and that’s probably not going to be the case after this season. Same with defensemen Ryan Pulock and Devon Toews (who has been brilliant).

What does 2020 have in store for the Islanders? Let’s take a gaze into our crystal ball, as we give our top three bold predictions for the Isles.

3. Adam Pelech Will Be Missed

The Islanders recently got some very bad news. Defenseman Adam Pelech will be out for the rest of the season. Pelech has been one of the Islanders best defensemen, even if his boxcar stats aren’t that impressive. In 38 games, he has nine points.

However, Pelech has played quite well in a shutdown role and has been their most reliable defenseman. Losing him is a significant loss and it’s one the Islanders will likely need to look outside the organization to account for. Here are some of their options.

MikeGreen

Head coach Barry Trotz is familiar with Mike Green, as he coached the Detroit Red Wings defenseman during his first season with the Washington Capitals. Green is not having a very good year, but he could probably be had for a cheap price.

ZachBogosian

The New York Islanders lost their best chance to add Zach Bogosian when the Buffalo Sabres traded Marco Scandella to the Montreal Canadiens. However, if the Sabres continue to struggle in the playoff race, they might be willing to trade him.

SamiVatanen

Sami Vatanen of the New Jersey Devils would be a nice addition to the Islanders. However, he could be a bit pricey.

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2. Adding A Forward

The New York Islanders should also look to add a forward at the trade deadline. Last season, they scored the 10th-fewest goals per game (2.72). This season, the Islanders are ever so slightly better, as they’ve scored the 11th-fewest goals per game (2.80).

However, in their last 10 games (since Dec. 13), the Islanders have scored just 2.50 goals per game, the fourth-lowest mark in the NHL. During that time, the Islanders have a record of 4-5-1. On the season, their goal differential is just +10 despite allowing the fourth-fewest goals against per game.

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As I mentioned earlier, their defense needs some help, especially with Pelech out long-term. But their offense shouldn’t be neglected either. The Islanders should focus on getting a scoring forward at the trade deadline. Here’s who I think they’ll look at.

Chris Kreider

It’s been a very long time since the New York Rangers and New York Islanders have made a trade. That said, it’s time to bury the hatchet. Kreider could definitely help the Islanders. He’s been very good in the postseason, which is an added bonus for a team hoping to bring the Stanley Cup to Long Island.

Tyler Toffoli

Tyler Toffoli of the Los Angeles Kings would be a great addition for several reasons. First of all, he’s a pretty decent scorer and would help the Islanders add some scoring touch to their middle-six. Secondly, Toffoli, much like Kreider, has postseason experience. Except Toffoli, unlike Kreider, has won a Stanley Cup, though that was five years ago.

Tyler Ennis

This would be a classic Lamoriello move. Not a sexy one, but a very solid one. Tyler Ennis is dirt cheap and he’d add a bit of skill to a lineup that needs it. Don’t let his size fool you – he can hold his own.

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1. No, The Islanders Won’t Win The Stanley Cup

The New York Islanders are close to being a true Stanley Cup contender. But I don’t think they’re quite there yet, as of right now. Depending on what they do at the trade deadline, they might still be able to become Stanley Cup contenders.

But as presently constructed, the Islanders aren’t contenders. Their defense is terrific. Even without Pelech, I feel confident their defense and goaltending are good enough to win the Islanders a Stanley Cup. The issue, in case you haven’t been paying attention, is their offense.

Sure, defense is important, but I’d argue offense is even more important. It’s been five years since we’ve seen a suffocating defense with a mediocre offense win the Stanley Cup. Since then, it’s been teams who have been able to outscore their opposition.

Ultimately, the onus falls on Lamoriello to give Trotz the players he needs to win the Stanley Cup. Outside of goaltending, in two years, the best free agent Lou has given his head coach is probably Derick Brassard. That’s simply not going to cut it. It might if the Islanders already had a strong forward core, but they don’t.

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The Islanders are in a much better position than they were two years ago. Frankly, it’s impressive how far they’ve come. But they’re not ready to be true Stanley Cup contenders yet.

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