Four Big Questions for the New York Islanders in 2020-21

3. Can the Islanders fix their power play in 2020-21?

For the New York Islanders, the Special Teams have been unbalanced. The penalty kill has been solid, accumulating a success rate of 80.4% over the last two seasons, which was ranked No. 14 in the NHL in 2019-20. However, the power play has been abysmal, posting an accumulative 17.3 PP% from 2018-2020 (third-worst). But do not worry, help is on the way.

Head Coach Barry Trotz is taking a page out of his Washington Capital’s notebook. In his time in DC., he witnessed the magic between John Carlson and Alexander Ovechkin (and others) on their top powerplay unit. With Carlson operating the point, and Ovechkin opening up for the one-timer inside the left circle, this became a lethal threat for Washington. During their Stanley Cup run, his Caps had the second-best powerplay at 29.3%, as it was a sure weapon and an integral part of winning it all.

Trotz’s goal is to replicate that structure here on Long Island. The Islanders have been practicing with Ryan Pulock in the place that the Great Eight has made famous. At the point will be 20-year old Noah Dobson.

With Anders Lee, Matt Barzal, and Jordan Eberle, this unit will look to waste less time passing but more time focusing on getting pucks to the net. Ryan Pulock winding up at the left circle will surely call for more focus, leaving the other Islanders with an opportunity to shoot as well.

The powerplay needs to be a consistent threat in the regular season and in the Playoffs, especially this year. In their past postseason run, the power play gave their opponents the momentum because it was downright terrible. At 15.4%, it was just useless out there.

If they can get this powerplay above 20% this season, that will do wonders for their offense. In big games, not coming through with the man advantage has cost them before.

In a shortened season, in a stacked Division where every team but themselves is offensive-based, it will hurt a lot more if they struggle to score on special teams. Now scoring on the powerplay gives an offense confidence that the opposing netminder is beatable. And sometimes, a little confidence is all you need.

2. Can the Fourth-Line remain healthy in 2020-21?

Last season showcased yet again how dynamic this New York Islanders team is when their fourth-line is healthy. We also saw how crucial their absence is to the success of this team, or lack thereof shall we say.

Matt Martin, Casey Cizikas, and Cal Clutterbuck all missed time last season with injuries. Martin missed 13, while Cizikas and Clutterbuck missed a combined 49 games due to skate lacerations.

This fourth-line is the identity line for this hockey club, as Head Coach Barry Trotz has the faith to play this line against the best of the best. And when one player from this bruising trio is absent, the line is not as productive.

Luckily, these players were completely healthy when the 2019-20 Stanley Cup Playoffs began and were able to do their job each night.

But, prior to Game Four against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals, Cizikas left the bubble due to a detached retina. It was a tough blow, as that line was playing so well.

With Matt Martin a UFA once the season ended, would this fourth.line be no more? That question was answered early on, as a “verbal agreement” was made between Martin and General Manager Lou Lamoriello. Last week, Martin signed a four-year deal worth $6 million, as he will remain an Islander for the rest of his career.

But, nothing is easy for this Islander team. During their scrimmage on Sunday, Cizikas left early with an injury. After a big hit behind the net, Cizikas remained down for a good sixty-seconds, as he was favoring his wrist. Initial updates seem more positive than negative, but we still do not know the severity just yet.

If this line cannot stay healthy this season, especially with Cizikas heading to Free Agency following the year, this could be the last time we see this fourth-line together. If they can stay healthy and be successful, there is still a chance Cizikas will not be back next season due to cap issues.

But the focus is on this year. And this line will need to play as they played in the Bubble if the New York Islanders are going to find themselves in a top-four spot come the end of the 2020-21 season.

1. What will Ilya Sorokin’s role be for the Isles in 2020-21?

It does not matter how good of a netminder Ilya Sorokin is. Coming over from the KHL means that a learning curve will be eminent. While he will not have to start in the AHL like his cross-town rival Igor Sheserkin did, it will take some time for the 25-year old Russian to solidify himself as the true number one goaltender for the New York Islanders.

Head Coach Barry Trotz announced yesterday that Semyon Varlamov will be the starter, as he has deserved it. Both netminders had good camps, but given what Varly did last year and in the postseason, this is the right decision.

From what we have seen, Sorokin seems to be the real deal in net. He’s quick to his posts, aggressive, and athletic. With the the team carrying three goalies this season, he will be most likely be sandwiched between Varlamov and Cory Schneider, two veterans who know what it takes to win in this league.

Now, this is how I look at it. At some point during this season, we expect to see Sorokin get comfortable and start to play to the level we saw in his KHL days. But Varlamov will play, as I expect him to get at least 30 starts this season.

That leaves Sorokin with about 26 starts. With the schedule being what it is, with the Islanders in the toughest division in a stacked East, having two netminders ready to go each night will be essential for this team to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Personally, I am not worried if Sorokin is not named the starter halfway through the season. All that matters is that he gets the job done when his name is called upon.

Each game this season is more important than ever before. So if Varlamov struggles or puts together a couple of bad starts, Ilya Sorokin will see an increase in playing time. On the flip side, the same thing is true. But I would think Sorokin has more leeway if he struggles because it is expected that he will at points during this season.

It is not the “Sorokin Show” just yet on the Island, and it should not be. The team wants to see consistency from him and improvement as the season progresses. It will be exciting to see just how good this netminder really is for the New York Islanders in 2020-21.