The New York Islanders were a postseason team last season. They barely made it but they made it. It is going to be a battle for them to get back in this season but they are going to certainly try.
As the Florida Panthers showed everyone in 2022-23, all that matters is getting into the dance. Anything can happen from there.
As of right now, it isn’t crazy to say that the New Jersey Devils, Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers, and Pittsburgh Penguins are better than the Islanders on paper right now.
Luckily, the games aren’t played on paper. There are also a few more moves that they can make ahead of the 2023-24 season. They could still sign one of these three players before the season starts:
Zach Parise is someone that the New York Islanders need back this year.
The New York Islanders had a bargain with Zach Parise in 2022-23. He isn’t the superstar that he was in his New Jersey Devils/Minnesota Wild days but he is still a very solid player.
In his age-38 season, he played in all 82 games. In those 82 games, Parise scored 21 goals and had 13 assists for 34 points.
Clearly, he can still score goals as 21 of them don’t grow on trees. He doesn’t make players around him better anymore which is why he only had 13 assists but there is still tons of value there.
The Islanders should be trying very hard to bring him back. Obviously, at 39, retirement is on the table but the fact that he hasn’t yet does speak volumes.
If he decides to come back to the NHL, the Islanders should be begging him to come back there. He can help them be a playoff team again.