The New York Islanders provided their fans with plenty of reasons for optimism following a trip to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs a year ago. The roster was stacked with talent led by a premier franchise center, there was a strong mix of veterans and young stars in place and they had just moved in to a new home at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. However, a lot has changed in New York since last year’s playoff exit and there are some major question marks surrounding the team following a 5-6-2 start to the 2016-17 NHL season. Here is a look at the four biggest reasons why the Islanders are struggling right now.
Poor Offseason Decisions
The biggest issue at hand is the questionable decisions made by general manager Garth Snow in the offseason. Snow allowed Kyle Okposo, Frans Nielsen and Matt Martin to leave and replaced that trip with Andrew Ladd, P.A. Parenteau, Jason Chimera and Dennis Seidenberg. Those moves have had a negative impact as obvious downgrades in terms of talent as well as chemistry. The 30-year-old Ladd is perhaps the most alarming addition as his seven-year, $38.5 million contract that includes movement restrictions is far too much for a limited scorer that is on the decline and is probably better served as a second line player right now. Parenteau was waived by a New Jersey Devils team that appeared desperate for scoring on the surface while Seidenberg provides depth on the blue line but isn’t anything more than a bottom pair player at this point. Chimera is a decent short-term option but the bottom line is that the additions of Ladd, Parenteau, Chimera and Seidenberg in place of Okposo, Nielsen and Martin have represented an obvious downgrade in terms of both talent and chemistry and it has really hurt the Islanders this season.
The Youth Development Has Stalled
It’s hard to put a finger on who deserves the most blame in terms of the way that the youth development on the Islanders roster has stalled over the past couple of seasons. Ryan Strome hasn’t progressed as expected, Matt Barzal has been in and out of the lineup and the tandem of Michael Dal Colle and Josh Ho-Sang failed to crack the roster out of camp. Ryan Pulock, who is a promising young defencemen with a rocket slapshot, will miss a month due to a lower-body injury. It’s hard to blame any one person for the youth development stalling in New York but the lack of improvement from a player like Strome and the lack of opportunities for players like Barzal are examples of why the Islanders have struggled out of the gates.
The Three-Goalie System Is Flawed
The decision to try to play if safe and roll with three NHL-caliber goaltenders has really backfired in New York where Jaroslav Halak, Thomas Greiss and Jean-Francois Berube remain on the active roster. Berube hasn’t started a game but the Islanders don’t want to lose him on waivers so he has stolen practice time away from the two starters while creating more pressure on Halak and Greiss. Halak’s agent went on a Twitter rant throwing Snow under the bus and he might have a point considering the Islanders goaltenders have combined for a 2.85 goals against average and .908 save percentage to this point. Improved goaltending will be among the keys to New York getting back on track but in order for that to happen they might need to scrap a system that clearly isn’t working for them.
John Tavares’ Pending UFA Status
It certainly hasn’t helped that John Tavares is a pending unrestricted free agent that could decide to leave town following this season. All anybody has to do is look at the start Steven Stamkos has had to this season compared to his start last year when he had an uncertain future as a pending UFA and it becomes clear the impact Tavares’ situation could have on his production. The Islanders failed to bring back Okposo or sign an adequate replacement and the result has been a rotating door on Tavares’ wings through the first 13 games. Tavares is holding his own with 11 points in 13 games but the loss of Okposo combined with the pressure to produce a legitimate playoff contender could be hurting the team’s overall performance as they deal with Tavares’ pending UFA status early on this season.
