The training camps in the NHL in preparation for the 2021/22 season will begin in mid-September. Starting August 16, NHL.com will take a closer look at every team in the league in Series 32 in 32. The inventory includes the most important personnel changes, the key players, the strengths and weaknesses as well as the playoff chances of the clubs.
In this issue: New York Islanders
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The New York Islanders were just about to make it to the final of the Stanley Cup this year. In the end, they were only subject to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the semifinals after seven games and had to cancel the sails after a 0: 1 against the eventual title holder. Overall, the organization was able to conclude what is expected to be the last season at the Nassau Coliseum with a good playoff run.
[Ähnliches: Islanders setzten weiter auf Konstanz als Erfolgsrezept]
From the upcoming 2021/22 season, the Islanders will move into their new home and play in the UBS Arena, a newly built arena that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman described as breathtaking. The anticipation of the fans seems huge, as 49 of the 56 suites and around 95 percent of the season tickets have already been sold. Not only the new hall, in which, according to Bettman, no detail has been overlooked, but also the sporting success ensure enthusiasm on Long Island.
The key players
Matthew Barzal is an important building block for the Islanders’ success. The center forward developed into the top scorer of his team. He scored 17 times in 55 games last season and put on 28 more hits. Since the 2017/18 season, when he was able to establish himself with 85 points in the NHL, he has been a decisive factor in the Islanders offensive. How important his counters are was shown in the series against the Lightning. Only if Barzal scored, the Islanders could walk off the ice as winners. If he didn’t appear on the match report, defeat was certain.
Video: TBL @ NYI, Sp4: Barzal uses rebound to expand leadership
Next to Barzal heard Anders Lee to the key players of the offensive. As captain, he leads the team on the ice and is one of the most important points providers in normal seasons. Due to a torn cruciate ligament, he missed the second half of the season and the playoffs, in which his absence was particularly evident. Now Lee is returning. That will strengthen the squad in the title fight.
In your own zone, the focus is on the two top defenders Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock. Both proved in the past season that they can dominate the neutral zone and their own zone. Both shone with a plus-minus balance of +15 and stood on the ice for an average of 21 minutes. Pulock was the Islanders’ frequent player with 22:26 minutes.
Promising talents
The two most interesting young players of the Islanders were selected one after the other in the 2018 NHL Draft. New York had draft picks 11 and 12 and only took off Oliver Wahlstrom and then Noah Dobson. Both talents were able to gain experience in the NHL in 2019/20 and 2020/21 and are ready for the next step in their careers.
Dobson is a promising two-way defender who could improve the defensive players’ meager points yield. Wahlstrom, on the other hand, has already set the first accents on the offensive. With 21 points in 44 games, he was the Islanders’ eighth best scorer last season.
Keep an eye on the goalkeeper position Ilya Sorokin to have. The 24-year-old Russian is entering his second NHL season and wants to further increase his catch quota of 91.8 percent. In the Russian KHL he could already prove that he is an outstanding goalkeeper. His average catch quota there was 93 percent.
Video: DET @ NYI: Dobson scores his first NHL goal
Strengthen
Unsurprisingly for a team trained by Barry Despite, the greatest strength lies in their own third. The Islanders only conceded 125 goals in the regular season, making them the second best defense in the NHL behind the Vegas Golden Knights (122).
On average, the defensive allowed 28.4 shots by the opponents, which was the tenth best value in the 2020/21 season. However, many of the deals came from outside the danger zone, making it easy for goalkeepers to polish up their stats. Semyon Varlamov came to a fantastic catch quota of 92.9 percent. No other NHL goalkeeper who played more than 25 games achieved a better rate.
With the contract extensions from Anthony Beauvillier, Casey Cizikas, Kyle Palmieri and goalkeeper Sorokin, the Islanders were able to hold the team together at the core. In the structured system of Despite, this will lead to fewer coordination problems.
Video: NYI @ BOS, Sp2: Cizikas scores on Breakaway in OT
Development potential
The penetration in the opposing third is likely to be the Islanders’ biggest construction site. 152 hits in the regular season were the eleventh worst value in the league. Even if the rate in the playoffs shot up to 2.84 goals per game and thus the fourth-best value, New York failed in the end due to a lack of goals. A 1-0 loss in the decisive Game 7 against Tampa Bay spoke volumes here.
With the return of Lee and the expected next step by Wahlstrom, the striker’s yield should increase significantly. In defense, the Islanders have to hope for Dobson, who could develop into a second Defender who also provides joy in the attack zone. So far this has mostly been successful Nick Leddy, who was the defender with the highest points on Long Island with two goals and 29 assists, but is no longer part of the game.
Playoff Chances
The core of the team was kept together, the most important players have evolved and the talents have recently indicated that they are ready to take on more responsibility. There can be no doubt that the Islanders will participate in the playoffs and with a little luck and more attacking power, even the big hit may be possible.
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