The 2023-24 NHL season is just around the corner after a quiet summer for the New York Islanders and general manager (GM) Lou Lamoriello, aside from the eight-year extension that was handed out to goaltender Ilya Sorokin, the team is ready to compete with the best in the Eastern Conference.
Related: Islanders 3 Most Expendable Players
The Islanders have a similar roster to last season. This comes on the heels of an offseason when Lamoriello re-signed the core. Scott Mayfield, Pierre Engvall, and Semyon Varlamov were all given long-term contracts and there were minimal additions in free agency.
However, some skaters will have a different role this season. Lane Lambert is entering his second season as head coach, and he will need to find ways for his players to play to their strengths to take the team to the next level.
Oliver Wahlstrom
Oliver Wahlstrom had his 2022-23 season cut short by a lower-body injury, scoring only seven goals and nine assists in 35 games. The small sample size forced Lamoriello to give him a one-year deal this offseason, which makes 2023-24 a pivotal one for the 23-year-old forward. Wahlstrom has shown flashes and will be looking to become a regular in the top-six long-term.
Last season, Wahlstrom played a minimal role, but in his four seasons with the Islanders, he established himself as a shooter on the wing. He anticipates the puck finding him in the offensive zone and picks apart opposing goaltenders with quick blasts from the face-off circles. With 32 goals and 29 assists in his career, Wahlstrom is an instinctive goalscorer who goes for the back of the net rather than distributing the puck to one of his linemates.
That might change in 2023-24, especially if he ends up playing on the top line alongside Bo Horvat. The top line will also pair him with Mathew Barzal, a playmaker who will provide him with open looks on the net. However, Horvat is a goalscorer who needs his wingers to find him in the center of the offensive zone. Likewise, Wahlstrom playing with Brock Nelson would force him to be a passer, as he’ll need to create scoring chances for the back-to-back 30-goal scorer.
More importantly, Wahlstrom needs to become a facilitator to round out his game. He’s looking to have a career year, and if he can both create scoring chances and find the back of the net, he will not only elevate the team’s offense but earn a long-term contract next offseason.
Mathew Barzal
A reoccurring theme with Barzal is if and when he will start to shoot more to become an elite player. Last season, after signing an eight-year extension, he was expected to round out his game and become a goalscorer on top of being a dynamic skater and playmaker. He started out with zero goals and 19 assists through 18 games, putting him on pace for one of the most absurd seasons in league history. He picked up his scoring midway through the campaign with 14 goals in 58 games, but his season was cut short by an injury.
In 2023-24, Barzal will play alongside Horvat in the hopes that the two can form a strong connection. The Islanders will have their top playmaker and passer on the same line, and together they could make the offense one of the best in the NHL. At the same time, Barzal needs to continue to put the puck on the net. Yes, he’s a strong passer and has the ability to open up the ice, but to put the team’s offense over the top, he must force opposing goaltenders to stop his shot, which is a great one but rarely used.
Barzal also needs to become a shooter if he isn’t placed with Horvat. While it’s unlikely the two split up, Barzal can center his line and level out the forward unit, which would be a bold move by Lambert, but one that could give the team three potent scoring lines. If that happens, the 26-year-old will need to carry his line and both create scoring chances and find the back of the net himself.
In the First-Round series against the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2023 Playoffs, Barzal scored two goals, tied for the team lead with the rest of the offense struggling (Nelson and Kyle Palmieri also scored two goals in the series). The Hurricanes easily defeated the Islanders in six games, but the bright spot was Barzal’s play. He started to shoot the puck more and carried the offense, leading the team to a 3-2 Game 5 victory with his goal in the second period. That could be a sign of things to come.
Anders Lee
Anders Lee knows where his bread is buttered. He skates to the crease and fights through traffic to poke the puck into the back of the net. Most of his goals come from in close or from the slot, and he’s become the team’s top finisher. Last season, Lee scored 28 goals and 22 assists – in his career, he’s scored 240 goals and 176 assists, a reflection of his shoot-first mentality.
He needs to be more than a finisher. While talented, he has become the crux of the Islanders’ offensive problems; the team has too many “one-trick ponies” who lack versatility. Lee is a finisher but isn’t creating open shots for his linemates. Palmieri is a shooter but not a playmaker. Barzal is a passer but isn’t finding the back of the net. Horvat is a goalscorer who struggled offensively after he was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks. When the forwards are forced to adapt, they fail – a problem that was on full display against the Hurricanes, as the offense only scored 15 goals in the series.
The Islanders’ captain needs to lead this identity change. Lee isn’t going to become a playmaker, but if he finds the puck in more areas in the offensive zone, he will start to make the offense tougher to predict. Adding versatility to their offense will go a long way, and that can start with Lee, a 33-year-old veteran who hopes to put together another strong season.
Other Islanders That Could Play A Different Role Next Year
One of the questions heading into the season is who will operate the power play from the point and help turn around an awful unit that scored on only 15.77 percent of its opportunities last season. Noah Dobson and Ryan Pulock were the two defensemen who played the point, but another defenseman should see an increased role on the unit. Alexander Romanov was acquired last offseason, and the hope was that he could find his shot, which was promising but rarely used. This year, Lambert could ask Romanov to man the point and aggressively shoot the puck to the goal.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau has been a pass-first player, especially recently. Last year, he scored 13 goals and 27 assists centering the third line, and he’s become the puck-handler and primary facilitator of his line. He needs to take on a more active scoring role and put the puck on the net more.
The Islanders were a borderline playoff team last season. With minimal roster turnover, the expectations are for the team to regress, as they will be the same team just one year older. However, if some of the skaters find new roles to optimize their skill sets, the team could finish near the top of the Eastern Conference.
