With the final sprint to the finish line ahead, the New York Islanders are aiming to cement their return to the postseason. We know their shortcomings; they have been the same for years. The goaltending is among the best in the NHL, the defence can hold its own, but the forwards and offense are lacklustre.
The Islanders need to address their scoring issues ahead of Friday’s trade deadline. It is what is keeping them from being among the best in the NHL and moving up the standings to solidify their playoff berth.
Islanders’ Scoring Woes
The Islanders rank 19th in scoring at 5-on-5. They also rank 19th in goals for per 60. That’s a problem, because they cannot score roughly 2.34 goals per game and expect to win more games than they lose. It’s been a longstanding problem, but this season, it’s been exacerbated by factors beyond the team’s control.
Related: Ilya Sorokin Has Reshaped the Islanders’ Season
Kyle Palmieri is out for the season after he tore his anterior cruciate ligament, and replacing the 40-ish points he put up every year since he was acquired from the New Jersey Devils in 2021 has been difficult. For a team that was already short in the goal-scoring department, losing him from the lineup could have been catastrophic, but the Islanders have done well to walk the tightrope without him, but it needs improvement.
Islanders’ Scoring Analytics
According to Natural Stat Trick, the Islanders have an expected goals for per 60 at 5-on-5 of 2.52 (xGF/60 essentially measures the probability of a goal being scored from the shot or chance created). That’s the ninth worst in the league. Their expected goals for (xGF) this season rank 18th, but some of the teams below them have games in hand and could climb up the standings. That’s a concern for the Islanders’ playoff hopes, when generating offense at 5-on-5 is critical.
The Islanders’ offense is struggling. Of the teams currently in a playoff spot, only the Detroit Red Wings score fewer goals at 5-on-5. No team in a playoff spot has a worse xGF/60 than the Islanders, although the Boston Bruins are tied with New York.
The Islanders are still developing their young talent, and they’re hoping Cal Ritchie, Victor Eklund, and Cole Eiserman will help fix the scoring issues in the future. However, they’re not what the Islanders need now for a playoff run.
Who Should the Islanders Target
General manager Mathieu Darche has already taken steps to add more punch to the roster’s attack, acquiring forward Ondrej Palat from the New Jersey Devils in January. But scoring is harder in tighter playoff games. So, how can the Islanders address this before the deadline?
Well, there are names the Islanders should consider. Evander Kane of the Vancouver Canucks and Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues seem to be the most coveted. The cost will be high, but the Islanders must explore whether their potential impact upfront will outweigh that cost.
The team is not expected to win the Stanley Cup this season. The Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning, and, especially, the Colorado Avalanche have lived up to or exceeded expectations this season, and are legitimate contenders. The Islanders were projected to miss the playoffs again.
A year of development for Matthew Schaefer, Cal Ritchie, and the team’s young talent will help next season, and finding a short-term solution is fine, but not necessary. If the cost of acquiring a scorer this season means losing a player like Victor Eklund, would it be worth it?
