The New York Islanders played the Detroit Red Wings on Nov. 25 for the third and final time this season. The game wrapped up the season series with the Red Wings winning 4-2 to sweep the three-game set and these matchups could ultimately make the difference for two borderline playoff teams.
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The games showed the value of depth with lower-line forward and middle-pairing defensemen stepping up and taking over. It’s what will decide if either the Islanders or the Red Wings will get into the playoffs. Both Islanders general manager (GM) Lou Lamoriello and Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman have their teams set up to be in the playoff conversation this season and the small details will get them into the playoffs in the end.
Lamoriello’s Youth Movement Compared to Yzerman’s
Isaiah George is a pleasant surprise and a big plus for the Islanders. Since his call-up from the American Hockey League (AHL), he’s established himself as a second-pair defenseman and often plays alongside Noah Dobson on the top pair. He assisted Kyle Palmieri’s goal in the latest game and is gaining confidence with each game.
The problem for Lamoriello is that it’s just George. Yes, Kyle MacLean is a reliable forechecking forward while Simon Holmstrom has become a reliable middle-six forward at 23 years old. However, the Islanders don’t have a youth movement that can carry them and make them a great team. Instead, it’s still the veterans leading the way.
Yzerman, on the other hand, added depth through the pipeline. Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond are the young star players leading the Red Wings but they also have a handful of young skaters who have rounded out the roster. Simon Edvinsson is playing his first full season with the team and is one of their best defensemen while Marco Kasper, Michael Rasmussen, and Jonatan Berggren — three skaters 25 or younger — are playing the bottom six lines.
Last season, the Red Wings came up just short of a playoff spot with the team falling apart late in the campaign. They remain on the outside of the playoff picture looking in this season but the youth movement gives them an advantage, especially over older teams like the Islanders.
Lamoriello & Yzerman Have Veteran Depth Stepping Up
One of the few reasons the Islanders are in the middle of the Metropolitan Division is because their veteran skaters, who typically play depth roles, are stepping up and leading the way. Anders Lee is 34 and has regressed in recent seasons, making him a third-line skater and not the same top-line forward who could score at will. he’s turned back the clock this season with eight goals and six assists. Jean-Gabriel Pageau also struggled on the offensive end of the ice in recent seasons but has moved to the top line and added five goals and five assists to the offense in the process.
It’s not just the forward unit where Lamoriello has bet on the veterans playing at a high level. He signed Scott Mayfield to a seven-year deal in the 2023 offseason and the contract looked like it would age poorly after the 2023-24 season. He’s bounced back this season with 3.0 defensive point shares, making him one of the bright spots for an injury-plagued defense.
Yzerman took a more aggressive approach to adding veteran depth. With the team on the cusp of contention, he signed Patrick Kane, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Erik Gustafsson to take them to the next level. The three skaters aren’t the reason the Red Wings are in the playoff conversation but they have added depth for a team that entered the season looking like a top-heavy group.
It’s worth noting that both the Islanders and Red Wings also found veteran goaltenders as backups. While Yzerman went crazy to find reliable goaltenders, adding Jack Campbell and Cam Talbot in the offseason when Alex Lyon and Ville Husso were already on the roster, Lamoriello rolled with a 36-year-old Semyon Varlamov. It’s the stability in the net that will make or break a playoff push.
Where the Islanders Have a Slight Edge
The goaltending is where the Islanders have the advantage. The Red Wings have multiple options but no clear-cut starter to lean on. The Islanders have Ilya Sorokin, who has once again proved he is one of the few elite goaltenders in the NHL. He has a .917 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.52 goals-against average (GAA) on 399 shots with 6.2 goals saved above average.
The Islanders have split starts between their two goaltenders early on this season with Sorokin starting 13 games and Varlamov starting nine. However, to make a push for the playoffs, they could roll with Sorokin to get them in. It’s how they made a push in the 2022-23 season and something they will likely do again.
The Islanders also have an edge considering they’ve played well despite the pile-up of injuries. They don’t have Anthony Duclair or Mathew Barzal in the forward unit while Adam Pelech and Mike Reilly, who is out indefinitely, aren’t on the defense. When they add a few of those skaters back, they will get on a run and look like a different team.
Yzerman’s Advantage
At the end of the day, Yzerman will push all the chips in to get his team to the playoffs. The Red Wings don’t have a lot of cap space to work with ($3.1 million projected per PuckPedia) but they will make a move or any move needed to get over the hump. David Jiricek is the young defenseman on the trade block everyone is looking to add but Yzerman could look to add another Columbus Blue Jacket defenseman like Ivan Provorov to get the team to the playoffs.
Lamoriello isn’t on the hot seat but there is pressure to get the Islanders to the postseason as well. His actions don’t reflect that. He rarely — if ever — makes a big move and heading into the trade deadline this season, it’s unlikely he will make a deal. He will trust the roster that’s already in place and hope head coach Patrick Roy can get the most out of it.
The way this season is shaping up, there will be a handful of teams fighting for the two Eastern Conference wild card spots. The difference between sneaking in and coming up short can be a depth forward or defenseman a team is willing to add. Yzerman will be willing to make that move and it will give the Red Wings a slight edge over the Islanders and the rest of the middling Eastern Conference teams.
