If there’s anything Lou Lamoriello loves, it’s adding scoring to the New York Islanders. Every time the general manager (GM) makes a big move, it’s to add a scorer to the offense. The Kyle Palmieri trade gave the team a shooter. The Bo Horvat trade was similar as he became one of their top scorers. Then there was this offseason where Lamoriello signed Anthony Duclair.
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The Islanders have no shortage of scorers in their offense. Their Oct. 14 game against the Colorado Avalanche was a case in point as they scored six goals from five different forwards. Granted, the Avalanche have struggled on defense and in net but it was still an impressive showing for an offense that looks poised to carry the Islanders this season.
Duclair Already Hitting His Stride
Lamoriello brought in Duclair to be a scorer on the top-line wing. Mathew Barzal and Horvat needed a skater who could round out the top line and complement the two stars. It’s only three games into the season but Duclair has proven he can do that and will be a force in the offensive zone.
Duclair scored in the first game of the season and more importantly, added a big assist late in the game. He found Horvat in the center of the offensive zone and zipped the puck through traffic to allow the top-line scorer to find the back of the net. Then came Duclair’s goal against the Avalanche where he found the puck near the net on an Alexander Romanov pass and finished the scoring chance.
He’s the player who will make this offense one of the best in the league. Lamoriello is always searching for that scorer who can get into the dirty areas and finish scoring chances, something Anders Lee provided in previous seasons. While Horvat is the better all-around scorer in the lineup, Duclair is the one with a finishing touch and it makes the Islanders tough to stop.
Nelson & Palmieri Banking on Contract Years
Brock Nelson and Palmieri are in the final season on their current deals and they will be unrestricted free agents (UFAs) in the 2025 offseason. Nelson will probably remain an Islander for life and re-sign with the team as an icon of the franchise. Palmieri, on the other hand, is auditioning for the rest of the league and looking to show he can still be a great scorer into his 30s.
A few games into the season and Palmieri is playing in another gear. He’s skating faster and is making a great impact on the rush to open up the offense (it’s how he scored against the Avalanche in the recent game.) He stepped up in the second half of last season, with 21 goals in the final 42 games but this season, Palmieri’s already off to a hot start and showing no signs of slowing down; another 30-goal season is a strong possibility.
Nelson, meanwhile, is showing at 33 years old (happy birthday!) that he is still the best scorer on the team. He scored twice in the recent 6-2 win and once again, is on pace to pass the 30-goal mark. While Palmieri takes the second line up a notch, Nelson is integral to the Islanders’ success, centering the second line, creating scoring chances, finding the back of the net himself.
Lamoriello is making a bet on both skaters and with some key players on the team in general. Four of the top players on the Islanders (with Noah Dobson and Romanov on the defense) are playing out the final seasons of their contracts and looking to cash in this summer. All four are looking to have their best seasons and in the process, they will make the Islanders a better team, possibly one of the best in the NHL.
Where Lamoriello’s Urge For Scoring Costs The Islanders
The Islanders have plenty of scorers, especially in the top six, but they don’t have a lot of playmakers. Barzal is one of the best passers in the NHL and Nelson sets up his linemates for success but otherwise, the offense doesn’t have skaters who can find the scorers with open looks on the net.
On top of that, the Islanders don’t have scorers who can help the team win in multiple ways. Horvat and Palmieri won’t set up scoring chances and both are shooters who won’t crash the net or lead the rush. For the most part, the offense has a lot of sharpshooters but not much else and while it can lead to a few outbursts offensively, it’s not sustainable.
Diving deeper, outside of Duclair and Lee, the Islanders lack a finishing presence in their forward unit. They don’t have skaters who can play the dirty areas and win a physical game. It’s going to set them back, especially in a playoff series when the game slows down and physical play becomes vital to success.
Will Lamoriello Go All-In On This Bet?
There’s always the possibility Lamoriello will make a splash at the 2025 Trade Deadline. The two big names to monitor are Mitch Marner and Mikko Rantanen but the price tag for both will likely leave them out of the Islanders’ range. Taylor Hall on the Chicago Blackhawks, on the other hand, is a name to monitor as he’s a UFA at the end of the season and a veteran scorer who can take the offense up a notch.
At the same time, this is all wishful thinking. Lamoriello rarely makes a move at the trade deadline and typically plays it safe. He didn’t make a trade last season to help a middling team get over the hump and aside from the Pierre Engvall addition (which hasn’t been the best one considering he was placed on waivers) and didn’t make a move at the 2023 Trade Deadline either.
Ultimately, Lamoriello will most likely hope this roster is good enough to contend. Early on this season, it’s proven it can score, with four goals against Utah Hockey Club and six against the Avalanche but it has yet to prove it can contend for a Cup, with only one win in three games.
