With only two additions to their NHL roster this offseason, the New York Islanders face significant uncertainty in their forward core. The signings of Anthony Duclair and Maxim Tsyplakov through free agency have bolstered the team’s scoring talent and strengthened their depth. As a result, head coach Patrick Roy will have challenging decisions to make during training camp and preseason to make the group serious Stanley Cup contenders.
Islanders’ Lineup Certainties
The Islanders have six forwards who have all but guaranteed positions in the lineup. The first line will have Bo Horvat centering Mat Barzal on the right wing, the second line will have Brock Nelson centering Kyle Palmieri on the right wing, and Jean Gabriel Pageau will be the third line’s center. From there, Casey Cizikas is likely to be the fourth line’s center, although Roy did experiment with him on the wing last season. While an elevated role for Cizikas is possible, with a fully health roster, it is very, very unlikely he leaves the fourth line.
From there, the Islanders have three forwards who are going to be lineup regulars. Duclair, Pierre Engvall, and Anders Lee have all established themselves as worthy NHL wingers.
Related: Islanders Signing Maxim Tsyplakov Shows Organizational Change
That leaves three lineup spots up for grabs. Simon Holmstrom will be in the lineup more times than not due to his two-way game and youth. Hudson Fasching and Kyle MacLean both had strong stretches last season once given consistent roles in the lineup. Oliver Wahlstrom is one of the most skilled players in the Islanders’ organization, but his inconsistencies and weak skating have kept coaches from trusting him in a top-six capacity. Lastly is Tsyplakov, whose role with the Islanders could range anywhere from being on the first line in the NHL to the first line in the AHL.
Ideal Forward Lines
Given the uncertainty of the lineup, there is a world where everything clicks, and the Islanders roll out one of the stronger forward cores in the NHL. In this iteration of a lineup, the Islanders will be maximizing both Duclair and Tsyplakov’s most admirable qualities, finally adding a valuable and consistent third-scoring threat to each of the top two lines. If that is the case, it would look something like this:
Tsyplakov – Horvat – Barzal
Duclair – Nelson – Palmieri
Holmstrom – Pageau – Engvall
Lee – Cizikas – Fasching
EX: MacLean, Wahlstrom
When Duclair was signed, the immediate expectation from fans was to see him on the first line with Horvat and Barzal. This makes a lot of sense because Duclair is a speedy, shifty winger with a strong wrist shot. However, in this “ideal” world, he is better suited to play alongside Nelson and Palmieri.
Duclair would make more sense on the second line because he plays a similar style of hockey to Engvall but with more offensive upside and consistency. Engvall shined as a speedy winger next to Nelson, and Duclair would complement that line by adding a third-scoring threat with a 25+ goal upside.
Additionally, despite this being a “dream” scenario, there should be skepticism regarding Tsyplakov’s fit alongside Nelson. This is not to say Tsyplakov is a bad player, because he is not, but it is understanding the fact that both play very similar styles of hockey. They both have quick, lethal wrist shots, are average skaters in terms of speed but move very well, like to drive toward the center of the ice and know how to put rebounds in the back of the net with their quick hands. Because of this, Tsyplakov makes more sense on the first line.
If Tsyplakov can translate his game to the NHL, he would be a replicated Nelson but on the first line. And as Islanders fans know, Nelson shined during his short stint alongside Barzal and Horvat last season. In 13 games, the line tallied nine goals and gave up just four. Given Tsyplakov’s similar playstyle to Nelson, the first line could see similar success over a full 82-game season.
From here, the bottom six will see a bit of a shakeup. The third line would form one of the fastest lines in the league. For the Islanders, this would be very valuable, especially since the team has been on the slower side in recent seasons.
The fourth line is essentially the “extra” players left over, but Cizikas and Fasching’s solid defensive play last season left them as reliable options in this role. While paying Lee $7 million for the fourth line is a tough pill to swallow, it is looking like his spot in the lineup is fading, especially if Tsyplakov can make an immediate impact in the top six. However, having a strong goal scorer on the fourth line is never a bad thing.
Realistic Forward Lines
While the “ideal” forward lines are great in theory, a lot has to go right for them to work out. Given the Islanders typically shy away from flashy decisions, they are likely to resort to similar line combinations to last season with just a few changes. If that is the case, they would look something like this:
Duclair – Horvat – Barzal
Lee – Nelson – Palmieri
Tsyplakov – Pageau – Engvall
Holmstrom – Cizikas – Fasching
EX: MacLean, Wahlstrom
These lines would put together the obvious pairing of Duclair, Horvat, and Barzal, as well as keep Lee in the top six. Given Lee’s great analytics, Roy is unlikely to give up on him after one bad season. It would not be great to lose Engvall’s speed in the top six, but neither Nelson nor Palmieri are fast skaters, so Lee would fit in well.
There are plenty of reasons to have faith in Tsyplakov, but few suggest he will secure a top-six role straight out of training camp. Thus, he will need to prove himself. Additionally, as the most potent scoring threat on the third line, he could address a scoring weakness the Islanders had last season, making his addition to the lineup substantial despite the limited role.
The fourth line would comprise the most “boring” players on the Islanders. This is not to say any of these forwards are bad, but rather they all make minimal mistakes. Considering the team would finally have a strong top six, having a reincarnated version of the “identity line” could be a nice addition. Holmstrom and Fasching would not provide the physicality Cal Clutterbuck and Mat Martin did, but they would shine defensively, allowing Roy to send them on the ice whenever he wanted his top two lines to rest.
Considering there is a lengthy training camp and preseason ahead, speculation will turn to confirmation once Roy publicly shows how he will utilize his new additions. However, one thing is for sure, and that is the Islanders have gotten more talented, so it will ultimately come down to the players on making this season different than the last.
