It’s October and the 2024-25 NHL season is around the corner. The New York Islanders head into the first month eager to make a strong first impression and kick off the ground running. The outsider’s perspective is that they are an older team on the decline and will miss the playoffs, so the Islanders look to prove a lot of folks wrong.
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This leads to the important keys of the month. It’s a long six-and-a-half-month regular season marathon followed by a two-month sprint in the playoffs (at least that’s the hope). Yet the first month is a big one for the Islanders. It might make or break their season, leading to the first key for them.
Islanders Can’t Have Slow Start
There is a cliche in all the major sports that a team can’t win a title in the first month of action but they can certainly lose one. A slow start can leave a team in a hole too tough to climb out of, something the Islanders learned firsthand in 2021-22 when they went 3-4 in October and then 5-12 after two months of play. They missed the playoffs.
The Islanders are a team that can particularly be doomed by a slow start. They have a schedule that will both test them and allow them to string together a few wins to be in a good position by the end of the month. They have 10 games scheduled with their first four coming against Central Division teams. Then it’s the Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils (their only divisional matchup of the month), and defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers before wrapping up against the Anaheim Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets.
Sure, the Dallas Stars and Panthers are tough matchups, but this is a schedule that the Islanders can and must take advantage of. Winning six or seven of these games and earning points in most of them will have them in a good position as they start to face their divisional opponents more often.
Goaltending Must Be Resolved
Ilya Sorokin heads into the season as an unknown. It’s unclear if he’ll be ready to start the season following offseason back surgery as he’s slowly made his way back into practice and into the daily on-ice activities. Even if he is ready for opening night, it’s a reminder that the Islanders need a good duo for the season, especially the first month of action. They can’t rely solely on Sorokin.
It’s why Semyon Varlamov must start a few games to begin the season and there are plenty of opportunities to have him provide a night off for Sorokin. The St. Louis Blues are the third game on the Central Division road trip and the Ducks and Blue Jackets are two teams expected to be near the bottom of the standings. Valramov can start those games and still give the Islanders the advantage in the net.
This stretch will prove that the Islanders have a reliable goaltending tandem for the regular season. Strong starts from Varlamov plus Sorokin proving he can play at an elite level will show that the Islanders are one of the best teams in the Metropolitan Division. Otherwise, this might be a long season on Long Island.
Islanders Need Depth Scoring
One of the lingering questions heading into the season is where the depth scoring will come from. The Islanders have reliable scorers in the top six but after that, the offense falls apart. They’ll need depth scoring throughout the season and the first month will let them know if they have it or not.
Anders Lee, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and Pierre Engvall are under the microscope as all three will likely play on the third line and will be tasked with adding a scoring touch. The trio of veterans can give the Islanders enough scoring to have a great offense but Lee and Pageau are particularly on the decline and must prove that they can either turn back the clock or still provide enough offense. Those two struggling will have the Islanders facing the harsh reality that they got really old really fast and must make changes before it’s too late.
Other Keys in the First Month of Action
The line combinations will be pivotal but specifically, the hope is that offseason addition Anthony Duclair fits on the top line. His shot makes him the ideal winger to play alongside Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat but if he struggles, the team must find a role that gets the most out of him.
The forward depth is crucial but the defense also must show that it’s more than the top two pairings. It’s why a lot of pressure will be on Scott Mayfield and Mike Reilly to round out the unit. Mayfield must bounce back and a strong month from him will prove that he can still be a third-pair option.
The big picture key is seeing how the Islanders look on the ice. They can look like a playoff team in the first month of action and similarly, they can win games but look sloppy doing so. They also can look like a team poised for a rebuild, too. Based on how they play and the pace they are skating with, the Islanders will prove what type of team they will develop into as the season picks up.
