Welcome to the second edition of the New York Islanders Stock Market, a series dedicated to analyzing the recent performance of all things related to the Islanders, including players, coaches, management, prospects, and more. While a single game can drastically impact a player’s outlook, this series will rely on more meaningful sample sizes to form well-rounded evaluations.
Since the first edition of the New York Islanders Stock Market report, the Isles have played 10 games, going 4-5-1. The team has endured tough losses, staged impressive comebacks, and dealt with impactful injuries. With a sizable portion of the season now behind them, which players are trending up, and which are trending down?
Up – Kyle Palmieri
Kyle Palmieri has continued his dominance for the Islanders, leading the team in goals (6) and points (12), while sitting second in assists (7), fourth in goals percentage (57.14 G%), and fourth in expected goals percentage (62.30 xG%). He has nine points, including four goals, in his past nine games and continues to drive offense through his high hockey IQ, play-driving ability, and strength around the net.
Related: NY Islanders Stock Market: Duclair, Eiserman, Sorokin & More
Palmieri has stepped up at a time when the Islanders are missing Mat Barzal and Anthony Duclair, two first-liners, to injuries. Palmieri has played exclusively alongside Maxim Tsyplakov and Brock Nelson to begin the season, and the trio has a 60.5 xG%, the seventh best in the NHL, and a 62.5 G%, the 13th best (min. 150 minutes). While Tsyplakov and Nelson have played a factor, the line has relied on Palmieri more than anyone to begin the season. With Palmieri set to hit free agency following this season, he is quickly adding cash to his future paychecks.
Down – Noah Dobson
While his advanced analytics are not bad, Noah Dobson has greatly struggled to begin the season. He scored 70 points (10 goals and 60 assists) last season but has just six points, all assists, through 15 games this season. As well, just two of his assists have come at even strength and three of his assists have been secondary. In the five games since Barzal got hurt, Dobson is the only player to have played each game and recorded zero points. For an offensive defenseman, there has been minimal offense.
On the other side of the ice, Dobson is up to 11 giveaways on the season including eight in the defensive zone. He has been weak around the net, allowing the opposition to easily establish control of the high-danger areas. While he has averaged over 25 minutes per game due to the pile-up of defensive injuries, his play has underwhelmed this entire season.
Up – Isaiah George
Not a name many expected to join this list is Isaiah George. The 20-year-old defenseman made his professional debut with the Bridgeport Islanders this season and had just four games in the American Hockey League (AHL) before getting called up. With the injuries to the left side of the defense and head coach Patrick Roy’s frustrations with Samuel Bolduc, George was given a chance.
Related: Islanders’ Isaiah George First “Isaiah” in NHL History
Over three games, George has recorded a 51.5 xG%, the third highest among Islanders defensemen. He had done this while averaging over 21 minutes per game, including recent outings with ice times of 23:59 and 24:07. He has been quick, aggressive, and smart with the puck. Of course, there have been mistakes, but for a 20-year-old to have less than a handful of professional games under his belt to join an NHL team’s top defensive pairing and have such a profound impact is incredibly promising.
Down – Bridgeport Islanders
The Bridgeport Islanders continue to struggle. They are down to a 2-8-1-1 record and sit second-to-last in the AHL standings. They have conceded 48 goals, the most in the league, and continue to blow multi-goal leads, just like their NHL counterpart. It is not like they can excuse the defensive struggles to losing George, Grant Hutton, and Dennis Cholowski to call-ups, either, as these issues have existed all season.
Up – Quinn Finley
The Islanders’ prospect pool has had minimal excitement for years, but that has changed this season, and not for the reason you think. University of Wisconsin sophomore and Islanders 2022 third-round pick, Quinn Finley, is up to seven goals and 10 points through 10 games this season. He currently leads the team in both goals and points and sits second in NCAA goal-scoring leaders among those aged 20 or younger.
THIS. KID. 🤩
— Wisconsin Hockey (@BadgerMHockey) November 10, 2024
SEVENTH goal of the season for Finley (@QuinnFinley2)!
🍎: Ben Dexheimer & Gavin Morrissey pic.twitter.com/moMKx7dpwq
Finley has found the back of the net at both even strength and the power play and has produced relentless high-danger chances. While 2024 first-round pick, Cole Eiserman, has been hailed as the future of goal-scoring on Long Island, Finley is quickly proving he can be an elite sniper, too.
Down – Casey Cizikas
Casey Cizikas has struggled to begin the 2024-25 season, managing only one goal and one assist over 15 games. His 16.7 G% and 27% xG% rank among the bottom five NHL forwards with over 150 minutes of ice time. It is not like he is keeping the puck out of his own net, either, as he owns a minus-6 rating—the second-worst on the Islanders.
Following Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s promotion to the top line, Cizikas was moved to center the third line with Pierre Engvall and Simon Holmstrom, but the trio has posted a 32.6 xG%, been outshot 53-40 over 46 minutes together, and leads the team in shots attempts against per 60 minutes with 68.12 (min. 40 minutes). Cizikas is holding back an already struggling bottom-six, and the Islanders need more from the veteran before it’s too late.
Up – Anders Lee & Jean-Gabriel Pageau
With Duclair and Barzal injured, Pageau and Anders Lee have earned spots in the top six and made the most of the opportunity. In five games with Bo Horvat, the trio has posted a 53.6 xG%, a 66.7 G%, and combined for four Islanders goals. They are generating 2.77 expected goals per 60 minutes, comparable to the second line of Tsyplakov, Nelson, and Palmieri. While the sample size is small, it appears the Islanders have found a way to get production from two players who had been struggling to contribute offensively.
Down – Mat Barzal
Barzal was inching his way toward this list before his injury, and the four-to-six-week timeline for his injury confirms this placement. The 27-year-old’s five points in 10 games were disappointing, and Horvat’s success without Barzal has raised the question of who the true offensive weapon is among the Islanders’ top forwards. It is hard to scrutinize a player while they are injured, but the team’s success in his absence will only drive narratives until he returns and proves his worth.
Up – Scott Mayfield
After a disastrous 2023-24 season, Scott Mayfield has begun his 2024-25 campaign on an impressive note. He has eaten additional ice time amid the defensive injuries and owns a 63.2 G% at even strength, the most among Islanders defensemen. His 47.5 xG% is not ideal but still an improvement from prior seasons, and he has managed to stay out of the penalty box with just three minor penalties thus far. Mayfield’s early resurgence may not have him at the level fans wish for, but his defensive stability has instilled confidence in a player who desperately needed a bounce-back season.
Down – Adam Pelech
Another season, another long-term injury to Adam Pelech. Of course, sustaining a jaw injury from a shot is not entirely his fault, but the constant trend of missing extended periods with injuries is. The 30-year-old has never played all 82 games in an NHL season and has played more than 61 games just once in the past five seasons. The Islanders need him on the ice, so if he has to wear a helmet cage to stay healthy, so be it.
