Locker cleanout day on Monday provided the New York Islanders with an opportunity to reflect on a season that surpassed all expectations while starting to look ahead.
The Islanders put up 103 points this season, the most since the 1983-84 season, and swept the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the playoffs before being swept by the Carolina Hurricanes.
The second-round series proved that the Islanders were not offensively gifted enough to make a deeper run at the Stanley Cup. They were held to just five goals in four games, an expected result considering their offense was ranked 12th out of 15 teams.
First-year head coach Barry Trotz instituted a staunch defensive structure to make up for the lack of offensive punch following John Tavares’ departure.
A lack of goals was a necessary evil to contend with if it meant posting wins.
Anders Lee scored just 28 goals after putting up 40 the year prior. Mathew Barzal’s sophomore season presented plenty of bumps as his point total decreased from 85 to 62. Josh Bailey’s output dipped from 71 points to 56.
Whether it was the Islanders’ new gameplan or the loss of a generational star in Tavares, Trotz made do with what he had to the best of his abilities.
But when the Islanders ran into a Hurricanes team that played a similar brand of hockey with a few more skill players, they proved to be no match.
Year 1 of the Trotz and Lou Lamoriello regime is officially complete which means major changes could be on the horizon.
Trotz alluded to that possibility on Monday when speaking about the future of his offense.
“[We need] a little more pop up front, I think,” he said (h/t Arthur Staple). “That’s probably what we needed all season.”
It was a major point of controversy just a few months ago when the Islanders decided to stand pat at the trade deadline instead of acquiring an elite scorer.
Lamoriello stressed the long game, however, stating he did not want to give up future assets needed for continuous success.
Expect the Islanders to be major players on the free-agent market this summer, though, because they have an estimated $47.8 million in cap space, per Spotrac.com. Only the Colorado Avalanche, Ottawa Senators, and New Jersey Devils have more space.
A free-agent class that features Matt Duchene, Artemi Panarin, and Jeff Skinner could provide Trotz and the Islanders with that much-needed offensive upgrade to take that next step toward a Stanley Cup.
