Islanders Can Learn From the PWHL & Barzal Named an All-Star
Plus, we remember the Alexei Yashin trade
Welcome to the THW New York Islanders Substack newsletter, with all the latest from our team of Islanders writers.
In today’s edition, we have a piece that looks at the lessons the Islanders can learn from the PWHL, discuss Mathew Barzal becoming an All-Star, and we revisit the Alexei Yashin trade.
Finally, how is Ruslan Iskhakov doing with Bridgeport and why should the offense go through him?
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Now, on to the good stuff…
Bridgeport Islanders Can Run Offense Through Ruslan Iskhakov
January 8, 2024 by Mike Fink
Ruslan Iskhakov leads the Bridgeport Islanders with 12 goals and 16 assists this season and recently his two-goal game was the difference in the team winning and losing. Against the Charlotte Checkers on Jan. 7, he found the back of the net twice including the overtime winner to give the Islanders a 3-2 overtime win, the team’s first victory since Dec. 29 against the Springfield Thunderbirds.
Without question, he’s been the best skater on the team and the most NHL-ready forward among the prospects on the American League Hockey (AHL) team. The 22-year-old has a burst of speed and can both create scoring chances with his passing and find the back of the net with quick shots on the net. Iskhakov eventually can play in the New York Islanders’ bottom six and notably provide a spark on the wing if not this season, by the start of next season.
On an offense that has struggled this season, scoring only 2.43 goals per game, Iskhakov has been the bright spot. The offense isn’t built around him and it makes many who watch the Islanders wonder why not. He can become the focal point of the offense and help the team climb out of last place in the Atlantic Division.
Barzal Shooting More Helped Him Become Islanders’ All-Star
January 6, 2024 by Mike Fink
The All-Star selections were announced on Jan. 4 and every team will have one skater making the trip to Toronto for the first weekend of February. The New York Islanders have three if not four, skaters worthy of receiving the All-Star nod but only Mathew Barzal has been selected thus far. Noah Dobson, Bo Horvat, and Brock Nelson, who are on pace for a 40-goal season, will have to wait to see if they will also make the trip.
The Islanders’ top-line skater has been unlocked this season. He was given an eight-year extension in the 2022 offseason with the hopes he’d reach his potential, and fast forward to this season, he has done just that. With 10 goals and 29 assists through 37 games, Barzal is a point-per-game player and leads an offense that is scoring 3.05 goals per game. His All-Star selection is well-deserved, and it all started with his pivot as a skater.
Alexei Yashin Trade Revisited
January 5, 2024 by Andrew Forbes
Long before he became one of the biggest and most disappointing contracts in New York Islanders franchise history, Alexei Yashin was traded to the Islanders from the Ottawa Senators back on June 23, 2001. At the time, Yashin was a talented forward with a high-skill level and offensive upside that was clearly appealing to the Islanders and their general manager at the time, Mike Milbury. So much so, that Milbury moved a budding defenceman, a frisky forward and a first-round pick in 2001.
While Yashin spent the first seven seasons of his NHL career with the Senators, the team shipped the forward to the Islanders following two 85-plus point seasons for Bill Muckalt, Zdeno Chara and a first-round pick that turned into Jason Spezza at second overall in 2001. But how did the trade play out for both teams?
Islanders’ Mathew Barzal Named 2024 NHL All-Star
January 4, 2024 by Michael Ostrower
The first 32 NHL All-Stars were revealed ahead of Thursday night’s matchup of the Pittsburgh Penguins against the Boston Bruins. The New York Islanders’ representative is Mathew Barzal. This is his third time being selected to the All-Star Game, appearing in 2019 and 2020, and he won the Fastest Skater Competition at the 2020 NHL All-Star Skills Competition.
What the Islanders Can Learn From the PWHL
January 3, 2024 by Mike Fink
The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) began their inaugural season on New Year’s Day with New York shutting out Toronto 4-0 in the opening game. The new league provides a lot of intrigue not only because of the potential for it to take off but also for how it will differ from the NHL.
Some of the new rules have already stood out. They make the game look unique and from a coaching and team-building perspective, they force teams to adapt. The question must be asked, would the New York Islanders and other teams around the NHL benefit if the PWHL rules were in effect? One rule change stands out as it would appear to help out the Islanders, notably with one player having a breakout season.