Are the Islanders Buyers or Sellers?
Islanders' January woes are real, but they're nothing new
Welcome to the THW New York Islanders Substack newsletter, with all the latest from our team of Islanders writers.
In today’s edition, we answer the question of whether the Islanders should be buyers or sellers at this year’s trade deadline and look into the team’s struggles this January and how they’re nothing new. Plus, a recent game against the Winnipeg Jets gave the Islanders a blueprint for helping Ilya Sorokin.
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Will the Islanders Buy or Sell at the Trade Deadline?
January 19, 2024 by Michael Ostrower
As the league begins the second half of the season, most teams are beginning to see a clearer picture of where they will finish the season in the standings. With the New York Islanders sitting in a playoff spot almost the entire season until these past few days, could the team be forced to sell at this season’s trade deadline?
Currently sitting seventh in the Metropolitan Division in points percentage and 12th in the Eastern Conference, the team has a tough path to making the playoffs. While there is no doubt that this team is capable of making a strong playoff push, injuries and blown leads have kept them from reaching their true potential. So, if the team continues to slide out of the playoff picture, could general manager Lou Lamoriello consider selling?
Islanders’ January Struggles Mirror Last Season’s
January 18, 2024 by Mike Fink
Dry January typically refers to the challenge people take on to stay sober for the first month of the new year. For the New York Islanders, it has a different meaning. Their Dry January has seen little offense and few wins as the team slides in the standings. In January 2023, the Islanders went 4-8-3 and averaged 1.93 goals for per game. This season, they’ve gone 2-5-1 including their Jan. 16 loss to the Winnipeg Jets, and the offense once again looks hapless, averaging only 2.50 goals per game.
The Islanders are a mess, which raises questions about the roster both in the short and long term. Is head coach Lane Lambert the right person for the job? Do the Islanders need a firesale at the trade deadline? Should they buy in and double or even triple down on a core that can only go so far? The Islanders have been here before (this month tends to bring out the worst in the team). However, some issues are fixable, while others require more work, and whatever the team can figure out will help them turn their season around.
Hellebuyck Provides Blueprint For Islanders To Help Sorokin
January 16, 2024 by Mike Fink
When a goaltender with Vezina Trophy aspirations has a .909 save percentage (SV%) and a 3.15 goals-against average (GAA) halfway through the season, it means he’s had a rough start. Ilya Sorokin’s baseline stats indicate just that, but he’s managed to keep the New York Islanders in games. How so? He’s putting up underwhelming numbers while facing an unprecedented 1034 shots.
Sorokin is still playing at a high level, but he’s being overworked during games and in games played. The Jan. 15 loss to the Minnesota Wild was another reminder of this when he made 29 saves but didn’t receive any help from the rest of the roster, resulting in a 5-0 stomping.
The Islanders recently played the Winnipeg Jets, a team led by an elite goaltender. Connor Hellebuyck has a .924 SV% and a 2.19 GAA on 896 shots with a league-leading 18.8 goals saved above average (GSAA), putting him on pace to take home his second career Vezina Trophy. The gap between Sorokin and Hellebuyck seems significant, yet both are in the same tier. Last season, they were finalists for the Vezina, and throughout their careers, they’ve proven they are among the league’s elite. Sorokin is in a rough patch, something Hellebuyck experienced earlier in his career, and the Islanders must address it to allow him to bounce back this season and regain his dominant form.