5 keys to the New York Islanders' 2023-24 NHL season
Ilya Sorokin of the New York Islanders stretches during a time out in the second period against the New Jersey Devils at UBS Arena on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023. Credit: Jim McIsaac
1 More of the same from Ilya Sorokin.
The franchise netminder finished second in the Vezina Trophy balloting last season after going 31-22-7 with a 2.33 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage. At 28 and entering his fourth NHL season, Sorokin is in the prime of his career, and the Islanders have bet their future on him remaining at this elite level for the long term. He agreed to an eight-year, $66 million extension that begins next season after he completes his current three-year, $12 million deal. Sorokin is expected to play 55 to 60 games, maybe more, and his health may be the single most important factor in the Islanders’ season. Fellow Russian Semyon Varlamov is an above-average backup, but there are no other goalies with NHL experience in the organization after Cory Schneider retired.
2 Mathew Barzal’s adjustment . . .
The slick-skating playmaker, now 26, had been the Islanders’ No. 1 center ever since John Tavares bolted for the Maple Leafs via free agency in 2018, but Bo Horvat’s midseason acquisition from the Canucks bumped Barzal to right wing. The two showed immediate chemistry before Barzal suffered a knee injury seven games later. They had a strong preseason and Barzal displayed an increased confidence in shooting the puck — Horvat described Barzal’s shooting ability as “lethal” — and an aptitude for working along the wall and being strong on his backcheck. Coach Lane Lambert spent the preseason trying to find the right complement as the third member of their line, even switching Barzal to left wing at times. Barzal, starting an eight-year, $73.2 million extension, has said all the right things about playing wherever is best for the team. His adjustment will be crucial for Horvat’s production.
3 . . . and Bo Horvat’s comfort
Horvat, the former Canucks captain, already had matched his career high of 31 goals (plus 23 assists in 49 games) when he was traded to the Islanders on Jan. 30. He had three goals and an assist in his first four games with the Islanders. Then Barzal got hurt and everything seemed to catch up to Horvat, who had spent his first eight-plus NHL seasons with Vancouver. He finished with seven goals and nine assists in 30 regular-season games for the Islanders and just one goal and one assist in six playoff games. Obviously, much more is expected from Horvat, who signed an eight-year, $68 million extension just six days after the trade. Horvat said last season was tough on him, but now that his family has settled on Long Island and he’s gone through a training camp with the Islanders, he believes that comfort will be all-important.
4 An effective power play
The Islanders could have elevated themselves from a middle-of-the-pack team scrambling to qualify for the playoffs last season into a legitimate Stanley Cup contender with a more dangerous power play. They finished 30th (out of 32 teams) in the regular season at 15.8% (35-for-222), then went 1-for-18 (5.6%) in a six-game loss to the Hurricanes in the first round. Yet in the six full games Barzal and Horvat played together on the top unit after Horvat’s acquisition, the Islanders were 6-for-17 (35.3%). In comparison, the Oilers led the NHL last season at 32.4%, so it would seem the potential is there. Defenseman Noah Dobson is expected to quarterback the top unit along with Horvat, Barzal, Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri as the net-front presence.
5 The next step for Noah Dobson
At 23, the 12th overall pick in 2018 already is entering his fifth NHL season. But while he scored 13 goals for a second straight season and added 36 assists in 78 games, Dobson took a defensive step back last season. He and Alexander Romanov never meshed, forcing Lambert to play him with Adam Pelech and break up the long-standing top pair of Pelech and Ryan Pulock. Dobson was not as sure with the puck in his own zone and lost too many battles around the crease, but his confidence hasn’t waned and the issues seem fixable. But the Islanders do need to count on Dobson for matchups against the opponents’ top players.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
