The New York Islanders have built up a strong core of young players over the past 3 seasons, but have never made the playoffs.  After a promising start last season, the team fizzled out and finished 12th in a strong Eastern Conference.  This year the team has made some steps in the right direction and are poised to start knocking on the door for their first playoff birth.

Leading the way is franchise centre Connor McDavid.  Despite putting up a point per game thus far into his GVFHL career, the Islanders haven’t been strong enough around him to get the team to the next level.  This season, enter super rookie Matt Barzal.  He will centre the second line and give a great 1-2 punch that will surely rack up the points.  Down the middle is very deep for New York as Henrik Sedin and Alex Wennberg round out the four.  The wingers aren’t as high profile, but will still be able to score on all four lines. Corey Perry, Brendan Gallagher, Thomas Vanek, Tomas Hertl, Elias Lindholm, Mathieu Perreault, Alex Kerfoot, and Andre Burakovsky provide excellent depth up front to score whenever on the ice.

The blueline is strong in talent as well, with Seth Jones and Keith Yandle leading the way.  Dan Girardi, Justin Schultz, Roman Polak, and Derek Forbort round out a strong but not spectacular defensive core.  They just need to excel at what they do, which is keeping the puck away from their own net and the Islanders will have a great chance to win every night.

In goal, the team has King Henrik Lundqvist, one of the league’s best goaltenders over the past dozen or so years.  Due to his pending free agency, the Isles added Darcy Kuemper to provide a steady long term backup option, while also trading for goalie of the future Juuse Saros.  All 3 are pretty evenly rated, so whoever has the hot hand will play.

The East is a tough Conference to crack, but the Islanders patience may be finally paying off.