NHL Team Preview: New York Islanders

Islanders Intro

The New York Islanders have been a consistently good franchise over the past few years as they finished fourth in the East Division with a 32-17-7 record (71 points). They finished one game away from the Stanley Cup as they lost in the Stanley Cup Semifinals in seven games to the eventual champion Tampa Bay Lightning. They have a new stadium in UBS Arena and should be able to christen it in with a lot of victories.

Big Additions

The New York Islanders have made one huge offseason addition as they signed veteran left winger Zach Parise in the offseason to a multi-year deal. He became a staple with the Minnesota Wild as he was there since the 2012-13 season but was ineffective in putting up many points last season as in 45 games, he finished with 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists). Adding a veteran offensive player trying to win a Stanley Cup and could sure up their offensive weapons be a great deal in the future.  

Impactful Subtractions

They lost a couple of big players to their roster and locker room during the offseason as defenseman Nick Leddy to the Detroit Red Wings for a player and a second-round pick. He finished last season with two goals and 29 assists but was solid on the defensive side of the ice. 

Another big loss that could hurt them is losing Jordan Eberle to the Seattle Kraken in the expansion draft as he looks to be one of the best wingers in the NHL. He finished the 2020-21 season with 33 points (16 goals, 17 assists). 

Key Players

One of their most important players is center Mathew Barzal. He finished leading the team with 45 points (17 goals, 28 assists). He had an impact on games as he finished the season with a +15 on the ice. Barzal also finished with 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 19 postseason games last season and has shown the capability of controlling the offense.

A solid team is only going to go as far as their goaltender Ilya Sorokin has been doing well. Looking at his numbers last season, Sorokin went 13-6-3 and finished inside of the top-10 in both goals allowed per game (2.17) and save percentage (.918). This team is talented and they have a pretty good goalie unit overall.  

Betting Odds

The Islanders are one of the highest point totals as they are listed at 99.5 points and finished the 2020-21 season with 71 points in the 56-game season. I love the over, even though there are not many situations where they will be able to excel over the points total. I am predicting the New York Islanders finish with the best record in the National Hockey League so go with the OVER. 

The Islanders are also sitting at +2000 to win the Stanley Cup and I really like that bet as well as this team is battle-tested and should be able to remain competitive to make the Conference Finals at a minimum. This gives us a lot of value as well so put a few bucks on the championship as well.

* All odds provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.