The New York Islanders were able to squeeze into the 2023 postseason in their final game last season. Despite seeing their ups and downs throughout the campaign and seemingly blowing their opportunity in game 81, a Pittsburgh loss opened the door for the Islanders to find a way to steal the final spot in Game 82. They squeezed in as the Eastern Conference’s top Wild Card by two points, but those are points that can easily swing in another team’s favor a year later, and in a position that is open to any team in the conference that spot could also slip away with it. With some teams reloading for 2023-24, which teams are the biggest threat to the Islanders’ playoff spot next season?
Buffalo Sabres:
The first team that could find their way into the postseason is a widely regarded breakout candidate in the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres are on an upward trend over the past few seasons, starting to see development in their youth and their position in the standings rise. With the likes of Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, Dylan Cozens and Rasmus Dahlin headlining their core, the team is looking to make it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2007. Not only that, but they had the Islanders’ beat in the season series last year, taking two-of-three from New York last season. While the Islanders did get three points in those six games, Buffalo getting the extra point could’ve loomed especially large if Buffalo made it that far. Fortunately for the Islanders is that it didn’t, but the recent trends make the Sabres a candidate to take their playoff spot this season.
Pittsburgh Penguins:
The Pittsburgh Penguins are an interesting team when it comes to their playoff hopes. On the surface, it may not seem like too much of a threat to the Islanders; New York took all four games from them last season and they’re an aging team looking at a retool. However, general manager Kyle Dubas did well in reloading the Pens for the short term. Adding the Norris Trophy winner in Erik Karlsson headlines their offseason moves, but the likes of Reilly Smith, Will Butcher, Ryan Graves and Lars Eller also add interesting pieces for roster depth. Although the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang is getting old, you can’t deny their talents. As a result, despite being on the older side, the Penguins are a team you can’t dismiss outright, as they’re always in playoff discussion.
Ottawa Senators:
Despite dealing Alex DeBrincat to the Red Wings, the Ottawa Senators still have an intriguing case to returning to the postseason. While the Senators boast homegrown talent in Brady Tkachuk, Drake Batherson and Tim Stützle, they’ve added a few veterans as well. The likes of Claude Giroux and newcomers Vladimir Tarasenko and Dominik Kubalik make their offense intriguing, as well as some younger pieces looking to find footing. With a defense headlined by Jakob Chychrun and Thomas Chabot and Joonas Korpisalo joining between the pipes, the Senators are an interesting team. The Sens also took two-of-three from the Isles last season, meaning the Senators have proven to beat the Islanders before. While the Senators may not be the most popular choice to emerge next season, escpecially after DeBrincat’s departure, their roster provides a lot of intrigue and is one the Islanders should keep their eye on.
Stay tuned for more breaking NHL content, including offseason moves, contract updates and more news from every team.
Featured image courtesy of NHL.com
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