The Islanders got themselves back on track by clinching a playoff berth in the 2022-23 season. Unfortunately, they had their hearts broken in a first round series loss to the Hurricanes. Now they’ll be aiming to make another, more lengthy playoff appearance in an increasingly competitive Eastern Conference. These are the biggest x-factors to the Islanders having a winning 2023-24 NHL season.
Bo Horvat
When the Islanders made a trade for Bo Horvat they had thought they found the answer to their scoring woes. Having scored 31 goals in 49 games before being traded, Horvat was on pace for around 50 goals. He finished the season with 38 goals. Needless to say, the beginning to Horvat’s tenure as an Islanders was highly disappointing.
As this new season begins the Islanders will need him to regain that high level scoring touch in the worst way. They didn’t add a new scoring forward and are likely losing Zach Parise and his 21 goals from last season. With both of those things in mind, Horvat’s success on the scoresheet is going to be crucial to the team’s success. Hopefully last season was just an issue of getting comfortable with a new team and not a bad sign of things to come.
Noah Dobson
Noah Dobson’s performance from last season was a bit of a mixed bag. He didn’t elevate his game but didn’t necessarily play badly. Dobson basically replicated his offensive numbers from 2020-21, with his power play production taking a slight dip. Additionally he was prone to quite a few mistakes on the defensive end, possibly a consequence of playing without the mentor figure he had with Andy Greene and Zdeno Chara in past seasons.
A big factor into the success of the Islanders will be Dobson’s capability to take a big step forward in his development. Lou Lamoriello believes the 23-year-old can become an elite scorer and the team is always in need of one of those. This goes double on the power play, the team’s weakest unit which Dobson quarterbacks. Adding to that a more sound defensive game will be a big contribution to an already solid defensive core.
Oliver Wahlstrom
Potential has always been the discussion surrounding Oliver Wahlstrom. The 22-year-old forward has all of the tools to be a big time point producer in the NHL. The problem is that he hasn’t been able to really put together an overly productive season since his rookie campaign. His season was cut short last year after suffering a season ending injury, not giving him a full chance to work in Lane Lambert’s offense.
But this year he’ll be returning fully healthy and with a great opportunity for regular playing time. The question is if Wahlstrom can finally turn into the explosive scorer he’s been touted to be throughout his career. He’s shown some good signs and the Islanders could really benefit from a big year from him to keep up in the competitive East. And also considering he’s playing on a one year prove-it deal, the timing of a breakout year couldn’t be any more crucial to both the player and the team.
Featured image courtesy of NHL.com
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