After a long and somewhat boring offseason, the New York Islanders officially return to play tonight. The team will be visiting MSG for a preseason showdown with their bitter rivals in the New York Rangers. Even though this is just a preseason game, there are still a number of interesting stories to keep tabs on.
The most prominent storyline heading into this season is the direction of the team under new head coach Lane Lambert. Since his promotion from assistant, it’s been emphasized that he wants the team to have a more fast-paced offense. His work with the team in camp thus far echoed that desire. “You can see he’s already emphasizing being aggressive and going full speed taking pucks to the net,” said Mat Barzal.
Reports out of camp also state that Lambert has been very boisterous in his coaching of the team. Both the style of game and coaching are significant departures from what the Islanders were used to under Barry Trotz. But the change might be exactly what the team needs to try and rebound from last season. This first taste of preseason action will give us a look at how the team is responding to Lambert’s new style.
Alexander Romanov is coming in as one of the team’s only new offseason acquisitions. There’s a lot of excitement surrounding the young defenseman entering his third NHL season. GM Lou Lamoriello had high praise for Romanov after trading the 13th overall pick for him. “Tremendous character, tremendous competitiveness. We played against him enough to feel that way and know him and recognize what he brought,” said Lamoriello.
The high praise for Romanov has been reiterated throughout the Islanders locker room throughout camp. “His work ethic has shown already and I know how excited he is all ready to get going and we’re seeing some pretty good glimpses of him on the ice,” said captain Anders Lee. This first preseason game will give Romanov a chance to display his work ethic in-game action. He’s been skating with Noah Dobson in camp, which strongly implies they’ll be on a line together for Monday’s preseason opener.
Preseason action gives the opportunity for the young up-and-comers on the Islanders to try and make an impression. Robin Salo is the most notable Islanders rookie to watch as preseason play begins. He’s in an open competition for the sixth defenseman spot, so his level of performance in these tune-up games will be critical in determining whether he makes the opening day lineup or not. But there are some other rookies of note to keep track of as preseason play begins.
One of these players is right-winger Simon Holmstrom. Holmstrom was drafted 23rd overall in the 2019 draft and is coming off his best AHL season with 43 points in 68 games. Most notably, he’s been skating alongside Zach Parise and Mat Barzal in camp recently. It’s not a huge ordeal, but it is telling that the staff is playing him alongside what was one of the top lines from last season. Holmstrom’s performance in preseason will definitely be something to keep an eye on as he could potentially play NHL minutes at some point this season. William Dufour and Aatu Raty are also both rookies who could see some preseason action.
Featured image courtesy of NHL
Check out our NHL page for more updates!
You can like The Game Haus on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles from great TGH writers like Justin!
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.
