Last season was very nearly a disaster for the New York Islanders. Before their hot stretch to end the year, the team struggled mightily and blew an egregious amount of games in the third period. As the team seeks to have an improved 2024-25 season, there are several players who are in need of a bounce back year.
After signing a new 7-year deal with the Islanders, Scott Mayfield had a tough go of it last season. He only got to play in 41 games due to various injury struggles before getting shut down for the season. It was revealed this offseason that when Mayfield was playing, he had been playing on a fractured ankle that he suffered during the first game of the season. That likely provides an ample explanation as to why Mayfield’s play level took such a dip last year. At points, he was a complete liability on the defensive end while also having a down year offensively.
Not to mention he had a huge problem staying out of the penalty box, accumulating 35 PIM in limited action. These penalties often burned the team badly, with the infamous Stadium Series meltdown serving as the most egregious example. Needless to say, the Islanders really can’t afford another season like this from Mayfield. He’s usually a steady presence on the blue line and losing that clearly had a negative impact on the team. Hopefully the extended period of recovery can help the Islanders get the more reliable version of Mayfield back.
Anders Lee’s 2023-24 season was a bit of a mixed bag in regards to his offensive output. He finished as a 20-goal scorer but put up one of the lowest full-season point totals of his career. He got off to a slow start and was a somewhat streaky throughout the year. It was a bit disappointing for the team captain and one of the team’s highest-paid players. Looking ahead to the new season, the Islanders could really benefit from a bounceback performance from Lee.
Their top six forwards are in good shape, but the third line specifically could benefit from having a productive scorer. Lee at his best can provide the 5v5 offense with a level of depth the Islanders’ haven’t had in a while. There’s also the issue of Lee’s power play production, which also took a dip compared to his usual standards. The man advantage is an area where the Islanders could always use the extra help amidst constant struggles. A fully productive Lee could have a substantial impact on the team’s success in the upcoming season.
Ilya Sorokin is coming off of his worst NHL season. He finished the year with a 3.03 GAA and a .903 save percentage, both career-lows. By the final months of the season, he had lost the starting job to a red-hot Semyon Varlamov. After almost winning the Vezina the year before, this was a really disturbing drop in performance from Sorokin. Especially coming off the heels of signing an 8-year, $66 million contract extension. Part of the struggles likely came in lieu of a ridiculously high workload he had to face early and often. With the team’s poor defensive play, they faced an average of 32 shots per game, with Sorokin finishing second in the NHL in total shots faced.
But now there’s a more concerning rumor going around that may explain what might’ve gone wrong for Sorokin. Elliote Friedman stated on his podcast that Sorokin has been “battling something” for an unclear amount of time. Whatever that might be, it could’ve very well impacted Sorokin’s performance last year in a similar fashion to Mayfield. Now the hope is that he’s recovered or recovering from this ailment and whatever else might’ve plagued him last season. The Islanders need the 2021-22 version of Sorokin again if they want to find consistent success in the new season.
Featured image courtesy of NHL.com
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