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Five storylines to track heading into the season

September 14, 2019, 12:35 PM ET [102 Comments]
Ben Shelley
New York Islanders Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
As the New York Islanders enter the 2019-20 season, some questions still need to be answered when it comes to shaping the team’s roster. Here are five storylines to track heading into the year.


Will Dobson make the team?

A lot of eyes will be on Noah Dobson throughout training camp and the preseason. The junior hockey star still has another year of junior eligibility remaining but can make a real push to stick in the NHL this season. Dobson needs to play well enough to earn the nine-game trial run, especially considering the depth of the team’s blue line. Essentially if Dobson makes the NHL, he’s likely replacing Scott Mayfield in the lineup (it’s unlikely that a healthy Johnny Boychuk is scratched). He’ll need to prove it’s a better move to take ice time away from Mayfield and use up a year of his entry-level contract, while Thomas Hickey still waits on the sidelines as well, rather than returning him to junior.


Goaltending

Thomas Greiss was one excellent as a backup goalie last year and the hope is that’s all he’ll have to be this year as well. In a bit of an offseason twist, Robin Lehner left to Chicago, while New York locked down Semyon Varlamov as the team’s next starter. But as I’ve discussed previously, Varlamov can be wildly inconsistent from year to year and could range anywhere from Vezina-caliber goalie to Greiss’ backup by the end of the season. Ideally, the Islanders get the same level of goaltending they did last year, using Varlamov as the starter and letting Greiss’ contract play out before letting him walk in the offseason. But if Varlamov stumbles, look for Greiss to make a real push for the starting job.


Injuries

The Islanders had two injuries over summer that led to a bit of uncertainty in what their bottom-six would look like. Cal Clutterbuck has recovered from offseason surgery, while Andrew Ladd remains out. As the season starts, it’ll be worth keeping an eye on whether Clutterbuck’s usage is dropped for the sake of load management. With Ladd out, it gives other players a chance to fight for playing time but if he returns after the start of the season, it’ll be interesting to see how he’s integrated back into the lineup.


Luca Sbisa’s PTO

Sbisa is the only player at camp on a PTO, as he fights for a roster spot. He played nine games with the Islanders last season but even if he made the team this year, he’d have a hard time getting into games. Defensive depth is better than no defensive depth though, so watch to see if he can earn a contract from the Islanders.


Josh Ho-Sang’s (potential) last chance

This is likely a make or break year for Ho-Sang. The former first-round pick has been trying to prove himself to the organization for half a decade but it has yet to go as planned. While Ho-Sang has been good in his NHL stints, like Dobson, he’ll need to take a spot away from someone else in order to find playing time on a crowded Islanders roster. At 23, he’s on the older end of the prospect timeline and if it becomes clear that Ho-Sang isn’t going to be part of the team in the long-term, it’s likely we see him dealt while he still has value.




OTHER ISLANDERS ARTICLES FROM SEPTEMBER

Current RFAs will play a role in the Barzal contract

Isles Updates- Rookie Camp Roster, Injuries, Barzal

Devon Toews deserves an increased role


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