Once the disappointment of a playoff exit starts to wear off after a few days, the start of the offseason is almost a bit exciting. The talk starts to shift to what next year could look like and what changes could be made.

But then once you’ve gone ahead and talked about some of the possible changes, that’s when the waiting starts. Just waiting for something to happen and speculating on what could happen. A lot of media coverage starts with pretty logical suggestions on how a team may look to change and quickly shifts to ridiculous trade proposals that leave you rolling your eyes and continuing to scroll.

Instead of resorting to that, here are some fun stats on the current Islanders team. Sure, it’ll look a bit different next year but generally, this seemed more worthwhile than what player from Team A, B or C may come to the Islanders in some sort of trade than involves player X, Y or Z.

With that, I looked at which NHL team each Islander has historically performed best against. Only the top-12 forwards were included along with both goalies and six defensemen, though Thomas Hickey was swapped in for Devon Toews because Toews hasn’t played enough games to really judge who he plays well or poorly against. So who is each player at their best against?


Josh Bailey: Detroit Red Wings
Bailey has only closed in on point-per-game number once in his career but he’s been able to put up pretty close to point-per-game numbers against the Red Wings. In 15 games against Detroit, Bailey’s managed four goals and 13 points.

Mathew Barzal: New York Rangers
You could argue that Barzal’s 11 points in 6 games against Detroit takes the win here too but against the Rangers, he has four goals and 14 points in eight games. His four goals ties for most goals he’s scored against a specific team while 14 points is his highest point total against any team.

Anthony Beauvillier: New York Rangers
Beauvillier has disappointed a bit production-wise but for whatever reason, he dominates against the Rangers. In 10 games, he has seven goals and 13 points, with a plus-12 rating. Get this– his next highest total against a specific team is just eight points, while he has six or below against every other team.

Johnny Boychuk: Chicago Blackhawks
Boychuk doesn’t face the Blackhawks often but when he does, he’s been very good. In 15 games, Boychuk has two goals, nine points and a plus-6 rating.

Casey Cizikas: Buffalo Sabres
Cizikas has his most productive year this season but he’s usually only good for depth scoring. That being said, in 18 games against Buffalo, Cizikas has three goals, 11 points and a plus-seven rating.

Cal Clutterbuck: Tampa Bay Lightning
These aren’t huge numbers by any means but Clutterbuck has been able to score five goals and 10 points in 22 games against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Jordan Eberle: Toronto Maple Leafs
Eberle may have had a rough year but he’s always lights out against Toronto– he has a ridiculous 12 goals and 22 points in 17 games against the Leafs.

Valtteri Filppula: New York Rangers
One insignificant reason to keep Filppula around for another year: apparently he’s likely to be a key player in the Battle of New York. In 23 games against the Rangers, Filppula has 21 points and a plus-nine rating.

Thomas Greiss: Edmonton Oilers
Many wanted Greiss starting in the second round based on how he’s historically performed against Carolina. Well, against Edmonton, Greiss still hasn’t lost a regulation game and in those seven games, he has a .948 save percentage and a 1.32 goals against average.

Thomas Hickey: Minnesota Wild
If he’s not moved, Hickey may not see a whole lot of ice time next year and he’s only on this list because Devon Toews hasn’t played enough games to make listing a team worthwhile. That being said, it might be a good idea to fit Hickey into the lineup against the Wild next season. In 11 games against Minnesota, Hickey has managed to accumulate eight points.

Leo Komarov: Los Angeles Kings
Komarov doesn’t see the Kings often but when he does, he’s actually been able to produce quite well. In 9 games, Komarov has three goals, six points and a plus-four rating.

Andrew Ladd: Calgary Flames
In 24 career games against the Flames, Ladd has 20 points. So when the Islanders face the Flames twice next year, Ladd might help… if he’s healthy... that makes his contract worthwhile… right?!

Nick Leddy: Toronto Maple Leafs
Like Eberle, Leddy has found offensive success against Toronto. In 19 games, Leddy has totalled 15 points.

Anders Lee: Winnipeg Jets
In just 12 games against the Jets, Lee has a ridiculous 11 goals, as well as 16 points and a plus-11 rating. Lee is usually good for some production but not that kind of production. His 11 goals are more than he’s totalled against any other team, despite the lack of games against Winnipeg due to the difference in conference.

Robin Lehner: Vancouver Canucks
When the Islanders face the Canucks next year, Lehner has to get the start. In 5 games, Lehner has .946 save percentage and a 1.58 goals against average.

Matt Martin: St. Louis Blues
You can’t really judge Martin based on his offensive numbers, that being said, in 14 games against St. Louis, Martin has two goals, six points and a very respectable plus-6 rating.

Scott Mayfield: Anaheim Ducks
Similar to Martin, Mayfield isn’t supposed to be putting up points but in four games against the Ducks, Mayfield totalled point-per-game numbers.

Brock Nelson: Nashville Predators
Surprisingly, Nelson has excelled against a team that’s been very competitive across the last decade. In 12 games against Nashville, Nelson has four goals, 10 points and a plus-seven rating.

Adam Pelech: Vancouver Canucks
Like Lehner, Pelech is at his best against the Canucks. In five games, Pelech has four points and holds a plus-two rating.

Ryan Pulock: Chicago Blackhawks
Pulock hasn’t been a full-time NHLer for long but in four games against the Blackhawks, he has one goal, five points and a great plus-four rating.


Tomorrow, we’ll look at which team each Islander has historically performed the worst against.


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