As the days go by in September and we get closer and closer to hockey season, players are starting to return back to Long Island and the training camps will shortly be starting for the boys who don the orange and blue. Hockey chatter continues to heat up throughout social media and bold predictions are said left and right, so here are four predictions I have for the New York Islanders 2019-2020 season.

#4: Mathew Barzal will break the 85 point barrier
Mathew Barzal burst on to the scene during the 2017-18 season after he failed to impress in his two-game stint in 2016-17. The 2018 Calder Trophy winner is the Islanders’ leading scorer over the past two seasons, tallying 147 points since the beginning of his rookie season. Despite that fact, Barzal had a “down year” offensively, scoring 62 points compared to his 85 in his rookie year.
Barzal, without a doubt, will have a bounce-back offensive year. Not only will he have a bounce-back year, but he will shatter the stats he put up in the 2017-18 season. Getting more and more comfortable under Barry Trotz’s system will help him flourish in both ends of the rink this season.

#3: Nick Leddy will not be on the team by the Trade Deadline
The Islanders currently have seven NHL caliber defenseman coming back from the 2018-19 season, while also having top prospect Noah Dobson and offensive standout Sebastian Aho fighting for a chance to be on the Islanders this season. Having this surplus in defense is never a bad thing, as the Islanders will be forced to make moves to potentially accommodate a roster spot for the prospect.
The most realistic option to be traded would be Nick Leddy. After being traded to the Islanders before the 2014-15 season, Leddy has been a reliable defenseman and a notable face in the locker room, becoming a leader despite not wearing an “A” on his jersey. Despite all the positives he brings to the Islanders, his contract and skill set brings a ton of value to the table. Lou Lamoriello can and will take advantage of this when trading the twenty-eight year old, trying to potentially bolster the Islanders top-six.

#2: Anthony Beauvillier will take the leap and score thirty goals
Islanders forward Anthony Beauvillier has been a great player for the team the last few years, but he has somewhat been inconsistent at time for the organization. One week he would go and score four or five goals, but the next he would go unheard of and hit a cold stretch.
Now, this isn’t uncommon for young players in the NHL, but this season the twenty-two-year-old will take the next step. This offseason, he signed a two-year bridge deal and will be looking for much more than that when the deal is up. Beauvillier needs to be looked at as the lethal goal scorer he was projected to be when the Islanders selected him at twenty-eighth overall in the 2015 NHL Draft, and playing alongside Mathew Barzal and getting more comfortable under Barry Trotz’s system will certainly help the young winger and make him raise his game this season.

#1: Oliver Wahlstrom will make his NHL debut this season
Islanders selected Oliver Wahlstrom eleventh overall in the 2018 NHL Draft, and the fanbase was fascinated at his skill and finesse with the puck on his stick. Since then, he had a rocky season for Boston College and made the best choice for himself, leaving as soon as possible to join the Bridgeport Sound Tigers ahead of their playoff race. Wahlstrom looked much better playing under Brent Thompson, and he was one of the best players in their playoff series against the Hershey Bears.
Now the chances of Oliver Wahlstrom playing an NHL game is unlikely this season, but it wouldn’t shock me if the Islanders hit a rough patch offensively and call the nineteen-year-old winger to fill in for a few games.
Do you have any bold predictions for this season? Leave them in the comments below!

John Smark