Hockey is on its way back! On Monday, the National Hockey League and the NHLPA announced that it has set projected dates for teams to officially begin training camp and, in the future, head to the assigned hub cities and start playing. One major aspect of the Return to Play plan has been who is and is not allowed to be with the team.
Well, we now have an answer. For Phase 3, also known as the Training Camp, NHL teams can have 30 skaters and unlimited goaltenders practicing. With the Islanders having plenty of depth, the question arises of who will be part of that roster? Well, let’s take a look at the likely participants, the candidates for the last few spots, and who should be on the Islanders’ roster for Phase 3.

The Likely Members:

Let’s take a look at the forwards that are likely to grab a spot on the Islanders’ roster. The first line will likely be Mathew Barzal centering Anders Lee and Jordan Eberle as it was the majority of this season. When everyone was healthy, this line was the Islanders’ best offensive group, and they were also the best offensive line last season during the Islanders’ sweep of the Pittsburgh Penguins. If Barry Trotz can get them rolling on all cylinders, then the Lee-Barzal-Eberle line should be a dominant force against any opponent’s best defensive line.
The middle-six can be messed around with, but there are two certainties- the centers. Brock Nelson has enjoyed a breakout season with regards to his two-way game and has transformed into a much more complete player. The third-line center is also self-explanatory, as that is the primary reason that the Islanders went out and acquired Jean-Gabriel Pageau from the Ottawa Senators at the trade deadline. Pageau did not have much time to show his worth as the league paused only seven games after he became an Islander, but he is expected to be a key piece for the Islanders in the long-term.

Nelson and Pageau could be centering any number of wingers during the playoffs. First off, Josh Bailey and Anthony Beauvillier are virtually guaranteed spots in the middle-six as when the team is at full health, they have spent their season playing on the second or third lines and are staples in the lineup. From there, there are question marks for the other two spots as Derick Brassard, Leo Komarov, Andrew Ladd, Michael Dal Colle, and Tom Kuhnhackl. The main reason that Brassard is mentioned in this group is that he had a much stronger stretch as a winger more than a center. Komarov’s presence on the third line has been noticeable since his signing prior to the 2018-19 season, and he tends to be more of a physical threat. Ladd, Dal Colle, and Kuhnhackl were used as depth options more than anything this season when the team was fully healthy, and since the team will be at full strength heading into the playoffs.

Obviously, the fourth line will be the “Identity Line” as all of Matt Martin, Casey Cizikas, and Cal Clutterbuck will all be cleared to play once training camp resumes. The fourth line, when healthy, is the extra sparkplug that not many teams in the NHL have, but the Islanders are definitely lucky to have them. The most important part about this line, besides the fact that they play against the opposing team’s top lines, is that they will be completely healthy when play resumes as Cizikas is cleared to play.
The final two forwards that are likely members of the roster would be Otto Koivula and Ross Johnston. Koivula played a strong game during his stint in the NHL, and noted fighter Ross Johnston has played really well when he got into the lineup this year as he was given more ice time than just as an enforcer.
With regards to defense, Ryan Pulock and Adam Pelech will take the reign as the top defensive pairing once again. Pulock is the top offensive defenseman on the team, and he continues to be a strong presence on the blueline. Pelech, on the other hand, is thankfully cleared to play after tearing his Achilles right after New Year’s Day while playing soccer pregame. One of the top defensive pairings in the NHL is back together ahead of the playoffs.

The bottom-four defense can be mixed and matched, with the likely members being Nick Leddy, Devon Toews, Scott Mayfield, and one of Andy Greene, Johnny Boychuk, Noah Dobson, or Thomas Hickey. Leddy, Toews, and Mayfield, when healthy, were mainstays on the defense this year, and all had inconsistencies in the game during the regular season. Hopefully having time to recover and get ready for the playoffs will allow for them to play the style of hockey they are known to play. Greene was acquired as a depth defenseman towards the trade deadline when the defense started to go down with countless injuries, and he has played well during his time with the Islanders. Boychuk and Dobson were expected to rotate as the sixth defenseman by many to start the season; however, due to injuries, Boychuk got the majority of the playtime while Dobson did not play as much as people expected him to. Hickey spent the majority of the year in Bridgeport, but he did not play often as he dealt with both injuries and family emergencies. If injuries or struggles arise, Hickey, who has playoff experience, could be someone that gets playing time.

The goaltending is the only thing that is certain, with Semyon Varlamov and Thomas Greiss taking control of the pipes, albeit no one knowing who will be the starter. They spent the majority of the year rotating, and were successful prior to the All-Star break. Afterward, however, they were not as consistent as their game took a massive hit. This playoff format should be a benefit for the Islanders as a goalie rotation could be an x-factor for some teams.

The Candidates:

With the above section including 26 skaters, that means there are four spots left for skaters when it comes to putting together the Islanders’ Phase 3 roster. Let’s look at the candidates for those four final spots on the Islanders’ roster, along with candidates for the extra goaltenders
For forwards, the candidates that come to mind include Cole Bardreau, Kieffer Bellows, and Oliver Wahlstrom. Bardreau dealt with some injuries of his own while playing for the Sound Tigers, but during a stretch when he was healthy, he was able to make an impact on the NHL stage, contributing to the success of the Islanders’ during their 17-game point streak. Bellows and Wahlstrom also made their NHL debuts this season, but one of the two former first-round picks was relied on more than the other. When he got into the lineup, Bellows showed that he was ready for the NHL and made an impact on the third line that was not felt when it came to Wahlstrom playing with the Islanders. Wahlstrom spent his cup of tea with the Islanders playing fourth-line minutes and did not make as much of an impact as expected.

On defense, Sebastian Aho, Bode Wilde, and Parker Wotherspoon come to mind. Despite the countless injuries on the Islanders’ defense core this year, General Manager Lou Lamoriello found solutions by acquiring assets and scratching multiple defensemen a night. Due to that, the three defensemen mentioned here, all at different stages of their careers, did not get NHL time this season. Aho has not played an NHL game since his first pro season but had another strong year with the Sound Tigers, and if the defense has as many injuries as it encountered during the regular season, Aho may have a chance to get in the lineup. Wilde had a tough season as he started the year on the Season-Opening Injured Reserve with a foot injury, then was sent down to the Sound Tigers, playing 20 games before being loaned back to his OHL team, the Saginaw Spirit. If he was healthy all season, Wilde may have had a shot at not only one of the extra spots, but he could have been the solution to the defensive injuries. Wotherspoon has been a mainstay on Bridgeport’s defense for the better half of the last decade and is usually a taxi-squad callup for the playoffs during a usual season. There is a scenario in which some of the current defense core is not on the team next year, and Wotherspoon makes the team as a depth option.

Finally, two of the staples in net for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, Christopher Gibson, and Jared Coreau, could be candidates to add as extra goaltenders. When healthy, Gibson was the starter for the Sound Tigers this season; however, he was plagued by injuries this year, so Coreau took advantage. Coreau also struggled this year, but even if the Islanders had an injury in goal, Gibson would likely dress as the backup.

The Projected Roster:

Below is what I believe the Islanders’ Roster for Phase 3 should be.

Forwards: Josh Bailey, Mat Barzal, Anthony Beauvillier, Kieffer Bellows, Derick Brassard, Casey Cizikas, Cal Clutterbuck, Michael Dal Colle, Jordan Eberle, Ross Johnston, Otto Koivula, Leo Komarov, Tom Kuhnhackl, Andrew Ladd, Anders Lee, Matt Martin, Brock Nelson, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Oliver Wahlstrom

Defensemen: Sebastian Aho, Johnny Boychuk, Noah Dobson, Andy Greene, Thomas Hickey, Nick Leddy, Scott Mayfield, Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock, Devon Toews, Parker Wotherspoon

Goaltenders: Jared Coreau, Christopher Gibson, Thomas Greiss, Semyon Varlamov

SEF