A monumental playoff run has come to an end, and it likely means the end of an era in net. Thomas Greiss has been an member of the Islanders for five seasons, and he has been one of the best goalies the team has had in the post-dynasty era. However, his time may likely be coming to an end with Semyon Varlamov being locked up long-term and Ilya Sorokin coming from Russia. As a result, Greiss will likely be the odd one out and will test free agency this offseason. While his time with the Islanders is likely over, he led a great Islanders career that deserves a lot of praise.

Greiss signed with the Islanders as a free agent in 2015 to a two-year contract worth $3 million to backup Jaroslav Halak. However, he proved to be that and more throughout the year. He began the year as the starting goalie and was a strong complement to Halak once he came back from an injury. However, his big time to step up came in March of 2016. In a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Halak went down to a critical injury. He was out for 6-8 weeks, and it was Thomas Greiss’ net for the remainder of the regular season and start of the playoffs. 

Even with being thrusted into the starting role, he stepped up down the homestretch. He won his last five starts of the regular season to help the Islanders to the postseason. In the playoffs, he played sensational hockey against the Florida Panthers with several huge saves, including a penalty shot save on Aleksander Barkov in game five’s overtime, to help the team to win its first playoff series since 1993. Although the team’s run came to a sour ending against Tampa, Greiss still had a tremendous year between the pipes. As a whole, he went 23-11-4 in 41 games with a .925 save percentage and 2.36 goals against average in the regular season. In the postseason, he thrived with a 2.46 GAA and .923 save percentage in 11 games. 

When the next season came around, the Islanders were in a difficult situation. The team had three goalies on their roster with Greiss, Halak and J.F. Berube in that season. Although it was difficult to get each guy practice and playing time, Greiss didn’t complain and did his best to keep the Islanders afloat in what was a disastrous start for them. After Halak ultimately failed to hold his own, Greiss got the starting job back and helped to ignite a run for the team. As a whole, he had another strong season with a 26-18-5 record, 2.69 GAA and .913 save percentage. As a result of his fine play, he signed a new contract with the team: a three-year deal worth $10 million.

With modest expectations after the team’s strong finish, the Islanders were hoping to continue their strong play from last season into the 2017-18 season. However, even after a strong start, the team collapsed with one of the worst defenses in the NHL. Greiss couldn’t patch the dams in that year, and his numbers suffered as a result. In 27 games, Greiss went 13-8-2, but he suffered a career worst 3.82 GAA and .892 save percentage.

Needless to say, Thomas Greiss’ season took him from being one of the better goalies in the NHL to one of the worst. He was 32 years old entering that offseason, and fans were wondering what he would be moving forward, despite the defense in front of him. However, the Islanders got a huge jolt that offseason with the hiring of head coach Barry Trotz. He was a defense-first coach and a stronger defensive structure was desperately needed. However, despite the Trotz hire, the goaltending was still a question mark entering the 2018-19 season with Greiss looking to bounce back.

However, the new coaching staff proved to be a godsend for his performance. Splitting time in net between him and Robin Lehner, the regime did wonders for his confidence and performance. In 43 appearances, Greiss went 23-14-2 with a 2.28 GAA and .927 save percentage, both of which were career highs. As a result of Greiss and Lehner’s play, the team boasted one of the best defense’s in the NHL that year, and the two split the Jennings Trophy for the fewest goals given up in the season. While he may have lost the starting job in the postseason to Lehner, his goaltending was a major reason why the Islanders proved people wrong after losing John Tavares.

Even with Lehner replaced by Varlamov for the 2019-20 season, the new pair once again made a very strong goalie tandem. In 31 games before the season’s stoppage, he went 16-9-4 with a 2.74 goals against average and .913 save percentage. Even if he struggled near the tail end of the regular season, he came up with several key performances in the postseason. Varlamov was the starter for the qualifying and first rounds, but Greiss had several clutch performances in the second round against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Although the Islanders fell short in game two of the series, Greiss came off the bench with Varlamov struggling in the first period. After he came in, the Islanders were able to climb out of a 3-0 hole and force overtime, and Greiss kept the Islanders alive in that game. Also, with games three and four falling on a back-to-back, Greiss played the latter of the two and stole the game from the Flyers with 36 saves. However, Varlamov and the Islanders lost the next two to set the stage for a Game 7. Even with momentum slipping, Greiss took the net once again and used his defense to pitch a 16 save shutout in a 4-0 win to send the Islanders to their first conference final since 1993.

As a result, Greiss has led a great Islanders career, and it shows on the team’s all time ranks. He appeared in 193 games, the fifth most for a goalie in team history, earned 101 wins, good for fifth most in team history, and earned ten shutouts, the sixth most in team history. All told, he has a 101-60-17 record as an Islander, a .915 save percentage, 2.70 goals against average, and a Jennings Trophy in addition to helping the team to earn two playoff series wins as well.

Even though he was a part of some very good and bad moments, he never quit on the team and led a very strong tenure in New York. While the future of his career is uncertain, one thing is for sure: he is one of the greatest to ever take the pipes for the New York Islanders.

Thank you for everything, Thomas Greiss.

Matthew Page

I am a first year student at Hofstra University and an avid Islanders fan. I have been writing for Drive4Five since March 2020. My family has been season ticket holders for the team since 2016, and hockey is my favorite sport. As I expand my knowledge in the field of Journalism, I am writing to express my love for the Islanders and the NHL.