Having recently concluded what turned out to be a highly positive season for the New York Islanders, the franchise will inevitably be keen to build on that success. Blessed with some great talent on the roster, even though salary cap limitations will surely dictate what’s possible with trades, Barry Trotz will want to take this team to the next level during the 2020-2021 NHL campaign.

2019-20 and the Surprising Success

Last season it’s fair to say the New York Islanders turned out to be one of the surprise packages, during what also proved an atypical season in the NHL. Nevertheless, they made the most of unusual circumstances, reaching much further than anyone had either expected or predicted, at the start of the 2019-2020 campaign.

At the conclusion of the NHL regular season and when the early cutoff point was decided, the Islanders were sixth in the Metropolitan Division and seventh in the Eastern Conference standings, although mixed form could have led to the team just missing out on the playoffs under normal circumstances. Nevertheless, with the season cut short and the NHL forced to reshape the playoff qualifying format, the Islanders didn’t waste their opportunity, comfortably beating the Florida Panthers.

1️⃣9️⃣9️⃣3️⃣ ⏩ 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣0️⃣ pic.twitter.com/kfnSCtHP4r

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) September 7, 2020

While many pundits thought that was about the limit for the Islanders, they had other ideas. If beating the Washington Capitals in the First Round was a statement of intent, edging past the Philadelphia Flyers in the Second Round had fans filled with hope.

Reaching the Conference Finals for the first time since 1993 was a great achievement, but that’s also where the playoff run ended, as the Islanders crossed sticks with a superior Tampa Bay Lightning, who went on to win the Stanley Cup and the NHL Championship. Can the Islanders reach that far again? We’ll certainly be hoping so.

2020-2021 Salary Cap Space

The New York Islanders are currently just outside the top-10 teams when it comes to the salary cap space available at slightly under $9 million after trading Devon Toews to the Colorado Avalanche. However, with Ryan Pulock also filing for arbitration over his new contract, it was always inevitable one of the pair would need to depart. Given the need for signings, this budget still remains very tight for the franchise.

ICYMI: @DevonToews6 was acquired by the @Avalanche on Monday. #NHLFreeAgency

Read more on @NHLdotcom ➡️ https://t.co/NT1s5reuAR pic.twitter.com/Fi9yy5WqFq

— NHL (@NHL) October 13, 2020

Despite being in a much better position than many other teams in the NHL, according to the latest team salary cap tracker at Sportrac.com, it appears that general manager Lou Lamoriello still has plenty of moving and shaking to do through offseason. Especially considering the team needs to re-sign several other players, not to mention the aim of acquiring new additions for the 2020-21 roster.

General manager Lou Lamoriello may have more than a few sleepless nights during the offseason as he aims to balance the books, while at the same time ensuring head coach Barry Trotz has a full complement of options to work with. Re-signings are inevitably the priority, and given that some salaries will jump considerably, that doesn’t leave much left in the salary cap kitty to make some of the incoming trades needed.

How Sportsbooks Rate the Islanders

Given that much can happen during the offseason with plenty of trade activity, NHL betting odds can obviously fluctuate to reflect player departures and arrivals. In mid-October and looking at the outright winner futures, the Islanders are valued as +2200 Stanley Cup outsiders, which places the franchise just outside the top ten contenders heading into the 2020-2021 NHL season.

By comparison, Colorado Avalanche are priced as the +700 favorite, while Tampa Bay Lightning are tipped to establish a dynasty, with the reigning Stanley Cup champions priced at +750 to lift the famous trophy again. Sportsbooks also believe their key rivals will be the Vegas Golden Knights, with the Boston Bruins also expected to enjoy a strong 2020-2021 campaign. Of course, those odds could shift some as we edge closer to the opening games.

When it comes to the 2020-2021 Eastern Conference winner including the playoffs, surprisingly, the Islanders are once again considered outsiders at best, despite their deep run last season. Early odds of +1000 during the offseason would suggest that sportsbooks aren’t entirely convinced, perhaps indicating that sportsbooks are a little reticent when it comes to the Islanders, which means that just like many hockey pundits and journalists, they’re waiting to see how management fares with trades.

Minimum Aim: Playoffs or Bust

This coming season, the minimum aim for the Islanders will be reaching the playoffs for the third season in a row, while making such a deep run last season will certainly fill this team with confidence. The Islanders undoubtedly have the potential to be dark horses again, because doing well in the playoffs requires an entirely different mindset. Providing they can get there again, quite literally anything is possible for Trotz and his men.

John Smark