The New York Islanders success these past couple years have certainly not come from star power. Instead, it has come from a grinding defensive system, physical play, and excellent depth throughout the lineup. For this article, we complied 10 players on the Islanders who we feel are the best overall, but anyone who watches the Islanders knows that the collectiveness of their unit is what wins them hockey games. Also, we did not include any up and coming players such as Ilya Sorokin, Noah Dobson, or Oliver Wahlstrom yet. While they are expected to make an immediate impact, it is too early to rank them due to their lack of NHL action thus far.

10. Anders Lee

Anders Lee, the well deserved captain of the Islanders, is coming off of a bit of a down year for his standards. Notching 20 goals and 43 points in 68 games, Lee didn’t have an awful season but it certainly wasn’t his best. He coughed up the puck quite a bit and had a hard time finishing plays in front, which never was a problem for the captain. The Islanders need him to step up this year in terms of production, and he certainly can if he continues to be a gnat in front of opposing teams’ goal creases.

9. Scott Mayfield

Mayfield just might be the most underrated player on the Islanders. Making just $1.45 million annually until 2022-23, the 6’5″ defender has a lot to bring to the table. He has solidified his role in the top-four defensive core, and is excellent in his own end. He uses his size to his advantage to make sweeping poke checks, sliding to block passes, and pushing forwards out of his crease. Mayfield is the epitome of a solid defensive defenseman and should be recognized for that. He also has a Game 7 game winner under his belt.

8. Jordan Eberle

Eberle is a very streaky player. He is very skilled and has an excellent shot, but sometimes overcomplicates plays rather than just shooting it on the net. There is no doubt that Eberle has the potential to be a top-five player on the team, it’s just a matter of consistency and confidence. The winger scored 16 goals and 40 points in 58 games this past season, and the Islanders will certainly need him to bury more in the 2021 season.

7. Jean-Gabriel Pageau

Jean-Gabriel Pageau is the best trade acquisition the Islanders have gotten in a long time. He is the perfect third line center. An excellent penalty killer, a goal scorer, a tough player for his size are all characteristics that Pageau holds. He did have a career year last year with the Senators, and never scored more than 20 goals in a season until last year, but Pageau’s playoff performance with the Islanders makes it seem like regression shouldn’t be in the near future.

6. Josh Bailey

Josh Bailey is a key component to the Islanders top-six and has brought consistent offensive production to the Island for years. While he is a streaky player, his numbers are ideal for a second liner and he compliments Brock Nelson and Anthony Beauvillier very nicely if that line were to stay intact. Bailey led the Islanders in the playoffs with 18 assists and 20 points, and has played on a 50-point pace for four consecutive seasons.

5. Adam Pelech

When Adam Pelech was injured last year, the impact on the Islanders defense and team as a whole was blatantly obvious. The Islanders went 10-13-7 last season without their best shutdown defender, and made the Eastern Conference Final upon his arrival. Pelech is a superb defensive player. He makes all different kinds of plays to limit scoring chances, including poke checks, pick pockets, and blocks. Him and Ryan Pulock quietly make one of the best defensive pairs in the NHL.

4. Anthony Beauvillier

Anthony Beauvillier is showing all the signs of an explosive breakout season ahead. He is an incredible forechecker, maneuvers smoothly around defensemen, and one of the fastest players on the ice whenever he is out there. He scored nine goals in the 2020 postseason, tied for the most on the team, and played with an energy that he has never brought before. He has a lot of potential, and is on the verge of becoming a young star.

3. Ryan Pulock

Ryan Pulock recently signed a bridge deal with the Islanders, and is another player who can quietly become a star. Pulock is the most complete defender on the Islanders, and can be relied on to produce in offensive situations or shut down offensive threats in the defensive end. He is physical, has a high hockey IQ, and of course, has one of the hardest shots in the NHL. If he hit the net more often, we could be talking about a 20-goal scorer annually.

2. Brock Nelson

This past season, Brock Nelson has proved he is the second best player on the Islanders. Under Barry Trotz, the Islanders center has improved drastically in both the offensive and defensive zones. While he’s not a particularly physical player, he has become much grittier in the corners and is winning more puck battles. With one of the best snap shots in the NHL and a team-leading 26 goals last season, we should expect Nelson to continue his strong play this upcoming season.

Honorable Mention: Casey Cizikas

Casey Cizikas is arguably the best fourth liner in the NHL. Cizikas is a physical force, an excellent penalty killer and face-off man, great forechecker, and one of the hardest workers on the team. He even tallied 20 goals in the 2018-19 season. While it is tough to expect that again out of a player playing on the fourth line, it just goes to show how well-rounded of a player #53 truly is.

Honorable Mention: Semyon Varlamov

In his first season on the Island, Semyon Varlamov had some flashes of brilliance and some tougher games. He started off the season very strong, but began to struggle a couple months in. He never truly found his game again until the Return to Play, where he was fantastic and singlehandedly won the Islanders some games. The only thing keeping Varlamov off the top 10 is the consistency factor.

1. Mathew Barzal

The Islanders star center still needs a contract, but there’s not much doubt that he’s the best player on the team. Sure, he turns it over a lot and isn’t the best defensively, but he is still far more skilled than anyone else on the roster and has led the team in points for three consecutive seasons. He is one of the best transition players in the game, is one of the fastest and most dynamic players in the NHL, and has extremely soft hands and high hockey IQ. There’s not too much too debate on here; Barzal is the Islanders franchise player.

John Smark