New York Islanders Season Preview with Arthur Staple
The New York Islanders being their 2021 NHL season tonight against the New York Rangers and we sat down to preview all the storylines with beat writer Arthur Staple.
The Joshua-Ho Sang Conundrum
When the Islanders take the ice, one notable player will be absent: Joshua Ho-Sang.
“There is not much to say right now,” Staple said. “It has been a very odd progression for him since he was drafted and slept in at training camp. You thought a new regime would lead to a fresh start, but it did not work out that way.”
When Lou Lamoriello qualified Ho-Sang after loaning him to the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League (AHL) the year prior, there was confusion amongst the fanbase.
“That is the big question,” Staple said. “I am surprised the Islanders qualified him. The roster was as close to set as it needed to be, but to not even want him there, it sends the wrong message to him.”
The Islanders then signed Ho-Sang to a one-year, $700,000 deal, appearing to give him one more chance to make it on Long Island.
“He has a decision to make if he wants to continue with the Islanders,” Staple said. “I am sure he is mystified at the desire for the Islanders to keep him around only for them to not give him an opportunity to earn a spot.”
The disgruntled forward has seven goals and 17 assists in 53 games and could potentially contribute to an NHL team. But not the Islanders.
“The only path forward is a parting between the Islanders and [Ho-Sang],” Staple said. “It feels like there is something between player and organization that has now carried over from a few general managers and a few different coaches. It would be best to just end it at this point.”
Ho-Sang is currently residing in Toronto and training as he usually does. The future for him is unknown.
Opening Night Roster
While Ho-Sang will not be on the roster, other young players will be. Oliver Wahlstrom and Kieffer Bellows could play third-line minutes for the Islanders this season.
“I am not quite sure if the young players [will play as much as fans want],” Staple said. “There is a potential for some changes, but there is a set culture with this team.”
Bellows, a 2016 first-round pick, played very well in the AHL last season, scoring up 22 goals and 31 points in 52 games. Wahlstrom played nine games for the Islanders, the maximum amount of games for a rookie to play before burning a year off of their entry-level contract.
“Bellows has earned a spot and I am sure you will see Wahlstrom too,” Staple said. “But I am sure you will not see them as much as fans want.”
While fans want to see the duo playing every night, veterans like Ross Johnston could see action too.
“Some guys play a more rugged style on that third line,” Staple said. “The system takes precedent on this team.”
“Slow and steady is the mantra with the young guys,” Staple said. “That is the way this team operates.”
Predictions for the Season
The Islanders have won four playoff series in the previous two years. Nonetheless, the Islanders are still underdogs heading into this season.
“You have to give [Trotz] and [Lamoriello] credit for what they have done,” Staple said. “It is hard to bet against this team because people have before and they have lost.”
However, they did lose Devon Toews this offseason and failed to add a scorer to a roster that needs one.
“Trading Devon Toews is going to come back to bite the Islanders,” Staple said. “They certainly did not want to lose him, but you see him playing on a top-pair with Cale Maker and you probably have to say there was another way.”
With or without Toews, this team will look to finish atop a difficult eight team division. The Islanders will battle the Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils eight times each, playing the best-of-the-best each and every night.
“The Islanders will make the playoffs,” Staple said. “I do not have a reason why, but when people bet against them, it always backfires.”
With the season beginning tonight, get excited for another chapter of New York Islanders hockey.
“As long as they stay healthy, which is a qualifier for any team and any human being nowadays, I can see the Islanders finishing with 63, 64 or 65 points,” Staple said. “They are not a division champion-type team, but they can make the playoffs.”
