Leo Komarov is lowering the Islanders first line’s production and Barry Trotz has changes to make. After trading for Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac, New York should remove Komarov from the top unit.

Komarov has only four assists on the season, which is far from first line numbers. His lack of offensive ability doesn’t mesh well with the other Islanders’ first liners, Mat Barzal and Jordan Eberle.

Why is Leo Komarov on that line in the first place? Well, Anders Lee played every game on the first line wing with Barzal and Eberle earlier this year. Unfortunately, he was injured in a game on March 11 against the Devils. Scrambling for a replacement, Barry Trotz first filled the void with Kieffer Bellows.

Bellows was generally a healthy scratch, but Trotz wanted to keep the bottom three lines together, so slotted in Bellows with Barzal and Eberle. At first, it worked. In the first two games with Bellows on the first line, he had three goals. The next two games, though, Bellows played poorly, and the Islanders lost both games.

So, Trotz decided to bench Bellows for Leo Komarov.

Before Lee’s injury, Komarov teetered between the lineup and the bench. Komarov played 13 of 26 games while Lee was healthy. During Bellows’ first line stint, Komarov was playing serviceable hockey filling in for an injured Michael Dal Colle on the third line. Since Bellows had two rough games, Trotz promoted Komarov to the first line. As many Islander fans expected, this did not exactly work out.

Komarov is not scoring like a first liner, and is lowering the entire lines’ ability to rack up points as a whole. In addition, you can tell by Barzal and Eberle’s body language on the ice that they are not the Islanders first line we are used to. So, I believe that Leo Komarov must be taken off the first line, especially considering the Islanders traded for Palmieri and Zajac. Here are my projected lines for New York:

Beauvillier-Barzal-Eberle

Bailey-Nelson-Wahlstrom

Zajac-Pageau-Palmieri

Martin-Cizikas-Clutterbuck

In these lines, the successful fourth lines remain intact. Rookie Oliver Wahlstrom has been one of the Islanders’ best goal scorers, so a promotion to play with Nelson and Bailey makes sense. Filling in for Wahlstrom, Palmieri comes in on the third line. Since the third line is losing a goal scorer with the departure of Wahlstrom, Palmieri can fill that role. If given time to build chemistry, Palmieri could find more success on the third line than he did in New Jersey this season. On the other wing alongside Pageau, Travis Zajac would play with his friend Palmieri.

All in all, Barry Trotz has to, and will most likely, take Leo Komarov off the first line.

Ben Kule

Die-Hard Islanders fan and writer from Plainview, Long Island, NY. I have a passion and knowledge for this team and I enjoy sharing that with others