Barry Trotz and the Islanders are looking to win a Stanley Cup this year. Let’s take a look at some hot takes for the upcoming season.

Islanders Will Be Hot At Home

The Islanders will finally be getting a new home in the upcoming season. Last year, the Islanders went 21-4-3 during the 56-game regular season at home. A lot of those games were with no fans and some were with a very small amount of fans. Imagine how the Islanders can do with a sold out crowd in their new home.

Due to the arena opening in November, the Islanders will have to catch up on home games by having long homestands through the season. The Islanders are a very streaky team and it would be no surprise to see them go on an amazing winning streak at home. The Islanders can definitely have the best home record in the league by the end of the season.

Ilya Sorokin Will Emerge As The Islanders Starter

Ilya Sorokin was a huge bright spot for the Islanders last year. Sorokin won the Islanders a lot of games and the playoff series against Sidney Crosby and the Penguins. When Sorokin gets hot, he plays out his mind. It would not surprise me if Ilya Sorokin gets the starting job over Semyon Varlamov at some point this year.

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Islanders Season Will End In Third Place

After making the third round in back-to-back years, the Islanders have proven they save their best for the postseason. Although the Islanders play solid in the regular season, it has not been enough to top the Washington Capitals. The Carolina Hurricanes are also coming back to the division, so it really seems like the Islanders could be a third-place hockey team in the Metropolitan Division.

Anders Lee Will Be An All-Star

Most people will always project Mathew Barzal to represent the Islanders in the All-Star Game but watch out for Anders Lee. In a season cut short due to an injury, Anders Lee had 12 goals and six assists in 27 games. Once he was injured for the season, the Islanders realized how much they needed him. When Lee returned on the ice to practice during the playoffs and offseason, he looked better than he did before.

Anders Lee is skating with the reserves. And he is skating fast.

It looks like he didn’t miss a beat. pic.twitter.com/GlwMdzVWo2

— David Lazar (@davidlazar100) June 17, 2021

The Islanders are going to heavily use Lee this season to create a spark. And I think he will be an All-Star.

John Smark