What to Expect From New York Islanders Depth Signings
After spending most of the 2021 offseason in silence, the New York Islanders signings are now official. The big-name signings came out on Sept. 1 with the contracts of Kyle Palmieri, Casey Cizikas, Anthony Beauvillier and Ilya Sorokin announced by the club. Zach Parise and Zdeno Chara were made available to the media as well a few weeks later, making their signings all but official as well. However, in the days that followed, the Islanders made several depth signings official, too.
Obviously the names weren’t the most newsworthy, but they are substantial in nature. While talent can win games, depth is also important. Although the Islanders’ roster for next season is all but set, these players will likely be the next men up in case of injury. With this in mind, what can fans expect from these offseason signings?
Forwards:
Most of the Islanders’ signings came at forward depth. The names in this category include Otto Koivula, Dmytro Timashov, and Andy Andreoff. Koivula and Timashov are both names that remain from the past year, but both of them really haven’t made noticeable impacts. After Koivula enjoyed a breakout year in the American Hockey League in 2019-20, he split time between HIFK in Finland and the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. He struggled by comparison to his breakout year last season, only tallying two goals and seven assists for nine points.
Timashov only played a single game in the NHL last season, but he was effective for the Sound Tigers (now the Bridgeport Islanders) in 22 games, scoring 11 points (five goals and six assists). Both of these players could take bottom-six roles if someone were to go down.
Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello also announced the returns of Michael Dal Colle and Kieffer Bellows.
“Erik Gustafsson is coming into camp on a PTO, Cory Schneider is signing a two-way contract and will be in camp. Michael Dal Colle and Kieffer Bellows will be under contract and in training camp.” – Lou Lamoriello
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) September 21, 2021
The lone newcomer of this group is Andy Andreoff, who spent the 2021 season in the Flyers organization. He was used primarily as a depth player on the taxi squad, playing only nine games between Philadelphia and AHL Lehigh Valley. Even if Adreoff cracks the lineup, he will likely be a replacement for a fourth-liner if someone were to go down, providing some of the physicality they’ll lose in an absence.
Defense:
The defense didn’t see many names come in, but they have upside if all goes well when needed. Paul LaDue was added on a two-way contract, and Erik Gustafsson was bought in on a professional tryout offer. LaDue doesn’t have too much NHL experience – only 69 games lifetime with five goals and 13 assists with the Los Angeles Kings – but he can provide scoring at the AHL level. In 140 games, he tallied 26 goals and 45 assists for 71 points, so he can offer some scoring help for Bridgeport, at the very least. However, he also provides some depth for the right hand side of the Islanders’ blue line.
However. the acquisition of Gustafsson has the potential to be a low-risk, high-reward investment. Even after the signing of Chara for the left-hand side, Gustafsson could be competing for a roster spot on opening night. He had a down year in 2021 with only a goal and 11 helpers to his credit split between Philadelphia and Montreal, but he has shown flashes of brilliance in the past. His production topped out at 60 points in the 2018-19 season with 17 goals and 43 points, so he has the upside on the offensive side of the puck. However, the analytics suggest the defense is lacking for him. Gustafsson sat in the 11th percentile of even strength defense last season and the seventh percentile of the same category over the past three seasons. Even with these issues, perhaps working in Barry Trotz’s structure could help with that.
Even though the names may not have the most impressive résumés, it is important for a contending team to have depth. When one player goes down, these names can step up to the plate and potentially replicate what was lost from a certain player. While most of these names will spend most of the season in the minors, some of these signings have the potential to play, as is the case with Gustafsson. As a result, although their roles with the Islanders will likely be small, watch out for these guys this year.
I am a first year student at Hofstra University and an avid Islanders fan. I have been writing for Drive4Five since March 2020. My family has been season ticket holders for the team since 2016, and hockey is my favorite sport. As I expand my knowledge in the field of Journalism, I am writing to express my love for the Islanders and the NHL.
