As the March 21st NHL Trade Deadline approaches, the New York Islanders are in the midst of a down year. With a 20-21-8, the Islanders are highly unlikely to make the postseason. To make matters worse, the short term future of Mathew Barzal is in doubt following an injury against the Los Angeles Kings. With this news and their standing as of today, the Islanders are most likely to be sellers at this year’s deadline.

Many players have entered the rumor mill the past few weeks, including Zach Parise, Cal Clutterbuck, Zdeno Chara, and possibly Semyon Varlamov among others. With the Islanders in a position to sell, the question is how do the Islanders play the rest of the season. There is the obvious path of playing to win the games and salvage a lost year. However, many sellers in the past have taken the route of tanking, selling pieces in an effort to lose and gain higher draft position. However, despite the Islanders’ bad season, they should not consider tanking away the rest of the season. Instead, they should try to take the former route of trying to find whatever momentum they can heading into 2022-23, and there are many reasons why.

Young Pieces

The main positive to take away from the Islanders this season has been the youth. Oliver Wahlstrom has seen his ups and downs for many reasons, but other young pieces have begun to emerge as NHL regulars. For one, Kieffer Bellows has earned consistent ice time and made the most of his opportunities, tallying four goals and 13 points and earning the praise of head coach Barry Trotz in the process. If he can keep his performance up, the Islanders may have no choice but to keep him in to see how he performs the rest of the way.

On the defense, the obvious bright spot is in Noah Dobson. After a shaky start to the season, Dobson stepped up in a big way since December, earning at least 20 minutes of ice time on most nights. Even if he has already been contributing regularly, it won’t hurt for the Islanders to use him in different situations to see how he can contribute moving forward. Also, Robin Salo has earned NHL ice time throughout the year, seeing a few stints with the big club. Even if he hasn’t stuck just yet, he’s been able to get his feet wet and could see himself back on the roster if a defenseman gets dealt. As a result, instead of punting the season, the Islanders can see what they have in their young players, giving them more ice time as an audition for 2022-23.

Team Morale

Another reason for the Islanders to refrain from tanking is the goal of finding form entering next season. This season has been a frustrating season for several individuals on the roster, but some are trying to make the most of what’s left of it. Kyle Palmieri only had a single goal before taking paternity leave on February 8. However, following his return, he has bounced back from a bad first half, scoring four goals. Also, even for questions of future roster status, Parise has also found form after being snake-bitten in the first half. Following the All-Star break, Parise has notched four goals and eight points in nine games, including his best performance of the season in Seattle with two goals and a helper.

Also, those that haven’t found their stride yet can also find ways to salvage their season. Names in this field include Anthony Beauvillier and Jean-Gabriel Pageau, both of whom haven’t had the scoring touch so far. Both players have only tallied eight goals a piece, and Beauvillier only has 19 points while Pageau has 17. However, with both players not expected to go anywhere anytime soon, it makes sense to help these two get going. Not to mention they will likely see more ice time with Barzal on the shelf, so greater ice time could help them play out of it as well.

As a result, when considering the Islanders on paper, New York has a lot to prove despite a lost season. Giving their younger pieces the spotlight could prove how long their window could stay open. Also, giving struggling pieces an opportunity to play out of their slumps can help wipe the slate clean for next season. However, the greatest reasons why could be off the ice. Trotz’s contract is up this offseason, and the Islanders will want to make every effort to keep him behind the bench. Also, with the Islanders looking to remain contenders, proving that this year was an anomaly will be key for their free agency push.

With all these factors in mind, the Islanders should not consider tanking despite the circumstances. The bad season and Barzal’s injury are very much cases to tank, and a chance at the first overall pick seems enticing; however, if the Islanders want to remain a destination, winning could help their future goals. Not to mention tanking doesn’t always ensure the first overall pick, so the Islanders may end up disappointed regardless. Instead, a retool of dealing rentals and maintaining the pieces that made the Islanders contenders is the proper outlook for 2022-23.

Matthew Page

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.