Every successful business has a core competency — something they’re distinctly good at, and what sets them apart from the competition. For the Islanders, their depth has been their core competency, and they need to address it during free agency.

Since Barry Trotz took over as the head coach of the Islanders, the team has succeeded through contributions from all four lines. For various reasons, the team didn’t have that this year.

Fans can blame this season on the team’s lack of high-end talent, but I partially disagree. There is a list of players who simply haven’t lived up to expectations this season.

Anthony Beauvillier should probably have more than 33 points in 73 games playing on a line with the two highest goal scorers on the team. Kyle Palmieri has been much better in the second half of the season, but the first half was dreadful for him. Oliver Wahlstrom deserved more ice time this season, but fans probably expected more than 13 goals and 11 assists from him.

The Islanders used to be a team with a next-man-up mentality. That wasn’t the case this season, which that marred by multiple COVID-19 outbreaks. Otto Koivula, Richard Panik and Andy Andreoff have been inadequate injury replacements in the bottom six. The Islanders let go of Leo Komarov’s contract early in the season too. He was a swiss army knife for the team the last few seasons.

The defensive depth has been disappointing too. We all know that Zdeno Chara couldn’t fill Nick Leddy’s shoes on the second pair. But Sebastian Aho, despite his speed and transitioning ability, hasn’t played particularly well this season either. The team had to rely on Thomas Hickey and Paul LaDue during the November COVID-19 outbreak. Neither are NHL-capable defensemen anymore. Robin Salo was good during his 18-game stint, but who knows if he’ll be ready for a top-four role next season?

While bringing in one of the top free agents this summer would be great, it’s an extremely hard feat to pull off. The team needs to prioritize defensive depth this offseason. Ben Chiarot, Brett Kulak and Olli Maatta are all names that should be on general manager Lou Lamoriello’s radar.

Hopefully, the team’s recent offensive success is an indication that small tweaks — as opposed to extensive overhauls — will be enough to return to the playoffs. Andrew Copp, David Perron and Mason Marchment are some of the highest-scoring middle-six free agents. There’s no reason to overpay for Johnny Gaudreau or Filip Forsberg if a small adjustment is all we need.

Lamoriello said he believes in his roster, which could be an indication he doesn’t want to break the bank this offseason. The team’s recent performance shows he might not have to change too much after all.

Ben Baruch

Born and raised on Long Island. Isles fan since 2009. Studying journalism at the University of Maryland, College Park.