The New York Islanders had a brutal 2021-22 season. But while the team struggled, certain individual players stood out and had good years.

In this article, we are going to grade every single Islanders’ player who played one game or more this season. The players will be graded on how they lived up to their preseason expectations — that means, for example, Austin Czarnik will have a better grade than Mathew Barzal, even though Barzal had many more points.

Now that the rules are explained, let’s dive in!

Ilya Sorokin – A+

This is an easy one. Ilya Sorokin was one of the best goaltenders in hockey this season, and if he was on a better team, he would be in the Vezina Trophy conversation. What a year from the new franchise goaltender.

Zach Parise – A

Zach Parise was the hardest-working player on the team this year. He gave it his all each and every shift, and on a struggling team, that alone makes him worthy of a high grade. He also contributed on the power-play, penalty-kill and forecheck, making him one of the most well-rounded players on the Islanders.

Noah Dobson – A

Noah Dobson became the sixth Islanders’ defenseman since 2000 to record 40 or more points in a season. At only 22-years-old, he is the youngest to do so. Dobson had a breakout year, and if he continues his rise to stardom and improves his defensive play, he could be a Norris Trophy contender sooner rather than later.

Brock Nelson – A

Brock Nelson has scored 18 goals or more in each of the last eight seasons. But this year, he was a machine. With 37 goals, he nearly became the team’s first 40-goal scorer since Anders Lee in 2017-18, and emerged as the top-center with Mathew Barzal struggling.

Adam Pelech – A

What needs to be said about Adam Pelech? The man with his own posse is one of the best defensemen in the NHL, and once again anchored the backend this season.

Cory Schneider – A

Cory Schneider had one of the rare feel-good moments for the Islanders this season. After not playing in an NHL game since March 6, 2020, the veteran goaltender stopped 27 shots as the Islanders defeated the Devils 4-3 in April. It was his one start this year, and he made the most of it.

Kieffer Bellows – A-

Kieffer Bellows was not given a shot to be a consistent top-six player in the NHL this season. But when he played, he showed flashes of brilliance.

For example, in the Islanders’ 4-3 shootout loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Dec. 19, Bellows was benched, playing five shifts in the first period and four in the second.

On his first shift of the third period, Bellows took advantage of the opportunity, corralling a pass from Parise and tying the game at two.

This represented Bellows’ season. When he played, he often played well. But he skated in only 45 games this year, and was never able to establish a rhythm.

Scott Mayfield – A-

Scott Mayfield had a very productive season before suffering a season-ending injury in March. He recorded three goals, 15 assists and 18 points in 61 games, and even spent time on the top-pair when Ryan Pulock was injured.

Grant Hutton – B+

Does Grant Hutton have an NHL future? Prior to this season, the answer was likely no. However, he impressed playing 16 games in a limited role this year, and could be a bottom-pair defenseman for an NHL team in 2022-23. Hutton, a pending unrestricted free agent, will likely will sign a two-way contract with the Islanders or another squad this offseason.

Austin Czarnik – B+

Austin Czarnik became a fan-favorite this season. In just 11 games, he notched five points and showed he is a spark plug who can play up and down the lineup. When the Seattle Kraken claimed him on waivers in February, it appeared Czarnik’s time in the blue and orange was over, but the Islanders re-claimed him in March, and he has been in the AHL ever since.

Otto Koivula – B

This year, Otto Koivula showed he can possibly be an NHL player in the future. For example, in three appearances after an emergency recall in late-April, he registered an assist, a hit, four blocks and won 52.38% of his faceoffs while averaging under 11 minutes per game. If given more playing time, perhaps the points would follow.

Richard Panik – B

In his four games with the Islanders this season, Panik worked hard and showed he still has it. He could compete for a roster spot next year.

Cal Clutterbuck – B

Before being ruled out for the year in March, Clutterbuck was a productive fourth-line forward for the Islanders. He did exactly what was expected of him, tallying 15 points in 59 games.

Anders Lee – B-

Anders Lee is the captain of the Islanders and an offensive leader, but he didn’t do enough this season. He failed to reach 30 goals and did not make his usual impact in front of the net.

Robin Salo – B-

Robin Salo impressed in the preseason and looked like he would be a candidate to make the NHL roster. But he did not impress Barry Trotz, and Salo was merely used as an injury replacement this year, playing in 21 games and recording five points.

In March, the Islanders called up Parker Wotherspoon over Salo, and Trotz explained why.

“[Salo] hasn’t played as well as he’s needed to play,” Trotz said. “He should be an impact and the best defenseman [in Bridgeport]. He hasn’t been.”

Salo got another chance in April, and was pretty effective. But he never lived up to that preseason hype.

Sebastian Aho – B-

The other Sebastian Aho was serviceable for the Islanders this year, scoring a pair of timely goals in a depth role. However, in order for him to be a full-time NHLer, the 5-foot-11, 184-pound defenseman likely needs to bulk up this offseason so he doesn’t get pushed off the puck so easily. He also needs to play a simpler game and not force things, something he did better as the season progressed.

Semyon Varlamov – B-

Yes, the Islanders did not score enough for Semyon Varlamov. But Varlamov oftentimes did not make the big save when needed. Thus, it was a difficult year for Varlamov, and he will look to bounce back next season.

Ryan Pulock – C+

Ryan Pulock was simply average this season. He was separated from Adam Pelech to play with Chara early in the season, and after that, it went all downhill. Pulock suffered a serious injury in November and missed 25 games. Since his return, he played okay, but was not the top-pairing defenseman that has anchored the backend since Trotz took over as head coach.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau – C+

Jean-Gabriel Pageau has had some great moments this year, like his hat-trick against the Devils, and he played well defensively and in the face-off circle. However, he needed to do more — especially offensively — to earn his $5 million cap hit.

Andy Greene – C+

Andy Greene was a reliable defenseman during the 2021 season in his first full campaign with the Islanders. But this year, his age caught up to him, and he got beat many times leading to goals. Greene had a 21-game pointless streak that was broken on April 19 when he recorded a point against the Florida Panthers.

Andy Andreoff – C+

Andy Andreoff earned an early-season call-up during the Islanders’ COVID-19 outbreak, and was also promoted when Casey Cizikas was suspended in early April. The 30-year-old has recorded two NHL points in 26 games since 2019, and wasn’t great when playing for the Islanders this year.

Ross Johnston – C+

Ross Johnston did what was expected of him this season. He was physical, but besides that, he did not provide much to the team. With a four-year contract extension beginning next season, Johnston is here for the long-haul, even though his path to playing time will be murky.

Kyle Palmieri – C+

To say Kyle Palmieri got off to a terrible start in 2021-22 is an understatement. After signing a four-year, $20 million extension in the offseason, Palmieri recorded one goal and six assists through the Islanders’ first 41 games.

At the time, it appeared his contract was one of the worst in hockey, but in the second-half of the season, Palmieri improved his play. Nonetheless, his slow start was a big reason why the Islanders struggled, and Palmieri needs to get off to a better start next year.

Josh Bailey – C+

Josh Bailey is the most polarizing figure on the Islanders. Many fans legitimately hate him, and want nothing more than for him to be on a new team next year. However, he once again recorded over 40 points — something he has done six times in his NHL career. Therefore, Bailey was average this year, but as usual, he needed to shoot the puck more and make faster decisions.

Mathew Barzal – C

Mathew Barzal is supposed to be the best player on the Islanders. He was far from that this season, recording less than 20 goals and 60 points. At times, he has looked lazy, emotional and dejected, and he played on the third line since his return from a February injury. Expect Barzal to rebound next season.

Thomas Hickey – C

Thomas Hickey has had a sad downfall after signing a four-year, $10 million contract in 2018. In two games this season, he was held off the scoresheet and was a -3. It is interesting to think about where the Islanders would be this year if Hickey — or even Erik Gustafsson — was given a roster spot over Zdeno Chara.

Michael Dal Colle – C

Michael Dal Colle only played in one NHL game this year after playing 26 the year prior and 107 combined the previous three years. That alone was a disappointment for the 25-year-old 2014 fifth overall pick.

Paul LaDue – C

Paul LaDue played in his sixth professional season this year. Before signing with the Islanders, he spent four seasons with the Los Angeles Kings and last year with the Washington Capitals. In one game with the Islanders in November, he was nothing special — he played 12:47 and was a -2.

Matt Martin – C

This one is tough. Matt Martin is one of the most popular Islanders of the 21st century, but this year, he failed to reach 10 points and looked slower than ever. His time as an NHL regular may be coming to an end.

Casey Cizikas – C

The Islanders signed Casey Cizikas to a six-year, $15 million contract extension this offseason. He had a rough year, failing to reach 10 goals for the second season in a row. The fourth line’s era of dominance appears to be over, so Cizikas might have a new linemate or two next year.

Oliver Wahlstrom – C

Trotz has been very hard on Wahlstrom this season. The young forward was scratched multiple times this season and when he did play, he frequently received the least ice-time on the team.

Still, Wahlstrom needed to show more when given the opportunity. He ended the season on a 12-game point drought, and never was able to emerge as a top-six forward — even though he likely has the talent to be one.

Leo Komarov – C

Remember Leo Komarov? The 34-year-old forward was placed on unconditional waivers in November and his contract was terminated. He then signed with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL. In one game with the Islanders this season, Komarov only played 10:50, but his leadership was clearly missed after his departure to Russia.

Zdeno Chara – F

The argument can be made that Zdeno Chara is one of the main reasons why the Islanders had such an abysmal season.

As of Dec. 15, Chara’s Expected Goals Above Replacement (xGAR), a metric that tries to assign a numerical value to each player, was -5.6, last among Islanders. For perspective, no other Islander had a xGAR below -2.1 at that time, and no other player in the NHL had a xGAR below -5. Per xGAR, he was the only NHL player to cost his team an entire win as of Dec. 15.

While his play certainly improved as the season continued, Chara was arguably one of worst players in hockey this year. He was unable to keep up with the modern-day game, took to many penalties and hurt the Islanders in more ways then he helped.

Anthony Beauvillier – F

Anthony Beauvillier has 400 NHL games under his belt. At certain times, he looks like a top-line star. At others, he looked like a depth forward.

This year, the latter was true. He failed to reach the 15-goal plateau, and really struggled most of the year. His season notably featured a 14-game pointless stretch — a mind-boggling number considering he was playing with talented players, including Nelson.

Trotz predicted Beauvillier was due for a “breakout season” prior to this year.

“He’s grown as a player,” Trotz said. “His confidence has grown. He’s been a very important player for us. My trust in him continues to grow. I think he’s going to have a breakout season where he’s going to have a big jump in totals. If it happens this year or next year, I’m not sure. But I think it’s coming.”

But unfortunately for the Islanders, Trotz was wrong. Beauvillier struggled, and was one of the most disappointing players on the team this year.