For the first time in a long time, the Islanders spent this offseason actually acting like a real NHL team without an awfully restricted budget. It sure seemed as if the unfettered No. 1 priority was putting a playoff-caliber team on the ice, no matter what it cost, and it showed.
So thanks to those moves, what they’ve found heaped on them is a pile of practical expectations.
Many new additions were made, and they weren’t of the normal scrap-heap variety. Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolay Kulemin add proven NHL talent up front, while late-preseason trades for defensemen Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy were so expertly executed on the same day that one had to wonder if general manager Garth Snow stumbled upon a four-leaf clover. On top of that, the decade-long question of goaltending was addressed right away after last season in obtaining legitimate No. 1 Jaroslav Halak and proven backup Chad Johnson.
This is also the final year at Nassau Coliseum before the team moves to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, so the hope is all these moves allow the Islanders to say goodbye to the only home they’ve known with a team worthy of the franchise’s storied history.
Offense
The Islanders’ world revolves around star center John Tavares, who, if he stays healthy, will likely be in the Hart Trophy conversation yet again as league MVP. Flanked on the right by running mate Kyle Okposo, early indications are the coveted spot on his left side will start with the diminutive-but-skilled Cory Conacher, looking for a career resurgence.
The additions of Grabovski and Kulemin bring some depth, and the glut at center temporarily has bumped Grabovski to wing. Behind Tavares down the middle are Brock Nelson, Frans Nielsen and Casey Cizikas, with 21-year-old Ryan Strome, a natural center, making the team at wing, as well.
The inconsistency of Josh Bailey and Michael Grabner is again a question mark, but with players ready to take their spots — most notably power forward Anders Lee — it’s actually true this year that no spot is a given.
Defense
The worry going into training camp was the Isles would have to rely on too much youth on the blueline, but that changed drastically with the deals for Boychuk and Leddy .
Boychuk, 30, is a good, physical, stay-at-home defenseman, while Leddy is an offensive-minded 23-year-old with some deficiencies in his own zone. Travis Hamonic still tops the group, playing with a necessary meanness in his game.
Although some injuries lingered as preseason closed, the group is filled out by veteran (and power-play maestro) Lubomir Visnovsky, along with 23-year-old Calvin de Haan, who showed himself to be ready for this level in his first full season last year.
Goaltending
Halak never has played more than 57 games in a season, and that’s likely to change this year as long as he can stay healthy. The 29-year-old Slovak is the second-most important player on the team next to Tavares, and the Islanders have made a commitment to him, first trading a fourth-round pick for his negotiating rights, then inking him to a four-year, $18 million deal.
Just in case he isn’t able to perform up to standards, Snow also signed Johnson, a former Ranger, Coyote and Bruin, to a two-year, $2.6 million deal — although relying on him for more than 10-15 games would be a tough way to make the playoffs. Kevin Poulin, who has had an unimpressive start to his career, had a terrific training camp, and should be waiting in the minors, if necessary.
Coaching
This will be Jack Capuano’s fourth full season behind the Islanders bench, and with one playoff appearance (in a lockout-shortened year) and a sub-.500 record (118-120-39), there should be pressure on him to succeed if the franchise is being honest about postseason expectations.
There is little question how much players enjoy playing for him, and his strong suit comes in motivation and development. With the added depth and talent now provided, he will have some difficult decisions to make as far as his nightly roster and line combinations, and his in-game strategy surely will be under a more intense microscope. Stability for this team starts with him.
Keys to the season
Most important offensive player: John Tavares. Coming off extensive rehab to fix a torn MCL and torn meniscus in his left knee, suffered while playing for Team Canada in the Olympics, Tavares feels he is 100 percent healthy and is expecting more out of himself than ever before.
Most important defensive player: Travis Hamonic. He was the team’s No. 1 blueliner by default the past couple seasons. Now, with some help around him, he has to elevate his game to keep that title.
Top rookie: Ryan Strome. Although not technically a rookie after playing 37 games last season, the No. 5 overall pick from 2011 has temporarily switched to wing, where the hope is his offensive game can flourish.
Key coaching decision: Whom to put on Tavares’ left side, and how that trickles down to the rest of the lines. The overabundance of centers is a good thing, but how to use them will prove critical.
Prediction
The most important thing for success is that Tavares and Halak stay healthy, and if that’s the case, they should push for a top-3 spot in the Metro Division or lock a wild card. With very few players on the roster (or behind the bench or in the front office) with postseason success, winning a first-round series for the first time since 1993 will not happen.