New York Islanders Concern With Opening Day Roster

The New York Islanders confirmed their opening day roster today. It’s certainly different than at least I thought it might look just two months ago.

Like every other team, the New York Islanders opening day 23-man active roster was confirmed today. 14 forwards, six defencemen, and three goaltenders all made the roster. After the waiver wire drama that happened yesterday the roster was all but obvious to everyone.

Sending PA Parenteau to waivers , ultimately to be claimed by the New Jersey Devils, was a huge surprise. Most of us thought PA was a lock for the first line. But clearing him from the active roster would allow the team to keep both Mathew Barzal and Anthony Beauvillier.

Both are high-flying prospects full of promise. They bring a ton of promise to the team. No one knows exactly how these two are going to pan out. They can be total busts or absolutely torch the league.

But with all the promise comes a bit of…contention? Apprehension? Just look at the roster and then I’ll explain my…worry? (I’ll figure out the right word at some point).

Don’t Forget Alan

More from Editorials

• Islanders key to success: Load management with goalies
• Islanders Zdeno Chara trending in the right direction
• Islanders: Semyon Varlamov Deserves Benefit of the Doubt
• Islanders Ilya Sorokin becoming number one goalie
• Islanders Zach Parise Was Quiet in Return to Minnesota

The forwards look pretty good. Everyone is focusing on Mathew Barzal and Anthony Beauvillier making the roster that we’ve all forgotten that Alan Quine also made the team!

This 23-year-old seems like he’s been on this roster forever, but he’s only got 12 NHL games under his belt. Ten of those came in the playoffs last season.

This is a player that’s paid his dues. Being drafted and unsigned. Then drafted again in the 6th round by the Islanders. Then spending the next few years in the AHL where he was an absolute gem. In his three seasons in Bridgeport, Quine scored 136 points over 192 games.

Barzal and Beauvillier deserve all the praise they’re getting. With no experience playing hockey at a higher level than their major junior leagues, it a surprise they made it. That’s just how good these two have been, and how much the organization believes in them.

This doesn’t mean they’re going to be with the team the rest of the year. The Isle could just be trying to get another good look at them in a more competitive setting. Remember, the team still has a small window to send them down without burning a year on their contracts.

Start with a Short Bench

But with all the hype around the youth movement amongst the forward core, the defense looks a bit…worrisome. I still haven’t found the right word.

Must Read: How the Seidenberg Deal was Predicted

The Isles named six defenders on the active roster. Teams generally have seven defenders on the roster. Six isn’t rare or unconventional. It’s just not a common approach.

The Isles are taking this approach because they named three goaltenders to the roster. Keeping JF Berube on the roster means a skater needs to go. That skater came from the blueline.

My apprehension is for in-game injury coverage. When a player goes down with a short-term injury. Something that’s sustain in-game and keeps a player out for the remainder of that game.

With the defense at six players, they can’t absorb such a loss. If any one of those six go down, there’s an immediate hole in the lineup. It’s not the end of the world. Teams find themselves playing with short benches every now and then.

The Concern

But it seems that the only justification to keep Berube is for injury cover. Just in the off chance that both Halak and Griess go down on the same night? I know that sounds like a strawman argument, but what else is there?

My concern. (That’s the word I wanted to use.) My concern is that the defense is left exposed at the risk of giving the goaltending a bit more coverage.

Next: Letting Go of Parenteau

The odds of both goaltenders going down is very rare. It’s happened I’m sure, but just because something happened once, doesn’t mean one needs to plan for it like a certainty. So why risk having a short defensive bench from day one?