New York Islanders Fans Should Be Thankful For Present and Future

Although the New York Islanders are off to an awful start, fans still need to look for the positive things from this season and with Thanksgiving coming up, now is a great time to realize what we should be thankful for!

Whether it be a young, up-and-coming player showing his stripes or an unlikely hero who is generally overlooked, there is a lot to be thankful for this New York Islanders 2016-17 season!

So how about a double dose of thankfulness? We can be thankful for the glories of Islanders past. How their exploits created the fanbase we call our own today. And we can thank the present and the future of the franchise.

Must Read: Giving Thanks To The Past

Anthony Beauvillier

The rise of the 19-year-old Anthony Beauvillier is arguably the best thing to come out of this young season. He has proven that he can play in most situations and even made his debut on the top line with John Tavares on Tuesday against the Anaheim Ducks.

The 28h overall pick of the 2015 NHL Draft has not only produced offensively, scoring 6 points in the 14 games he has played in, but he is also an extremely tenacious player. Although Beauvillier is only 5’11, his short frame doesn’t stop him one bit.

He finishes all of his checks, something the current coaching regime preaches non-stop, he drives to the net no matter what the cost. The amount of maturity we have seen from the kid already has been astonishing.

If Beauvillier keeps playing the way he has been playing so far this season, he may truthfully be a superstar in this league. Which would leave all 29 teams who passed up on him to be full of regrets. So, one thing to be thankful for is the unlikely rise of Anthony Beauvillier.

Travis Hamonic

Another thing Islanders fans take for granted is Travis Hamonic‘s extremely early return to the lineup.

On November 6th, Travis Hamonic was reported to be out for 4-6 weeks after suffering a hand injury. However, exactly a week after he was placed on Injured Reserve, Hamonic returned to the lineup to play against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Throughout the three games since his injury, we’ve all noticed that he is still feeling the effects of his injury, but every time he reaggravates it, he always comes back onto the ice and plays his next shift. To have a player like Hamonic, who would put his body on the line just to help his team win is truly a blessing for all Islanders fans.

 John Tavares

Yes, this paragraph will just be restating the obvious, but something that needs to resonate with all islanders fans is that we have the luxury of watching a superstar play day in and day out.

John Tavares has been a very special part of our team for years, he has always come out in the clutch, especially in the postseason as he scored both the game-tying and overtime winning goal in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarter Finals to win the Islanders their first playoff series in 23 years.

One other thing Johnny T is notorious for doing is scoring off of his own rebound. He never gives up on a play and these kinds of plays always pay off for the Islanders when they need it most. Just watch the goal Tavares scored against the Florida Panthers to win their first round playoff series

Next: Read Another Great Article!

With all of this being said, now is the perfect time to give thanks for the things we take for granted, whether it be Islanders related or not, Thanksgiving is a holiday that is ever so important to us, as it is a time for us to be grateful for things we take for granted each and every day. From everyone at Eyes On Isles, we hope you have a very happy thanksgiving!