New York Islanders Mid-Season Player Grades

Third Defensive Pair And One More

Everyone is waiting for the real Nick Leddy to show up. Leddy just doesn’t seem the same this season. With five points in his last four games maybe that Nick Leddy is starting to emerge? Every Isles fan certainly hopes that’s the case.

Leddy’s goal scoring is good compared to his peer, sitting in the 88th percentile. But his assists and general points per 60 are lacking. And his Corsi-Differential is abysmal. To be fair, quality of competition would tell you that Leddy see’s some of the opposition’s best players during the majority of his average 18:30 even-strength minutes. But in terms of production and diving possession, there’s much to be desired.

Mediocre. That’s what describes Thomas Hickey at the halfway point of the season. He’s right there in the middle with a weighted average score of 53. The Isles are getting exactly what they’re paying for from Hickey. I don’t expect this to change as the season goes. Just more from the same steady mediocre Thomas Hickey. And that’s alright.

Calvin de Haan has been invisible for most of the season. He’s there we know it. But hasn’t done much. Just like Hickey before him, I don’t expect that will change this season. He’s perfectly suited for the deployment he’s been given as a bottom 5/6 defenceman. Any more and the cracks in the armor turn to fissures.

Next: How Can The Isles Make a Ton of Cap Space?

How these players rank come season end and now that Capuano is gone will be an interesting exercise. My hope is that Andrew Ladd finds what he’s been missing. Whatever it was. Confidence, top line minutes, his lucky rabbit’s foot. Whatever. Beacause that contract looms incredibly large on this organization this year and for the following six after that.