New York Islanders Daily: Line Combination Preview

The New York Islanders lines are going to look very different this year. Here’s a peek at what to expect on Thursday night.

With Barry Trotz and Lou Lamoriello in charge, the New York Islanders will look a little bit different. In fact, the line combinations that we were used to from last year, and even what most predicted for this year, are way off.

Yesterday, Arthur Staple tweeted out what the likely line combinations are going to be and it’s pretty grotesque.

Line 1: Beauvillier – Barzal – Bailey, Line 2: Lee – Nelson – Eberle, Line 3: Martin – Cizikas – Clutterbuck, Line 4: Komarov – Filppula – Fritz, d-pair 1: Pelech – Pulock, d-pair 2: Sbisa-Leddy, d-pair 3: Hickey-Boychuk, with Robin Lehner in net.

Let’s start from the top, the Beau – Barzal – Bailey line is going to be fine, I’m not too concerned with that unit at all. Even most of the second line is fine, the only thing I don’t like is Brock Nelson centering that line. He’s not a center, and certainly not a top-six center.

The third line, that was once the fourth line, will play fine but they aren’t a third line. This is a fine fourth line, overpaid, but it works as a fourth line. Then the Isles real fourth line with Komarov, Filppula, and Fritz is just not very good.

I know it’s taboo to some on Twitter to question the great Lou Lamoriello, but running two fourth lines out there is not great. The d-pairings are just as bad.

Pulock deserves to be on the top pair, while someone like Adam Pelech shouldn’t be sniffing 20 minutes of ice time a night. Sbisa – Leddy is just absurd. Why they’re switching Leddy to his offside for Luca Sbisa is just pure insanity. The only pairing I like is Hickey – Boychuk. I think that’s a fine third pair, it’s the only pairing that actually makes sense.

On a first look, this lineup doesn’t really jump out at you as super exciting. Islanders fans have every right to be frustrated over it.

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