New York Islanders Johnny Boychuk Expectations for 2019-20 Season

The 2019-2020 season will be Johnny Boychuk’s eleventh year in the NHL. What can the New York Islanders expect from the defenseman this season?

It depends. That’s not typically how I start a post on expectation for a player, but in the case of New York Islanders Johnny Boychuk, that’s entirely the case. It depends. Specifically, it depends on Noah Dobson.

The expectation is that Noah Dobson will be pushing for a roster spot this season. After dominating in the QMJHL and winning the CHL’s Memorial cup, yet again, he’s ready for the NHL.

But the New York Islanders already have three right-handed defenders on the roster in Ryan Pulock, Johnny Boychuk, and Scott Mayfield. Johnny Boychuk might just have to sit out if Dobson is slotted in.

If No Dobson, Then What?

But what if Noah Dobson isn’t able to crack the Islanders roster? Lou Lamoriello famously doesn’t like to rush prospects into the NHL. It’s entirely possible that Dobson stays in junior for another year.

That keeps Boychuk’s spot on the roster intact for another season. So what should we expect from him in 2019-20?

Last season Boychuk was able to play 74 games. That’s actually a career-high number of games played in an Islanders sweater. In those 74 games, Boychuk was a dependable veteran presence on the ice for the Isles.

He didn’t have the best numbers on the team, but he still finished with a respectable 19 points,  51.21 expected goals against at 5on5, 228 high-danger chances against at 5on5, and 50 high-danger chances against on the penalty kill (fourth lowest on the team).

Neither of those numbers are team leading or astounding by any regard. They’re OK. Serviceable. That’s what we should expect from Johnny Boychuk this season.

The Expectations

If he still has a spot in the Islanders six-man defensive unit the expectation should be for him to be a serviceable member yet again in 2019-20. He’ll continue to be a leader for players like Pulock, Pelech, and Mayfield.

I wouldn’t expect him to play more than he did last season. Somewhere between 60-75 games is a fair expectation from Johnny Boychuk.

I’d also expect his production to decrease this season. It’s been going down consistently since that 35 point season in 2014-15. Somewhere around four goals and twelve assists for 16 points is where I’d expect Boychuk to land.

At 35 years old, going on 36, I think that’s a good return for him.

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Again, this all depends on what happens with Noah Dobson. If the New York Islanders feel Dobson belongs in the NHL that should have a significant impact on Johnny Boychuk.