Islanders: Bridgeport Sound Tigers need a Successful 2021 Season

The New York Islanders AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, are looking for a much better season after a terrible 2019-2020.

Last year was a year to forget for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Many New York Islanders fans voiced their concern about the Islanders AHL team after they finished the suspended season with the worst record in the league.

The Sound Tigers finished with an abysmal record of 23-33-5 for a grand total of 53 points in 63 games. Another eye-opening stat from this team was top prospects Kieffer Bellows, Oliver Wahlstrom, and Simon Holmstrom had a combined -47 plus/minus.

Both Bellows and Wahlstrom finished with a -16 respectively, but Bellows played in 52 games, while Wahlstrom skated in 45 games. Holmstrom finished one better than the two Americans with a -15 in 46 games.

Many people have called for head coach, Brent Thompson, to get fired, but that has yet to happen. The 2021 season will be Thompson’s seventh season at the helm and Bridgeport has only made the playoffs twice in his tenure.

This year’s Bridgeport team will have a new-look roster that looks like it is set up for success. We could maybe see recently acquired

Austin Czarnik

,

A.J. Greer

, and

Dmytro Timashov

all applying their trade for Bridgeport. Also, the Sound Tigers have signed Erik Brown and Nick Pastujov to contracts.

Development Equals Success

In recent years it feels like the Islanders have not produced much talent from the minor league affiliates. There were very few players on last year’s Bridgeport roster where you could say, “That guy is perfect to fill in for someone on the Islanders.”

The Islanders are left filling in their flaws by either trade or free agency. This problem needs to get fixed. It will not only help the Islanders on the ice, but it will help their salary cap situation in years to come.

It is great to know that there are some changes being made in Bridgeport. They are bringing in new faces with solid careers for Bridgeport’s roster next season. This will not only improve the Sound Tigers record, but it will improve the development of every player on their roster, especially the top young prospects, and it will give the Islanders plenty of options of players to call up from.

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Another year at the bottom of the AHL will benefit no one. A successful 2021 campaign by the Sound Tigers will improve the Islanders organization as a whole. The AHL has targeted February 5, 2021, to start their 2021 season.

Isles Country: Do you think the Sound Tigers will make the playoffs next season? Leave your comments below!

*Stats Provided by The AHL*