Does Brayden Schenn make the Islanders true cup contenders?

The Islanders cap off their trade deadline by acquiring forward Brayden Schenn from the Blues. Out of all the moves the Isles made before the deadline, this one will have the most impact. In 61 games this season, he has 12 goals and 16 assists for 28 points. While this might seem low, his analytics suggest he should have better numbers. According to Natural Stat Trick, he has a 47.93 CF%, a 51.10 SCF%, and a 49.29 xG%.

Schenn should come in and make an immediate impact on offense. But the question remains, does the addition of Schenn, along with the other moves the Islanders made, make them Stanley Cup Contenders? As it currently stands, Mathieu Darche has constructed a team that is not only good to make the playoffs, but also to make a run at the Cup. But what sets this Islanders team apart from the rest of the Eastern Conference?

The Islanders have all the pieces to go on a deep playoff run

For starters, the Islanders arguably have one of the best top six in hockey. On top of Schenn, they already have the likes of Matt Barzal and Bo Horvat. Two of the better forwards in all of hockey. Both players have notched over 40 points this season and have been red hot since the Olympic break ended. Adding Schenn to that gives them three players who are threats to score at any moment. Plus, we should see Schenn's production increase with better talent to play alongside.

Not only will these three be effective during the regular season, but they will also be effective during the playoffs. We've seen countless times that good teams get derailed because their star players cannot adjust to playoff hockey. That will not be a problem for the Islanders. All three have had at least four trips to the playoffs and have put in strong performances. Especially if the team makes a deep run, so the Islanders will not have to worry about their stars disappearing in the playoffs.

They also have the scoring depth in case their main pieces go down. Rookie sensation Matthew Schafer has helped carry the offense, being second on the team in scoring. They also have guys like Andres Lee and Simon Holmstrom who have been lethal scoring threats. There are going to be points where the Islanders have five guys on the ice who are a scoring threat—a nightmare for teams to go up against.

However, what sets this team apart is its goaltending. When you have a goalie like Ilya Sorokin, you are always a threat to make a deep run. The teams that play for a Stanley Cup are usually the ones whose goalie gets hot. That should not be a problem as Sorokin is having one of his best seasons in years. In 38 games, he has a goals-against average of 2.54 and a save percentage of .913. If he can carry this performance into the playoff there is not a team that can beat them.

Overall, the Islanders have an extremely talented roster that is capable of beating anyone. It's setting up to be a special season that sees hockey get played deep into May on Long Island.