If the NY Islanders don’t sell by the deadline, the fault lies with ownership

Whether you are optimistic or pessimistic about the direction of the NY Islanders, it isn't easy to see any way this team makes a run at the playoffs. 

The team sits in last place in the Metro Division,15th of 16th in the Eastern Conference, and fifth worst in the league in terms of points percentage.

Ownership will be to blame

Unlike years past when the Islanders were teetering on the brink of a playoff spot, the team wasn’t in a position to sell assets. Most players with value still had a few years remaining on their contracts, and it didn’t make much sense to offload them unless receiving a haul in return. 

But this year the Islanders are in prime position to be sellers. It's an aging roster that is simply not good enough to be considered a serious contender, with plenty of quality players having only one or two years remaining in their deals, including Brock Nelson, Kyle Palmieri, Noah Dobson, JG Pageau, and Anders Lee.