Is Thomas Greiss the most underappreciated NY Islanders player in the last 10 years?

When it comes to underappreciated New York Islanders, Thomas Greiss deserves his own chapter. The German goaltender joined the team in 2015 and spent five seasons on Long Island, often serving as the 1B option in net — yet delivering 1A-caliber performances when it mattered most.

Greiss never sought the spotlight, but he quietly became one of the most dependable goalies in franchise history. His calm demeanor and technical efficiency made him the perfect complement to more aggressive, high-energy netminders. In 2018-19, he was part of the Jennings Trophy-winning tandem with Robin Lehner, helping the Islanders lead the league in goals against, a remarkable turnaround after they had been dead last the season before.

Stepping in for an injured Jaro Halak, Greiss was outstanding in the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs, backstopping the Isles to their first postseason series victory since 1993 in a six-game series versus the favored Florida Panthers. His defining moment came in overtime of Game 5 when he denied Aleksander Barkov in overtime on a penalty shot, allowing the Isles to win the game in 2OT on a goal by Alan Quine. He then had 41 saves in Game 6 at Barclays Center. Next to John Tavares, he was the team's MVP during the series that ended the playoff series winning drought.

His most legendary moment came in the 2020 playoff bubble. With Semyon Varlamov as the starter, Greiss was called upon in a pivotal Game 7 against the Philadelphia Flyers in the second round. He responded with a masterclass, stopping 16 of 16 shots in a 4-0 shutout that sent the Islanders to their first Eastern Conference Final since 1993. It wasn’t flashy (Greiss rarely was), but it was the kind of clutch, composed performance that defined his Islanders tenure.

Fans who watched closely knew how valuable he was, but Greiss never quite got the broader recognition he deserved, overshadowed by flashier players and bigger contracts. He finished his Islanders career 7th in team history in goals against average (2.70GAA) and is currently third in save percentage (.915), narrowly behind both Varlamov and Ilya Sorokin (.916). He's sixth in wins! Pretty remarkable for a player who was never viewed as the No.1 goaltender.

While he eventually moved on to Detroit and St. Louis, Islanders fans who appreciated his steady hand in net will remember Greiss as one of the ultimate “under-the-radar” heroes — a goaltender who might not make the highlight reels every night, but who helped keep the Islanders competitive in an era when stability in net was finally restored